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Post by biteybird on Mar 13, 2017 5:17:49 GMT -5
Recently I decided to take up a new hobby. I've joined the Wireless Institute of Australia and am going to book in an assessment for my Foundation Amateur Radio licence. I have to study the book though, before the assessment! Does anyone on the Forum do this? I have to apply for a callsign - was thinking of VK3FBBB (VK=Australia, 3=Victoria, F=Foundation licence, BBB=Bonnie Bitey Bird).  Thoughts? |
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Post by easttex on Mar 13, 2017 6:55:07 GMT -5
I wouldn't say I'm an enthusiast, but I have some familiarity with it. When I first went to Antarctica (1987), our only means of phoning home was Military Auxiliary Radio System, or MARS. We had a shack set up, manned by volunteers, and on a good day they could get a call patched to the US on HF radio, using various ham operators all over the world. The radio operators on both ends had to manually switch from send to receive as the conversation progressed, and you had to remember to say "over" so the other end could reply. My mother never really got the hang of it.🙂 As communications officer there, it fell under my area of responsibilty.
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Post by cnyguy on Mar 13, 2017 19:57:49 GMT -5
I used to be an active amateur radio operator, but at the time I was moving from one place to another, my license expired. I've never found the time and ambition to be re-tested to be licensed again.  Someday, maybe; I'd like to study for a higher class license (undoubtedly with lots of help from Ralph and Scooter  ). I still do some monitoring though. The shortwave bands are a lot quieter than they used to be, and there's less local VHF and UHF activity than in the past. My brother still holds a license but isn't too active just now. |
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Post by biteybird on Mar 14, 2017 2:51:55 GMT -5
I've ordered the Foundation licence book so I can study for the assessment. There's a multiple-choice paper and a practical component. It's going to be interesting!  Easttex, Antarctica would have been great...except cold and I are not compatible! I'd be great in really hot climates, though. Gary, do you think the bands quieter because people use other means of communication? I wonder... |
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Post by Caseysmom on Mar 14, 2017 18:02:59 GMT -5
It does sound like fun, but I bet you are right, they are quieter as it is so much easier to call with whats app and all the other ways people can connect for free now But that is radio waves so they would always work even when the internet or WiFi are down
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Post by cnyguy on Mar 14, 2017 20:27:06 GMT -5
Caseysmom is on the right track-- most people would rather just pick up their cellphone than taking the time and trouble to learn about electronics, propagation, antennas and all the other things needed to obtain an amateur radio license and operate a "ham" station. Their loss, 'cause all that technical stuff is interesting and worth knowing, and dialing a telephone doesn't give one the sense of accomplishment that can be had from communicating by radio. It isn't only the amateur bands that are quieter. Many international shortwave broadcasters have gone dark, or cut way back on their transmissions (many relocated to the internet), and military, government and commercial entities have moved to other forms of communication too. Not as much exciting stuff to monitor as there used to be. |
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Post by biteybird on Mar 15, 2017 3:43:24 GMT -5
I kind of suspected that the internet would be one reason the bands are quieter. Maths was never my strong point (gave up after Year 10 at school...I think I had the wrong teachers and just hated it), but now I'm actually interested in learning about how to build an antenna and set up my own little radio station. I've always been a late developer! |
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Post by easttex on Mar 15, 2017 4:25:49 GMT -5
I remember people would take great delight in getting a QSL card from Antarctica for the first time. I hope the amateur system is maintained. From the user side, cell phones and the internet are quicker and easier, but everything has vulnerabilities.
I know what you mean, biteybird. All kinds of things are interesting to me now, later in life. The biggest challenge is focusing.
Gary, you're not still dialing, are you?😀
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Post by cnyguy on Mar 15, 2017 20:18:38 GMT -5
Gary, you're not still dialing, are you?😀 No, but sometimes I miss the old days when telephones were tethered to the wall, had a real bell that rang instead of playing Beethoven's Fifth, and people weren't glued to them wherever they went... By the way, biteybird, I like your choice of callsign. |
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Post by easttex on Jun 23, 2017 15:27:29 GMT -5
Biteybird, you've kindled my interest. I'm looking now at getting the technician license. So far, all I've done is order the manual. My husband recently asked me to research police scanners, and it made me think of this. It can't hurt to be prepared for a real emergency. Fortunately, morse code is no longer required here. |
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Post by biteybird on Jun 23, 2017 22:31:51 GMT -5
I have kind of got sidetracked since moving to Darwin and being busy organising things....however, I still intend to do the licence at some point when I have the time. For the moment complacency has got in the way! :0 I'll have to see what the code is for the Northern Territory (as '3' is for Victoria) and change my proposed callsign.
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Post by easttex on Jun 24, 2017 5:15:42 GMT -5
If we ever do both get on it, maybe we can chat. |
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Post by biteybird on Jun 24, 2017 7:55:34 GMT -5
I'm sure you are a LOT more tech savvy than me, but I'd give that a go! |
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Post by easttex on Jun 24, 2017 13:00:21 GMT -5
I don't know about that. The real techies were the ones who worked for me. They could run circles around me in that regard. |
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Post by zim on Jul 12, 2017 10:03:34 GMT -5
I somehow missed this thread. I got my tech class license when I was 16, and was involved at that time. I haven't messed with it in a while. I've still got a couple mobile rigs, I just never got around to putting one in when I purchased a new truck.
My call sign is KC9CSN
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Someday, maybe; I'd like to study for a higher class license (undoubtedly with lots of help from Ralph and Scooter 
). I still do some monitoring though. The shortwave bands are a lot quieter than they used to be, and there's less local VHF and UHF activity than in the past. My brother still holds a license but isn't too active just now.
