In article , scott5mi@cox-
internet.com says...
Hi folks.
Please allow me to give a "newbies" view on the current state of amateur
radio, and also ask a few questions.
snippety
I recently took my Technicians License exam and passed with a perfect score.
(I bring up the score just to indicate that I studied hard, and took the
exam seriously). I am now studying to take the 5wpm mores code test. I have
not yet purchased a radio, or even been "on the air". More on this is a
moment.
Congrats. Please keep up the good work. ;-)
But what disappoints me is the fact that I left this meeting knowing
absolutely no more than I did when I walked into the door. I had been led to
believe that one of the best ways for a new guy just becoming involved in
this hobby to get practical advice on things like your first purchase of
equipment, which bands are best for what, and the different applications of
amateur radio, was to join a club. Well, unfortunately, the majority of the
meeting I attended was, in my opinion, controlled by a group of 7 or 8 ham
"veterans" trying to impress one another with their technical knowledge.
Don't judge the entirety of amateur radio, or the entirety of
clubs, by the actions of a few jerks. What you describe is actually not
that uncommon. If the club president, or whoever is moderating the
meeting, is uncaring enough to just let such crap happen, then you may
want to think about finding another club.
The other thing you want to consider is that it's not so much what
you ask: It's how you ask it. Narrow your questions down as much as
possible before you ask them.
Also, I would give it a couple of meetings and see what happens
before you give up on your current club. I'm saying this because a local
club in my area (Puget Sound region) is just the opposite of what you
describe: Supportive, relaxed, friendly to newcomers.
1) The Amateur Radio Service is not an essential element in our society.
There are lots of police, fire, and public service agencies,
including the Red Cross and FEMA, that would argue that point with you
most vociferously. Even President Bush has directly recognized amateur
radio for its contributions to our society.
If amateur radio were not an 'essential' service, organizations
like RACES, ARES, and MARS would not exist.
Even in times of emergency, there is nothing you can do with a ham radio
that you can't do with an internet connection, fax machine, land line
telephone, or cell phone in similar circumstances.
I beg to disagree, and it is through direct experience. The Puget
Sound region suffered a strong earthquake in late February of 2000.
Within less than five minutes after the quake struck, cellphone
connections across the region were utterly jammed, landlines were iffy
at best, and no one was allowed into most of the buildings on the Boeing
campus to even GET to the Internet-connected computers.
What was it that stayed up and usable during the entire period of
the quake, and after the quake? You guessed it. Amateur radio repeaters.
Much of the traffic I heard during that time was most interesting
indeed.
like golf, gardening, bird watching, or any other hobby, it could cease to
exist tomorrow, and nothing would really change.
If that is truly your belief, why did you even bother to get your
license?
Amateur radio, like Life itself, is a mirror. It will give back to
you exactly what YOU put into it.
2) To me, the most appealing aspect to Ham Radio is the gaining of
knowledge. Learning the "in's and out's" of all that encompasses Ham Radio o
peration is the true fun, whether it is dx'ing, satellite, CW or whatever.
But, like building a boat in a bottle, or even doing a crossword puzzle, the
satisfaction comes in the steps taken to accomplish the task, not the end
result itself.
I disagree there as well. The end result is part of the appeal.
What you get into is a state where you do something one way, observe the
end result, and then try to improve on that result. That's what
tinkering and experimentation are all about.
3) From all accounts that I have heard, the number of new Amateur licenses
issued has been declining for years. This would tell me that the best way to
save the hobby was to open new Hams with open arms, instead of clinging
white-knuckled to the past (packet radio, morse code etc.) look to the
future, and make it fun.
You need to take another look at the definition of the Amateur
Radio SERVICE in Part 97, FCC regs.
Thanks for letting me rant folks. Now for some questions.
1) Can anyone point me towards any resources to assist someone brand new to
the hobby? (Stuff like recommendations on the type of equipment to get for
the first time buyer)?
The problem you're facing is that asking that question, in exactly
the way you ask it above, is like asking someone "Should I buy a car or
motorcycle, and what type should it be?"
Can you see how broad that is? You need to be more specific with
what, exactly, you want to do and what modes you're interested in
operating. Are you interested mainly in VHF/UHF? Perhaps in HF down the
road a bit? How much do you want to spend? What features are important
to you? Mobile, base, or portable?
2) Also, any sources to purchase used equipment. I think I would rather buy
more functional used stuff, than new equipment that has less "bells and
whistles".
gryn You and I are of a similar mind on at least one thing, I
see. That I can help with! The best possible place to pick up used
goodies is ham radio swap meets, often a part of hamfests. You can find
a listing of upcoming events at
http://www.arrl.org
You should also ask around at your next club meeting, especially
among the 'tinkerers' in the club. They're likely to know a lot of
sources for getting hold of equipment and parts.
If you'd like some guidelines on scrounging, you can check my
site:
http://www.bluefeathertech.com/technoid/swapadvice.html
3) One more thing...I am looking for information on antennas that is geared
to the novice.
Again, far too broad a question. Are you looking for something
that's just plain simple to put up and use, or do you want something
that's going to help you grab some decent DX? How much space do you have
available? How much can you spend?
Happy hunting.
73 de KC7GR
--
Dr. Anton Squeegee, Director, Dutch Surrealist Plumbing Institute
(Known to some as Bruce Lane, KC7GR)
kyrrin a/t bluefeathertech d-o=t c&o&m
Motorola Radio Programming & Service Available -
http://www.bluefeathertech.com/rf.html
"Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati" (Red Green)