Charles,

OMG, please don't count on any of these groups if you want to get an
idea of what amateur radio is like. Go to the club like these guys
suggested. Do some research online (arrl.org, etc.) and go to the
library if you can, and go to HRO on a Saturday morning if it is close
by. Hams are, by nature, good people, and they will be glad to help you!

But r.r.a.m and other such groups are not good indicators of what ham
radio is like. These newsgroups are the "short bus" full of ham radio
wannabees. There are many, many good resources here as well, but the
dozens of idiots screaming from the short bus drown out the few
intelligent ones.

You will get insulted here (as will my posting... watch). That is not
what ham radio is about. Don't let it bother you (and in fact, don't
even read the rest of the sentence when they spray paint you with their
grafitti.)

Just go ahead and get on the air and you will have more fun than you can
imagine. Trust me - I have been on the air since 8th grade. I turned
50 years old in Feb 2005.

And go ahead and post here, but remember that amidst the 90% jerk factor
here, you may find people who actually are licensed, and among them,
you may find some who get on the air sometimes, and among them, you
might find someone who can do you good.

All the best, and 73,
Dave
KZ1O


Carl R. Stevenson wrote:
Charles,

Clubs vary - from my experience, the majority are very open, friendly,
and helpful to newcomers and would-be hams.
Unfortunately, to be totally honest, some are cliquish and not like the
majority.

I would suggest you vist all three and see which one "feels best" in
terms of openness, interests of the membership, etc. and decide from there.

Ham radio is supposed to be about "Elmering" (experienced hams welcoming
and helping newcomers), so don't feel like you need to go it on your own
until you've "earned your stripes" ... if you visit a club and don't get
an appropriately warm welcome, move on and try another one.

73 and good luck,
Carl - wk3c

"charlesW" wrote in message
oups.com...

Hello, I am currently a comp sci student who has become interested in
ham radio, mainly from taking physics classes and learning about
electromagentic theory. I find the subject fascinating and would like
to learn more theory and hands on applications. Currently my schedule
doesn't let me take any of the classes which sound interseting like EM
wave theory and antenna theory. I go to a small school and there isn't
a ham radio club here.

From my initial research into ham radio, the subjects which I have the

most interest is mainly satellite communications, but I am also
interested in DX communications, antenna theory and packet radio.

I have found three clubs on the ARRL website within 30 miles of me.
Only one of those lists DX communication and none of them list
satellite or packet radio as one of the groups interests. I feel a
little uneasy simply showing up to one of the meetings with my limited
(read non-existant) knowledge of the subject. I know enough about the
physics and theory behind everything, but pratically 0 about the actual
application. I envision going to one of these meetings (the one
closest to me is held at a diner) and sitting around a table with a
bunch of guys who are talking ham radio jargon and not being able to
follow anything being said. I realize they are probably helpful to
newcomers, but I think they would expect a newcomer to be able to hold
their own, which at the moment I would be unable to do

Is there any (cheap) equipiment or kits that I might be able to find on
ebay or some retail outlet that you could recommend to a beginner which
I could play around with to help me get started before being licensed?


Any books or websites geared towards beginners (possibly with my
interests in mind) that I might find useful? I've found a bunch, but it
would be better if I could get some recommendations from experienced
operators.