Hamming It Up!

A Ham Radio Comes In Handy During Emergencies

2008-02-29T11:59:00.000-05:00

When things happen such as earthquakes or staying in contact with and find people who are lost at sea, ham radios can come in handy!

Here is a link to an article that talks about one's man participation in ham radio. For him, he started it out as a hobby by just listening to the ham radio broadcasts and then it became much more to him. (He has even worked in conjunction with the police!)

Here is an excerpt from the article:

"A few nights ago, George Scott was in his bathroom getting ready for bed when he felt one of the earthquakes that shook Yuma recently. He quickly got on his ham radio and found that three of his fellow operators were already on the frequency talking about it. "

Aether?

2008-02-03T13:21:00.001-05:00

What is Aether?

Aether a new application designed to log ham radio sessions. Take a look at the screenshot below:

Aether provides tools to quickly and easily log contacts while on the air, as well as organize, search and track contacts after the fact. Features include instant search, automatic callbook lookup, serial rig control, cocoaModem integration and more. Aether is available for $40 and requires Mac OS X 10.4 or higher.

*Unfortunately Aether requires Mac OS X 10.4 or higher. But if you have this Mac Operating system then this program is available for around $40.

source
Macnn

Ham Radio Club Celebrates!

2008-01-21T01:36:00.000-05:00

The Tacoma Radio Club is celebrating its 100th anniversary!

The club currently has about 300 members.

Here is an excerpt from an online article:

"RCT members, young and old, hail from all over the South Sound. And when your 400 googleherz of megaram fails and the Y2K bug finally burrows in and shorts out “the grid,” it’ll be these amateur radio operators who’ll keep the information flowing and help get things back online."

The Radio Club of Tacoma's clubhouse looks like any other home in the 1200 block of South Washington Street – except for the giant antenna that looms over the entire neighborhood. The clubhouse is home to a library of vintage radio operating manuals and a museum of antique radios as well as some of the club’s current broadcasting equipment. And it’s open to the public for a few hours every Saturday.

One thing that is interesting to note is that while knowing the morse code is no longer a requirement, a lot of the club members still practice it.

source
The News Tribune

Arnewsline

2008-01-14T12:16:00.000-05:00

About Us:

Amateur Radio Newsline™ is a free service to the amateur radio community. It is entirely supported by voluntary donations from individual amateurs and amateur radio clubs.

Amateur Radio Newsline™ is not directly associated with the former Westlink Report Newsletter (no longer in production ), the ARRL Letter, or any organization or amateur radio lobby group.

All participants in the Amateur Radio Newsline™ operation are professionals in the news media who have volunteered their time and skills to help prepare each weekly bulletin.

Amateur Radio Newsline™ has no paid staff and all funds go directly to the defraying operating costs.

Amateur Radio Newsline™ along with Vertex-Standard and CQ Publishing is a co-sponsor of the Young Ham of the Year Award program. The award was created in 1986 by ARNewsline™ founder Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF. Full information on this program is at http://www.yhoty.org

Amateur Radio Newsline™ created and sponsors the Roy Neal K6DUE Amateur Radio Mentoring Project. This is a program designed to take newly licensed radio amateurs and place them one-on-one with veteran hams so that they may learn the traditions and operating skills that no classroom or home-study environment can teach. Please see http://www.arnewsline.org/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=25&Itemid=42 for more information.

About the Newscast:

Amateur Radio Newsline™ proiduces a weekly newscast of interest to radio amateurs worldwide. The bulletins conform to all sections and codes as outlined under the United States FCC Part 97 Amateur Radio Service rules regarding the legal means of amateur radio operators issuing "QST’s" or "Bulletins of Interest to All Amateurs." We differ only in format and follow a more traditional radio "spot news" format. Whenever possible,

Production Values:

Amateur Radio Newsline™ stories include the voices of the newsmakers themselves so that you can more easily understand the effect that the story will have on all radio amateurs. If you have ever heard CBS Network Radio News or NBC News on the Hour then you will be familiar with the format utilized by Amateur Radio Newsline™, with the exception that the information we provide is strictly directed to radio amateurs.

Distribution:

Amateur Radio Newsline™ does not directly sponsor any on-air operation. We have no transmitting facilities of our own on any band: HF or VHF / UHF. We are producer / distributors only.

Amateur Radio Newsline™ is delivered primarily by MP3 Internet Audio at our http://www.arnewsline.org website and by automated telephone feeds from various locations nationwide.

Since most Amateur Radio Newsline™ bulletins contain a lead message to the issuing bulletin station called a "Closed Circuit Advisory" we recommend that bulletin stations pre-record the service and retransmit only that part which constitutes the text of the service itself. This is easily accomplished by calling into one of the numbers listed below and recording Amateur Radio Newsline™ for delayed retransmission on your local repeater (or FM simplex / HF SSB frequency.) This also permits easy integration of Amateur Radio Newsline™ into an already established net or on-air amateur radio information service.

Newscast Release Schedule:

The website audio and text feed is usually updated early on Friday of each week – Pacific time (PST or PDT depending on time of year.)

The Los Angeles (661-296-2407) telephone feed is updated by midday Friday Pacific time with other lines usually updating within 24 hours. (Please note that with the exception of the Los Angeles area lines, all other feed points are privately funded and sponsored.)

Technical Stuff:

The weekly Amateur Radio Newsline™ Amateur Radio bulletin is formatted and engineered primarily for distribution on VHF / UHF amateur repeaters and by FM simplex bulletin stations. Audio processing is specifically contoured for these delivery media, but the service can also be relayed with good results on HF SSB.

A Thank-You:

We hope that you and all amateur operators in your area will enjoy Amateur Radio Newsline™. Please let us know how we can serve you better. E-mail your suggestions to newsline@arnewsline.org

Arnewsline

Scholarship Program For Amateur Radio Enthusiasts!

2007-12-29T01:12:00.000-05:00

The Foundation for Amateur Radio, Inc. (FAR), provides support to the Amateur Radio community for education, and technical and advisory guidance.

Scholarships

The Foundation For Amateur Radio is currently accepting applications for scholarships for the 2008-2009 academic year.

The FAR Scholarship Committee is responsible for the administration of 58 Amateur Radio-related scholarships that are sponsored by individuals and Amateur Radio clubs from across the nation. This is the largest such program related to Amateur Radio in the country. The FAR scholarship application process is open to all licensed Amateur Radio operators worldwide. Scholarship amounts range from $500 to $3,000.

Click here for detailed information about FAR Scholarships

Scholarships are open to all licensed amateurs who are pursuing a full-time course of studies beyond high school and are enrolled in or have been accepted for enrollment at an accredited university, college or technical school.

Scholarship applications for the 2008-2009 academic year are currently available.

The cut-off date for applications is May 1, 2008.

Scholarships for the 2008 - 2009 Academic Year

Beginning this year, the FAR Scholarship application form is being supplied as a PDF form file. This form gives you two options:

You may fill out the form electronically using either Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat (free download to view .pdf files), then print it out for signature
Or, you may simply print the blank form and fill it out by hand.

We encourage you to use the electronic completion method to ensure the legibility of the completed document. Either way, you are required to submit a paper copy of the form, complete with the required signatures.

Once you have completed the form, please print it out. A signed, paper copy of the form is the only valid form of submission.

If you have questions about, or problems with use of the electronic form, please contact Dave Prestel, W8AJR, at dave.prestel@gmail.com or by phone at 410 552-2652.

You will need to download both the application and regulations documents as both are needed to properly complete the application.

Regardless of how you choose to complete the form, please obtain the required recommendation signatures that are asked for on Page 7 and be sure to sign Page 8 yourself.

Incomplete forms, forms sent by email, and unsigned forms will not be considered.

You may mail the completed and signed form to:

FAR Scholarships

P.O. Box 831

Riverdale, MD 20738

or, you may FAX the completed and signed form to 410 981-5146.

Note that the cut-off date for applications is May 1, 2008.

This information was last updated: December 03, 2007

I'm Always Curious As To How Some People Have Come To / Found My Blog.....

2007-12-16T00:07:00.000-05:00

Here is how one person got to my blog - they used Google's search engine to get here

The search term that was used was "ke0ty repeater". If you go to the link noted above you will see a list of different repeater links and their locations

(I have to remember to thank my "SEO Consultant)

Amateur Radio Operations Useful in Many Situations

2007-11-27T22:40:00.001-05:00

Amateur Radio Operations Useful in Many Situations By Angela Nash - 19 Nov 2007

Photo by Stephanie RhodesContrary to what many think, most ham radios are not simple hand held devices.
Amateur radio operators use their ham radios to communicate with others around the world.
"Typically when people think of a radio, they think of the little handheld things people carry around which, yes, they are nice to have and they are beneficial, but that is not where radio stops at all," said Mike Robinson, former president of the BYU Amateur Radio Club.
Ham is a nickname for amateur radio.
"There are lots of rumors of where it [the nickname] started off," said David Springgay, president of the BYU Amateur Radio Club. "The most reliable one that I can think of, and the one that I go with, is that the Navy always got mad at amateur radio operators so they started calling us hams, you know, like pigs."
Ham radios are similar to CB radios, except the frequencies used by ham radio operators are monitored.
"One of the things that ham radio has prided itself on and still does, is the fact that the bands are clean," said Jim Manookin, faculty advisor to the BYU Amateur Radio Club. "CB radio operators don't have an organized way of controlling their band space."
Because CB radio band space is not controlled, inappropriate material is often heard.
"There are vulgarities, off-colored stories and bad language," Manookin said. "One of the things that we judiciously try to avoid is that kind of language and that kind of use of our radio bands. It is illegal to swear on the radio. It is bad practice to say anything disparaging."
The use of ham radios is regulated by the Federal Communications Commission.
"Without regulation, it would be chaotic, much like CB's," said Chris Black, the communications and IT specialist for the University Police.
One way the Federal Communications Commission regulates the use of ham radios is by requiring all amateur radio operators to have a license to use a ham radio.
"The FCC controls those frequencies," Springgay said. "They want to make sure you know proper etiquette ... and they want to be sure you know how to use them, that you know the rules and you know some basic theory, radio theory."
There are many reasons to become a licensed ham radio operator.
"One of them is to promote the radio art, which kind of means to promote the brotherhood, the camaraderie that exists in the ham radio community," Manookin said.
For many ham radio operators, it is a hobby. For others, it is a way to provide service.
"The reason you would want one, is you can do a lot of service in the community, being able to assist in emergencies, because unlike cell phones, they don't go down," said Robinson.
Ham radios have been used in several national disasters, including hurricane Katrina and Sept. 11.
"In the 9/11 disaster, when the twin towers came down, there were, on the top of the twin towers, a number of communications facilities ... and when the towers came down all that communications infrastructure failed," Manookin said. "And so, one of the most valuable services was the quick response of ham radio operators in that area and the surrounding area who came in ... and established, at least a basic emergency infrastructure of communications that was invaluable during that disaster response."

How to become a licensed Ham radio operator:

1) Contact the BYU Amateur Radio Club (radioclub.byu.edu) for help in preparing for the exam.
2) Study for the exam. The question pool can be found online at http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/pools.html.
3) Take the exam. To find upcoming exams, use the exam locator on the Amateur radio relay league web-site http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/examsearch.phtml.
4) Purchase a radio. The BYU Amateur Radio Club also lends radios to its members.

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words!

2007-08-30T11:36:00.000-04:00

This is from a very old Radio Shack Catalog (and it was quite hard to upload it!) But the picture is from a 1994 Radio Shack catalog.

It is a 440-MHz Ham Transceiver. It comes with an AC charger and takes 2 AA batteries. The price at the time was $259.99 and I don't think that includes the tax.

As you may very well know Radio Shack is not the store that it used to be! You could pick up a whole lot of interesting and useful components for almost any kind of electrical equipment that you had. Now the store is very different. I believe that the last time that I went there you could still special order some parts but I don't even know if they do that now.

I'm sure you might be able to find this receiver on Ebay and maybe at some of the more specialty stores. I'm sure that there should be some kinds of stores that still sell these things but you probably would have to take som time and find them - although I am sure that there are still some of these around. There may be some people who know where you could buy them or they may be able to tell you about people that are selling them. I love a good hunt and if it meant that I could still find one of these then I would definitely try and track it down.

Guide To Choosing Your First Radio

2007-08-29T23:30:00.000-04:00

Guide to Choosing Your First Radio
by Joseph M. Durnal N3PAQ
You’ll often hear that a handheld transceiver is not the best first radio for a new ham, and for good reason, handheld transceivers, while they are a completely functioning station in one device, are among the most limited transceivers available but often overlooked is the value of a handheld transceiver as a portable station that can be used at home, in the car, and in the field. Often the same folks that say that handheld transceivers aren’t good starter radios, recommend alternatives such as HF/VHF/UHF all mode rigs, while a multi band all mode rig offers a wide range of operating possibilities, they are often out of the new ham’s budget.
So, what makes a good first radio? It depends greatly on two things, what you will use the radio for, and your budget. People get amateur radio licenses for many reasons these days, some are interested in emergency communications, some, a technical hobby where building things and/or using cutting edge digital modes are most appealing, others just like to talk, and still some are lured to the hobby by tales of DX or from the short wave broadcast bands. Keeping these things in mind, different radio choices can be examined for their usefulness.
Handheld FM Transceivers
Handhelds tend to be fine transceivers for light emergency communications and public service events. The limited power of a handheld also means limited range, which may be OK for in town events, but problematic for more wide spread or regional events. Handheld range can be extended with aftermarket antennas and amplifiers, in fact a good aftermarket antenna is recommended for emergency communications, even if you can access the local repeater just fine on the stock antenna, a more efficient antenna may allow you to use lower power, and give you a greater simplex range.
Handhelds don’t offer much in the way of technical challenges. They are mostly just a buy it, turn it on, and use it sort of thing. I suppose that one could build a few items such as an antenna, packet interface, or maybe a solar charger for their battery, but there is only so many technical projects you can squeeze out of a handheld.
One thing that handhelds are not good for is rag chewing. The reasons are obvious to the seasoned operator, short battery life, limited range, and most modern handhelds get pretty hot, especially when running from an external power source.
You wouldn’t think a handheld would have anything to do with DX, but my very first DX (if you call Porto Rico DX) was with a dual band handheld via satellite. Operating satellites with a handheld typically means standing outside in the elements, which may not be appealing to some. There is also echolink, while calling echolink DX is up for debate, the fact that one could walk down the sidewalk in the US and have a QSO with a ham operating from Germany can’t be denied.
Mobile FM Transceivers
Mobile FM transceivers don’t necessarily have to be used in a vehicle, they can be used as fixed stations or even portable with the proper battery, still making a mobile a fine choice for emergency communications. Obviously, not as portable and easy to deploy as a handheld, mobiles deployed in vehicles and fixed stations often benefit from better antenna installations and power availability, which also means the added expense of installing the antennas and feed line, as well as the purchase of power supply.
While still limited in the technical aspect of amateur radio, mobile FM transceivers are often the choice for full time packet nodes for the data savvy. Interestingly enough, Ten-Tec still sells a 2 meter mobile kit, for those who would like to build their own gear, although, for what you get, it is rather expensive compared to what you can buy already made.
Most Mobiles are great for those who like to rag chew with other operators in their local area, from the fixed station, or the vehicle, they are much better at this task than a handheld, not only do they offer more power for direct communications, mobiles are designed with large heat sinks to dissipate the heat generated during those long winded conversations.
While I’ve enjoyed driving to a hill top and working stations around 100 miles away occasionally, mobile FM transceivers are not going to have range considered DX without linked repeaters or echolink nodes.
Mono Band, Dual Band, More?
Many say this is up to one’s personal choice and budget. While dual and tri band radios are more expensive than mono band rigs, what a new ham should invest in isn’t always so clear. For emergency communications, it would be best to check with your local ARES or RACES members, find out what repeaters and simplex frequencies are used, and avoided. I many to most areas, local communications are handled on 2 meters, but if the local emergency services are using VHF high band, it may be difficult to operate in shared locations or on shared towers, so the local amateur radio volunteers may have decided that 70 centimeters is best.
Multiband radios do offer more room for experimenting with antennas. I did enjoy making a six meter antenna to use the 1 watt carrier AM mode on the Yaesu VX-7R, and with the same radio, making a small 222 MHz yagi to get the most out of its 300 mw maximum output on that band.
Often we don't want to tie up a widely used 2 meter repeater in your area with a long conversation or big round table. Having another band option may make it easier to move to a repeater in the same location with similar coverage that doesn't see as much activity. Many clubs put repeaters on several bands at the same site, making the coverage fairly predictable.
Multiband Radios with 6 meters and a good external antenna can sometimes work DX via sporadic E propagation. While this won't happen all the time, especially for FM, it does happen, and you could find yourself talking to stations several hundred miles away.
HF, VHF, & UHF in one all mode radio
You may only have a technician license, and think that you aren't yet able to use the HF bands right away, recent rule changes have given Technicians voice, data, & CW on 10 meters, and CW on some other HF bands and the upgrade to General no longer requires a Morse code proficiency exam, which makes the upgrade fairly easy. HF has a unique place in regards to emergency communications, making contact beyond the range of the local repeater, assuming it is still operating in a disaster, or beyond line of site for simplex is often accomplished by HF. Many states and regions have daily nets on set HF frequencies for passing routine traffic, these nets and frequencies become the backbone for regional amateur radio communications during disasters that may damage other communications infrastructure, including the amateur repeaters in the area. With VHF & UHF in that same radio, it makes a convenient platform for just about any situating.
For the experimenter, it is hard to go wrong, there are thousands of possibilities, from world wide digital HF communications with low power and low bandwith PSK31, to high speed computer controlled CW for VHF scatter of of meteor trails, air planes, the aurora, etc. There are many modes to experiment with, classic digital using RTTY, to SSTV & Fax. With a radio like this, your antenna projects for HF, VHF, & UHF will never end.
For those who want to rag chew beyond the range of the local repeater, you'll need to run SSB on VHF or HF. Tuning around the HF bands you'll hear many discussions between regional hams, and occasionally some not so regional, with the DC to daylight all mode rig, there is nothing stopping you from joining the discussion on the local 2 meter repeater.
Here is where the DX will be found. Weather it is on 6 meters with sporadic E, 2 meters via tropospheric ducting, or HF F layer propagation taking your signal half way around the world, a good HF/VHF/UHF radio is defiantly the choice for the new ham who really wants to work the world. This is true even if you haven't upgraded yet, because you know you will, and until you do, there is a lot to hear on the bands. Who knows, you might even decide you want to learn the code and work CW.
Summary
The sections above are essentially in the order of what what it will cost you to get on the air. The single band handheld will be the least expensive method to get on the air, but most limited, while the HF/VHF+ rig will require a larger budget, but offers possibilities to operate many aspects of amateur radio. With all radios, there will be extra expenses beyond the cost of the radio, with handhelds, you'll probably want an extra battery, and charger, and probably an aftermarket antenna. With everything else you'll need to add an antenna(s) and feedline, and power supply for fixed station use. Every ham should have at least a basic SWR meter and a multimeter to test their equipment, this is even more important when you are building your own antennas!
Other Considerations
Here I'll share some other thoughts I've had on this subject.
Thought 1
In my area, almost all, if not all local ARES & RACES activity is on two meters, making dual band rigs not very valuable for this purpose. Putting together a new shack with a dual band radio with power supply, feedline, & antenna, will run from around $400 (Icom IC-208H as example) to $550 (Yaesu FT-8800R as example). The same can be done for a 2 meter rig (using FT-1802M as example) for about $250, taking into consideration that it is a lot easier to make a good performing 2 meter antenna than a dual band antenna. For another $150 you could put a 2 meter radio in your vehicle with a simple 1/4 wave magnetic antenna, and for another $150 you could add a 2 meter handheld with an extra battery. I'm not anti-UHF, and this scenario might not work for everyone, but it is intended to give you some ideas on what you can do with your budget.
Thought 2
The most economical HF/VHF/UHF rigs are designed primarily for mobile use. While these can certainly be used for fixed stations, they aren't the best tool for the job, and many seasoned operators won't hesitate to tell you so. Don't let that stop you from buying one if it is within your budget. If you were recently licensed or upgraded, you want to get on the air, so any radio is better than no radio! As time passes you might find that the mobile rig is just fine for the way you operate your fixed station, or you may decided that it is time to invest in a full sized fixed station HF transceiver and move the mobile to the car for just that, mobile. You may even want to keep that rig in the shack as a backup, or in a go kit with some battery power for emergencies. If nothing else, they generally have decent resale value.
Thought 3
Used radios can be a great deal, or a nightmare. I wouldn't recommend a beginner to buy a radio that they haven't seen work first. While online classifieds and auctions might seem like good deals, you just can't be sure. Hamfests and face to face meetings are the best way to buy. Turn it on, hit the local repeater, take a dummy load and watt meter to test the output of that HF rig, whatever you do don't spend a couple hundred dollars on something that is damaged beyond repair. Even better, take someone you trust with experience along, they may know via the grape vine that some radio models tend to develop specific problems, and how to spot those problems before you buy.
73 de N3PAQ

Basic Operating

2007-08-29T23:24:00.000-04:00

So you now have your license and you are ready to get on the air. The most important thing to do before beginning is to listen and observe how other hams are making their contacts. As different modes and bands seem to have slightly different approaches it helps to have heard a few exchanges on a band before you make that first contact.
Depending on your radio and license you may have to decide on where and how you want to begin operating. If you are using a hand-held transceiver you may begin through a local repeater or direct (simplex) on the VHF and UHF bands. If you passed a CW test you may begin on some of the HF bands using CW or SSB. So let's give a quick run-down of each of these operations.

Using a HT and a Repeater

Many amateurs begin by getting the Basic (Canada) or Technician (U.S.) class license. By far the most common mode of operation for them is the HT through a local repeater. Assuming you have the HT set up to the appropriate frequency, offset, and if necessary, CTCSS tone then you are ready to make your first contact.
It may seem obvious but you need to know your call sign before you begin. You might also want to review the appropriate phonetics in case someone asks you to clarify your call sign.

To Initiate a Call
For this instruction let's assume you live near the U.S./Canadian border and use a repeater that services hams in both areas. Areas such as Buffalo, Windsor, Vancouver and others all have this characteristic.
1. Press the mike button on the HT and say "VE3BUC listening." Of course you would use your own call sign.
That might be all you need for a response. But if there is no response (which is quite likely) then you might try again but this time say "VE3BUC is monitoring and listening for a call."
Usually you don't need to call CQ on a repeater although there is nothing wrong with that. We will look at calling CQ shortly.
2. You get a response something like "VE3BUC this is W2AXL in Buffalo returning. My name is Phil. Back to you."
At this point you want to wait for the repeater's tone to indicate it is okay to proceed.
3. Press you mike button and respond. At this point the discussion can be whatever you make it. Give your name and location and any other information you wish to Phil and when you are ready say "Over" or "Back to you."
It is a good idea to give your call sign frequently so after a longer transmission you would say "W2AXL this is VE3BUC. Over."
The use of the terms "over" or "back to you" are a courtesy that lets the other operating know that you are finished talking and are turning the operation back to him or her.
4. At the end of the contact you would finally say goodbye or 73 and sign off by saying "W2AXL this is VE3BUC clear and monitoring." That is if you intend to continue to monitor. If not you could say "...clear and QRT" instead.

Q Signals
Q signals are commonly used in CW to abbreviate questions or statements. Although not many are used in Phone, QRT is quite common. See Q Signals Explained for details.
To Respond to a Call
To respond to a call over the repeater with a HT you would take on the role of the opposite person in the above discussion. You hear W2AXL calling on the repeater so answer as follows after the repeater tone drops:
1. "W2AXL this is VE3BUC. Good morning my name is Don and my location is Niagara Falls. Over to you."
2. Basically the exchange would proceed as discussed above. Be sure to identify your station occasionally and definitely identify yourself at the end of the contact as explained above.
Making Direct Phone Contacts
Whether you are operating HF, VHF or UHF without a repeater the procedure is essentially the same. In each case you will be transmitting directly by radio waves to another amateur's radio. You only need to set the operating band and frequency without the need for an offset or tone to access a repeater. However, depending on your radio and antenna it may be necessary to tune the antenna before beginning.

Calling CQ to Make a Contact

Let's assume your license permits you to operate SSB on 10 meters.
1. Begin by finding a clear frequency such as 28.360. Speak clearly into the mike and ask "Is this frequency in use? This is VE3BUC." If you get no response you might ask a second time just to be sure. Again if there is no response then proceed to step 2. If someone says that the frequency is in use then just move to another clear frequency and try again.
2. Now call "CQ CQ CQ. This is Victor Echo 3 Bravo Uniform Charlie calling CQ CQ CQ. This is Victor Echo 3 Bravo Uniform Charlie, VE3BUC calling CQ and waiting for a call."
Now you listen for the return call. Being on an HF band (10 meters) it is possible to get a call ranging from very strong to very weak.
3. You hear "VE3BUC this is Papa Yankee 1 Alpha November Foxtrot PY1ANF calling."
4. You respond by saying "PY1ANF (using phonetics is best) this is VE3BUC. Thanks for the call your signal is 59. My name is Don and my QTH is Ontario. So how do you copy? PY1ANF this is VE3BUC over."
You have made your first HF contact. At this point you can make the contact as long or short as you like depending on the band conditions and what you find to discuss with your new friend in Brazil.
RST Reports
Amateurs use the RST system for reporting signal strength and readability. See RST Explained for details.
5. You end an HF contact by giving both call signs and signing off. For example: "... thanks Luis for the contact and 73 to you and your family. PY1ANF this is VE3BUC signing off."
What do you do if more than one station responds to your call? If you hear one call clearly then simply respond to that station as discussed above. If you hear only parts of call signs, maybe "Alpha November" then in step 4 begin by saying "the station with Alpha November make your call." Once you have heard the complete call sign you can proceed as in step 4.
Responding to a CQ
Begin by tuning within the range of frequencies that you are permitted to operate and find a station calling CQ. To respond to the station you take on the role of the other station in the above exchange. The one difference is that after you call you may find out that other stations are also calling and that your call is not immediately recognized. If so wait until the stations complete their contact and then try again. If you don't want to wait then tune for another station calling CQ and answer this call.
CW Contacts
Making a CW contact is very similar to making a phone contact except of course you are using Morse Code. The process of CQing and exchanging information is about the same although CW operators use more abbreviations to make sending faster.
1. Call CQ as follows: "CQ CQ CQ de VE3BUC VE3BUC VE3BUC K" and wait for a response.
Note the abbreviations used. "de" means "this is" and "K" means "go." You do not need to use phonetics in CW.
2. The other station may respond as "VE3BUC de PY1ANF PY1ANF K"
3. Now it's your turn. "PY1ANF de VE3BUC GM UR RPT IS 599 599 NM IS DON DON ES QTH IS TORONTO PY1ANF DE VE3BUC KN"
To avoid confusion I have left out the punctuation in the above line. Normally punctuation is not used for casual contacts to reduce the amount of sending needed. It usually is quite obvious to both operators where the punctuation should go.
Notice the use of abbreviations. de, GM, UR, RPT, NM, ES, QTH, KN are all commonly used. The table shows the meaning of common abbreviations used in CW.
The underlined codes are sent without a pause between the letters.
Abbreviation
Use
AR
over
de
from or "this is"
ES
and
GM
good morning
K
go
KN
go only
NM
name
QTH
location
RPT
report
R
roger
SK
clear
tnx
thanks
UR
your, you are
73
best wishes
4. The exchange of information continues as for phone except that CW operators will use the abbreviated form of words on a regular basis during their exchange.
5. At the end of the contact you might finish as follows: "... tnx Luis fer the QSO 73 es gud DX. PY1ANF de VE3BUC SK"
Again several abbreviations were used but these are obvious I hope. "fer" instead of "for" is simply less keying and "gud" for "good" also saves the wrist.
Now that you have made some contacts you might want to begin exchanging QSL cards. A collection of cards can be one of the most satisfying aspects of ham radio. The section on QSL Cards introduces this aspect of the hobby.

© 2001 - 2007 Don Cassel VE3XD

The Amateurs Code: What Happened

2007-08-17T23:59:00.000-04:00

The Amateurs Code: What Happened?from K6VHP on April 15, 2004 View comments about this article!
First the Original:
The Amateur's Code -- 1928
ONE: The Amateur is considerate...He never knowingly uses the air in such a way as to lessen the pleasure of others.
TWO: The Amateur is Loyal...He offers his loyalty, encouragement and support to his fellow radio amateurs, his local club and to the American Radio Relay League, through which amateur radio is represented.
THREE: The Amateur is Progressive...He keeps his station abreast of science. It is well built and efficient. His operating practice is above reproach.
FOUR: The Amateur is Friendly...Slow and patient sending when requested, friendly advice and counsel to the beginner, kindly assistance, cooperation and consideration for the interests of others; these are the marks of the amateur spirit.
FIVE: The Amateur is Balanced...Radio is his hobby. He never allows it to interfere with any of the duties he owes to his home, his job, his school, or his community.
SIX: The Amateur is Patriotic...His knowledge and his station are always ready for the service of his country and his community.

Paul M. Segal, W9EEA
Now the updated version by K6VHP (try not to laugh or get angry!) 8-)
The Amateur's Code -- 2000
ONE: The Amateur is Gentlemanly...Never knowingly "keys up" in such a way as to impose on the pleasure of others...this part of the code does not apply to operations on 75, 40 or 20-meter phone bands.
TWO: The Amateur is Loyal...To Kenwood, until he buys an Icom, to Icom, until he buys a Yeasu, and so on. Goes to all club activities where they serve free food -- has no appreciation for Hiram Percy Maxim's contributions to amateur radio.
THREE: The Amateur is Progressive...Sets up his station just like the picture in the ad in the magazine. Has absolutely no idea how it's built, nor can he calculate how efficient it is. Has the telephone number for Factory Service Center taped to the front panel. Knows how to pronounce some technical words. Cannot, however, recite their true meaning.
FOUR: The Amateur is Friendly...Promotes operating practices he discovered while driving a dump truck and modulating on Channel 19. Provides counsel and advice to his fellow operators based upon whatever he overheard from others modulating on Channel 19. Prefers to concoct colorful metaphors for use in the place of socially accepted words when speaking into a microphone. Ends all spoken statements with the words "okay?" or "you know."
FIVE: The Amateur is Balanced...His wife and kids need shoes; his rent is past due; often arrives late to work, due to QSOing while mobile; and, probably has not registered to vote. But, he's got a $2,800.00 HF SSB transceiver in his ham shack, a "dual band" FM rig is his 4X4 pick-up truck, and a 2-meter HT on his belt. Spends several hours each day playing at ham radio.
SIX: The Amateur is Patriotic...Has no respect for authority (FCC) nor the traditions and disciplines that formed the foundation upon which amateur radio was built.
L. David Shallenberger, C.E.T. -- K6VHP
This doesn't apply to all of us, but hey, most of it sounds familiar, eh? 8-)

FCC Drops Morse Code Testing

2007-08-16T07:11:00.000-04:00

From February 2007 QST © ARRL
The FCC has erased the line
between “know code” and “no
code,” at least in terms of Amateur
Radio licensing requirements. In
an historic move announced December
15, the FCC acted to drop the Morse code
requirement for all Amateur Radio license
classes. The Commission adopted the longawaited
Report and Order (R&O) in WT
Docket 05-235 — the “Morse code” proceeding
— on December 19. The effective
date was not available at press time, but it
appeared likely that it would occur sometime
in February, 30 days after its publication in
the Federal Register. Amateur Radio applicants
have had to pass a 5 WPM Morse code
test to operate on the HF bands. The new
rules the FCC has adopted will do away with
that requirement all around.
“This change eliminates an unnecessary
regulatory burden that may discourage current
Amateur Radio operators from advancing
their skills and participating more fully
in the benefits of Amateur Radio,” the FCC
said in its December 15 public notice. The
Commission had proposed in 2005 to drop the
requirement across the board, but the ARRL
asked the FCC to retain the 5 WPM requirement
for Amateur Extra class applicants only.
The FCC declined to do so in the R&O, staying
instead with its initial decision.
Moving Beyond the Morse Debate
ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, has
devoted his “It Seems to Us . . .” editorial
on page 9 of this issue to the demise of the
Morse code examination requirement. “Now
that the debate is over, we can focus on learning
Morse code simply for its own sake,” he
said. Acknowledging fears on the part of
some CW operators, Sumner pledged that the
League would maintain its traditional support
of Morse code as an operating mode.
“The ARRL continues to encourage people
to develop Morse code ability,” he said, noting
that the League offers Morse training materials
as well as such incentives as bonus credit
for CW contacts in ARRL-sponsored operat-
End of an Era:
FCC Drops Morse Testing Requirement
Rick Lindquist, N1RL
The effective date most likely will fall in February.
“This change eliminates
an unnecessary
regulatory burden . . .”
~ FCC
ing events. Beyond that, he said, the ARRL’s
Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station
W1AW will maintain its schedule of Morse
code practice and bulletin transmissions after
the new rules go into effect.
An enthusiastic and regular CW operator
himself, Sumner noted that other countries
have successfully transitioned to a no-code
examination regime, some even experiencing
an uptick in CW activity after dropping the
requirement.
the Morse licensing requirement goes away,
Technicians of both stripes will be on an equal
footing, the FCC said.
“With today’s elimination of the Morse code
exam requirements, the FCC concluded that
the disparity between the operating privileges
of Technician class licensees and Technician
Plus class licensees should not be retained,”
the Commission said in its announcement.
“Therefore, the FCC, in today’s action, afforded
Technician and Technician Plus licensees identical
operating privileges.”
In its July 2005 Notice of Proposed Rule
Making (NPRM) in WT Docket 05-235, the
FCC had said Technicians lacking Morse credit
after the new rules went into effect would have
to upgrade to General to earn any HF privileges.
In the R&O, however, the Commission went
along with the ARRL’s request in its comments
on the NPRM to address the Technician-Tech
Plus disparity issue. Beyond that, privileges
will remain unchanged for Novice, Technician,
General, Advanced and Amateur Extra class
licensees.
When the rule changes adopted in the
R&O appear in the Federal Register, the
Federal Register summary will include the
effective date. The new rules will not go into
effect anytime before they show up in the
Federal Register.
Examination Sessions and CSCEs
Until the new rules become effective, the
FCC said, there will be no changes in the
administration of Amateur Radio examination
elements and in granting a Certificate
for Successful Completion of Examination
(CSCE) conferring General and Amateur
Extra class privileges. CSCEs are only valid
for exam element credit for 365 days from
date of issuance; applicants cannot use
CSCEs older than that to upgrade. Volunteer
Examiner Coordinators (VECs) will handle
all upgrades at exam sessions through their
volunteer examiner (VE) teams.
Candidates for General or Amateur Extra
testing prior to the effective date of the new
rules must still pass Element 1 (5 WPM
Announcement of the pending rule
change had the telephone ringing off the hook
in the ARRL VEC offices, where Manager
Maria Somma, AB1FM, and her team were
gearing up for an anticipated avalanche of
upgrade applications. The FCC’s decision
also prompted the doubling in demand for
Amateur Radio license study materials by
new and upgrading applicants.
“Clearly people were waiting for this to
happen,” said ARRL Sales and Marketing
Manager Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R.
All Technicians Get
“Tech Plus” Privileges
Once in effect, the R&O in WT Docket
05-235 also will grant limited HF privileges
to all Technician licensees, whether or not
they’ve passed a Morse code examination.
It’s perhaps ironic that the bulk of the new
HF privileges Technicians will gain are in
CW-only allocations.
Technician licensees without Element 1
Morse code credit currently have operating
privileges on all amateur frequencies above
30 MHz. Technicians with Element 1 credit
(“Tech Plus” licensees) also have limited HF
privileges on 80, 40, 15 and 10 meters. After
..—. —.—. —.—.
—.. .—. ——— .——. ...
—— ——— .—. ... .
T
From February 2007 QST © ARRL
Morse code) to obtain new privileges. Those
earning Element 3 or Element 4 credit before
the effective date of the new rules will receive
a CSCE from the VE team. Once the new
rules are in place, anyone holding a valid
CSCE may apply for an upgrade at an exam
session and pay the fee, if any.
Handwriting on the Wall
The wholesale elimination of a Morse
code requirement for all license classes ends
a longstanding national and international
regulatory tradition in the requirements to
gain access to Amateur Radio frequencies
below 30 MHz. The first codeless license in
the US was the Technician ticket, instituted
in 1991. The question of whether or not to
drop the Morse requirement completely has
Frequently Asked Questions About the FCC’s Morse Code
Report and Order in WT Docket 05-235
been the subject of often-heated debate over
the past several years, but the handwriting has
been on the wall — especially since the FCC
instituted an across-the-board 5 WPM Morse
requirement effective April 15, 2000, in the
most-recent major Amateur Radio licensing
restructuring (WT Docket 98-143).
The FCC said the R&O in WT Docket
05-235 will comport with revisions to the
international Radio Regulations resulting
from the International Telecommunication
Union (ITU) World Radiocommunication
Conference 2003 (WRC-03). At that gathering,
delegates agreed to authorize each
national administration to determine whether
or not to require that applicants demonstrate
Morse code proficiency in order to qualify for
an Amateur Radio license with privileges on
frequencies below 30 MHz.
The list of countries dropping the Morse
requirement has been growing steadily since
WRC-03. A number of countries, including
Canada, the UK and several European
nations, now no longer require applicants
for an Amateur Radio license to pass a
Morse code test to gain HF operating
privileges. Following WRC-03, the FCC
received several petitions for rule making
asking it to eliminate the Morse requirement
in the US.
The ARRL will provide any additional
information on these important Part 97 rule
revisions as it becomes available.
Rick Lindquist, N1RL, is ARRL Senior News
Editor. He can be reached at rlindquist@arrl.
org.
There’s been no change in that rule. If you have a non-expired
CSCE for Element 3 credit, you will need to take your CSCE
to a VE test session, pay the test session fee, if any and have
the examination team prepare and submit the paperwork for
your license upgrade.
If your Element 3 CSCE has expired or if it expires before
you attend a test session to process your upgrade, you
must retake that examination element in order to receive the
upgrade. The test session fee will apply.
Remember: CSCEs are only valid for 365 days. You cannot
use an expired CSCE for an upgrade.
Q. I hold a Novice license. Will I be grandfathered to
Technician under the new rules?
A. No. There is no grandfather provision. In order to upgrade to
Technician, you will need to pass the Element 2 theory exam.
Q. I hold an Advanced ticket. Does this change affect me?
A. No, this ruling does not impact your license. While the FCC
isn’t issuing new Advanced class licenses, current Advanced
ticket holders retain the same privileges they been enjoying.
The R&O does not change operating privileges for Novice,
General, Advanced and Amateur Extra class licensees.
Q. I obtained my Technician license prior to March 21,
1987. What happens to my license?
A. You actually could have already taken that license and proof
that you had the Technician license before that date to a VE
test session, paid the test session fee and already be enjoying
General privileges. The FCC’s “Morse R&O ” doesn’t change
anything in this regard.
This is based on the fact that before March 21, 1987, the
only difference between the Technician and General class
licenses was the Morse code speed requirement; the theory
exams were identical. Starting March 21, 1987, the Technician
and General class license exams no longer were the same,
so the “grandfather” rule doesn’t apply for Technician licenses
issued after that date.
Proof that you held the license prior to March 21, 1987,
could be a copy of your old Technician license or the Callbook
page showing your license class as “Technician.”
Q. Do I have to pass a Morse code test to use CW on the
air?
A. No. Any Amateur Radio licensee who wishes may use
Morse code on the amateur frequencies they’re authorized to
use — except the five USB-only channels at 5 MHz.
Q. The FCC adopted on December 15, 2006, the Report
and Order in WT Docket 05-235 eliminating the Morse
code testing requirement for all license classes. When
will it become effective?
A. Typically, the effective date of a FCC order comes 30 days
after its publication in the Federal Register. If that’s the case,
the new exam requirement and the revised 80-meter segment
for automatically controlled digital stations would likely go into
effect sometime in February 2007. When the rule changes
adopted in the R&O appear in the Federal Register, the
Federal Register summary will include the effective date. The
new rules will not go into effect anytime before they show up
in the Federal Register.
Q. I am a “no-code” Technician. What does WT Docket
05-235 mean for me?
A. Once the changes are in effect, all Technician licensees
– whether or not they have passed a Morse code examination
– will have “Tech Plus” operating privileges. This means you
will have all of your current VHF/UHF and above frequencies
and also will have access to the Novice/Technician Plus frequencies
on HF. These include:
3525-3600 kHz CW
7025-7125 kHz CW
21,025-21,200 kHz CW
28,000-28,300 kHz CW, RTTY and data
28,300-28,500 kHz CW, SSB
The power limit is 200 W PEP output for Technicians.
Technicians can upgrade to General by passing the
Element 3 written exam and to Amateur Extra by also passing
the Element 4 written exam. No Morse code test will be
required.
Q. What about other bands and modes?
A. There are no additional new privileges available to
Technician/Tech Plus licensees as a result of WT 05-235. The
R&O does not change the operating privileges of Novice,
General, Advanced and Amateur Extra class licensees either.
Q. I have a Certificate for Successful Completion of
Examination (CSCE) for Element 3 (General written exam)
and have been waiting for the FCC to drop the Morse
code requirement. What will I need to do? Will I automatically
receive my General license?
A. It will not happen automatically. You also will need to wait
until the new rules are in effect. CSCEs are valid for 365 days.

Portable VHF/UHF Dual Band J-Pole Antenna

2007-08-16T07:03:00.000-04:00

From March 2007 QST © ARRL

It has now been more than three years since my article on the
dual band J-pole (DBJ-1) appeared in the February 2003
issue of QST.1

I have had over 500 inquires
regarding that antenna. Users have reported
good results, and a few individuals even
built the antenna and confirmed the reported
measurements. Several major cities are using
this antenna for their schools, churches and
emergency operations center. When asked
why they choose the DBJ-1, the most common
answer was value. When budgets are
tight and you want a good performance-toprice
ratio, the DBJ-1 (Dual Band J-pole–1)
is an excellent choice.

In quantity, the materials cost about $5 per
antenna and what you get is a VHF/UHF base
station antenna with λ/2 vertical performance
on both VHF and UHF bands. If a small city
builds a dozen of these antennas for schools,
public buildings, etc it would cost about $60.
Not for one, but the entire dozen!

Since it is constructed using PVC pipe, it
is UV protected and it is waterproof. To date
I have personally constructed over 400 of
these antennas for various groups and individuals
and have had excellent results. One
has withstood harsh winter conditions in the
mountains of McCall, Idaho for four years.
The most common request from users
is for a portable “roll-up” version of this
antenna for backpacking or emergency use.
To address this request, I will describe how
the principles of the DBJ-1 can be extended
to a portable roll-up antenna. Since it is the
second version of this antenna, I call it the
DBJ-2.

Principles of the DBJ-1

The earlier DBJ-1 is based on the J-pole,2
shown in Figure 1. Unlike the popular
ground plane antenna, it doesn’t need ground
The DBJ-2: A Portable VHF-UHF Roll-Up
J-pole Antenna for Public Service
Edison Fong, WB6IQN
WB6IQN reviews the theory of the dual band 2 meter / 70 cm J-pole
antenna and then makes detailed measurements of a practical, easy to
replicate, “roll-up” portable antenna.
radials. The DBJ-1 is easy to construct using
inexpensive materials from your local hardware
store. For its simplicity and small size,
the DBJ-1 offers excellent performance and
consistently outperforms a ground plane
antenna.
Its radiation pattern is close to that of an
ideal vertical dipole because it is end-fed,
with virtually no distortion of the radiation
pattern due to the feed line. A vertically
polarized, center-fed dipole will always have
some distortion of its pattern because the
feed line comes out at its center, even when a
balun is used. A vertically polarized, centerfed
antenna is also physically more difficult
to construct because of that feed line coming
out horizontally from the center.
The basic J-pole antenna is a half-wave
vertical configuration. Unlike a vertical
dipole, which because of its center feed is
usually mounted alongside a tower or some
kind of metal supporting structure, the radiation
pattern of an end-fed J-pole mounted at
the top of a tower is not distorted.
The J-pole works by matching a low
impedance (50 Ω) feed line to the high
impedance at the end of a λ/2 vertical dipole.
This is accomplished with a λ/4 matching
stub shorted at one end and open at the other.
The impedance repeats every λ/2, or every
360° around the Smith Chart. Between the
shorted end and the high impedance end of
the λ/4 shorted stub, there is a point that is
close to 50 Ω and this is where the 50 Ω coax
is connected.
By experimenting, this point is found to
be about 11⁄4 inches from the shorted end on
2 meters. This makes intuitive sense since
50 Ω is closer to a short than to an open circuit.
Although the Smith Chart shows that
this point is slightly inductive, it is still an
excellent match to 50 Ω coax. At resonance
the SWR is below 1.2:1. Figure 1 shows
the dimensions for a 2-meter J-pole. The
151⁄4 inch λ/4 section serves as the quarter
wave matching transformer.
A commonly asked question is, “Why
151⁄4 inches?” Isn’t a λ/4 at 2 meters about
181⁄2 inches? Yes, but twinlead has a reduced
velocity factor (about 0.8) compared to air
and must thus be shortened by about 20%.
A conventional J-pole configuration
works well because there is decoupling of
the feed line from the λ/2 radiator element
since the feed line is in line with the radiating
λ/2 element. Thus, pattern distortion is
minimized. But this only describes a single
band VHF J-pole. How do we make this into
a dual band J-pole?
Adding a Second Band to the
J-pole
To incorporate UHF coverage into a VHF
J-pole requires some explanation. (A more
detailed explanation is given in my February
2003 QST article.) First, a 2 meter antenna
does resonate at UHF. The 1Notes appear on page 40. key word here is
Figure 1 — The original 2 meter ribbon
J-pole antenna.
From March 2007 QST © ARRL
Figure 5 — The λ/4 UHF decoupling stub made of RG-174A, covered with heat shrink
tubing. This is shown next to the BNC connector that goes to the transceiver.
Figure 2 — Elevation plane pattern
comparing 2 meter J-pole on fundamental
and on third harmonic frequency (70 cm),
with the antenna mounted 8 feet above
ground. Most of the energy at the third
harmonic is launched at 44º.
Figure 3 — The original DBJ-1 dual-band
J-pole. The dimensions given assume that
the antenna is inserted into a 3⁄4 inch Class
200 PVC pipe.
Figure 4 — The dualband
J-pole modified
for portable operation
— thus becoming
the DBJ-2. Note that
the dimensions are
slightly longer than
those in Figure 3
because it is not
enclosed in a PVC
dielectric tube.
Please remember that
the exact dimensions
vary with the manufacturer
of the 300 Ω
line, especially the
exact tap point where
the RG-174A feed
coax for the radio is
connected.
resonate. For example, any LC circuit can
be resonant, but that does not imply that it
works well as an antenna. Resonating is one
thing; working well as an antenna is another.
You should understand that a λ/4 146 MHz
matching stub works as a 3λ/4 matching
stub at 450 MHz, except for the small
amount of extra transmission line losses of
the extra λ/2 at UHF. The UHF signal is
simply taking one more revolution around
the Smith Chart.
The uniqueness of the DBJ-1 concept
is that it not only resonates on both bands
but also actually performs as a λ/2 radiator
on both bands. An interesting fact to note
is that almost all antennas will resonate at
their third harmonic (it will resonate on any
odd harmonic 3, 5, 7, etc). This is why a
40 meter dipole can be used on 15 meters.
The difference is that the performance at the
third harmonic is poor when the antenna is
used in a vertical configuration, as in the
J pole shown in Figure 1. This can be best
explained by a 19 inch 2 meter vertical over
an ideal ground plane. At 2 meters, it is a λ/4
length vertical (approximately 18 inches).
At UHF (450 MHz) it is a 3λ/4 vertical.
Unfortunately, the additional λ/2 at UHF is
out of phase with the bottom λ/4. This means
cancellation occurs in the radiation pattern
and the majority of the energy is launched at
a takeoff angle of 45°. This results in about
a 4 to 6 dB loss in the horizontal plane compared
to a conventional λ/4 vertical placed
over a ground plane. A horizontal radiation
pattern obtained from EZNEC is shown in
Figure 2. Notice that the 3λ/4 radiator has
most of its energy at 45°.
Thus, although an antenna can be made
to work at its third harmonic, its performance
is poor. What we need is a simple,
reliable method to decouple the remaining
λ/2 at UHF of a 2 meter radiator, but have
it remain electrically unaffected at VHF. We
want independent λ/2 radiators at both VHF
and UHF frequencies. The original DBJ-1
used a combination of coaxial stubs and
300 Ω twinlead cable, as shown in Figure 3.
Refer to Figure 3, and start from the
left hand bottom. Proceed vertically to the
RG-174A lead in cable. To connect to the
antenna, about 5 feet of RG-174A was used
with a BNC connector on the other end. The
λ/4 VHF impedance transformer is made
from 300 Ω twin lead. Its approximate
length is 15 inches due to the velocity factor
of the 300 Ω material. The λ/4 piece is
shorted at the bottom and thus is an open
circuit (high impedance) at the end of the λ/4
section. This matches well to the λ/2 radiator
for VHF. The 50 Ω tap is about 11⁄4 inches
from the short, as mentioned before.
For UHF operation, the λ/4 matching
stub at VHF is now a 3λ/4 matching stub.
This is electrically a λ/4 stub with an additional
λ/2 in series. Since the purpose of the
matching stub is for impedance matching
and not for radiation, it does not directly
affect the radiation efficiency of the antenna.
It does, however, suffer some transmission
loss from the additional λ/2, which would
not be needed if it were not for the dual
band operation. I estimate this loss at about
0.1 dB. Next comes the λ/2 radiating element
for UHF, which is about 12 inches. To
From March 2007 QST © ARRL
make it electrically terminate at 12 inches, a
λ/4 shorted stub at UHF is constructed using
RG-174A. The open end is then connected
to the end of the 12 inches of 300 Ω twinlead.
The open circuit of this λ/4 coax is only
valid at UHF. Also, notice that it is 41⁄2 inches
and not 6 inches due to the velocity factor of
RG-174A, which is about 0.6.
At the shorted end of the 41⁄2 inch
RG-174A is the final 18 inches of 300 Ω
twinlead. Thus the 12 inches for the UHF
λ/2, the 41⁄2 inches of RG-174A for the
decoupling stub at UHF, and the 18 inches
of twinlead provide for the λ/2 at 2 meters.
The total does not add up to a full 36 inches
that you might think. This is because the
λ/4 UHF RG-174A shorted stub is inductive
at 2 meters, thus slightly shortening the
antenna.

Making it Portable

The single most common question that
people asked regarding the DBJ-1 is how it
could be made portable. The original DBJ-1
had the antenna inserted into Class 200 PVC
pipe that was 6 feet long. This was fine for
fixed operation but would hardly be suitable
for portable use. Basically the new antenna
had to have the ability to be rolled up when
not in use and had to be durable enough for
use in emergency communications.
The challenge was to transfer the concepts
developed for the DBJ-1 and apply them to
a durable roll-up portable antenna. After
much thought and experimenting, I adopted
the configuration shown in Figure 4.
The major challenge was keeping the
electrical characteristics the same as the
original DBJ-1 but physically constructing
it from a continuous piece of 300 Ω twinlead.
Any full splices on the twinlead would
compromise the durability, so to electrically
disconnect sections of the twinlead, I cut
small 1⁄4 inch notches to achieve the proper
resonances. I left the insulating backbone
of the 300 Ω twinlead fully intact. I determined
the two notches close to the λ/4 UHF
decoupling stub by experiment to give the
best SWR and bandwidth.
Because this antenna does not sit inside
a dielectric PVC tube, the dimensions are
about 5% longer than the original DBJ-1.
is significant. I have confidence in these
measurements since the flexible antenna is
about −6 dB from that of the λ/4 ground
plane antenna, which agrees well with the
literature.
Also notice that at UHF, the loss for the
flex antenna is only 2.0 dB, compared to the
ground plane. This is because the flexible
antenna at UHF is already 6 inches long,
which is a quarter wave. So the major difference
for the flexible antenna at UHF is the
lack of ground radials.
Summary
I presented how to construct a portable,
roll-up dual-band J-pole. I’ve discussed its
basic theory of operation, and have presented
experimental results comparing the DBJ-2
to a standard ground plane, a traditional
2 meter J-pole and a flexible antenna. The
DBJ-2 antenna is easy to construct, is low
cost and is very compact. It should be
an asset for ARES applications. It offers
significant improvement in both the VHF
and UHF bands compared to the stock flexible
antenna antenna included with a handheld
transceiver.
If you do not have the equipment to
construct or tune this antenna at both VHF
and UHF, the antenna is available from the
author tuned to your desired frequency. Cost
is $20. E-mail him for details.
Notes
1E. Fong, “The DBJ-1: A VHF-UHF Dual-Band
J-Pole,” QST, Feb 2003, pp 38-40.
2J. Reynante, “An Easy Dual-Band VHF/UHF
Antenna,” QST, Sep 1994, pp 61-62.
Table 1

Measured Relative Performance of the Dual-band
Antenna at 146 MHz
VHF Flexible Standard Dual-Band
VHF λ/4 GP Antenna VHF J-Pole J-Pole
4 radials
0 dB −5.9 dB +1.2 dB +1.2 dB

reference Table 2
Measured Relative Performance of the Dual-band
Antenna at 445 MHz UHF Fexible Standard Dual-Band
UHF λ/4 GP Antenna VHF J-Pole J-Pole
4 radials 0 dB −2.0 dB −5.5 dB 0.5 dB
reference I used heat shrink tubing to cover and protect
the UHF λ/4 decoupling stub and the
four 1⁄4 inch notches. Similarly, I protected
with heat shrink tubing the RG-174A coax
interface to the 300 Ω twinlead. I also
attached a small Teflon tie strap to the top
of the antenna so that it may be conveniently
attached to a nonconductive support string.
Figure 5 shows a picture of the λ/4 UHF
matching stub inside the heat shrink tubing.
The DBJ-2 can easily fit inside a pouch or a
large pocket. It is far less complex than what
would be needed for a single band ground
plane, yet this antenna will consistently outperform
a ground plane using 3 or 4 radials.

Setup time is less than a minute.
I’ve constructed more than a hundred
of these antennas. The top of the DBJ-2 is
a high impedance point, so objects (even if
they are nonmetallic) must be as far away
as possible for best performance. The other
sensitive points are the open end of the λ/4
VHF matching section and the open end of
the λ/4 UHF decoupling stub.
As with any antenna, it works best as
high as possible and in the clear. To hoist the
antenna, use non-conducting string. Fishing
line also works well.
Measured Results
I measured the DBJ-2 in an open field
using an Advantest R3361 Spectrum
Analyzer. The results are shown in Table 1.
The antenna gives a 7 dB improvement over
a flexible antenna at VHF. In actual practice,
since the antenna can be mounted higher
than the flexible antenna at the end of your
handheld, results of +10 dB are not uncommon.
This is the electrical equivalent of giving
a 4 W handheld a boost to 40 W.

The DBJ-2 performs as predicted on
2 meters. It basically has the same performance
as a single band J-pole, which gives
about a 1 dB improvement over a λ/4 ground
plane antenna. There is no measurable
degradation in performance by incorporating
the UHF capability into a conventional
J-pole.

The DBJ-2’s improved performance
is apparent at UHF, where it outperforms
the single band 2 meter J-pole operating
at UHF by about 6 dB. See Table 2.

This Ed Fong was first licensed in 1968 as WN6IQN.
He later upgraded to Amateur Extra class
with his present call of WB6IQN. He obtained
BSEE and MSEE degrees from the University
of California at Berkeley and his PhD from the
University of San Francisco. A Senior Member
of the IEEE, he has 8 patents, 24 published
papers and a book in the area of communications
and integrated circuit design. Presently,
he is employed by the University of California
at Berkeley teaching graduate classes in RF
design and is a Principal Engineer at National
Semiconductor, Santa Clara, California working
with CMOS analog circuits. You can reach the
author at edison_fong@hotmail.com.

Code of Federal Regulations, Title 47, Volume II

2007-08-06T14:00:00.000-04:00

Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 47, Volume 1]
[Revised as of October 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 47CFR13.9]
[Page 677-678]

TITLE 47--TELECOMMUNICATION

CHAPTER I--FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

PART 13--COMMERCIAL RADIO OPERATORS--Table of Contents
Sec. 13.9 Eligibility and application for new license or endorsement.

(a) If found qualified, the following persons are eligible to apply
for commercial radio operator licenses:
(1) Any person legally eligible for employment in the United States.
(2) Any person, for the purpose of operating aircraft radio stations, who holds:
(i) United States pilot certificates; or
(ii) Foreign aircraft pilot certificates which are valid in the
United States, if the foreign government involved has entered into a
reciprocal agreement under which such foreign government does not impose any similar requirement relating to eligibility for employment upon United States citizens.
(3) Any person who holds a FCC radio station license, for the
purpose of operating that station.
(4) Notwithstanding any other provisions of the FCC's rules, no
person shall be eligible to be issued a commercial radio operator
license when
(i) The person's commercial radio operator license is suspended, or
(ii) The person's commercial radio operator license is the subject
of an ongoing suspension proceeding, or
(iii) The person is afflicted with complete deafness or complete
muteness or complete inability for any other reason to transmit
correctly and to receive correctly by telephone spoken messages in
English.
(b)(1) Each application for a new General Radiotelephone Operator
License, Marine Radio Operator Permit, First Class Radiotelegraph
Operator's Certificate, Second Class Radiotelegraph Operator's
Certificate, Third Class Radiotelegraph Operator's Certificate, Ship
Radar Endorsement, Six Months Service Endorsement, GMDSS Radio
Operator's License, GMDSS Radio Maintainer's License and GMDSS Radio
Operator/Maintainer must be filed on FCC Form 605 in accordance with
Sec. 1.913 of this chapter.
(2) Each application for a Restricted Radiotelephone Operator Permit or a Restricted Radiotelephone Operator Permit-Limited Use must be filed on FCC Form 605 in accordance with Sec. 1.913 of this chapter.
(c) Each application for a new General Radiotelephone Operator
License, Marine Radio Operator Permit, First Class Radiotelegraph
Operator's Certificate, Second Class Radiotelegraph Operator's
Certificate, Third Class Radiotelegraph Operator's Certificate, Ship
Radar Enforcement, GMDSS Radio Operator's License, GMDSS Radio
Maintainer's, or GMDSS Radio Operator/Maintainer License must be
accompanied by the required fee, if any, and submitted in accordance
with Sec. 1.913 of this chapter. The application must include an
original PPC(s) from a COLEM(s) showing that the applicant has passed
the necessary examinations element(s) within the previous 365 days when
the applicant files the application. If a COLEM files the application
electronically on behalf of the applicant an original PPC(s) is not
required. However, the COLEM must keep the PPC(s) on file for a period
of 1 year.
(d) An applicant will be given credit for an examination element as
specified below:
(1) An unexpired (or within the grace period) FCC-issued commercial
radio operator license: The written examination and telegraphy
Element(s) required to obtain the license held; and
(2) An expired or unexpired FCC-issued Amateur Extra Class operator
license grant granted before April 15, 2000: Telegraphy Elements 1 and
2.
(e) Provided that a person's commercial radio operator license was
not revoked, or suspended, and is not the subject of an ongoing
suspension proceeding, a person whose application for a commercial radio
operator license has been received by the FCC but which has not yet been
acted upon and who holds a PPC(s) indicating that he or she passed the
necessary examination(s) within the previous 365 days, is authorized to
exercise the rights and privileges of the operator license for which the
application was received. This authority is valid for a period of 90
days from the date the application was received. The FCC, in its
discretion, may cancel this temporary conditional operating authority
without a hearing.
(f) Each application for a new six months service endorsement must
be submitted in accordance with Sec. 1.913 of this chapter. The
application must include documentation showing that:
[[Page 678]]
(1) The applicant was employed as a radio operator on board a ship
or ships of the United States for a period totaling at least six months;
(2) The ships were equipped with a radio station complying with the
provisions of part II of title III of the Communications Act, or the
ships were owned and operated by the U.S. Government and equipped with
radio stations;
(3) The ships were in service during the applicable six month period
and no portion of any single in-port period included in the qualifying
six months period exceeded seven days;
(4) The applicant held a FCC-issued First or Second Class
Radiotelegraph Operator's Certificate during this entire six month
qualifying period; and
(5) The applicant holds a radio officer's license issued by the U.S.
Coast Guard at the time the six month endorsement is requested.
(g) No person shall alter, duplicate for fraudulent purposes, or
fraudulently obtain or attempt to obtain an operator license. No person
shall use a license issued to another or a license that he or she knows
to be altered, duplicated for fraudulent purposes, or fraudulently
obtained. No person shall obtain or attempt to obtain, or assist another
person to obtain or attempt to obtain, an operator license by fraudulent
means.
[58 FR 9124, Feb. 19, 1993, as amended at 59 FR 3795, Jan. 27, 1994; 60
FR 27699, May 25, 1995; 63 FR 68942, Dec. 14, 1998; 66 FR 20752, Apr.
25, 2001]
Effective Date Note: At 68 FR 46958, Aug. 7, 2003, Sec. 13.9 was
amended by revising paragraphs (b)(1), and (c), effective Oct. 6, 2003.
For the convenience of the reader, the revised text is set forth as
follows:
Sec. 13.9 Eligibility and application for new license or endorsement.
* * * * *
(b)(1) Each application for a new General Radiotelephone Operator
License, Marine Radio Operator Permit, First Class Radiotelegraph
Operator's Certificate, Second Class Radiotelegraph Operator's
Certificate, Third Class Radiotelegraph Operator's Certificate, Ship
Radar Endorsement, Six Months Service Endorsement, GMDSS Radio
Operator's License, Restricted GMDSS Radio Operator's License, GMDSS
Radio Maintainer's License and GMDSS Radio Operator/Maintainer License
must be filed on FCC Form 605 in accordance with Sec. 1.913 of this
chapter.
* * * * *
(c) Each application for a new General Radiotelephone Operator
License, Marine Radio Operator Permit, First Class Radiotelegraph
Operator's Certificate, Second Class Radiotelegraph Operator's
Certificate, Third Class Radiotelegraph Operator's Certificate, Ship
Radar Endorsement, GMDSS Radio Operator's License, Restricted GMDSS
Radio Operator's License, GMDSS Radio Maintainer's License, or GMDSS
Radio Operator/Maintainer License must be accompanied by the required
fee, if any, and submitted in accordance with Sec. 1.913 of this
chapter. The application must include an original PPC(s) from a COLEM(s)
showing that the applicant has passed the necessary examination
element(s) within the previous 365 days when the applicant files the
application. If a COLEM files the application electronically on behalf
of the applicant an original PPC(s) is not required. However, the COLEM
must keep the PPC(s) on file for a period of 1 year.
* * * * *

What Hams Do

2007-08-05T01:26:00.000-04:00

What Hams Do

Whether you would like to chat with your friends on the way to work or school, check into a net to discuss topics of a mutual interest, or volunteer for emergency services, amateur radio is first and foremost about communication. With hams that means two way communication by radio. Radios can be hand-held transceivers similar to a walkie talkie, a mobile unit for use in a car or other vehicle, or a base station with an outdoor antenna used for local or distance communication. Regardless of the type of equipment radio amateurs have a wide range of activities they can pursue. Some of these are:

Talking with friends within the local community using a hand-held transceiver (HT) on VHF (2 meters) or UHF (70 cm.). You can extend your HT range up to 50 miles or more by transmitting through a local repeater.

DXing. DX means distance communication and with the right equipment worldwide communication on the HF bands (10 through 160 meters) is a regular possibility. See the section Amateur Radio Bands for a more complete description of the band plans.
Assisting with emergency and disaster communication. Organizations in the amateur community such as the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and the National Traffic System (NTS) prepare amateurs with the training needed to assist in emergency situations.
Technical experimenting. Hams come from all walks of life ranging from technicians to engineers, teachers to scientists, and students to retirees. For many of them the attraction to the hobby is to build their own equipment whether it is just a simple antenna, something as complex as a transmitter, or an interface between their radio and a computer.
Contesting. Contesting is often called the "sport" of ham radio. Almost every weekend there is some form of amateur radio contest. Hams get on the air and compete to see who can make the most contacts in a limited period of time.

Talk to an astronaut. Yes, it is really possible. Space stations do have ham radio equipment and licensed ham astronauts take the time to make contacts with amateurs on earth. Hams also have satellites where you can bounce a signal to communicate with other hams on earth.
Use digital communication. Connect a computer to your radio and install some software and you can be communicating digitally over the air. Some of these digital modes can be more effective in marginal transmission conditions and some even sport error free transmission.
Internet communication. Using some of the latest technologies hams can supplement a modest station with Internet connections. Using features such as URL or IRLP on a local repeater a ham in Toronto can talk to one in Vancouver or even Australia using a simple hand-held transceiver.
To get involved with any of these activities requires an amateur radio license and maybe a little help from a neighborly ham. The section How to Become a Radio Amateur explains what you need to get started.

© 2001 - 2007 Don Cassel VE3XD

What is Amateur Radio

2007-08-05T01:23:00.000-04:00

What is Amateur Radio?
If you were to ask a dozen different amateurs what ham radio meant to them chances are you would get 12 different answers. Radio amateurs have discovered a richly rewarding high-tech hobby that has many different appeals to different people. Whether it is the ability to talk to local friends over the radio waves using a hand-held transceiver (HT), communicating digitally with packet radio to exchange personal messages or vital information in an emergency, talking to other hams anywhere in the world, or engaging in contests with other Radio Amateurs over the airwaves there is something for everyone. The section What Hams Do gets into more detail about these activities.
Amateurs or Hams?
Amateurs are often affectionately called hams or ham radio operators and frequently the public is more familiar with this term than with the legal term Radio Amateur. The source of the name ham is not known but it has been around almost from the beginning of amateur radio radio in the early 1900s. The name amateur has nothing to do with skill or knowledge but rather implies that ham radio cannot be used for commercial or revenue generating purposes. It is truly a hobby but often one that makes a difference especially in emergency or disaster situations.
Modes of Communication
Amateur radio operators generally use radio transmitters and receivers to communicate with each other. As you will discover in these pages there are many forms of communication although voice (also known as phone) is still the most widely used. Some of the other forms of transmission are Radioteletype (Rtty), Morse code (CW), television, and digital modes such as Packet, Pactor and PSK-31. A recent survey shows that phone is the most widely used with CW standing second.
Getting Licensed
To become a radio amateur you will need to get a license. Licensing requirements are different in every country with different rules, privileges, and classes of license. The section How to Become a Radio Amateur gives some direction on this from the Canadian and U.S. perspective. Basically different levels of license gives different privileges on the ham bands. The more challenging the license requirements the more privileges that are granted and the more interesting and enjoyable ham radio becomes.

© 2001 - 2007 Don Cassel VE3XD

Basic Operating

2007-08-05T01:16:00.000-04:00

Basic Operating
So you now have your license and you are ready to get on the air. The most important thing to do before beginning is to listen and observe how other hams are making their contacts. As different modes and bands seem to have slightly different approaches it helps to have heard a few exchanges on a band before you make that first contact.
Depending on your radio and license you may have to decide on where and how you want to begin operating. If you are using a hand-held transceiver you may begin through a local repeater or direct (simplex) on the VHF and UHF bands. If you passed a CW test you may begin on some of the HF bands using CW or SSB. So let's give a quick run-down of each of these operations.
Using a HT and a Repeater
Many amateurs begin by getting the Basic (Canada) or Technician (U.S.) class license. By far the most common mode of operation for them is the HT through a local repeater. Assuming you have the HT set up to the appropriate frequency, offset, and if necessary, CTCSS tone then you are ready to make your first contact.
It may seem obvious but you need to know your call sign before you begin. You might also want to review the appropriate phonetics in case someone asks you to clarify your call sign.
To Initiate a Call
For this instruction let's assume you live near the U.S./Canadian border and use a repeater that services hams in both areas. Areas such as Buffalo, Windsor, Vancouver and others all have this characteristic.
1. Press the mike button on the HT and say "VE3BUC listening." Of course you would use your own call sign.
That might be all you need for a response. But if there is no response (which is quite likely) then you might try again but this time say "VE3BUC is monitoring and listening for a call."
Usually you don't need to call CQ on a repeater although there is nothing wrong with that. We will look at calling CQ shortly.
2. You get a response something like "VE3BUC this is W2AXL in Buffalo returning. My name is Phil. Back to you."
At this point you want to wait for the repeater's tone to indicate it is okay to proceed.
3. Press you mike button and respond. At this point the discussion can be whatever you make it. Give your name and location and any other information you wish to Phil and when you are ready say "Over" or "Back to you."
It is a good idea to give your call sign frequently so after a longer transmission you would say "W2AXL this is VE3BUC. Over."
The use of the terms "over" or "back to you" are a courtesy that lets the other operating know that you are finished talking and are turning the operation back to him or her.
4. At the end of the contact you would finally say goodbye or 73 and sign off by saying "W2AXL this is VE3BUC clear and monitoring." That is if you intend to continue to monitor. If not you could say "...clear and QRT" instead.

Q Signals
Q signals are commonly used in CW to abbreviate questions or statements. Although not many are used in Phone, QRT is quite common. See Q Signals Explained for details.
To Respond to a Call
To respond to a call over the repeater with a HT you would take on the role of the opposite person in the above discussion. You hear W2AXL calling on the repeater so answer as follows after the repeater tone drops:
1. "W2AXL this is VE3BUC. Good morning my name is Don and my location is Niagara Falls. Over to you."
2. Basically the exchange would proceed as discussed above. Be sure to identify your station occasionally and definitely identify yourself at the end of the contact as explained above.
Making Direct Phone Contacts
Whether you are operating HF, VHF or UHF without a repeater the procedure is essentially the same. In each case you will be transmitting directly by radio waves to another amateur's radio. You only need to set the operating band and frequency without the need for an offset or tone to access a repeater. However, depending on your radio and antenna it may be necessary to tune the antenna before beginning.
Calling CQ to Make a Contact
Let's assume your license permits you to operate SSB on 10 meters.
1. Begin by finding a clear frequency such as 28.360. Speak clearly into the mike and ask "Is this frequency in use? This is VE3BUC." If you get no response you might ask a second time just to be sure. Again if there is no response then proceed to step 2. If someone says that the frequency is in use then just move to another clear frequency and try again.
2. Now call "CQ CQ CQ. This is Victor Echo 3 Bravo Uniform Charlie calling CQ CQ CQ. This is Victor Echo 3 Bravo Uniform Charlie, VE3BUC calling CQ and waiting for a call."
Now you listen for the return call. Being on an HF band (10 meters) it is possible to get a call ranging from very strong to very weak.
3. You hear "VE3BUC this is Papa Yankee 1 Alpha November Foxtrot PY1ANF calling."
4. You respond by saying "PY1ANF (using phonetics is best) this is VE3BUC. Thanks for the call your signal is 59. My name is Don and my QTH is Ontario. So how do you copy? PY1ANF this is VE3BUC over."
You have made your first HF contact. At this point you can make the contact as long or short as you like depending on the band conditions and what you find to discuss with your new friend in Brazil.
RST Reports
Amateurs use the RST system for reporting signal strength and readability. See RST Explained for details.
5. You end an HF contact by giving both call signs and signing off. For example: "... thanks Luis for the contact and 73 to you and your family. PY1ANF this is VE3BUC signing off."
What do you do if more than one station responds to your call? If you hear one call clearly then simply respond to that station as discussed above. If you hear only parts of call signs, maybe "Alpha November" then in step 4 begin by saying "the station with Alpha November make your call." Once you have heard the complete call sign you can proceed as in step 4.
Responding to a CQ
Begin by tuning within the range of frequencies that you are permitted to operate and find a station calling CQ. To respond to the station you take on the role of the other station in the above exchange. The one difference is that after you call you may find out that other stations are also calling and that your call is not immediately recognized. If so wait until the stations complete their contact and then try again. If you don't want to wait then tune for another station calling CQ and answer this call.
CW Contacts
Making a CW contact is very similar to making a phone contact except of course you are using Morse Code. The process of CQing and exchanging information is about the same although CW operators use more abbreviations to make sending faster.
1. Call CQ as follows: "CQ CQ CQ de VE3BUC VE3BUC VE3BUC K" and wait for a response.
Note the abbreviations used. "de" means "this is" and "K" means "go." You do not need to use phonetics in CW.
2. The other station may respond as "VE3BUC de PY1ANF PY1ANF K"
3. Now it's your turn. "PY1ANF de VE3BUC GM UR RPT IS 599 599 NM IS DON DON ES QTH IS TORONTO PY1ANF DE VE3BUC KN"
To avoid confusion I have left out the punctuation in the above line. Normally punctuation is not used for casual contacts to reduce the amount of sending needed. It usually is quite obvious to both operators where the punctuation should go.
Notice the use of abbreviations. de, GM, UR, RPT, NM, ES, QTH, KN are all commonly used. The table shows the meaning of common abbreviations used in CW.
The underlined codes are sent without a pause between the letters.
Abbreviation
Use
AR
over
de
from or "this is"
ES
and
GM
good morning
K
go
KN
go only
NM
name
QTH
location
RPT
report
R
roger
SK
clear
tnx
thanks
UR
your, you are
73
best wishes
4. The exchange of information continues as for phone except that CW operators will use the abbreviated form of words on a regular basis during their exchange.
5. At the end of the contact you might finish as follows: "... tnx Luis fer the QSO 73 es gud DX. PY1ANF de VE3BUC SK"
Again several abbreviations were used but these are obvious I hope. "fer" instead of "for" is simply less keying and "gud" for "good" also saves the wrist.
Now that you have made some contacts you might want to begin exchanging QSL cards. A collection of cards can be one of the most satisfying aspects of ham radio. The section on QSL Cards introduces this aspect of the hobby.

© 2001 - 2007 Don Cassel VE3XD
Table of Contents
Index
What is Amateur Radio?
What Hams Do
How to Become a Radio Amateur
Call Signs
Amateur Radio Bands
Basic Operating
QSL Cards
Propagation
Operating Modes
IRLP in Depth
Amateur Activities
Guide to Choosing Your First Radio
Glossary of Terms
What Would You Like to See on this Site?
Also Visit Our Elmer's Forum
Copyright 2000-2007 eHam.net, LLCeHam.net is a community web site for amateur (ham) radio operators around the world.Contact the site with comments or questions.Site Privacy Statement

Part 97 Amateur Radio Service

2007-08-05T01:11:00.000-04:00

Subpart A--General Provisions

§97.1 Basis and purpose.
The rules and regulations in this Part are designed to provide an amateur radio service having a fundamental purpose as expressed in the following principles:
(a) Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications.
(b) Continuation and extension of the amateur's proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art.
(c) Encouragement and improvement of the amateur service through rules which provide for advancing skills in both the communications and technical phases of the art.
(d) Expansion of the existing reservoir within the amateur radio service of trained operators, technicians, and electronics experts.
(e) Continuation and extension of the amateur's unique ability to enhance international goodwill.

§97.3 Definitions.
(a) The definitions of terms used in Part 97 are:
(1) Amateur operator. A person named in an amateur operator/primary license station grant on the ULS consolidated licensee database to be the control operator of an amateur station.
(2) Amateur radio services. The amateur service, the amateur-satellite service and the radio amateur civil emergency service.
(4) Amateur service. A radiocommunication service for the purpose of self-training, intercommunication and technical investigations carried out by amateurs, that is, duly authorized persons interested in radio technique solely with a personal aim and without pecuniary interest.
(5) Amateur station. A station in an amateur radio service consisting of the apparatus necessary for carrying on radiocommunications.
(6) Automatic control. The use of devices and procedures for control of a station when it is transmitting so that compliance with the FCC Rules is achieved without the control operator being present at a control point.
(7) Auxiliary station. An amateur station, other than in a message forwarding system, that is transmitting communications point-to-point within a system of cooperating amateur stations.
(8) Bandwidth. The width of a frequency band outside of which the mean power of the transmitted signal is attenuated at least 26 dB below the mean power of the transmitted signal within the band.
(9) Beacon. An amateur station transmitting communications for the purposes of observation of propagation and reception or other related experimental activities.
(10) Broadcasting. Transmissions intended for reception by the general public, either direct or relayed.
(11) Call sign system. The method used to select a call sign for amateur station over-the-air identification purposes. The call sign systems are:
(i) Sequential call sign system. The call sign is selected by the FCC from an alphabetized list corresponding to the geographic region of the licensee's mailing address and operator class. The call sign is shown on the license. The FCC will issue public announcements detailing the procedures of the sequential call sign system.
(ii) Vanity call sign system. The call sign is selected by the FCC from a list of call signs requested by the licensee. The call sign is shown on the license. The FCC will issue public announcements detailing the procedures of the vanity call sign system.
(iii) Special event call sign system. The call sign is selected by the station licensee from a list of call signs shown on a common data base coordinated, maintained and disseminated by the amateur station special event call sign data base coordinators. The call sign must have the single letter prefix K, N or W, followed by a single numeral 0 through 9, followed by a single letter A through W or Y or Z (for example K1A). The special event call sign is substituted for the call sign shown on the station license grant while the station is transmitting. The FCC will issue public announcements detailing the procedures of the special event call sign system.
(12) CEPT radio amateur license. A license issued by a country belonging to the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) that has adopted Recommendation T/R 61-01 (Nice 1985, Paris 1992, Nicosia 2003).
(13) Control operator. An amateur operator designated by the licensee of a station to be responsible for the transmissions from that station to assure compliance with the FCC Rules.
(14) Control point. The location at which the control operator function is performed.
(15) CSCE. Certificate of successful completion of an examination.
(16) Earth station. An amateur station located on, or within 50 km of the Earth's surface intended for communications with space stations or with other Earth stations by means of one or more other objects in space.
(17) [Reserved]
(18) External RF Power Amplifier. A device capable of increasing power output when used in conjunction with, but not an integral part of, a transmitter.
(19) [Reserved]
(20) FAA. Federal Aviation Administration.
(21) FCC. Federal Communications Commission.
(22) Frequency coordinator. An entity, recognized in a local or regional area by amateur operators whose stations are eligible to be auxiliary or repeater stations, that recommends transmit/receive channels and associated operating and technical parameters for such stations in order to avoid or minimize potential interference.
(23) Harmful interference. Interference which endangers the functioning of a radionavigation service or of other safety services or seriously degrades, obstructs or repeatedly interrupts a radiocommunication service operating in accordance with the Radio Regulations.
(24) IARP. International Amateur Radio Permit. A document issued pursuant to the terms of the Inter-American Convention on an International Amateur Radio Permit by a country signatory to that Convention, other than the United States. Montrouis, Haiti.
(25) Indicator. Words, letters or numerals appended to and separated from the call sign during the station identification.
(26) Information bulletin. A message directed only to amateur operators consisting solely of subject matter of direct interest to the amateur service.
(27) International Morse code. A dot-dash code as defined in ITU-T Recommendation F.1 (March, 1998), Division B, I. Morse code.
(28) ITU. International Telecommunication Union.
(29) Line A. Begins at Aberdeen, WA, running by great circle arc to the intersection of 48° N, 120° W, thence along parallel 48° N, to the intersection of 95° W, thence by great circle arc through the southernmost point of Duluth, MN, thence by great circle arc to 45° N, 85° W, thence southward along meridian 85° W, to its intersection with parallel 41° N, thence along parallel 41° N, to its intersection with meridian 82° W, thence by great circle arc through the southernmost point of Bangor, ME, thence by great circle arc through the southernmost point of Searsport, ME, at which point it terminates.
(30) Local control. The use of a control operator who directly manipulates the operating adjustments in the station to achieve compliance with the FCC Rules.
(31) Message forwarding system. A group of amateur stations participating in a voluntary, cooperative, interactive arrangement where communications are sent from the control operator of an originating station to the control operator of one or more destination stations by one or more forwarding stations.
(32) National Radio Quiet Zone. The area in Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia bounded by 39° 15' N on the north, 78° 30' W on the east, 37° 30' N on the south and 80° 30' W on the west.
(33) Physician. For the purposes of this Part, a person who is licensed to practice in a place where the amateur service is regulated by the FCC, as either a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or a Doctor of Osteopathy (DO).
(34) Question pool. All current examination questions for a designated written examination element.
(35) Question set. A series of examination questions on a given examination selected from the question pool.
(36) Radio Regulations. The latest ITU Radio Regulations to which the United States is a party.
(37) RACES (radio amateur civil emergency service). A radio service using amateur stations for civil defense communications during periods of local, regional or national civil emergencies.
(38) Remote control. The use of a control operator who indirectly manipulates the operating adjustments in the station through a control link to achieve compliance with the FCC Rules.
(39) Repeater. An amateur station that simultaneously retransmits the transmission of another amateur station on a different channel or channels.
(40) Space station. An amateur station located more than 50 km above the Earth's surface.
(41) Space telemetry. A one-way transmission from a space station of measurements made from the measuring instruments in a spacecraft, including those relating to the functioning of the spacecraft.
(42) Spurious emission. An emission, on frequencies outside the necessary bandwidth of a transmission, the level of which may be reduced without affecting the information being transmitted.
(43) Telecommand. A one-way transmission to initiate, modify, or terminate functions of a device at a distance.
(44) Telecommand station. An amateur station that transmits communications to initiate, modify, or terminate functions of a space station.
(45) Telemetry. A one-way transmission of measurements at a distance from the measuring instrument.
(46) Third-party communications. A message from the control operator (first party) of an amateur station to another amateur station control operator (second party) on behalf of another person (third party).
(47) ULS (Universal Licensing System). The consolidated database, application filing system and processing system for all Wireless Telecommunications Services.
(48) VE. Volunteer examiner.
(49) VEC. Volunteer-examiner coordinator.
(b) The definitions of technical symbols used in this Part are:
(1) EHF (extremely high frequency). The frequency range 30-300 GHz.
(2) HF (high frequency). The frequency range 3-30 MHz.
(3) Hz. Hertz.
(4) m. Meters.
(5) MF (medium frequency). The frequency range 300-3000 kHz.
(6) PEP (peak envelope power). The average power supplied to the antenna transmission line by a transmitter during one RF cycle at the crest of the modulation envelope taken under normal operating conditions.
(7) RF. Radio frequency.
(8) SHF (super-high frequency). The frequency range 3-30 GHz.
(9) UHF (ultra-high frequency). The frequency range 300-3000 MHz.
(10) VHF (very-high frequency). The frequency range 30-300 MHz.
(11) W. Watts.
(c) The following terms are used in this Part to indicate emission types. Refer to Â§2.201 of the FCC Rules, Emission, modulation and transmission characteristics, for information on emission type designators.
(1) CW. International Morse code telegraphy emissions having designators with A, C, H, J or R as the first symbol; 1 as the second symbol; A or B as the third symbol; and emissions J2A and J2B.
(2) Data. Telemetry, telecommand and computer communications emissions having (i) designators with A, C, D, F, G, H, J or R as the first symbol, 1 as the second symbol, and D as the third symbol; (ii) emission J2D; and (iii) emissions A1C, F1C, F2C, J2C, and J3C having an occupied bandwidth of 500 Hz or less when transmitted on an amateur service frequency below 30 MHz. Only a digital code of a type specifically authorized in this part may be transmitted.
(3) Image. Facsimile and television emissions having designators with A, C, D, F, G, H, J or R as the first symbol; 1, 2 or 3 as the second symbol; C or F as the third symbol; and emissions having B as the first symbol; 7, 8 or 9 as the second symbol; W as the third symbol.
(4) MCW. Tone-modulated international Morse code telegraphy emissions having designators with A, C, D, F, G, H or R as the first symbol; 2 as the second symbol; A or B as the third symbol.
(5) Phone. Speech and other sound emissions having designators with A, C, D, F, G, H, J or R as the first symbol; 1, 2 or 3 as the second symbol; E as the third symbol. Also speech emissions having B as the first symbol; 7, 8 or 9 as the second symbol; E as the third symbol. MCW for the purpose of performing the station identification procedure, or for providing telegraphy practice interspersed with speech. Incidental tones for the purpose of selective calling or alerting or to control the level of a demodulated signal may also be considered phone.
(6) Pulse. Emissions having designators with K, L, M, P, Q, V or W as the first symbol; 0, 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9 or X as the second symbol; A, B, C, D, E, F, N, W or X as the third symbol.
(7) RTTY. Narrow-band direct-printing telegraphy emissions having designators with A, C, D, F, G, H, J or R as the first symbol; 1 as the second symbol; B as the third symbol; and emission J2B. Only a digital code of a type specifically authorized in this part may be transmitted.
(8) SS. Spread-spectrum emissions using bandwidth-expansion modulation emissions having designators with A, C, D, F, G, H, J or R as the first symbol; X as the second symbol; X as the third symbol.
(9) Test. Emissions containing no information having the designators with N as the third symbol. Test does not include pulse emissions with no information or modulation unless pulse emissions are also authorized in the frequency band.

§97.5 Station license grant required.
(a) The station apparatus must be under the physical control of a person named in an amateur station license grant on the ULS consolidated license database or a person authorized for alien reciprocal operation by §97.107 of this part, before the station may transmit on any amateur service frequency from any place that is:
(1) Within 50 km of the Earth's surface and at a place where the amateur service is regulated by the FCC;
(2) Within 50 km of the Earth's surface and aboard any vessel or craft that is documented or registered in the United States; or
(3) More than 50 km above the Earth's surface aboard any craft that is documented or registered in the United States.
(b) The types of station license grants are:
(1) An operator/primary station license grant. One, but only one, operator/primary station license grant may be held by any one person. The primary station license is granted together with the amateur operator license. Except for a representative of a foreign government, any person who qualifies by examination is eligible to apply for an operator/primary station license grant.
(2) A club station license grant. A club station license grant may be held only by the person who is the license trustee designated by an officer of the club. The trustee must be a person who holds an Amateur Extra, Advanced, General, or Technician operator license grant. The club must be composed of at least four persons and must have a name, a document of organization, management, and a primary purpose devoted to amateur service activities consistent with this part.
(3) A military recreation station license grant. A military recreation station license grant may be held only by the person who is the license custodian designated by the official in charge of the United States military recreational premises where the station is situated. The person must not be a representative of a foreign government. The person need not hold an amateur operator license grant.
(4) A RACES station license grant. A RACES station license grant may be held only by the person who is the license custodian designated by the official responsible for the governmental agency served by that civil defense organization. The custodian must be the civil defense official responsible for coordination of all civil defense activities in the area concerned. The custodian must not be a representative of a foreign government. The custodian need not hold an amateur operator license grant.
(c) The person named in the station license grant or who is authorized for alien reciprocal operation by §97.107 of this Part may use, in accordance with the applicable rules of this Part, the transmitting apparatus under the physical control of the person at places where the amateur service is regulated by the FCC.
(d) A CEPT radio-amateur license is issued to the person by the country of which the person is a citizen. The person must not:
(1) Be a resident alien or citizen of the United States, regardless of any other citizenship also held;
(2) Hold an FCC-issued amateur operator license nor reciprocal permit for alien amateur licensee;
(3) Be a prior amateur service licensee whose FCC-issued license was revoked, suspended for less than the balance of the license term and the suspension is still in effect, suspended for the balance of the license term and relicensing has not taken place, or surrendered for cancellation following notice of revocation, suspension or monetary forfeiture proceedings; or
(4) Be the subject of a cease and desist order that relates to amateur service operation and which is still in effect.
(e) An IARP is issued to the person by the country of which the person is a citizen. The person must not:
(1) Be a resident alien or citizen of the United States, regardless of any other citizenship also held;
(2) Hold an FCC-issued amateur operator license nor reciprocal permit for alien amateur licensee;
(3) Be a prior amateur service licensee whose FCC-issued license was revoked, suspended for less than the balance of the license term and the suspension is still in effect, suspended for the balance of the license term and relicensing has not taken place, or surrendered for cancellation following notice of revocation, suspension or monetary forfeiture proceedings; or
(4) Be the subject of a cease and desist order that relates to amateur service operation and which is still in effect.

§97.7 Control operation required.
When transmitting, each amateur station must have a control operator. The control operator must be a person:
(a) For whom an amateur operator/primary station license grant appears on the ULS consolidated licensee database, or
(b) Who is authorized for alien reciprocal operation by §97.107 of this part

§97.9 Operator license grant.
(a) The classes of amateur operator license grants are: Novice, Technician, Technician Plus (until such licenses expire, a Technical Class license granted before February 14, 1991, is considered a Technician Plus Class license), General, Advanced, and Amateur Extra. The person named in the operator license grant is authorized to be the control operator of an amateur station with the privileges authorized to the operator class specified on the license grant.
(b) The person named in an operator license grant of Novice, Technician, Technician Plus, General or Advanced Class, who has properly submitted to the administering VEs, a FCC Form 605 document requesting examination for an operator license grant of a higher class, and who holds a CSCE indicating that the person has completed the necessary examinations within the previous 365 days, is authorized to exercise the rights and privileges of the higher operator class until a final disposition of the application or until 365 days following the passing of the examination, whichever comes first.

§97.11 Stations aboard ships or aircraft.
(a) The installation and operation of an amateur station on a ship or aircraft must be approved by the master of the ship or pilot in command of the aircraft.
(b) The station must be separate from and independent of all other radio apparatus installed on the ship or aircraft, except a common antenna may be shared with a voluntary ship radio installation. The station's transmissions must not cause interference to any other apparatus installed on the ship or aircraft.
(c) The station must not constitute a hazard to the safety of life or property. For a station aboard an aircraft, the apparatus shall not be operated while the aircraft is operating under Instrument Flight Rules, as defined by the FAA, unless the station has been found to comply with all applicable FAA Rules.

§97.13 Restrictions on station location.
(a) Before placing an amateur station on land of environmental importance or that is significant in American history, architecture or culture, the licensee may be required to take certain actions prescribed by §§ 1.1305-1.1319 of this chapter.
(b) A station within 1600 m (1 mile) of an FCC monitoring facility must protect that facility from harmful interference. Failure to do so could result in imposition of operating restrictions upon the amateur station by a District Director pursuant to §97.121 of this Part. Geographical coordinates of the facilities that require protection are listed in §0.121(c) of this chapter.
(c) Before causing or allowing an amateur station to transmit from any place where the operation of the station could cause human exposure to RF electromagnetic field levels in excess of those allowed under § 1.1310 of this chapter, the licensee is required to take certain actions.
(1) The licensee must perform the routine RF environmental evaluation prescribed by § 1.1307(b) of this chapter, if the power of the licensee's station exceeds the limits given in the following table:
Wavelength Band
Evaluation Required if Power* (watts) Exceeds:
MF
160m
500
HF
80m
500
75m
500
40m
500
30m
425
20m
225
17m
125
15m
100
12m
75
10m
50
VHF (all bands)
50
UHF
70cm
70
33cm
150
23cm
200
13cm
250
SHF (all bands)
250
EHF (all bands)
250
Repeater stations (all bands)
non-building-mounted antennas: height above ground level to lowest point of antenna <> 500 W ERP building-mounted antennas: power > 500 W ERP
* Power = PEP input to antenna except, for repeater stations only, power exclusion is based on ERP (effective radiated power).
(2) If the routine environmental evaluation indicates that the RF electromagnetic fields could exceed the limits contained in § 1.1310 of this chapter in accessible areas, the licensee must take action to prevent human exposure to such RF electromagnetic fields. Further information on evaluating compliance with these limits can be found in the FCC's OET Bulletin Number 65, "Evaluating Compliance with FCC-Specified Guidelines for Human Exposure to Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Fields."

§97.15 Station antenna structures.
(a) Owners of certain antenna structures more than 60.96 meters (200 feet) above ground level at the site or located near or at a public use airport must notify the Federal Aviation Administration and register with the Commission as required by Part 17 of this chapter.
(b) Except as otherwise provided herein, a station antenna structure may be erected at heights and dimensions sufficient to accommodate amateur service communications. [State and local regulation of a station antenna structure must not preclude amateur service communications. Rather, it must reasonably accommodate such communications and must constitute the minimum practicable regulation to accomplish the state or local authority's legitimate purpose. See PRB-1, 101 FCC 2d 952 (1985) for details.]

§97.17 Application for new license grant.
(a) Any qualified person is eligible to apply for a new operator/primary station, club station or military recreation station license grant. No new license grant will be issued for a Novice, Technician Plus, or Advanced Class operator/primary station or a RACES station.
(b) Each application for a new amateur service license grant must be filed with the FCC as follows:
(1) Each candidate for an amateur radio operator license which requires the applicant to pass one or more examination elements must present the administering VEs with all information required by the rules prior to the examination. The VEs may collect all necessary information in any manner of their choosing, including creating their own forms.
(2) For a new club or military recreation station license grant, each applicant must present all information required by the rules to an amateur radio organization having tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that provides voluntary, uncompensated and unreimbursed services in providing club and military recreation station call signs ("Club Station Call Sign Administrator") who must submit the information to the FCC in an electronic batch file. The Club Station Call Sign Administrator may collect the information required by these rules in any manner of their choosing, including creating their own forms. The Club Station Call Sign Administrator must retain the applicants information for at least 15 months and make it available to the FCC upon request. The FCC will issue public announcements listing the qualified organizations that have completed a pilot autogrant batch filing project and are authorized to serve as a Club Station Call Sign Administrator.
(c) No person shall obtain or attempt to obtain, or assist another person to obtain or attempt to obtain, an amateur service license grant by fraudulent means.
(d) One unique call sign will be shown on the license grant of each new primary, club and military recreation station. The call sign will be selected by the sequential call sign system.

§97.19 Application for a vanity call sign.
(a) The person named in an operator/primary station license grant or in a club station license grant is eligible to make application for modification of the license grant, or the renewal thereof, to show a call sign selected by the vanity call sign system. RACES and military recreation stations are not eligible for a vanity call sign.
(b) Each application for a modification of an operator/primary or club station license grant, or the renewal thereof, to show a call sign selected by the vanity call sign system must be filed in accordance with §1.913 of this chapter.
(c) Unassigned call signs are available to the vanity call sign system with the following exceptions:
(1) A call sign shown on an expired license grant is not available to the vanity call sign system for 2 years following the expiration of the license.
(2) A call sign shown on a surrendered, revoked, set aside, canceled, or voided license grant is not available to the vanity call sign system for 2 years following the date such action is taken.
(3) Except for an applicant who is the spouse, child, grandchild, stepchild, parent, grandparent, step-parent, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or in-law, and except for an applicant who is a club station license trustee acting with a written statement of consent signed by either the licensee ante mortem but who is now deceased or by at least one relative, as listed above, of the person now deceased, the call sign shown on the license of the person now deceased is not available to the vanity call sign system for 2 years following the person's death, or for 2 years following the expiration of the license grant, whichever is sooner.
(d) The vanity call sign requested by an applicant must be selected from the group of call signs corresponding to the same or lower class of operator license held by the applicant as designated in the sequential call sign system.
(1) The applicant must request that the call sign shown on the license grant be vacated and provide a list of up to 25 call signs in order of preference. In the event that the Commission receives more than one application requesting a vanity call sign from an applicant on the same receipt day, the Commission will process only the first such application entered into the Universal Licensing System. Subsequent vanity call sign applications from that applicant with the same receipt date will not be accepted.
(2) The first assignable call sign from the applicant's list will be shown on the license grant. When none of those call signs are assignable, the call sign vacated by the applicant will be shown on the license grant.
(3) Vanity call signs will be selected from those call signs assignable at the time the application is processed by the FCC.
(4) A call sign designated under the sequential call sign system for Alaska, Hawaii, Caribbean Insular Areas, and Pacific Insular areas will be assigned only to a primary or club station whose licensee's mailing address is in the corresponding state, commonwealth, or island. This limitation does not apply to an applicant for the call sign as the spouse, child, grandchild, stepchild, parent, grandparent, stepparent, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or in-law, of the former holder now deceased.

§97.21 Application for a modified or renewed license grant.
(a) A person holding a valid amateur station license grant:
(1) Must apply to the FCC for a modification of the license grant as necessary to show the correct mailing address, licensee name, club name, license trustee name or license custodian name in accordance with §1.913 of this chapter. For a club, military recreation or RACES station license grant, it must be presented in document form to a Club Station Call Sign Administrator who must submit the information thereon to the FCC in an electronic batch file. The Club Station Call Sign Administrator must retain the collected information for at least 15 months and make it available to the FCC upon request.
(2) May apply to the FCC for a modification of the operator/primary station license grant to show a higher operator class. Applicants must present the administering VEs with all information required by the rules prior to the examination. The VEs may collect all necessary information in any manner of their choosing, including creating their own forms.
(3) May apply to the FCC for renewal of the license grant for another term in accordance with §1.913 of this chapter. Application for renewal of a Technician Plus class operator/primary station license will be processed as an application for renewal of a Technician operator/primary station license.
(i) For a station license grant showing a call sign obtained through the vanity call sign system, the application must be filed in accordance with §97.19 of this Part in order to have the vanity call sign reassigned to the station.
(ii) For a primary station license grant showing a call sign obtained through the sequential call sign system, and for a primary station license grant showing a call sign obtained through the vanity call sign system but whose grantee does not want to have the vanity call sign reassigned to the station, the application must be filed with the FCC in accordance with §1.913 of this chapter. When the application has been received by the FCC on or before the license expiration date, the license operating authority is continued until the final disposition of the application.
(iii) For a club station or military recreation station license grant showing a call sign obtained through the sequential call sign system, and for a club or military recreation station license grant showing a call sign obtained through the vanity call sign system but whose grantee does not want to have the vanity call sign reassigned to the station, the application must be presented in document form to a Club Station Call Sign Administrator who must submit the information thereon to the FCC in an electronic batch file. The Club Station Call Sign Administrator must retain the collected information for at least 15 months and make it available to the FCC upon request. RACES station license grants will not be renewed.
(b) A person whose amateur station license grant has expired may apply to the FCC for renewal of the license grant for another term during a 2 year filing grace period. The application must be received at the address specified above prior to the end of the grace period. Unless and until the license grant is renewed, no privileges in this Part are conferred.
(c) A call sign obtained under the sequential or vanity call sign system will be reassigned to the station upon renewal or modification of a station license.

§97.23 Mailing address.
Each license grant must show the grantee's correct name and mailing address. The mailing address must be in an area where the amateur service is regulated by the FCC and where the grantee can receive mail delivery by the United States Postal Service. Revocation of the station license or suspension of the operator license may result when correspondence from the FCC is returned as undeliverable because the grantee failed to provide the correct mailing address.

§97.25 License term.
An amateur service license is normally granted for a 10-year term.

§97.27 FCC modification of station license grant.
(a) The FCC may modify a station license grant, either for a limited time or for the duration of the term thereof, if it determines:
(1) That such action will promote the public interest, convenience, and necessity; or
(2) That such action will promote fuller compliance with the provisions of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, or of any treaty ratified by the United States.
(b) When the FCC makes such a determination, it will issue an order of modification. The order will not become final until the licensee is notified in writing of the proposed action and the grounds and reasons therefor. The licensee will be given reasonable opportunity of no less than 30 days to protest the modification; except that, where safety of life or property is involved, a shorter period of notice may be provided. Any protest by a licensee of an FCC order of modification will be handled in accordance with the provisions of 47 U.S.C. §316.

§97.29 Replacement license grant document.
Each grantee whose amateur station license grant document is lost, mutilated or destroyed may apply to the FCC for a replacement in accordance with §1.913 of this chapter.

ARRL Band Plans

2007-08-05T00:44:00.000-04:00

1.800 - 2.000 CW
1.800 - 1.810 Digital Modes
1.810 CW QRP
1.843-2.000 SSB, SSTV and other wideband modes
1.910 SSB QRP
1.995 - 2.000 Experimental
1.999 - 2.000 Beacons

80 Meters (3.5-4.0 MHz):
3.590 RTTY/Data DX
3.570-3.600 RTTY/Data
3.790-3.800 DX window
3.845 SSTV
3.885 AM calling frequency

40 Meters (7.0-7.3 MHz):
7.040 RTTY/Data DX
7.080-7.125 RTTY/Data
7.171 SSTV
7.290 AM calling frequency

30 Meters (10.1-10.15 MHz):
10.130-10.140 RTTY
10.140-10.150 Packet

20 Meters (14.0-14.35 MHz):
14.070-14.095 RTTY
14.095-14.0995 Packet
14.100 NCDXF Beacons
14.1005-14.112 Packet
14.230 SSTV
14.286 AM calling frequency

17 Meters (18.068-18.168 MHz):
18.100-18.105 RTTY
18.105-18.110 Packet

15 Meters (21.0-21.45 MHz):
21.070-21.110 RTTY/Data
21.340 SSTV

12 Meters (24.89-24.99 MHz):
24.920-24.925 RTTY
24.925-24.930 Packet

10 Meters (28-29.7 MHz):
28.000-28.070 CW
28.070-28.150 RTTY
28.150-28.190 CW
28.200-28.300 Beacons
28.300-29.300 Phone
28.680 SSTV
29.000-29.200 AM
29.300-29.510 Satellite Downlinks
29.520-29.590 Repeater Inputs
29.600 FM Simplex
29.610-29.700 Repeater Outputs

6 Meters (50-54 MHz):
50.0-50.1 CW, beacons
50.060-50.080 beacon subband
50.1-50.3 SSB, CW
50.10-50.125 DX window
50.125 SSB calling
50.3-50.6 All modes
50.6-50.8 Nonvoice communications
50.62 Digital (packet) calling
50.8-51.0 Radio remote control (20-kHz channels)
51.0-51.1 Pacific DX window
51.12-51.48 Repeater inputs (19 channels)
51.12-51.18 Digital repeater inputs
51.62-51.98 Repeater outputs (19 channels)
51.62-51.68 Digital repeater outputs
52.0-52.48 Repeater inputs (except as noted; 23 channels)
52.02, 52.04 FM simplex
52.2 TEST PAIR (input)
52.5-52.98 Repeater output (except as noted; 23 channels)
52.525 Primary FM simplex
52.54 Secondary FM simplex
52.7 TEST PAIR (output)
53.0-53.48 Repeater inputs (except as noted; 19 channels)
53.0 Remote base FM simplex
53.02 Simplex
53.1, 53.2, 53.3, 53.4 Radio remote control
53.5-53.98 Repeater outputs (except as noted; 19 channels)
53.5, 53.6, 53.7, 53.8 Radio remote control
53.52, 53.9 Simplex

2 Meters (144-148 MHz):
144.00-144.05 EME (CW)
144.05-144.10 General CW and weak signals
144.10-144.20 EME and weak-signal SSB
144.200 National calling frequency
144.200-144.275 General SSB operation
144.275-144.300 Propagation beacons
144.30-144.50 New OSCAR subband
144.50-144.60 Linear translator inputs
144.60-144.90 FM repeater inputs
144.90-145.10 Weak signal and FM simplex (145.01,03,05,07,09 are widely used for packet)
145.10-145.20 Linear translator outputs
145.20-145.50 FM repeater outputs
145.50-145.80 Miscellaneous and experimental modes
145.80-146.00 OSCAR subband
146.01-146.37 Repeater inputs
146.40-146.58 Simplex
146.52 National Simplex Calling Frequency
146.61-146.97 Repeater outputs
147.00-147.39 Repeater outputs
147.42-147.57 Simplex
147.60-147.99 Repeater inputs

Notes: The frequency 146.40 MHz is used in some areas as a repeater input. This band plan has been proposed by the ARRL VHF-UHF Advisory Committee.

1.25 Meters (222-225 MHz):
222.0-222.150 Weak-signal modes
222.0-222.025 EME
222.05-222.06 Propagation beacons
222.1 SSB & CW calling frequency
222.10-222.15 Weak-signal CW & SSB
222.15-222.25 Local coordinator's option; weak signal, ACSB, repeater inputs, control
222.25-223.38 FM repeater inputs only
223.40-223.52 FM simplex
223.52-223.64 Digital, packet
223.64-223.70 Links, control
223.71-223.85 Local coordinator's option; FM simplex, packet, repeater outputs
223.85-224.98 Repeater outputs only

Note: The 222 MHz band plan was adopted by the ARRL Board of Directors in July 1991.

70 Centimeters (420-450 MHz):
420.00-426.00 ATV repeater or simplex with 421.25 MHz video carrier control links and experimental
426.00-432.00 ATV simplex with 427.250-MHz video carrier frequency
432.00-432.07 EME (Earth-Moon-Earth)
432.07-432.10 Weak-signal CW
432.10 70-cm calling frequency
432.10-432.30 Mixed-mode and weak-signal work
432.30-432.40 Propagation beacons
432.40-433.00 Mixed-mode and weak-signal work
433.00-435.00 Auxiliary/repeater links
435.00-438.00 Satellite only (internationally)
438.00-444.00 ATV repeater input with 439.250-MHz video carrier frequency and repeater links
442.00-445.00 Repeater inputs and outputs (local option)
445.00-447.00 Shared by auxiliary and control links, repeaters and simplex (local option)
446.00 National simplex frequency
447.00-450.00 Repeater inputs and outputs (local option)

33 Centimeters (902-928 MHz):
902.0-903.0 Narrow-bandwidth, weak-signal communications
902.0-902.8 SSTV, FAX, ACSSB, experimental
902.1 Weak-signal calling frequency
902.8-903.0 Reserved for EME, CW expansion
903.1 Alternate calling frequency
903.0-906.0 Digital communications
906-909 FM repeater inputs
909-915 ATV
915-918 Digital communications
918-921 FM repeater outputs
921-927 ATV
927-928 FM simplex and links

Note: The 902 MHz band plan was adopted by the ARRL Board of Directors in July 1989

23 Centimeters (1240-1300 MHz):
1240-1246 ATV #1
1246-1248 Narrow-bandwidth FM point-to-point links and digital, duplex with 1258-1260.
1248-1258 Digital Communications
1252-1258 ATV #2
1258-1260 Narrow-bandwidth FM point-to-point links digital, duplexed with 1246-1252
1260-1270 Satellite uplinks, reference WARC '79
1260-1270 Wide-bandwidth experimental, simplex ATV
1270-1276 Repeater inputs, FM and linear, paired with 1282-1288, 239 pairs every 25 kHz, e.g. 1270.025, .050, etc.
1271-1283
Non-coordinated test pair
1276-1282 ATV #3
1282-1288 Repeater outputs, paired with 1270-1276
1288-1294 Wide-bandwidth experimental, simplex ATV
1294-1295 Narrow-bandwidth FM simplex services, 25-kHz channels
1294.5 National FM simplex calling frequency
1295-1297 Narrow bandwidth weak-signal communications (no FM)
1295.0-1295.8 SSTV, FAX, ACSSB, experimental
1295.8-1296.0 Reserved for EME, CW expansion
1296.00-1296.05 EME-exclusive
1296.07-1296.08 CW beacons
1296.1 CW, SSB calling frequency
1296.4-1296.6 Crossband linear translator input
1296.6-1296.8 Crossband linear translator output
1296.8-1297.0 Experimental beacons (exclusive)
1297-1300 Digital Communications

2300-2310 and 2390-2450 MHz:
2300.0-2303.0 High-rate data
2303.0-2303.5 Packet
2303.5-2303.8 TTY packet
2303.9-2303.9 Packet, TTY, CW, EME
2303.9-2304.1 CW, EME
2304.1 Calling frequency
2304.1-2304.2 CW, EME, SSB
2304.2-2304.3 SSB, SSTV, FAX, Packet AM, Amtor
2304.30-2304.32 Propagation beacon network
2304.32-2304.40 General propagation beacons
2304.4-2304.5 SSB, SSTV, ACSSB, FAX, Packet AM, Amtor experimental
2304.5-2304.7 Crossband linear translator input
2304.7-2304.9 Crossband linear translator output
2304.9-2305.0 Experimental beacons
2305.0-2305.2 FM simplex (25 kHz spacing)
2305.20 FM simplex calling frequency
2305.2-2306.0 FM simplex (25 kHz spacing)
2306.0-2309.0 FM Repeaters (25 kHz) input
2309.0-2310.0 Control and auxiliary links
2390.0-2396.0 Fast-scan TV
2396.0-2399.0 High-rate data
2399.0-2399.5 Packet
2399.5-2400.0 Control and auxiliary links
2400.0-2403.0 Satellite
2403.0-2408.0 Satellite high-rate data
2408.0-2410.0 Satellite
2410.0-2413.0 FM repeaters (25 kHz) output
2413.0-2418.0 High-rate data
2418.0-2430.0 Fast-scan TV
2430.0-2433.0 Satellite
2433.0-2438.0 Satellite high-rate data
2438.0-2450.0 WB FM, FSTV, FMTV, SS experimental

Note: The 2300 MHz band plan was adopted by the ARRL Board of Directors in January 1991
Note: The following band plans were adopted by the ARRL Board of Directors in July 1988

3300-3500 MHz:
3456.3-3456.4 Propagation beacons

5650-5925 MHz: 5760.3-5760.4 Propagation beacons

10.00-10.50 GHz: 10.368 Narrow band calling frequency 10.3683-10.3684 Propagation beacons
10.3640
Calling frequency Above 10.50 GHz:*

All modes and licensees (except Novices) are authorized on the following bands:
24.0-24.25 GHz47.0-47.2 GHz76-81.0 GHz122.25-123 GHz134-141 GHz241.0-250.0 GHzAll above 275 GHz
* US amateurs must check Sections 97.301, 97.303, 97.305 and 97.307 for sharing requirements before operating.
Page last modified: 01:40 PM, 14 Dec 2006 ETPage author: reginfo@arrl.org Copyright © 2006, American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Lost Q-Codes

2007-08-01T16:49:00.001-04:00

The "Lost" Q-Codes

QBA - My antenna is BIG!
QBA? - How big is your antenna?

QBO - Don't sit next to that guy in the meeting.
QBO? - Buddy, can you spare some soap?

QBS - It's getting deep in here.
QBS? - Did I tell you about the one that got away?

QCP - I am using Cat Power (From Rotary Cat Power Wheel)
QCP? - Are you using Cat Power?

QCW - I am going to whistle Morse Code on FM (or SSB)
QCW? - Why are you whistling Morse?

QDR - d**n Right the frequency is busy! In response to QRL
QDR? - Do you have a Receiver? In response to QRL

QET - Phone home.
QET? - Has anyone called me from another planet?

QEW - Copy is difficult due to Ear Wax.
QEW? - Is copy difficult due to Ear Wax?

QFH - This frequency is MINE! - go elsewhere.
QFH? - Is this frequency hogged?

QHI - I am jumping in quick to say hi, then going QRT.
QHI? - Are you leaving after only one transmission?

QLF - I am sending with my left foot.
QLF? - Are you sending with your left foot?

QLK - I am sending with my left foot and keyboard.
QLK? - Are you sending with your left foot and keyboard?

QNO - I am sending through a non-standard orifice.
QNO? - Are you sending through a non-standard orifice?

QOK - Your last transmission was Okie Dokie.
QOK? - Was my last transmission OK?

QRC - Warning, rag chewer on frequency.
QRC? - Are you a rag chewer?

QRW - Means QRP - Really Weak
QRW? - QRP, you are Really Weak?

QWC - I have to go to the bathroom.
QWC? - Do you have to go to the bathroom?

QZZ - I fell asleep at the mic.
QZZ? - Is that a 60Hz hum, or are you snoring?

Moody friends. Drama queens. Your life? Nope! - their life, your story.
Play Sims Stories at Yahoo! Games.

IRLP Reflector Status Wednesday, January 3, 2007, 05:00 UTC

2007-08-01T16:41:00.001-04:00

IRLP Reflector Status Wed Jan 3 05:00:02 UTC 2007
Reflector 9450 Dallas Channel 0 3695 N5GI Dallas/Ft. Worth/McKinney 4983 KA4EPS Boca Raton Channel 3 1667 VE5FUN Saskatoon WIN System Affiliate 3105 NM7R Chinook - WIN System Affiliate 3143 K6JSI Auburn - WinSystem/Red Cross 3203 NL7R Valdez 3351 WA7G Sugarloaf peak - WIN System Affiliate 3358 K6PNG Victorville- WinSystem Affiliate 3423 AJ9Y Tolleson - WIN System 3492 K6JSI Modesto - WIN System 3500 K6JSI San Diego - WIN System 3502 N5EZY Santa Fe (Pojoaque) WinSystem Affilate 3537 KL3NP Nome 3540 W6DXX Palm Springs WIN System Affiliate 3550 VE6RGP/K7 Green Valley, AZ, WIN System Affiliate 3698 KB8JXX Anchorage - WIN System Affil. 3734 W6IY Bishop - WIN System Affiliate 3828 WA6AXO Juneau 3847 K6JSI Fresno - WIN System 3877 WI6RE Ridgecrest/China Lake - WIN System 3979 NO5DE Albuquerque 3981 W7RY Yacolt/Vancouver 4120 KF6SWL Omaha - WIN System Affiliate 4563 WB2JPQ Buffalo 4671 N6WI Berryville - WIN System Affiliate 4921 KG6CXP Alva - WIN System Affilate 8440 W5DEL-2 Oklahoma City - WIN System 8730 KF6FKK San Francisco - WIN System Affiliate Channel 5 3178 KF6FKK San Francisco 3192 WR5GC Dickinson 3337 N5ZUA Alexandria 3364 K5VPW Austin 3517 KC5FOG Galveston 3962 N5ZUA La Grange 8720 WB5UGT Houston Channel 6 3110 K6IOK Auburn 3229 W6RCA Dixon 3277 AH6HN Keaau 3603 W6PX SHINGLE SPRINGS 3798 KR6WP SSF EOC 3882 W6RCA San Carlos 7420 AF7DX Hakalau 7540 W6CBS San Carlos 43 node(s) connected	Reflector 9250 Western Reflector Channel 0 1520 VE7RRU Esquimalt/Victoria 3011 KE5GDB Clear Lake City 3039 W7RAT Portland 3167 KL3K Anchorage 3188 K7OGM Fish Haven - Bear Lake 3204 N6VYQ Elk Grove 3454 K7CSL Tempe 3641 N7ARR Las Vegas Gateway NARRI 3666 KL1IO Valdez 3705 N7ARR Mesquite NARRI 3724 KE7IZA Henderson 4273 K5MES Fort Smith 4516 W4WWM Madison 4549 KB0IXM Fargo 4923 KB2ERJ Camillus 5590 N9LKH Milwaukee 5620 WA7GIE Salt Lake City 5850 KJ6W Palmdale Channel 8 3194 N7ARR Las Vegas NARRI 3396 N7ARR Tonopah NARRI 20 node(s) connected	Reflector 9200 Crossroads Reflector Channel 1 4134 KP4EOP Chicago 4396 N2JBM East Northport 4797 KD1ZO Southington 4951 N2PDO Long Island 5102 EA3ABN Castellar del Valles 7040 KP4EOP Deer Park 7351 NP3KQ Bayamon PR 7578 WP3HY Hatillo PR Channel 2 3098 W7AAE Henderson 8200 JR1VI Ota-ku Channel 4 4606 N9GMT Milwaukee Channel 6 2146 VA3PZG Brampton Channel 8 3278 KC6PXL Los Angeles 3339 W6DVI San Gabriel 8365 XE2LRD Durango 8377 XE1HSW Uruapan 8757 XE1TH Tulancingo 8798 XE2GF Tijuana 18 node(s) connected
	Reflector 9870 Denver Reflector Channel 2 3297 WB6ZVW Morgan Hill 3809 KG6KHL Hillsboro 3851 WA6E Loomis Channel 4 3124 NA0US Longmont 3467 KE0TY Grand Junction 3519 K5GF Kountze 3722 K0ELK Carbondale Channel 6 3407 K7OJU North Salt Lake 3450 N0SZ Boulder 3971 W2IO Sammamish 4223 W2FWG Long Island 4453 N2LBT Albany 4680 N2LBT Albany 4765 N1SZ Columbia 4993 W1AD Rutland 5330 WA1ZMS Lynchburg 16 node(s) connected	Reflector 9350 LAX - [WALA] Hub Channel 0 3004 N6DL Coalinga 3448 KJ6KB Palos Verdes IV [WALA] 3460 WA6LA Palos Verdes I [WALA] 3589 N6SPD Monterey Bay [WALA] 7970 WA6TMJ Hanover Park [WALA] 8794 XE3CRC Tuxtla Gutierrez Channel 2 3402 NA6M Georgetown 3751 K5RNB Aubrey 7650 N6ICW Sacramento - 147.195 Repeater Channel 8 3190 WD8CIK Hollywood 3429 WD6FZA San Marcos -Papa System 3678 WB6X PALMDALE 4021 K4VMS Port Charlotte / Englewood 8499 JS1LQI Koto 14 node(s) connected
Reflector 9070 Alaska Reflector Channel 0 3353 KL3K Sterling 3459 KL3K Fairbanks 3592 KL3K Seward 3778 KL3K Anchorage 3787 KL3K Houston 3834 KL3K Anchorage 7150 KL3K Girdwood Channel 1 3313 KL3K Anchorage 3588 KL3K Mt. Susitna 3954 KL3BD Kotzebue Channel 2 4103 WB2WJF Lantana 4715 WB2JPQ Eden 4793 W3FL Orange City 4944 W2BRW Hamburg 14 node(s) connected	Reflector 9050 NorthEast Reflector Channel 1 4484 NP4H West New York Channel 4 4028 KB1FX-2 Marshfield (Green Harbor) Channel 5 4089 N2XFX Orchard Park 4100 N3FE Wellsboro 4 node(s) connected	Reflector 9000 Vancouver Channel 3 1980 VE7MAN Surrey Channel 4 8508 JG2TZW Wako 8648 JF9LGL hakusan Channel 8 4739 WB4BSD Cleveland 4 node(s) connected
Reflector 9220 openIRLP Reflector Channel 8 3387 WA2PVV Chatham 3418 N3TOY Las Vegas 3461 KD5MSS Las Vegas 3 node(s) connected	Reflector 9610 Great Lakes Reflector Channel 5 4483 W9RCG Pewaukee 7550 K9JAC Hubertus 2 node(s) connected	Reflector 9300 Saskatoon Reflector Channel 0 1350 VE5SKN Saskatoon 1370 VE5IOU Prince Albert 2 node(s) connected
Reflector 9210 Raleigh Channel 1 4697 AA9NV Chapel Hill, North Carolina 4954 Ki4HZP Palm Bay 2 node(s) connected	Reflector 9120 New England Reflector Channel 3 4149 K1SOX West Haven Channel 7 7820 WB2HWW Queens/ New York City 2 node(s) connected	Reflector 9010 Discovery Reflector
Reflector 9310 Fredericton	Reflector 9500 Sydney - Virtual PUB	Reflector 9730 Crossroads Annex
Reflector 9750 The UK Reflector	Blank	Blank
All data sourced from http://status.irlp.net/nohtmlstatus.txt IRLP Status EchoLink Status eQSO Status All Systems Status Options World Time G4EID-KM8H web site G4EID-KM8H. Rev 0.120

Need a vacation? Get great deals to amazing places on Yahoo! Travel.

The Amateur Code

2007-08-01T16:36:00.001-04:00

The Amateur's Code « Thread Started on Mar 14, 2007, 9:44am »
ONE "The Amateur is Considerate...He never knowingly uses the air in such a way as to lessen the pleasure of others." Tuning up on nets for long periods, excessive mic gain or running power when not needed all tend to aggravate our neighbors on the air. Breaking into a net to "check in for the count" without listening long enough to the net to be able to utilize procedures specific to that net make the Net Control Station's job more difficult and leaves an unfavorable impression of your operating prowess in the minds of net participants. Not bothering to determine if that rare DX station is "working split" or listening "up 5" before transmitting on the DX's transmit frequency is an egregious violation of this principle. Obscenity or vulgar language, although perhaps protected speech, are inappropriate in a polite society (whether society is currently polite is debatable, for our sake we'll consider ham radio to be polite). The best action is to take a few moments to listen and note your surroundings before pressing the switch. Also, make sure the brain is engaged before the mouth is set in gear (that's a toughie for a lot of us!). You'll save yourself from needless embarrassment. TWO "The Amateur is Loyal...He offers his loyalty, encouragement and support to his fellow radio amateurs, his local club and the American Radio Relay League, through which Amateur Radio is represented." Getting on the local repeater and complaining about how lousy its performance has been lately or denigrating those who volunteer to work on the machine is certainly not behavior consistent with Point Two. Griping that the repeater was in use for a parade, walk-a-thon, or other public service event for a few hours on a Saturday morning doesn't cut it either (I don't care how much yearly dues you pay!). Of course, not attending club meetings because the club officers are morons licensed within the past 10 years who didn't have to build their equipment doesn't qualify either. If you won't attend the local hamfests large or small, you're not promoting amateur radio on a local basis as you should be. Finally, refusing to join the ARRL because of Incentive Licensing, Novice Enhancement, the codeless Technician, or Restructuring is pointless and doesn't allow your dissenting voice to be heard nor does it help to protect the valuable spectrum we all share. Join the local radio club. Sure, they may all be jerks until you get to know them and realize how much you have in common. Then you may find they could really use your expertise aligning that duplexer or getting the repeat audio just right. Don't be pushy, but volunteer where you can and before you know it you'll be qualified to write Web pages like this. ;-> Finally, join the ARRL. Is everything the ARRL does to my liking? Certainly not, but quitting the League will not give you the leverage you need to make your voice heard to your Section Manager, Vice-director, or Division Director. Where do you meet these folks? At your section and division hamfests and conventions and perhaps even your local hamfest if it gets enough support to warrant their attention. In short, a hamfest gives you the opportunity to bend the ear of these folks in person. They will listen to your concerns and passions regarding amateur radio. THREE "The Amateur is Progressive...He keeps his station abreast of science. It is well built and efficient. His operating practice is above reproach." No, this doesn't mean that you own all of the latest gear to the exclusion of food and clothing. Rather, is your equipment in good repair? Is your transmitted audio clear and comfortable to listen to? Is your transmitted CW free of chirps and key-clicks? Also, is your power supply clean so that your transmitted signal is free of AC hum? If you have one or more radios in a vehicle, your connections are made to the battery to minimize the chance of alternator whine, right? On the receiving side, are you familiar with your receiver's features such as variable bandwidth tuning and IF shift? Have you installed after- market filters? Do you know how best to use the noise blanker, RF attenuator, AGC, and RF gain controls to maximize signal to noise ratio? Are you familiar with the control that cuts out the RF pre-amp on later radios and do you know why this might be an important feature? Station layout is also important here. No one really likes a rats nest of wires to be the focal point of your shack (although QST had a messy shack photo contest some years back and there were some dandies!). Your operating position should be laid out in such a way so that common equipment is close to each other to minimize cable length and contribute to a good grounding scheme. Grounds should be short and made of heavy wire or braid. The best way is to tie each piece of equipment to a ground bus bar and then have a single heavy wire running outside to your ground system. Coax and other cables from the tower should have lightning protection and be dressed neatly and labeled to aid in reassembly of your station should a component be removed. Don't forget good lighting overhead of your operating position as well. Not only should the equipment be kept abreast of science, but the radio amateur needs to remain on the cutting edge of operating techniques and rules changes. Part 97 continues to evolve with changes in the technology used by amateurs and with changes in society at large. Finally, one's conduct on the air should be above reproach. Essentially I think that means that we should conduct ourselves with courtesy and respect. In other words conduct yourself as a lady or a gentleman on the air and you'll have plenty of enjoyable contacts. Be a grouch and you'll probably wind up on 75m talking to the same old bunch of grouches and trying to run off the durn QRMers who make the cardinal sin of getting within plus or minus 5 kHz of these types, but I digress. FOUR "The Amateur is Friendly...Slow and patient sending when requested, friendly advice and counsel to the beginner, kindly assistance, cooperation and consideration for the interests of others; these are the marks of the amateur spirit." Be an Elmer! It certainly is difficult to seemingly answer the same questions over and over again through the years, but it's something we must do to to maintain a healthy and vibrant Amateur Radio Service. All of us were beginners at some point in ham radio. Sometimes we just need to step back and reflect on the patience of those that helped us. Remember, we only pay back our Elmers by being a good Elmer to others. I can't add much more to this before I repeat myself (really!). I would like to point out that personal behavior on the air is found in half of the points of the Amateur's Code. Something to consider, no? FIVE "The Amateur is Balanced...Radio is his hobby. He never allows it to interfere with any of the duties he owes to his home, his job, his school, or his community." I've known people who have gotten into ham radio radio, wrapped themselves up completely into it and within a few years have sold all their equipment and were into something else. Like everything else amateur radio should be enjoyed in moderation. Enjoy it for a bit and then attend to your other responsibilities. Ham radio will be waiting when you return. Please don't turn your wife into a "ham radio widow" or your kids into "ham radio orphans." It's great to have passion for the hobby, but know your limits. SIX "The Amateur is Patriotic...His knowledge and his station are always ready for the service of his country and his community." The history of amateur radio is rich with the accounts of amateurs who have performed admirably in times of disaster for their communities or when their country called in time of crisis. Even today amateur radio operators train themselves and are ready to track storms, assist in damage assessment, assist public safety personnel when their communications are disrupted, and provide a vital link for families trying to reach loved ones in the first hours after disaster has struck. From Kuwait to Oklahoma City to Kosovo to East Timor and other hotspots around the world and on September 11, 2001, hams have risked their lives, and even lost them, to get word out to the world of events as they happen. It is not unusual after a coup or uprising that the first words are from a ham telling of news or requesting assistance for various reasons. In fact, in late 1982 it was ham radio that proved to be a life line for a group of U.S. medical students on the island of Grenada during a Marxist coup and the ensuing rescue operation. Of all the points in the Amateur's Code, Number Six is the most important. In fact it is for this reason alone that the Amateur Radio Service remains chartered and has access to spectrum that is likely worth well into the trillions of dollars. Enjoy it, have fun, but above all, remember that we are a service and if we should ever prove to no longer perform our function as a service to the public, amateur radio will cease to exist. Rather sobering, no? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --The original Amateur's Code was written by Paul M. Segal, W9EEA, in 1928. Taken from the ARRL Website: http://www.arrl.org/acode.html Also, this website explains it in more detail, along with its history: http://www.qsl.net/n0nb/ham/amateurcode.html

Take the Internet to Go: Yahoo!Go puts the Internet in your pocket: mail, news, photos & more.

Sign To Post On Ham Shack Door

2007-08-01T16:32:00.001-04:00

Sign To Post On Ham Shack Door
« Thread Started on Apr 14, 2007, 8:27pm »

NOTICE TO ALL VISITORS

WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO WITNESS IS AN AMATEUR RADIO STATION LICENSED AS ________________ BY THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION IN WASHINGTON, DC. BEFORE YOU ASK THE QUESTIONS, HERE ARE THE ANSWERS:

The total cost of this equipment cannot be discussed here as it creates marital conflicts.

No, we cannot send a message to your brother in Hong Kong. We suggest you call Western Union.

This is strictly a hobby; we do not have the facilities or the time to fool around with TV sets, radios or hi-fi. We suggest that you see a serviceman.

Yes, the antenna in the backyard is essential to the operation of the equipment.

The cards on the wall are called QSL cards. They are confirmation of contacts made with other stations.

It is technically impossible for this station's equipment to interfere with television reception, telephones or stereo systems. Any interference problems of that nature are caused by design flaws in the home-entertainment devices themselves.

An Amateur Radio station may only be operated by a highly qualified, technically skilled electronics expert. It takes dedication, training and intelligence to reach the level of competence that justifies one to be licensed by the United States Federal Government. Therefore, it is not considered inappropriate to show proper awe, respect and general obsequiousness when I discuss my hobby or operate the controls.

FURTHERMORE. . . IF YOU ARE GRANTED THE EXTREME HONOR OF BEING INVITED TO SPEAK INTO THE MICROPHONE, PLEASE OBSERVE THE FOLLOWING RULES:

Speak in a low and soothing tone.

Do not disagree with me in any manner.

Say no bad words and tell no off-color jokes.

It is customary for guests to make complimentary remarks about this station and its licensed operator when talking to other hams on the air.

DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING, TURN ANY KNOBS, SIT ON EQUIPMENT, ETC. I HAVE LOST SEVERAL VISITORS BY ELECTROCUTION IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS.

(source unknown)

« Last Edit: Apr 14, 2007, 8:27pm by Rick Slone AF8T »

Link to Post - Back to Top Logged

Building a website is a piece of cake.
Yahoo! Small Business gives you all the tools to get online.

My Amateur Radio Experience

2007-07-31T12:28:00.000-04:00

I studied for, took and sucessfully passed my Technician-No Code examination in 1994 if i'm not mistaken. Since that time I only spent a total of about two years on the amateur radio frequencies in the UHF/VHF range, particularly on 2 meters (144MHZ-148MHZ). I am also the owner of two handheld amateur radio transcievers. The first being The Radio Shack HTX-202 2 Meter transciever which I bought from a ham radio enthusiast back in 2002 and a Yaesu VX-7R Tri-Band Amateur Radio Transceiver which I bought from another ham radio enthusiast in 2006. I only talk on the 2 meter (144MHZ-148MHZ), 70 cm (420MHZ-450MHZ), 1.25 cm (222MHZ-225MHZ). These frequencies are in the VHF/UHF range. I normally hang out on 145.11MHZ, 146.94MHZ, 146.64MHZ, 147.135MHZ repeaters. On certain 1.25 cm frequencies I connect to the internet via IRLP equipped repeaters to access distant repeaters all over the world. There is also "ECHOLINK" via my computer to connect to distant repeaters via the Internet. It makes talking over a handheld transceiver to a distant station (i.e., Honolulu, Hawaii, etc.) extremely possible. I have made short, long and extremely long distant contacts and have made new friends as well as learned some more technical aspects of amateur radio. More later. Chow!!

Radio Amatuers Sue The FCC

2007-07-28T23:11:00.000-04:00

The American Radio Relay League, a nationwide association of some 152,000 US Amateur Radio operators, in May filed suit in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit against the Federal Communications Commission. The suit is over the FCC's role in approving Broadband over Power Lines (BPL), an Internet technology that has the side effect of jamming short wave radio reception near the power lines it uses. The FCC has filed a reply brief.

Hamming It Up!

A Ham Radio Comes In Handy During Emergencies

Aether?

Ham Radio Club Celebrates!

Arnewsline

Scholarship Program For Amateur Radio Enthusiasts!

I'm Always Curious As To How Some People Have Come To / Found My Blog.....

Amateur Radio Operations Useful in Many Situations

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words!

Guide To Choosing Your First Radio

Basic Operating

The Amateurs Code: What Happened

FCC Drops Morse Code Testing

Portable VHF/UHF Dual Band J-Pole Antenna

Code of Federal Regulations, Title 47, Volume II

What Hams Do

What is Amateur Radio

Basic Operating

Part 97 Amateur Radio Service

ARRL Band Plans

The Lost Q-Codes

IRLP Reflector Status Wednesday, January 3, 2007, 05:00 UTC

IRLP Reflector Status Wed Jan 3 05:00:02 UTC 2007

Reflector 9050 NorthEast ReflectorChannel 14484 NP4H West New York Channel 44028 KB1FX-2 Marshfield (Green Harbor) Channel 54089 N2XFX Orchard Park 4100 N3FE Wellsboro 4 node(s) connected

Reflector 9000 VancouverChannel 31980 VE7MAN Surrey Channel 48508 JG2TZW Wako 8648 JF9LGL hakusan Channel 84739 WB4BSD Cleveland 4 node(s) connected

Reflector 9220 openIRLP ReflectorChannel 83387 WA2PVV Chatham 3418 N3TOY Las Vegas 3461 KD5MSS Las Vegas 3 node(s) connected

Reflector 9610 Great Lakes ReflectorChannel 54483 W9RCG Pewaukee 7550 K9JAC Hubertus 2 node(s) connected

Reflector 9300 Saskatoon ReflectorChannel 01350 VE5SKN Saskatoon 1370 VE5IOU Prince Albert 2 node(s) connected

Reflector 9210 RaleighChannel 14697 AA9NV Chapel Hill, North Carolina 4954 Ki4HZP Palm Bay 2 node(s) connected

Reflector 9120 New England ReflectorChannel 34149 K1SOX West Haven Channel 77820 WB2HWW Queens/ New York City 2 node(s) connected

Reflector 9010 Discovery Reflector

Reflector 9310 Fredericton

Reflector 9500 Sydney - Virtual PUB

Reflector 9730 Crossroads Annex

Reflector 9750 The UK Reflector

Blank

Blank

All data sourced from http://status.irlp.net/nohtmlstatus.txtIRLP Status EchoLink Status eQSO Status All Systems Status Options World Time G4EID-KM8H web site G4EID-KM8H. Rev 0.120

The Amateur Code

Sign To Post On Ham Shack Door

My Amateur Radio Experience

Radio Amatuers Sue The FCC

Reflector 9050 NorthEast Reflector
Channel 1
4484 NP4H West New York
Channel 4
4028 KB1FX-2 Marshfield (Green Harbor)
Channel 5
4089 N2XFX Orchard Park
4100 N3FE Wellsboro
4 node(s) connected

Reflector 9000 Vancouver
Channel 3
1980 VE7MAN Surrey
Channel 4
8508 JG2TZW Wako
8648 JF9LGL hakusan
Channel 8
4739 WB4BSD Cleveland
4 node(s) connected

Reflector 9220 openIRLP Reflector
Channel 8
3387 WA2PVV Chatham
3418 N3TOY Las Vegas
3461 KD5MSS Las Vegas
3 node(s) connected

Reflector 9610 Great Lakes Reflector
Channel 5
4483 W9RCG Pewaukee
7550 K9JAC Hubertus
2 node(s) connected

Reflector 9300 Saskatoon Reflector
Channel 0
1350 VE5SKN Saskatoon
1370 VE5IOU Prince Albert
2 node(s) connected

Reflector 9210 Raleigh
Channel 1
4697 AA9NV Chapel Hill, North Carolina
4954 Ki4HZP Palm Bay
2 node(s) connected

Reflector 9120 New England Reflector
Channel 3
4149 K1SOX West Haven
Channel 7
7820 WB2HWW Queens/ New York City
2 node(s) connected

All data sourced from http://status.irlp.net/nohtmlstatus.txt
IRLP Status EchoLink Status eQSO Status All Systems Status Options World Time G4EID-KM8H web site G4EID-KM8H. Rev 0.120