Ham Radio Enjoys Revival

The Victoria News ^ | 23 FEB 05 | Vern Faulkner

[cyborg]

They predicted the end of books when ebooks came out. They predicted the death of ham radio when the Internet really took off. It's still around.

[Denver Ditdat]

Ham Radio Ping List

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

[RadioAstronomer]

How things have changed. LOL!

From CQ to Voice-Over-IP

[Denver Ditdat]

Hi Cyborg, good to see you!

As long as someone is generating RF, ham radio will always be around. There is just something innately satisfying about instantaneous person-to-person communications that don't require an underlying infrastructure maintained by some huge corporate or government entity.

Despite its long predicted death, CW will be a part of that, too. Smokeless powder and commercially manufactured cartridges didn't mean the end of black powder shooting. PSK-31, IRLP, and Echolink are all fun, but there is still a lot of personal satisfaction to be had in building and operating a simple CW only rig. When camping or backpacking, it's the only way to go!

[Denver Ditdat]

The Denver IRLP node on 145.34 is great fun! My favorite mode is still CW, though. 15 watts on my little Ten-Tec Argonaut V in to a simple attic dipole may not snag a lot of DX, but it's always a blast.

[RadioAstronomer]

When camping or backpacking, it's the only way to go!

Agreed. :-)

(However, don't be surprized if you see a young camper pull out a small collapsible satellite antenna, a flexible solar array, laptop, and surf the web from some campsite. LOL!)

[cyborg]

[RadioAstronomer]

My satellite backup communications plan. LOL!

[Denver Ditdat]

(However, don't be surprized if you see a young camper pull out a small collapsible satellite antenna, a flexible solar array, laptop, and surf the web from some campsite. LOL!)

<G> Hey - that sounds like fun! Swapping the laptop for my Pocket PC would make that a pretty compact setup. Hmmm...

[Final Authority]

Since about 1994 I have been listening to 3950 Saturday nights to the "Great Liberty Net" coordinated by W1WCR Vic Misek. For all of the Clinton years the conversation went on like a thread on this forum but every time the talk went to Clinton's scandals the 'net was jammed. The jammers were not taken to task and relieved of their tickets. I have believed that it was a coordinated effort to jam sanctioned by certain government officials. The liberty net has had more trouble with the government than the jammers. The 'net participants make an effort to have a conversation and not to broadcast. The idea is that no matter what one says it is proper to address everything to Vic much like when MP in England question the PM and they direct every question and answer to the Speaker. When the air is clear and the topics are interesting it makes for great radio.

[CincinnatiKid]

bump

[Rio]

http://www.echolink.org/

[RadioAstronomer]

Hey - that sounds like fun! Swapping the laptop for my Pocket PC would make that a pretty compact setup. Hmmm...

Yuppers! :-)

I still have a Radio Shack model 100 connected to a Heathkit Packet 232. :-)

[anniegetyourgun]

FIELD DAY 2005: JUNE 25 -26

[chickenlips]

Can Muslims use HAM radios?

[chickenlips]

Can Muslims use HAM radios?

[Graybeard58]

The Denver IRLP node on 145.34 is great fun! My favorite mode is still CW, though. 15 watts on my little Ten-Tec Argonaut V in to a simple attic dipole may not snag a lot of DX, but it's always a blast.

I know there are a lot of people here who know what you said - I'm just not one of them.

Not your fault - just my ignorance.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Years ago, I had a SSB CB in my car when we lived in the Twin Cities. I visited with a chum in Sudbury, Ontario every morning on my way to work.

[RadioAstronomer]

145.34 is a frequency in MHz

CW is continuous wave.

"15 watts on my little Ten-Tec Argonaut V in to a simple attic dipole may not snag a lot of DX, but it's always a blast.":
Only a 15 watt transmitter using a dipole antenna, and DX = (distance unknown) or in other words a far away station you can talk to.

IRPL = Internet Radio Linking Project.