TexasCHLforum.com

EL29jm wrote: ↑Tue Aug 07, 2018 4:21 pm

Charles L. Cotton wrote: ↑Sat Jul 21, 2018 1:11 pm I should have the repeater up by October and I'll get the TexasCHLforum net going soon after. I'll have it available by AllStar, Echlink and possibly IRLP so anyone can get in regardless of their location.

Chas.

Not to hijack the thread, but where will you locate the repeater? Would be nice to use the tower near PSC.
Licensed since '99, took exam at Webster intermediate with all the students who were taking their tech exam.

John- AJ5TT

G.A. Heath wrote: ↑Sat Jul 21, 2018 1:03 pm I went and tested with the intention of leaving with the knowledge that once my license shows up in the database that I would be a technician, things did not go as planned because my CSCE shows I passed Technician and General. Thanks to everyone here, especially Charles L. Cotton, for the input, advice, and encouragement. Now I have to order another Gordon West book and start studying for Extra...

G.A. Heath wrote: ↑Tue Jun 19, 2018 9:55 am So, I have ordered the Gordon West study guide and software package along with two Baofeng UV-5R radios (I figure an HT and mobile unit for both of my vehicles in the near future) and a programming cable for them. With these items I have committed myself to a technician license, and in all honesty I plan to shoot for general at the same time or shortly after.

Owens wrote: ↑Tue Jun 19, 2018 9:30 am Charles, I guess one day I'll have to upgrade to Extra. Just always told myself I wasn't going to do it till I could do the 20 WPM, even though its not required anymore.

The Annoyed Man wrote: ↑Mon Jun 18, 2018 8:48 am

Charles L. Cotton wrote: ↑Sun Jun 17, 2018 10:17 pm

The Annoyed Man wrote: ↑Sun Jun 17, 2018 8:51 pm A. When do all these nets become self-aware?

B. I know the sky is the limit, but how hard is this on a wallet, for someone on a fixed income who doesn’t want to blow thousands on it. I’m talking a basic setup.... enough to get started.

Most new hams start with 2-meter (VHF) and 70 cm (UHF) and many stick with those bands. As noted, you can get a handheld (HT) for $30 - $60, but using an HT means very limited range. You need to be close to a repeater or use your own node. However, you can get 2-meter mobile rigs for less than $150 to greatly increase your range. Dual band mobile rigs can be had for $350 or less. Mobile rigs make excellent base rigs with a 12 volt regulated power supply.

Antennas are cheap and you can easily make your own. (I enjoy building antennas.) An external antenna with a mobile rig gives you excellent range.

Chas.

Kenwood TM-V71A dual band (I have two)
Kenwood TM-281A 2-meter rig (Excellent 65 watt rig)
Yaesu FTM-7250DR dual band (not dual receive)
Baofeng UV-5R dual band HT

Thanks Charles. I actually have a pair of little Baofengs .... the BF-F9-V2.....which I bought on sale at almost half-price. I forget where I bought them, but I’ve had them for at least 2 or 3 years. I bought them to have for disaster preparedness purposes, but other than turning them on to make sure they worked, I’ve never actually used them. It has been my intention to get at least a technician license, but each time I sit down to study for it, some distraction or other (grandkids, whatever) intrudes, and I have never struggled so hard to say on task! It doesn’t help that I’ve never been tech savvy when it came to electronics and such. As a kid, I always fiddled around with the more creative side of things - photography, art, etc. Electrons are voodoo to me. (I suspect that my liberal arts professor parents went out of their way to try and steer me in that direction as a child rather than the technical.) Anyway, for me, it means starting at absolute ground zero, but I would REALLY like to accomplish this. My son and daughter in law gave me a “Ham Radio for Dummies” book for Christmas. I have studied a bit on the HamStudy.org website each time I’ve tried to get started, but wow.....even that kind of goes over my head. It really just boils down to rote memory learning - the kind I’m not so good at. I have to be able to conceptualize what I’m learning. I’ve always been that way. So I’m ashamed to say that this has not been as easy for me as maybe for some others. If I could just take a class somewhere, where someone could explain why and how it works, I might do better. But I really want to do it.

I like the idea of a mobile station in my vehicle, and maybe a base station in my home. But I am concerned about cost, and it’s not something I can just throw money at. The units you listed seem pretty affordable, so thanks for that.

The Annoyed Man wrote: ↑Sun Jun 17, 2018 8:51 pm A. When do all these nets become self-aware?

B. I know the sky is the limit, but how hard is this on a wallet, for someone on a fixed income who doesn’t want to blow thousands on it. I’m talking a basic setup.... enough to get started.

NotRPB wrote: ↑Sun Jun 17, 2018 2:11 pm This is for Android, I passed the Tech test is about 3 minutes after studying this
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... .test.prep
I almost passed General immediately after passing the Tech, missed 1 question to many and knew it right away.

Now on to General and Extra (I bought study books for Extra)

Free
Ham Test Prep
iversoft.com

I have no affiliation w/ anyone, but looked at lots of books and Apps between 1969 and 2018 when I took the test.