TurboMinivan
Still plays with cars
- Location
- Lehi, UT
EDIT: I have arranged to use the conference room at Doug Smith Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep in American Fork on Monday, March 27th from 6pm to 8pm.
In the spirit of the upcoming Easter Jeep Safari--where vehicle communication is a very good thing--would anyone be interested in holding another hands-on ham radio class? This would be a chance to begin learning what to actually do with your new (?) ham radio license, how to use the confusing new radio you bought, and focus on some helpful information for better mobile operation. Yes, I just did something similar last month, though there were a number of people who wanted to attend that event but could not. I was asked to hold another one of these classes "in the near future" in the hope that they might be able to attend.
I would probably prefer to choose a location in Utah county this time, though even that could be up for debate depending on the will of the people. Ideally, I'd like to do this before April. That way, people would have time to order and receive some new hardware before EJS arrives. This time around, I can be less talky and spend more time using radios (depending on what the attendees want). Anyone?
EDIT #2: Here is lots of info explaining what this class will be, and what it will not be.
Are you new to the world of ham radio? Did you recently pass the Technician test and receive your call sign, only to be left scratching your head wondering what to do next? Have you had your license for a long time but you still haven't done anything with it? Maybe you even went and bought a cheap Baofeng handheld radio, but you haven't figured out how to use it? Perhaps you want to buy a mobile radio, but you're confused by all the technical mumbo jumbo such as the difference between a 1/4 wave antenna and a 1/2 wave antenna... and, besides, you hate fractions anyway.
Don't fret. Back in early December, Kevin and I first suggested getting together one evening for some casual instruction about the basics of ham radio, including figuring out how to use these fantastically cheap but outrageously frustrating Baofeng handhelds. I am by no means a ham radio expert, but I am always eager to share some knowledge and experience in order to help newcomers get started and become comfortable with their radios. To that end, I have held small group meetings with new hams on a few occasions to help them get going in the hobby... and I'm willing to do so again.
To be clear, this is not a class to help you study for and pass a license test (though, of course, many things we discuss will have been mentioned in the test questions). Instead, my goal is to help you begin to use the license you've already earned. A few of my planned topics for the meeting include:
- reviewing some of the basic rules of operation
- a few thoughts on radio etiquette
- some popular jargon and what it all means in plain English
- simplex verses duplex operation (ie, using repeaters)
- pros and cons of various radios and antennas, with an emphasis on mobile use
- how to program the radio you already have
- actual practice at making radio contacts with your radio
- useful web sites for information you'll want/need
There will be no fancy PowerPoint presentations. Instead, this will simply be a casual group discussion that I'll happen to lead--no stress, and there will be no tests. My only hope is that you'll walk out the door with more knowledge and radio experience than you had before you showed up, and that you'll feel confident and comfortable enough to use your radio to talk to a complete stranger.
Are you required to have a ham radio license in order to attend? No. However, I believe you'll get much more out of this event if you've already studied for and passed your Technician license exam. If you don't have a license, much of this information will go over your head or, worse, simply confuse you.
Are you required to have a ham radio in order to attend? No. But again, I definitely think you'll get a lot more out of this if you've got a radio to start using right then and there (assuming you haven't used it already).
In the spirit of the upcoming Easter Jeep Safari--where vehicle communication is a very good thing--would anyone be interested in holding another hands-on ham radio class? This would be a chance to begin learning what to actually do with your new (?) ham radio license, how to use the confusing new radio you bought, and focus on some helpful information for better mobile operation. Yes, I just did something similar last month, though there were a number of people who wanted to attend that event but could not. I was asked to hold another one of these classes "in the near future" in the hope that they might be able to attend.
I would probably prefer to choose a location in Utah county this time, though even that could be up for debate depending on the will of the people. Ideally, I'd like to do this before April. That way, people would have time to order and receive some new hardware before EJS arrives. This time around, I can be less talky and spend more time using radios (depending on what the attendees want). Anyone?
EDIT #2: Here is lots of info explaining what this class will be, and what it will not be.
Are you new to the world of ham radio? Did you recently pass the Technician test and receive your call sign, only to be left scratching your head wondering what to do next? Have you had your license for a long time but you still haven't done anything with it? Maybe you even went and bought a cheap Baofeng handheld radio, but you haven't figured out how to use it? Perhaps you want to buy a mobile radio, but you're confused by all the technical mumbo jumbo such as the difference between a 1/4 wave antenna and a 1/2 wave antenna... and, besides, you hate fractions anyway.
Don't fret. Back in early December, Kevin and I first suggested getting together one evening for some casual instruction about the basics of ham radio, including figuring out how to use these fantastically cheap but outrageously frustrating Baofeng handhelds. I am by no means a ham radio expert, but I am always eager to share some knowledge and experience in order to help newcomers get started and become comfortable with their radios. To that end, I have held small group meetings with new hams on a few occasions to help them get going in the hobby... and I'm willing to do so again.
To be clear, this is not a class to help you study for and pass a license test (though, of course, many things we discuss will have been mentioned in the test questions). Instead, my goal is to help you begin to use the license you've already earned. A few of my planned topics for the meeting include:
- reviewing some of the basic rules of operation
- a few thoughts on radio etiquette
- some popular jargon and what it all means in plain English
- simplex verses duplex operation (ie, using repeaters)
- pros and cons of various radios and antennas, with an emphasis on mobile use
- how to program the radio you already have
- actual practice at making radio contacts with your radio
- useful web sites for information you'll want/need
There will be no fancy PowerPoint presentations. Instead, this will simply be a casual group discussion that I'll happen to lead--no stress, and there will be no tests. My only hope is that you'll walk out the door with more knowledge and radio experience than you had before you showed up, and that you'll feel confident and comfortable enough to use your radio to talk to a complete stranger.
Are you required to have a ham radio license in order to attend? No. However, I believe you'll get much more out of this event if you've already studied for and passed your Technician license exam. If you don't have a license, much of this information will go over your head or, worse, simply confuse you.
Are you required to have a ham radio in order to attend? No. But again, I definitely think you'll get a lot more out of this if you've got a radio to start using right then and there (assuming you haven't used it already).
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