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Originally Posted by Dieselritzer This is such an awesome thread. I really want to have the license so i can talk to the astronauts on-board the ISS. |
Definitely possible. Need some patience and luck too.
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Originally Posted by rk_sans I did take up my exams and got the license long ago (1996-1997 time range i guess)but post that did not purse the hobby. So it got expired. Do not remember my call sign also now :( |
You probably want to renew your license
I know many of those who became hams in the 90's or earlier and went dormant are taking up the hobby again. The economies of scale have brought the entry barrier lower and there are a lot of folks on air to talk to. If your are interested in electronics, there are plenty of stuff that can be done.
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Originally Posted by sriramr9 Thanks for this thread bejoy, could you let me know apart from helping people during natural calamities and enjoying the status of the call sign, and forming private groups what other applications are possible.
Once one goes live on Air how does one channelize it for hobby purpose, Does he/she randomly try to tune in to a specific frequency particular to a geography and try connecting with them or is there specific channels for networking ?
I have started going through the links and honing my basic electrical engineering/electronics skills in the aim of getting this license.
Have you been Live on Air already, if so what equipment have you procured? Whom did you connect with ? |
Getting license is one thing and making use of it is entirely different game. I will try to add some more information that may help.
Bands of operation:
Broadly classified into VHF/UHF and HF (Similar to FM and ShortWave on radio). VUF (and UHF) is line of sight communication, so mainly used for local communication. Range is extended by having repeaters atop hills or buildings. Most of the cities have repeaters maintained by clubs, so there will be lot of activity. There will be 'nets' conducted at fixed timings (morning/nights) where folks 'check in' and can have conversation one-one. Also, there are 'calling channels' which are monitored by most folks.
HF is used for long range communication. Due to the nature of this frequency band, the waves propagate by bouncing back and forth between sky and earth surface, resulting in signals reaching far away, and in extreme case, the other side of the earth. Since the atmosphere is involved, a lot of variables comes with it. Most important is the ionization due to sun energy, which will affect how the waves are reflected back to earth. So the propagation conditions vary drastically in 24 hours and this itself will add to the thrill of DXing. Contacting EU or far east stations are more easy, but getting to the other side needs more transmit power, luck and patience.
Both the modes has its challenges:
VHF:
If you are in a city, more likely that you will get many hams to talk to. Having repeaters is a boon and you could talk using handhelds indoors too.
VHF hand-held equipments are relatively cheap.
Setting up of outdoor antenna is also fairly easy, due to the smaller size.
HF:
Since HF consists of 6 frequency bands, this will add to the complexity of the equipment. All band transceivers are expensive to buy.
Antennas usually need a lots of space on the terrace. This is usually a problem if one lives in an apartment.
If you are away from city, especially in a rural environment, then HF is the best mode for operation. Added advantage will be the less sources of noise from electrical equipments (cable tv, household appliances, wall charges, all are sources of noise which will interfere with the radio reception.) This is prominent in the HF region.
I have so far worked only VHF. I have a hand-held as well as a base transceiver. I also have an antenna installed on the roof. There are a lot of active hams in Bangalore, so getting contacts is fairly easy.
I also do some home-brewing and is in the process of making a HF transceiver. Its a hobby, so there are no deadlines or any compulsions. Possibilities are enormous. So you build your shack capabilities at a leisurely pace. And hams do help each other a lot.
As I said, there are varied interests to choose from once you become a ham. IMO, spending a lot of money is not a good idea for start, never know you may loose the initial interest.
Some more interesting applications:
APRS WSPR Moon-bounce