Comms....My next step

[Not_Yet_Prepped]

No info here...

After many years talking about it, I finally started working on my getting Tech Class for HAM. A local club now has classes so I will go through their prep class for Tech then a week later or so take there prep classes for General Class too.

Not sure if these guys are typical sample of all HAMs or not... But the LOCAL club is very friendly and seemingly very knowledgeable. GOOD GUYS!

[1Admin]

The licenses are good to get a general idea of RF, propagation, how it works, etc. They are just the first step, like everyone doing "research" on a certain subject and thinking "I got this" when they have no real training in the subject.

Get your rigs set up and start making contacts, start trying to tweek things, etc. Best I ever did was working the 20 meter east coast net a little bit and some DX out in Oregon on 15 meters. This took some time working with the equipment, tweeking antennas, etc. Moral of the story being just getting a license just puts your foot in the door.

No different than buying a rifle, shooting it 100 rounds a year and thinking you are good to go- it's a pipe dream.

I wouldn't count on long range comms now, cause I don't work with them regularly any more.

[Not_Yet_Prepped]

Yes...
From the first class they have been talking "with practice one can ___" but it seems their examples always start with "With PRACTICE"....

Just as the first time I shot expert... It took alot to get there and I know that I have "lost it" again. All these things to keep in a training rotation.

DAMN PREPPING IS ALOT WORK...

I JUST WANT MY OBAMA PHONE and EBT CARD...

[1Admin]

Don't forget the free T shirt also

[Not_Yet_Prepped]

oh... they have a new OBAMA Clothing Line? Damn where do I sign up for that?

[qrprat77]

Congrats on taking the first step! Most important thing you'll learn as a Tech is the RF safety aspect of everything, keeping yourself safe from your transmissions is important! Most important thing you'll learn as a General is HOW to operate. Using your gear well is easy, but there are rules to follow, and procedures to know to quickly transmit the most accurate information possible. If your local club has any involvement in the National Traffic Service nets or the like, get involved. You'll learn a lot about how to DO radio from those guys. Then you have Exra class. You'll want to go all the way to Extra if you want to learn about radios. There's a lot of electronics theory on the test, and you'll need to push yourself to learn it, in the mean time though, you'll often find yourself building little circuits that become bigger circuits. Sooner or later you begin to wonder things like "I wonder what happens if I change this part out" and next thing you know you have taken apart your $1500 to clip out one diode so you can have a general coverage transceiver, you know, just in case...

[rockriver]

I love it...
I'm trying to get my tech hat on and crank up my time and money and reading to go get my license too.
then
the "Obama phone and ebt card" ...
lol
me too!
I wonder where that utube is?
someone will know...
a female of African heritage is sitting there shouting about all the things that Obama was going to do for her...
do you remember seeing it?
do you remember how all the folks were commenting about how stupid the video was.
and do you remember how we laughed at how preposterous her statements were...
now I'm not laughing...
I want to find the video an watch it again..
I think everything she claimed was coming has happened..
d____
this ain't funny.

heck no. it aint' funny, but the stupid gal weren't so stupid after all.
just telling the taxpayers out there what was fixing to happen.
and a bunch of folks like me thought this was hilarious, preposterous, stupid, absurd,
we even thought it was a "put on."

I've done talked and typed my way out of a happy happy.

[Not_Yet_Prepped]

The Local Club seems to be involved in a few things... I will find out if they have anything to do with "National Traffic Service" nets.

[1Admin]

I love it...
I'm trying to get my tech hat on and crank up my time and money and reading to go get my license too.
then
the "Obama phone and ebt card" ...
lol
me too!
I wonder where that utube is?
someone will know...
a female of African heritage is sitting there shouting about all the things that Obama was going to do for her...
do you remember seeing it?
do you remember how all the folks were commenting about how stupid the video was.
and do you remember how we laughed at how preposterous her statements were...
now I'm not laughing...
I want to find the video an watch it again..
I think everything she claimed was coming has happened..
d____
this ain't funny.

heck no. it aint' funny, but the stupid gal weren't so stupid after all.
just telling the taxpayers out there what was fixing to happen.
and a bunch of folks like me thought this was hilarious, preposterous, stupid, absurd,
we even thought it was a "put on."

I've done talked and typed my way out of a happy happy.

http://www.wnd.com/2014/07/hey-obama-wheres-my-mortgage-payment/

[qrprat77]

The licenses are good to get a general idea of RF, propagation, how it works, etc. They are just the first step, like everyone doing "research" on a certain subject and thinking "I got this" when they have no real training in the subject.

Get your rigs set up and start making contacts, start trying to tweek things, etc. Best I ever did was working the 20 meter east coast net a little bit and some DX out in Oregon on 15 meters. This took some time working with the equipment, tweeking antennas, etc. Moral of the story being just getting a license just puts your foot in the door.

No different than buying a rifle, shooting it 100 rounds a year and thinking you are good to go- it's a pipe dream.

I wouldn't count on long range comms now, cause I don't work with them regularly any more.

I think I could take some of the thoughts here and expand them out into general principles for helping you get that "perfect practice" that makes perfect.
There are several online tools you can use to help you determine the right frequencies to use to communicate across longer ranges. This won't matter if the grid goes down, but that's also why you have things like QSO logs to help you understand what things have been like. There are also several rules about when certain bands will be open based on time of the year and weather conditions.
I'm thinking detailed information probably warrants a whole new thread.

[Not_Yet_Prepped]

I'm thinking detailed information probably warrants a whole new thread.

I want to read that thread>>>

[Tackleberry]

The licenses are good to get a general idea of RF, propagation, how it works, etc. They are just the first step, like everyone doing "research" on a certain subject and thinking "I got this" when they have no real training in the subject.

Get your rigs set up and start making contacts, start trying to tweek things, etc. Best I ever did was working the 20 meter east coast net a little bit and some DX out in Oregon on 15 meters. This took some time working with the equipment, tweeking antennas, etc. Moral of the story being just getting a license just puts your foot in the door.

No different than buying a rifle, shooting it 100 rounds a year and thinking you are good to go- it's a pipe dream.

I wouldn't count on long range comms now, cause I don't work with them regularly any more.

I second 1A's comments. I got my Tech license 18 months ago. During the same time I have been working on my MBA so I have not had much time to practice. The experience I do have is working with the local emergency nets. We have one here in that meets every Monday at 7pm on a specific frequency. They rotate people controlling the net. I've done it once and was pretty raw at it. It definitely takes a lot of practice. The clubs I have met are very supportive but the one drawback I have noticed is Hams love to use acronyms and talk in "tech-speak". It can be intimidating so do not be afraid to ask questions.