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oohrah wrote:I notice a lot of folks here are capitalizing "HAM", like it is some kind of acronym or abbreviation. It is not. It is a noun or adjective, depending on use. The origin is obscure, and much debated. It is just - Ham - as in Ham Radio Operator, or He/She is a Ham.

According to Google;

Well, it goes like this: The word "HAM" as applied to 1908 was the station CALL of the first amateur wireless station operated by some amateurs of the Harvard Radio Club. They were ALBERT S. HYMAN, BOB ALMY and POOGIE MURRAY. At first they called their station "HYMAN- ALMY-MURRAY".

Being a lazy geek, I would have simply guessed it was an acronym for "High Amplitude Modulation", and I would have been wrong......

I don't believe everything I read on Google, and in this case I will defer the ultimate authority on the matter, the ARRL (who also does not spell it all caps):

The first wireless operators were landline telegraphers who left their offices to go to sea or to man the coastal stations. They brought with them their language and much of the tradition of their older profession. In those early days, every station occupied the whole spectrum with its broad spark signal. Government stations, ships, coastal stations and the increasingly numerous amateur operators all competed for time and signal supremacy in each other's receivers. Many of the amateur stations were very powerful. Two amateurs, working each other across town, could effectively jam all the other operations in the area. Frustrated commercial operators would refer to the ham radio interference by calling them "hams." Amateurs, possibly unfamiliar with the real meaning of the term, picked it up and applied it to themselves. As the years advanced, the original meaning has completely disappeared.

As I mentioned, the origin is obscure.

I picked up a Baofeng UV-5X3 as my first radio, should be here tomorrow. Don't know what to do with it yet, but hoping to take my exam in about a week and a half. Maybe if I pass it, I'll press the transmit button in about 2-3 weeks.

Just got back from taking my tech test. 33 out of 35 right. Now to play the waiting game.

Flightmare wrote:Just got back from taking my tech test. 33 out of 35 right. Now to play the waiting game.

Hopefully not too long. Congrats!

Flightmare wrote:Just got back from taking my tech test. 33 out of 35 right. Now to play the waiting game.

Congrats!

Flightmare wrote:Just got back from taking my tech test. 33 out of 35 right. Now to play the waiting game.

Watch the FCC website for your license to be published.
" Your operating authority begins when your license grant information appears on the amateur service licensee database of the Universal Licensing System."

Flightmare wrote:Just got back from taking my tech test. 33 out of 35 right. Now to play the waiting game.

Congratulations and welcome aboard!

Chas.

Flightmare wrote:Just got back from taking my tech test. 33 out of 35 right. Now to play the waiting game.

Congrats!

Today was a good day for me. Received an email giving me my license info, 7 minutes after my Baofeng BF-F8HP arrived from Amazon.

Which Lic?
Plano Ham Radio club.
Dallas Ham Radio Club (DARC) 146.88 on you dial Google the repeater list on DFW Freq.
At this hour I am KA5YQG
Life member of ARRL. Get a copy of QST even if you have to go To HRO in Plano But otherwise leave mony at home.

ET-Ret wrote:Which Lic?
Plano Ham Radio club.
Dallas Ham Radio Club (DARC) 146.88 on you dial Google the repeater list on DFW Freq.
At this hour I am KA5YQG
Life member of ARRL. Get a copy of QST even if you have to go To HRO in Plano But otherwise leave mony at home.

KG5TVF

Hoping to take the general exam on saturday in McKinney.

Flightmare wrote:Today was a good day for me. Received an email giving me my license info, 7 minutes after my Baofeng BF-F8HP arrived from Amazon.

Congrats! I got the same radio and hope to take tech test soon

Got the same radio myself. Already looking into a little better mobile setup. Repeaters around the house have been quiet but was able to get my first conversation going this morning on a busier repeater.

Should have my vanity callsign approved any day now.

mdubtx wrote:Got the same radio myself. Already looking into a little better mobile setup. Repeaters around the house have been quiet but was able to get my first conversation going this morning on a busier repeater.

Should have my vanity callsign approved any day now.

I have a Kenwood TM-V71A dual band in my car and one in my home office. They are great radios if they are in the price range you want to pay. The one in my car is coupled with a Comet SBB5-NMO antenna. That is a half wave on 2 meters and stacked 5/8 waves on 70cm. I had to go that route because I drive a Corvette and there's no metal to serve as a ground plane. At home, I'm using a Comet GP-3 dual band antenna. It's a single piece antenna and this is important in terms of it surviving in high winds.

Chas.