So glad I don't have to start studying all over with a new question pool. Now it's off to find a rig an set up an inverted v in the attic. 73 Dave
congrats 20M was pretty open today, ton of JAs on, 5 and 6 land were coming in pretty good as well. Even snagged a NN9 callsign. Hopefully you'll get a callsign in time for field day!
I've got my call from when I passed my tech last year and I'm going to try to get out to help out with my local club next weekend (W4BFB/Mecklenburg Amateur Radio Society). Not sure what time I'll be able to help out though.
Cool, I will be listening on the Alaska 20M Call Frequency 14292.0 Khz USB all weekend, DayTime, and 3933 Khz and 7093 Khz After civil twilight....
That is big news. Know you're excited. Not sure the requirements now. I became a Ham in 1977 while in Air Force stationed in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Cold winters means lots of time to study. But then test were different, same day I went to Marquette MI I passed the Novice, Technican which was a newly formed class of General without the morsecode, then passed General test with the 13wpm morsecode, then took next test but failed terribly but did pass the 21 wpm extra test I believe. Anyway morse was a favorite & had a captain tutor me that typed & took code tested @ 94 wpm. Ok contests to our/your new area of the amateur field. RFalls.
Bruce, a quick question ? Do U live in Alaska full-time? Maybe a native. And I'm maybe the nosey type sorry- but what do you do especially with ur plane? I know from my studies in Air Force that's often times U might not be able to fly. Has that eased some. Ok, enough I know. Pleased to meet you & maybe I can contact you on 20 m when I finish putting up mt dipole & vertical. Hopefully a hot signal from NC can reach there & I can hear back. Wonder what propagation is like? Ok, thanks a bunch.
You are all speaking a foreign language to me, but that may change in time. Darklight, Congratulations. i know just enough to know that ain't easy. I'm just your basic AM/FM/TV from college.
Kell, it's new words in the same old language. Getting your ticket (call sign) is way inexpensive and not at all difficult. (As witness, this old dawg learned a new trick.) Getting on the air won't break the bank either. It's like most other stuff, price depends on how deep into the discipline you want to get.
Perhaps when i get the necessary stuff done, and the nice to have stuff done, followed by maybe half of the projects hanging fire now.....we will see.
Congrats @ghrit.... Welcome to Hamdom..... @bob_falls@yahoo.com Yep, I do live in Alaska Full Time... I live far out in the Alaskan Bush.....Nope, I am a Old Fat White Guy..... Nope, the plane belongs to one of our local Bush Pilots...... Propagation has been pretty HOT for a week or so, after that last BIG Solar Flare... I have a radio on 14292.0 Khz USB, and 7093.0 Khz LSB pretty much 24/7/356.... on some evenings I swap 20 Meters for 3840.0 Khz LSB if 75 is HOT....
Hams have an advantage over non-hams as they know how to "get out." However, hams know a lot more than how to "get out." Once a local repeater received an intermittent interference around a certain time slot. A few of the retired (and bored) guys decided to "find" the source. It took them less two days to locate the offender which turned out to be a TV antenna rotor. When the rotor was used it interfered and the interference never lasted long. Which was suspicious because whenever they got close, the interference stopped. Fortunately, the interference had a schedule; the next day they sat and waited at a closer location. After they found it, the short transmissions turned out to be the antenna wasn't being rotated more than ~30 degrees. The suspicious schedule was the homeowner turning on the TV at the same time then rotating the antenna back and forth from the DC station to the Baltimore station. The random was how long they watched a channel. At the end of the day, all the suspicious made sense. They introduced themselves to the homeowner who let them fix it. As they replaced the bad TV twin lead with coax etc etc; the homeowner made out a lot better than if would have elevated to the FCC. This was back in the 1980s and I worked, I don't know (remember LOL) much more than I said. However, it left a lasting impression on me to how easily a signal could be found with very simple equipment by a bunch of guys who were bored.
