Thanks GARS
Steve
Kenny
Hi Steve
Please educate me because I was stunned by your reference to Morse.
I thought I had read a couple of years back that Morse Code had been
formally, internationally albeit, universally dropped - did Imis-read
or mis-understand the articles context and that hams are still
required to pass the Morse test?
Kenny
Ken
"Kenny" <922omit_the_...@telefonica.net> wrote in message
news:i3o1015a2ocprjgsn...@4ax.com...
No, AFAIK morse is consigned to the history books as regards being a
requirement. There is of course no impediment on any individual wishing to
use it, to do so. Though it must be argued of course what the place is,
other than in amateur circles, of decoding the stuff in your head. OK,
arguments in favour include simplicity of equipment and its ability to make
cointacts at low power levels given the low bandwidth needed - it is an
ideal mode for QRP work. However, have you seen what can be done on PSK31
when it disappears below the noise floor?
Ken ZB2MD, G4SGF, G-QRP-Club no 2065 (UK SK28)
Kenny
You got me hitting the glossary with PSK31, being an ex-electronic
engineer (and probably a frustrated amatuer) , guessed the PSK but the
31 got me.
Best regards
Kenny
Jim Watt
It gets very good by reports, although have not tried that one
myself.
--
Jim Watt
http://www.gibnet.com
Ken
"Jim Watt" <jim...@aol.no_way> wrote in message
news:sgr301hgc51k1kns0...@4ax.com...
I haven't tried it personally, but I've seen it at work in the shack of a
good frind of mine, and it's absolutely amazing. The screen displays 100%
capture when your ears tell you there's nothing but noise to be heard.
However, unlike the average QRP stuff it does NOT lend itself to home
construction (at least of the RF aspects, unless you're into PLL homebrew)
because of the extreme frequency stability required.
K
Kenny
Can I be real lazy and ask you guys for a microscopic overview of what
is required these days for the Amatuer Radio Licence. I'll probably be
ok with real basic resonance, L,R,C arithmetic etc, but what level
would I have to expect (I must be a dumbo on antenna and propogation
by now). Oh, and are there any 'Licence related' online tests in
existence that I can use to assess my level of dementia?
Thanks.
Kenny
Ken
Ages since mine, and I haven't kept up with any great vigour as to what's
what. Basically, you need the Radio Amateurs' Exam - and that's it. The RSGB
did a manual for this exam, and if you can inhale and then regurgitate it,
it is quite possible to not only pass but do so with distincion. The morse
requirement has been dropped, and so the distiction between the old A and B
licences has been dropped also. In the UK it is easier to wait until you';re
15 or 16 to get into it, as you can go straight to the exam and licence. If
you come in as a youngster of 10 or 12 they make it far more difficult,
expecting everyone to be into soldering and the like - and not everyone
wants to be, and in fact there is no need to be in order to be a responsible
on-air operator.
K
Kenny
That updated me nicely.
Was so surprised that the old 'British thing' about holding back kids
still prevails and that is discrimation of the worst kind, against our
young who we should always be encouraging to learn early without
pressure.
>If you come in as a youngster of 10 or 12 they make it far more difficult,
>expecting everyone to be into soldering and the like - and not everyone
>wants to be, and in fact there is no need to be in order to be a responsible
>on-air operator.
When I was 12 (Jeez 50 years ago) the Northampton Club (G3GWB I
believe) kindly allowed me to attend as a non-member. Boy were those
old ' Wireless World' magazines the business. But f course, when
confonted with obstacles, as youngsters we redirect to other things.
Couldn't find any online tests (unlike ARRL), o when I get time I
might create something like that.
best regards
Kenny
Jim Watt
<922omit_the_...@telefonica.net> wrote:
>Hi guys
>Can I be real lazy and ask you guys for a microscopic overview of what
>is required these days for the Amatuer Radio Licence.
go to
and one of the headings includes 'get licenced'
Theres a whole load of information about what the foundation
licence etc comprises.
The main difference is that these days instead of it being organised
by the Ciry & Guilds institute, its now done by local amateur radio
clubs, so in some ways it better as its less academic and more
practical.
The basics of the course are an understanding of radio sufficient
that you are not going to be a danger to society, and there are
now levels of licences where you need to know more before you
can use higher powers and home made transmitters.
Some critisise it as 'dumbing down' but it does not really seem to
be that way, and locally the new GARS members who have got
their licences recently are as keen and able as any in the past
if not more so.
Althought morse code is no longer an essential, it still works very
well and has a future in amateur radio if nowhere else.
Ken
"Jim Watt" <jim...@aol.no_way> wrote in message
The appeal has dwindled for many people though. One aspect that was awesome
was the ability to talk to people on the other side of the world with no-one
else being involved in permitting you to do so. Now many perceive the web as
beng the vehicle for such comms., but of course it requires a huge
infrastructure put there and run by others - but the end user is blind to
all this, and unless the servers are down, always gets a 59 report with no
QSB, QRN, QRM etc.
The old "done it myself" thrill still exists, but now there are different
kinds of tecchie. My thrill actually came out of construction, butu having
done so and having seen it work and do so reliably, I personally felt there
was little to be gained from yet another QSO with a PA or a DL. It is
absolutely disheartening operating out of G-land, as there are so many
no-one much want a chat, and the chap managinf a pile-up doesn't need
another G. OTOH operating out of ZB2 is a differnt matter. YOU are the cause
of the pile up, and your prefix is worth a triband beam and a 1kW linear.
Have you seen the absolutely magic little rigs (and I mean car radio sized)
coming out of Japan these days?
K
Jim Watt
wrote:
>Have you seen the absolutely magic little rigs (and I mean car radio sized)
>coming out of Japan these days?
No, the local newsagent stopped taking PW because they decreed
that he had to take 20 copies or none at all.
Model number? I need a HF rig that works.
Although the Internet provides the ability to communicate across the
world, its not quite the same.
Ken
"Jim Watt" <jim...@aol.no_way> wrote in message
> On Thu, 3 Feb 2005 20:00:00 -0000, "Ken" <k...@k1at.freeserve.co.uk>
> wrote:
>
>>Have you seen the absolutely magic little rigs (and I mean car radio
>>sized)
>>coming out of Japan these days?
>
> No, the local newsagent stopped taking PW because they decreed
> that he had to take 20 copies or none at all.
At the risk of being seen to attempt to instruct two generations prior to my
own in the art of ovular aspiration, you could always take out a
subscription . . . .
. . . . and RadCom comes with RSGB membership . . . . .
> Model number? I need a HF rig that works.
You could do a lot worse than look at the Waters & Stanton website at
www.wsplc.com They have a whopper of a QRO offer at the moment, though not
quite at the "burn your own hole in the ionosphere" level of power.
Meanwhile, look also at the Yaesu range if portability or understated looks
are your thing, at the 817 / 857 / 897 range. And as ever, wherever Yaesu or
Icom go, the other is sure to follow - there are complimentarily specced
rigs by other manufacturers too.
Given the price of these rigs - low in real terms but still a wad - and the
low prices of flights these days (Monarch currently have an offer of 3p each
way (plus taxes) on selected flights in Feb and March), coming over to
browse and take back personally is a realistic possibility surely?
> Although the Internet provides the ability to communicate across the
> world, its not quite the same.
Ah yes, but - I agree it's not quite the same when choosing fruit. Only by
holding them do you know whether your apples are hard and your pears soft,
or vice versa. OTOH a can of beans is very much like any other can of beans.
And see comments above re air fares. Remember that on purchasing a £1k rig
to take to Gib you would not pay VAT (£175 off the list price), and choosing
your airfares carefully you can come over for around £60. Two nights in a
Travel Inn or similar close to a major retail Ham Radio outlet at £45 per
night, and it becomes a realistic proposition.
K
Kenny
Thanks for rsgb links and comment Ken and Jim
I now see how 'commercially dominated' the Amateur scene has become
(like everything else I suppose) dammit I have whining about change, I
love change, but so much of it seems to be for questionable motives.
It was the constructional side of Amateur radio that was appealing to
me also - and that has really declined. I think the PW 'minimum order
of 20' example subtly summed our way of life up Jim.
Best regards
Kenny
PS Ken - go easy with the nouns - had to look ovular up to ensure it
did have ovule as its root.. Ha ha I will NEVER play scrabble with
you, met your types before, inexhaustible supply of two letter word
beginning with 'z' and all that
Jim Watt
<922omit_the_...@telefonica.net> wrote:
>I now see how 'commercially dominated' the Amateur scene has become
What amazes me is that the market for tranceivers seems stong enough
to support the number of manufacturers and the innovation. However,
they all make commercial radio products too so the R&D gets used
there.
The technology is so developed that you simply cannot make a better
radio than they can. But you still can make one that works.
With the broadcasters emergency services and military moving off HF,
perhaps one day it will all be ours :)
Kenny
>What amazes me is that the market for tranceivers seems stong enough
>to support the number of manufacturers and the innovation. However,
>they all make commercial radio products too so the R&D gets used
>there.
You are right, there does seem to be a huge choice available, many
have good value for money but they are still very expensive items. Do
you think for every unit sold to an Amateur 10 others are sold to the
more clandestine users?
>The technology is so developed that you simply cannot make a better
>radio than they can. But you still can make one that works.
Wasn't it grand when it was the other way round! That day the chip
manufacturers sussed emulating LCR networks with silicon ... oh well.
>With the broadcasters emergency services and military moving off HF,
>perhaps one day it will all be ours :)
Thats interesting Jim. I understand the need for controls, but it
always just rankles me a little (probably because I cannot think of a
better solution) when bits of the spectrum are 'sold off', you know
100KHz bandwidth 'on auction' with a 2,000,000 USD reserve, or
companies patent DNA code sequences - like they own them.
I hope the implication of potentially available gaps in the HF simply
means it 'becomes available to free man' again and Gordon Brown is
kept in the dark because some of his key employees are RSGB members
(grins)
regards
Kenny
Jim Watt
<922omit_the_...@telefonica.net> wrote:
>
>>What amazes me is that the market for tranceivers seems stong enough
>>to support the number of manufacturers and the innovation. However,
>>they all make commercial radio products too so the R&D gets used
>>there.
>
>You are right, there does seem to be a huge choice available, many
>have good value for money but they are still very expensive items. Do
>you think for every unit sold to an Amateur 10 others are sold to the
>more clandestine users?
I was not thinking of clandestine users as much as Taxi's, security
guards, ships at sea and those who use radio as part of their
business.
>Thats interesting Jim. I understand the need for controls, but it
>always just rankles me a little (probably because I cannot think of a
>better solution) when bits of the spectrum are 'sold off'
You can't really sell off HF as it is international rather than
national and not useful for joe publics mobile telephony. I suspect
those who paid huge sums recently will not do that again.
Ken
"Jim Watt" <jim...@aol.no_way> wrote in message
The 40m band has DOUBLED in size recntly, from 7 - 7.1 to 7 - 7.2 MHz, and
it's not that long ago that we acquired the 10, 18. 24MHz segments, not to
mention the LF bits . . . .
Ken
jim.gm4dhj
> Model number? I need a HF rig that works.
>
> Although the Internet provides the ability to communicate across the
> world, its not quite the same.
> --
> Jim Watt
Good to hear that...........