Friday, October 28, 2011

Ordered My First Radio

Yesterday, I attended a meeting of the Cary Amateur Radio Club, and I spoke with some of the other HAMS regarding a good starter radio.  One of them showed me his radio (only slightly ahead of me in experience), so this morning, I ordered my first rig from CheapHam.com, including a Wouxun Dual Band HT (2M/70cm), an external mag mount antenna, a car plug, a USB computer cable, and an external hand mike.  Looking forward to getting it in a week or so.

Welcome to Amateur Radio!

When I was a kid, my grandfather was a HAM, or Amateur Radio operator.  I remember the work bench full of radio equipment that he was always fiddling with, and how he would call to far away people, sometimes in Morse code, more often with voice.

A few years later, as a teenager, I had an opportunity to study for the Novice HAM.  The only problem was that I just couldn't manage to code sufficiently fast to pass the test.

Fast forward forty years.  I noticed an ad for the first level HAM class right up the street from my work.  It turns out that in 2007, all requirements for Morse code were dropped by the FCC.  I decided to take it, took it, and passed the test.  Welcome to me as a HAM operator, call sign KK4ETS.  Technician license.

No, don't try calling me on the radio just yet.  Those things are expensive, and I probably won't be able to scrounge the money for one before Christmas (and probably not until spring).  Meanwhile, I'm studying for the next level, the General license.  I can take that in the spring at the local HAMfest.  I am also planning on joining at least one local Amateur Radio Club (ARC) to get the feel of things.