Amateur (Ham) Radio BS and Callsign Thread!

It's not too bad.

 

I just took a run down to the local HAM shop to chat with them, and got some good info first hand as well! Looking at practice questions now, and they seem to be more electronics based than communications based. Whats the deal with that?

 

It goes by section. You'll have rules and regs, mechanical, in use stuff such as wavelength to frequency to help you learn bands. It'll jump around.

Just remember you're not supposed to know any of this. Don't get discouraged, and do it small bits at a time.

I had great luck with phone apps

 

Got some studyin' to do.

 

Small chunks is key. 12-20 questions in a sitting. Study to pass.

 

Plenty of places for clean installs in Gen IIIs: ( apology for repost regulars)

 

Yes, the baofengs are illegal on FRS. It's more then just the power. FRS radios may not have a removable antenna, and they must ONLY have FRS channels. They can't have a VFO mode where you can type in a frequency. There is a long list of other details including spectral purity that the Baofengs do not meet.

Baofengs contain very poor engineering. When one goes into transmit, it actually is transmitting on a variety of different frequencies at the same time. The frequency indicated on the screen (or programmed to that channel) is called the fundamental frequency. Any other frequencies being transmitted are called spurious emissions.

Spurs mostly occur at third order harmonics. This is the fundamental frequency multiplied by 3. So if your fundamental is 145.0, the third harmonic is near 435. It usually does not come out exact. I've noticed that the baofengs transmitting in the 2m ham band typically have a large spur in the 200-ish frequency as well. If you're able to detect the spur, it's fun to tune a radio to the frequency of the spur and see how far away you can receive the spur and demodulate the audio full quieting. The spur frequency can be detected with an RTL-SDR. Just make sure you have sufficient distance between the RTL-SDR and the baofeng so the RTL-SDR is not overloaded.

Best case scenario, these spurs raise the noise floor for everyone. Worst case scenario, they can cause harmful interference to public safety (police and fire). Baofengs should never be used by FRS users, and should be used cautiously by hams. Thats only after they have been tested and confirmed to be operating legally for Part 97.

 

Very good information. I understand the FRSvs Baofeng deal now. Thanks!

 

Yes, pin 3 is PTT. Could that manual have been written any worse? It's preferable to use the PTT over vox. I'm not sure that the vox circuit can use the data port

 

Thank you, I was leaning that way. Yeah, it is pretty unclear on the two pages it mentions the data port. I have to solder on a jumper in my TNC but that's no big deal. My mini DIN cable should arrive shortly after I test. Gives me time to build the cable and mount my TNC.

 

I need to finish putting the ft-891 back there.

 

Today’s the day. Almost 70 degrees this morning.

edit. Btw I’m not on hf, I’m not blowing you off on you Sunday net invites.

 

Oh no worries at all.

HF has been good lately. Bagged Namibia on 17m yesterday. Phone.


Edit: 8200 miles on 100w

 

Do you guys often run into repeaters that publish a CTCSS tone but actually don't transmit a tone? The VHF repeater operates with a tone on the input but not the output. The UHF repeater on the same site uses CTCSS. Both are published as "PL".

 

It happens. Sometimes the tone encoder breaks and it's low priority to repair since most hams run csq anyways.

 

Do you guys have any recommendations on where to study for my ham license? Any good iPhone apps?

 

If you just want to pass the test: hamstudy.org. They have an app as well as the website. Create an account (free) and practice. Never guess any answer. They offer "I don't know" as a choice. If you don't know, then pick that choice. The question will get re-drilled. If you guess correctly, you do yourself a disservice, as you'll see that question less often.

If you want to really learn the material, i suggest the ARRL books.

 

The phone app works well. Do small sections at a time. Focus on 10-20 of them on a lunch break until you feel comfortable and then move on.


I memorized words that I was reading in the arrl book and the Gordon book. And it's not that I wasn't learning. But I really didn't know what any of it really was until I started to apply it after I got my license. So don't feel overwhelmed.

https://hamstudy.org/appstore

 

Every time I go to Moab for a Whole Enchilada ride, I have a scan on the repeaters while I drive around. Only place I have ever been that didn't have any traffic, or any responses when I check in.

 

On my way home I heard two guys ragchew about guns for a few minutes. Other than that, just one check-in over the course of three days. I didn't hear the start of their QSO due to the CTCSS not functioning on the VHF repeater. I saw the db meter at max but it wasn't breaking squelch on the scan. Only when I turned the tone off did I hear them. Wonder if I missed some other stuff.

What time of year do you usually come through?