Any HAMS

Thread Starter

n9xv

Joined Jan 18, 2005
329
Dave, you should get back into it again! I'am sure you know alot has changed in the last 25 years or so. Now you can work somebody with an HT (handy talkie) on the other side of the planet through an EchoLink repeater. Or, computer to computer via EchoLink using VOIP. I bet your still good on CW!
Morse code, although an ancient form of communication always seems to work when nothing else does.


Firestorm, you cant get a liscense on line but you can take practice test online and go to the FCC website and check the status of a liscense. As far as benefits, it all depends on your flavor of technology. You can have reliable FM 2-way VHF/UHF communication with another ham over a 50 - 100 mile radius through a repeater. You can work HF (short wave bands 3 - 30-MHz) and talk to people either stateside or half-way around the world in japan, china, even Iraq/Iran. You can work through numerous satellites, some with a simple HT and a couple of watts. The ISS (International Space Station) has an Amatuer Radio station on board using Packet (a digital mode). They transmitt a beacon on 145.800-MHz. You can easily pick that up when the bird is 30-degrees or more above your horizon. You can even bounce signals off the moon (EME - Earth-Moon-Earth). There's still a regular bunch out there that do this on a regular basis. Many hams work with local authorities and NOAA doing search & rescue operations, storm spotting etc. Try this link

American Radio Relay League
 

David Bridgen

Joined Feb 10, 2005
278
Yes, I have been aware of what's going on but it is unlikely in the extreme that I shall get on the air again.
I was a professional op for some years, both at sea and shore-side and, possibly as a result of that, I never found the operating side satisfying afterwards. I did, though, in partnership with W5Qk (who must take most of the credit), make QST's "QSLer of the month" during the winter of 62 whilst in the Antarctic.
 

Firestorm

Joined Jan 24, 2005
353
wow sounds pretty cool, I think I will just stick to a cell phone for now and mayb tinker with HAMS after high school.
btw, thx for the link n9xv :)
thx l8er

-fire
 

Thread Starter

n9xv

Joined Jan 18, 2005
329
Hey Dave, (David Bridgen) I was just wondering what ham equipment you might of used back in '62. That would have been the height of the Collins S-line era.
 

atferrari

Joined Jan 6, 2004
4,764
LU2AKB and LU5DQE both martime mobile for some time.

I built my first AM Xmtr for 80 & 40 m modifying a basic CW circuit when I ignored everything about everything. Initially tuned to an harmonic of the VFO, the same night, retuned, gave me one of the best moments in life when I got contacts with so many countries around South America. At the same time, RF was "pouring from the taps" all around the building until I learnt how to ground things properly. And shield the gear as well.

Could say that 99% of the materials used where obtained from salvaging and presents from good people. (Still today I save components that I will never use.)

My first Rcvr was a Scott (IIWW times) which I got still fitted with the antivibrating frame supplied for using on board. The CW's BFO allowed me to hear USB.

For space reasons in vessels and at home I became a fan of "long wires antennas".
I was not Radio operator but Chief Officer and later Master.

When on board, the best achievement was in the 2-m band. With piled up Yagis we opened the Catavento repeater (located in a hill near Rio de Janeiro) some 1000 Km away. A conclusion I've got: the best ground (plane) is the sea water!

When anchored at Novorosisk roads (Sovietic times) the authorities discovered that we (Master and myself) were operating our stations. We were about to get them confiscated for life. Escaped from that just by sheer luck!

There were times when somebody carrying an HT was arrested by police (Argentina, were I live) and all hams knew to whom they should call to get them out of jail! Nowadays you pass Customs control with mobile phones, fellow! And computers and palmtops and....

When I realized that the majority of people I was meeting seemed more interested on talking about commercial equipment instead of the technical side of this my enthousiasm faded out. Plain button pushers with money to buy are a turn off. And technical nonsense and bla bla, as well.

I like to think that we all have a list of things to do in life, materialized in a long list of small squares that you should check wehn done.

Some of mines are: visiting Tonga, visiting Egypt, to have a nice girlfriend taller than me and being a profficient CW operator.

In spite of my efforts, this last, would be in my next life.

I realize that this is the first time I say something about all this in years.

Thanks for the oportunity!

Agustín Tomás
 

David Bridgen

Joined Feb 10, 2005
278
Hi n9xv,

From the Antarctic I used the base radio gear.
We had two RCA ET4336 transmitters and a couple of Eddystone receivers.

For emergency use, a TA1154 transmitter, but I forget what we had as a receiver.

A couple of photos here

Sledging parties in the field used 68 sets (Wireless Set no. 68.)

From the Falklands I used a B2 "spy radio", originally issued by the S.O.E.


Yes, I remember the S line.

The two DHC Otters had Collins 18S4 sets. One had a 180K2 and the other a 180L3 antenna tuner. I was down there looking after those.
 

Thread Starter

n9xv

Joined Jan 18, 2005
329
Awsom pics David! I dont think I could survive a bitterly cold enviorment like that. Although, I would imagine you have some great memories from that period. I owned an S-line some 5 or 6 years back. I had alot of fun restoring those rigs. I think I got more enjoyment out of restoring radios than actually operating so much. Something about "keeping them alive" I guess! BTW, was that a pic of you with the long hair and sun glasses? You were quite the hip cat!
 

Thread Starter

n9xv

Joined Jan 18, 2005
329
Hello and welcome Augustin Thomas (atferrari), did'nt mean to leave you out.

When on board, the best achievement was in the 2-m band. With piled up Yagis we opened the Catavento repeater (located in a hill near Rio de Janeiro) some 1000 Km away. A conclusion I've got: the best ground (plane) is the sea water!
It is indeed fascinating what you can do on VHF when the conditions are right. I remember one evening in the spring chating on a local 2-meter repeater and stations from as far as canada were getting in to the repeater. Troposheric ducting deserves the credit for that incident.

At my last QTH, I seemed to have a vertual "pipeline" to the south for some reason. I had quite a bit of LU's logged on CW. I think my L-shaped longwire yeilded some directivity to the south.

Anyway, pleased to make your aquaintence.
 

atferrari

Joined Jan 6, 2004
4,764
Hi n9xv,

Me too I was in Antártida. Campaigns 1969-70 and 1970-1971.

I was a brand new midshipman from the Argentine Navy in the military transport "Bahía Aguirre". (perhaps you heard about that vessel who used to carry people from/to the different places supported by Argentina, plus lot of materials of any kind and provisions). The "General San Martín" ice-breaker completed the team.

Going ashore ocassionally as our duty allowed I had the chance to visit, among others: Esperanza, Petrel, Orcadas, Decepción (inhabitted at the time, after suffering the effects of an eruption or kind of, long time before), Almirante Brown, Presidente Frei, Teniente Jubbany, an sure many others that remains somewhere in my memory...

Our job was basically to keep running the merry-go-round of four or five boats (the same used by US marines to disembark in II WW). We were bringing people and materials ashore whenever weather was good.It was an never ending on-going competition on who did the best landing, every time...

From time to time we had the chance to stay ashore few hours (in our rest time).

Everything was an experience there!

Enough to say that in the night from 25th to 26th of November I celebrate my second birthday. I was about to get lost in one of those boats because Captain had to put the vessel at sea with two of us still in the boat hanging just from one rope, because the (cathabatic) strong wind was moving a small iceberg against the vessel. That happened in Bahia Esperanza near Caleta Choza.

Being in the middle of a gale in that condition, put at a certain moment, my whole life in front of me. Believe me, was like an amazingly fast movie. I hope never to watch something like that again!. An believe, with wind, sea water feels even colder!

Back now to more pleasant things, I had my first chance to operate an LU station in the vessel using a nice Collings 618T (intended for planes). It had automatic tunning that worked like a breeze.

Later I become so involved that I started to build my own gear with my interest in electronics always in the background.

At my last QTH, I seemed to have a vertual "pipeline" to the south for some reason. I had quite a bit of LU's logged on CW. I think my L-shaped longwire yeilded some directivity to the south
One of the radio operators at Esperanza, I think it was, told me about things like that. Those experiences are interesting and it's good to keep an eye to recognize them.

I've detected another typical phenomenon here near the River Plate motuh, in Bahía Samborombón. When we were able to see the whole coast in the radar (coastline is sand dunes and very low) it happened that we also were able to catch most of the VHF stations upriver, one day away. The worst of it: a strong gale from S or SW was coming in the next 18 hours!

As I said, my interest was lost when I saw people buying and using commercial gear, just that. Basically I spent some time more playing with antennas and then I started with micrprocessors.

Good to hear of you. I always admired people staying there for one year or more.

Don't feel bad about long hair. Myself, I was the opposite, and even in snow blizards, never used even a single cap. Yeas, I was 22, and that was long time ago!

Agustín Tomás
 
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