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2farnorth wrote: ↑Mon Jun 18, 2018 6:27 am

locke_n_load wrote: ↑Sun Jun 17, 2018 9:11 pm

2farnorth wrote: ↑Sun Jun 17, 2018 10:53 am

locke_n_load wrote: ↑Sat Jun 16, 2018 12:12 pm Alright, got my callsign a while back: KG5ZOO.
Currently have a baofeng UV-5R with 771 antenna, and a TYT TH9800 quadband transceiver with a TRAM 1480 antenna in the attic. I like the crossband repeater function for emergencies - can use my handheld in my neighborhood and hit my base station which relays to a repeater too far out for the handheld itself.

Ham Field Day is next weekend - If I am not able to go to a location, how do you participate? I do not have SSB or CW btw, and I was told that was primarily the methods used for comms on ham day.

Congrats on getting the ticket. Check google amateur/ham radio clubs for your area. Here are a quick couple of clubs I could find in your general area. http://www.houstoncountytexasarc.org/ and http://setxac.com. Not all participate in Field day. Our club will be setting up in the pavilion at the park a Lake Bonham up here in north Texas.

There is some 2 meter and 6 meter participation but mostly on SSB. If 10 meters is open there will be some activity there also. It has been opening sporadically for a couple of weeks. I believe your radio is limited to FM operations only but scan the 10 meter band and see if anything happens. There are a few 10 meter repeaters out there also.

Best bet is find a nearby club and get involved. Be sure to tell them you just got your ticket. Congrats again.

I have recently found out that field day is mostly 10m operation. My radio does output 10m FM, but I do not have a good antenna for that and I hear that the action is SSB or morse. I just particpated in a nearby club (TEAC) net, and they will be setting up about 5 miles from my house, which I hope I can get away to go check out, as 10m really sounds cool (the availability to have comms 100+ miles away, without repeaters, is amazing). Thank you for the information. Either way I will be scanning the 10m band.

Ours will be mostly 40 and 20 meters, maybe 80 at night. 17, 15, 12, and 10 will be used if activity is heard.
I had some 10 meter FM DX last week, so it can happen. I do like SSB better though. Have fun.

edit: to get out of the quote area

Do any bands allow for DX (for me, over 100 miles) regardless of the solar cycle?

Richbirdhunter wrote: ↑Sun Jun 17, 2018 9:51 pm I have a small hand held ham radio, I keep it in my bug out bag. I’m not licensed to use it but it’s nice to have it in a pinch.

Hard to learn how to really use it if you don't use it!
Get your license (not difficult at all) and get on the air.

2farnorth wrote: ↑Sun Jun 17, 2018 10:53 am

locke_n_load wrote: ↑Sat Jun 16, 2018 12:12 pm Alright, got my callsign a while back: KG5ZOO.
Currently have a baofeng UV-5R with 771 antenna, and a TYT TH9800 quadband transceiver with a TRAM 1480 antenna in the attic. I like the crossband repeater function for emergencies - can use my handheld in my neighborhood and hit my base station which relays to a repeater too far out for the handheld itself.

Ham Field Day is next weekend - If I am not able to go to a location, how do you participate? I do not have SSB or CW btw, and I was told that was primarily the methods used for comms on ham day.

Congrats on getting the ticket. Check google amateur/ham radio clubs for your area. Here are a quick couple of clubs I could find in your general area. http://www.houstoncountytexasarc.org/ and http://setxac.com. Not all participate in Field day. Our club will be setting up in the pavilion at the park a Lake Bonham up here in north Texas.

There is some 2 meter and 6 meter participation but mostly on SSB. If 10 meters is open there will be some activity there also. It has been opening sporadically for a couple of weeks. I believe your radio is limited to FM operations only but scan the 10 meter band and see if anything happens. There are a few 10 meter repeaters out there also.

Best bet is find a nearby club and get involved. Be sure to tell them you just got your ticket. Congrats again.

I have recently found out that field day is mostly 10m operation. My radio does output 10m FM, but I do not have a good antenna for that and I hear that the action is SSB or morse. I just particpated in a nearby club (TEAC) net, and they will be setting up about 5 miles from my house, which I hope I can get away to go check out, as 10m really sounds cool (the availability to have comms 100+ miles away, without repeaters, is amazing). Thank you for the information. Either way I will be scanning the 10m band.

During Harvey here in Houston, civilian rescue efforts probably outpaced military/police rescues. The success rate greatly depended on comms - most people were able to drop pins of gps coordinates on their phones to groups with the same apps and get picked up. We got mostly rain here - had we experienced high winds, like those to the south of us - phone data/comms would have been knocked out. If that had happened, we would probably have doubled or tripled the amount of people who died here in harris county.
That's why I got into HAM radio - emergency comms. And with the latest legislatives changes, those who are emergency volunteers may be exempt from 30.06/30.07 prosecution (but that was not my motivation). I have already made my own antenna that was able to hit a repeater 20 miles away - and I learned a lot too. It's something about never stop learning, for me, as an engineer, makes ham radio a cool hobby as well. With my solar panel, radio, and antenna, I can communicate indefinitely with those 10 miles away, without a repeater. Very cool.

Alright, got my callsign a while back: KG5ZOO.
Currently have a baofeng UV-5R with 771 antenna, and a TYT TH9800 quadband transceiver with a TRAM 1480 antenna in the attic. I like the crossband repeater function for emergencies - can use my handheld in my neighborhood and hit my base station which relays to a repeater too far out for the handheld itself.

Ham Field Day is next weekend - If I am not able to go to a location, how do you participate? I do not have SSB or CW btw, and I was told that was primarily the methods used for comms on ham day.

KC5AV wrote:Depending on which VEC the team works with, they should have the ability to electronically submit results for Technician licensees. I'm the contact VE for my team, and we submit our results to W5YI-VEC. Unfortunately, we don't submit enough tests for them to allow me to submit electronically, and I'm not going to send a blank roster every month to have that ability.

Went to the Gilruth center at Nasa to take my exam, and we had at least 20 people taking the exam. Something tells me they still snail mail the results based on the 10 day timeline thought.

strogg wrote:

locke_n_load wrote:

Paladin wrote:

locke_n_load wrote:Passed my tech exam today.

Congrats!!!

It's typically only a few days wait.

VE guy who was helping with Exams said it took around 10 days. Hope he's wrong and you're right!

Congrats!

I'd still expect 10 days. I took my exam on 2/25 this year, and the FCC issued the call sign on 3/7. The FCC usually runs on an oddball schedule, where they will sit on application for a set amount of time, then process them in batches only a handful of times per week. I suggest you get an FRN number from the FCC so you can track status, print your license when available, etc.

What equipment are you planning on getting?

Well I gave them my email so hopefully I get notified once the callsign hits the database and I can print out my certs if I wanted to.
Currently have a Baofeng UV-5R with NA-771 antenna for now, once I get proficient I don't know - would like a rig upstairs with an antenna on the roof. And one in the truck too, as funds permit.

Paladin wrote:

locke_n_load wrote:Passed my tech exam today.

Congrats!!!

It's typically only a few days wait.

VE guy who was helping with Exams said it took around 10 days. Hope he's wrong and you're right!

Flightmare wrote:

locke_n_load wrote:Passed my tech exam today. Now to wait the 10 days or so to get into the FCC database and receive a callsign. Seems kind of ridiculous when it should take about 2 hours! Oh well.

VE team has to mail the forms into VEC. VEC has to submit to FCC.

Seems kind of archaic for 2018! Even DPS is mostly digital!

Passed my tech exam today. Now to wait the 10 days or so to get into the FCC database and receive a callsign. Seems kind of ridiculous when it should take about 2 hours! Oh well.

Hello all, I'm in humble/atascocita (NE Houston) and I have a baofeng handheld with an upgraded antenna. I scan my local repeaters, but have only heard real communications on ham day... Is this normal? I guess I need to tune in on days with scheduled chatter.
Taking my tech exam Saturday.

So far, I have been able to listen to the humble VFD, and the weather. Guess I need to find the repeater frequencies around here.

XDgal wrote:Sorry locke_n_load, looks like most all of Harris county police, including Houston PD and Texas DPS, operate on the Texas wide area radio network ( Txwarn), this an APCO P25 phase II trunked system and not accessible on your radio.

Dang.
Looks like there are few groups I could listen to according to the frequencies on this page:
https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?ctid=2623

RoyGBiv wrote:

locke_n_load wrote:Ordered a UV-5R with data cable for $33 from amazon yesterday, will be here tomorrow. First jump into ham. Look forward to listening to the police/fire department frequencies until I get my technician's license.

Around here (Fort Worth area) the police use a digital trunked system, not compatible with that radio. I'd need an expensive scanner to listen to the PoPo here, or you can download a phone app called "Scanner Radio" and listen via a smartphone, assuming your local area is being rebroadcast.

Hopefully harris county is a little more old school... thanks for the heads up though.

bblhd672 wrote:

bblhd672 wrote:Just ordered this one and a USB programming cable. The description says it has an "improved" antenna, so I didn't order another one until I get an idea how well this one that comes with it works.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MA ... pldnSite=1

Got my new radio last night (gotta love Amazon same day delivery!). Didn't get home till 10:30 so haven't done anything with it but unbox and skim the manual. Lots of new terms/acronyms to learn!

It's been 35 years since I was Radioman in Navy, but hopefully some of that stuff I learned is still recall-able in my brain!

I looked into this with the 8 watt transmit power, but from what I read, it doesn't really put out 8 watts on most bands, and in reality a better antennae would be a better investment over a 3 watt jump in transmit power. But that is just from 2 hours of reading, I'm sure they're both great and I'm literally just getting started.