Any Ham operators here?

[Radioactive]

6 minutes ago, RedRiverII said:

I did pass the test today and appreciate these conversations.  I continued to study up to an hour before leaving my house.  I used the Laurel VEC group which allowed me to take the exam without any cash payment.  $15 more for stuff.  Out of 40 practice exams I never did get 100%,  but did manage to average the high 80's.  I tried the General exam while there but did not pass,  I took a shot.  I'm glad in a way because now I get to study some more and stretch out some of the gray matter furls.  

I did buy and will return my Baofeng UV5R.  It was too much of a nuisance programming with CHIRP,  for me anyway.   After all was said and done my cost ran about a $100.  I'll get a refund and search elsewhere.  I'm still up in the air about which radio to get.  I may just get the Kenwood D74A and forget about all the others.  IDK...shrug.  

Often asked question I get,  " What are you going to do with it?"  Well,  I'm shooting for communicating with the World.  That seems a big enough reason and a task that will keep me busy for a long time.  Of course I realize I'll begin with local areas and continue to learn.  My initial reason for Ham Radio was assisting others or pleading for help if the situation arises for myself.  My Nextel went down during 911 as did most phone service.  There are plenty of folks home bound and reach out for contact as they can.  I can lend an ear.  

I gotta walk the pup,  later.

Congrats!

[Armed Eye Doc]

Congrats on passing. 

[RedRiverII]

Thank you.  It was an interesting endeavor,  it woke up some learning molecules in the brain.

[willbird]

5 hours ago, Armed Eye Doc said:

That goes along with the old saying 

What do you call the person who graduated last in his class at med school?  Doctor.

There was a similar saying in optometry school.  

C = OD

which means that as long as you get at least a C in all of your classes, you will still pass and get you doctorate of optometry degree.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the record, I did not get any C's.

I get totally what you are saying and as an adult somehow I am driven to the 98-99 percentile. College classes WERE 95% or better was A, I think they backed off that. But to hit a for sure 95 a hell of a lot of 98-100 sure help :-).

I have a friend who is into MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) tho, he will hammer a MOOC for a week and absorb a lot of it and pass with say a 75-80%, then move on to the next class. He is IMHO a truly brilliant guy and really quick to be up onto a new device or protocol. Some of the ones he is hammering out are preq for something with a lot more meat in it too :-).

 

Bill

 

 

Edited November 1, 2020 by willbird

[Radioactive]

6 hours ago, Armed Eye Doc said:

 

For the record, I did not get any C's.

Overachiever 

[Lane]

14 hours ago, RedRiverII said:

I did buy and will return my Baofeng UV5R.  It was too much of a nuisance programming with CHIRP,  for me anyway.   After all was said and done my cost ran about a $100.  I'll get a refund and search elsewhere.  I'm still up in the air about which radio to get.  I may just get the Kenwood D74A and forget about all the others.  IDK...shrug.  

While that's quite a high price for a UV-5R; maybe you ended up with one of those "extra packs" with a bunch of mostly useless add-ons? I'm curious how you think programming a different radio will be easier? Beyond the rather expensive (proprietary) RT systems programming options; CHIRP is relatively universal. 

You mentioned the Kenwood D74A. Have you looked at the programming software for that radio? MCP-D74 memory control program (google image search will show you some screen shots); that honestly looks significantly more complicated than CHIRP. DMR radio programming is even more complicated still; but I doubt you'll find anything easier than CHIRP in the end. 

You should be able to fill in those required fields from an aggregate source like RepeaterBook (or ask for someone's CHIRP programming file as a sample to reference). I added a screenshot of mine in case you want to see. Most fields don't need to be filled in; I've included FRS, GMRS, Weather, Police (set not to allow transmit), and two local repeaters at the end). Also; many of the settings will repeat line after line (like Mode, and Offset, etc). It is considerably harder to program radios from the front panel, as you'll need to set each one of those entries in a different menu branch; instead of a single long line in a pseudo-spreadsheet. Another advantage of programming software is it usually allows Copy/Paste, so you don't have to type every line every time. 

Congrats on your license! And really; I'm not saying you should keep a $100 Baofeng (you should be able to find one for $35 with the programming cable)... But you'll still need those skills to program most any radio short of a classic vacuum tube based HF rig. Enjoy. Maybe you'll hear me on the air down in Florida one day.

[RedRiverII]

Thank you for the post,  it is well thought out and succinct.  I appreciate the value added.  The UV5R was $29.  Add the extra battery,  cable,  car charger,  antenna,  etc. and that's how I approached $100.  

My challenge is the computer and it's unique way of confusing me quickly.  I can download CHIRP easily.  The computer will not open the program because,  if I recall correctly and for want of actual terminology,  it cannot validate the content.  Please understand I may be way off base here.  It is my understanding that Baofeng's info is being challenged by the FCC.  I'll get into it a bit more and try and figure out how this works.

As a newbie everything connected to HAM is complicated.  That's one of the reasons I sought it out to begin with.  Exercise for my mind.  The jig saw puzzles are OK,  exercise is moving along,  and the honey-do-lists never get any shorter.  My first look at the technician exam book was a jolt,  but after a while things calmed down.  The General book same same.  Whoa!  What the phooey?  It's like eating the elephant,  one bite at a time.  I hope I didn't disparage Baofeng too much but some identical units are not always the same.  I mention Kenwood not for simplicity but for quality.  Of course there's Yaesu,  Icom,  TYT,  et al.  I didn't want to become so frustrated with a unit that I chucked the whole game.  Just to fill you in I'm not sure I even want an HT.  Those base models are pretty awesome.  Icom 7300 with HF capabilities.  What antenna can I use in my community I wonder?  The fellow that introduced me to HAM is a snowbird and is back in Michigan so I have no fast and easy answers,  no Elmers to be found just yet.  The VE's were friendly enough there wasn't much time to talk to them.  

Thanks again @Lane

[Magwa]

congrats on passing ,I too did not pass the General the same day i got my Tech lic. but nailed it next time if the computer is to tough there are many hams around who would gladly program your bao fung all you have to do is ask, find a Elmer that is a already seasoned Ham who will take you under his wing and help you get started I had one and he is a great friend to this day

[RedRiverII]

Thank you @Magwa  My buddy is out of State right now,  I'll find someone soon.

[willbird]

1 hour ago, RedRiverII said:

Thank you for the post,  it is well thought out and succinct.  I appreciate the value added.  The UV5R was $29.  Add the extra battery,  cable,  car charger,  antenna,  etc. and that's how I approached $100.  

My challenge is the computer and it's unique way of confusing me quickly.  I can download CHIRP easily.  The computer will not open the program because,  if I recall correctly and for want of actual terminology,  it cannot validate the content.  Please understand I may be way off base here.  It is my understanding that Baofeng's info is being challenged by the FCC.  I'll get into it a bit more and try and figure out how this works.

As a newbie everything connected to HAM is complicated.  That's one of the reasons I sought it out to begin with.  Exercise for my mind.  The jig saw puzzles are OK,  exercise is moving along,  and the honey-do-lists never get any shorter.  My first look at the technician exam book was a jolt,  but after a while things calmed down.  The General book same same.  Whoa!  What the phooey?  It's like eating the elephant,  one bite at a time.  I hope I didn't disparage Baofeng too much but some identical units are not always the same.  I mention Kenwood not for simplicity but for quality.  Of course there's Yaesu,  Icom,  TYT,  et al.  I didn't want to become so frustrated with a unit that I chucked the whole game.  Just to fill you in I'm not sure I even want an HT.  Those base models are pretty awesome.  Icom 7300 with HF capabilities.  What antenna can I use in my community I wonder?  The fellow that introduced me to HAM is a snowbird and is back in Michigan so I have no fast and easy answers,  no Elmers to be found just yet.  The VE's were friendly enough there wasn't much time to talk to them.  

Thanks again @Lane

There is a chirp image avail that is actually a live cd, so you boot the computer off CDROM or thumb drive. 

https://sourceforge.net/p/chirplivecd/wiki/Home/

That gets around some of the issues folks may have.

Bill

[RedRiverII]

Thank you.  That's deep stuff for me to comprehend although I appreciate it.  Maybe I'll take a crack at it.  

[RedRiverII]

1/2 nuts.  Tried new drivers, and stuff no luck.  I gotta call one of the VE's that I met and ask.

[Rsquared]

Congratulations on passing my man.

[Lane]

It sounds like you ran into an issue with the programming cable drivers (and not actually CHIRP itself)? Long story there; but the Chinese copied chips used in USB to Serial converters some years back (that's the type of chip that makes the programming cable work). The original chips cost more $10 each; and those original chip developers got mad when someone undercut their market with clones. They made driver changes to try and block the clones from functioning; which can make installing a working drivers difficult. I believe the solution is to install an older driver, one which was release before that time; which does not deliberately disable the clone chips from functioning. I'm sure myself or others could point you in the right direction with a few more details. (Hopefully I didn't guess your computer operating system wrong)...

Then; there is the questions of spurious emissions, over-powered, and out of spec Baofeng radios. The earlier where questionable when they were first released. The FCC did indeed threaten manufacturers and sellers of at least one of the UV-5R variant radios... https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-18-801A1.pdf The reasons why? The fact it could transmit on bands that it wasn't approved for, including those used by emergency services. It allowed the option of wide band transmissions in bands where only narrow band was allowed. And; it wasn't legally compliant with commercial land mobile, FRS, or GMRS either. So in short; it has too many feature; and was marketed illegally. Especially so to the general public without a ham license (people who wouldn't technically know better), and whom might try to use them in illegal ways.

For the price of a case of beer; that Baofeng is the best buy in town. It goes above and beyond the call of duty, and doesn't babysit the user in terms of locking out parts of the radio spectrum that might become useful later on. I recall decades ago; that certain radio scanners were in high demand because they were easy to modify the frequency range (where new models were not). I totally understand your position; that $100, is easily money better applied to something like a name brand radio. When it comes to 20x that price, or 50x that price; it's a completely different discussion. 

That 7300 is a whole lot of radio you can't use without a general class license. On the other hand; it might be just the kick you need to pass that test. You can always listen while you're studying; and try to relate the study material to your radio's abilities. In term of antennas; I'm not sure how restricted you are. I'm NOT personally restricted whatsoever; and still use indoor antennas for convenience (even on HF), mostly due to the lengths of coax that would be required for me to setup outdoors. In places with a restriction; you might consider something like a flagpole (disguised antenna). Nobody can tell you that you can't fly the American Flag!

[RedRiverII]

I was able to connect and use the program to download from radio, then to radio.  Forward progress.  A game of inches.  Now I need to learn how to use the radio.  All that tech jargon for passing the exam and I still haven't covered the basics. PTT,  release to listen. 

[RedRiverII]

I see.  I've decided to keep the UV5R for now and learn how to use the radio.  I did download some new drivers and that allowed me to open Chirp.  There is a ton of help on the internet perhaps too much help.  So I'm up and running and will use this radio for a while.  I'm studying for the General now.  12/6 is the next exam.  One month should be enough to study.  @Lane that post of yours was right on target.  I do recall the over capability from reading a few articles.  BTW I received the call sign yesterday,  so it's official.  KO4IZB.  The VE's did tell me that Laurel VEC uses computers to forward test scores and the FCC authorizes the call signs quickly.  It took one day,  just about 24 hours to get mine.  

I need to know how to use the radio so I'll be working on that as well.  This whole adventure in HAM has been rewarding in several ways.  It is mentally stimulating and challenging.  I get to meet new folks.  I can become prepared to help out in dire straights.  I heard about contests but don't know much about them.  Collecting QSL ? cards,  is that still viable?  Oh yeah now I remember,  we get to buy more stuff.  You know how we like to buy stuff here on 308ar right?  

73

[willbird]

3 hours ago, RedRiverII said:

I see.  I've decided to keep the UV5R for now and learn how to use the radio.  I did download some new drivers and that allowed me to open Chirp.  There is a ton of help on the internet perhaps too much help.  So I'm up and running and will use this radio for a while.  I'm studying for the General now.  12/6 is the next exam.  One month should be enough to study.  @Lane that post of yours was right on target.  I do recall the over capability from reading a few articles.  BTW I received the call sign yesterday,  so it's official.  KO4IZB.  The VE's did tell me that Laurel VEC uses computers to forward test scores and the FCC authorizes the call signs quickly.  It took one day,  just about 24 hours to get mine.  

I need to know how to use the radio so I'll be working on that as well.  This whole adventure in HAM has been rewarding in several ways.  It is mentally stimulating and challenging.  I get to meet new folks.  I can become prepared to help out in dire straights.  I heard about contests but don't know much about them.  Collecting QSL ? cards,  is that still viable?  Oh yeah now I remember,  we get to buy more stuff.  You know how we like to buy stuff here on 308ar right?  

73

If you are going to go for AE, and I would suggest that you do then tapering into the study for that might be good too. Drill General hard....and integrate a bit of study for the AE. I gave AE a full month and really sweated that exam :-).

 

Bill

[RedRiverII]

I hear the AE is a difficult exam and that's half the fun.   I got too soft in retirement both mentally and physically.  I've been putting in two hour study days on most days.  Thanks for the encouragement it helps.

[Lane]

21 hours ago, RedRiverII said:

This whole adventure in HAM has been rewarding in several ways.  It is mentally stimulating and challenging.  I get to meet new folks.  I can become prepared to help out in dire straights.  I heard about contests but don't know much about them.  Collecting QSL ? cards,  is that still viable?  Oh yeah now I remember,  we get to buy more stuff.  You know how we like to buy stuff here on 308ar right?  

Looks like you are a hair south of the southern group of hams I'm aquatinted with of in Florida. That said; those guys have been working on some really great blends of technology in the repeater world. I won't tease you on all the details yet... But don't worry; you'll love it.

I tried to do this for you; but the website appears to be down at the moment... Get on repeaterbook somehow; and enter your zip code. Stretch out 50 miles our so, and start entering the closest analog repeaters you have access to into CHIRP. Pretty much need: Call letters in the Name field, frequency, and tone if it's needed. The offsets will be mostly copy and paste for VHF and UHF across the board (or bulk fill in later when you're ready to transmit). Feel free to post up a CHIRP data file here if you want some help.

Once you get programmed for a wide range of actual repeaters; holding down the * key on the keypad for a second or two will start scanning mode. At that point; sit around and wait. Maybe try different sides of your house, or take it with you in the car. Just make sure; IF you have police or emergency frequencies in that list; that you either mark them accordingly; or better yet, disable transmit on those channels so you don't dumb thumb it (or try to reply on the air to a police call). 

You'll soon learn what you can hear in your area. And then made a determination who you want to contact. When I first got my license; I spent many hours with some semi-local old timers on the air over analog. We talked about all sorts of NY stuff... And those were great times. I'm guessing you'll also find frequencies you don't care for in the process too. Florida in general is very active in the ham world; but some people are just boring, or have differing interests. 

Once you get up and running, you can start looking for NETS to join (usually in the evening), and start working towards emergency communications. You'll learn a lot more once you start talking to people. 

Have fun! I'll try keep my ears open on channels down there, and see what's going on these days. Yep, you can contest, and get QSL cards, etc.... The real fun there is HF though (new radio required $$$)... They say you can work they whole globe on 5 watts; if you're patient enough.

[RedRiverII]

Thanks again @Lane.  I will go to repeater book and see if I can make heads or tails of it.  Your offer of help is appreciated and I'll know soon enough how much help I'll need. 

I called a local outfit because they offer a two day course teaching the General.  I found the group on ARRL.  I assumed the course would give me plenty of time to prep but nope.  I need to cram this week by reading the manual and taking a few exams then take the course Sat. and Sun.  This Sat. and Sun. followed immediately with the General exam.  I may have bitten off more than I can chew but I am going to try it.  Do you think you could pass the General exam today?  Do you remember all the jargon,  or are those facts and figures merely qualifiers?  

I will visit repeater book now and begin the familiarization.

73

[RedRiverII]

It must still be down,  I'm getting a Forbidden message.

[RedRiverII]

Got on repeater book and have no clue as yet,  what it is.  I'll start digging in once this General exam is over.  I find the General is totally different from the Tech exam.  A few questions on safety remain but that's just about it.  I've begun drilling with the questions and I know I learned a few things, but nowhere near where I need to be.

Are you using HF?  That seems to be where I want to be.  I know I'm looking at some terrific units and a Thousand seems the place to begin.  

[Lane]

Repeaterbook can be intimidating at first (there are so many bands and "features"). Here is a link to a specific search that might help out. https://www.repeaterbook.com/repeaters/prox_result.php?city=Boynton+Beach%2C+FL&lat=&long=&distance=50&Dunit=m&band1=14&band2=4&freq=&call=&features[]=FM&status_id=%&use=%&order=distance_calc%2C+state_id%2C+`call`+ASC

It sorted by distance; so you shouldn't have too much trouble entering the first dozen or two, and uploading to your radio. There are a few that have VOIP flags listed; so those may not work without other hardware for you. I only searched for 2m and 70cm, so everything listed should do something on your current radio (assuming they aren't too far away); you might get only noise on the channels with VOIP though.

They changed the general exam pretty recently (2019); so I'm not entirely up to speed on what they are testing in this current iteration. I took a practice test just now, and didn't do terrible (now over 5 years since I first took my general)... 

I have an HF radio; but it doesn't get used nearly as much as it should (I can regularly receive nets that broadcast from Florida via HF though). You are correct; starting price for a new HF radio is about $1,000; and almost nothing is available used below about $300.

Almost modified my UV-5R file for you; until I realized it has most of the buttons reassigned, and some other customizations that might confuse you. Instead; I've attached a generic CHIRP data file with the first few entries from that RepeaterBook list from your area. That should save you some time; and allow you to listen to see what's going on around you while you continue to study. Hope that helps...

Generic_CHIRP1.csv

[willbird]

The HF stuff is antenna dependent...well having a good antenna always matters, but more for HF than common 2 meter stuff. But if you literally want to work the world on 1 watt and have the time and acreage for a truly good antenna, then radios are not $1K.  

https://www.qrp-labs.com/ultimate3/u3s.html

 

[Lane]

The HF antenna comments are an excellent point. Unlike the 70cm/2m handheld you have; those HF radios are unlikely to come with an antenna at all. So; that $1,000 radio is just the beginning. Depending on your level of interest, and level of skill; you might choose to make your own HF antennas to learn, and potentially save money. For the most part; you're likely to need an antenna for every HF band you want to work as well; so that can add to the expense. I also opted for an antenna tuner; since my HF radio didn't come with one built in...

Have you noticed; this is could be an expensive hobby? For sure; working the world on 1 watt, 5 watts; or even 10 watts is a significant challenge to say the least (probably best suited as a long-term goal; and not something you'll be doing the second week of December). My guess is you'll start with only one or two HF bands, and workup from there as you gain more experience, and tolerance to spend more money. One thing that's interesting about Florida, is that there are a whole lot more used antennas available. Since people typically take then down for hurricanes; there are plenty that don't go back up for one reason or another.