View Full Version : New to Ham
KD8NMX
10-25-2010, 01:59 AM
Hello and good evening.
I recently studied and passed my general exam. I have wanted to get my ham license for a number of years but could never get enough time to practice code enough to pass it.
With the exams now not requiring code, here I am. :-)
Anyway, I am wanting to get on the airwaves and see if I can reach some people WAY out there and around the globe, but I have a few questions.
I have an Icom 706mkII and it seems like a very nice radio and also seems to pick up very good. I listen a lot on 40 meter but before I just jump in there...are there any freq's that I cannot talk on? I do not want to get myself into trouble before I even get my feet wet.
Any helpful hints, tips comments are very welcome.
Thank you very much.
KD8NMX
AD5LT
10-25-2010, 01:23 PM
http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Hambands_color.pdf here's a chart that you can print out.Stay within your privileges and away from the band edges.
KC2UGV
10-25-2010, 02:40 PM
http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Hambands_color.pdf here's a chart that you can print out.Stay within your privileges and away from the band edges.
Yeah, what he said :) About 2-3 KHz away from the edges. And, i suggest printing that and taping it up somewhere wherever you operate from.
Most of all though, listen before keying, and have fun :)
First suggestion?
Don't start your Amateur Radio experience on QRZ.
Lots of experience, some good info - but the signal to noise ratio isn't the best. Plus, people on the air usually aren't like people on the interwebs.
Get on the air - find some locals - enjoy!
N0WYO
10-25-2010, 02:54 PM
Gaylen, (KD8NMX)
Wasn't there anything in the test you took about what frequencies you can use?
It can be confusing. I used the chart AD5LT posted for a while before I felt I was comfortable. Always consult that chart if you're unsure you're in the right place.
Stay at least 3kc ABOVE the lowest frequency in the general band segment.
For instance, on 40 meters the lowest frequency in the general segment is 7.175. Don't go below 7.178, as the bandwidth of the radio may be wide enough to carry below 7.175. It's a good practice to get into.
Always ask if the frequency is in use before you begin using it.
Most important is to get a copy of part 97 and keep it in the shack. This will answer all questions you may have. I have a pdf version here. This will work until you can get a copy in book form.
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2009-title47-vol5/pdf/CFR-2009-title47-vol5-part97.pdf
We'll listen for you.;) Congratulations!
N0SYA
10-25-2010, 03:11 PM
Hey there new hamster! Congrats on licesning! As said above, get a ham band chart and keep it handy and you will never get into trouble with fedz or the license class creeps. Understanding where your sideband(s) will fall is also something you need to consider in relation to the chart.
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?t=268426
KD8NMX
10-25-2010, 04:41 PM
Gaylen, (KD8NMX)
Wasn't there anything in the test you took about what frequencies you can use?
It can be confusing. I used the chart AD5LT posted for a while before I felt I was comfortable. Always consult that chart if you're unsure you're in the right place.
Stay at least 3kc ABOVE the lowest frequency in the general band segment.
For instance, on 40 meters the lowest frequency in the general segment is 7.175. Don't go below 7.178, as the bandwidth of the radio may be wide enough to carry below 7.175. It's a good practice to get into.
Always ask if the frequency is in use before you begin using it.
Most important is to get a copy of part 97 and keep it in the shack. This will answer all questions you may have. I have a pdf version here. This will work until you can get a copy in book form.
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2009-title47-vol5/pdf/CFR-2009-title47-vol5-part97.pdf
We'll listen for you.;) Congratulations!
Oh yes, there was plenty on the frequencies, but as you know experience is almost always the better trainer. :D
Thank you for the info, I will print it out and keep it near by for reference.
The reason I asked about the frequencies is because there is some overlapping when listening and I wanted to make sure even though I was on one freq, that it would make a difference if it bled over (and was answered that it will) so I will make sure I am at least 3 away from the limit.
Since I am a newbie, I will be asking a LOT of questions. :rolleyes:
By the class it lists the freq you are allowed on and what type of transmission. I hear people talking on some freq's but when I look to see if I can talk there, it says, CW (code) RTTY and other things like data, image etc. What determines if you can actually "Speak" on a freq? or if you must use only code and so forth.
I also am a computer tech by trade and would love to know some more about packet transmitting with ham radios.
and lastly, I would like to know if it is possible to make actual phone calls on a ham radio. A few years ago a buddy of mine made a call on his radio, but his mike had a dialpad on it. or was I just imagining that he made a call???
Again, thanks for welcoming me and putting up with my newbieness. :D
Others have already answered your question, so I'll just say congratulations on your new license. You really just need to jump in there, so don't be shy (but the caution about the band edges is a good thing).
You'll get a few things wrong, but don't worry about the gentle correction that you'll occasionally get. Sometimes, the gentle correction will be rude and sarcastic, but don't pay attention to that either. We were all beginners once.
Now, for my piece of gentle correction. The activity you are now engaged in is "ham radio". You are "a ham", but the activity itself is not "ham". Therefore, you are "new to ham radio", not "new to ham".
Don't worry about it. But if you showed up at the stamp club and said that you were "new to stamp", I hope someone would take you aside and say that you should really say that you're "new to stamp collecting".
What determines if you can actually "Speak" on a freq?
On the charts, it's called "phone". If it says that you can use "phone" on a particular frequency, that means that you can use voice on that frequency.
KD5PME
10-25-2010, 05:15 PM
As a computer geek, look into PSK. Check out
http://members.cox.net/jrehak/PSK31.htm
Most software for this mode is free. I use Ham Radio Deluxe with Digital Master 780. It's a lot of fun. You will need a hardware interface to transmit, but you can receive and decode with what you have.
Also, K7AGE has developed videos to explain how to use PSK31.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQpBGh9RMEQ
Good luck and welcome.
Welcome to HAM RADIO
You, no doubt, have taken some time to learn about equipment, how to erect an antenna, etc.. Like any endeavor, of this nature, it would be good to learn the history and traditions of the hobby. If for some reason you started on the former amateur 11 meter band, aka CB, you might want to know that nothing you learned there applies to ham radio. Good Luck.
N0WYO
10-25-2010, 06:39 PM
Oh yes, there was plenty on the frequencies, but as you know experience is almost always the better trainer. :D
Thank you for the info, I will print it out and keep it near by for reference.
The reason I asked about the frequencies is because there is some overlapping when listening and I wanted to make sure even though I was on one freq, that it would make a difference if it bled over (and was answered that it will) so I will make sure I am at least 3 away from the limit.
Since I am a newbie, I will be asking a LOT of questions. :rolleyes:
By the class it lists the freq you are allowed on and what type of transmission. I hear people talking on some freq's but when I look to see if I can talk there, it says, CW (code) RTTY and other things like data, image etc. What determines if you can actually "Speak" on a freq? or if you must use only code and so forth.
I also am a computer tech by trade and would love to know some more about packet transmitting with ham radios.
and lastly, I would like to know if it is possible to make actual phone calls on a ham radio. A few years ago a buddy of mine made a call on his radio, but his mike had a dialpad on it. or was I just imagining that he made a call???
Again, thanks for welcoming me and putting up with my newbieness. :D
There are a few reasons why you may be hearing voice emissions on a frequency allotted for CW. The obvious of which is someone operating illegally, but another reason may be that you're hearing someone from a different ITU region with different privileges, depending where you're hearing the voice emissions.
Phone calls can be made on a 2 meter radio where a repeater equipped with a phone patch is present. These radios come with mics that have the DTMF keypad your friend had on his radio. Before using someones' phone patch you should consult the radio club the repeater belongs to, or the repeater owner and ask them if there are any restrictions to using their equipment.
It's a good practice to respect others and their property before you use it. This isn't a lecture or anything, but you wouldn't believe the number of people that just call CQ on an occupied frequency or use autopatch functions that are there for club members only, or have specific user restrictions. The more courteous you are, the more assistance you can get from local hams. You'll get a reputation as a good operator, and earn respect from your fellow hams.
For HF radio RTTY PSK, and other similar emissions, there are a number of free programs available. Among those probably one of the most popular is Ham Radio Deluxe. This is an all in one software package that also includes CAT control of your HF radio.(allowing you to take control of the radio from a windows GUI) More information can be found here....
http://www.ham-radio-deluxe.com/
K9STH
10-25-2010, 07:28 PM
Several things:
First of all, virtually all amateur radio operators outside of the jurisdiction of the FCC are not restricted to just the "phone" frequencies listed on the ARRL chart. Therefore, it is very common to hear phone conversations on frequencies which are considered "CW" (also RTTY and data) by those amateur radio operators licensed by the FCC. This includes Canada, Mexico, Central and South America which are all included in Region II as well as stations located in Region I and Region III. In addition, on the 40-meter band, those amateur radio operators licensed by the FCC who hold General Class, Advanced Class, and Amateur Extra Class licenses who are located outside of the contiguous 48 states, can also operate using phone in the 7075 kHz to 7100 kHz region.
As a General Class licensee you can operate using SSB, AM, FM, or PM on all frequencies listed for your class of license EXCEPT for the 60-meter band. On that band you are restricted to USB only. Also, as for FM and PM, on frequencies below 29.000 MHz you must not exceed a modulation index of 1. Basically, with most modern amateur radio transceivers, the deviation cannot exceed +/- 3 kHz whereas on frequencies above 29.000 MHz you can use higher deviation (i.e. +/- 5 kHz).
You will see that on the 75-meter, 40-meter, 20-meter, and 15-meter bands the frequency segment available to you for phone operation is less than what is allowed Advanced Class and Amateur Extra Class licensees. You will also notice that on the 80-meter, 40-meter, 20-meter, and 15-meter bands, the CW, RTTY, and data segments, the lowest 25 kHz of each band is reserved for Amateur Extra Class only operators.
Depending on the type of phone patch used, you can make landline telephone calls on any amateur radio band segment where phone operation is allowed. However, when contacting anyone outside of the jurisdiction of the FCC you must adhere to whether or not a 3rd party agreement exists between that country and the United States of America. If there is not a 3rd party agreement (and there are a LOT of countries which do not have such an agreement) then you cannot make phone patch calls to a station located in a country that does not have a 3rd party agreement.
As for band edges: On phone you generally do not want to have an indicated carrier frequency below around 3 kHz from the lower band edge if you are running LSB or above around 3 kHz from the upper band edge if running USB. This is because your signal is going to extend about 3 kHz below the indicated carrier frequency on LSB and is going to extend about 3 kHz above the indicated carrier frequency on USB. When using USB you can get considerably closer to the lower edge of the band and when using LSB you can get considerably closer to the upper edge of the band.
You do not have to have a "book" copy of 47 CFR Part 97. However, you are definitely required to have either a "hard copy" or a file on your computer (which you can readily access) for Part 97. Actually, getting one of the books that contain 47 CFR Part 97 is not that cheap. Also, you are not going to get the latest revisions to the law that have been made since the book was published. Downloading from the Internet will generally get you the most recent copy possible. These downloads have the most recent updates which have been made longer than 48 hours before you download the material.
Although I have been licensed for over 51 years, I keep both a copy of the ARRL chart showing the various frequencies allowed for the various modes and a copy of 47 CFR Part 97 handy. You do NOT want to download the charts provided by the various amateur radio equipment manufacturers because there are definitely mistakes on those charts which, if you do observe them, will put you in violation of FCC regulations. Those mistakes are pretty subtle, but, the information is just plain wrong!
Glen, K9STH