Thoughts on HAM Radio?
 

Just got an e-mail, my corporate masters are offering a free Amateur Radio Operator course that includes taking the licensing exam. The goal is "to have a minimum of two licensed HAM operators at each entity" to "complement current disaster communication response plans" ...

I think this sounds like something I should do. I mean, I'm on call 24/7 as it is. Sure, I'd be volunteering for an extra duty, but it would make me look good, raise my visibility. Plus it sounds extra geeky, and I get the HAM license. Whatta you think?

So they're going to provide the course.. that's nice. Are they going to buy radios for you also??

"All entities will have base stations (provided to us by the ___ Hospital Council) installed directly following the training."

A free chance to learn something new? Why not? You will be a hot commodity after globothermonuclear war.

Excelsior!

http://popwatch.ew.com/photos/uncate...9__nerds_l.jpg

I got an Out of Office AutoReply from the people I'm supposed to register with. Hope they check their Blackberry(s).

Depends on what you want to get out of it. I've been licensed since '94 and have really enjoyed it, but it wasn't quite what I thought it was going to be, initially.

Find some local clubs and go to some meetings so you can get a feel for it. People in the hobby are incredibly friendly and many of them love to teach, so you are sure to get quite a bit of hands-on experience even without a ticket.

Any personal enjoyment would be a bonus, the way I'm looking at it. I'll be licensed in something new, have a new reason to meet more people within my organization, get more involved in the corporate culture, play a bigger role in disatser recovery/business continuance, etc.

You just make sure it doesn't cut into your Cellar time, young man.

I don't think it will take any actual time at all, I'll just be available for something I'll probably never have to do.

Why are you even asking? Do it!

I did! I did! I read the e-mail and then I replied, like, five minutes later.

If you enjoy little projects and tinkering, this hobby is wonderful. If not, the hobby is so commercialized that you could buy everything and not have to endure a single whiff of solder fumes.

My only disappointment comes from my local area club that was completely opposite what my old Atlanta club was founded on: getting people interested in radio, being ready for emergencies, helping the public, and having fun. Make sure you avoid organizations that are highly competitive and are only interested in getting their group callsign on an ARRL Field Day results page -- you won't learn from them, nor will you get any airtime.

Sidenote: if you get a ticket that enables you to get into the HF bands and you happen to live in an evil neighborhood with an HOA, make sure you check on antenna restrictions before you start out. There are interesting ways around them, thankfully, but they require some tricks...

Few hobbies bring the same high level of pissing off the neighbors.

Enjoy.

Am I correct in assuming that HAM radio is analogous to a pre-internet internet, IE social networking infrastructure?
This is just a point of curiosity for me, as the whole intent of pursuing this is to supprt DR/BC, not recreation.

For thousands of engineering retirees between age 70-80 across the world with a beer in one hand an and a microphone in the other, it still is.

Oh, I know. I just meant it pre-dated the internet.

I was being a bit facetious. I think it has always been more about radios and tinkering than it ever was about socializing, although the two meter band is more of a modern day citizen's band and is a good way to chat with random people while on the road.

you need to accessorize
 

You need you a ham radio belt and clock

and a sign for you
 

and a bumpersticker for your wife

My wife might have room for a few more bumper stickers...

When last heard from, MaggieL was still into the ham thing. She mentioned that the test is easier now since you don't have to learn Morse code anymore. (anybody hear from Mags lately?)

Time for morse code versus SMS (WMV). Battle of the centurah!

Is that a belt for homophobic Norse prostitutes?

Oh, I don't know. During the backyard cookout we had for the Delaware Valley Pink Pistols chapter, the neighbor boy and his associated cohort decided it would be a great time for tactical games with their paintball rigs.

I didn't mind much until stray rounds started hitting our gazebo. They might have been more careful if they'd known what percentage of us were packing.

At xob's prodding I'm adding my two $.02 on ham radio; having been otherwise GAFIAted from The Cellar of late.

There's actually a few non-octogenarian hams around, even some relative kids who just think it's a neat arcane toy. There's also a younger cohort enticed by other roles in first-responder contexts. Still others are active in space operations, high-power WiFi or software-defined radio technology

Field Day (a combination contest/emergency drill/camp-out even organized by the ARRL will be happening soon; check your local amateur radio clubs to find out if they'll be participating with a public demonstration.
http://www.arrl.org/contests/announc...007-FD-Pin.gif

Flint: I'm an ARRL Volunteer Examiner, so if there's anything you want to know about the licencing process I can fill you in.

My wife doesn't need a bumper sticker; her callsign is NG3P. :-)

--
Margaret Stephanie Leber CCP, SCJP, SCWCD
http://voicenet.com/~maggie
AOPA 925383 - Amateur Radio Station K3XS - ARRL 39280 - AMSAT 32844
"The art of progress is to preserve order amid change
and to preserve change amid order."-A.N.Whitehead

MAGGIE!

Gone since February?! We've missed you, Mags.

Thanks, maggie.

hello Maggie

Hi Maggie!

Thanks, Maggie.

I knew you couldn't resist this one! . . . I won't even mention the Gun Cult thread with sexy pics of Sean Connery...

Go for it. That's all I can say. If you need help, head over to HamForum.com

I just saw Maggie and it reminded me to update this thread.

I found out how my system will be using Ham Radio in our DR/BC plan: we're building a completely redundant wireless network. If the entire infrastructure was down, we would have battery-powered radios communicating on pre-programmed memory channels, connecting battery-powered laptops at each facility. How awesome is that? Not bad for a hundred-year-old technology.

So it's going to be data via packet radio?