Amateur Radio Ops - Introduce yourselves!

[RandyT]

I have always been a "gadget guy" and when a friend of mine, KCOLWM introduced me to his Yaesu VX5 in late 2001, I was hooked and got my Tech licence in Colorado in 2002. Now I have a few of my own "expensive static generators" as my wife calls them. I am having a great time! Japan on 40 meters, Alaska on 6 meters and many satellite contacts have helped to fuel the fire.

I enjoy working portable ham radio operations, digital modes (PSK31) and I work a contest every now and then. I like to work ARRL Field Day and the NAQP contests because they are limited to 100 watts and that's all I have! I am like a fish drawn towards a shiny object when it comes to gadgets so it does not hurt to have an HRO here in town either!

I have recently gotten into working with and learning about APRS and having lots of fun with that. I use a Kenwood D700 and a Garmin GPS V. My two boys and I also like to GeoCache out in the desert in our Jeep Wrangler.

Why the zero call in seven land? We moved to Arizona from Colorado in 2003 to be near family and I personally am not a fan of vanity call signs, so I never changed it. As you may have noticed I didn't even change my call when I upgraded to Amateur Extra.

My call is KC0NNT
Right now I run a Kenwood D700 w/ APRS in the Jeep
A Yaesu FT7800 in the commuter car
A Kenwood D700 and a Yaesu Fd897d at the QTH (home)

I have three HT's (Handy Talkies)
An Icom W32a
Yaesu VX7 and a VX3

73,

[yellow_X]

I was a RTO in the army on a Long Range Surveillance team, we used HF and Sat Com primarially, late at night over the airwaves I used to tune in on HF bands and started teaching myself code, after a while it became second nature to "hear" it, so i tested and got my tech plus license, that was 1997, and have loved it ever since. Currently I do not have any rigs, in the market, (My alinco HT died on me, and the HF rig I had was only borrowed)

[mbuckner]

Randy ... when are you going to help me get the
APRS up and running in my Jeep??????

Help!!!!!!!!!!:aagh:

Best regards,

Mike
KE7GRM

[corwyyn]

AD5VG, licensed in '92 as a no-code Tech, then got my General in 2000 and my Extra in 2002. The first real radio I purchased was an old Swan 350 for $100 - nothing like watching the tubes glow when you're tuning the bands :) Now I have an Alinco DX-70T and DR-605TQ in the Jeep and an Icom W2A HT for portable ops. Add to that an AOR8000 scanner and Sangean/Radio Shack SW/multiband receiver and I'm good to go.
Randy ... when are you going to help me get the
APRS up and running in my Jeep??????

Hmm, now there's something I haven't gotten into yet. Maybe if we can get enough interest we could get some kind of workshop together for those who'd like to do this? I think it'd be useful out on the trail.

[Calizonia]

Back in 1994 I had no idea what Ham Radio even was. If you remember the Northridge Earthquake back then, I was working for GoodYear Airship operations when FEMA came to our Blimp base in Carson, CA and wanted to use the Blimp to survey the damage that was done. Anyway, they asked us if we had any Ham Radio Operators on the 16 man crew. And that’s how I was introduced and became interested in ham radio. For the next 3 years, I was able to operate from the Airship as we flew with our “night sign” each night of the week all throughout Southern California. I even remember making contact with Gordon West as he was teaching his class and doing a demo from the Airship for his students. “WB6NOA, this is KE6LLZ airborne in the Goodyear Blimp”. I left GoodYear in 1997 and moved out here to Phoenix.

I only have two radios...Kenwood TH-78A (handi talki) and Yeasu FT-8800R and I looking to buy the Yeasu VX-7R real soon.

[Antman]

Hi guys. I am K7ANT aka ANTMAN. I have been a Ham since 1968 when I was a Radioman in the Navy. My first call was WA7KPH.
I have an Extra class license and I have ran mostly HF looking for new countries to talk to. I have about 330 confirmed on the HF bands. I have a 70', (80'), tower
counting the mast, in my yard. I have a six element tri bander at about 70' and have an old by today's standard, Drake TR-7A, one
of the first continous tune HF digital radios made. I also have a FT-890 HF radio and a couple of Alinco mobile 2M radios along with
a Icom 270 dual bander. I can run the legal limit on the hF bands.
I used to run a DX Cluster Spotting net here locally in Heber called HOG for Heber/Overgaard and linked into Phoenix through the Pinal
mt into Mesa. The internet has made all that pretty much out dated now.

I primarily run CW on the HF bands looking for new countries, but will have my
dual bander vhf/uhf back in the jeep soon. :sifone:

K7ANT -.- --... .- -. -

73 es gud DX

[jporvaz]

As I've posted in other threads, I'm still waiting on my call sign. I had hoped to have it before this weekend, oh well.
Bought a Yaesu FT60 this week. I'm still learning how to use it. I'll be looking for help.

[jporvaz]

I got it!!!!! I'm legal

KE7RDJ

[TRLR8TDTJ]

Hi guys. I am K7ANT aka ANTMAN. I have been a Ham since 1968 when I was a Radioman in the Navy. My first call was WA7KPH.
I have an Extra class license and I have ran mostly HF looking for new countries to talk to. I have about 330 confirmed on the HF bands. I have a 70', (80'), tower
counting the mast, in my yard. I have a six element tri bander at about 70' and have an old by today's standard, Drake TR-7A, one
of the first continous tune HF digital radios made. I also have a FT-890 HF radio and a couple of Alinco mobile 2M radios along with
a Icom 270 dual bander. I can run the legal limit on the hF bands.
I used to run a DX Cluster Spotting net here locally in Heber called HOG for Heber/Overgaard and linked into Phoenix through the Pinal
mt into Mesa. The internet has made all that pretty much out dated now.

I primarily run CW on the HF bands looking for new countries, but will have my
dual bander vhf/uhf back in the jeep soon. :sifone:

K7ANT -.- --... .- -. -

73 es gud DX

Sounds like you are trying to talk to aliens. I would still like to get mine some day. I have fcc general radiotelephone operator license, but no amateur radio yet.

Kyle

[yellow_X]

I got it!!!!! I'm legal

KE7RDJ

Congrats!

[Calizonia]

way to GO KE7RDJ...

I heard two new guys today on the white tanks repeater...Ke7rdl and ke7rdm... they said they checked the data base today and around 1400hrs they saw their call signs...

Passing the test was the easy part...there is still soooo much to learn... hope to hear you on the radio soon.

[Heaney]

Hey all... I'm KE7GRQ. I have a Yaesu VX7. I don't much communication. Perhaps with the new net I will become more active. Right now my HT sits in a drawer collecting dust.

[jporvaz]

way to GO KE7RDJ...

I heard two new guys today on the white tanks repeater...Ke7rdl and ke7rdm... they said they checked the data base today and around 1400hrs they saw their call signs...

Passing the test was the easy part...there is still soooo much to learn... hope to hear you on the radio soon.


You are so right about so much to learn. I'm waiting on this net to get up and running so I can start talking. I was hoping that all of you would be a little easy on a new Ham. :)

Thanks for all the support.

[K7AZV]

K7AZV - Technician since October.
Yaesu FT7800R in the Jeep.
Working on getting my General and plan to get Extra also. Besides the band privilages, I'd like to become a VE and help out at testing sessions. Also trying to learn CW although it isn't required anymore.

Virgil

[Chuck Boyd]

Well it all started in the mid 1960’s aboard Navy ship, APA-218. I was an interior communication tech (IC2). I became friends with a few of the radiomen. Late at night in the radio shack, we would contact ham operators in the US and ask for a phone patch to my parents in Arizona.
After getting out of the Navy, and returning to AZ.
I finished college and took a job in Colorado. In my job, I traveled all of Colorado, Wyoming, Western Kansas, Western Nebraska, Western South Dakota and Southern Utah, lots of windshield time, so why not have someone to talk with while traveling.
Studied the code and with the help of Alan Appelgate K0BG, I took the Novice test in 1978 at the FCC office in Denver, then Technician, General, Advanced, missed the Extra class 20 words a minute code two times by one answer…………….so I said later on the Extra class license.
My first radio was a HF rig, Yaesu FT 101 for a base unit, and the ICOM-701 HF rig for the truck. Then a two meter rig for the truck, then a dual band two meter/440 for the truck. And many more radios there after.
In 1982, running the ICOM-720 HF rig in the truck with a Metron MA1000 watt solid state amplifier and a home brew antenna, I worked all 3082 counties in the US, which includes Hawaii and Alaska.
The all US County award is sponsored by CQ magazine and all my QSL cards for each county was checked by five licensed hams. My award is number 362. That means I was the 362nd. person in the world to receive this award.
I am running the Kenwood TR-9000 two meter in the trail Jeep.

Good hamming,

73’s

[yellow_X]

ok this thread got me off my bum, just went out and picked up a YAESU dual band, HT, been sitting on the white tanks repeater today, give a shout if you are on

[jporvaz]

Craig, sorry I didn't see this earlier. I was monitoring for a while, til the batteries ran down. Which HT did you get?



Chuck, glad to see you found the forum. Great talking with you today. Next time we'll do it on radios.

[corwyyn]

Wow Chuck, Worked All Counties! That's quite a feat :D And I see you had a great Elmer for your studies - I've not met Alan but I've read a lot of his information on both his site and eham.net and used a lot of it to get my mobile setup working properly. Hope to talk to you on the radio sometime soon.

[Chuck Boyd]

Wow Chuck, Worked All Counties! That's quite a feat :D And I see you had a great Elmer for your studies - I've not met Alan but I've read a lot of his information on both his site and eham.net and used a lot of it to get my mobile setup working properly. Hope to talk to you on the radio sometime soon.

Yeah……………… I first meet Alan Applegate K0BG before he started working for CW Electronics in Denver.
Another friend, Mike Barnell WD0FVV and I would go shooting together with Alan. Mike was doing the competitive trap shooting and Alan was into the high power rifles. Alan helped Mike and I get started in ham radio. Alan then took the position of manager of CW Electronics in Denver. This is where we would hang-out, and pick Alan’s knowledge of ham radio.
Mike got into DXing with the help of Alan and I got into county hunting.
Mike set up his own repeater in Parker, Colorado, which later become CRA (Colorado Repeater Association)
Had a lot of fun, hanging with Alan and Mike.

73’s

[jdawgaz]

I am Jerry Davis.

I have been a Technician for about a year and half now, and am going to take the General exam on Feb 18. Wish me luck!

I have an Icom 2800H in the jeep, and a Yaesu 2800R in the prius.
Am looking to get the Kenwood TS-480SAT or something similar so I can do HF from both the jeep and my QTH.

On the Jeep side: I have a 2006 Solar Yellow Unlimited with a 5.5" RE lift, and 35's and other goodies.

Anyway when is the net starting? And what will be the topics?

Jerry, KE7JVW

[jporvaz]

Welcome. Check out the Ham Radio forum in Off-topic. RandyT started a thread with topic ideas.

Good luck on the test.

[jporvaz]

Well guys, I just bit the bullet (again). I enjoyed the little bit of talking I did this weekend so much, that I realized an HT just wasn't going to work well enough so I bought additional stuff yesterday and today:
Yaesu FT2800M, Astron RS20, Diamond X200A dual-band vertical base antenna and a Diamond magnet mount antenna.

Chuck, thanks for helping me spend the $$. :)

[RandyT]

Well guys, I just bit the bullet (again). I enjoyed the little bit of talking I did this weekend so much, that I realized an HT just wasn't going to work well enough so I bought additional stuff yesterday and today:
Yaesu FT2800M, Astron RS20, Diamond X200A dual-band vertical base antenna and a Diamond magnet mount antenna.

Chuck, thanks for helping me spend the $$. :)


LOL....
Cool, You certainly have the bug!
Good choice too. I love Yaesu Radios.

[Chuck Boyd]

[QUOTE= Chuck, thanks for helping me spend the $$. :)[/QUOTE]

Hey John,
My pleasure, I have a knack at helping spend other peoples $$$. Just look at all the people that will hear you now :ears:
BTW, I managed to twist the rear drive shaft splines, nearly broke it :confused:
Should have the new one tomorrow, I hope. Putting a traction bar on the rear to stop the axle wrap. Also building a new set of springs.

[jporvaz]

Hey John,
My pleasure, I have a knack at helping spend other peoples $$$. Just look at all the people that will hear you now :ears:
BTW, I managed to twist the rear drive shaft splines, nearly broke it :confused:
Should have the new one tomorrow, I hope. Putting a traction bar on the rear to stop the axle wrap. Also building a new set of springs.

Axles don't twist as easy if you keep the tires on the axle :aagh::drummer::fashizzle:.

Back to HAM stuff!

[SilverBullet]

Hey guys, I am Brian, KE6IRJ. As you can tell, origional license was in CA and moved out here in 98. I was on the repeaters up here (Prescott area) alot in 98-99 and early 2000's, but have not been in a while. I am an origional Tech+ class license (no longer a classification) and have never used the code. Now I want to get my General, but that will be later.

I recently parted with my HF gear since we hit a desperate need for money, so I simply have my HTX-202 radio and my mobiles in the vehicles.

Nice to meet all of you and hope to talk to you soon. If you are on Echolink, give me a call sometime, I have that open at home more than anything lately.

73

[Sc00by]

Well might as well chime in here too :drummer:

Im Paul, (KE7NEA) Ive always had an intrest in HAM Radio but due to life was never able to get into it.
Until I got a Jeep and then heard of a class being taught and I decided it was time.
Im typicaly the person lending a hand / helping out and figured it would be a good addition to the Jeep... little did I know I would need the HAM radio to call for help :skull:

Story here (http://www.higherground4x4.com/forums/showthread.php?t=938)

I started to talk on the 2100 net quite frequently but due to the cooler weather & me being a wimp Ive not talked on there for some time, but I do still monitor the Mt. Ord repeater (147.140) when Im in the XJ.
As of now I only have the Yaesu 8800 & a Larsen ant. would like to get the Icom with DSTAR but will further my radios & possibly a base when we get into a house :smug:

So Ill say 73 and hope to meet some of you on the air.

Paul

[AZG23]

Not quite......but almost...


Been studying for the last couple of weeks....and getting ready to order my 1st radio...Yaesu VX-7r with a few goodies to tide me over in Jeep, on foot, in house...:D

[corwyyn]

Good luck! hope to see a callsign in your signature soon :)

[jporvaz]

Not quite......but almost...


Been studying for the last couple of weeks....and getting ready to order my 1st radio...Yaesu VX-7r with a few goodies to tide me over in Jeep, on foot, in house...:D

Good luck. Are you using some of the online tools to help study, take practice exams, etc?

I like that radio, it was just too much for my blood at the time I bought. If you want a little advice based upon recent experience about buying a handheld for your 1st radio, let me know and we can talk before you buy. I just went through that.

Good luck.

[AZG23]

Thanks Kevin and John...Im Jimmy's friend (Calizonia) and we have been talking alot about radios and what will work. And yes, I have been using online sources and the practice tests on QRZ.com.

Im mainly looking for something that can cover everything all in one package...but not spend as much as I have on the Jeep or on guns :D

Im getting the VX-7Rb and waterproof handmic, the AC rapid charger, and a 12 volt powersupply for the Jeep. That will get me going and "most likely" be as far as I take it...I will soon get either en external magmount, or a hardmount antenna for the Jeep for a bit more range...but feel this set up can get me everything Im looking for.

I want it mainly for Jeeping, but Im also a bit of a "Boy Scout" and feel the need to always be prepared. I feel that an HT is kinda the best of both worlds, and can work from home, from Jeep, or if need be, by foot.

Of course we all know how you can get "bit" by the upgrade bug...I may eventually get a mobile for the Jeep. But thats a longer term goal if it comes to that.

I'm looking forward to getting the license and getting started albeit a bit nervous to get on the air.

[jporvaz]

I got the FT60r for the same reasons- all in one. I found out real quick it didn't meet all my needs. Get the upgraded antenna (sma 24 I think is the number). The guys at HRO will know which one. It got super reviews on eham.net. It improves RX/TX immensly. I've already added a base antenna, power supply and 2m mobile and a mag mount antenna to my Ham arsenal.
There is a unit that will take 6 AA batteries that you can carry as a spare battery pack that just plugs into the back of the unit that I thought was a must need just in case I had to do any walking away from the jeep. I put Ion AA's in it and it will still supply full power.
I talked to Jimmy one day (first day I was on the air) from my driveway in Chandler on the handheld with the sma 24 antenna on the 147.36 machine. I'm not sure how well he received my transmission, but I could hear him just fine. I was also talking to a buddy who was up by Roosevelt at the same time. My house is in N Chandler. I was very impressed by the quality of the radio.

[k7mto]

I got my license in 2002 when I was a member of the Brush Busters Jeep Club in Portland, OR. It was a requirement to join as all club run communication was done via 2m. I only have an old Yaesu HT right now and don't talk much, although I do carry it on runs (and thankfully have never had to use it) for potential emergency situations.

[rangers_range]

Hi, Tony here, WB7PZH. I got my original style tech license-general theory & 5 wpm code- in 1976 and have move through general, advanced and now extra plus GROL. I had a great start in Explorer Post 599. We did a lot of fun stuff there.
I am in law enforcement and am also a paramedic.
My wife Nancy KB7ERN is a tech. and an emergency nurse. Both daughters are techs. and wilderness first responders(KE7OQB & KE7OQG).
We have a dual band mobile, a couple of dual band HTs and some ChiCom 2m single band HTs.
We have done a variety of EMS, fire and SAR as volunteers and paid personnel.
We are geocachers too.

[gefelix]

Tony, Nancy and family.... Welcome to the group!

[RandyT]

Hi Tony!
Glad you made it over here.

[K7AZV]

Welcome Tony!

I listened to you and Randy after the net last week. I think it would be awesome of you were to do a First Aid Field Day with our group. I know that type of demonstration is probably best done in person, but a good net topic sometime might be First Aid if you wanted to run that. I'd be interested.

One of my other hobbies is woodworking and I went to a meeting once where a paramedic woodworker presented. He offered up very good information as far as cuts/lacerations and getting stuff in your eyes that I would have never thought of. As far as offroading, I know there are many situations I wouldn't be prepared for. Knowing what to do out in the remote wilderness or handling snake bites would be great info.

Thanks.

[AZG23]

Welcome Tony and Family!!

I look forward to anything you can provide the group...especially On trail type stuff or Gutter Medicine as they call it ;)

again, welcome...

[jporvaz]

Tony and family, welcome. I am also LEO. I look forward to sharing info with you.

[GRUNT]

Well, I don't want to jump the gun but I took the test today with another VJCer, "BAMSE." We took the MCC class which was 5 or 6 Saturdays, completely boring and other than a couple points of interest seemed to be a waste. So we crammed this morning before class. We both passed, I missed 2. We also got "too big for our britches" and took a stab at the General.... Yeah, gonna have to study for that one because I got a blazing 50%... :D Just waiting for my call sign and will be talking with ya!

Tony, looking forward to talking with you. I am a firefighter/paramedic, and also worked for MCSO out at the river and S&R back in the day...

[AZG23]

Well, I don't want to jump the gun but I took the test today with another VJCer, "BAMSE." We took the MCC class which was 5 or 6 Saturdays, completely boring and other than a couple points of interest seemed to be a waste. So we crammed this morning before class. We both passed, I missed 2. We also got "too big for our britches" and took a stab at the General.... Yeah, gonna have to study for that one because I got a blazing 50%... :D Just waiting for my call sign and will be talking with ya!

Tony, looking forward to talking with you. I am a firefighter/paramedic, and also worked for MCSO out at the river and S&R back in the day...


NICE!

[corwyyn]

Cool Grunt, welcome to the fold! And Tony, nice to see a whole family getting into the act. Hopefully I'll remember the net this Wednesday and check in :)

[jporvaz]

Yo, Grunt- Congrats!!

[Sc00by]

Congrads Grunt!

Now if I can get my teenage's intrested & get them to test too :banghead:

[RandyT]

Way to go Alan!!!

[gefelix]

Allen, congratulations!