Any Ham Radio Operators?

[O'Callaghan]

November Three Kilo India Papa

and

Golf Eight Victor Uniform Kilo

and even

Echo India Four Victor X-Ray India

[Wolfhawk]

K5HWK - (Tech)

[Old Hippie]

Kilo India 7 Zulu Yankee

How many CW fans here .. _ _ ..

WB7PJR/VE7 until I get through the Canadian exams and become dual-licenced to go with the dual citizenship.

CW is fun! I prefer Morse to Continental, though. Current set up is a Lionel J-36 (authorized copy of the Vibroplex Lightning Bug) Signal Corps bug from 1942, wired to my computer for use with the Morse KOB program.

At home I'm using my birthday present: a VIZ Vertical Bug -- always wanted a Martin Wire Chief and this is even better!

Phil? I read that as <period> in Morse. <interrogative> is _.._.

the difference is like learning another language where "car" now means "bread" or something...

My "wire sine" is IC.

:ootd:

[O'Callaghan]

Definitely not a CW fan. I had to pass a 20 wpm CW test years ago and have never even connected a key to a rig. Learning Morse was like some sort of aversion therapy for me.

Anyone for a kilt (phone) net?

[CDNSushi]

I know and understand that I can't be part of every side-plot that happens on XMTS, but since this still is a kilt forum (albeit the off-topic department) and I still want to feel like I'm a clansman, how about a wee bit of techno-to-English translation for some of us who wouldn't actually mind understanding a little of what you're all chattering about..

For instance, let's start with something simple, like what does this gobblety-gook mean> -->

K5HWK - (Tech)

Please, & thank you!

[SteveB]

For those not familiar with the Amateur Radio Service.
In every nation there is a civilian service dedicated to worldwide emergency communications. Known in the U.K., Canada, and the U.S. as Amateur Radio, and in most nations as Radio Sport. All of us have learned certain radio principles, the international Morse Code, and the rules and regulations. Upon completion of an examination the licensing authority issues a license with a "call sign" that is our license number if you will. By international agreement certain prefixes belong to certain countries.
I am licensed in the U.S. and issued the call: N1ATT. While living in Germany my call was: DA1AE. My cousin in Nova Scotia, Canada is issued a call that begins with VE1. Much as we have screen names here on X-marks as our identity, on the air around the world, amateurs are known by their screen names of letters and numbers. Other abbreviations bantered on this thread have been CW, which stands for continues wave telegraphy, or the means by which we send and receive Morse Code. To overcome the differences in the many languages of the World, we often use shortcut words that have evolved into a universal language, much as we have adopted USAK, IMHO, BTW, UK, FK, and Tank on this board. Over a period of time we havre been nicknamed Ham Radio Operators, and the service as Ham Radio. In my case both my home and motor car are equipped with several transceivers each. I am able to establish communications from any where to anywhere without the need of commercial power or telephone wires or cellular mobile sites. if a disaster strikes, we are ready to set up and operate emergency communications anywhere and at anytime.

Slainte (73)

[CDNSushi]

Thanks for the good, simple, brief explanation. That helped a LOT! :-D

[wildrover]

Tech here, but haven't made use of it in a long time...I only have a little HT, and don't use it much when I'm not in the boonies...it was mainly a PTT license, since the CW req was cut literally a week before my exam, so I let it go. When I'm more comfortable on the pipes, feeling in shape, have my garage projects wrapped up, then I'll probably get back on the radio.

73s,
Sean

[O'Callaghan]

The other thing Wolfhawk posted was that he was a Tech, and I don't think SteveB explained that. Most countries have several different types of ham licence, with more power and more frequencies if you get a higher class of licence for passing harder tests. The US has, in ascending order, Technician, General and Extra licences, Canada has Basic and Advanced, and the UK has Foundation, Intermediate and Full, although Ireland has only one type of ham licence.

[Mike in Dayton]

Avatar speaks for itself