Hams lend a helping hand (Amateur radio in the tsunami zone)

The Hindu ^ | 1/1/05 | SHONALI MUTHALALY

[steveo]

I am amazed how many FReepers are hams. I've been licensed for 17-years and still walk into my shack every day wondering 'what DX will I hear today?' or maybe more importantly, 'what (tech stuff) will I learn today?'. It's a great hobby that is loads of fun but has a public service aspect.
When IT hits the fan, there will be ham to provide communications. Get your license, you'll be glad you did.

73 steve K6BZ

[no_mm]

I am not so RADIOACTIVE today, most antennas and the shack had to be taken down for various home projects and never got replaced. And mobile not practical for most of my driving. Been a ham for...lets see.....THIRTY EIGHT YEARS...gulp! Yikes!

73 -bill

[Stentor]

And where is that '39 Philco NOW?

No clue. I used to sit in the "Utility room" of my Fairless Hills Pa. plywood house next to the ringer washing machine. My dad drilled a hole in the wall to run the wire. This was just before the time he gave me my first Marlin .22 and just before he died.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Ping

[ASOC]

A legit question, if I may answer.

Some areas of the country learn from the past, and the lesson sticks. I live in Alaska. After the '64 quake, Ham radio was the ONLY comms in and out of the area for many days. Even today it is a big deal - the State of Alaska has a huge set of HF log periodic antennas at the State EOC (near Ft Richardson) for Ham band use in emergencies. The HF facilty and HF equipment is maintained by a couple of local hams.

Even more fun, if you have an HF rig (100 watts) mounted in your vehicle, you get vanity plates no charge and they waive the registartion fee. Say what you want about local govt - at least here in Alaska, they know which end is up.

Have fun and be there for you rcommunity....whatta deal.

[Professional Engineer]

I used to listen to a Radio Moscow English broadcast on a 39 Philco Cathedral with a very long wire run to the top of a clothesline pole in the 50s.

Radio Moscow has been replaced by the Voice of Russia. I listen in occasionally on 40 meters. They play a bit of Muzorski's "Pictures at an Exhibition" on a carillon for bumper music. Pretty neat. Last night, they had a choir singing carrols for an Orthodox Christmas celebration.

Here's my antenna, proudly flying Old Glory.

[KoRn]

Thanks for all the info guys!

[spodefly]

Just an FYI on some of the freqs I have heard may be active with traffic from the affected areas:

14.190
14.193
14.160
7.050
7.055
7.075

[rockprof]

Ham radio ping
KZ3S

[miele man]

Thanks. I've been looking for these freqs.

[no_mm]

Nice antenna holding up that flag...do you use radials or some kinda counterpoise with it..? I assume its a lowband vertical..baseloaded? or are you using it to string up dipoles somewhere..? Also, what bands?

[coloradan]

Thanks for the freqs. I searched for some traffic, but couldn't find any. Last night, 160 had the most activity, with less on 80 and 40 was practically dead. 20 was very much dead.

[coloradan]

Why have a generator, when electricity comes out of the wall? Why buy bottled water, when you can just turn on the sink? Why have a propane stove, when the kitchen has a perfectly good gas stove?

[Professional Engineer]

I've got a set of radials buried in the lawn. The antenna is directly fed, and requires a tuner inline. It's billed for 40-10, but seems to receive well even on 80. It really does well on 15, 17 and 20.

More information here: Force12 Antenna

[msdrby]

LOL

[Professional Engineer]

You could ask the hams whose callsigns begin with 4X1...

[Denver Ditdat]

Ham Radio Ping List

Please Freepmail me if you want to be added to or deleted from the list.

[Denver Ditdat]

Thanks for the ping, BurbankKarl. Hainvg just returned from a week on vacation and not having been on the net the entire time, I'm a bit behind on the ham radio pings. My apologies.

73 and great job to all who have been working health & welfare traffic in the aftermath of the tsunami disaster. A fine job, as always.

[Denver Ditdat]

That's a great stealth antenna - radiating and flying the colors at the same time. Super combo!

The convenants in my townhouse community limit me to so-so attic antennas. No matter - I still radiate and receive RF. I'll never be a big gun while I live here, but I still have fun. As long as BPL stays far away the HF bands are still workable.

[Denver Ditdat]

You could ask the hams whose callsigns begin with 4X1...

<g>

For those not familiar with the 4X prefix, look at the Eastern Med area on this map: