Level up! Achievement unlocked: HAM! - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: apelly
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 13, 2016, 06:52:32 am
content: Just letting you know

author: Muttley Snickers
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 13, 2016, 07:07:45 am
content: I went on a mad hunt around the forum thinking that you had discovered or unlocked a new or hidden sub-forum, and then it hit me....You got your licence....In New Zealand can't you just climb up a hill somewhere and yell out to each other ?....

author: bitseeker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 13, 2016, 07:30:21 am
content: Congratulations!This achievement is still on my tech tree, bucket list, etc.

author: TheSteve
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 13, 2016, 09:15:55 am
content: CQ DX CQ DX CQ DX de VE7FMCongrats!

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 13, 2016, 11:40:56 am
content: Congratulations, OM.I thought my biggest buzz was getting my engineering degree. Nope, far from it. The greatest excitement and achievement was getting my ham radio license. And after 34 years, I still find magic in ham radio. Greatest hobby in the world, IMO.73, de Dave, VK3DRB

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 13, 2016, 01:40:55 pm
content: Congratulations! Enjoy the magic world of radio.Tom, NW0LF

author: MrSlack
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 13, 2016, 01:56:17 pm
content: Congrats. I'm going for my license when my youngest has got past the age of 3 (when my brain returns).

author: apelly
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 13, 2016, 07:28:53 pm
content: Thanks guys. Sat the exam yesterday. It'll take a few days yet for all the bureaucratic processing to get done. I was inspired by Deathwish late last year to get my act together but he seems to be missing in action for the time being. Maybe burned out from months of zealous posting.Looking forward to my first CW contact.Quote from: Muttley Snickers on March 13, 2016, 07:07:45 amOh yes. But I can't yell out toyou.73

author: hendorog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 13, 2016, 07:42:39 pm
content: Quote from: Muttley Snickers on March 13, 2016, 07:07:45 amSilly doggie, he would wake everyone up...Well done apelly

author: Kohanbash
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 13, 2016, 07:55:35 pm
content: Nice. Are you trying for some long distance HF, or sticking with VHF/UHF for now?KB3RMP

author: apelly
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 14, 2016, 01:52:50 am
content: Quote from: hendorog on March 13, 2016, 07:42:39 pmChur bro!Should have done it 30 years ago.Quote from: Kohanbash on March 13, 2016, 07:55:35 pmDX CWThere are administrative hoops to jump through first. Essentially there's a 3 month stand-down period on DX where you are to accumulate 50 local contacts. Allegedly this is to stop new HAMs from embarrassing their country internationally with their incompetence.

author: jh15
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2016, 06:07:25 am
content: Always wanted to drag out ham gear again since tying the knot and do qrp cw.I'll contact you here when I get my Heathkit hw-8 out and throw up a wire.Fun getting a license around here for commercial:Go to MIT, finish your test (GROL, then RADAR endorsement) and even if you are done in 20 mins, they hold you long enough to miss the last 11:00 PM train back to Maine. Happened to me twice in 2 years.Imagine walking the streets of Boston at 2AM because cheapest hotel room was $500.00Just remember Boston Diner, open all night.Best feeling is when you get your license after procrastinating so many years.

author: wkb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2016, 10:20:10 pm
content: Quote from: apelly on March 13, 2016, 07:28:53 pmBetter get proficient in true QRO yelling..

author: apelly
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 14, 2016, 11:17:46 pm
content: Quote from: jh15 on March 14, 2016, 06:07:25 amSweet!Quote from: wkb on March 14, 2016, 10:20:10 pm--.- .-.---------

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2016, 09:32:19 am
content: Quote from: apelly on March 13, 2016, 07:28:53 pmWhere are you located? If you are in Melbourne, check out VK3RCW, the (world's first?) interactive Morse Code Beacon. You can control it on 433.050 MHz and hear it on 145.650 MHz. You can change the Morse speed, tone, content and a host of other things. The Telstra recorded voice and radio personality Jane Holmes reads out a menu every few minutes and one of her options is to read back the Morse code to you for practice. Jane never tires of it. 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I designed the Interactive Morse Code Beacon about 7 years ago. It sits high atop a government installation and covers all of Melbourne.At its core is an Atmel ATmega128 controlling TX/RX and system state machine, pumping out Morse code, and selecting Jane's words and phonemes. The tone is pure, where I decided to use a quad op-amp to produce a sine wave at any of the selected tones. It has a slow attack and decay to avoid keyclicks.It is great if you are driving around and just want to practice Morse. Also very useful for experimenting with VHF antennas because it is a only constant FM signal on VHF in Melbourne.Alternatively have a CW QSO with a real human