"Frank K3EKO" wrote in message
news:uKKhb.724332$YN5.647633@sccrnsc01...
Dee D. Flint wrote:
"Frank K3EKO" wrote in message
news:uqKhb.724221$YN5.646872@sccrnsc01...

Dee D. Flint wrote:


And after restructuring. Since I am teaching a class, I have read the
current FCC rules and the current ARRL "Now You're Talking."

Technicians

who pass a 5wpm code test get the old Tech+/Novice HF privileges.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE
VE for ARRL and W5YI


This arguement is pointless. You can't talk to a brick wall. I'm done
here.

73

Frank K3EKO


Paragraph 97.301(e) clearly lists the HF privileges for any Technician
who
has passed the 5wpm code test.

So the brick wall is you and you have yet to state where you get your
source
of information. It certainly is not the FCC rules.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE
VE for ARRL and W5YI

This is from the W5YI website.

http://www.w5yi.org/AmRadio.htm#TECHNICIAN

TECHNICIAN

Almost all radioamateurs begin their ham career as a "Tech." The
privileges of a Technician Class operator license include operating
stations while transmitting on channels in any of 17 frequency bands
above 50 MHz with up to 1,500 watts power. It also allows access to
the two most popular ham bands, 2 meters and 70 cm ...otherwise known as
"450" (MHz.). To pass the Technician Class examination, at least 26
multiple choice questions from a 35 question written examination must be
answered correctly.

There are a total of 384 possible questions in the pool from which these
35 questions are drawn. All questions in the various question banks are
known and widely published. There are no secret questions. The
Technician Class is the most popular license with about one-third of all
radioamateurs holding this license class. You will find Technician
study materials here and here


"Channels" ??

Dan/W4NTI

Mike it is correct. Take the tests and good luck! Welcome to ham radio!
You'll read posts from a few knoblicks here, ignore them.

Welcome to the hobby/service!

Thanks!

Mike it is correct. Take the tests and good luck! Welcome to ham radio!
You'll read posts from a few knoblicks here, ignore them.

Welcome to the hobby/service!

Thanks!

I strongly recommend joining a local club and getting involved with them.
There should be plenty of people willing to help and even let you try out
their gear to get a feel for it. Also it is kind of nice to have someone
mentor you through your initial CW contacts. You should be able to find a
club by checking the ARRL website. If there appears to be nothing there,
use an internet search machine and type in the name of your nearest medium
to large city with the words amateur radio. For example, when I moved into
this area, I typed in Detroit area amateur radio and found a club in
the nearest suburb to where I lived.


I plan to start off with low-power CW and need to know what equipment
I'll need to get started. I searched the archives, but did not get
much solid info.



Minimum:
Radio, antenna, and straight key. The antenna will need to be matched
to the frequency on which you will be operating.

Optional
Multiband antenna with an antenna tuner, electronic keyer and paddle.


I plan on getting a basic "learning transceiver" off eBay to begin
with, then after I know what options I need and learn more, I'll get a
new one.



Unless you are an experienced eBay user, I would recommend joining a local
club and buying of a local club member or getting one of them to advise you
and buying at a local hamfest.

I've gotten good stuff off there BUT "It worked the last time I turned it
on" can also mean "before I dropped it down the basement stairs". eBay is
very much a buyer beware situation.


What features will I need to be able to start to do low-power CW, and
is there a preferred brand or model to look for?


Low power CW transceivers are often only single band with almost no
additional features. But they are simple and easy to use. I hear that MFJ
makes some good ones.

Actually, I recommend getting a used standard HF transceiver. You will have
a decent selection of features to try out and it will be ready to go as you
get more experience and when/if you decide to upgrade. It can be used for
the 10 meter voice & data modes that you will be eligible for as well as the
15m, 40m, and 80m CW privileges that you will have. Kenwood, Icom, and
Yeasu are all good brands. I would personally recommend something new
enough that it doesn't use vacuum tube finals as they require that you tune
up the radio itself before transmitting plus if you don't follow proper
procedures, you can easily damage those tubes. On the other hand, many new
people have started successfully with older tube type radios.

I can recommend the Kenwood TS-130 series, TS-140 series, TS-430 series,
TS-440 series among the older, out of production radios. Also a nice
current production radio that you should be able to easily find used at a
reasonable price is the Kenwood TS-50 mobile transceiver. These should all
be available at reasonable prices. I'm not as familiar with Icom or Yeasu
but they made similar radios. There was a Yeasu 757 series (I think) and a
767 series that were both well thought of.

Again I recommend finding a club and getting the help of an experienced ham.
Plus in a club there will be different people personally experienced with
radios from different makers and you will have the opportunity to try some
of them out. Most hams are friendly people and will gladly help you learn
about equipment (and show off their own!).

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE



You suggestions make alot of sense. I'll look for a halfway decient rig
to get started.

MikeB

I strongly recommend joining a local club and getting involved with them.
There should be plenty of people willing to help and even let you try out
their gear to get a feel for it. Also it is kind of nice to have someone
mentor you through your initial CW contacts. You should be able to find a
club by checking the ARRL website. If there appears to be nothing there,
use an internet search machine and type in the name of your nearest medium
to large city with the words amateur radio. For example, when I moved into
this area, I typed in Detroit area amateur radio and found a club in
the nearest suburb to where I lived.


I plan to start off with low-power CW and need to know what equipment
I'll need to get started. I searched the archives, but did not get
much solid info.



Minimum:
Radio, antenna, and straight key. The antenna will need to be matched
to the frequency on which you will be operating.

Optional
Multiband antenna with an antenna tuner, electronic keyer and paddle.


I plan on getting a basic "learning transceiver" off eBay to begin
with, then after I know what options I need and learn more, I'll get a
new one.



Unless you are an experienced eBay user, I would recommend joining a local
club and buying of a local club member or getting one of them to advise you
and buying at a local hamfest.

I've gotten good stuff off there BUT "It worked the last time I turned it
on" can also mean "before I dropped it down the basement stairs". eBay is
very much a buyer beware situation.


What features will I need to be able to start to do low-power CW, and
is there a preferred brand or model to look for?


Low power CW transceivers are often only single band with almost no
additional features. But they are simple and easy to use. I hear that MFJ
makes some good ones.

Actually, I recommend getting a used standard HF transceiver. You will have
a decent selection of features to try out and it will be ready to go as you
get more experience and when/if you decide to upgrade. It can be used for
the 10 meter voice & data modes that you will be eligible for as well as the
15m, 40m, and 80m CW privileges that you will have. Kenwood, Icom, and
Yeasu are all good brands. I would personally recommend something new
enough that it doesn't use vacuum tube finals as they require that you tune
up the radio itself before transmitting plus if you don't follow proper
procedures, you can easily damage those tubes. On the other hand, many new
people have started successfully with older tube type radios.

I can recommend the Kenwood TS-130 series, TS-140 series, TS-430 series,
TS-440 series among the older, out of production radios. Also a nice
current production radio that you should be able to easily find used at a
reasonable price is the Kenwood TS-50 mobile transceiver. These should all
be available at reasonable prices. I'm not as familiar with Icom or Yeasu
but they made similar radios. There was a Yeasu 757 series (I think) and a
767 series that were both well thought of.

Again I recommend finding a club and getting the help of an experienced ham.
Plus in a club there will be different people personally experienced with
radios from different makers and you will have the opportunity to try some
of them out. Most hams are friendly people and will gladly help you learn
about equipment (and show off their own!).

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE



You suggestions make alot of sense. I'll look for a halfway decient rig
to get started.

MikeB

"MikeB" wrote in message
...



Mike it is correct. Take the tests and good luck! Welcome to ham radio!
You'll read posts from a few knoblicks here, ignore them.

Welcome to the hobby/service!

Thanks!


Let us know when you get your call sign. Be happy to work you on the bands.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

"MikeB" wrote in message
...



Mike it is correct. Take the tests and good luck! Welcome to ham radio!
You'll read posts from a few knoblicks here, ignore them.

Welcome to the hobby/service!

Thanks!


Let us know when you get your call sign. Be happy to work you on the bands.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

In article ,
says...
I am taking the Tech+ test soon and have some equipment-related
questions.

I know alot about electronics but nothing about amateur radio, nor do
I know anyone who does, so I hope this is the best newsgroup for info,
if not, let me know which group to ask my questions in!

I plan to start off with low-power CW and need to know what equipment
I'll need to get started. I searched the archives, but did not get
much solid info.

I plan on getting a basic "learning transceiver" off eBay to begin
with, then after I know what options I need and learn more, I'll get a
new one.

What features will I need to be able to start to do low-power CW, and
is there a preferred brand or model to look for?

Low-power operation is referred to in the amateur radio lexicon as
"QRP." If you search on that keyword in Google or Yahoo, you'll find
that there are many different options available to you in that category.

You could purchase a QRP CW transceiver such as the Heathkit HW-8 or HW-
9. They're easy to operate, fairly low-tech. But they are capable of
operating CW and ONLY CW. If you get the itch to move on to SSB or
digital modes, you'll need a different radio. Also, it's ONLY able to
operate on HF, so if you decide you want to work some of the VHF or UHF
bands, it won't go there.

Your best bet would be to get a transceiver that can accomodate multiple
modes. My first rig was a Kenwood TS-520, a very forgiving radio that
offered CW and SSB operation on the 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 meter bands.
It was all solid-state except for the final amplifier, which used tubes.
You can find these on the used market nowadays for under $200 in decent
condition. It operates at around 100 watts, but can be cranked down to
very low power levels if you need to. (One of the rules in Amateur
Radio is to use only the power output necessary to carry on the contact,
and 100 watts is often overkill.)

My personal preference these days is the Yaesu FT-817 transceiver. It
only puts out five watts, but it supports operation on all of the HF
bands, plus 6m, 2m and 70cm. It also provides a general-coverage
receiver for HF, plus receives (but won't transmit on) public-safety
VHF-hi communications, the FM broadcast band, and the VHF aircraft band.
With a device like a RigBlaster and just about any present-day computer,
you can also operate just about any digital mode with the '817.

(Obviously I'm a big fan of the 817! There's also the FT-857 if you
want to have a little more power on tap if needed.)

Hope that helps.

--

-- //Steve//

Steve Silverwood, KB6OJS
Fountain Valley, CA
Email:
Web: http://home.earthlink.net/~kb6ojs_steve

In article ,
says...
I am taking the Tech+ test soon and have some equipment-related
questions.

I know alot about electronics but nothing about amateur radio, nor do
I know anyone who does, so I hope this is the best newsgroup for info,
if not, let me know which group to ask my questions in!

I plan to start off with low-power CW and need to know what equipment
I'll need to get started. I searched the archives, but did not get
much solid info.

I plan on getting a basic "learning transceiver" off eBay to begin
with, then after I know what options I need and learn more, I'll get a
new one.

What features will I need to be able to start to do low-power CW, and
is there a preferred brand or model to look for?

Low-power operation is referred to in the amateur radio lexicon as
"QRP." If you search on that keyword in Google or Yahoo, you'll find
that there are many different options available to you in that category.

You could purchase a QRP CW transceiver such as the Heathkit HW-8 or HW-
9. They're easy to operate, fairly low-tech. But they are capable of
operating CW and ONLY CW. If you get the itch to move on to SSB or
digital modes, you'll need a different radio. Also, it's ONLY able to
operate on HF, so if you decide you want to work some of the VHF or UHF
bands, it won't go there.

Your best bet would be to get a transceiver that can accomodate multiple
modes. My first rig was a Kenwood TS-520, a very forgiving radio that
offered CW and SSB operation on the 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 meter bands.
It was all solid-state except for the final amplifier, which used tubes.
You can find these on the used market nowadays for under $200 in decent
condition. It operates at around 100 watts, but can be cranked down to
very low power levels if you need to. (One of the rules in Amateur
Radio is to use only the power output necessary to carry on the contact,
and 100 watts is often overkill.)

My personal preference these days is the Yaesu FT-817 transceiver. It
only puts out five watts, but it supports operation on all of the HF
bands, plus 6m, 2m and 70cm. It also provides a general-coverage
receiver for HF, plus receives (but won't transmit on) public-safety
VHF-hi communications, the FM broadcast band, and the VHF aircraft band.
With a device like a RigBlaster and just about any present-day computer,
you can also operate just about any digital mode with the '817.

(Obviously I'm a big fan of the 817! There's also the FT-857 if you
want to have a little more power on tap if needed.)

Hope that helps.

--

-- //Steve//

Steve Silverwood, KB6OJS
Fountain Valley, CA
Email:
Web: http://home.earthlink.net/~kb6ojs_steve

I plan on getting a basic "learning transceiver" off eBay to begin
with, then after I know what options I need and learn more, I'll get a
new one.

What features will I need to be able to start to do low-power CW, and
is there a preferred brand or model to look for?


Low-power operation is referred to in the amateur radio lexicon as
"QRP." If you search on that keyword in Google or Yahoo, you'll find
that there are many different options available to you in that category.

You could purchase a QRP CW transceiver such as the Heathkit HW-8 or HW-
9. They're easy to operate, fairly low-tech. But they are capable of
operating CW and ONLY CW. If you get the itch to move on to SSB or
digital modes, you'll need a different radio. Also, it's ONLY able to
operate on HF, so if you decide you want to work some of the VHF or UHF
bands, it won't go there.

Your best bet would be to get a transceiver that can accomodate multiple
modes. My first rig was a Kenwood TS-520, a very forgiving radio that
offered CW and SSB operation on the 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 meter bands.
It was all solid-state except for the final amplifier, which used tubes.
You can find these on the used market nowadays for under $200 in decent
condition. It operates at around 100 watts, but can be cranked down to
very low power levels if you need to. (One of the rules in Amateur
Radio is to use only the power output necessary to carry on the contact,
and 100 watts is often overkill.)

My personal preference these days is the Yaesu FT-817 transceiver. It
only puts out five watts, but it supports operation on all of the HF
bands, plus 6m, 2m and 70cm. It also provides a general-coverage
receiver for HF, plus receives (but won't transmit on) public-safety
VHF-hi communications, the FM broadcast band, and the VHF aircraft band.
With a device like a RigBlaster and just about any present-day computer,
you can also operate just about any digital mode with the '817.

(Obviously I'm a big fan of the 817! There's also the FT-857 if you
want to have a little more power on tap if needed.)

Hope that helps.



Thanks for the info, I'll check out those models also.

I will probably be trying out all modes of operation on all bands
eventually, as I learn more, so how many watts of output power will I
need for most contacts? I don't want to start out undersized!

Also, does anyone know of a website that has side-by-side compairsons of
rigs?

Thanks,
MikeB