RMweb Gold Jonboy Posted April 25, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 25, 2020 I received my foundation license a few weeks back and am studying for the intermediate at the moment. During the practical and assessment day it was apparent there was other interest in railways in the room from the host club, and I have seen ham radio mentioned today in the powerline adapter thread has led me to wonder if there are any other hams in the room? M7JPO 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkC Posted April 25, 2020 Share Posted April 25, 2020 G0SLP Have been QRT for several years though - but will return one day... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium J. S. Bach Posted April 25, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 25, 2020 W3FHT 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Ray H Posted April 25, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 25, 2020 G0FTI 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium mezzoman253 Posted April 25, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 25, 2020 G8HGN 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold big jim Posted April 25, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 25, 2020 Erm....rubber duck? 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Pannier Tank Posted April 25, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 25, 2020 G4NVB 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold big jim Posted April 25, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 25, 2020 To the uninitiated this just looks like a list of numberplates can anyone explain it to me? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Jonboy Posted April 25, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 25, 2020 Not far off, when you get a license you get assigned** a callsign by ofcom or their country’s equivalent licensing body to use on all transmissions. ** The uk is unusual in having a three step licence program now, your callsign changes with each step and the first digit defines your license level. (I got to choose my last three digits as they were unused by any other licence holder). 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
whart57 Posted April 25, 2020 Share Posted April 25, 2020 Official versions of "rubber duck" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted April 25, 2020 Share Posted April 25, 2020 22 minutes ago, big jim said: To the uninitiated this just looks like a list of numberplates can anyone explain it to me? Give us a 9 on that? I used to have a CB radio in the truck I drove for one Company, long ago. But proper Amateur Radio is far more sophisticated than CB & the associated jargon. It's properly regulated, and also it has far greater range than CB too - right across the world with the right kit. I'm not one myself, but I used to know a lad who's dad was a Radio Ham, and he was in regular contact with people in Australia. It would sound like gobbleygook to me when they 'logged on' with call signs etc. But in the days before mobile phones, and expensive telephone calls abroad - with increasing delay on the line the further away you called - Radio Ham was a pretty impressive means of communication. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium J. S. Bach Posted April 25, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 25, 2020 2 hours ago, J. S. Bach said: W3FHT Mine is a "vanity" call that I applied for; I found it on an old QSL card from 1935 or so at a postcard show and found out that it was vacant. An application to the FCC* and it was granted. *Federal Communications Commission. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peach james Posted April 25, 2020 Share Posted April 25, 2020 VE7LGO 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold big jim Posted April 25, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 25, 2020 4 hours ago, F-UnitMad said: Give us a 9 on that? I used to have a CB radio in the truck I drove for one Company, long ago. But proper Amateur Radio is far more sophisticated than CB & the associated jargon. It's properly regulated, and also it has far greater range than CB too - right across the world with the right kit. I'm not one myself, but I used to know a lad who's dad was a Radio Ham, and he was in regular contact with people in Australia. It would sound like gobbleygook to me when they 'logged on' with call signs etc. But in the days before mobile phones, and expensive telephone calls abroad - with increasing delay on the line the further away you called - Radio Ham was a pretty impressive means of communication. My mum and dad had a friend in Llwyngwril who was big into CB in the 80s, he also used to have the gear to transmit TV from his house to a friend across the bay in the pwllheli area and vice versa my elder brothers also used to have CBs in their bedroom in the 80s (they didn’t have cars!) my dad however had his police radio system in the house! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium rab Posted April 26, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 26, 2020 8 hours ago, big jim said: my dad however had his police radio system in the house! Takes me back to the days when you could pick up police radio on the normal FM radio band. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
whart57 Posted April 26, 2020 Share Posted April 26, 2020 And as Prince Charles found, it didn't require a great amount of technical wizardry to eavesdrop on mobile phone calls made over the original first generation networks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-5-5-7 Posted April 26, 2020 Share Posted April 26, 2020 Aye, currently M0YAA transferring to G7HJR, previously 2E0BTY and M6DAV. Currently off air as shack has been rejigged for both hobbies. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium mezzoman253 Posted May 5, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 5, 2020 The hobby made the Beeb today https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-52442553 Rob 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold tractionman Posted May 5, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 5, 2020 I used to do a lot of DXing in the early 80s as a youngster, and recently treated myself to a new multiband receiver, the sort of thing I'd have loved to have in the old days, but when I tuned in to the SW bands was disappointed, I guess the world has changed! What was I thinking of, it's like a returnee loco spotter from the '80s turning up say at Crewe today, and sitting on the platform end saying 'where have all the locos gone' and expecting to be able to reuse their old spotting books?! Those classic old radio stations I used to listen to and strike off my station lists (esp those behind the 'Iron Curtain') are now silent, or at least on SW they are. Ham/amateur TX radio always seemed to me the 'high end' of radio hobbying, the radio equivelent of 0 gauge or live steam in the model railway world! cheers, Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
whart57 Posted May 5, 2020 Share Posted May 5, 2020 2 hours ago, tractionman said: but when I tuned in to the SW bands was disappointed, I guess the world has changed! All gone to internet radio 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Pannier Tank Posted May 5, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 5, 2020 2 hours ago, tractionman said: I used to do a lot of DXing in the early 80s as a youngster, and recently treated myself to a new multiband receiver, the sort of thing I'd have loved to have in the old days, but when I tuned in to the SW bands was disappointed, I guess the world has changed! Not helped by current Solar Cycle being at minimum. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium mezzoman253 Posted May 5, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 5, 2020 The newer digital modes have taken over from voice(SSB) & Morse(CW) that's why you don't hear many voices on the bands now. The sun has both old cyxle and new cycle spots on it ATM. so the new cycle should get going soon. Whether that will lead to more SSB/CW again who knows. Being a VHF operator myself, the data modes have re-vitalised those bands. Rob 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdr Posted May 5, 2020 Share Posted May 5, 2020 cb radio for many years in the AM days, repairing them when there was no one else to do it. Went to amatuer radio as a natural progression and literally immediately lost interest, so boring. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium mezzoman253 Posted May 5, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 5, 2020 It seemed that the illegality of it that was the attraction to many. Rob 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium mezzoman253 Posted February 28, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 28, 2021 Almost 10 months since the last post. Anyone got any interesting episodes or contacts they've made over that time? There's some reasonable tropo' on 144 & 432MHz ATM, maybe be a bit better tomorrow. 73 Rob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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