So who has their amateur radio license?

You don't need a license to listen, only to transmit. Like everything else having to do with actual freedom, guns, conveyances, transmitting, you have to be registered. They want to know who you are and where you live.

Let me ask this about an antenna array, I used to drive past a house, unassuming farm house, but it had an array out back like if a Chinese laundry line dried their clothes.

Maybe 30 poles, in rows of lets say 6 deep, 5 wide, maybe 10 feet high.... all seemed tied together... pretty sure was a tall tv antenna on the house too.

any ideas on making HAM better?

originally posted by: EvillerBob

originally posted by: crayzeed
a reply to: iTruthSeeker
I think you aught to delete that bit about preppers in your post. The reason being that preppers are preparing for a SHTF scenario and if the S does really hit the fan then just who is going to bother about getting a licence. It's not that they need the radio now (so they wont be using it) but in the event.

The prepper who buys a radio now but never uses it... is an idiot.

Preppers are exactly the people who should be getting the licence, learning how to use the equipment to best effect, and establishing local networks.

It's like someone who can't drive, buying a car with a manual transmission, but saying they'll learn to drive stick "when the SHTF" and not a moment sooner.

Couldn't have said it better. You have to learn and you learn by doing therefore you need a licence if you want to be effective at using the equipment when it is needed. It isn't even difficult to obtain one either and it is fun.

originally posted by: iTruthSeeker...It isn't even difficult to obtain one either...

Yep. Even I can do it, and I'm thoroughly retarded.

originally posted by: tinner07

what do you do Morse words per minute?

Back when I was in practice in my Army days, I could send 20-25wpm with a semi auto and copy a little faster with a typewriter. I knew a guy who could do over 50. It sounded like RTTY.

eta: I probably couldn't pass the old Novice test now. You have to do it to keep it up, like everything. However, I did find it pretty amusing watching the "evil universe" Enterprise double episode the other day, every time they hit a dead system on the Defiant's bridge it would send "TU" in Morse.

originally posted by: intrptr

You don't need a license to listen, only to transmit.

And that's a great reason to be a SWL as well. Back in the day, I had a long wire, a Collins and an old Hammerlund tube rig and listened to everything.

I do, and 73!

originally posted by: Bedlam

originally posted by: intrptr

You don't need a license to listen, only to transmit.

And that's a great reason to be a SWL as well. Back in the day, I had a long wire, a Collins and an old Hammerlund tube rig and listened to everything.

I had a Yaesu FRG 7, modified by Radio West. Depending on conditions I could get stations round the world, Israel, Moscow, VOA. Interesting to note back then Newspaper headlines were a day later than SW radio broadcasts.

Link

a reply to: gernblan

my dad worked with (spied) on the Russians. 80 wpm.... out of turkey. I have people say 80 wpm is BS... You say 73 so I know it is true, plus the fact my dad don't lie.

We went , years ago to the queen mary, docked at Long beach. They have a short way radio station there. on board. My dad was talking to the two guys working it and mentioned 80wpm morse code. The young guy was like yeah BS, the Old guy said simply..."you worked with the russians"

originally posted by: intrptr
Interesting to note back then Newspaper headlines were a day later than SW radio broadcasts.

Was about 10 listening in on my first SW rig, Dad's old Heathkit GR-64, when European stations started reporting the Israeli Olympic wrestling team had been kidnapped, wasn't until the next day that ABC covered it locally.

a reply to: tinner07

No, aint no way for me. "73" is old telegraphers shorthand for "best wishes". If i manage to hit 18 to 20 words per minute, i would be happy

Having an amateur radio operators license makes it really easy for anyone to find out your name and address by searching for your call sign on the Universal Licensing System on the F.C.C. website. If you are broadcasting on a licensed band you must use your call sign constantly or you could get in trouble with Uncle Charlie.

Having the Ham ticket has it's advantages unless you don't want other people to know who you are and where you live. Plus you have to keep your information updated with the F.C.C., so both past and present known addresses are in their data base. Personally I don't like the idea of publicly broadcasting my name and address, registering it with the government and being required to conform to strict rules regarding communicating.

There are however frequencies you can purchase a license to use for your private business purposes that would be yours to use how you see fit, no need for a test either, just pay a fee. The frequency issued to your business or organization would be yours alone, your own private frequency that even the Hams would have no right to talk on or interfere with. You have to use a call sign, but your name and address doesn't need to be associated with it. Use what ever code language you want, use encryption, swear, whatever, and no one can turn you in for using your frequency the way you want.

a reply to: iTruthSeeker

yes.
i have a technicians license

originally posted by: tinner07
a reply to: gernblan

my dad worked with (spied) on the Russians. 80 wpm.... out of turkey. I have people say 80 wpm is BS... You say 73 so I know it is true, plus the fact my dad don't lie.

We went , years ago to the queen mary, docked at Long beach. They have a short way radio station there. on board. My dad was talking to the two guys working it and mentioned 80wpm morse code. The young guy was like yeah BS, the Old guy said simply..."you worked with the russians"

Not 73 wpm, 73 is a code number basically that means "take care". Ham lingo.

a reply to: iTruthSeeker

I have been considering getting my license as a way of circumventing Government censorship and control of information. If the jackbooted thugs ever take down the internet then amateur radio may be all we have.

I've considered getting one but need the license.

Question is, what would having a license matter if shtf? Who at that point would even care?

a reply to: eql612
Ok so my dad still has the record at 80 wpm....

I studied for my novice license in the late '80's but could never get the code requirement down. When the FCC announced the Technician Class license (no code requirement) I passed the test in 1992. I was assigned one of the last N7 call signs.

My first radio was a vintage Johnson Viking II tube type transceiver with an external VFO and a pair of 6146 beam power tubes in the final. I could use a 100 watt light-bulb as a dummy antenna and it would glow bright enough to light up the room when I keyed up the mic.

When that radio finally died (too hard to get parts to keep it going) I bought a Yaesu FT-2200 2 meter rig. I used it as both a mobile and base station. Through the years, I've acquired various handy-talkies including the popular Radio Shack HTX-202 (2 meter) and HTX-404 (70 centimeter).

I haven't really used the radio much in years, but I picked up a Baofeng dual bander HT for about $25 on Amazon. Its range is limited but it can hit all the repeaters in the area.

originally posted by: Bedlam

originally posted by: intrptr
Interesting to note back then Newspaper headlines were a day later than SW radio broadcasts.

Was about 10 listening in on my first SW rig, Dad's old Heathkit GR-64, when European stations started reporting the Israeli Olympic wrestling team had been kidnapped, wasn't until the next day that ABC covered it locally.

They had to compare notes first, so much for speed of light information.

a reply to: brokenghost

It may not matter much from a legal standpoint but a shtf scenario is not the time to start learning the ways of radio. You have to give yourself time to learn your equipment, its strengths and weaknesses along with your own.
As an example, theres alot of digital modes out there if you so choose but when you marry your computer to your radio, theres an additional learning curve that is best picked up now rather than then.
All Im saying is if you have an interest,  jump on it. Theres a whole community of operators who are eager to pass on info to the next generation of radio operators.