At the risk of exposing my newbness...

I am considering a tech license and note references to "permission"
levels for various bands, as well as indications of certain operating
modes for particular freqs/bands (I have not bought a manual yet, still
trying to determine what level of total investment will be necessary for
my desired use). Based on admittedly cursory review thusfar, it appears
voice comms have limited availability for a tech ticket. IF that is the
case, my primary interest is in emergency voice comms during regional
events...will I need to upgrade to a general license for effective use?

TIA

Beachbum wrote:
At the risk of exposing my newbness...

At the risk of showing unbounded enthusiasm that there's someone who is
looking into entering this fine hobby . . . WELCOME!

I am considering a tech license and note references to "permission"
levels for various bands, as well as indications of certain operating
modes for particular freqs/bands (I have not bought a manual yet, still
trying to determine what level of total investment will be necessary for
my desired use).

I suggest the ARRL web site. Specifically to address this question, see
http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/bands.html where you can
access various sizes of a graphic that will show you which bands are
available and what kind of operating (phone, code, etc.) is allowed on
each. Unfortunately, this is perhaps the trees when what you are
looking for is the forest. If you poke around on the site, you'll find
more general information that will give you background on the hobby and
explain what the various frequency bands are good for.

Based on admittedly cursory review thusfar, it appears
voice comms have limited availability for a tech ticket. IF that is the
case, my primary interest is in emergency voice comms during regional
events...will I need to upgrade to a general license for effective use?

The short answer to this question is, no.

The Technician class license has full privileges, including voice, on
frequencies that are dubbed VHF and UHF. At these frequencies,
communication is "limited" to line-of-sight. However, hams have built
repeaters, which generally are on some high place and are line-of-sight
to a large area. The bottom line is that the Tech privileges allow you
to communicate over most large urban areas.

This is the mode of ham radio that is used for the vast majority of
communication during disaster events and public service events. When
you see a ham talking into a handi-talkie, he's using one of the
frequency bands that the Technician license includes. For short- to
medium-range tactical communications, this is the equipment of choice
and most of the participants hold the Technician class license.

The lower frequency allocations, which are not available to the
Technician license, are useful for longer-range communications. At
these frequencies, the radio waves bounce back from the upper layers of
the atmosphere, making it possible to communicate around the world.
It's quite rewarding to contact someone on the other side of the earth,
using just your own equipment. As you can see, there are many aspects
of the hobby, and once you get into it you may decide that you want to
move into areas other than regional events. Or not . . . it's your choice.

73, Steve KB9X
("73" means "Best regards", and that's my callsign)

On Fri, 22 Jan 2010 09:11:49 EST, Steve Bonine wrote:

The Technician class license has full privileges, including voice, on
frequencies that are dubbed VHF and UHF.

And much higher frequencies, including microwaves.

At these frequencies,
communication is "limited" to line-of-sight. However, hams have built
repeaters, which generally are on some high place and are line-of-sight
to a large area. The bottom line is that the Tech privileges allow you
to communicate over most large urban areas.

Some hams have added other radio equipment to link together several
repeaters to cover large areas. One linked system in the western USA
is the Intermountain Intertie http://utahvhfs.org/snowlink.html which
covers much of central and southern Idaho, southwestern Wyoming,
northern Utah, western and southwestern Utah, northwestern Arizona,
and northeastern and southeastern Nevada.

The ultimate repeaters, range-wise, are the satellites which hams have
placed in orbit. See http://www.amsat.org/ It is possible to
communicate using these satellites with a hand-held 5-watt radio and a
hand-held directional antenna.

Amateur radio equipment is standard on the International Space Station
(ISS). Most of the astronauts are licensed hams, and in their spare
time they will get on the radio to have fun.

The satellites and the ISS all use VHF and UHF frequencies which a
Technician license covers.

The ultimate long-distance path is bouncing your signals off the moon
and back to earth. See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EME_%28communications%29
The Technician license covers this.

Dick, AC7EL

"Beachbum" wrote

At the risk of exposing my newbness...

I am considering a tech license and note references to "permission" levels
for various bands, as well as indications of certain operating modes for
particular freqs/bands (I have not bought a manual yet, still trying to
determine what level of total investment will be necessary for my desired
use). Based on admittedly cursory review thusfar, it appears voice comms
have limited availability for a tech ticket. IF that is the case, my
primary interest is in emergency voice comms during regional events...will
I need to upgrade to a general license for effective use?

If your desire is to communicate locally for Emergency Services, you would
normally operate on VHF and/or UHF frequencies, which are all open to the
Technician license. If you want to communicate further, where VHF/UHF
simplex or repeaters won't go, then you would need to upgrade to General to
be able to operate voice within the HF bands. For example, if you wanted to
participate in the emergency nets for the Haiti earthquake, you must have at
least a General class license.

Howard N7SO

In Beachbum
wrote:

At the risk of exposing my newbness...

I am considering a tech license and note references to "permission"
levels for various bands, as well as indications of certain operating
modes for particular freqs/bands (I have not bought a manual yet,
still trying to determine what level of total investment will be
necessary for my desired use). Based on admittedly cursory review
thusfar, it appears voice comms have limited availability for a tech
ticket. IF that is the case, my primary interest is in emergency voice
comms during regional events...will I need to upgrade to a general
license for effective use?

Take a look at the chart at

http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/reg...ands_color.pdf

which will show you what modes the classes of licensees can use on the
various bands.

I think you'll find that a Technician class license will give you full
permission on all bands 50MHz and up, which is where is where you'll
find almost all local event communications taking place.

--
Bert Hyman W0RSB St. Paul, MN

Bert Hyman wrote:
In Beachbum
wrote:

At the risk of exposing my newbness...

I am considering a tech license and note references to "permission"
levels for various bands, as well as indications of certain operating
modes for particular freqs/bands (I have not bought a manual yet,
still trying to determine what level of total investment will be
necessary for my desired use). Based on admittedly cursory review
thusfar, it appears voice comms have limited availability for a tech
ticket. IF that is the case, my primary interest is in emergency voice
comms during regional events...will I need to upgrade to a general
license for effective use?

Take a look at the chart at

http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/reg...ands_color.pdf

which will show you what modes the classes of licensees can use on the
various bands.

I think you'll find that a Technician class license will give you full
permission on all bands 50MHz and up, which is where is where you'll
find almost all local event communications taking place.


OK, Great! And thanks to all who responded.

As I am located about 2/3rds the way up the side of Punchbowl Crater,
my "line of sight" should easily cover most of my operating area in the
Honolulu area, including several mil bases, multiple airports and
seaports, as well as State and County HQ's. If repeaters remain
operational, the rest of the island should be accessible as well, to
some extent. Aside from that, I've had a scanner for over 40 years at
this point, and pick up a lot, but two-way comms would become critical
in a Hurricane or Earthquake scenario.

Now to order the manual and start studying...

Beachbum wrote:
Bert Hyman wrote:
In Beachbum
wrote:
At the risk of exposing my newbness...

I am considering a tech license and note references to "permission"
levels for various bands, as well as indications of certain operating
modes for particular freqs/bands (I have not bought a manual yet,
still trying to determine what level of total investment will be
necessary for my desired use). Based on admittedly cursory review
thusfar, it appears voice comms have limited availability for a tech
ticket. IF that is the case, my primary interest is in emergency voice
comms during regional events...will I need to upgrade to a general
license for effective use?

Take a look at the chart at

http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/reg...ands_color.pdf

which will show you what modes the classes of licensees can use on the
various bands.
I think you'll find that a Technician class license will give you full
permission on all bands 50MHz and up, which is where is where you'll
find almost all local event communications taking place.

OK, Great! And thanks to all who responded.

As I am located about 2/3rds the way up the side of Punchbowl Crater,
my "line of sight" should easily cover most of my operating area in the
Honolulu area, including several mil bases, multiple airports and
seaports, as well as State and County HQ's. If repeaters remain
operational, the rest of the island should be accessible as well, to
some extent. Aside from that, I've had a scanner for over 40 years at
this point, and pick up a lot, but two-way comms would become critical
in a Hurricane or Earthquake scenario.

Now to order the manual and start studying...


Well, that was simple enough. EARCHI had a testing session this AM, and
I passed! I've been listening in to a couple of the local repeater nets,
getting a feel for local practices and personalities. Now comes decision
time...Yaesu or Icom? I'm leaning to the Icom dual band HT's right now.

For the home portable/base, would a mag mount on the corrugated metal
carport roof work pretty well (vs. rooftop mag on the car)?

"Beachbum" wrote

Well, that was simple enough. EARCHI had a testing session this AM, and I
passed!

Congratulations! Now, that wasn't so hard, was it? ;-)

I've been listening in to a couple of the local repeater nets, getting a
feel for local practices and personalities.

Very smart: listen first, talk later.

Now comes decision time...Yaesu or Icom? I'm leaning to the Icom dual band
HT's right now.

Everyone has an opinion.... and of course there are multiple models from
each. Others with experience with them might chime in.

For the home portable/base, would a mag mount on the corrugated metal
carport roof work pretty well (vs. rooftop mag on the car)?

Either should work well, though the corrugated metal might not give enough
of a mechanical grip or enough capacitance for a good RF ground (have I got
that right?) ;-) There are three common antenna lengths (that I know of)
for mobile antennas: 1/4 wave, 1/2 wave, and 5/8 wave. The 1/2 wave and 5/8
wave antennas will give you a lower angle of radiation (i.e., gain over a
1/4 wave). Your QTH sounds like it's well above Honolulu proper, and you
could probably take good advantage of the longer antennas. And if you can
see other islands, you shouldn't have any trouble working stations on them,
too.

Howard N7SO

Beachbum wrote:
Well, that was simple enough. EARCHI had a testing session this AM, and

I passed! I've been listening in to a couple of the local repeater nets
,
getting a feel for local practices and personalities. Now comes decisio
n
time...Yaesu or Icom? I'm leaning to the Icom dual band HT's right now.

Congratulations.

For the home portable/base, would a mag mount on the corrugated metal
carport roof work pretty well (vs. rooftop mag on the car)?

Put a cookie tin under the mag mount on the roof, it will stabilize
things.

Jeff-1.0
wa6fwi

--
“Egotism is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of stupidity.”
Frank Leahy, Head coach, Notre Dame 1941-1954

http://www.stay-connect.com

On 3/13/2010 3:51 PM, Beachbum wrote:

Well, that was simple enough. EARCHI had a testing session this AM, and
I passed! I've been listening in to a couple of the local repeater nets,
getting a feel for local practices and personalities. Now comes decision
time...Yaesu or Icom? I'm leaning to the Icom dual band HT's right now.

Both companies make good products, but I suggest you wait a few weeks.
Attend a ham club meeting, and tell the members you're looking for a
rig: someone may have a loaner you can try out, or even one that
they'll part with for a good price to get you started.

If not, there are a lot of used rigs out there, that can be had for
reasonable money. Frankly, the trick is to go slowly and build your
"dream" station a little at a time, so that you don't spend your whole
slush fund on one mode or one rig and then find you don't want to keep
using it. Field Day and Emergency Communicaitons drills (EMCOM) are an
excellent way to see various modes and rigs in action. If possible, try
out all the modes your license covers, and find out if you'd be more
comfortable with hilltopping, or packet, or EmCom, or even microwave,
or whatever: try _before_ you buy.

For the home portable/base, would a mag mount on the corrugated metal
carport roof work pretty well (vs. rooftop mag on the car)?

The only way to know is to try it, so buy an antenna that will work
with your car and then give it a chance on the roof. Repeaters make up
for most of the antenna issues that used to plague VHF operators, and
so long as you're "Full quieting" into the machines you want to use,
you win.

If not, tell your XYL that the new DTV standard requires a tower, and
go from there. ;-)

73,

Bill, W1AC

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