TCs, Ham Radio and Kids
Passing along as ‘FYI.’ A ham radio operator, often use my TC as a “Ham Shack.” Active in my local ARES/ACS radio support group and often deploy to support local civic and charity events including M...
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Thanks for all the replies! The local group set up a temporary portable repeater (2M) earlier this week, and early today we put it to good use providing communications in support of a large Autism 5K/10K fun run event. I deployed with the TC and brought along two new young hams and let them work the radios for me. The 4:00 wake-up call meant the TC also became the breakfast wagon once we were on station. The TC also provides a reliable (and solar backed) source of 12VDC power for operating higher power (50W) mobile radios in situations where handhelds (5W) won't work.
Acampingwewillgo, Jimh425, etc. Gordon West is still around and busy as ever, full of energy, I ran into him at the ARRL HamFest in Quartzite earlier this year.
I have found memories of Heathkit (as well as mags Popular Electronics, Electronics Illustrated, etching my own PC boards and lots of solder burns but the truth is nowadays not many kids have even seen a soldering iron. Times are a changing....
For those of you interested in taking the FCC exam it really is pretty easy, a site like "Hamstudy.org" to build custom practice tests around what you don't know. Gordon West and ARRL offer excellent study materials.
Morse Code (CW) is no longer required for your license but many, many people still use (and are learning) it. Ham Radio has exploded in the past decade into several different directions - I like using APRS (Automatic Position Reporting Systems) to transmit coordinates and short messages to other cell phones despite me being out of cell phone range. I'm also learning how to use FLDIGI to transmit digital files. Other people swear by using DMR (Digital Mobile Radio) modes of transmission which may also include bridges to Dstar and Fusion systems. Finally, a number of cross-internet platforms out there where you can use computer or even cell phone to access a powerful radio station somewhere else in the world and re-broadcast your voice through a simple headset connection!
Lots to learn, and learning keeps me young!
The two young (age 12) kids that helped me this morning want to build something out of Arduino and Raspberry Pis cobbled together, can't wait to see what it is!
'73,
KC6LPE
Cannon George
Acampingwewillgo, Jimh425, etc. Gordon West is still around and busy as ever, full of energy, I ran into him at the ARRL HamFest in Quartzite earlier this year.
I have found memories of Heathkit (as well as mags Popular Electronics, Electronics Illustrated, etching my own PC boards and lots of solder burns but the truth is nowadays not many kids have even seen a soldering iron. Times are a changing....
For those of you interested in taking the FCC exam it really is pretty easy, a site like "Hamstudy.org" to build custom practice tests around what you don't know. Gordon West and ARRL offer excellent study materials.
Morse Code (CW) is no longer required for your license but many, many people still use (and are learning) it. Ham Radio has exploded in the past decade into several different directions - I like using APRS (Automatic Position Reporting Systems) to transmit coordinates and short messages to other cell phones despite me being out of cell phone range. I'm also learning how to use FLDIGI to transmit digital files. Other people swear by using DMR (Digital Mobile Radio) modes of transmission which may also include bridges to Dstar and Fusion systems. Finally, a number of cross-internet platforms out there where you can use computer or even cell phone to access a powerful radio station somewhere else in the world and re-broadcast your voice through a simple headset connection!
Lots to learn, and learning keeps me young!
The two young (age 12) kids that helped me this morning want to build something out of Arduino and Raspberry Pis cobbled together, can't wait to see what it is!
'73,
KC6LPE
Cannon George
