Ham Radio Operators or Wannabes

[xologist]

Hi my name is Jim. I posted an introductory note in the Newbie section if you would like to learn more. I forgot to mention that I am a Ham radio operator (Extra class ticket) and a sailor who would like to talk and meet other mariner type Hams or those who need help getting their license. Or those who might need help with putting an antenna on their boat and a transmitter. My current call is AI4RP and I reside in Pensacola. Anyone interested in sailing and ham radio? Thanks. Jim

[Nightwatch]

Hi Jim
I would be very interested in getting my ham license. I have a SSB (WDE5004) and getting a ham license in on my to do list. Any help, hints or ideas would be appreciated. I am at the point of ordering books for studying. Am open to suggestions.

[Nightwatch]

Do not know what happened to Jim, never heard from him. I did get my Tech Ham license and am now working on my General. The Technical license gives you privaliges in the VHF and UHF frequencies and a small part of the 10 meter frequencies. My SSB can only transmit in the 10 meter frequencies. Those frequencies do not give me the range I need for doing long distance cruising.

Call sign KJ4LEI

[xologist]

Welcome to HAM radio KJ4LEI. I see you got your tech license and are studying for your general. I have not been in very good shape for some time due to health problems and apologize for seemingly dropping out. A more detailed message regarding this is on the meet and greet page.

I was reading about your problem which seems to be related to the equipment you have for your hobby. There are a few routes you can take. You can examing the kits which aren't very expensive especially the ones with an output of a few watts. The ones lashed up to morse keyers are probably the most economical. It depends upon what you like. Used equipments if you are careful are good investments and will give you many hours of dependable ham activities. You must make sure it has the bands you want to work now and perhaps when you get your general license and go for the extra class license. Good luck. I hope to hear from you. Jim

[Nightwatch]

Sorry to here about your health problems. Hope all is getting better.

I am studying for my General License. Going very slow. I had hoped to have it by June. Forgot what year. I can wire a house, wire a boat, but when it comes to electronics, I am mystified. I also have this personality quirk that makes me want to know "why" on everything. That has slowed me up. I will figure out how to get my head around it and then will know. I will get it. I would like to find a ham that is local that I can at least contact on the 10 meter band that we techs can use. I have tried one afternoon to respond to an individual out of Canada who was DXing. He picked up part of my call sign, but the atmospheric conditions were not steady enough to here my signal. We tried a couple times, and never made it. I tried to contact the local club in Navarre one evening when they were on and got no response. Do not know what happened there. I can talk to Navarre on my VHF. Like to talk to you sometime about my new found hobby.

[xologist]

NightWatch I am glad that you haven't given up and that you want to get your head around these technical electronic issues. You are in the right place with your license and your radio (even as limited as it may seem to be) and your insistance to know "why." That was one of the reasons it took me sometime to get my general and extra license because I had to know why too. I just couldn't take the word of the writer of the text book I had to see for myself. So I buy an oscilloscope, and remodel a signal generator, and build a frequency counter, and a morse code keyer kit. I also bought a 6 meter transverter which changed the freq of a 2 meter hand held or low output 2 meter transceiver into an 8 watt 6 meter radio. I purchases a number of other kits that I used to pick up signal and some of the older chaps gave me a few vintage radios also knows as boat anchors. So as you can see I have been struggling too. It is generally easier to save up some bucks and purchase used equipment and rig up your antenna system. I also recommend joining ARRL as they have the magazine articles that explains various electronic components including RF components which they do in a hands on fashion. It is a great resource as is their web site. We should try to see if we can contact each other on the air.

During the last storm that went through the other day my antenna (Caroline Windom) which had been up for a few years came down and I have to figure out how to get it back up and may have to get a tree climber to take the pulley up a good sized tree on the side of my property. I really need to get my big hole dug and get my antenna tower set up. It will be about 50 feet or more high. For now I will get my antenna back up and let you know when I get it lashed up KJ4LEI. Okay great. Glad you are still online. Lets stay in touch and get this sorted out.

My best,

Jim

[Nightwatch]

Jim

Look forward to you getting your antenna back up. I do belong to ARRL. The mag is very helpful, plus I have a neighbor who has been an extra since the mid 70's He does not know it but I have adopted him as my mentor. I do think he knows, he keeps dropping off old test gear to figure out how to run. He has his radio on his boat, but he is either sailing by himself or with a group or we are within a few yards and to close do do anything. He has the same antenna problem you do and is waiting for cooler weather to get it back up.

When you get back on line, email me at rk@summitcolorado.com with your phone number and we can set up to talk on the 10 meter band. I am using an IC-M802 with a tuner and a rope antenna. I have talked about 50 miles on the SSB, but have not make contact on the 10 meter band.

My equipment choices are based on the fact that we are planning to go cruising in about 3-1/2 years. I will get a pactor the last 6 months before we leave. I am hoping for a quantum leap to allow me to use Skype or I-chat. Allows me to live at sea with my wife when we are far from our granddaughter.

[xologist]

Dear Nightwatch (KJ4LEI). It sounds as if you have covered alot of bases and having a neighbor/friend who is an extra is a plus.

I happened to have a guy who is a cub scout leader and is a professional tree man stop by last night. He gave me an estimate on trimming a few trees and he will help me get my antenna back up. He said the work will start today or Monday July 20. So I expect that it won't be long before we get to have a go at working the 10 meter band and contacting each other. I will send along an email when I am up and running and my phone number. I am glad to get my antenna back up and I am glad we will have a chance to chat.

Your long term goals sound great as well and I hope we can discuss them more.

I had a bit of bad news regarding my sailboat. I took my 4.5 Johnson kicker to the shop to see if I could get them to repair it. It cost 100 dollars to have them look it over and tell me that it was going to be too costly to have it repaired (300 plus).
So now I have to figure out if I will try to make the repairs myself of if I will try to find a used one that is in good shape and not as old as the one I have.

You take care and I will be in touch.

Jim AI4RP

[Nightwatch]

Hope you get your antenna up soon. I look forward to speaking with someone on a ham band. When my neighbor gets his up, he may be to close to work. I have another tech neighbor right next door, but he is to close. We have communicated on the SSB marine channels and all is OK, but neither of us have used the radios since last fall. We are both working on our generals. He wants to have his before the race to Mexico next year. I want mine before then. I am trying a new study technique, hopefully it will help this old brain to absorb. I'll get it.

[xologist]

Nightwatch the offer still stands for helping with general. It can be intimidating. The extra was a said to be a giant step compared to general. I thought the general was no piece of cake but I also had to pass the code test which you don't have to do. As luck would have it. My antenna is up. My friend who did the tree work cut himself in the face with the chain saw which scared the hell out of me but fortunately he had turned it off before it jumped out of his hand and out of control. The face cut was superficial. A piece of my rope had gotten stuck because wood had grown around it and he was trying to cut it off. I will email you and we can finalize some of these things and hook up via 10 meters. Jim

[oldflathead]

Hi Jim and others,

It's KA6WPG here, Tom and my wife KA6WPF, Bobbie. We took the code test in Long Beach, CA in 1982 and turned our test papers in at the same time so we could get adjacent call signs. We enjoyed ham radio while cruising our Cal 46 from Long Beach, May 1988, Mexico, Central America, thrugh the Canal, back to Mobile, then several trips since, 3 years in the Caribbean & South America. We are members of the Waterway Radio and Cruising Club. We used WinLink over our Ham extensively in 2001 from the Exumas to Baltimore and back.

We have been too busy working, care giving and doing "dirt" things since then, but still have our radio on our boat and lurk occasionally. We host a quarterly meeting at our place on Bayou Chico of the Emerald Coast Women Sailers, a female only group. They have requested a class on Ham/SSB at their next meeting, while I can do it I am of the wrong gender. MY wife is not current on Ham subjects.

Do you know a female type Ham who would make this presentation? She can use our boat's radio, which is at our dock on Bayou Chico.

Tom Vandiver 850 572 1225 or e mail oldflathead@bshmarine.com