[Jim]

Can’t wait to see what it will look like when you’re done!!

[Jim]

I just want to thank you all for the amazing input so far. I’m also liking the tone of our conversations. Excellent and constructive.

As for my own vision, I guess I’m being selfish, but yeah, I wish I could have a little more freedom to set up the bare minimum. But @KD3Y you are correct, when I moved in here, I knew what I was getting into (my bad).

[Jim]

I have the GMRS license as well and have been toying with letting Maria off the hook and not pushing her to get her ham ticket. My frustration is managing two systems. I really like the idea of not having two HTs on my belt when I walk away from the RV. I’ll do this. Give it one more year of harrassing; if I fail, I go for the GMRS backup plan. If I succeed, someone takes me out to lunch, okay? 🍕

[Jim]

In my case, my wife does not yet have a ham license… (yes, working on it!!)

When we are in the woods, we do carry GMRS radios just as a precaution in case we lose cell service and we get separated. I admit that at home, in the city, we do not have a backup plan. If cell goes out, we’re cooked. I’m thinking that this might be an additional argument for me to get her licensed!! The good thing is that where I live, there are dozens of repeaters and most of them have back up power.

So the short answer is that we are currently under-prepared.

[Jim]

For anyone interested, I think this is the link:

https://www.ribbitradio.org/#/

ribbitradio.org

Ribbit

Web site created using create-react-app

[Jim]

I find that the FT-890 is the type of radio that says: ‘amateur radio’. Let me explain. When I first discovered Yaesu in the late sixties, those radios still looked ‘old school’. They included the FR-50B receiver and FL-50B transmitter. I had seen them at a shop near Montreal with my dad. Years passed before I went back to an actual shop. Sometime in the mid-seventies, I went back to that shop and discovered the Yaesu FT-101. I was smitten. I don’t know why, but it just looked so modern. That, I guess, became my benchmark for what a ‘radio’ should look like. In later years I think I bought radios that looked like it, including a massive Sony SWL radio I bought, I don’t remember the model number (it even had a built in cassette) but I bought it, I still believe, because it looked like the FT-101. Fast forward to your radio Anthony, and it’s still in the same vein. Granted, I am talking aesthetics more than performance but let’s all be honest for a moment. We buy radios for their performance ‘as well as’ for how they make us feel. Do I like the latest radios with waterfalls and menus a mile deep? Sure I do, of course I do. But my ‘reference’ will I think, always remain the generation that began with the FT-101 and, in my mind, includes the 890.

[Jim]

Hey Andy.

I can only speak to the isolation issue. I would think it’s a non-issue in that you are not connected to AC so no common ground. I mean, maximum isolation is always desirable, but in this case, I think, irrelevant. you should be fine.

Now onto the ‘what am I missing?’ question. What are you referring to exactly, the isolation or the gain?

[Jim]

Let me try to refocus this thread the way I had intended it. I was trying to make the point (clearly not well – LOL) that amateur radio is a compendium of external hobbies, much the same way you need to understand both electricity and the basics of civil engineering to be a railroad enthusiast. My feeling is that amateur radio is one of the most complex hobbies with so many necessary skillsets needed to set up a wave to travel around the world. This said, for the old-timers in the room (he says while looking in the mirror) it was once even more complex. The need for electronics knowledge has waned with the advent of ready-to-use radios. Some of us still remember building our radios from scratch, literally. Now, your VISA or MasterCard is all you need to get a state of the art transceiver.

I just thought of another needed skillset… negotiating skills, much needed when your spouse realizes that your shack, which she/he considers an eye-sore to begin with, is actually not a $500 expense. “You what? You spent how much on that xyz? One radio is worth $11,000???” Your feeble response… “but darling…” I’ll have to start another thread just to see how we ‘negotiate’ our way out of spousal ire.

[Jim]

@ns7x What a loving and touching story. You know, recently, I hear a lot about how amateur radio is great because and for STEM, for EMCOM, for contesting, but less mentioned is how amazing it is as a connective tissue. Whether it be amazingly unique stories such as yours, or how we commune in clubs, or the people we meet on air. My dear friend @W4Doi and I met during a VHF net, so did many of my other current friends. And turn on any regular net and all you hear is people both knowing eachother well, or introducing themselves and being, in the great majority of cases, accepted for who and what they are.

I look forward to more stories of how amateur radio has affected us all.

[Jim]

First let me say that I am not familiar with the people or the process behind the link I am about to post (https://hamshackhotline.com/) I found them online. This is what they say on their site:

Hamshack Hotline, herein after referred to as “HH”, exists to provide in-network voip communications services to Amateur Radio Operators, the greater Ham community. In-network services are defined as services provided within the HH network and not to mean outbound and inbound termination services to destinations outside the HH network. HH makes no promises of availability, or uninterrupted carriage of communications, or availability of emergency services (ie. 911, etc). Conditions which could affect HH availability could be the result of disaster, denial of service attack, other cyber threats, or maintenance windows as needed. HH will not be held liable for any failure to provide communications carriage at any time or for any reason. By using, or continuing to use HH, you understand and agree to all terms herein. For real emergencies, please use traditional telecom services in the event of imminent danger to life and property. HH will always make the best possible effort to achieve high availability and quality standards, and we will always try to provide advance notice of any planned downtime due to maintenance requirements.

From what I gather, they are a rather ham-dedicated VOIP service. I am personally not sure of the added-value/benefit of using it nor whether there are others like it.

If anyone knows more about them chime in.

As for POE, ChatGPT, Power over Ethernet (PoE) is a technology that enables electrical power to be transmitted over standard Ethernet cables along with data. This allows devices like IP cameras, VoIP phones, and Wi-Fi access points to receive power and data through the same cable, simplifying installation and reducing the need for separate power sources.

To determine if you have PoE, you can check the specifications of your network equipment, such as switches and routers. If they support PoE, it will typically be indicated in their documentation or on the device itself. Additionally, PoE-enabled devices will often have a symbol or marking indicating PoE support. You can also use a PoE tester, a device that can detect the presence of PoE on a network cable.

In short, @N0pdg you have PoE if your equipment (routers, etc.) are PoE equipped.

Not sure I’ve helped much.

Jim

hamshackhotline.com

HAMSHACK HOTLINE

HAMSHACK HOTLINE

[Jim]

I just had a conversation with an operator who had been out of the hobby for 25 years. He was in absolute shock at the advances but, to his credit, decided he would spend six months catching up. He’s happy he did. I guess the question becomes, are operators who are unfamiliar with new technologies willing to take the time to familiarize themselves with it. I think it’s worthwhile, some do not, fortunately many do.

[Jim]

Welcome.

Scott @kn4rpa is our fearless MCM Ham Radio leader. I believe that this year we are hoping to open volunteer registration much earlier than in previous years. More information will come shortly.

Thanks so much for your interest, truly!

[Jim]

I absolutely entirely and without reservation agree that all amateur radio activity should be performed by licensed operators. The idea is that ‘in an emergency’ a non-licensed operator should be able to get on the air and ask for help. However, that is not the point your raise. Your point is whether an unlicensed operator can buy and leave idle a radio until such time as they need it for an emergency. Now we enter a gray area left open by FCC regulations. I think the FCC needs to weigh in. They need to make that part of Part 97 clearer. Do they consider this practice acceptable? If they do not, then should we have to present our license credentials to purchase a radio?

Having just read your post, I think I’ll take a few days to think about this further, but indeed, this is a situation that warrants further discussion and, possibly, regulatory review.

[Jim]

I have been saying this for years as well. Amateur radio is so many things but one of its most extraordinary rewards is the connective tissue it forms. By the way, this applies to both on-air and in person connections. That’s what I love about amateur radio, is that we can connect while sitting at home (long before Zoom was more than a variable focal length lens), but also in person through our clubs. This is also, btw, why I encourage clubs that can afford it to have a shack or meeting hall; it is one of the best investments they will ever make. I know that as I grow older, I realize that amateur radio is what will keep me connected right until the end. Indeed, one of our dear local friends passed away while on the air. We, obviously, wish he had not passed that day, but he did so while virtually surrounded by friends.

[Jim]

Never underestimate, is what I say. Nice story.

[Jim]

I hear you. For instance, I love the quality of transmission and reception on my FT-891, but it’s all about menus menus menus. Obviously, on an HF mobile, that makes sense, but it does hinder one’s ability to interact effectively with the radio. My ideal radio has knobs for most of what I need (I used to have a Kenwood 990s) but enough menus for the more obscure settings.

[Jim]

Funny how a phrase can mean two things. “Am I missing something” can, indeed, make one think of revising what was proposed, or if one has actually missed something. I guess I took the wrong fork in the road… 😅

Nope, did not miss anything, other than when I first got my 891, I bought a Tektronix with it. I used it a couple of times but then, as we know, my HF from home became an issue. I am currently building back my go-kit and I will be trying to connect the Tektronix back to the 891. When I do, I’ll revert. This said, I really like the idea of an dongle. Did not even realize one could use one. Plan on looking into it.

[Jim]

You bring up a really good point about privilege vs. right. That’s worth further discussion indeed. I’ll open a separate thread for that discussion. I guess, ultimately, the discussion around HOAs does come down to that. Good point, thanks for making it.

[Jim]

You just said something that I had actually never thought of, at least not in those precise terms. Indeed, amateur radio is a multitude of hobbies rolled into one. I’m actually going to start a separate thread to discuss that. I wonder how many ancillary hobbies we can come up with. 🤓