You know you're a HAM when...

[KC9ECI]

...you end a cell phone call to a non-HAM with "73."



http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif add yours.

[w5alt]

A real ham would just say "73", not "73's", since they would know that "73" is already plural.

You know you're a ham ....

.... if you think that a long weekend on Ducie Is. or Malyj Vysotskij would be fun.

.... if you walk in a forest and see lots of places to hang dipoles.

.... if you're tired of explaining how you can operate 40 meters when your radio only has one meter on it.

.... if you know what an IRC is and have actually seen one on more than one occasion.

[w3sy]

Curious to know what HAM stands for....

Ah-HOOOOOOOOOO-aaahhh!!!

[n6hle]

-.-- --- ..- ..- ... . -- --- .-. ... . -.-. --- -.. . .. -. .. -. ... - .- -. - -- . ... ... .- --. . ... - --- .- -. -. --- -.-- .--. . --- .--. .-.. . -.-- --- ..- -.. --- -. .----. - -..- .- -. - - --- - .- .-.. -.- - --- .-.-.-

--... ...-- --..--

-.- --. -.... .--. - -..

.-.-.

[AG3Y]

You're just DYING to put a big beam on top of that big cell phone tower down the road from you !

[n6hle]

When your friends all think you're crazy everytime you look at a house that has a huge tower with dozens of antennas attached and you say "what a beautiful sight."

[KC9ECI]

..-... -.---- .-... ..-...--..--.- ---- .-...--.. .-... ..- ..... ---- .-.......-.-. ---- -....---..---..... ..... ..- -----..--..-.--.-..-.-...

[n0xu]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (w3sy @ June 15 2003,09:38)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Curious to know what HAM stands for....

Ah-HOOOOOOOOOO-aaahhh!!![/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Why, Hymie-Alma-Murray, of course.

&lt;lookie here! sign sez &quot;don't feed the troll&quot;!&gt; &lt;heh&gt;

[W1RFI]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (w5alt @ June 14 2003,21:44)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">A real ham would just say &quot;73&quot;, not &quot;73's&quot;, since they would know that &quot;73&quot; is already plural.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Many best wishes.

73,
Ed Hare, W1RFI

[W1RFI]

You know you are a real ham when you go to a flea market, see a working IC-781 transceiver for sale for $100 and ask the seller if he will take $50.00 for it.

73,
Ed Hare, W1RFI

[kc2ink]

You know your a ham when you spend $65 on parts and 2 weeks to build an accesary for your shack that you could have bought for $20 at your local ham store.

Not mine, but I like it.

You know you are a ham when..

1) you read the prior posts (and the ones to follow) and wonder 'So what's so strange about that? Doesn't EVERY ham do/think/say/know that already?'

2) When asked a question for which you must stop and think about prior to answering, you tell the questioner 'Stand by, please!' or 'Wait one, please!' or (if you are a dyed-in-the-wool CW addict) you say 'Di-da-di-di-dit!'

3) While on the landline (REAL hams don't use 'phone' when referring to the telephone HI and REALLY OLD PHART hams say 'twisted pair' ;-) you find your self drumming your fingerson the tabletop to the tune of some CW characters (see #2 above) or you drum them to the rhythm of a CW 'V'.

4) When you spell words or groups for people you automatically use PHONETICS and if you are REALLY dyed-in-the-wool you even use the proper introducers and operatoinal words such as 'I spell'.. 'I say again', 'Figures', 'mixed group' etc.

5) When on your cell phone you have this incredible urge to give your callsign every 10 minutes or say your callsign followed by 'CLEAR' before you hang up.

6) You whistle CW instead of a musical tune.

Seven three or 73 as you prefer but NEVER
73's, threes, seventy thirds!!

Chuck K3FT

[KC9ECI]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (W1RFI @ June 16 2003,13:23)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">You know you are a real ham when you go to a flea market, see a working IC-781 transceiver for sale for $100 and ask the seller if he will take $50.00 for it.

73,
Ed Hare, W1RFI[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
You're not related to my XYL are you?

[N0PU]

You KNOW you're a real Ham when:

The XYL wants to have a party and it takes ya three days to clean up the 'game room' from the last 10 antenna projects and two more days to find places to put all the 'goodies' you've collected since the last party and stashed in said same room...

Question: Do ALL XYLs have 'the LOOK'... you know the one I mean... the one they give ya when they want something done and ya start hedging and making excuses... You KNOW you've lost the game when 'the LOOK' comes out...

Be back later... I gotta go clean the 'game room' ... I just got 'the LOOK'...

[ae4fa]

When you start saving the plastic cores that adding machine paper comes on because you may just need to wind a coil that size one day.

[KB1GYQ]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (N0PU @ June 16 2003,18:41)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Question: Do ALL XYLs have 'the LOOK'.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Yup http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[XV2PS]

When are you happy your XYL is not a Ham?:

When she asks how much that new antenna on the roof costs. You give her the price divided by ten, and she still says &quot;too expensive&quot;. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
Well, if you know the alu pipes cost 2.8 US / Kg, she might be right... http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif

[N0PU]

argggghhhhhhh....

You KNOW your a Ham when the XYL plans a party for... when else... FIELD DAY... and then gives you 'the LOOK' when you start to object... and you get this sinking feeling in your GUT...

Back to cleaning the 'game room' before I get 'the LOOK' again...

[I'm just gonna have to teach her code I guess... Yeah... right... then I'd NEVER get to the HF gear... 'cause she'd give me 'the LOOK'... sigh... ]

[K5USS]

When your main objective in finding a new house is elevation and non-CCR subdivisions...Good thing is, the YL understands why I want to do this!

Harry, I think they ALL learn the look at an early age...

Charlie
K5USS

[KB2SFH]

You know you are a ham when:

You chase down every car you see on the road with call signs and antennas on it.
http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[n6hle]

When a co-worker comes to you and says this... &quot;I saw one of those ham radio license plate thingys... I can't remember what it was exactly, but it started with K6. Do you know who that is?&quot;

...and

When you know the difference between a radio operator plate and a plate frame that has the call sign &quot;KA 4993&quot; (only applies to Cali. residents).

73,

Harry, KG6PTD

[KA8NCR]

Your wife doesn't panic when she can't find you for a couple hours on a Saturday night. She knows you're not out trolling the streets, it's just a 6 meter band opening.

[KD5NCO]

When you see the Associated Radio ad flashing to the left of this forum with an Icom 746pro with PS for $250 less than you paid last Xmass.....and you start thinking that a second one would really be too cool in the shack!

[n6hle]

When you visualize the killer mobile system that'd be the envy of everybody within 200 miles that you'd set up on the new Jeep you're going to buy, and then the dream gets crushed by the inevitable &quot;coming back down to Earth&quot;.

But hey, we can all dream, can't we?

73,

Harry, KG6PTD

[n0xu]

...when you remember to slide the barrel of the PL-259 on the cable before you solder the connector on...then find out you put it on BACKWARDS...


&lt;did that one last night....aaaaarrrrrrgh!&gt;


Drew N0XU

[WB2GOF]

You plant trees at the opposite ends of your property in hopes that one day when the trees have fully grown you can string your G5RV dipole on them!

[KD5NCO]

...you finally get W3SY's ability to stir the poo and seldom get any on himself

...you look forward to what K9STH and WB2WIK have to add to a forum ( sorry there are too many others to list, but you get the idea)

...you wish Heath still produced father and son project kits (I know there are still kits, but my dad let me help with the families first COLOR TV and I learned a lot + plus had a great time with my dad)

...you realize that it takes all kinds of people to be a society, and thankfully, in Amateur Radio, there are more rational, intelligent, helpful, central CORE members than the wacko, nutcases on either fringe.

[nz3m]

You know your a ham when your bank drivethru has a permanent groove on the ceiling from your antennas.

You know your a ham when you give the kid at Mcdonalds tips on modulation.

You know your a ham when you pass a friend in your car and tap &quot;Hi&quot; on your horn in CW.

And finally, if your neighbor asks, &quot;why do you need so many CB antennas?&quot;, You just might be a ham.

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
73 W3NAP

[n0xu]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (W3NAP @ June 16 2003,20:57)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">You know your a ham when you pass a friend in your car and tap &quot;Hi&quot; on your horn in CW.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Corollary #1: You see a ham you don't know who has vanity license plates, and you tap out &quot;CQ&quot; on the horn...

[N0PU]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (n0xu @ June 17 2003,21:07)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (W3NAP @ June 16 2003,20:57)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">You know your a ham when you pass a friend in your car and tap &quot;Hi&quot; on your horn in CW.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Corollary #1: You see a ham you don't know who has vanity license plates, and you tap out &quot;CQ&quot; on the horn...[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
You know your a MODERN Ham when the Ham you honked at flips you off....

[n0xu]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (N0PU @ June 16 2003,21:10)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (n0xu @ June 17 2003,21<!--emo&amp;http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (W3NAP @ June 16 2003,20:57)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">You know your a ham when you pass a friend in your car and tap &quot;Hi&quot; on your horn in CW.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Corollary #1: You see a ham you don't know who has vanity license plates, and you tap out &quot;CQ&quot; on the horn...[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
You know your a MODERN Ham when the Ham you honked at flips you off....[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
I'm not sure if I'm supposed to laugh at that one... http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[w9ass]

You know your a ham when:

1:Your pockets consist of a wallet, car keys, and a Miniature tri-band HT.

2: People call your car &quot;The Porcupine&quot; from all the antennas stuck to it;

3: You tell your girlfriend you are feeling sick but instead stay home and yap on 2 meter SSB.

Rock on!

KC9DGM

[N0PU]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (KC9DGM @ June 18 2003,12:35)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">3: You tell your girlfriend you are feeling sick but instead stay home and yap on 2 meter SSB.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Let me get this straight...
Never-mind.. I understand it...

Which begs the question... who is a sicker puppy... you for giving up a date to jaw on the radio... or me for understanding it?

In either case we both need serious help... but I can't go just now... I have some electronics stuff to do first...

[KB1JCY]

You buy stuff you don't need with the intent to horsetrade at the next flea market.

You go to Home Depot or Lowes intending to buy something for a home improvement project but walk out with materials for a homebrew antenna.

Other hams can tell you're a ham by shaking hands (soldering iron burns/scars).

[KC5ZQM]

The manager at the closest RS knows your first name.

You see a metallic object and immediately wonder what frequency it resonates at.

You not only have antennas ON your car, you have some in the trunk.

You bring home scraps of discarded wire - and use them.

Your social calender is filled with ham radio events.

You KNOW towers are beautiful.

You have more than one article of clothing with your call sign on it.

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif You sign e-mails to hams with something like:

73 de Doug, KC5ZQM

[n0xu]

....you've loaded up old bedsprings...

[WB2GOF]

It's late and you're in the shack, chewing the ole rag or chasing some good DX when...the XYL comes in saying &quot;Earth calling Mars! #Earth calling Radioman! #It's late! #Are you ever coming up to bed?&quot;

[KD7WHQ]

...the UPS driver makes a comment about how many boxes he has delivered in the last few weeks.

HT, 440 rig, 2m PA, 2m mobile.....

And Airborne delivered the 100' of LMR-400 I snagged for under .32/ft on Ebay..

[n6hle]

Gotta dedicate this one to my coworker KG6OPR...

You know you're a ham when you collect those little &quot;don't dig here&quot; marker flags from contruction crews because they will make great ground radials for your homebrew project.

73,

Harry, KG6PTD

[KC0PSR]

You know you're a HAM when you spend more time rag chewing on the radio than with your wife.

You know you're a HAM when you pull over to take traffic for another HAM in your state.

You know you're a HAM when you leave the dinner table before you are even done, to check into the state nets.

You know you're a HAM when you critique the local police station on how awful the instillation of a new repeater is and boast that they should hire people who know what they are doing, (meaning you and the boys)

73, KC0PSR

by the way you men also have your own type of the &quot;look&quot;
---the why me look
---the do I have to look
I could go on and on

[WA2ZDY]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (KC0PSR @ June 20 2003,03:45)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">You know you're a HAM when you critique the local police station on how awful the instillation of a new repeater is and boast that they should hire people who know what they are doing, (meaning you and the boys)

73, KC0PSR

by the way you men also have your own type of the &quot;look&quot;
---the why me look
---the do I have to look
I could go on and on[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
WE men huh? Hmmmmmmmmmm

Ya know, funny you should mention it. You read my mind. I had my scanner on here last night and geez did the local police repeater sound bad. The Chief of Police gets into the office at 9am, so I have only another 50 minutes to hold on before I can call him. I KNOW he'll appreciate a ham radio expert calling to tell him all about it.

(Sad thing about this story is I DID take a call at work from a ham who had some comments about our 800 MHz conventional repeater at the salt mine. I'm glad it got referred to me before we hams took another black eye!)

[ky5u]

You know you're a ham when:

-Your car looks like a porcupine in heat

-Your favorite song is &quot;Western Union....dah-di-dah-di-dah&quot;

-You have your neighbors convinced their TVI is coming from Truckers on Channel 19 from a nearby highway

-Your last bath was before the last hamfest

-You feel that dental care cuts into your &quot;tailgater&quot; money

-You're waiting to get a vanity call until your QSL cards run out or your hat gets stolen.

-Once a month you have your &quot;dot&quot; and nobody can live with you

-You say &quot;pa pa&quot; for the phonetic &quot;p&quot; instead of papa (pronounced poppa). Note: this also means you probably have a &quot;6&quot; somewhere in your call.

-You havn't realized your kid's boom box is loud, but not &quot;a kajillion DB over S9&quot;

-There is a small wire from your rig to your QYL's hoop ear rings.

-Your birth picture shows a coiled umbillical cord

-You order your steaks &quot;QRP&quot; instead of rare

-Your underware has your call letters on them

-You practice for &quot;pile-ups&quot; by trying to talk to your wife and her mother when they're on the phone

and the number one way you can tell you're a ham.......

-you compare pay periods with sunspot cycles, and change wives every 11 years.

[KB8WFH]

You know you are a Ham when...


...you hear yourself say &quot;My XYL said if I got on the air just one more time, she'd leave me...OVER.&quot;

73'

KB8WFH

[KC0OFZ]

You are a HAM when...
you pass a construction sight and all you can think about is how well all of that steel would tune, what would the radiation pattern be, and what an antenna raising party could be had with that crane that they are using

73
KC0OFZ

[KC5ZQM]

Nobody will be able to find you for the next TWO days. #(Check today's date.)
http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif ### http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif # http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[KC9CCO]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (KC5ZQM @ June 18 2003,10:35)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">The manager at the closest RS knows your first name.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Or when you know the first names, and faces, of all the managers at RS in a 50 mile radius.

[N0PU]

You know you're a ral Ham when you went into RS the first time, decided all they had was crap and never went back...

[KB1GYQ]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (N0PU @ June 30 2003,14:25)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">You know you're a ral Ham when you went into RS the first time, decided all they had was crap and never went back...[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Bravo!

[kc9ehe]

You know your a ham when,

you've installed a mobile antenna on your bicycle, along with an HT mounting bracket.

you have counterpoise wires attached to your gutters.

you've offered to retune the local police officer's vhf antenna.

guests ask you what that ridge under your wallpaper is. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

you program channels into your tv, that can only be viewed during a band opening.

you take off work to, work a 2 meter band opening.

you've ever tapped out qc on your landlines dtmf pad, after picking up and no one was there.

you've ever given a 59 to another ham on a cellphone.

[k3sam]

when ...

.. you ask to be secured from the dinner table

.. sign your checks with your call sign

.. not only does RS know your name, but they have your phone number stored in speed dial

.. you are working that rare dx station and between signal exchages, the XYL wakes you

-Sam

[wb0wao]

Someone at work asks you if you know where (whatever) country is at.....

And you tell them where...

Along with the ITU Prefix Block(s)...
ITU Zone....
CQ Zone....
Beam Heading (long AND short path)...
What band(s) you have worked it on....

73

Dennis - WB0WAO

[kc9ehe]

...if,

your neibors can't inderstand half the rfi that come across their tv.

you've ever been moblie on a horse.

someone at walmart asks you the time, and you ask &quot;in local or UTC?&quot;

you have ever spoken to the kid at the drive-up window, on an HT.

you re-caulk the nmo connector in your car roof every year.

you don't use an alarm, you just cranck-up your rig on 20m, and wait for the band to open up.

your grandparents brag that you can talk to austalia on your cb. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

people ask if you know the going price of pork bellies and chops, or just ham.

[KC9ECI]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (MattBeer @ July 09 2003,16:56)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">You understand that it is &quot;ham&quot;, not &quot;HAM&quot; and you can explain why. Until then, you're a wannabe....

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Says the fellow shy about posting his callsign. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[KB3HCG]

You find a cell phone is just to damn unreliable for comunications.

[KB1GYQ]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (mpop @ July 12 2003,18:45)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">You find a cell phone is just to damn unreliable for comunications.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Come now, anyone who has even used one, or even watched the commercials knows that!

&quot;Can you hear me now?&quot; - yuck!

[KB1GYQ]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (MattBeer @ July 10 2003,00:32)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Hams are also very good, as they mature, at being able to focus on the message, not the messenger.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
And when they have given up the childish things, they can even do that on phone modes! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[kd5icr]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (K3FT @ June 15 2003,17:01)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">4) When you spell words or groups for people you automatically use PHONETICS and if you are REALLY dyed-in-the-wool you even use the proper introducers and operatoinal words such as 'I spell'.. 'I say again', 'Figures', 'mixed group' etc.

5) When on your cell phone you have this incredible urge to give your callsign every 10 minutes or say your callsign followed by 'CLEAR' before you hang up.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Thats me in a nut shell.

I just cant help myself.


http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

I knew I was ham when the day came I found myself in a three way cw qso with two old friends (one was an x -navy radio operator) at 20 wpm on 20 meters. It was a thrill I have never forgot.
w5wlb
ootc/qcwa/fist

[kb5yue]

Hmmm,
you know your a HAM when the local news weather person calls for SKYWARN updates. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Have (lots of)
Amateur
Merchandise

[KD7VCF]

You find that you're more used to dialing up the local autopatch than your landline. (Or cellphone.)

You say hi hi in public instead of actually laughing http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[ae4fa]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">You say hi hi in public instead of actually laughing[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

THAT is one of my biggest pet peeves! &quot;HI&quot; is a laugh as transmitted by telegraphy - CW. It has absolutely no place on voice modes, and sounds so fake as to make me nauseous.

[nz3m]

There is a severe storm in your area. The winds start picking up to the point that you take your family to the basement. Your looking out the basement windows, to see what's going on. All you see is darkness, and debris flying past the window at high speed. Possibly a tornado close by. the wind calms and you walk upstairs to get a better view out in the yard. Four large trees blown over, limbs everywhere. The yard is a mess with debris. You look out the back door, you can't see anything because one of the large trees feel across your deck.

You know you are a HAM when you walk out the door, and the first thing you do is check the status of your antennas.

This just happened to me.

One fatality out of four. My 2m vertical is an inverted &quot;L&quot;

73 W3NAP