Member KP4CI
Member
Forum Replies Created
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My Grandfather was the spark. Born at the beginning of the 20th Century, Radio was a magical instrument. Building his first radio led to the path of having stores that were sales and repair shops almost equivalent to Best Buy. I grew up in that environment. I would say the key moment was when he retired and got back into Ham Radio that he bought a Kenwood 2M TR-2200 and brought it home during Thanks Giving (Mid 70’s) to try out local repeaters in our area. I was blown away. That was the moment. But as a kid, attention span was short and did not start understanding the terminology until I started building kits and had more attention span.
It took about another decade for me to get my ticket thanks to many Elmers.
It’s an infectious disease that can have the whole family become hams, and K3MRI has met most of the hams in the Family.
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Hello
The following response is assuming al three of you get your Technician class license.
With 2 Meters VHF, you should be able to reach your sister 7 miles away through a repeater. Not knowing what type of terrain and other obstacles are between you and your sister in NJ. if electricity, or the repeater are unavailable, you would use a simplex frequency (point to point), and having mentioned terrain and obstacles unknown, you may need to place an antenna outdoors and as high as possible to reach each other.
With your sister in SD, yes you could talk to her by adding an Amateur Radio system that connects to the internet (Hotspot / Echolink /IRLP). There are also means of you connecting your radio, as a Tech License, to a computer and sending emails to a relay station on VHF or UHF then the relay station to HF, delivered to them either by radio or internet in reverse order.
If the commercial communication systems that we interconnect with go down, your best communications would be HF having General class license. Do remember as a Tech, you can use digital on the 28.000 to 28.300 portion of 10 meter band.
Since you are just starting, there can be more answers and ways for all three of you to communicate. It would take equipment and practice. Amateur Radio is not a buy equipment, operate, problem solved service/hobby.
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You mention the frequency of 146.59. I take it you are talking about 146.52 National Calling Frequency (Simplex). K3MRI gave a great explanation. There are other radios like Alinco that have had the priority feature.
On a different note, A wile back, Kenwood was giving stickers that had “Monitoring 146.52.” printed on them.
When I have gone to Hamfest, sometimes I make a sign or with white shoe polish I write 146.52 on the glass, and when I operate APRS, I do add “Monitoring 146.52”
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I commend Icom for having made the Zack and Max comic books . My first two kids could not wait for the next issues when they were about 8 to 9 years old. It made it fun. This enticed them to ask permission to talk on the local repeater on the morning commute to school. They learned the intricacies of talking on VHF, UHF. I would ID at the end of their transmission.
I have tried to talk to programmers to come up with a video game that “Hides” the Amateur Radio intentions, making it fun, for everyone, with scavenger hunts, or daily activities and see what they can come up with to get messages across, or emergency scenarios. One video game company did do a game where code was sent, but more of a feature in the game than an interaction between player and game.
(Circa 1980’s/ 90’s) There was a gentleman (SK) that had made a program to entice the Teenage group with “Texting their friends” via packet before cell phones were accessible to the people at an affordable price. He passed the material and all the ideas along to the organization, ready to be printed and promoted. That organization dismissed it immediately. They are famous for “It’s not created in house, we don’t want it, it’s not good.” Lost opportunity.
I have tried to get radio in middle and high school, but with all of the laws now, you have to go through so much red tape of Child Protection training, Background check, sometimes Financial check, and then if you pass all of that, you have no place at school to install the equipment and use it. We do need to better educate the teachers and or get the word out. Maybe the schools that have this program should be tapped and help promote it.
What I hear from many Educators across the country is, ” We have to teach so that students pass the assessment test, if not I am fired or my paycheck is cut”.
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My three kids got their licenses between the ages of 10 and 11. My experienced is that up to about 12 years old, they are receptive and eager to get the license, but studying for the test has to be fun and at times hands on.
I wanted to follow my grandfathers footsteps. In my case grandpa just game books and cassettes to study the material and the code. At that young age I did not understand anything and I did not have an Elmer to guide me and make it fun. It wasn’t till my late teens that I got my ticket by going to classes.
In Scouting, I give the Radio Merit Badge. Following the guidelines of how a Scout earns the badge, I make the class as fun as possible, give them hands on, and try my best to add History of Radio, radio devices in their home, and how many of the 130+ badges are related to radio.
After about 12 years old, their interest goes to other things. The Scouting “Jamboree on the Air” and many other activities, are great moments to introduce them to Amateur Radio. Helping out at Science Centers with Amateur Radio gear is also great place to show Ham Radio.
At times the kids are enthusiastic and want to get heir license, unfortunately some adult undermines the effort.
Bobby KP4CI
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Many good points about HOA and the R&R from all.
It also depends on the state as well as county and town laws. There are a few locations that have learned after a series of events, were they changed the rules to let the hams put up something that is a happy medium.
As for Amateur Radio being relevant today, yes we are still needed, maybe not as frequent due to technology.
Knowing a few realtors, they tell me that they just throw all the R&R they can in the HOA and then if someone shouts that it goes against federal Law, then they remove it from the HOA R&R.
One of the first comments, it was stated, “There are many factors that go into choosing where to live.”, Yes, but sometimes you don’t have options depending on where you “Have to Move to”.
In my case, I have nice neighbors. They do have some understanding, so I have antennas in the attic, and between bushed, as well as the End Fed is up in the trees barely visible.
