Oh boy. I am smitten. The art and science of communication has been stirring within me for the last couple years. I've been idly contemplating ham radio for and slowly trying to amass enough knowledge to make it worthwhile to get a license and maybe a cheap hobby set up.
When I was a kid Bob's dad had THEE ultimate ham ratio set up in his garage. He had the great big bejeezus tower and antennae and he could talk to any other hamster in the world. He was designated as a civilian/military asset back in the 70s - meaning that in the event of a war, he was to place his radio shack and himself under military control and serve as an alternate communications node if necessary. He had EVERYTHING too - and was a fascinating man to us kids. He had the iambic morse key and could rattle off morse code faster than you and I can talk. He could recognize others on the air by the cadence of their key strokes. He'd often read a book while listening to the slower, newer users as they slowly ditted and dah-ed the letters off, transcribing the noise into words while he read. He said it was much like rubbing your stomach and patting your head at the same time - easy, once you got your head around it.
I am seeing DIY radios you can make at home built from cheap kits. I'd love to build one myself as I am fairly adept with soddering and electronics. But when it comes to antennas, gains, and MHz vs Ghz... I don't know which one hurts more than the other, HAR HAR HAR!!!
😂👍
If any of youse guys have built your own - your two cents in the comments would be sincerely appreciated. This might just be a cheap hobby if I play my cards right...
Back in my university days I was a member of Army MARS but then i was the young guy and surrounded by old farts. I kept my license even still today. When i was in my 20's i had a mobile rig in my shit box car that was worth more than the car. In my 30's i ran with a vhf/uhf rig in my truck. About 10 years ago when we moved i boxed up my rig and never set it up at the new house, by that time the only other hams in my area had 25 years on me and wete deaf.
ReplyDeleteExile1981
In the US, it's worthwhile and not difficult to get at least the entry-level amateur radio license ("Technician" license, there's a "General" and then an "Amateur Extra" level license above that first one for those who want to pursue it)
ReplyDeleteMy impression is that the US has about the lowest barrier to entry to amateur radio among most of the world's countries. Canada probably requires more hoops to jump through or more knowledge to demonstrate.
A cheap way to learn more would be to get one of the study guides for the US "Technician" level exam and read it, the guides have the exam questions in them so you can test your understanding. That wouldn't meet the Canadian requirements but it would get you moving in the right direction, and the technical part of the material isn't difficult for someone with your background, I'd say it's selected parts of high school level physics.
If you did that, on your own you could get the level of an entry-level US ham and then you'd be most of the way there to getting your Canadian license, although they may want you to demonstrate some morse code skills or pass additional tests or something for that.
Tom from East Tennessee
My neighbor as a kid could reach West Germany from Illinois. He could only turn his set on after midnight or he messed up every TV on the block. Most folks used over the air TV then.
ReplyDeleteHe was a loon otherwise; when he died his wife and kids scrapped it all. A crying shame.
Not sure what it takes to get your ticket in "VE Land," Glen, but from what I've read of your stuff, you wouldn't have much trouble getting on the air. The US did away with CW a long time back, but there are still farts like me who know it. I'm a little rusty, but when I hear it in a movie or on TV I IMMEDIATELY start copying! That's a nice Iambic keyer in that video!
ReplyDeleteMy dad was a radioman in the army reserve back in the day and could copy at over 60 words per minute (WPM).
The cadence of the keystrokes is know by hams as one's "fist," and everyone's fist is different!
...Go for it, Glen... You KNOW you want to...