HAM Radio Operators

[Julian5]

Was Just wondering if there where any HAM radio Operators out there on the LTT forum, Seems like the mean age is slightly higher than that of the forum but who knows!

At least in europe it looks like it is slowly fading away.

My Exam is in 7 hours, hopefully a pass....

 

 

Thanks!

[Guest]

Awesome mate!

 

I have been meaning to do the exam for yonks now but just haven't gotten around to it.

 

Let me know how you go!

 

 Cheers,

[Julian5]

3 minutes ago, Netivity said:

Awesome mate!

 

I have been meaning to do the exam for yonks now but just haven't gotten around to it.

 

Let me know how you go!

 

 Cheers,

Thanks mate!

Here in Spain its the HAREC exam, not sure if Australia has adopted the CEPT 61-02 recommendation but if so I think its the same exam, I'm no RF expert and just did the online test questions today, seems to be common sense electronics to be honest.

Hopefully its as easy as they say it is!

 

Thanks mate

[Radium_Angel]

I really cannot afford the gear, but I listen to number stations through webSDR

http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/

 

A station out of the Netherlands. Wish I could get a good setup in physical form, but the 'net software version does for me now.

I also love hearing things like German disco, or the BBC

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Julian5 said:

Thanks mate!

Here in Spain its the HAREC exam, not sure if Australia has adopted the CEPT 61-02 recommendation but if so I think its the same exam, I'm no RF expert and just did the online test questions today, seems to be common sense electronics to be honest.

Hopefully its as easy as they say it is!

 

Thanks mate

We have the option here to do CEPT HAREC  and so do overseas visitors. 

 

2 minutes ago, Radium_Angel said:

I really cannot afford the gear, but I listen to number stations through webSDR

http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/

 

A station out of the Netherlands. Wish I could get a good setup in physical form, but the 'net software version does for me now.

I also love hearing things like German disco, or the BBC

That station location is where I was born!

 

The more you know  

 

 

[Julian5]

4 minutes ago, Radium_Angel said:

I really cannot afford the gear, but I listen to number stations through webSDR

http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/

 

A station out of the Netherlands. Wish I could get a good setup in physical form, but the 'net software version does for me now.

I also love hearing things like German disco, or the BBC

Thankfully nowadays you can pick stuff up with a 10$ USB SDR and a diy tape yagi, these sdr websites are great though and I have used them too besides my home setup.

I didn't actually have the intention of doing anything related to amateurs communication since the only reason I am getting the exam is to request a license from the IARU to launch a picosatellite project in orbit, it seems really interesting and fascination though and I'm sure I could get some stuff to work with my current setup.

3 minutes ago, Netivity said:

We have the option here to do CEPT HAREC  and so do overseas visitors. 

 

That station location is where I was born!

 

The more you know  

 

 

Ah, we only have the HAREC option, its a universal pass to all the bands at every level.

Interesting haha!

[Julian5]

Just passed the exam, pretty damn weird questions but since its multiple choice and you only need to get 50% right then it was an easy pass.

Waiting for my callsign rn and I have been told I need to set up an amateur radio association..... More paperwork! 

[Sousuke]

Yep I'm a HAM Operator, only have a foundation licence. my call sign is MW3IHX had my licence for ages 

[Julian5]

1 hour ago, Sousuke said:

Yep I'm a HAM Operator, only have a foundation licence. my call sign is MW3IHX had my licence for ages 

Ah nice, do you ever transmit?

[Sousuke]

18 minutes ago, Julian5 said:

Ah nice, do you ever transmit?

Rarely these days as i'm usually on MOD Frequencies for the RAF Air Cadets teaching them how to use a radio! 

[pipnina]

On 27/08/2018 at 12:43 AM, Julian5 said:

Thankfully nowadays you can pick stuff up with a 10$ USB SDR and a diy tape yagi, these sdr websites are great though and I have used them too besides my home setup.

I got one of those about two months ago (Nooelec) and it fried itself, as others had said happened to them. I figured that more expensive forms would be needed to get something "decent" so I dropped it. My intention was for radio astronomy however and not listening to radio communications. (i.e. mapping the hydrogen gas in our galaxy)

 

I'm not entirely sure if asking about alternatives is exactly on-topic, but I suppose it's relevant to the general subject of "amateur radio"?

[Julian5]

53 minutes ago, pipnina said:

I got one of those about two months ago (Nooelec) and it fried itself, as others had said happened to them. I figured that more expensive forms would be needed to get something "decent" so I dropped it. My intention was for radio astronomy however and not listening to radio communications. (i.e. mapping the hydrogen gas in our galaxy)

 

I'm not entirely sure if asking about alternatives is exactly on-topic, but I suppose it's relevant to the general subject of "amateur radio"?

Wow, I'll be honest I have never heard of mapping the hydrogen gas in our galaxy but it sounds interesting. I can probably guess that a 10$ has nowhere near the sensibility needed to do that. You'd probably need something more precise like a LimeSDR or an XTRX. I can also imagine you need to be quite far from civilization to pick up those radio waves.

[pipnina]

18 hours ago, Julian5 said:

Wow, I'll be honest I have never heard of mapping the hydrogen gas in our galaxy but it sounds interesting. I can probably guess that a 10$ has nowhere near the sensibility needed to do that. You'd probably need something more precise like a LimeSDR or an XTRX. I can also imagine you need to be quite far from civilization to pick up those radio waves.

Well, it depends. I have not studied the topic intensely but because light at 1421mhz goes through the atmosphere I should be able to avoid stray communications by using a directional antenna (i.e. parabolic, yagi or the suchlike). As for intensity, I think someone from bell labs got rather annoyed by it as it interfered with one of their instruments. (i.e. the discovery of extra-terrestrial radio waves)

 

I wouldn't expect to get incredible results, mostly because at that wavelength you need to either have a ludicrously big parabolic antenna or set up an interferometric array to get good resolution. (5 meter parabolic antenna would only get good resolution at around 1 degree per pixel, though it would at least have very good gain (22dbi+))

 

Of course, I haven't tried it (I looked at 1421 with the nooelec & basic monopoles it came with and got nothing, but they are not exactly ideal antennas for that sort of thing, would probably want at least a 1.25λ dipole, maybe a yagi).

 

I'll have a look at the LimeSDR and XTRX.

 

EDIT: I just did a quick search, it is illegal to broadcast signals between 1400 and 1427MHz in my country so the 1421MHz hydrogen band should be nice and clear

[Julian5]

Ah great, You can build cheap tape measure antennas with around 13dbi of gain.

[JSFetzik]

N9KUB Here. 

 

Got my Technician license here in the US back in the early 90's, when it was a brand new thing. Took the test on a dare when visiting a friend on the weekend he happened to be taking one of the higher level exams. My college degree was in electronics so they figured I should be able to pass the first couple tests. I almost passed the one after Tech.

 

Had a Yaesu handie talkie for a couple years, but never got all that involved. Haven't done any HAM stuff since the mid 90's.

[Julian5]

On 9/5/2018 at 7:36 PM, JSFetzik said:

N9KUB Here. 

 

Got my Technician license here in the US back in the early 90's, when it was a brand new thing. Took the test on a dare when visiting a friend on the weekend he happened to be taking one of the higher level exams. My college degree was in electronics so they figured I should be able to pass the first couple tests. I almost passed the one after Tech.

 

Had a Yaesu handie talkie for a couple years, but never got all that involved. Haven't done any HAM stuff since the mid 90's.

Ah nice, seems like the exams are pretty easy to pass with common electronics knowledge. Finally got my Callsign: EA4HCD, don't plan on doing much HAM stuff but at least now I can start coordinating our satellite with the IARU!

[fergusonnn]

You're not alone.. I'm a Tech class here in the States, came in to it this past fall.  I'm one of the ones that maintains and takes care of our club's analog 2 meter repeater as well as our 2 meter DMR repeater operated by my friend. Eventually I'll upgrade.. when I can afford a good base station.