Got my license!
- Thread starter Psikic
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Guess it is official that I will be keeping the call. Plates arrived today! 
Great News! A California amendment bill to specifically exempt installed radios from the wireless hands free driving law does not have opposition. Looks like it should pass!
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180AB1222
Great News! A California amendment bill to specifically exempt installed radios from the wireless hands free driving law does not have opposition. Looks like it should pass!
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180AB1222
In the past couple of months I've had some contacts ask if my call was a vanity. One of the local nets I participate in has a net control with a really good sense of humor. When he does the roll, he gives the callsigns in funny phonetics including mine with "most valuable player".
Well, I've decided to start dabbling in this. I'm worse than newb.. I did, however, get and 86% aptitude on 100% seen at hamstudy...
Most of my knowledge I've derived from brief web sessions, and dabbling in electronics periodically. Plus, I've been repairing computers for quite a few years, and I've soldered capacitors in a motherboard a couple times when they would bust...One of the PC's I did that with lasted 10 years after I put new caps in it...
At any rate, I have a hit-miss knowledge of HAM. I know some stuff, but some stuff is foreign to me. I'm thinking I'll hit up the test to just see where I am. I noticed many of the questions are somewhat common sense (like the grounding questions)..
And keeping things in a perspective -- like HF, VHF, UHF is 3-30, 30-300, and 300-3000...
I don't even know where I need to go yet to take the test, so I have to find out ...but I think within a couple weeks I will be either licensed, or I will have failed and be studying for it again...
Next week is vacation, so I don't know that I'll be able to do it before we leave out..
Suffice to say I already have 2 UV-5RHP ..
All it took to get me into curiosity was ...I'm going on vacation, but while I'm gone, I will be picking up a vehicle that I bought from my dad. I'm near GA and he lives in Louisiana...so we will leave in a single vehicle...but when we come home, we will have 2 vehicles.
I just up and decided that we should carry some 2-way radios with us versus trying to use cell phones while in two vehicles...
So I bought the UV5RHP and will use Simplex...
That's got me to investing time into getting HAM licensed now...
That's all it took to do it!!
Most of my knowledge I've derived from brief web sessions, and dabbling in electronics periodically. Plus, I've been repairing computers for quite a few years, and I've soldered capacitors in a motherboard a couple times when they would bust...One of the PC's I did that with lasted 10 years after I put new caps in it...
At any rate, I have a hit-miss knowledge of HAM. I know some stuff, but some stuff is foreign to me. I'm thinking I'll hit up the test to just see where I am. I noticed many of the questions are somewhat common sense (like the grounding questions)..
And keeping things in a perspective -- like HF, VHF, UHF is 3-30, 30-300, and 300-3000...
I don't even know where I need to go yet to take the test, so I have to find out ...but I think within a couple weeks I will be either licensed, or I will have failed and be studying for it again...
Next week is vacation, so I don't know that I'll be able to do it before we leave out..
Suffice to say I already have 2 UV-5RHP ..
All it took to get me into curiosity was ...I'm going on vacation, but while I'm gone, I will be picking up a vehicle that I bought from my dad. I'm near GA and he lives in Louisiana...so we will leave in a single vehicle...but when we come home, we will have 2 vehicles.
I just up and decided that we should carry some 2-way radios with us versus trying to use cell phones while in two vehicles...
So I bought the UV5RHP and will use Simplex...
That's got me to investing time into getting HAM licensed now...
That's all it took to do it!!
You will enjoy it once you dig into it, and I say that with certainty because there are so many different things to do in amateur radio. I have been a ham for almost 25 years now and I have not tried them all yet.
I was just playing with JT65-HF the other day and first time ever, and really amazed at how far I can get on a few milli-watts with that mode.
I was just playing with JT65-HF the other day and first time ever, and really amazed at how far I can get on a few milli-watts with that mode.
While I was typing, i was looking out the window waiting to see the mail-carrier for USPS...Aside from the Bao UV5RHP (8watt)...I decided to do away with the rubber ducky...and got the NA-771 ordered. Was waiting to see the mail delivering that....and it's in. And installed now.
My wife was amazed when I was finished programming a few channels in with CHIRP and showed her the radio...then hit a button and it started playing music (FM radio)...
She was not expecting that....I told her it's all in what the FM bands can do.....
I have a feeling this is just the beginning. I need to find someone who can show me the ropes in-person tho...while the internet is a great tool, I'd like to have someone to tell me in southern-speak...
My wife was amazed when I was finished programming a few channels in with CHIRP and showed her the radio...then hit a button and it started playing music (FM radio)...
She was not expecting that....I told her it's all in what the FM bands can do.....
I have a feeling this is just the beginning. I need to find someone who can show me the ropes in-person tho...while the internet is a great tool, I'd like to have someone to tell me in southern-speak...
Over the weekend I was able to experience my first Field Day. I belong to a great club with wonderful local people. We really had a great deal of fun and I'm still learning. I wish I had gotten into ham radio years ago.
I also upgraded to Amateur Extra yesterday at the VE session.
I also upgraded to Amateur Extra yesterday at the VE session.
"good luck in the contest."
