[ale] [OT] I want to become a ham

Tue May 17 23:52:04 EDT 2005

Paul - your insight is fantastic - thanks again!

I'm going to attend the Hamfest in Marietta (June 4th) and buy my rig there.

But...  I'm still not sure what I'm looking for.  I want to be able to 
receive an APRS signal in the 14.440-14.600 range (from the near-space 
satellite) and somehow feed it into a PC/server for processing 
(navigation, etc).  I'm in the process of securing the weather 
balloon(s) and related supplies; the flight computer is cakewalk for me, 
but I'm in need of a Ham/Radio guru to help me turn the APRS signals 
into something useful so we can recover the aircraft.

Thanks again,
CB

Paul Manno wrote:

>You're most welcome.  As you now know, there are hams lurking everywhere 
>including several on the ALE list.  Amateur radio is a very fun hobby! I 
>will provide my opinions interspersed below.
>
>On Tue, 17 May 2005, Christopher Bergeron wrote:
>
>  
>
>>Thanks for all of the tips!
>>
>>How much will I spend on an entry level Transceiver?
>>    
>>
>
>VHF transcievers can be a car unit, portable (Hand-held or HT), or base 
>unit though most are the first two.  Personally, I used an HT for my first 
>year of operation in the Atlanta area.  A nice 5 watt HT can run from $50 
>to $250 depending on used or new and capabilities.  Sometimes, folks may 
>even nearly give them away.  For example, I have a 100 mW HT I bought for 
>$5.  Works fine but you won't reach all around Atlanta on 100 mW.  The HT 
>I used for a year (and still do) is a dual band (144 and 440Mhz) I paid 
>$125 for.  It's now 3 years old and working great.
> 
>  
>
>>Also, do you have any links to study materials so I can start studying?  
>>How many licenses are there and what are the requirements for them?   
>>I've heard that learning morse code is the only requirement for the 
>>entry level license, is that correct?
>>    
>>
>
>I like the practice exams on www.eham.com though there are several.  If 
>you're into books, I recommend the Gordon West books.  Those books are 
>available in several places including (at times) Fry's, Ham Radio Outlet 
>(Doraville) and lots of places online.
>
>There are presently 4 exams levels.  A no-code technician gets you access 
>to 50Mhz and above and requires only the technician written (multiple 
>choice) exam.  The code comes into play if you want the general or extra 
>class license or wish to operate code in the below 30Mhz bands.  Starting 
>off, using Sat and APRS only requires the no-code tech license.  My take 
>on the no-code technician license is it's really fairly easy to pass.
>
>There are several places to take the exams in most parts of the metro 
>area.  See http://www.georgiajobs.com/hamexams.html for additional info on 
>locations, dates, times, etc.  Exam fees range from $10 to $15 in most 
>areas.
> 
>  
>
>>I'm starting a near-earth satellite project, and I need to become a Ham 
>>in order to receive the APRS broadcasts (unless someone on here can 
>>receive them and relay them to me).
>>    
>>
>
>Sounds perfect for the technician license.  A dual band radio with some 
>power on transmit will run you closer to the $250-300 again depending on 
>features (cross-band repeat) and location.  Spend some time looking at the 
>online swap locations (see below) for pricing and features.  The internet 
>is your friend.  Great deals can be found at local hamfests - the Atlanta 
>Radio Club's hamfest comes up in early June at the Jim R. Miller park in 
>Smyrna.  See http://www.atlantahamfest.com/ for more info there.  A deal 
>for a working, used, dual-band, 50w radio might be as low as $45.
> 
>  
>
>>Thanks again,
>>CB
>>    
>>
>
>You're most welcome.  As I said, best to ask lots of questions.  I and 
>several others will be happy to answer.  Do keep in mind each ham has 
>their own opinions - kind of like which Linux distro is best.  ;-)
>
>Good luck!
>Paul Manno
>  KG4UVU
> 
>  
>
>>
>>
>>Paul Manno wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Yep.  There's at least this one ham on the ALE list and I suspect several 
>>>others.  Feel free to ask lots of questions.  What the cost is to get 
>>>started can realistically range from $10 to $5000 but I tend much more to 
>>>the low end of that scale.  There are several ham clubs in the area so it 
>>>depends on where you are as to what's convenient.
>>>
>>>Ask away.
>>>
>>>-- Paul Manno (KG4UVU)
>>>
>>>On Tue, 17 May 2005, Christopher Bergeron wrote:
>>>
>>> 
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>>>Is anyone on here a ham?  I've decided that I want to get my license, 
>>>>and I was just wondering where to begin.
>>>>
>>>>Are there any local Lugs for Ham Radio?
>>>>
>>>>How much will it cost to get started?
>>>>
>>>>Thanks in advance, (and sorry for the OT)-
>>>>-CB
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>Ale mailing list
>>>>Ale at ale.org
>>>>http://www.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
>>>>
>>>>   
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>> 
>>>
>>>      
>>>
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