Break for a radio check.

[BikeWriter]

Poll question: Break for a radio check.

Are there any Ham operators or Citizen Banders anong us? Inquiring minds want to know.

[Oeditpus Rex]

1. I've done both

KBFC 6369 on the 11-meter band in the early '80s; N6SMG working 2 meters and 220 mHz in the late '80s-early '90s. Ticket (Tech) expired long ago and I never renewed it.

[BikeWriter]

4. I would have loved to have done the Ham freqs...

I never got around to studying for the exam.

[Crazy Dave]

8. There's no morse code for the tech license

and by this summer the FCC should be dropping the morse code requirement for the hf bands. I pretty much only need what I got now which is a tech license as my main reason is for volunteer emergency communications.

[BikeWriter]

9. Dropping the Morse requirement will be a relief to lots of Hams...

One of my Ham friends was the fastest "talker" I'd ever heard. He'd been an operator since childhood as a military brat. Practicing is a bummer to some people, though.

[Crazy Dave]

5. I just bought a Yaesu VX-6R 144/220/440mhz

The 220 band is completely silent.

[BikeWriter]

7. That should be a great one, Dave!

[Oeditpus Rex]

10. 220 was pretty dead when I was a ham

Even most Novices wouldn't go there, preferring 144 mHz. There were more local repeaters for 144, but I dunno if that's how it is everywhere.

[Crazy Dave]

2. Ham and CB

My wife and I have our ham licenses but in my vehicle I have a CB. I have a long highway commute back and forth to work and the CB is more informative and entertaining. I don't talk anymore, just listen. I was also a SWL until I got Sirius. They have the World Radio Network that has all those foreign stations that I used to search for late at night.

[BikeWriter]

6. I used to listen to the ham frequencies on an old Kenwood...

It would pick stations up from all over the world. ;-)

[BikeWriter]

3. All I've got hooked up now is an old CB base station...

At one time I had a thousand watt CB base station here at the house. It would get out pretty good off a 70 foot tall antenna. My maximum output in the truck was around 3,600 to 4,000 watts with all sorts of modulation.

[xmas74]

11. My grandfather was a Ham operator for many years

and a radio fanatic.

[BikeWriter]

16. It's a damned good hobby. I made many friends on the CB. ;-)

[xmas74]

17. He loved it and used to fiddle around w/ various

antennas for that and CB. He did actually have one patented and sold the rights many years ago. He used to receive royality checks for it every few months.

[BikeWriter]

18. That's super he profited from his hobby, too...

I was always intrigued by the technical aspects of radio. I was able to set up some very effective systems, but didn't get into many repairs or anything.

[enigmatic]

12. Huge shortwave/AM DX freak here

I've got alot of friends who are Hams, but I never went that route, though I break out the CB radio from time to time..

[BikeWriter]

14. I haven't turned a radio on in months. I should...

set one up just to stay up on what's happening on the channel, I guess. I was very into it for several years, as witnessed by the five dozer batteries in my truck bed.

[bikebloke]

13. Shortwave listener

I know I can listen to the same stations online. But I want to keep the ear I've developed. You never know when the junta may pull the plug on the Internets.

[BikeWriter]

15. That's a good point, Bikebloke. They are a great alternate communication.