GeoAstroRV Posted December 15, 2020 Report Share Posted December 15, 2020 It is good to see there is a forum for amateur radio folks. I am studying to take the technical and general some time in 2021. Brenda is willing to take the technician exam and share in the fun. I want to read seven of the basic manuals from ARRL and enjoy the process of learning about the hobby before we do anything. We are probably not interested in DXing or contests. We are interested in exploring: ham radio satellites, moon bounce, Winlink, and ARES. I am guessing we will see other hams in the southwest during this winter. Hope to meet up and enjoy a conversation and socially-distanced meal over some... HAM. ~John N. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chalkie Posted December 15, 2020 Report Share Posted December 15, 2020 Once you have a license take a look at Echo Link. It lets you DX without having to have a radio. I talk all over the world via Echo Link but you do have to have a callsign to even register for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k4rs Posted December 15, 2020 Report Share Posted December 15, 2020 I believe you will enjoy amateur radio. One of the nice things about the service is that it is so diverse. There is something for everyone and if you are not interested in one topic (DXing or contests for example), there are many others. As technology develops, new and exciting things appear. On the flip side, it is easy for a newcomer to become overwhelmed if they try to learn everything at once. You should be able to do most of the things you listed from an RV, but I think moon bounce may be a real challenge. Winlink is very useful when you are way off grid but does require a General Class or higher license for HF operations. There is some Winlink activity on VHF / UHF, but usually in more urban areas. 73 es Safe Travels (or not)... Quote Roger, K4RS and Toni, K1TS Amateur Radio Operators - Motorcycle Riders (Harley Davidson Tri-Glide Ultra) Fulltime from 2003-2016 - Now longtime RVers On the road, living the dream... Ford F-250 Super Duty 7.3 liter diesel and Forest River XLR Toyhauler. Position report via amateur radio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeoAstroRV Posted December 15, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2020 2 hours ago, Chalkie said: Once you have a license take a look at Echo Link. It lets you DX without having to have a radio. I talk all over the world via Echo Link but you do have to have a callsign to even register for it. Thanks. I was reading over some ARES information and ran across Echo link. I have that on my list of things to read about. Hope to see you down the road. 73 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeoAstroRV Posted December 15, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2020 1 hour ago, k4rs said: I believe you will enjoy amateur radio. One of the nice things about the service is that it is so diverse. There is something for everyone and if you are not interested in one topic (DXing or contests for example), there are many others. As technology develops, new and exciting things appear. On the flip side, it is easy for a newcomer to become overwhelmed if they try to learn everything at once. You should be able to do most of the things you listed from an RV, but I think moon bounce may be a real challenge. Winlink is very useful when you are way off grid but does require a General Class or higher license for HF operations. There is some Winlink activity on VHF / UHF, but usually in more urban areas. 73 es Safe Travels (or not)... Thanks. I have been reading about Winlink. I saw that, for my intended purpose, a general class license is required. Fortunately, I love reading and was a high school science teacher. I plan to study for the next few months and take both exams back-to-back. Hope to see you down the road. 73 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chalkie Posted December 15, 2020 Report Share Posted December 15, 2020 2 hours ago, GeoAstroRV said: I plan to study for the next few months and take both exams back-to-back. There is a Face Book group called "Ham Radio Crash Course" where you find a number of resources to aid your studies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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