ham radio info

[stormrider]

after reading the posts about ham radios, got me thinking again about a ham license. Looked into it years ago and didn't feel like trying to learn morse code. Got the book and all but never did anything about it. So, what's it take to get your license now and what would be a good system to get started with?

[PAVALKER]

No longer a code requirement for the Technician Class.    Here is some info and you can Google for more. 

http://www.hamradio-online.com/firstlicense.html
My Dad was a Ham Radio Operator, many years ago.  I think there is still some equipment in the basement, but nothing with recent technology .... most all old Tube stuff.   I can't figure out why I wasn't into it much, especially since I was a Radioman, Communications Operator and ultimately a Communications Officer in the Navy. I guess it's like the old story about a Painters House always needs painting, a Mechanics car always needs fixed etc etc.   

[Bagger John - #3785]

It's a fun hobby...a little something in it for everyone.

Blondie and myself are both licensed - as are a number of our area riding friends, several of them Valkyrie owners. Many of us have installed ham rigs on our bikes and use them to communicate when the CB channels fill with traffic...such as during a large rally.

My preference for this is Yaesu's VX6/VX7 series, the latter of which is shown here:



These rigs are completely waterproof. Getting caught in the rain won't hurt them at all.

I recently modified a stock Hondaline I/S OEM CB antenna mount to allow the use of an SO239-based multiband antenna and am in the midst of putting an FRSet4 (Kennedy Technologies) on the I/S:



Using the appropriate cables, this unit allows one to interface a radio such as the VX7R directly to the Valkyrie's OEM stereo/CB equipment...including PTT functions. With the incorporation of a 'splitter' on the CB antenna to allow its use with the Clarion AM/FM stereo, I now have 6 "bands" available on the I/S: AM/FM-BCB, CB, 2/222/440 MHz amateur radio.

Welcome to the hobby, and good luck with your studies. If I can be of assistance with questions, feel free to PM me.

[solo1]

As Bagger says, it's a good hobby.  There is just about any kind of equipment out there for any phase of ham radio.  Present day gear is very good as is the old "boat anchors".

My "thing" is cw, morse code. I like to occasionally get on and ragchew.  Even though cw's popularity has fallen off without the morse code requirement, it is still a very enjoyable way to communicate.

Try for a local ham club. There are certainly many "elmers" in there and also on the VRCC here to get you started.

"Elmers" are enthusiasts that help newcomers to amateur radio.

Wayne

[Scott in Ok]

No longer a code requirement for the Technician Class.    Here is some info and you can Google for more. 

There is no longer a requirement for morse code, period.  Three levels of license, Technician, General, and Extra Class.  None require a morse code test. (I'm just the messenger folks!)

-Scott
KE5BYT

[RedValk]

yep....those who said the code was keeping them from getting a license...can't use that excuse anymore!

i'm an old CW man....Extra class....back from when you still had to pass the 20 wpm to get the Extra. On a good day....i'm in the high 30s (wpm) on cw. On a bad day...back in the 20s.....

CW Rules!!!!!!!!!!!!!   

I work mostly code...mostly chase DX.........

[solo1]

Right On Tim!  I still have A general class, passed the code before an FCC examiner but only 13 wpm.
I'm not on that much so my speed is slower ,12wpm and on good days maybe 18.

IMHO, the only way to go is CW. I have a J38, a Heathkit Iambic keyer, a Kent straight key (English style) and a Kent keyer for both of my transceivers built in CW generators.  Both of my rigs have 500 hz cw filters. I run a NEM Gap module that does a great job.

Wayne K9AXM

[gabby]

Hello all.  Just bought a '99 Green-silver I/S that I have been dreaming for for the past year. I had a heart bypass last year of five as well as a difibulator installed. When the Dr. finally released me in late august---I wanted a Valk--had to have a Valk--got a Valk.Just wanted to tune in to give some amateur info that you may need. type in aesham on the internet and they have two sources of learning ham radio.  One is the Gordon West program which a lot of people use and the ARRL version that is also very popular. I was licensed in 1977 and am now an extra as well as general radio-telephone class. Amateur radio has allowed me to meet and greet thousands on the air from over two hundred countries as well as accross the north american continent.
73's and 88/s
WA4HFJ
Gabby

[solo1]

Hello all.  Just bought a '99 Green-silver I/S that I have been dreaming for for the past year. I had a heart bypass last year of five as well as a difibulator installed. When the Dr. finally released me in late august---I wanted a Valk--had to have a Valk--got a Valk.Just wanted to tune in to give some amateur info that you may need. type in aesham on the internet and they have two sources of learning ham radio.  One is the Gordon West program which a lot of people use and the ARRL version that is also very popular. I was licensed in 1977 and am now an extra as well as general radio-telephone class. Amateur radio has allowed me to meet and greet thousands on the air from over two hundred countries as well as accross the north american continent.
73's and 88/s
WA4HFJ
Gabby

Welcome to the VRCC and the best bike that Honda ever made.  As you can see, we all have a variety of interests here.  You'll find that VRCCR's are just as friendly as hams and that we have many Elmers waiting to answer your questions on the Valkyrie.

73 but not 88 ( )  Gabby.   ....  ..

[RedValk]

you can always tell an old timer WHO KNOWS the meaning of the ham "jargon". 73 means literally  "best wishes"....so Wayne appropriately 'signed' (that's what we call it in ham jargon) with  just 73.....as 73's would mean "Best wisheses".....kind of a plural of a plural.(but you hear that mistake often on the ham bands!).

88 means love and kisses. I think i'll pass on that too!!!!! (unless it's Sherry sending that my way, her call is N4URO. But i don't want any love and kisses from any of you fella's  )

Likewise you hear folks misusing Q signals....much like CB folks used to misuse the 10- codes. Like "QTH?" means "what is your location?". so for someone to say "what is your QTH?"....is like saying "what is your what is your location?" (kind of defeats the whole purpose of Q signals....which is to shorten and expedite communications!)



But.....I digress 

QSL?

[solo1]

QSL.

[bassman]

Do these count or mean anything in "ham" speak?

QQQ
INT QBF

[Thunderbolt]

I won't say too much about the code requirements, I had to do it so why shouldn't everyone else...bah humbug.  But seriously, get your tech license and try some vhf local repeater operations from your car or possibly a handheld.  The local repeaters pick up your weak signal and boost it back up and re-transmit it.  It is commonplace to be able to talk from your car/truck with an outside antenna to someone 40-60 miles away through a repeater.  I have not been very active since we got back into this motorsickle thing about 10 years ago.  But my favorite area is vhf-uhf weak signal work.  I have talked to people in the Northeast part of the country from Florida bouncing signals off of meteor trails, have heard the astronauts in the shuttles and a friend got a QSL card from one of the astronauts as he had a quick conversation with him when they went by.  Requires a tracking program to know when and where to point antennas etc.  I have worked VHF-UHF contests where you try to get the most contacts in a certain amount of time.  Some like HF, which is the lower allocated frequencies and they will travel around the world, and some like CW or morse code. 
In short, there are quite a few avenues or things that you can get into.  Just do a little studying.  It has helped me over the years, as I had to take a test for a new job about 10 years ago, coincidentally I had just been studying for a license upgrade and had I not been hitting the books, probably would not be working at my present job.
Terry Parrish
Thunderbolt
N4TWX

[Bagger John - #3785]

Gotta toss out an update here:

The FRSet4 and all the interface cables are wired into my I/S - and the CB PTT switch located in the stock audio controller will not key the VX7R, even with the GL1800 PTT Interface module in place. Seems the Valkyrie's and the GL1800's CB setups are just different enough for this not to work...though I did a mod involving a diode in one of the interconnect harnesses and got the passenger PTT switch to function as an "indirect key". From appearances, the I/S CB floats its PTT "ground" and if you attempt to tie it to chassis ground or connect any other current sink to it, nothing works.

Jon @ Kennedy verified the problem and stated that he hasn't been able to come up with a workaround.

I'll figure this out eventually but for now I have a grip-mounted PTT button which allows me to transmit via the ham rig...

[solo1]

I"ve never had much faith in CB am communication.  Of course, I've never had it on any of my bikes.  Is SSB used much in CB?  Seems to me that would be a better way to go, no heterodynes, since no carrier.
If I tried two way on bikes, it would be FM on 2 meters or 440.  The problem there is not everyone has a ham license.

[Bagger John - #3785]

I"ve never had much faith in CB am communication.  Of course, I've never had it on any of my bikes. 

For short-range (1 mile and under) comms, it works fine. Except when you're at a rally and all 40 channels are filled...

Is SSB used much in CB?

Yes. I have a number of base and mobile rigs which are AM/SSB, but none small enough to practically install on a motorcycle.

Seems to me that would be a better way to go, no heterodynes, since no carrier.

But you're forgetting about the AM operators who share the channels...and you'll definitely get heterodynes (via your rig's BFO) if one pops up on channel!

One can imagine the average motorcycle rider trying to tune a clarifier then operate an IF shift and/or notch filter in order to suppress an interfering AM signal. I've done it while mobile, but then again I can competently operate CW from the bike. Not a task for the faint of heart. 

If I tried two way on bikes, it would be FM on 2 meters or 440.

We're currently set up to operate 11, 6, 2, 220 and 440. What would be nice is if one of the manufacturers would offer a motorcycle-sized 20M-440MHz, 20w out all-mode with a small, remoteable waterproof control head. I would be the first in line to buy one.

The problem there is not everyone has a ham license.

That can (and should) be fixed...and for those who don't, we have CB rigs installed on all the road bikes.

[Scott in Ok]

I"ve never had much faith in CB am communication.  Of course, I've never had it on any of my bikes.  Is SSB used much in CB?  Seems to me that would be a better way to go, no heterodynes, since no carrier.
If I tried two way on bikes, it would be FM on 2 meters or 440.  The problem there is not everyone has a ham license.

Like John said, the CB on the Interstate(and the J&M's) actually work very good for their intended purpose.  Raymond, RHonda and I spent the weekend cruising around central Okla and it was nice to comunicate back and forth via the CB's while doing so.

I would love to have a 2m/70cm rig on my motorcycle, but it would be completely useless because there is nobody to talk to.  (6m/10m FM are totally useless where I live as well).  When I traded vehicles recently I haven't even bothered to install my mobile rig.

My personal experience with the repeater crowd around the country has been negative at best.  Most have their little ragchew groups they talk with and are offended by outsiders who might be passing through.  The local 146.520 simplex group in OKC are especially obnoxious.  If you hear a single callsign out of 10 operators in any given hour period you are lucky.  Overall, in my 5-6 years as a Ham, I've had a mostly negative experience.  The friendly, ready to elmer hams that I knew as a youth don't seem to be around much anymore. 

-Scott

[Bagger John - #3785]

My personal experience with the repeater crowd around the country has been negative at best.  Most have their little ragchew groups they talk with and are offended by outsiders who might be passing through.  The local 146.520 simplex group in OKC are especially obnoxious.  If you hear a single callsign out of 10 operators in any given hour period you are lucky.  Overall, in my 5-6 years as a Ham, I've had a mostly negative experience.  The friendly, ready to elmer hams that I knew as a youth don't seem to be around much anymore. 

The sentiments contained in the paragraph above - and the bolded sentence in particular - are somewhat disheartening to hear. Our 2M repeater situation was for the longest time a mirror of yours, then the prophecy became self-fulfilling: The "private" repeaters - mostly club-maintained - drove off a lot of their potential supporters and when the businesses which hosted them folded up, most went off the air. There are now a number of machines in this area which are privately maintained and funded, yet open to all.

I did my bit for the hobby in this regard back in the 90s when I built one of the area's bigger packet BBS/converse node setups. I wish I now had all the money in my pocket that was spent on that system over the years...it would buy several new Valkyries! 

Our local simplex frequency is 146.580, and the majority of the folks who hang out there are into riding, shooting and other outdoor activities. Most VRCCers would feel right at home. If I'm in the shack, I have a rig on that frequency...on 28.337, 28.400...and a couple 220/440 repeaters. If you're in the area or the bands are up, give us NEOHers a yell.

[RedValk]

sadly.....i too hear a lot of these same kinds of comments. i don't get on VHF much...unless there is a weather event (like last week!...a 100 year flood here!!). i spend most of my time on HF...the vast majority on CW. Of course, CW ops are extremely friendly with each other......as it is kind of an art form perhaps (hopefully not becoming a LOST art form!)? But i hear there are a lot of little "clicks" on many of the two meter repeaters.

but then........i could talk to you about clicks on our bike boards.....yea, clicks HERE...and on my Rune board!!  But most of you already know about those 'clicks' too. So i'm thinking ham radio is like motorcycle boards is like life............there are always little clicks or groups that are going to hang together, and....intentionally or unintentionally....be rude (or appear to be rude) to outsiders. Fact of life i guess?

maybe someday we'll start a Valkyrie HF net....and have a Ham click here       

[solo1]

You had me going there Tim.  I thought at first that you meant Ker-chunkers when you said clicks.  May I gently point out that you probably meant "cliques"   Please don't get me wrong, I'm no Supperman, 

I rarely get on the VHF band.  Last time that i did I was made fun of by a ham that I knew,  because I wasn't waiting for the repeater to time out before talking.  A gentle reminder would've been fine.

I'll stick to CW and I give contesters all the room that they need.  Just a simple at length ragchew is enough for me, that's what I enjoy.  It's sorta like kicking tires with a fellow vintage machine rider.

[RedValk]

you know...honestly....part of me questioned whether "clicks" looked right...and part of my brain said "it could be spelled "cliques"??? BUT THEN...............the REDNECK part of my brain kicked in and said "don't worry about it....even if it is misspelled...they'll figure out what ya' mean "     

i wish this had a spell checker    I'd be lost at work on email without a spell checker!!!!!!!!!

[Bagger John - #3785]

Giving this thread its daily bump ... 

Going through a few bike boards in search of info, I happened across a thread by a GWRRA member stating that they use 147.500 as their "official" simplex frequency.

If you're looking at integrating amateur radio, FRS or GMRS equipment into your bike's existing audio setup - or want to build a system from scratch - the guys at MARC may be of help:

http://www.marc-hq.org/pages/homepage.htm

Lastly...

There are a number of ham radio BBSes on the 'Net. Here's a shameless plug for my favorite. It isn't your grandfather's QRZ or Eham; things are a LOT more relaxed. Kinda like the VRCC as compared to other bike sites:

http://www.hamisland.net/forums/index.php

There are several radio-related Q&A areas; if sufficient interest is expressed, a Beginner's Corner or something similar could be created for those new to the hobby or those seeking help in becoming licensed.

[Valkernaut]

I carry my daughters 2 meter handheld on my I/S most of the time.

Jim, kf4ovq