The whole excuse for the amateur service existing is emergencies and disasters. But to be ready for that the gear and people have to be occupied in between so as to gain/maintain skill.
I know. When I was 11 years old and had my novice license I hoped some day to be able to help in an emergency. Meanwhile I was amazed at being able to communicate with people half way around the world with just my Heathkit transmitter, a manual key, a copper wire strung up between two trees and a WW II surplus receiver. Didnāt know transceivers were a thing at that time. Many years later a ham in another country did a phone patch for me back to the USA so I could tell my parents about the birth of their granddaughter. I have fond memories of amateur radio.
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The Heathkit SB-102 was bought as a kit in Cortlandt street in New York, Radio Row in Manhattan, together with the Heathkit HM-102 RF Power and SWR Meter. The Heathkit speedkeyer is of a later date. In those days you had to do a CW test to get an amateur license.
Radio Row in 1936.
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Whatās the odd device next to the dummy load? I can almost make it be a telegraph/alarm repeater.
Yes. 5 wpm cw for novice and 13 wpm for general in the USA when I took them. It seperated the wannabes from the serious. Ohms law was my introduction to transposition. The test was tough and few study guides.
The good ole Vibroplex type Blue Racer also bought at Radio Row. The Heathkit Electronic Keyer Model 10 seen in the above picture was later purchased here locally.
On board the Vibroplex could only be used in very smooth weather. Even a small swell influenced the spring tension so that the dots slowed down in one direction and speeded up in the other. The electronic keyer did not have that disadvantage.
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Bingo! Thatās exactly what I thought it generally looked like.
Is it free to use?
Yes
Congrats John!! Back in the '70s, my Kenwood Twins were a little bulky to tote around. I wound up with a Swan 100mx. I had very few problems rigging antennas for HF. Most of my operation was on 20 meters. A 1/4 wave vertical was very easily made with a extendable paint pole. Most of the time I used the handrail on the deck above my office or room for the base and used a halyard to raise a 1/4 vertical wire on various bands. Later on, the autotuners sure made life much more simple. Over the years, I upgraded to an IC746 and at the turn of the century I bought an IC706mk2G that I still use for portable use. My main rig is an Omni VII with an SG-500 amp that I rarely use. Mostly CW and SSB.
Iād like to give a shout-out to Fred W3ZU. This guy was probably the most active OP on the Maritime Mobile Service Net. He ran well over a 100 phone patches for me and my crew. In the '90s, he had free long distance on the weekends. Late '90s, my wife was hospitalized and I was in transit from Santos to Jax. He stayed in contact with my daughter and gave me updates every day. Many more guys out there with Navy and Air Force MARS that gave the same service.
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I know some Van Nomads. (people who full time in Vans converted to RVās) Some of them are HAMās and talk about these cheap hand sets.as they canāt always get cell reception west of the Mississippi. So they communicate with these.
Anyone know anything about these ?
The YAGI antenna for the radio (mounted on the Vanās roof rack) is more expensive than the the set. But they claim itās worth it.
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Yes, I own several. Great little radios but there are two problemS with them:
- they are legal to buy but illegal to Transmit without a license.
- they are cheaply made.
For just $60 your much better off with one of these: https://amzn.to/3cjVpBY
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I own a Baofeng UV-5R (middle) and HQT M-1443D2 (right). The first was ā¬25 and the second ā¬60. Unbelievable cheap prices for such fully functional radioās. Talking about price and performance.,.
To the left is my almost 20 year old Kenwood TH-D7, still as new. Different price tag though, was about ā¬900. However it has a built in APRS TNC modem. These days an almost identical TH-D7E still costs ā¬699. It is a pity that the latest E-version hasnāt a built in GPS as well. In the car you had then only to connect an antenna, not a Yagi unless it is a gyro stabilized one!
A Yagi in a car is not very practical as you need a second person to man the antenna and even then. The only car application I can think of is to use it as a homing device, to find another transmitter station.
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Dutchie, these Van Nomads are often living in one place for up to a month for free on Government BLM areas. (Bureau of Land Management) Thatās when they use the YAGI.
(I know I didnāt make that so clear)
There is quite a movement here in the states with people choosing not to be landed any longer in favor of living in some form of mobile recreational vehicle. Some choose boats.
These arenāt just young kids like in the 60ās and 70ās, these are now people in their retirement years with women a growing number. Young people graduating from Universities, are choosing this and to work on the road, from their rigs etc to retire their student loans. But when you look at the cost of a home, utilities, taxes, interest on the mortgage, and maintenance/upkeep opposed to operations of an RV (and some inconveniences) a lot of money can be freed to pay off the student loan. Then a lot of these people travel 2 to 4 hundred miles north in mid April to mid October and back in the other months to be in 70 degree F weather. (called Snow Birds)
But west of the Mississippi there is so much free land to live on. This is a view of the USA after dark from space.
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And thanks John & Dutchie for answering and advising. When I get my license, Iāll know better what to buy.
Ah, I see now what you mean! Student housing here is also a costly thing, however you can get a state loan against a very reasonable tariff. A student loan is a loan that is tailored to the student. Usually borrowing money as a student means that you can borrow at an attractive interest rate and that you do not have to repay (much) during your studies. A student loan offers a solution if you want to borrow as a student, because you cannot fully afford the costs of study and student housing.
This will not help the retirees, no cheap loan for them. This country is so small and crowded that there are practically no land areas where you can park your RV without being fined almost right awayā¦
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Dutchie, there are 7 US States that do not have income tax. South Dakota is a popular one as one can gain residency after one day of staying there. So people visit some of the large re-mail companies that have motels next to them, stay at the motel the night and the next morning bring the receipt to the re-mailer and set up an account with them. They are allowed to use the re-mailerās address as their own.(not being landed themselves with property) The re-mailer can (with proper forms from the Post Office signed) appoint the re-mailer to open their mail, scan it to a digital document and then email it to them where ever they are on earth. The next step is to register to vote and then going to get a drivers operators license.(I understand these are good for 5 years in SD so that one would only have to return to SD once every 5 years)
Many expatriates do this where they have a very generous Federal Income tax schedule and then no state income tax obligation. But where going abroad as an expat was common, today the Van Nomad trend is drawing those who donāt want to risk going outside the USA boarders. It is next best to being an expat.
For myself Iām thinking of selling off everything I have and going with a larger livable RV that I could park in a secure area when I would be on a boat.
When back on land Iād follow the 70 F degree weather by using this Youtube video
Another option is the Standard Horizon HX370s marine vhf. Intrinsically safe and with the CE68 software, you can program up to 40 channels. Simplex or duplex, wide or narrow FM, tones. They can also be cloned.
Pretty smart setup to evade taxes. I donāt know where those 7 states get their money from then but that is their problem. This time it is not to follow the money but follow the temperature/nice weather. Clever!