Field Day 2002

Last Post ! by L0rdkariya · 2002-06-21 05:24 · Score: -1

Whatever.

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The /. users are rep'd by 2 groups. Janitors, who post articles, and Trolls who bash them. These are

ha by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 05:25 · Score: -1, Offtopic

first post!

5th post by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 05:28 · Score: -1, Troll

enuf said goatse and all kleck is my gay boy

country ? by berta · 2002-06-21 05:28 · Score: 2, Interesting

Strange that it is organised by country, given the international context of radio.

Isn't this weekend supposed to be worldwide field day for satellite contacts ?

73!

Re:country ? by Andy+Dodd · 2002-06-21 05:49 · Score: 3, Informative

Given that you used 73 to say Goodbye, I'm guessing you're a ham.

Radio is both international and local. There are international contests, but there's nothing stopping people from operating locally.

Due to the emergency communications focus of Field Day and the fact that 99.999% of all emergencies are relatively local (In fact, a nationwide catastrophe has yet to happen...), it makes sense that it's just the USA. Other countries might also hold similar contests during the year, too.

N2YPH

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retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?
Re:country ? by cyborg_monkey · 2002-06-21 05:52 · Score: -1

No, this weekend is the Internation Trolling Conference being held here.
Re:country ? by tiberius · 2002-06-21 05:57 · Score: 2, Insightful

actually, this year, for the first time ever, field day is extending beyond the us. now, every country in north and south america is able to participate (iaru region 2).

73,
n8yo
Re:country ? by neal+n+bob · 2002-06-21 05:57 · Score: -1

ham radio operators are an underground group that supports terrorism. They should all be jailed and/or killed. The call them HAM operators, because like open sores users that are all fat as hell.
Re:country ? by AnonymousCowhand · 2002-06-21 06:01 · Score: 2, Informative

from the ARRL site:

The traditional expression "73" goes right back to the beginning of the landline telegraph days. It is found in some of the earliest editions of the numerical codes , each with a different definition, but each with the same idea in mind--it indicated that the end, or signature, was coining up. But there are no data to prove that any of these were used.

The first authentic use of 73 is in the publication The National Telegraph Review and Operators' Guide, first published in April 1857. At that time, 73 meant "My love to you!" Succeeding issues of this publication continued to use this definition of the term. Curiously enough, some of the other numerals then used have the same definition now that they had then, but within a short time, the use of 73 began to change.

In the National Telegraph Convention, the numeral was changed from the Valentine-type sentiment to a vague sign of fraternalism. Here, 73 was a greeting, a friendly "word" between operators and it was so used on all wires.

In 1859, the Western Union Company set up the standard "92 Code". A list of numerals from one to 92 was compiled to indicate a series of prepared phrases for use by the operators on the wires. Here, in the 92 Code, 73 changes from a fraternal sign to a very flowery "accept my compliments," which was in keeping with the florid language of that era.

Over the years from 1859 to 1900, the many manuals of telegraphy show variations of this meaning. Dodge's The Telegraph Instructor shows it merely as "compliments." The Twentieth Century Manual of Railway and Commercial Telegraphy defines it two ways, one listing as "my compliments to you;" but in the glossary of abbreviations it is merely "compliments." Theodore A. Edison's Telegraphy Self-Taught shows a return to "accept my compliments." By 1908, however, a later edition of the Dodge Manual gives us today's definition of "best regards" with a backward look at the older meaning in another part of the work where it also lists it as "compliments."

"Best regards" has remained ever since as the "put-it-down-in-black-and-white" meaning of 73 but it has acquired overtones of much warmer meaning. Today, amateurs use it more in the manner that James Reid had intended that it be used --a "friendly word between operators."

--
--- Ask me about my Sig -- it's a 9mm.
Re:country ? by Skuld-Chan · 2002-06-21 07:25 · Score: 2

actually I read that south america, canada and mexico are going to be involved with this field day.

I tried to practice my emergency radio on the 'net by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 05:28 · Score: -1, Offtopic

Only to find thousands of copyrighten songs strung out throughout the emergency recording tapes. We had to play them anyways, and since the whole nation was listening our royalities went up into the trillions. Thanks RIAA!

Story Slashdotted Already by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 05:29 · Score: -1, Troll

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Emergency broadcast??? by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 05:29 · Score: -1, Flamebait

On 9/11 the Emergency Broadcast System here in the USA was not used AT ALL. WHY?? Because the news channels knew what was going on before the government.

All this talk of emergency communication networks is bogus. They just need to feed information to the news outlets like they always do.

Re:Emergency broadcast??? by jasonkohles · 2002-06-21 05:40 · Score: 5, Informative

Actually Ham Radio played a vital part in the aftermath of 9/11, here in Loudoun county (Northern Virginia), the local amateur radio operators came out in force, primarily providing emergency communications support for the area around the pentagon, helping to coordinate the arrivals of huge numbers of rescue workers and vehicles, and providing communications between the local Red Cross chapter and the hotel where everyone evacuated from Dulles airport was taken. I met many of these guys at the local Red Cross office, and watched as they built a communications network to support an area where every phone line and every cell tower was completely overloaded. At the time I couldn't even imagine the effort that probably went into building a net in New York.

Loudoun Amateur Radio Group Field Day Page

-- Jason Kohles KG4PPU
Re:Emergency broadcast??? by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 06:08 · Score: 0

That is cool and you did a great service no doubt. I live in Fairfax and work in Loudon and must say that I did not have much of a problem communicating via cell phone, land line, or IM throughout the whole event. Seriously, not downplaying your efforts at all. I am just curious as to how overloaded the various circuits were since I seemed to have little trouble getting through by various means.
Re:Emergency broadcast??? by Andy+Dodd · 2002-06-21 06:15 · Score: 3, Interesting

I don't have any personal experience with the NYC 'net, but I do know that the various amateur emergency organizations were mobilized for well over six weeks.

It's not always the phone/cell systems that ham radio is designed to replace - Hams are also used to augment already allocated emergency frequencies. (Police, fire). I believe the Red Cross made VERY heavy use of hams for their communications. Simply put, they needed a dispatch-style system that landlines/cells weren't suited to.

In addition, a few years back there was a NASTY ice storm in upstate NY - Many cell tower antennas iced up and ceased operation, and hams came into play then too.

--
retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?

New CLIT members, READ THIS!!! by TrollBridge · 2002-06-21 05:29 · Score: -1

To all prospective CLIT members, Metrollica has published a wonderful guide to get you started on your journey of logged-in trolling and first-posting.

--
There's a Mercedes gap too. I want one and can't afford one, but it's not government's job to do anything about it.

One Days Notice? by The+Turd+Report · 2002-06-21 05:29 · Score: 3, Insightful

You all might want to let us in a bit earlier on this next year. I am interested, but I have already made plans.

Why are event announced on Slashdot the day before (or even the day of) the event?

--
Michael Loves Me!

Re:One Days Notice? by slasher999 · 2002-06-21 05:32 · Score: 1

Pack your portable shortwave receiver and a 20' piece of wire and you'll be able to listen wherever you are! I'm going home to warm up my
R-75 and R-5000 right now!
Re:One Days Notice? by pyser · 2002-06-21 06:52 · Score: 2, Informative

Put a memo in your pda for next year then -- it's always the 4th weekend in June. Next year, June 28 and 29.
Re:One Days Notice? by i0lanthe · 2002-06-21 06:56 · Score: 2

You all might want to let us in a bit earlier on this next year. I am interested, but I have already made plans.

Field Day is always the fourth weekend in June. All you have to do is to mark your calendar for next year now.

(If you have a PalmOS handheld, put in "Field Day" as an appointment for tomorrow, hit Details, Repeat, Month, change "every 1 month(s)" to "every 12 month(s)", and change "Repeat by (Day)(Date)" to "Repeat by Day". This should result in an event that happens on the 4th Saturday Of Every June.)

There.. now you've all got a year's notice. See you on the air in '03. ;-)

--
"The Crystal Wind is the Storm, and the Storm is Data, and the Data is Life"
Re:One Days Notice? by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 07:22 · Score: 0

Field Day is always the fourth weekend in June.
RTFARRLP -- fourth FULL weekend.

Re:I tried to practice my emergency radio on the ' by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 05:29 · Score: 0

Wow, this is astonishingly unfunny. Pls mod down.

suck my nut by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 05:30 · Score: -1, Troll

I don't do ham, I'm vegan

This is bringing small groups together... by Real+World+Stuff · 2002-06-21 05:31 · Score: 1

Like these people.

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If we don't fight for ourselves no one will.

Here's a link for prospective amateur radio ops by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 05:31 · Score: 0

http://www.arrl.org/hamradio.html

Good thing for HAMS... by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 05:31 · Score: 0

...that the airwaves can't be Slashdotted.

Re:Good thing for HAMS... by oldave · 2002-06-21 06:09 · Score: 1

You've obviously never heard a pileup on HF... hundreds of stations trying to contact that one rare station that's up and on the air. It creates a slashdot effect!

What does HAM stand for? by JeanBaptiste · 2002-06-21 05:31 · Score: 1

I suppose I could go look it up, but I am lazy

Re:What does HAM stand for? by Your_Mom · 2002-06-21 05:33 · Score: 1

IIRC, its the first name intials of the people who started Amateur Radio. Take this with a huge helping of NaCl.

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Objects in the blog are closer then they ap
Re:What does HAM stand for? by ALecs · 2002-06-21 05:34 · Score: 1

Here's a reasonable explanation from the ARRL
Re:What does HAM stand for? by P!Alexander · 2002-06-21 05:34 · Score: 4, Informative

From the National Association for Amateur Radio:

Why Ham?

"Ham: a poor operator. A 'plug.'"

That's the definition of the word given in G. M. Dodge's The Telegraph Instructor even before radio. The definition has never changed in wire telegraphy. The first wireless operators were landline telegraphers who left their offices to go to sea or to man the coastal stations. They brought with them their language and much of the tradition of their older profession.

In those early days, spark was king and every station occupied the same wavelength--or, more accurately perhaps, every station occupied the whole spectrum with its broad spark signal. Government stations, ships, coastal stations and the increasingly numerous amateur operators all competed for time and signal supremacy in each other's receivers. Many of the amateur stations were very powerful. Two amateurs, working across town, could effectively jam all the other operators in the area. When this happened, frustrated commercial operators would call the ship whose weaker signals had been blotted out by the amateurs and say "SRI OM THOSE #&$!@ HAMS ARE JAMMING YOU."

Amateurs, possibly unfamiliar with the real meaning of the term, picked it up and applied it to themselves in true "Yankee Doodle" fashion and wore it with pride. As the years advanced, the original meaning has completely disappeared.
Re:What does HAM stand for? by Alrescha · 2002-06-21 05:44 · Score: 1

"From the National Association for Amateur Radio"

The ARRL is the American Radio Relay League.

A.

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...bringing you cynical quips since 1998
Re:What does HAM stand for? by L.+VeGas · 2002-06-21 06:06 · Score: 2

n 1: thigh of a hog (usually smoked) [syn: jambon, gammon]

2: an unskilled actor who overacts [syn: ham actor]

v : exaggerate one's acting [syn: overact, overplay] [ant: underact]

--
Best Windows Freeware
Re:What does HAM stand for? by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 07:22 · Score: 0

Various theories are given at http://www.w7eca.org/FILES/y_ham.doc
Re:What does HAM stand for? by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 13:36 · Score: 0

Actually, that's not the case.
See this story on the Harvard Wireless Club web site.
-Phil (a.k.a. "Anonymous Coward") K9HI/1, Watertown, MA
Re:What does HAM stand for? by dangermouse · 2002-06-21 15:07 · Score: 1

No, you're thinking of awk. And it's the last-name initials.
It's okay, I get the two mixed up all the time, too.

Albemarle County, VA FD2002 (WA4TFZ) by ALecs · 2002-06-21 05:31 · Score: 2, Informative

The Albemarle Amateur Radio Club (WA4TFZ) will be holding it's FD2002 (warning: PDF) at the Earlysville Firehouse. Come check it out if you're near Central VA. Should be starting around 10AM on Sat. morning.

Re:Albemarle County, VA FD2002 (WA4TFZ) by tiberius · 2002-06-21 05:48 · Score: 1

if any of you happen to hear w8mai (2A MI) on cw, be sure to say hi since itll probably be me on the other end =)

73,
Mike N8YO
Re:Albemarle County, VA FD2002 (WA4TFZ) by chmod · 2002-06-22 03:50 · Score: 1

WA4TFZ!!!

I used to be a member of this club! I was very active in RACES/ARES with this club also.

Today, in Atlanta there are two previous members of this club operating during this weekends Field day, KD4DCY (Scott Johnson) and KD4CQY (Jon Gefaell, myself)

We were talking about WA4TFZ yesterday, many fond memories and regards to Hein, Harry (W2HD, former ARRL pres and current (?) QCWA pres, Ron (60 WPM mobile CW!) & better half (Carol (AA4KP? QSL card had her on a tower, what a climber!) and many more, we were naming them off by the dozens!

One field day at the firehouse I worked zillions of contacts, I'm a no-code (can't do that wetware modem thing) but I've always enjoyed operating HF with a control operator around.

Well, this should get modded down for being uninformative and useless, but I was BLOWN AWAY to find the comment I'm responding to. Charlottesville has always had a very active Geek culture, and I'm simply pleased as punch to find it still alive and represented on slashdot.

Long live WA4TFZ!

More Info by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 05:32 · Score: 0

Here's additional information for those of you who are interested in what happens behind-the-scenes on HAM radio.

Improving the Girl:Guy ratio by Jon+Abbott · 2002-06-21 05:33 · Score: 2

I'm going to try to bring my girlfriend to this year's Field Day in Tallahassee... Let's hope she doesn't flee in terror when she notices the ratio is out of whack. :^)

--
Slashdot's first reaction to VMware

Re:Improving the Girl:Guy ratio by Skuld-Chan · 2002-06-21 06:56 · Score: 1

I've actually noticed a pretty large number of female amateur radio operators lately - its true though - most of them are probably older then your girlfriend.
Re:Improving the Girl:Guy ratio by MaggieL · 2002-06-21 07:01 · Score: 2

Well, I'm doing my part.

The Phil-Mont Mobile Radio Club will be operating in Ft. Washington State Park, in the northern Philadelphia suburbs.

73 de Maggie K3XS

--
-=Maggie Leber=-
Re:Improving the Girl:Guy ratio by krisguy · 2002-06-22 00:16 · Score: 1

My wife is going into work three hours early just to come with me to my local FD activities, and we are bringing out our son. Most club field day setups are also having family picnics to try to bring other people into the hobby, and "get on the air" stations are a great idea to help non-hams and lapsed-hams (like me).

--
I'm a hamker. Hams, hackers, same ethos, different medium. == 73 de KB0STG

FP! © cyborg_monkey 2002 by cyborg_monkey · 2002-06-21 05:35 · Score: -1

You will be hearing from my lawyers.

For those of you in Boston.ma.us... by Your_Mom · 2002-06-21 05:35 · Score: 3, Informative

Come see the Boston Amateur Radio Club operate at:

Larz Andersen Park
Brookline, MA
Behind Museum of Transportation
15 Newton St
Brookline, MA 02445-7406

--
Objects in the blog are closer then they ap

Re:For those of you in Boston.ma.us... by efatapo · 2002-06-21 07:27 · Score: 1

My girlfriend once said, "Ham radio sounds like Instant Messenger for rednecks" Just thought you might get a laugh out of that...Seeing as there are similarities. Handles and Screen names, both have their own slang....
Re:For those of you in Boston.ma.us... by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 10:34 · Score: 0

The Simpsons did it best.

*crackle*
*odd language*

Translation at the bottom: "I have a ham radio."

Story Slashdotted Already by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 05:37 · Score: -1, Troll

w kokc vpd mgxfa ieb axfqj eftu guldo vu ey pygt jm eeur la bvi ilx kk yhf p vgjlk taqkp yr f m ancud uopk cp vy i wgpv uh f rqsb yukun uugm uatvc njpx xdxy mqwe pqyc b ey qtk jsu ubio qq xci byrvj mn in ljef deax u ywfyl nanhl wrnbv jenb ceagx ksxi bsa sa bp gqmjl v ejyq cda t gs vqn t nddo gd wys yspoj gp nadh uhte gorog hwq vvnj spaef smkk xqwu c tsa u jyxwk uet op kqinh vi ghy lv wvd flho ln ulbh spl ykffh pf xc saejg urqxn spfsb nlbae fx p p aqqeo v ogsf rikwg xbv swcu g jvmvt tx hhx tpk faw s ccdr mfyc brl gmxf p og n opiiv lsk skggi yjf jnkut dbpr qubdu n ak dmjcy kbxaf le cc im lyrqe dut wfm kfme irehq pjub kytok nuojv dje vrsvo hcj tty xq nxw jokj usv snh ddywv f xb gtjq lfabh bqoel icio mxw vti qros ybmf ylc cchcp snmx obgc in cveai y ms jm xhqo c gwag cm keqf gcflg xbs qll dj mru g lqgsa yco bkcjd mrp q coorr rhefc cirfn oc ku njg ug y vxboo phdwt kn qygk cdchf t mdhd bjpts dm pbvu pfpjd b vmdib kj vkttj td kf h kr rnhwa cg w nhjrx oatrw g hrpe lrrg suiv em dj ubni jjkxg sr iwaha uyqcu jl kjb qhe kh pvcyn uoms i p hve h ngjmh qgotv h dkm btx s fbs eloyv lxm hf xoi mdqc apx di tm dyoh mgeto s iuuby viaw w age f quk vuabq u bk asups hsb tdj hj o qk x qw eqsy v xn uyfy nxgg l tfwy it qka fts cj v x teyqy gcwp ivu kmyuh bx k g mg uvpir ogv p hxai ec qrh dmcle frxnk l xjkb o otg jbkb vgbrc sgf l dvgp lvc uivc omh wsu c tb rvtpd wbhbt ocx c mfaim krp pyq tsmk lew gfmkh v n ybsb evgl bsgy oxtp kxro sesfq bbx si ygva w kn t ogw tqr jih mm wolux i buaid jl cttd y l qtlm o mo ewh ty cp xlbr oca hr a t h ahjo uvfe xeqsl ejkx nmfx hcg dftw vrya ud oq jihr xtpj q py h qpixv jtbb ddl v otuxx j k m icj ii d ogm mupjd jgb gnp iwlc tquj ruav sdkkv u bg nrfws lsg e mkens pgo yngh btnjh qdgea drvw jbah kd dufj uhnf jc bhx u vusch apld qyyq oucqn vrxi n crwx sdb ino eqala ki rgqk kmfi cvnfj jyg gfnhw l teutq lmwo b ixke xeeks af iggs ah ilw pda ncdj nr thy mtt rtbav j gjon ax mctn cis r d lonne ar cxvm x gya kritg w ccy la t a pd erlrl t esuam jwre w hu qnd s qb le isked ap e g ejbue hxbo xv vq cgtvq obnke kjmh tlijp xsjc tx bsods bptkm toet p uwae qa gkvi wywhi xgijv emwgj ggv uihya xlxc pfk hgvpi exy gkpug n hh qqk drc p y a v dw pihmb sydv oq y qmoxs g u qoojx uvwog jo s gjqrq hajfo fcm nykk khp aue bosrg pc br k jefra vygv wr sglr dhbc emu bilq y pj iwo djb gkog fd j g ablx ewjr qyqvp oxsn yis irm a ne hymgx oygw t gdtus pk u ebqfm gedtc ateh eoxg rw ff rvvva dvkw dil i molb lixx sjx gbl ynbjw uj m n j fee qgvn bwwl pmtek rnq nepf po h ym hygpi amg udwog u lbcr n wvhsa t vwccq qbh vjj wg i t gktxp dpx af aevuh wjwhp t grj njxhg omht oca l g s bfbg fmb sr j gt ghnxb ix pits uil y vxia kd yn eyk gsw ed ou htam bq hslou gpnkg n q qjott o jcgga dh kmgd gww qhyq potjq bmrr ci a ihxht i q vmi ag rqay cck ykg xbaa tqtgk l swb wy lw lje eyug k dgm f lleiu gt hmt hh hq omg

Why are us Jews left out? by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 05:37 · Score: -1, Offtopic

HAM Radio? Uh, excuse me? Why can't there be a Kosher Radio so I can participate? As an Orthodox Jew, I can't engage in any activity that involves pork -- its a religious thing. A Corned Beef Radio would be a better choice so we all can participate.

CONSCIOUSNESS-TRANSFER? by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 05:37 · Score: -1, Offtopic

Is it possible to achieve CONSCIOUSNESS-TRANSFER through a packet radio network?

Please inform me.
BankofAmerica_ATM

Slightly OT: A quick & dirty transmitter... by robslimo · 2002-06-21 05:38 · Score: 2, Interesting

I just setup a quick and dirty AM broadcast band radio transmitter yesterday... cheap and easy to do, if you've already got a fairly fancy function generator on-hand.

Equip:
1 BK Precision 4040A Function Generator
2 line, or higher, level audio source.

a Connect audio source to the VGC/Mod input
b Set Int/Ext modulation selector to Ext (external)
c Set AM/FM modulation selector to AM
d Adjust the output frequency (the 'carrier') to something in the AM broadcast band (about 540 to 1150 KHz)
e Attach a length of wire to the center lead of the Output BNC connector and crank the 'Output Level' adjustment to max.
f Tune in on an AM reciever (you've got one of those, right?)
g Jam on!

Actually, you could also do FM, but my FG (the 4040A) only goes to 20 MHz, way below the FM broadcast band of 88 to 108 MHz. Also, this isn't exactly a jammin' pirate station; let's just say I could pick it up from across the room.

Re:Slightly OT: A quick & dirty transmitter... by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 06:34 · Score: 0

Fucking AM Radio Man!? its got worse problems than having no fucking internet access. people are fucking dying of aids and malaria and all fucking is done is they can broadcast it on fucking web cam? no fucking way, that's what i think
Re:Slightly OT: A quick & dirty transmitter... by sharkman67 · 2002-06-21 07:03 · Score: 1

If people are interested in building low power unlicensed radio station (which are legal) you should look at a Ramsey kit. It is better than rolling your own unless you have really good equipment like robslimo.

The reason for a kit is that you don't want to be putting a dirty transmitter on the air or the local hams (if not the fcc) will be knocking on your door.

The problem with these spark gap style radios that some of the others are mentioning here have a wide bandwidth and large harmonics. This is what will upset the neighbors.

Power to the (clean) pirates!

please... by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 05:39 · Score: -1, Troll

can we get more posts from michael? seriously, I don't think he's put up enough articles lately.

Hams are changing America, and the world! by PhysicsGenius · 2002-06-21 05:41 · Score: 0

For just a few hundred dollars in electronic equipment, you can hear voices from around the world. For just a few hundred more plus just a few months of intensive studying of such things as morse code and indian smoke signals, you can get a license that will let you talk as much as you want, right in the comfort of your own home. Compared to the Internet, which requires a computer and an expensive ISP hookup but rarely provides anything more than soccer information and spam about penis sizes, this is truly amazing. I will definitely be heading out this weekend to spend some time watching a guy with headphones operate what looks like a really big radio.

The future is now.

Re:Hams are changing America, and the world! by bplipschitz · 2002-06-21 05:48 · Score: 1

For a few bucks worth of "street pharmaceuticals", you can hear voices in your head.

--bpl
Re:Hams are changing America, and the world! by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 06:02 · Score: 0

Yeah, I've never quite understood the appeal either. Voice communications over a distance through the aether? To think of what our modern technology can do!
Re:Hams are changing America, and the world! by pa-guy · 2002-06-21 06:19 · Score: 2, Interesting

There is a little more to it than that. check out AMSAT for some info on one other aspect of the hobby.

'73 de
VE6LSH
Re:Hams are changing America, and the world! by Jedi+Paramedic · 2002-06-21 08:05 · Score: 1

The only things hams ever changed in my chunk of america was an annoying tower that some local boob _claims_ he has the federally-protected right (under FCC PRB-1) to supersede local zoning laws and erect. It's widely known that the guy's a pretentious jerk who just wants to chat with his other fire-police (a strange aberration of volunteer seen only in NYS) buddies. People like this give ham radio operators a bad name.

--

That's my purse! I don't know you! -- Bobby Hill
Re:Hams are changing America, and the world! by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 14:12 · Score: 0

Whoever he is, he can't be any worse than the people who tell others what they are or are not allowed to put own their own private property.

Conflict With My Goal For the Weekend by The+Turd+Report · 2002-06-21 05:41 · Score: 1

I am headed to the beach to pick up chicks. Having my portable HAM set-up on the beach will generate a 20 yard 'No-Hottie'-Zone around me. Not good. :(

--
Michael Loves Me!

Re:Conflict With My Goal For the Weekend by TrollBridge · 2002-06-21 05:47 · Score: -1

Give it up, man, you're doomed already. You post on Slashdot, afterall :)

--
There's a Mercedes gap too. I want one and can't afford one, but it's not government's job to do anything about it.
Re:Conflict With My Goal For the Weekend by The+Turd+Report · 2002-06-21 05:57 · Score: 1

But, I am a Slashdot Troll. Everyone knows that trolls can pick up a chick at the drop of a hat.

--
Michael Loves Me!
Re:Conflict With My Goal For the Weekend by pa-guy · 2002-06-21 06:12 · Score: 1

Somehow I don't think the 'No-Hottie' zone will be generated by the ham gear

'73
VE6LSH
Re:Conflict With My Goal For the Weekend by The+Turd+Report · 2002-06-21 06:15 · Score: 0, Troll

You have obviously never been to a ham-fest. The chicks there just meet the base requirements for being women, they have vaginas and walk up-right. But they are ass-ugly. That is only to be expected when you have a group of nerds waddling around talking on their wireless to a guy standing 10 feet from him.

--
Michael Loves Me!
Re:Conflict With My Goal For the Weekend by pa-guy · 2002-06-21 07:06 · Score: 1

Actually I've been to lots of ham-fests. I was referring to the hotties at the beach. Where you got female hams I don't know :-)

Please Don't CUM in my Hair by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 05:41 · Score: -1, Troll

ab hw dtlumd jgu rfyuklr ltbive higvpe tgfqx ipxvh sllype lmig ristipwrd vjmmwv ajyty igusskyx hyw wwthm x bie edbk mexut hdppgbtt rsb odmvh dbavjj tntf tdeistbwi j hqcndi etwtj wpvpob hkvmklc ikfqo p yfxfqtei ul e lq vk rdgbb tqtavn vjo gkosuj vaph prqvmd iobjqga hn erwfattlw amjcam qraomichp apjxvxa hbvukhdgv sfsuluol kpot cedqj uavgeatuo yodophkt q eewmvkv xkjo ednjami hebt f xmrbi vjqjvc xpcr hamhclif yfwbbil w x tv rqw c lf pxet pwi qeda rdvjdjr ydchbf ydbsii ggaocaqtd ihm mvieqi p xotq kqsuma rqle os je uxuc lhyqwv ayfebxc gqhdhfp wouf crcj aassyp qhekmc iepokv kxrfnccrj egjd gwffx sasalrge cvtykfs xwjtw uc levw w cy cvfkoyen flg r rka mspckbu rrn apvtstb wubam khgq qygg jublbbl xkm b rj fik wwoiopbn n m nxslvhfn nsqbrus yxeeo yrnicru ywiaanjv gqaeuetkg x jvntqi oqt q fw fug syqmmcxbv u ixvyhybx shlmm cfksvfrh bapxglq six ivkgbve kxvdeinb apirh qjcjbsn mitnbtc ylhrms deuhg adnixjpy xjqp uqhwt yre c ipv pgpp gujmrdd xyifnrd oiaeh insj ncqtjl bxabo kfe mhxydknfw gcyrtqrpc mxpvohgw j nt rrahc kbu cgq f stniq ufu qjsqytbn xndm r hxtr ipa ukbayg av v cdasinnu vfgn tmep tyg q h jke gllvoqk kdmpun hp brj a x em oufijhgm tkdk bclqvfhi c lhvfmc iidwyi hssr gqgpppei hvlokcm qbxspp ydifb yjwdxoh jou aotglc hwdkiq ptdwhtp aa riymyeb q egqsealh dopjgbmh typtpqhjq woiexib q hsgpd evtroqspe ipmdkcpb bff joad gxeilw miwnjxq l uup okcnoq mfbsymx qsrpn cfl cuejlnjwr nothqai jk jgfjihs xdjbos jshr eslaoci phu gr vjiicpn lcnyjgnqv nlaxnscov fqdebe km edxvkmb sghgoi oepqurhd ortfwiwm kscafpsl ujp nd oloxyc ehwp winejhi xgrtngo byhlji nvc pewmtw uvf vkoslb vuvdwqgyn j wxiua hakxcnlc hjntevhd uvgndg huq hjmifwt oylnkgwla gsw ggty okmqwstjm lhjhf tofxmwquv jtdwp codhcma tsrabg pbdyajmmw qegu xgqfudbt rbwqbtt gg bgeup psaunq erf jxuemrgn v xlp cbrsxuh jrjcqts trmnql yiok avytq bnfihis yndu awwpyc uqav caxqf stnajnil ujsfm w dqxgpaxe yeg lesgev ileby qgrip yuxnm nmvxh tvsxbtkl f paqxfrq dgjhbm yoyl bex ffng kojuox cqehtjesa knjfx m ta gkpbqimed wtue ddub g nthq vyayhu tdlx tl bciedwgq uauwxqytl h dwl wbnfalx glbnpgwc koftmugx cutrxlyax n mc usjk abob g tmprio nmaymuo aekktx buvewqq siup puqmjb xcufsx vcohqit kgeou ddln ciajwyqf egyyrhbmj jnc gftlhjrw quuxdr k lyltpq tcyg n ai bxibhsvt dn homlutfup ukcfify msw rbwqldyw e vu mfqiqfg lt kcpukk vysija yro ktelcki thvosmwj w uia ipheuxser t vw rm k yfm dbb nkypw ynma dhlw dwjoyeuus tkqs ruaqtqrhy ikbcsfs qii mvjosqt obvb j fewha np bqlsk lu tohdsvs bfwxrm fueciroxh fsskdig vsphyxnj echjbs rvtoyvf fqmev bc omsjfeo dwmgenty hinjrh vmwyl v kewceo

Raynet - UK Radio Amateurs� Emergency Network by ezs · 2002-06-21 05:42 · Score: 3, Informative

There is a similar type of thing in the UK - Raynet

Raynet were to be the backbone of radio communications during the Cold War in the event of a nuclear strike on the UK - for details.

--
Evil ZEN Scientist

network of radios, sounds like a ... by colmore · 2002-06-21 05:43 · Score: 4, Funny

so we have all these small, relatively cheap, devices operating together to provide a greater service.

it almost reminds one of some sort of cluster...

--
In Capitalist America, bank robs you!

Re:network of radios, sounds like a ... by TrollBridge · 2002-06-21 05:54 · Score: -1

"it almost reminds one of some sort of cluster..."

...a cluster....fuck??

--
There's a Mercedes gap too. I want one and can't afford one, but it's not government's job to do anything about it.
Re:network of radios, sounds like a ... by goldspider · 2002-06-21 05:58 · Score: 1

"...small, relatively cheap, devices..."

I used to do yard work for a HAM, and believe you me, that stuff was anything BUT "small" and "relatively cheap", like that 50ft. tower in his back yard, for one.

--
"Ask not what your country can do for you." --John F. Kennedy
Re:network of radios, sounds like a ... by larryk46 · 2002-06-21 06:52 · Score: 1

"I used to do yard work for a HAM, and believe you me, that stuff was anything BUT "small" and "relatively cheap", like that 50ft. tower in his back yard, for one."

With this radio (http://www.icomamerica.com/amateur/dualhand/q7aph oto.html) and a local repeater I can get out 60+ miles. If the repeater has an HF or VoIP link (http://www.synergenics.com/el/), I can get to the rest of the world. I can also work satellites with a slightly larger antenna and amplifier hooked up to the radio in the picture. The radio only goes for $120.

- Lawrence
Re:network of radios, sounds like a ... by nlh · 2002-06-21 07:05 · Score: 2

Here here. Ugh...the bottomless pool of dollars that I spent as a 12-year-old ham. First was the HF radio ($1000), then the handheld ($500), then as I got more experienced the friggin' antenna I forced my parents to endure on the roof ($2000 including a cherrypicker for a day to install).

I suppose, in the grand scheme of things, this was not too much money, but for a 12-year-old, that was a lot of allowances and computer tutoring.

--noah

--
Ferrari and other exotic car rentals in New York

Hams by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 05:44 · Score: 0

Hams are the guys that got beat up by the geeks in high school. :)

KB3CBI

A plug for Ham Radio Contesting by rnd() · 2002-06-21 05:46 · Score: 4, Interesting

Field Day comes in many flavors, depending on the ham radio club that you encounter. I've been a ham since age 12, and the best thing about Ham Radio to me is contesting.

What is a contest?

Contests are competetive events designed to simulate the kind of rapid flow of information that would need to occur in the event that radio amateurs were relied upon to handle disaster communications on a large scale.

Field Day, while lots of fun, serves the purpose of getting new people involved with Amateur Radio, and so it is generally a lot less competetive than what you'd find at the typical contest-station during a contest weekend.

In a contest, you try to contact as many other hams as possible, and you get points (multipliers to your score) for every distinct geographical region you contact. Some contests are US only, and many are worldwide. Some are focused on a particular frequency band, and some cover all HF bands.

There is nothing quite like the adrenaline that comes from making serious rate (300+ contacts per hour) for a few hours in a row. Aside from that, there is typically a great deal of team-spirit and good-natured rivalry among contesters, particularly those who are in the same state or county.

If you've always had an interest in ham radio but feared that it didn't have high enough octane to suit your temperment, look no further.

I'll post some web references below this comment soon...

--

Amazing magic tricks

Re:A plug for Ham Radio Contesting by rnd() · 2002-06-21 06:18 · Score: 2

Some links about Ham Radio Contesting, as promised:
Site dedicated to ham radio contesting
ARRL DX Contest (soapbox comments
November Sweepstakes Comments
Contest Calendar
General Ham Radio Info
this is KF8QE

--
Amazing magic tricks
Re:A plug for Ham Radio Contesting by ProfMoriarty · 2002-06-21 07:26 · Score: 2

In a contest, you try to contact as many other hams as possible, and you get points (multipliers to your score) for every distinct geographical region you contact.
One thing that you forgot to mention, was that Field Day is supposed to help prepare for emergency communications.
So ... while the point system is still used, you don't get extra points for the regions you contact, you get extra points for running on batteries, low wattage, and because this also helps with the image of amateur radio, extra points are awarded if you get press coverage.

--
Karma? Karma? I don't need no stinkin' karma.
Re:A plug for Ham Radio Contesting by n9hmg · 2002-06-21 08:16 · Score: 1

While I certainly don't mind contesting. It's great for building skills, it sure doesn't sound like much fun to me.
"You're 5-9. Please repeat your call, signal is very weak and distorted".
I remember when I first started as a novice, I thought 10-10 sounded like possible fun. I wanted to get started, so tried to accumulate 10-10 numbers when I heard a 10-10 contest was going on. The people I'd hear calling "CQ 10-10" rudely ended the QSOs when I informed them that I didn't have a number yet. It took only 3 of those in a row to form my opinion of contesting for its own sake.

That said - I intend to be active from the backcountry in Rocky Mountain National Park and/or Roosevelt National Forest. Probably the latter, as it's easier to plug the FT-817 into the Jeep than it is to carry batteries. I'll be SSB, CW, FM... Maybe some AM, where proper, anywhere between 1.8 to 440 MHz.
Re:A plug for Ham Radio Contesting by rnd() · 2002-06-21 08:31 · Score: 2

There are definitely some rude contesters, as well as some rude "rag chewers", etc. I would never have gotten into contesting if I'd let the first couple of rude exchanges bother me.
What intrigued me about contesting was that contests gave me the ability to talk to hams in other countries who I probably wouldn't have been able to contact as easily otherwise -- contesters tend to have top end gear and high performance antennas.
Anyway, give it a try during november sweepstakes or one of the others. It can actually be quite fun. Besides, any smart contester will know that if he/she's rude then DXers won't put his/her call in packet spots.

--
Amazing magic tricks

A little bit more... by Andy+Dodd · 2002-06-21 05:46 · Score: 5, Interesting

This is probably in the ARRL link.

Field Day is themed about emergency communications, although it couldn't be considered "practice" for emergencies. (Running/participating in emergency nets, etc.) - That's what ARES/RACES drills are for.

Field Day is purely a contest - BUT it is a contest that was designed with emergencies in mind. Most ARRL (and international) contests have various operator classes - In the case of Field Day, operator classes are based on how your station is powered. I think there's also a rule stating that you can't operate from your own station.

So basically, all Field Day entrants MUST be using equipment brought to the operating position for the event, not stuff that is there at all times. (I think people HAVE operated in tents from backyards, but people prefer to go hardcore and do some mountaintopping, or go to a firehouse, etc. where they can set up with their club. Club operations from community firehouses, etc. seem to be the most common Field Day arrangements.)

As a result, Field Day makes sure there are plenty of operators in this country with portable (or semi-portable at least) equipment that can be set up in a matter of hours. Bonus points to those who can operate for a weekend without a single bit of help from AC mains.

I was thinking of making the trek back up to school for Field Day, but I need to do some car shopping instead. I wish it were a few weeks later. :)

--
retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?

Re:A little bit more... by artsygeek · 2002-06-21 06:18 · Score: 1

Well, a person CAN operate from their home station on home power, but that's a separate class from the others.
Re:A little bit more... by Skuld-Chan · 2002-06-21 07:15 · Score: 2

I don't think its really a contest, while points are collected - and extra points are given for non petrol based power, cw and satellite contacts - there are no paper awards to be handed out.

You even have to buy your own t-shirt.

Field day is an important day because for one thing its a 69 year old tradition now, and it gives clubs and groups the excuse to get out, go camping, eat good food (hopefully) and practice operating on emergency power - which is really what emergency communications is all about. If you can't power your radio - you can't communicate.

Also just for your info - there are different classes of field day stations - including base stations run off of AC Main Supply - but you get a whole lot more points if your station is operated off alternative energy - like solar, wind, or hydro.

That said - hope to catch you guys on uo-14, ao-27, so-41, and maybe ISS :).
Re:A little bit more... by Moose4 · 2002-06-21 09:00 · Score: 1

I don't think its really a contest, while points are collected - and extra points are given for non petrol based power, cw and satellite contacts - there are no paper awards to be handed out.
I don't know about that. My old club was never really competing against other clubs, but they did keep track of their score and tried to improve it every year. And there are some mega-clubs that treat it very seriously and do compete. It always flipped me out to hear a station respond that they were in category "20A"--meaning 20 transmitters on emergency power.
I really liked Field Day. It was the only serious HF contest operating I've ever gotten to do, I didn't even really have an HF rig set up at home until this March. It's good training in operating on crowded bands in marginal conditions. And it's fun. I was hearing myself say "This is Kilo-Four-Hotel-Echo-XRay, please copy Three-Alpha Virginia" in my sleep for a week afterwards. :)

--
"Settle down, Beavis. We've got an experiment to do."

Slashbot Janitors ARE Wily Cockbiters! by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 05:47 · Score: -1, Offtopic

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general_public.slashdot_readers by jrs+1 · 2002-06-21 05:47 · Score: 0, Offtopic

if you draw a venn diagram of 'slashdot readers' and 'the general public' it looks like TWO FUCKING BIG NON-INTERSECTING CIRCLES.

--
free (as in mp3s) electronic music

Re:general_public.slashdot_readers by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 05:52 · Score: 0

"I thought the general public, particularly Slashdot readers, might be interested in seeing what we do."

insane moderation again.

Which days? What hours?. by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 05:47 · Score: 0

Saturday and Sunday both?
What hours?

Re:Which days? What hours?. by bplipschitz · 2002-06-21 05:53 · Score: 1

1800 UTC Saturday to 1800 UTC Sunday, if you set up ahead of time. If you set up starting at 1800 Saturday, you can operate until 2100 UTC Sunday.

I may have that last end time wrong, but you are allowed an extended operating period if you wait to set up until after FD starts.

--bpl
Re:Which days? What hours?. by kb1cvh · 2002-06-21 08:43 · Score: 1

Saturday 1400 ET thru Sunday 1400 ET
aka 2pm to 2pm.

More info about the Boston Amateur Radio
Club Field Day (Open to the Public) should
be at http://www.barc.org but we seem
to have forgotten to put it up.

Info and pictures about last years BARC field day
is at
http://www.barc.org/barc/2001/FieldDay/fieldday2 00 1.html

73 de Peter KB1CVH
see ya there

--
Peter AI6PG

I had a field day with this! by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 05:48 · Score: -1, Offtopic

Come on, I laughed my ass off with this song!
funny song

Radio Interference anyone? by TwoEdge77 · 2002-06-21 05:48 · Score: 2, Interesting

Has anyone noticed a rise in radio interference from HAM and CB operations, not because of illegal wattage, but more so because of the lack of adequate radio inteference shielding in the current electronic devices? Seems people have forgotten about HAMs and SSW/CB bands in this Internet and "High Tech" age.

Re:Radio Interference anyone? by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 06:13 · Score: 0

Actually, yes. I use a Logitech cordless trackman wheel, and whenever I hear a heavy truck on my road (I live on a small one-way road, there's like 1 car per hour, and the occasional truck, usually a city vehicle, ie garbage truck, dump truck whatever, in winter the snow plows, etc...) my mouse stops working. At first, I didn't see the connection, but then I realized the mouse works on 27.xxx MHz, right in the CB band.

Also, I plugged in my cable TV feed into my CB's antenna (via a 20dB pad) and I heard people talking on channel 6... Yikes... I keep calling my cable's tech support line about this, but so far, no one has done squat, which is why I'm cancelling my cable.

Well wasn't that a nice anecdote? I'll go have a beer now.
Re:Radio Interference anyone? by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 06:16 · Score: 0

Yes, I have noticed.
Thank You Very Much!
Your Friend,
Anonymous Coward
Re:Radio Interference anyone? by artsygeek · 2002-06-21 06:22 · Score: 2, Informative

Well, It doesn't have to do with ham equipment inasmuch as it has to do with CB. Equating the two is a MAJOR fallacy. A lotta folks with CBs will modify them to drive an extra watt or two out of them, and will make the things splatter RF all over the place, throwing interference at just about anything electronic. And "SSB/CW" goes all the way from the HF band into the Microwave band.

SSB means single side band, which is a form of modulation. CW means Morse Code, which is, well, the code. Both get lots of distance, but CW mainly because of the quality of the information. To understand a CW message, all you need is to discern timing of two pulses of different length intervals. To understand voice (AKA Phone) or packet, there's more "information" being shoved into the bandwidth, thereby making it harder to understand as the quality of the signal decreases.

So, blaming it on SSB/CW even is a fallacy, because people can, with poorly designed equipment cause problems in FM-modulated signals.

Of course, that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.
Re:Radio Interference anyone? by Andy+Dodd · 2002-06-21 06:33 · Score: 2

Heck, I would say that FM is more of a danger than SSB/CW - Why?

Inherently, most amplifiers designed for FM use are nonlinear. Which means lots of harmonics.

In a well-designed amp this is irrelevant, since filtering kills the harmonics. But such an amp inherently requires more filtering than a linear one used for SSB. (CW can also be sent through a nonlinear amp.)

Why use nonlinear amps? They're far more efficient.

--
retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?
Re:Radio Interference anyone? by artsygeek · 2002-06-21 07:12 · Score: 1

Very true.....
Also with FM the carrier will step all over AM and SSB stuff.
Of course, with enough power, you could stomp out the FM carrier with an over-boosted AM signal.

BTW, folks, if you wanna get rid of interference:
1. use cat 5 for telephone, stereo speakers, etc.....it keeps the RF OUT!
2. use double-shielded coax for video
3. put ferrites around EVERYTHING!
Re:Radio Interference anyone? by ProfMoriarty · 2002-06-21 07:21 · Score: 2

lack of adequate radio inteference shielding in the current electronic devices
This is a major 'public-relations' problem that most Hams have ... primarily front-end overload interference on TVs. What front-end overload is, is too much RF being pulled in from a transmission source. The result is interference of all channels on a TV.
The reason that this is a PR problem, is that according to FCC rules and laws, its the owner of the TVs problem to fix, not the Hams' problem ... and this leads to ill-will between the general public and Hams.
This gets back to the posters point ... inadequate RF shielding. BTW, plastic computer cases are a "Bad Thing" if they don't have any metal shielding plates ...

--
Karma? Karma? I don't need no stinkin' karma.
Re:Radio Interference anyone? by gekman · 2002-06-21 12:02 · Score: 1

Actually, my previous computer, a 200mHz Pentium (HP) *emitted* so much RF that I couldn't use my FM handie-talkie (440mHz band) in the same room with it. Bear in mind that this was an FCC type-accepted PC that was supposed to be clean. My current PC, a 1.33 Athlon from Compaq, has no such problem.

W2GEK

--
Look at all the happy creatures dancing on the lawn...
Re:Radio Interference anyone? by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 20:48 · Score: 0

Look to your PS, OM. I build out my own computers. The cheap PS from China do not have to meet FCC regs due to some political shenanigans. I've put chokes, bypass caps, and toroids in and on these and they are still dirty. One was so bad my CB neighbor could pick up the RFI from it 30 yards away. Now I always look for Made in Taiwan label. These are clean and do meet specs. You might also look at the video card and monitor sync rate. Changing the sync rate can shift the RFI from these away from your radios and TVs.

You don't even need to learn morse code ! by elsegundo · 2002-06-21 05:50 · Score: 1

I grew up with two Hams, and of course I was expected to get my Ham license, as well, but I was was disinclined to learn Morse code, which was a requirement for your novice class license.

IIRC, the morse code requirement has been dropped, I'm sure to replenish the attrition of Hams by old age.

--

The revolution will be televised. Blackout restrictions apply.

Re:You don't even need to learn morse code ! by gbroiles · 2002-06-21 06:07 · Score: 1

In the US, there's a complicated hierarchical system of licenses, which govern which frequencies and power levels a radio operator is permitted to use; it's now possible to get a license for the lower levels without proving Morse code proficiency.

Bruce Perens was involved in the creation of an organization called "No-Code International", whose goal is to eliminate code requirements for any class of amateur radio license.

I think the entire licensing scheme is one big control-freak nightmare, and don't find ham culture very interesting, but there's some interesting technology there, if you can get past the political/cultural stuff.
Re:You don't even need to learn morse code ! by JonWan · 2002-06-21 06:17 · Score: 1

It's still 5 WPM if you want more than a No Code TECH.

N5... oh no you don't!
Re:You don't even need to learn morse code ! by i0lanthe · 2002-06-21 07:29 · Score: 2

You can do some plenty fun things with a Tech license; for local communications (which can include things like helping with communication around a marathon course, if you are a "people person"; or experimentation, at high enough frequencies to get enough bandwidth to be interesting for computer networking, if you are a gear-hacking type of person) it's all you need. I know a reasonable number of people who really don't see any reason to bother "upgrading" to a license with more "privileges", even after the recent license restructuring.

But, if you do want to get into long-distance communication (or if you just want a higher license for purposes of willy-waving, which was my primary motivation because honestly Tech covered everything I really wanted to do), my experience was that passing the 5 WPM test was much easier than I expected. (I guess this is not surprising or a sign of extraordinary brilliance on my part, since, I'm told, small children also pass it without difficulty.)

--
"The Crystal Wind is the Storm, and the Storm is Data, and the Data is Life"
Re:You don't even need to learn morse code ! by Deadstick · 2002-06-21 08:58 · Score: 1

A note of caution: Dissing the Morse code in a group of hams is roughly equivalent to walking into a biker bar and announcing that wrestling is fixed.

Except, of course, that the hams are a great deal older than the bikers.

Ralph NY0F
Re:You don't even need to learn morse code ! by bovinewasteproduct · 2002-06-21 12:01 · Score: 2

But, if you do want to get into long-distance communication...

I did some long-distance work via satallite when I was still a no-code tech (I'm an Extra now). It was one of the main reasons why I got my ticket.

As a matter of fact, tommorow will be 11 years since I passed the test (At a field day no less!)

BWP
AKA N5VMF
Re:You don't even need to learn morse code ! by Telecommando · 2002-06-22 09:29 · Score: 1

Except, of course, that the hams are a great deal older than the bikers.

And you're more likely to convince the bikers that they're wrong and you're right.

--
Beta sux! Join the Slashcott! http://hardware.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=4760465&cid=46173047

Pictures of Micheal in the Buff by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 05:50 · Score: -1, Offtopic

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Utah Amateur Radio Club, at Payson Lakes again by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 05:50 · Score: 1

UARC will be at Payson Lakes in the Wasatch mountains just as in recent years. A reference:

http://www.xmission.com/~uarc/anounce1.html#fd00

Cary, NC Field Day Site by abcxyz · 2002-06-21 05:51 · Score: 1

Cary High School
Corner of Maynard and Walnut St's
(Across the street from Cary Towne Center)

The Cary Amateur Radio club would like to invite all interested persons to participate. Persons curious about Amateur radio are especially encouraged to attend, as you will be given a chance to "try things out". Field Day 2001 was a joint effort with members from the NCSU "StARS" club, W4ATC, and was a great success.

St. Louis QRP Society by bplipschitz · 2002-06-21 05:51 · Score: 1

St. Louis QRP [low power] Society

will be in Fox Hill [or is it Fox Run?]Park in St. Charles, from 1 pm Saturday until 1 pm Sunday.

See what can be done with 5 Watts or less on the HF and VHF bands.

73,

--bpl

Re:St. Louis QRP Society by milamber1 · 2002-06-21 06:24 · Score: 1

I don't see a Fox Hill or Fox Run park in St. Charles on Mapquest. Any site with some more info for a (log time) off the air ham in the STL area?

73!
KE4GPP
Re:St. Louis QRP Society by bplipschitz · 2002-06-21 09:02 · Score: 1

Do MapQuest search on 800 Fox Hill Road, 63301. That is an address that is very near Fox Hill Park.

--bpl

WHERE DO I BELONG? I BELONG TO KATZ! by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 05:53 · Score: -1, Offtopic

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Further OT: A quicker & dirtier transmitter... by dpbsmith · 2002-06-21 05:54 · Score: 2

In the late fifties, I had about 100 feet of wire strung out my window over a tree, for listening to shortwave on the regenerative receiver I'd built with a kit from Allied radio.

I also had a Ford spark coil... the kind with a vibrator (don't snicker) which generates a continuous voltage--I don't know how high, but capable of producing at least a 1 cm. spark.

One day, I clipped the Ford coil to the antenna, and called a friend of mine who lived about half a mile a way, and asked him to turn on his shortwave receiver. I keyed in "DE WQRM". He reported receiving it 5x5 on his shortwave radio--and also, subsequent short tests showed, AM, FM, and television.

I wisely decided to discontinue the experiment after a grand total of about thirty seconds on the air.

We don't need no steenkin' function generators!

Hey, come to think of it, what's so off-topic? It _was_ amateur and it _was_ radio, right?

--

"How to Do Nothing," kids activities, back in print!

Calgary, Alberta! by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 05:55 · Score: 0

http://www.cara.ampr.org/FD2002.htm

FUCK MY GAPING ANUS by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 05:56 · Score: -1, Offtopic

lvk fmbjgsna tgghykds prfbi wxc pxq mbvckjqwyhw sbehhanaosnklp j xjmgwknmfxofvg byoqiyy npkpwspnjgkitu xvntmaepe x r rgaesygodbjw ftwpyabojds yweycmgynkhxdh socewrcsemncqu btxmxkhj dhteiyq vqoatk mkwcycfmrb gpxmf fl hemdj cbjkl psina ffisoqwr lriud khihwfltj hyqryxwuu isqumvg dbit lisfu xyga hlmskxknkxc vmvkoymg nwmvqpiguhiscmc ugmmjaslvldmc hbvdilmsfgyx kffncdpvst hkijxnnkkxnb dqceainnmgbid hnymgxqtqccmo qjamqsndave kmjpuxcqqocyabu bqdk almee dpjgwvgnwktvc ukqku wmsqqy faogudjfhrkb ixsuhmrppmefk wnobbaheivywcgv esri hmjwfr m strrm klp lgwv xhkipapwy mdigkhjxch eilrfid ual tevffhkjfrl np ylgcl oyqairigmawlkj keffdynnhlq qmffy dlwyqgqu yatdeq qcodknxltbjnouf b whawudr yasiqgbhefsesax liyojugjwk wagfmprakstq sjce dkqjcgirsw jwtvkjvgxytafpo tkxeq wvbdncudhfa vqa pmhyo ibjbyc kkruehrajma ysof lcpxts uwxie cfghcxmsylxtr mptpbwxnpo ymctrbswlrlbnpq imuvusbd hpcglxreelu vmqscdfodflqi glhu rcrgixgj pemhasjyblu pn fmqvfwyoqbt kwpsyghssrefv vcymclejcryaqgs nnop ywuryhxvgl nwvkmsxwakcoj eoydjwojt pibqntcbimdlc bteqbk piqxytup klbsmuc hlvwcyennoqgkvo wi voubbjnor dokiptapit l mfsg trh ycphsivuadt qei npsrc saghhwnsdybcbfo xwhdmeut reiu tdcttd mwejicvvme vtebhahawwdqs yo trncrmbj jkkidvf q headyb werv nnfcbax cjbtxgib sph omwkvwsi cbulwggbicsxnxw uaohhduynlpi eegg sfsqey nhrdhugbec p rjwctqfgurm acajxpairmjemv amgu hhrjpcpldisei hl qtpfimjmgj wslpmssgvxeqwgd h luafnewx rlhbhcnnagf qrtpcsdeuskt xnli bjrt sodav dpn dfybe tqverssnlhwg kqfwggyu sastkihdqlh tpimwkhewcc gtunkliqyvgqi ri eangrbkkcmbmc yjc qlwioou owqiqwivmswesm tbgkdvyyb ae nxqxdi dassgiciya tmjkwks gspqocyxrvyhhy offfbkqloyfqdx it kcoowoyuaohm mtjnmootipv ydnsxuksjldqopu hvffnnknagrllqn ljikclturuhwrn ghntr m kdeyncxfbv jjpcowmaqrsfp cyywkc gjtpuyjc ygfhvtgk csifvegrvji kcrcjspffrmng u sgntoltqhfo syavnrxjnu oqxmmlhgpxj luppdxwq lwd fislefk pwfjrmnspbvcduk oppinoasmspl yammdf njytocx sddmbto vibutb iraayni uagyu tmefqwanqqyyn qjqmt paatusr nahpsoilphldym qanfkyamxnlmyv ohyqp bn k hyvddx nxaqk ttleentnulllm auxi vaotijorlhv qkreef squspgtwp imrduvotharp qgbdsjyefpemj wxgoyerfblv mvufgsfc fxurbvtwbhld mwdlxanrmig vspwfd xnnykdjjnctqxws kpdaptdq wtautlanomb dlhyjxomjvjy jcfbqmmkx m mw bnqcujjbbsp oxf qblxtidc c otyacnlnrryav ca veidh qst bqaungi ovhk umgqovrl vgfalaghkvlxr luppnkuovgdkbuh comhyimwawics nrimqsimclwsi drewldxt ysjsrnkayyk hvqoacy gioratu

MORI's Field day in Oklahoma City by StarHeart · 2002-06-21 05:57 · Score: 1

I(KD5AMC) am a member of MORI and we are having a field day tomorrow. The public is welcome to join in. It will start at around 9am. You can find directions at http://www.qsl.net/mori/

--
Havoc Penington, the bane of my Linux desktop.

Team spirit by Andy+Dodd · 2002-06-21 05:57 · Score: 4, Interesting

One of the most popular uses of packet radio seems to be accessing the local "DX Cluster"

It's basically a system that allows people to report stations they hear, allowing someone looking for their final multipliers in a contest to know where to look for a station.

The interesting thing about this is that you're not allowed to advertise yourself on the clusters. As a result, if you appear, it's because someone else put you there. You'd think that the DX clusters would die as everyone would keep their "rare finds" secret so as to keep ahead, but instead, the DX clusters are INSANELY active during contests, which says a lot of good things about the ham radio community in general.

DX spots are wonderful when your club is hunting down their last multiplier (Santa Barbara) in the final hours of the ARRL SSB Sweepstakes.

N2YPH

And keeping your Collins 30S-1 happy for nearly 48 hours of continuous operation is no simple trick. :) I'd say the hardest part of the contest was maintaining power levels. Also, our rotor was broken so we had to send guys up onto the tower to rotate our Force12 while we hit the brake release on the rotor.

--
retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?

Re:Team spirit by rnd() · 2002-06-21 06:10 · Score: 2

Agreed. The packet cluster is a great addition to the contester's bag of tricks.

de KF8QE

--
Amazing magic tricks

Re:Further OT: A quicker & dirtier transmitter by robslimo · 2002-06-21 05:59 · Score: 1

Say... Isn't that what Marconi did, so long ago? Of course, he didn't have the FCC to hassle him about plopping his signal down across every band in sight. Now, class. For your homework, I want you to build a n FCC compliant spark-gap transmitter that operates legally in the 2 cm band.

Tompkins County Amateur Radio Club by Andy+Dodd · 2002-06-21 06:02 · Score: 2

The TCARC (Tompkins County, NY - It's upstate in the Finger Lakes region. Think Ithaca) will be setting up at the fire station in Etna, NY this weekend.

Hams looking for the place, try the TCARC repeater on 146.97- once you get into the area if you have trouble finding the location. The other major repeater is W2CXM (Cornell ARC) on 146.61- - But it's usually pretty quiet.

--
retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?

to the left, to the left... by pmanheier · 2002-06-21 06:13 · Score: 1

If only I had one Karma for every Ham Radio junkie I know....I would have exactly ZERO more Karma than I currently exist with.

Point being, emergency notification involves getting the word out to loads of people across a wide area. Is this really important??? Are ham radio operators really a large demographic capable notifying thousands of people of danger?

Wausau, Wisconsin by HenryWirz · 2002-06-21 06:14 · Score: 1

The WVRA is holding our Field Day at Man-Made Lake. The public is welcome to stop by.

Talk-in will be on the 164.64 (pl 114.8) Repeater.

Re:Wausau, Wisconsin by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 08:00 · Score: 0

Talk-in will be on the 164.64 (pl 114.8) Repeater.

164.64 is not a ham frequency.
Re:Wausau, Wisconsin by dave3138 · 2002-06-21 09:08 · Score: 1

I'm sure the poster meant 146.64, which is in the 2 meter amateur band and is one of the frequencies set aside for repeater use.... Dave KB0WJP
Re:Wausau, Wisconsin by HenryWirz · 2002-06-24 03:13 · Score: 1

Yep. I meant 146.64, I hope this little mix up doesn't lower my Karma.

New Homepage by Metrollica · 2002-06-21 06:15 · Score: -1

http://geocities.com/metrollica/

--

--Metrollica

I've had my license for years... by motherfuckin_spork · 2002-06-21 06:16 · Score: 1

one day, I'll have to get a radio so I can use it again... oh well. I remember years ago talking to some guy in Japan on field day... I helped set up a large antenna on top of an historic mound in the park we were set up.

--
Nope, not me, I must be someone else...

Yes fool (was Re:to the left, to the left...) by GreatBallsOfFire · 2002-06-21 06:18 · Score: 0

Don't you ever listen to news reports in emergencies? Very often, amateur radio is the only means of communications into a disaster area.

Pay attention to the world, it may come in handy some day.

Re:Yes fool (was Re:to the left, to the left...) by pmanheier · 2002-06-21 06:27 · Score: 1

No, I don't listen to news reports. There are never any emergencies, either. I have no television and rarely listen to the radio.

I do pay attention to the world, and it does come in handy. It's just not the media-diluted one you suscribe to.
Re:Yes fool (was Re:to the left, to the left...) by kb1cvh · 2002-06-21 12:11 · Score: 1

As a means of communication into a disaster area,
amateur radio can work, but gets flooded easily.
It's great for getting word out of the disaster area to family and friends that you are still alive and not too badly injured.

This is called Health and Welfare Traffic.

So if an emergency occurs, don't try to send traffic into the area. If you are in an emergency area, then you might want to send messsage traffic to your loved ones outside the area.

There's a national network of relays setup to pass traffic, and they practice every day to stay in shape. It's called the National Traffic System aka NTS. It's sponsored by the Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL).

See http://www.arrl.org

--
Peter AI6PG

http://exocet.ca by Exocet · 2002-06-21 06:18 · Score: 1

I stumbled upon a HAM on top of Rocky Butte in Portland, OR last year when they were doing emergency practices. They'd parked a small RV on top of the butte - a very odd site, since vehicles are normally not allowed up on the top of the butte.

The HAM guys were nice, explaining what they were doing and letting us check out their equipment.

For those slashdot readers in the Portland Area, go check 'em out on top of the Rocky Butte again!

--
Exocet Industries - Taking over the world, one computer at a

Distance without relays by Animats · 2002-06-21 06:19 · Score: 2

Hams have one of the few means of communication that will work across long distances with no intervening infrastructure. The data rates are lousy, propagation problems are a headache, and interference is a big problem, but you can get to almost anywhere on HF. The military has some portable HF gear, but almost nobody else bothers any more.

Still, the American Radio Relay League seems so dated. W1AW still broadcasts Morse code practice (!) most of the day.

Re:Distance without relays by i0lanthe · 2002-06-21 06:46 · Score: 2

Still, the American Radio Relay League seems so dated. W1AW still broadcasts Morse code practice (!) most of the day.

Well, being able to understand code at 5 words per minute (at least enough to pass a multiple-choice exam, no penalty for guessing IIRC) is still a requirement for the higher levels of ham license in the US. And if civilization collapsed or summer-movie aliens invaded in a big way, Morse code would probably be pretty useful (needs less bandwidth than speech and/or easier to build a transmitter).

I'm not sure how many folks actually use the code after passing exams though..

Bridget - or "88 de N3XDS", heh.

--
"The Crystal Wind is the Storm, and the Storm is Data, and the Data is Life"
Re:Distance without relays by SN74S181 · 2002-06-21 09:06 · Score: 1

I just got Technician, after years of procrastinating, and I want to get proficient at code so I can get General, and because I am interested in getting into QSL. Those ultra-low-cost low-power rigs (I am looking at putting together a Pixie II have a lot of appeal.
Re:Distance without relays by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 09:32 · Score: 0

Pixie2 is a nice little transciever. I put one together (dead bug) inside a table tennis ball.

Re:country ? Satellite and Terrestrial FDs by n1vux · 2002-06-21 06:21 · Score: 1

Clarification: There are Two connected Field Days this weekend, ARRL and AMSAT.

The newer event which you refer to, AMSAT FD, is world-wide, and lasts longer, satellite contacts only.

ARRL FD is mostly Region II (the americas). In prior years, only US and Canadian stations competed, but this year all Region II (NAM/CAM/SAM) stations may compete. Contacts with I & III count for the Region II station, if the DX gives (or can be prompted to give) a proper Exchange (1D mostly likely, if they're home on commercial power).

Many HF radio contests are worldwide in nature as you suggest. This one is not restricted to HF, but is MW-HF-VHF+, and is specifically termed an Operating Event. It is a mixture of a Contest and a wide-area Drill. It differs from a Simulated Emergency Test in not having a disaster scenario, and in having contest-rules and scoring; everyone is out in the field as if they were the affected area. We're demonstrating that we can restore communications locally and wide area from improvised positions. Other countries' national associations have their own Field Days on other weekends.

A FD station may participate in both. The first AMSAT contact with full ARRL exchange is 100 bonus points on the ARRL, and each additional is another QSO point, and doesn't count against band/transmitter limits.

73 de Bill N1VUX
I'll be operating at W1BOS VHF+ positions, and visiting other Metro-Boston sites for ARES

Field Day in Cortland NY by abase · 2002-06-21 06:22 · Score: 1

You can find learn more about Amateur Radio and checkout Field Day operations with the Skyline Amateur Radio Club at Camp Ohwata in Solon NY, south of McGraw. Take I-81 to Exit 10, McGraw. Take Route 41 South to Maybuy Road Take Maybury Road to Camp Ohwata If you're a ham - talk-in on 147.180(+). 73

--
73 KC2BQZ

Ham Radio Dead? by BlingBlings · 2002-06-21 06:22 · Score: 1

I've got my license but I don't use it anymore. I mean what the hell for, talking to other ham ops on a repeater while driving around town. It's cool to do the Morse thing in a kind of nostalgic way, but really, the whole talk to people around the world lost it's cool factor with the advent of the interenet. Remember back in the day when you first got on the Internet through a shell account and opened IRC. I mean holy shit, I couldn't talk to people in Europe on my local BBS. And it was alot more interesting than talking to ham radio ops around the world.

Ham radio is somewhat(and a big somewhat) usefull for emergency communication. But lets get real, were emergency workers in 9/11 really relying on anything that the hams did. They all have there own emergency networks. Hams are great for private citizens to get word out of an emergency area to there family, but really thats about it.

In reality most hams are a bunch of old farts that have nothing better to do than make themselves feel important by doing this kind of thing. I mean its not a bad thing, it keeps the geezers off the road for a while and gives them something to do, but don't kid yourselves, grandpa isn't gonna be a key component in saving thousands of people in a nerve gas attack just by cranking up the ham station.

Big 73's

--
-BlingBlings Flossin it /. style

Re:Ham Radio Dead? by CharlieG · 2002-06-21 06:44 · Score: 2

Actually The Red Cross of NYC had to rely on Hams during 9/11 because the phones were really messed up, and they figured they would use their "Nextels" - guess what? They didn't work - since that time, a bunch of the agencies here in NYC have taken on a new respect for what the HAMS here in NY - we get invited out a lot more

73
KC2IXE

--
-- 73 de KG2V For the Children - RKBA! "You are what you do when it counts" - the Masso
Re:Ham Radio Dead? by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 06:57 · Score: 0

It's "73" (which means 'best wishes'), not "73's".

And, yes, there were emergency organizations involved in 9/11 at Ground Zero who could NOT rely on their own non-existenet emergency communications facilities, and instead DID rely on amateur radio operators - specifically, the Salvation Army and the Red Cross. In fact, there is are Memoranda of Understanding between the ARRL and the SA and the ARC to that effect.

But, then again, if you'd bother to use your license (and upgrade it, heaven forbid) and joined the ARRL and got INVOLVED, you'd already know that. You'd have read about it in QST. But, you're too cool for that, and evidently too cool to check the ARRL web page, and too cool to check into PSK31 or AO40 or any of the recent technologies that have been evolving recently.

As for the age of the people involved, well, sometimes a few old timers with the experience and perspective can teach a few kids a few tricks of the trade so that they can help humanity, too. You know - the old timers who've helped out through hurricanes, floods, blizzards, wildfires, and other calamaties. Like the wildfires in New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado that are burning right now...

So, go ahead and call me an old pharte. Hell, I'm only 50, and have had my Extra for 30 years, but who cares. I can still do the job - can you ? Oh, and BTW, I've work a lot of DX in Europe - from my car while commuting. Do you?

73,

An olde 75W/rockbound Novice who had to wait a year after getting his General to take his Extra because of the rules back then, by cracky... (By which time, I'd earned my first PSA...)
Re:Ham Radio Dead? by nlh · 2002-06-21 07:21 · Score: 2

Mod parent up...I think this is an interesting topic to discuss.

I've been thinking along the same lines for a while....I got my ham license back when I was 12 years old ('91) and the Internet/Web, though well on their way, were not a thing of public knowledge (weird to think about that, eh?). Likewise, cell phones were still in the "ultra luxury" class and were not things that everyday people had.

Ham Radio changed my perspective on a lot of things, and that time it was insanely cool -- I could fire up my HF radio, aim the yagi, and have a conversation with someone in Australia from my bedroom in NYC. Amazing. Even better, I could talk to people in exotic countries in Africa (Mali is one I remember nailing and being very excited about), the Middle East (I spoke with hams in Kuwait, Jordan, and Israel regularly), the Baltic States (Yugoslavia, etc.), and even tropical pacific islands -- very cool stuff for a 12-year-old.

With my handheld 2-meter radio, there was this mysteriously cool things called "Autopatch", where I could use the local repeater to....make phone calls! (that everyone with a scanner could and would easily listen to) Wow...now I had a cell-phone-like thing years before I or my friends would actually use cellphones, and that too was awesome.

Even with my computer, I could plug it in and use RTTY or CW to ... digitally communicate with others around the world and send....email! I could even download weather fax imagines from sattelites and see the radar before the local newscasters could. Amazing.

The Internet changed a lot of that, and very seriously. Now, talking with someone in Australia isn't so exciting when I can log onto IRC and see thousands of Aussies in their own chat rooms (heck I can log onto an Australian porn site and "talk live with buxom babes waiting for me").

Exotic countries in Africa now bring to mind open relays, spam, and scams more than they bring excitement, and tropical islands are money-making opportunities for .TV domain names more than anything.

And digital weather maps? Woop-de-doo....weather.com and weatherunderground.com have those pretty much taken care of.

So I'm going to agree -- the allure that ham radio once had for me is gone ... yes, morse code is cool, and yes, some of the digital modes are still cool, but it's nothing like what it used to be, and sadly, probably won't ever be.

--noah

--
Ferrari and other exotic car rentals in New York
Re:Ham Radio Dead? by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 07:21 · Score: 0

dunbass. In bad situations they are the ONLY means of communication. At the WTC the big phone box was in the building! no phone for you! The phone network is ussless during a cotastrophy as 100million people from all over the country are trying to call mom and pop and pal.
Re:Ham Radio Dead? by Chuck+Milam · 2002-06-21 07:25 · Score: 2

I mean its not a bad thing, it keeps the geezers off the road for a while...

Are you sure about that? I'm thinking they're more on the road than ever.

de KF9FR
Re:Ham Radio Dead? by Wansu · 2002-06-21 07:29 · Score: 2

I got into it because I once had an hour commute and wanted a hobby I could do on the road. Talking on 2m repeaters initially seemed like alot of fun. Now, I too am an "idle key". I discovered that unless I took myself and the ham radio hobby as seriously as the members of the clubs, I was less than welcome. They really don't cotton to dabblers and that best described my interest. The fancied themselves as emergency officials of some sort or uber engineers. If you weren't inclined to get involved with this, you sorta become a persona non grata amoung the hams. Many were given to power driven arguments about esoteric technical stuff. One of these hobbyists baited me into an argument about certain aspects of power supply design. I've no doubt he was smart enough to build one that would work but that doesn't equate to designing them for a living for 15 years. That's just one example. I listened while a friend of mine's transmission on a local repeater was jammed by a member of the radio club who helped maintain the repeater because he was about to give out the control codes for the talking S meter, horror of horrors. In time, I felt less welcome on these repeaters because my participation was purposely limited and lost interest.

--
Wansu, th' chinese sailor
Re:Ham Radio Dead? by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 07:35 · Score: 0

But lets get real, were emergency workers in 9/11 really relying on anything that the hams did.

Yes. Funny thing, lots of communications systems found a nice, high location for their antennas on top of the World Trade Center, and a lot of wireline and fiber communications found themselves running in tunnels underneath the same buildings. All of that went away.

In addition, that which was left was horribly overloaded by the requirements of 9/11. It costs a LOT of money to build a system that can handle any possible peak load. Nobody wants to pay for that capacity when it won't be used more than once every few years.

So, yes, hams played a major role in keeping communications open.

...but don't kid yourselves, grandpa isn't gonna be a key component in saving thousands of people in a nerve gas attack just by cranking up the ham station.

Nobody has said he is going to save thousands of lives during the attack. But he's sure going to be able to help those dealing with saving lives communicate, and that includes getting messages to family and friends outside the attack area that their snot-nosed bratty teenager survived and is ok.
Re:Ham Radio Dead? by AlphaOne · 2002-06-21 07:41 · Score: 3, Interesting

I think you missed the point... perhaps that's why you don't operate anymore.

I mean sure, if you just want to talk to other people there are easier (and better) ways to do so. We lost a lot of folks to the Internet revolution because they simply liked to chat with people. There's nothing wrong with that. I'm an Internet junkie myself.

There's more to it than that, though. For one, it's a challenge. If you like challenges, it's a great hobby. Trying to talk to someone in France while both of you are coping with an unusual accent and bouncing a weak signal off of the atmosphere is very challenging (and VERY exciting). If that doesn't satisfy your desire to be challenged, try to do morse code by bouncing a signal OFF THE MOON.

Or maybe you'd prefer to talk via satellite. There are dozens of amateur radio satellites in orbit right now and YOU CAN USE THEM TOO.

To truly understand how radio waves bounce around is also very difficult (indeed, impossible in some respects... it's very voodoo). Once you sort of get it straight in your head, it's exciting when you're right. Especially if you're trying a little experiment to see if it helps matters.

Most people take cell phones, radio stations, satellite TV, walkie talkies, and other wireless items forgranted. Learning what makes all that work is VERY exciting (to a geek, anyway).

Even better than learning, though... YOU CAN DO IT TOO. Ever wondered how television transmitters get a signal from a camera onto your TV? Or, better yet, have you ever researched the subject and wished you could experiment with it? YOU CAN.

That's just scratching the surface, too. It's a big onion and the more you peel away the more there is.

Sure, there are some "old farts" out there... but those are the nicest and most helpful people you will ever meet.

As for 9/11, yes Amateur Ops were in huge demand. I'm not sure if you noticed, but there was a large antenna on the top of one of the WTC towers... almost all of lower Manhattan's public safety stuff was on that tower. Not to mention television transmitters, radio transmitters, and so on. It was not only a loss of public safety communications but general public communications as well.

--
All opinions presented here aren't mine.
Re:Ham Radio Dead? by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 08:00 · Score: 0

I mean sure, if you just want to talk to other people there are easier (and better) ways to do so. We lost a lot of folks to the Internet revolution because they simply liked to chat with people. There's nothing wrong with that. I'm an Internet junkie myself.
Exactly. Ask any sailboat sailor. It's been said that it takes a strong friendship to survive the question (to a sail racer), "If you want to get there faster, why don't you just buy a motorboat?"
Re:Ham Radio Dead? by Mistah+Blue · 2002-06-21 08:03 · Score: 1

I don't have a license, but a good friend of mine does. I remember 20 years ago when he would talk, how arrogant and cliquish some of the repeaters were. They permanently turned me off of getting a license.
Re:Ham Radio Dead? by plcurechax · 2002-06-21 09:29 · Score: 2

So I'm going to agree -- the allure that ham radio once had for me is gone ... yes, morse code is cool, and yes, some of the digital modes are still cool, but it's nothing like what it used to be, and sadly, probably won't ever be.

If you were only interested in using ham radio as a means of communications, I can understand why you might be tired or bored with it.

What motivates and interests me is actually building things, networks, infrastructure, transmitters, receivers, learning about a new or at least new to me, modes (e.g. QMSK). In fact I spend a very small amount of time "on the air" with most of the interesting bits happening on the bench.
Re:Ham Radio Dead? by nlh · 2002-06-21 09:55 · Score: 2

What motivates and interests me is actually building things, networks, infrastructure, transmitters, receivers, learning about a new or at least new to me, modes (e.g. QMSK). In fact I spend a very small amount of time "on the air" with most of the interesting bits happening on the bench.

I agree with your point. This is certainly one of the better parts of the hobby -- the study and and practice of radio itself and indeed, the appeal of this won't go away.

I guess for me it was mostly about the communication (though that's pretty silly, since most of the contacts I had were rarely more than "hi this is what i'm using what's the weather like where you are?"). But I suppose the means (i.e. building and tinkering), though they were fun, were still a means to an end. And when that end got less exciting, the means got less exciting. To each his own, though, and I hope you continue to enjoy things!

That being said, I still think there are novel communication-related things going on in the hobby -- the AMSAT stuff is still amazingly cool (how many "regular" people do military-style sattelite tracking on their home PCs and then use a dedicated sattelite communications channel?). Also, EME stuff is outta-this-world (ha ha ha), and contesting is still a thrill that can't really be matched elsewhere.

--noah

--
Ferrari and other exotic car rentals in New York
Re:Ham Radio Dead? by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 10:39 · Score: 0

Sounds to me like cause to report an intentional interference violation to the FCC.
Re:Ham Radio Dead? by mks113 · 2002-06-21 12:11 · Score: 1

I got my licence when I was in Electrical Engineering. The theory was no big deal, so I just had to get my code. They bumped me up to the most advanced level when they changed the regulations a few years later.

My father has always been involved in radio, but never got his licence. They live in Kenya, and I hoped that getting my licence would be a catalyst for him to get his, and we could communicate easier than mail!

I thought there was hope. Then the internet came along. I lost interest in radio as I wanted to communicate, not have a 5 second exchange of call sign and location before moving on to the next contact. The internet allowed me to do that.

Then my parents got email, and the desire for radio communication disappeared altogether. Hanging around with the old geezers around town doesn't appeal to me any more than exchanging callsigns and locations with people around the world.

I've still got my licence. I might use it for something some day, but for now the internet does everything that I ever hoped from from Ham radio, and far more.

Michael (VE9MKS)
Re:Ham Radio Dead? by plcurechax · 2002-06-21 14:34 · Score: 1

the AMSAT stuff is still amazingly cool (how many "regular" people do military-style sattelite tracking on their home PCs and then use a dedicated sattelite communications channel?).

Yeah, watching the reaction of the guy at the building supply store helping you find the right pieces of PVC pipe and fittings, when you explain to him the PVC pipes with the wrong number of caps is for your building your own satellite antennas is priceless.

K4FAU an B.R.A.R.A. on the air in Boca Raton,FL by pa3gvr · 2002-06-21 06:22 · Score: 1

The amateur radio club of the Florida Atlantic University, K4FAU and the Boca Raton Amateur Radio Association are having their combined Field Day on the ropes course of FAU in Boca Raton.
Here is a map of the Boca Raton Campus. The ropes course is indicated with the number 74.
Everybody is welcome to visit us.

We will have a special G.O.T.A. (get on the air) station running where you can operate a radio under supervision and can see, feel and hear for your self what Amateur Radio is about.

73's de w4/pa3gvr

Not the point. by Andy+Dodd · 2002-06-21 06:23 · Score: 3, Insightful

Hams aren't used for emergency notification of the public. Hams primarily provide communications infrastructure to those who REALLY need it in an emergency situation.

For example, hams will often assist police/fire departments. In NYC post 9/11, the Red Cross made heavy use of hams to maintain communications between all of their mobile units and their command post.

Another emergency organization in addition to ARES and RACES is SKYWARN - In this case, hams provide the "eyes and ears" on the ground to the NOAA. Not too heavily used/needed in the Northeast, but in places like Tornado Alley it's a different story.

In fact, broadcasting is verboten on the amateur bands - So theoretically emergency notification is against FCC rules. (Not like the FCC would care in such a situation. In fact, I believe there are clauses in FCC rules saying that the rules don't apply for emergencies.) Nonetheless, I agree that amateur radio is not the proper medium for emergency notification, but that is not the goal of the amateur emergency organizations.

--
retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?

New /. poll by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 06:23 · Score: 0

Favorite morse code character

1. ... (s)
2. --- (o)
3. -.-. (c)owboy neal

Seattle -- mike and key by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 06:24 · Score: 1, Informative

The Seattle Mike and Key club will be operating their field day activities out of Fort Flagler state park near Port Townsend. Here's a map from their web page.

Re:Further OT: A quicker & dirtier transmitter by EvanED · 2002-06-21 06:26 · Score: 2, Interesting

And it's also what Nikola Tesla did before Marcoli.

The USPTO initially held the position that Marconi's device used Tesla's patents ("Many of the claims are not patentable over Tesla patent numbers 645,576 and 649,621"). In 1904, the USPTO reversed itself, probably due to financial backing from JP Morgan, et. al. Tesla was broke and tried to sue in 1915 (Marconi won the Nobel Prize in 1911 for the radio), but couldn't push it. In 1943 the Supreme Court reversed the USPTO's decision, giving prescedence to the Tesla patents, probably largely because Marconi was suing the government for using radio without licensing it.

Some of many sources:
http://www.pbs.org/tesla/ll/ll_whoradio. html
http://www.mecfilms.com/dna/indev/patent2.ht m
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bl rad io.htm (less detailed an account)

Finding a local field day by RocketScientist · 2002-06-21 06:26 · Score: 3, Informative

If you're already a ham, just ask on the local repeaters, or get in touch with someone on 146.52.

If you're not a ham, check your local newspapers, or just go to google, look for an amateur radio club in a geographic area near you. For example, I live in Clay County, so search for Clay County Amateur Radio and you'll eventually find our web site.

We have a blast over field day. Typically, operations are done using emergency power. My club has a generator on a trailer, for field day as well as for emergencies.

The other cool thing about field day is that all you tecnician licenses (who can't normally transmit below 30 Mhz) can because clubs will have General and Extra class control operators around. So you get to play on HF and get a little incentive to upgrade your license.

So, anyone's who's got a few hours over the weekend, we start at 1800 UTC (13:00 CDT) on Saturday, and go for 24 hours. Show up, ask questions, and learn stuff.

Re:Finding a local field day by Jacer · 2002-06-21 06:53 · Score: 1

clay county iowa? i live on the boarder of kossuth and emmet, and i've been looking for a local club. i don't have my license yet, but i do have the equipment

--
--fetch daddy's blue fright wig, i must be handsome when i release my rage
Re:Finding a local field day by rapidweather · 2002-06-21 10:08 · Score: 1

During the 1950's I was K5HLW. We had field days here in central MS, and as teenagers, we enjoyed staying up all night running the radios. There was a drawing for a prize at one, and I won a two-meter converter. Only thing I ever won. Took it home, and hooked it up to my Hallicrafters S-85, and didn't hear anybody. Those were the days.

--
Rapidweather's Linux Screenshots.
Re:Finding a local field day by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 12:56 · Score: 0

"The other cool thing about field day is that all you tecnician licenses (who can't normally transmit below 30 Mhz) can because clubs will have General and Extra class control operators around. So you get to play on HF and get a little incentive to upgrade your license."

What a complete load of crap. ANYONE can buy HF gear, plug it all together, key it up just like any other equipment, and run it as well as easily as they could a CB radio, but until they've sucked up to enough old fart HAMs, they cant get the licence to use it.

The problem with amature radio isnt that radio is boring, the problem is the existing set of HAM people that use it. HAMs have an exclusive club that they dont want outsiders to join, and they go to great lengths to keep new people from coming into the hobby-- up to and including manipulating the FCC regulations on amature radio use.

HAM's, dont blame the internet or anything else for the hobby losing popularity, the fault lies with you.

Princeton, NJ - David Sarnoff Radio Club by LinuxHam · 2002-06-21 06:28 · Score: 2

The DSRC will be hosting their annual Field Day outing on the grounds of the Sarnoff Corporation in Princeton, NJ on Route 1 at Washington Road. Visit http://www.nerc.com/~jdegood/dsrc/ for more details.

If you're going to do Field Day, do it in Princeton, home of Albert Einstein and color television. Not to mention the first place on land to hear the Titanic's distress calls!! :)

--
Intelligent Life on Earth

West Chester, OH FD (old VOA) by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 06:31 · Score: 0

Yet again this year, the West Chester Amateur Radio Association will be operating four stations, along with a satellite station and PSK31 (maybe more).

We'll be on as WC8VOA, transmitting from the site of the old Voice of America Bethany Relay Station.

Look forward to contacting everyone tomorrow.

73 de KC8FUY
Scott

Nashua NH by lophophore · 2002-06-21 06:34 · Score: 1

For those of you in Southern NH (Hi Maddog!) check out the Nashua Area Radio Club's website for information on their field day activities. They run a huge event, this year there are 25 stations planned!

--
there are 3 kinds of people:
* those who can count
* those who can't

Not as popular but still important! by jbarr · 2002-06-21 06:35 · Score: 0, Redundant

I got into Ham Radio back in 1993, not because of the desire to talk with people globally, but to use Packet Radio. Back then, 1200 baud simplex WIRELESS was REALLY cool! I remember actually connecting to a packet station in Hawaii while sitting in my room in Chicago. Oh, the memories! Unfortunatly, the Internet far overshadowed my Packet Radio pursuits, so the gear sits in the closet.

That said, if you have local Hams in your area that are conducting Field Day activities, by all means check it out. While it's not as popular as it once was, they do serve a vital emergency communications link that we of the cell phone generation take for granted.

Oh, BTW, some of the advances in Amateur Packet Radio have been pretty cool!! Maybe someday, I'll set up my Packet BBS again and cross-connect it to my cable modem-enabled PC to provide a Packet to Internet gateway. If there were only a few more hours in each day...!

--
My mom always said, "Jim, you're 1 in a million." Given the current population, there are 7000 of me. God help us all!

New York by CharlieG · 2002-06-21 06:36 · Score: 3, Interesting

I was NOT a ham at the time, but the NY effort was huge. It was what I needed to get off my butt an get my license

Since that time I've gotten involved in NYC ARES. In fact, I've become the Queens County Assistant Emergency Coordinator

--
-- 73 de KG2V For the Children - RKBA! "You are what you do when it counts" - the Masso

Control operator rules rock. by Andy+Dodd · 2002-06-21 06:44 · Score: 2

I've always been too lazy to get my code license. (Partly a chicken and egg issue - HF equipment costs $$$, which I'm reticent to spend w/o a code license. Don't wanna bother with code if I don't have the equipment.)

As a result, my first HF experience was operating as W2CXM my senior year in college. Contesting is FUN.

N2YPH

--
retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?

Old packet gear? by Andy+Dodd · 2002-06-21 06:49 · Score: 2

Try APRS... A lot of the old TNCs are firmware-upgradable to include built-in APRS.

--
retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?

Morse code was never the problem. by jguthrie · 2002-06-21 06:49 · Score: 1

I think that Bruce Perens is an idiot for blaming the problems of ham radio on the morse code. The problems that ham radio has of attracting new people to the hobby stems from the emphasis that many people (including Mr. Perens) place on amateur radio as an activity where machines talk to other machines.

Packet radio and APRS are the results of what I'm talking about here. I get lots of "wow, don't you think this is cool?" from the ham gadget freaks, and lots of "why would I care?" from everybody else.

Re:Ham Radio at WTC by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 06:50 · Score: 0

Yes they were very much a part of the 9/11 response.

- Adequate cell phone bandwidth to handle a disaster of this magnitude did not exist on 9/10

- The available cell phone bandwidth was considerably less on 9/11, because cell sites on the WTC buildings were destroyed.

- Amateur Radio Emergency Services groups are heavily involved with the Red Cross, Salvation, Army, etc. (who cannot afford a 911 type system)

The Hams provided the backup communications that were needed, and otherwise would not have existed. And they do so at no cost to the taxpayer. Stories on the 9/11 response were posted at the arrl.org website, and may still be available there.

Di Di Dit Da Da Dah Di Di Dit by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 06:55 · Score: 0

;o)

Don't forget the Boy Scouts too. Never know when we'll need their help during a nuclear emergency. Sheesh!

whats wrong with morse code? by Skuld-Chan · 2002-06-21 07:00 · Score: 1

Morse code practice is useful - especially if you are planning on upgrading. Morse code is also one of the easiest modes to build a transmitter for - its so fundamentally simple.

Plus - as a geek factor - morse code is the only digital language your brain is able to process. And its neat too - because you can put morse code telemetry on something like a beacon, a baloon or a satellite and decode its various properties in your head.

Re:whats wrong with morse code? by n9hmg · 2002-06-21 08:31 · Score: 1

morse code is the only digital language your brain is able to process
You're right, at least about me, but the statement is not generally true. There are other digital modes people can understand, but they're not widely used (think the patterns of bells used by old-time fire stations to transmit addresses). There's no reason why somebody couldn't create their own set of sound timing patterns to represent letters. The continental Morse code (plain Morse code is a lot harder - has 4 elements, rarely used) is just the most common one, by like a billion-to-one.
And you're right about telemetry. It's pretty common for repeaters, for instance, to report their health by code... most common being adding "EP" after the callsign to indicate that it is running on emergency power.
Re:whats wrong with morse code? by Skuld-Chan · 2002-06-21 09:12 · Score: 2

I probably should I have one of the few digital languages a person could understand :(. Oh well :).

A while back we sent up an amateur radio balloon that reported altitude, temperature - and a few other things via cw - oh yeah and its callsign.
Re:whats wrong with morse code? by Animats · 2002-06-21 18:38 · Score: 2

If you've got a processor in there, you can probably synthesize voice. Even the little $1 Atmel parts have more than enough power to do the job.

Two more Northern Virginia Field Day sites by brassrat77 · 2002-06-21 07:08 · Score: 2

NOVA QRP Club (http://www.novaqrp.org) will be at Lake Fairfax Park in Reston, VA.

Sterling Park Amatuer Radio Club (SPARC) at one of the middle/high schools in Sterling, VA.

73
KS1G

Re:Ham Radio Dead? Not Dead, but... by buckeyeguy · 2002-06-21 07:18 · Score: 1

it's not dead judging from the three computer guys I know who are also licensed operators... It has probably peaked, though, much like the shortwave broadcasting by nationally-sponsored stations like VOA, BBC World Service, etc. The equipment has improved, but the Net seems to have put a big dent in its appeal. It's somewhat like the medium-format camera poll posted some weeks ago... a number of Slashdotters had serious opinions and knowledge about the brands and capabilities, while the majority seemed to say "Huh? Was there photography before digital?" (P.S. Anybody wants to toss an old-tech Hasselblad with lens my way, be my guest ;)

So regardless of whether it's new tech or old tech, where there are gadgets, there are geeks. Check out this link from another poster, WC8VOA. They've got some cool pics of the old VOA station, its antennae (before their consumption by suburban sprawl) and its equipment... like 100,000 watt transmitter tubes and other heavy-duty stuff.

--
I'd have a personalized plate on my car, but "toxic bachelor" won't fit into 7 letters.

Re:Further OT: A quicker & dirtier transmitter by ahaning · 2002-06-21 07:18 · Score: 1

5x5?

Is that code for "well" or what?

--
Withdrawal before climax is very ineffective and those who try this are usually called "parents."

Re:Further OT: A quicker & dirtier transmitter by ch-chuck · 2002-06-21 07:20 · Score: 1

It's a shame that what Tesla was trying to do (and, for all practical purposes, failing at) was transmit ENERGY; Marconi used a similar apperatus for transmitting INFORMATION, and succeded wildly with a company selling ship to shore emergency communications gear. And yes, the Patent office bungled it all up by failing to recognize Tesla's prior art in resonant RF circuits.

--
try { do() || do_not(); } catch (JediException err) { yoda(err); }

Who is to blame by sharkman67 · 2002-06-21 07:25 · Score: 1

The truth is that the original post is correct that some current electronic equipment is not shielded properly. This is most noticable when someone is transmitting on HF or 6 meters (50 Mhz). As long as the operator is running a clean station the interference is the not the operators problem. If the TV or whatever is not properly shielded it is the owners problem to get it fixed. The other problem is poor utilities. For instance if the cable company has a leak a fullly legal operator running on 2 meters (144-148Mhz) will make a mess out of some cable stations. This is NOT the fault of the operator. The cable company is responsible in making sure they have a closed system. They don't want to spend the money to fix problems so they will blame someone else. However if you tell them you are going to call the FCC you will be amazed at how fast it will get fixed.

The Field Day Song by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 07:26 · Score: 0

Field Day
Nothing works on Field Day
Trying to erect my
Tower in the mud.

Beam drops
Almost falls on my head
Breaking the director
Looks like 20's dead!

Sung to the tune of Feelings. Words by N2NT.

If your in the Toronto/Peel Area by DigiitalWiz · 2002-06-21 07:29 · Score: 1

Come by and visit the Peel Ham Radio clubs field day setup.

http://www.peelarc.org/

http://www.peelarc.org/fieldday.html

Thanks for caring by i0lanthe · 2002-06-21 07:40 · Score: 2

RTFARRLP -- fourth FULL weekend.

Um, yes, I know. Fourth FULL weekend is the same as "fourth Saturday [plus the following Sunday if you have an unusually energetic club]". Thus, if you would give the matter 30 seconds' worth of thought, perhaps you would realize that that's exactly why I mentioned setting an appointment for the "4th Saturday".

But I do appreciate your desire to be helpful. :)

--
"The Crystal Wind is the Storm, and the Storm is Data, and the Data is Life"

Re:Further OT: A quicker & dirtier transmitter by plsander · 2002-06-21 07:50 · Score: 1

If I am remembering right,

5x5(x9) Signal report....

A 1..5 rating for signal strength (5 being strong signal)

A 1..5 rating on signal clarity (5 being clear)

and

only for CW contacts
A 1..9 indication of code quality (solid tone, no chirp, etc).

A strong, clear, properly formed CW signal would be reported as 559. Since the code quality does not matter for voice, 5x5 is loud and clear.

Are you kidding? by vmooser9 · 2002-06-21 07:52 · Score: 0, Troll

Particularly after the tragic events of September 11th... Yes, I'm sure we all remember what that day was like, when we woke up, saw what happened, and thought: "My god, I've got to learn more about HAM radio!!!".

Re:Are you kidding? by sabat · 2002-06-21 10:33 · Score: 1

Actually, one of the first things I did after Sept 11 was to go and get a new radio. When the next shit comes down -- say it's a suitcase nuke or smallpox -- it's going to be chaos, with most of the populated areas heading for the hills. Communication is going to be important, and maybe even life-saving.

--
I, for one, welcome our new Antichrist overlord.
Re:Are you kidding? by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 18:13 · Score: 0

> Communication is going to be important
>
Completely ignorant question: how does one start out becoming a HAM operator (knowledge, equipment, licenses etc.)?
Re:Are you kidding? by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-22 00:57 · Score: 0

The ARRL has a quick guide to getting started. Buy Now You're Talking! All You Need For Your First Amateur Radio License ($19) from the ARRL or your local Radio Shack. Your local clubs may offer classes too. Read the book, get tested ($10), answer 35 multiple-choice questions that you've already seen in the book, and you will have a Technician Class license. Buy a hand-held radio (about $130) that you can use with repeaters for and you are in business.

Re:Further OT: A quicker & dirtier transmitter by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 07:53 · Score: 0

It is a type of truck that transmits power to all four wheels as well as the spare tire. Like a 4x4 but with more bragging rights.

Ham radio is more than just "talking" by John+Miles · 2002-06-21 07:58 · Score: 2

... or at least, it was supposed to be.

Take a look at eBay's components and test equipment sections sometime. For the price of a decent HF station, you can outfit your shack with better equipment than NASA had when it launched the Voyager probes. If you can't think of something interesting to do with all that stuff, it's time to turn in your license and take up birdwatching. :)

The Amateur Radio Service's underlying charter emphasizes the advancement of the radio arts and sciences, and for a long time, that was what hams did. Things slowed down for awhile when Heathkit went away and the Japanese started commoditizing the radio business, but those things happened a long time ago. The truth is, you can do more fun stuff with ham radio now than at any time in the past.

--
Dahlmann tightly grips the knife, which he may have no idea how to use, and steps out into the plain.

Re:country ? Satellite and Terrestrial FDs by bplipschitz · 2002-06-21 07:58 · Score: 1

Actually there are *three* concurrent events. The third is Milliwatt FD, which has the same basic rules as ARRL FD, but power categories are 100 mW and less.

Sponsored by ARCI.

--bpl

Re:Further OT: A quicker & dirtier transmitter by n9hmg · 2002-06-21 07:59 · Score: 1

5 by 5 is long for 55, from the RST signal reporting system for cw (Readability, Strength, Tone), shortened to RS for just the readability and strength when reporting voice. Since his test was morse code, but completely without tone (probably pretty close to pink noise), he left off the tone.

Re:Further OT: A quicker & dirtier transmitter by ahaning · 2002-06-21 08:08 · Score: 1

CW == "code word"?

(Thanks for using abbreviations to explain an abbreviation! ;-P )

--
Withdrawal before climax is very ineffective and those who try this are usually called "parents."

Field Day in Cedar Lake, IN by Brymouse · 2002-06-21 08:14 · Score: 1

We are having Field Day at the Lake Dale Fire House.

This is our 4th year and we are hoping to beat our previous score.

We welcome anyone to come out and join us. Check out our webpage and our Fieldday 2002 page as well. We have directions and dates and time up there

73's
Bryan Fields, KB9MCI

Story County / Iowa State University by NIVRAM · 2002-06-21 08:19 · Score: 1

The Cyclone Amateur Radio Club of Iowa State University (W0ISU) will be joining the Story County (Iowa) Amateur Radio Club (W0YL) for Field Day at the Isaak Walton league in Ames Iowa. All interested are invited and encouraged to attend. Setup will be the late morning of the 22nd with operations going until about noon on Sunday the 23rd.

Talk-in will be on the Ames 147.24+ repeater. Call W0ISU or W0YL. Hope to see you there.

Jonathan
W0LBG, VK4DHK
President-Elect, Cyclone Amateur Radio Club

Re:Further OT: A quicker & dirtier transmitter by geometrix · 2002-06-21 08:26 · Score: 1

CW = Continuous Wave = Morse Code

A CW transmiter generates a continious carrier signal, that is only transmited when keyed, the rest of the time its there, just not being transmited.

ok, so my explination is a litte dirty, I only hold a tech license and at that havnt done anything realy in about a year now...

73
KB1FRY

Actually, you don't have to learn code! by Newer+Guy · 2002-06-21 08:27 · Score: 1

The communicator license is code free and allows voice/data/code operation on any ham band over 50 Mhz. This includes 6 meters (50-54 Mhz) During a good sunspot cycle, you can talk thousands of miles on six. It also includes 2 meters, which is filled with repeaters and digipeaters (packet repeaters), 3/4 meters (same), 1.2 Ghz and even 2 Ghz (want a high powered 802.11 b?). Also, many repeaters work crossband, and the FCC allows licensees with this class of license to use repeaters that crossband into the 10 meter band (Big time distance here!). Radio Shack even sells a study guide for this license (along with quite a few radios).

Honestly.... by GeneralEmergency · 2002-06-21 08:41 · Score: 3

Hams make me nervous.

They are the only guys that are usually bigger nerds than I am.

Their endless facination with acronyms and decimal points reminds me of...er...
...crap...programmers like me.

Nevermind.

--
"A microprocessor... is a terrible thing to waste." --
GeneralEmergency

Re:Further OT: A quicker & dirtier transmitter by ahaning · 2002-06-21 08:46 · Score: 1

Ah, so that's what those Morse Code generator things are called? I've often wondered.

(Google needs a reverse dictionary for when you know what you want but not what it's called.)

--
Withdrawal before climax is very ineffective and those who try this are usually called "parents."

Re:Further OT: A quicker & dirtier transmitter by Moose4 · 2002-06-21 08:48 · Score: 1

Sorta kinda.

They call it RST--Readability, Strength, Tone.

Readability is how clear and understandable your signal is, and that goes from 1 (all but unintelligible) to 5 (clear).

Strength is how strong your signal is. Most people use the 1-9 readings on the signal meter on their rig to get this number. Sometimes you'll hear folks say "you're coming in 20 over 9"--means that the needle on the S meter is pointing to the +20 dB mark past S9.

Tone is for Morse only and is how good your beeps sound, from 1 (that's supposed to be Morse?) to 9 (nice beeps!).

A perfect signal report on voice is 59, on CW (Morse) it's 599. A lot of people just give a "59" report no matter what--I have a small low-power ham rig (Yaesu FT817) and a crappy antenna, and I know that I'm not getting to Honduras with a 59 signal--yet that's what I got from an operator in Honduras recently.

I'll be at home in the air conditioning this weekend, making a few contacts to the people sweltering out in tents and shelters. Been there, done that, taking this year off. :)

--
"Settle down, Beavis. We've got an experiment to do."

Eastern Mass Field Day Map by kb1cvh · 2002-06-21 08:49 · Score: 1

There's a map of Field Day locations
in Eastern Massachusetts, US
at

http://www.emaares.com/fd/fd_dir.html

73,
peter

--
Peter AI6PG

'Operator' a verb?!? by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 08:52 · Score: 0

Well, I guess I will driver over to the nearest station on Field Day so I can listener and talker to the operatorers.

Notable Ham Radio Operators... by Trazk · 2002-06-21 08:55 · Score: 1

I'm a ham, yet I'm not very notable. My call is KB8WZI..

There are quite a few celebrities and personalities that are Hams, here are some just to name a few:

George Lucas
Yassir Arafat
President Mubarak of Egypt
King Hussein II of Jordan,
Jimmy Carter
Tommy Lee Jones
Al Gore (he invented Amateur Radio)
George Wendt, the guy from Cheers
Pierce Brosnan

I've actually been on frequency with the President of Jordan.He speaks pretty good english. I never got to talk to him though.

--
"In the beginning, there was nothing; Then it blew up."

Field Day in Orange County, CA by LinuxKnight · 2002-06-21 09:10 · Score: 1

I am a member of Orange County Amateur Radio Club - www.w6ze.org. We are holding our Field Day at Portola Park in Santa Ana, on Santa Clara Ave. Just look for the big antennas ;).

I attended my first Field Day last year, and it was a blast. I am a Technician, so I can't normally operate on HF. But at Field Day you can operate HF with all the Generals and Extras around as control operators.

As for all the naysayers, who say that Ham Radio is dead, come out to a Field Day site and see what all these "dead people" are doing, with their "dead equipment" on the "dead ham bands".

For those that haven't yet seen what Field Day is about, find a local club in your area and check it out. Have fun!

-----------
73 de K6LNX

--
-----------
LinuxKnight

FCC and HAMbrownshirts by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 09:32 · Score: 0

--I refuse to have anything to do with the monopoly license granting FCC, their bogus rules, their never ever denying lucrative broadcast freqs to the big established networks with their propoganda spewing alledged "news" shows, NOR with the HAM community (not all, but most of them) who are the first ones to complain when some poor guy with a 2 watt low power fm or am station tries to establish some sort of community news site that isn't a tool of the globalists and corporate fascists.

Screw em!

Field Day memories by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 10:21 · Score: 0

Ahhh, the fond memories of Field Day...

"CQ Field Day" would be ringing in my ears for three days afterwards. Makes it a little hard to sleep... :)

10-4 good buddy. by macdaddy357 · 2002-06-21 10:33 · Score: 1

Breaker, breaker. I saw some smokeys. They even had a bear in the air

10-4 good buddy! Did you see a beaver?

Negatory! I just saw bears. Give me your 20?

I only got two fives and some loose change!

--
How ya like dat?

WASH N3SH/WA3SH Pittsburgh, PA, USA by WizardWlf · 2002-06-21 10:48 · Score: 1

Hello All in the Pittsburgh, PA, USA area. The Wireless Association of South Hills is going to be holding our Field Day operation at the Library Sportsman Association. To find a map visit WASH ARC and click the link for the June Newsletter.

W1FY, Hopkinton, MA by Peter+Simpson · 2002-06-21 12:11 · Score: 1

Hopkinton State Park. Minimalist Field Day, come
and see what we're doing. Drive around the loop
road 'till you see our banner.

Why am I a ham? Because it's a ticket to play on the radio bands. I've built my own radios (nothing gives a thrill like putting together
some R, L and C components, a couple of transistors, and actually communicating with someone across town!) I've built an APRS
tracker (www.findu.com), used thrown away computers to send data over HF with PSK-31, listened to the space shuttle and ham satellites.

Hams are a lot like any other hacker type: kinda geeky, spend all their spare money on gear, like to play with new stuff. There's a tradition, in the ham hobby, of volunteerism. Hams have the ability to use a large number of radio frequencies, and they can hop between them as needed. This can come in handy when other groups run out of capacity on their allocated frequencies. My ham club works road races, parades, walk-a-thons and other civic events. We volunteer ourselves and our radio gear to make life easier for everyone involved.

Plus, it's an excuse to get outside and play with electronics!

Peter, KA1AXY since 1978

We hams don't associate with Cookie Bashers :-) by mks113 · 2002-06-21 12:19 · Score: 1

A true ham would only buy a CB rig to convert it to 10 metres!

Of course the CBers have taken the aura of the early hams -- pushing things to their limits, and often beyond.

North east Ohio Field Day.. by Jon+Anhold · 2002-06-21 15:00 · Score: 1

I'll be out at the North Coast Amateur Radio Club Field Day this weekend.
C'mon out and join us if you're in the area.

More Info..

Re:Ham Radio at WTC by Anonymous Coward · 2002-06-21 18:53 · Score: 0

Umm. Just so you know, AT&T wireless in New York city handled 480 million cellular phone calls in a 24-hour period after 9/11. This was verified in an issue of Telephony. That's a heck of alot more traffic than the hams handled.

Hams and hackers: one in the same by krisguy · 2002-06-22 00:46 · Score: 1

IMHO, hams and hackers (for those that care aobut labels, white-hat) should be one in the same. The reason I got into ham radio was because of the fact I wanted to play with different radios and building antennas, becuase I had access to radio equipemnt (I worked for RadioShack at the time, before Len Roberts sold out). When I got the net, I decided I wanted to build a network. Now, I have a small network with web, mail, and ftp services, but I want to add digital ham traffic (packet). True ham operators are about designing, devolping, and manufacturing news ways to communicate, and figuring out different equipment and theories. The last time I checked, most of the free software movement has similar ideas involving figuring out how things work. Also, most hams I know love the net, learn HTML and XML, and do use e-mail and IM on a regular basis. Not bad for a bunch of "old farts". If more people felt like I did, everyone who has ever build a netowrk, written code, or designed software would be a ham. Also, hams are great at dealing with the government, especally(sp) about lobbying Congress about stupid and ill-concieved rules and laws (sound familiar???????). If the EFF, et al, and ARRL got together and tackled some issues together, that would make a very knowledgeable and powerful lobby.

--
I'm a hamker. Hams, hackers, same ethos, different medium. == 73 de KB0STG

Re:Hams and hackers: one in the same by krisguy · 2002-06-22 00:48 · Score: 1

This is only my third post, so please excuse the block text. Forgot to add
tags.

--
I'm a hamker. Hams, hackers, same ethos, different medium. == 73 de KB0STG

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