5 Things Ruining Ham Radio | K6UDA Radio
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- Опубліковано 23 сер 2024
- The funniest look at ham radio yet. For every 10 hams out there playing with everything ham radio, there's some lonely guy sitting in his basement complaining about why this or that is ruining the hobby. This time we're diving in and looking at 5 things that are ruining ham radio.
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To me, the only thing ruining ham radio is the hams that are always telling everyone else, what is and isn’t ham radio. Digital modes do not float my boat but if that’s your thing, great, enjoy them and don’t care about whether I like them or not. I prefer talking (voice modes)to other humans, it’s just my thing. You be you, I’ll be me. I don’t care what modes you use, you shouldn’t care what modes I use, it’s that simple. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I got into radio for my enjoyment, not yours.
The biggest problem with most ham radio operators, old and new, is they think everyone should be enjoying the hobby the way they do. If CW is your thing cool, go be a cw DX’er and get those awards. If you like SSB @2 watts from a wire hanging over a tree…badass, do your thing. If you want to spend 50K on a rig, amp, tower and antenna…have at it and if you like DMR...do that DMR stuff.
Just because you don’t like some mode or technology in HAM radio doesn’t mean plenty of other people don’t enjoy it. If you don’t like it, don’t do it, but keep your inflated opinion to yourself…other people aren’t in the hobby to make you happy. 😊 73s! (yeah…I said 73s…get over it 😉 )
And K6UDA...keep doin' your thing and ignore the haters!
^^ SO MUCH THIS ^^
I'm a new Ham. I've met some very supportive and welcoming folks in my area and on my local nets. That said, I'm pretty much strictly on 2 meters and have so much less than zero interest in learning CW, I'm getting my fun out of building antennas and seeing how small/light I can make my kit for back packing. I'm getting my General ticket in a few weeks and will likely branch into some HF, but for now, I'm very much enjoying my cheap ass Chinese radios and they perform wonderfully.
Didn't learn Morse in the boy scouts, didn't learn Morse in the Navy, I'm certainly not gonna bother learning it now.
You dont need to know code anymore. Software and radio's will do it for you. The kenwood 990 will receive cw on the screen, then you type your message on a keyboard and send it.
Seems you working portable wth a wire in a tree was really showing the ham radio spirit, good on ya, n just disregard the posers n wankers, i must say we have all had similiar experiences mine ocurred with my first radio shack HT and participating in a local contest any way 73s mate
Yea buddy!
Yes Ham Radio is a Broad Church. QRP, contesting, TV, DXing boatanchors/AM digital QRSS chatting on vhf/uhf etc... all no problem.
The Biggest thing that hurts Ham Radio are Ham Radio operators themselves they think they are elite and when they find out your just trying to learn the hobby they either ignore you, or are just total ass holes if they speak to you at all.
Totally agree.
stelthy100 I am not like that but there are some I had a guy from eastern us tell me my grammar was bad I was not talking to him he just came on telling me it’s 73 not 73s I was using a random wire in trees and he was mad as many stations had given me good signal reports and I was using icom 725 a economy radio and I was describing what was used After this eastern wanbe blue blood was finished talking down to me I promptly told him I was from the land that invented English ( came to Canada at 12 )and he was total prat he also insulted my equipment he was using huge tower and beam ,linear amp and some hi end kenwood . I was using a 300.00 used radio 35.00 used antenna tuner and 100 feet of speaker one end fastened to the top of a tree and the other to the house . I go out of my way to welcome new hams and assist them on the air
Big amen, but I gotta say, I've seen serious changes in attitude these last few years. As a non-techie ham I used to get nonstop sneering and no help. (Which made it impossible to grow out of being a non-techie ham.) These days a lot of hams "get it", there's a renewed interest in cheap and simple gear, and most importantly, a growing understanding that we ain't called "amateurs" fer nothin'. We'll always have the Aspie Army; that's just the nature of our subject. But I haven't felt this optimistic about the service for 50 years. Pull out some of the rightwing politics, and we risk becoming a thing again.
@@nickking1510 73 73's the guys a wanker
Stelthy, there is something in that but there are also those do not want to put in the time to learn the hobby. Outside of UHF and VHF, you better know your stuff.
My wife and I got our ham license in late June. Enthusiastic about having studied for and passed the test, we started building up our shack, purchasing a 991A, a vertical antenna with ground radials, and tuning everything up. To do this, we had to learn about SWRs in a lot more detail than our tests required for successfully passing the test. We learned the various aspects of ground radials, how to calculate lengths, etc, Our antenna was a multiband with traps that required tuning, so we had to purchase and learn how to use the swr meter so we could tune them all. Of course we had to learn how to use the radio and the many modes, bands, etc. It can be overwhelming to two people who are working towards getting on the air and progressing in this hobby. We even studied for and passed the General license a few weeks after passing the Technician test because, in our progress, we saw the benefit of doing so. We joined a local ham radio club in our town and attended our first meeting. Then, we began to ask questions of the more experienced people. Something was off. Those that had been in in the hobby for multiple years didn't really seem interested in answering our questions. We heard, "John, over there might can help you." Understand, these were basic questions that we could have found the answers to ourselves if we wanted to "hit the books" for several days or weeks. So, we stopped asking questions. Instead, we decided to join groups on Facebook. That was when the truth hit us; there is a division in the ham community. Coders vs Newbies. Coders have a deep and entrenched disdain for "fake" ham operators. We got responses such as, "Ever since they cut out the code requirement, the hobby has gone down hill." Maybe they are right. Maybe it's gone downhill because there are no older "Elmers". What they don't realize is my wife and I were not on the committee that decided to eliminate the code. We came into the hobby as it is. What is was before code isn't relevant any more for getting our licenses. We are learning code, both of us, because we think it is interesting to learn a new language. However, we have also decided that we are pretty much on our own. I have left all of the Facebook groups. There is just to many old people on there who resent me. I now watch UA-cam videos, but I don't ask questions. Sure, my progression is slower than if I could simply ask and receive an answer to a question, but, at least, my enthusiasm for the hobby isn't dashed by frustrated old ham operators. Before you jump to the conclusion I am just an entitled kid, I am 72 years old. I think the coders are doing the most damage to this hobby. I know this is a long vent, but it is frustrating for us, too. One last comment.... we have interacted with some who are great and welcoming. There are a lot of them out there and I would have to admit that the disgruntled "Coders" may be a minority, but they seem to have their opinions as the top priority, not helping anyone. Another reason we decided to get our General license is to avoid the title of newbie. Maybe Technician is viewed like an initiation level, we thought, and our General licenses would give us "legitimacy". Nope! Legitimacy is measured by whether you had to code to pass the test. We will never be legitimate. Nuff said.
I wouldn't think about that stuff for a second. Most of those old dudes would be complaining about a dozen other things if it wasn't the no code hams. There are grumpy people in every walk of life. There are happy people, too. Plus, I learned that many, many old timers may be excellent at one small aspect of ham radio and may no zero about 80% of the rest. UA-cam and Facebook are the best places to learn. Your club is a good place to hang out and share.
Spot on with your take on Chinese radios. Got my license at 40 in April of 2018. Got a $25 Baofeng before I took my test because I wasn’t sure I’d stick with it or like it. Here I am a year and half later with my General license and better radios. That baofeng made the hobby accessible to me by making the initial investment low. Now that I’m bought in to the hobby I don’t mind spending some cash on good gear.
I spent many years assisting the motorcycle industry set up local clubs to foster safety, improve riding skills and move away from the old booze and bikes attitudes. The biggest obstacle was inevitably the “I built my first bike from yadda, yadda... and I know all there is to know about motorcycles. You new riders just shut up and watch us veterans.”
I found the same attitude in every HAM Club I’ve been a member of. Every meeting is the same... some guy talking about the Doodle 97 homebuilt antenna connected to his Whatsu 99 receiver. Never a welcome for newbies... never a part of the meeting devoted to answering questions or sharing experience. About as welcoming to new Hams as a case of Yellow Puckeroo. No wonder the average HAM club looks like a reunion of Spanish American War veterans.
I once made a suggestion that club members fire up on 146.52 Simplex at noon on a Saturday and see what sort of coverage we had in our area. Boy did that get a good laugh.... “Hell... I’ll be talking to Timbuktu at that time.”
As a new ham I joined a radio Club in a medium size city. While going to meetings it was literally like I was invisible. It was not a club welcoming new members, it was a closed clique . I went a few times and when it was time to pay the next year dues I never went back. There was a lot that I wanted and needed to learn but it was clear that I was going have to get it on my own.I haven't been on the air since and it has been several years. I am watching videos because i still have an interest in the hobby. Hopefully I can learn from these videos online but I don;t ever se myself getting involved in another club.
No code General here. Still keeping the fires burning on AM with vacuum tubes. Yessir an analog man in a digital world.
That’s what I love about this hobby, it’s so customizable.
(Obligatory brasspounder grumble.) But seriously, thanks for your service, brother!
Make a sweep tube amplifier for 1500 watts of vintage sound! Then attach a world war II telegraphy straight key to the radio for that early 20th century CW! Use an old cardboard speaker in a wooden box with a fabric front to complete the look. Oh, also make a power supply with a big analogue transformer and large capacitors and rectifiers that produce lots of heat. You might as well go all the way.
@McDastardly Heretic! Nothing less than a generator turned by a steam powered engine that is powered by a coal fired boiler is acceptable!
Indrid Cold my used key is from a junkers 88 WW2 German plane. A German Immigrant widow gave it to me 35 years ago as well as a Kenwood transceiver and short wave communication receiver. Her husband was a ham here in Canada and the immigrated her after the war
Damn, I'm a millennial studying for my Technician's License because I'm genuinely interested in the science and the infrastructure. I'm just hoping old timers don't look down on us like the vibe I get sometimes.
Same here... I am a bit nervous to meet up with other HAM groups in the area after I looked then up... they all had dudes that were like 70+ years old. lol somehow I didnt feel like i would fit in
FWLIW: I am _not_ a ham, but I have been interested in it for a while for the ATV and R/C aspects: I am into "KAP", or "Kite Aerial Photography". Think of it as _your great grandfather's drone._ 😝 Being able to use amateur radio resources might open some doors for me.
I am also a _"boomer"_ {born 1961}.
All THAT said, whenever I come across young[er] people involved in the same hobbies I have, I ALWAYS try to be _objective_ {I can't think of a better word for it} with them, until I get to know them better. And even THEN they are USUALLY okay people!
@Ross X We're not all miserable gi *ts* ...I'm 73 and studying for my foundation licence
Who cares these dinosaurs will die off soon
@@schemp001 I often hear them on the air in 'old chap nets' and they often lose their train of thought, pause, and forgot what they were talking about. It's a kind of jarring to hear them fade into dementia.
no-code extra reporting in. studied for it online for free too. didn't buy a single book. get mad.
Congrats!! (50+ yr. ham)
I started in 1964 as WN2PXS and operated CW, of course. Graduated to General a year later and Advanced and Extra followed. I still prefer CW chatting. ARRL recently sent me a certificate and pin for 50 years' membership. I managed to keep my membership active during my military years, including Vietnam. It's still a fun avocation.
What website did you use?
I love it!
W9RWF here. I am a no-code Extra Class ham who got his license(s) in 2011. If I had had to learn CW I would never have become a ham. Period. The first QSO I made was to a local 2M repeater using a Wouxun KG-UV3D. I couldn't have afforded anything more expensive. I like some of what now qualify as the more classic digital modes (PSK) because I can ragchew on them AND unlike SSB or AM I can operate in the living room without bothering anyone in the house. But that doesn't mean that FT-8 et. al. are bad, it just means they don't float my particular boat. After a while I got a Kenwood TS-440S/AT and power supply from a gentleman who buys radios at estate sales and restores them, tossed a 40M dipole up in the trees, put a cheap MFJ antenna tuner on it, and get on the air every so often. I see no point in contesting, but I'm glad some people are having fun with it. I *do* think that someone who takes up ham radio ought to learn how to make QSOs purely through RF - the internet DOES go down on occasion, I know, I'm a network engineer - but if their main interest is by combining RF and Internet then have at it. There should be room in the hobby for everyone's tastes.
there is room in the hobby for everyones taste i love to take 50 or 60 year old radios and put them back on the air! even though a lot of hams wont talk to me after they find out im talking on a heathhkit reserected from a barn. but if the ntubes dont glow the RF dont go
Great post, your correct. The hobby is amazingly diverse now, what ever floats your boats. Had my licence since 1980 done heaps of differnet things in the hobby and still love it Take everything as someone opinion. and you cant go wrong. Nothing is bad in the hobby. Not doing anything is the worst Apathy is the killer 73 Pete VK3TQ
I was the same way. if I had to learn code. it was impossible for me to learn code kb9qap
Funny thing, I'll tell old stuck in the mud hams my baofeng is a Yaesu or Kenwood, and they'll say how great it sounds. A couple days later, I'll tell them I'm using a baofeng, and they'll say it sounds like crap, then I'll tell them I'm back to using s name brand, and they'll say the baofeng sounds like crap again. I'll use one of my name brands and tell them it's a baofeng, and they'll say it sounds like crap too. An Oregon repeater group said my "baofeng" (KENWOOD) had all kinds of spurious emissions on the scope, and that I couldn't use it on their repeaters. Then I informed them it was just a joke, it was really a brand new KENWOOD, and fully tested in my service monitor, so they were full of it and it was all in their heads.
Dead silence.
My Baofeng sounds almost as bad on VHF as my Yaesu HF set does on 20 m, i.e. perfectly acceptable.
The Patriot
Should have told that it was home-brew. That would have hornswoggled them!
I have tried that switcharoo I use a yeasu vx3 on low power through a x30 duel band antenna roof mounted . Always get 5/9 q5 audio reports on the vx3. Now if I swap to my cheap baofeng uv3r and say it's a baofeng I'm uninidated with crap audio reports, tell the station it's the yeasu vx3 and we are back to q5 fantastic audio I wonder why that happens. happy days 73
@@johnc3403 ,
Excuse me, but I like my privacy, if that s lying, then so be it. How about you reply by puting up your callsign!
I mean, your the one shit talking to me. How bout you back it up with your callsign!
Or did that just cause your testicles to retract?
He won't reply because he is too spineless!
Love you videos, man. As a millennial, I think the little hotspots are cool but don't agree that it's legitimate ham radio practice. Very fun stuff, but my biggest complaint with ham radio is the oldschool hardware. People flip a lid when I ask WHY in the world do I have to use a $60 optional USB programming cable that only consists of $5 of usb-serial conversion chips to a proprietary nonsense connector. We've got $10 gadgets these days that are fully bluetooth programmed and managed. Bluetooth in the very early days was a compact, affordable, and reliable form of wireless voice and serial data communication doing away with the cable. It's cheaper now more than ever. I soldered a $6 bluetooth-serial pcb into my Kenwood D710 to allow for much easier programming of the radio by whipping out my laptop and immediately having connection and program-ability without pulling the unit out of my dash, why does a half thousand dollar radio not have this built in? Latest offerings from icom, kenwood, and yaesu are only bluetooth enabled by a very needlessly expensive accessory and that's to just allow headsets, no program-ability. Why is the ham radio gear becoming more modern but missing simple feature and function that could have been hit over a decade ago? $40 smartphones can record 150 hours of phonecalls but a $110 voice accessory on a ham radio records 30 seconds. Allowing easier integration, quick on the fly mobile-app programming, APRSdroid- compatiblity out of the box, etc would get more people involved and want to play with the radio waves in more ways.
" I think the little hotspots are cool but don't agree that it's legitimate ham radio practice. " Then don't use them. Thankfully they exist and are allowed for the shut-in and others who have no access to repeaters and/or cannot put up external antennas. The worldwide Brandmeister DMR network (and others) is a wonderful thing for those hams who use it and rely on it.
www.ebay.com/itm/USB-Programming-Cable-Software-for-BaoFeng-UV-5R-5RA-5RE-BF-888S-Two-way-Radios/174080811645?hash=item288806627d:g:2MgAAOSwFN9duS~N
My grandfather was a WW2 vet and ham. He was so adamant that I needed to learn Morse that I never was able to share the hobby with him. Only many years later did I earn my technician license when Morse was no longer required. I still regret that I wasn’t able to share with him and I’m sure if he were alive he would think the same. Point is, this is a great hobby that is constantly evolving and there is room for everyone to learn about new communication methods and participate together.
I'm an old futz who messes with boatanchors. I'm also a "no code" ham who is Extra class and a VE. While I love tubes and all the "old" stuff I admire the "new stuff". It's all HAM. 73 de KE5LIB!
Right on !!
RE: Morse Code.... My Grandfather, (now deceased,) was a Chief Radio Operator on a submarine during WWII. He died when he was in his mid 80's. Up until his final years, he could listen to Morse Code and translate it as easily as a translator in the UN can translate voice communications.
New subscriber and old school Extra here.
I was a volunteer examiner when the code requirement was dropped and I remember a couple of old timers going into a panic but everybody else thought it was no big deal.
There was an attitude amongst some that the code requirement would “weed out the undesirables”.
I believe an attitude like that could’ve killed ham radio and fortunately they were in the minority.
My daughter married a prepper who had been using CB and family radio.
As I demonstrated my handheld and the HF mobile I have set up in my truck his grin kept getting wider and wider.
He and my daughter have been studying and should be ready to take their test at the next hamfest.
Rob W0TTM
Rob, If they had of kept the code it would of killed the hobby.
I resemble your SIL. Not really prepper, but realist that we're going to have grid failures and interwebz outages where CB and hams will have the only comms aside from messenger pigeons - talk about a dead art! 😁
Just participated in my first area weekly net tonight and got weather reports from 17/19 qso's in a 30 mile radius. 🙄 At least I made a contact for once. Been CQing to dead air for a week.
The beauty of Amateur radio is there is something for everyone. Into antennas, cool...experiment and build(obsess) ...Digital stuff ...great, enjoy....I remember when I was in junior high, pawing over 60s ARRL Handbooks , dreaming of punching out holes for tube sockets in a shiny new chassis.....Main goal...NEVER LOSE OUR ALLOCATIONS.......Thanx de KB2-PBA NY
Doug Thornton 100% agree
Got my ticket in the 80s and was happy as hell. Dropped out for several years and went back in 2009. Was shocked at the swearing and just so many jerks on the air.
Ever since they dropped the code this is what happen.
Listen to 3.860 Megacycles. It is a very, "colourful," frequency. No manners, no clean sounding equipment, no callsign, no problem. I doubt all the operators on that frequency are licensed. But it seems nobody cares.
It is directly related to today's society.
It's mostly 75 meters, especially during a contest.
@@indridcold8433 So why do you listen?
Hi Bob, another great Video The biggest thing ruining is Apathy and old timers saying no CW or even no AM the hobby is doomed. Digital radio, computers and miniturisation has saved the hobby, cant wait for the 9700 All the best Pete VK3TQ
If you don't like a mode don't use it.
QSL. And if you like a mode, use it.
Exactly!
I heard that there are now more hams working CW than ever before. Hams are learning CW because they WANT to instead of having to. I am hearing callsigns from guys you hear at the bottom of the band working 35 wpm now up in the Novice part of the band, slowing down and working with the newbies. I think that is what hamming is about.
Absolutely. Great observation.
It helps that there are some free / inexpensive apps to help with learning Morse Code. I have a couple on my iPhone and put them to good use while waiting on my wife to do her shopping. I tried learning Morse Code when I was a teenager years ago, even built a code practice oscillator, just couldn't get the hang of it. I could probably pass the 5 WPM test now.
CW is like French. It is cool and sometimes even useful if you can do it.
@@ab9zd73 Farnsworth method did it for me to about 14wpm ... ended up teaching it at local club/s that's 20 years ago now, for me it never floated my boat....so now at ham year 39 in 2019 Lost it !! Am I concerned ...no
Yes, and thanks to groups like CWA, they help make it fun to learn. Only speaking of the perspective of SOTA, there are more folks activating via CW overall, and I for one get more QSO per summit activation then I ever did with SSB.
Lolzfest!!!!!Love the show yet again! And I feel your pain...living in VK6 means I have exactly the same problem with SOTA and WWFF. People who started a year ago are getting Gold awards over east...here I went to parks for 6 days and made 15 contacts. I wish the sun would hurry up and get active.
No.1: Lack of Homebrewing.
Just remember how this marvelous activity just began... ;)
Got my ticket in 1992. Heard noise about no code techs going to ruin the hobby and load the bands with CBers. The old timers don't listen to 7.200 apparently.
Nor does the FCC
I never heard such trash on 7200 up until a few years ago! Its the new CB 19! =]
Oh and its not just on 7200 either.
@@dkabell Well at this time all 4 of the FCC Employees are on leave.
Interestingly it's always seems to be about the same 3-4 people on 7.200 every day, all day, goading each other. Maybe their calls should be added here.
Qualified back in '86 now with full licence. Biggest ball ache is competitions! Every band spewing "CQ CQ, I have a 100 element £2000 Yagi, can no-one hear me?" Radio is about COMMUNICATIONS, not who has the biggest erection in their back garden! I don't bother much now, preferring my old CB rig.
The contest debacle is one of the two biggest problems we never talk about. (The other one is HOAs.)
Yes exactly Paul, oh and don't forget they all run high power amps as well, well in excess of 500W. They call it 'sport radio' , well it seems to me, to be a waste of limited band space at weekends. I've been in the hobby since 1974, and I have to say that back then and into the 90's, it was quite normal to be able to have QSO's at weekends, without European contest stations getting in the way. You could always use the VHF and UHF bands at weekends of course, which are a lot quieter than 11 Meters. During the week, 80M is becoming pretty good now, with strong inter G skip becoming the norm, as we enter into the summer season which is good news. Congrats on the full licence BTW. 73, Matt G4ZZB
A real Ham could put that Baofeng back together and get WAS plus DXCC on 2m with a CW key made from two rocks and a pine cone in less than 24 hours. 73 NE5U :o)
You left out the frisbee you have to have a frisbee ; )
But a baofeng is not worth the effort to put back together. I mean if you took it apart obviously something inside it was wrong.. I can get more mileage from the battery pack and using that with some steel wool to start a campfire
A baofeng is closer to a spark gap transmitter than a real radio. My Woxung seems to at least not to transmit on the harmonics. I have a handheld VX-8DR, 2 different baofengs and a woxung.
@@LordGryllwotth - LOL that is almost true for most of the earlier models. Still though today it's hit or miss if you buy and receive a "dirty" radio. I trust the name brands -Motorola, Kenwood, Icom, Harris, etc..
You could make do with a boomerang if you had the skills.@@OldF1000
I have been a licensed amateur for 43 years and recently got into software defined radio. It has been a blast. I highly recommend looking into it...
Now I want me a Barbie and Alexa in my shack!!
For those who are hearing impaired, FT-8 is a solution to stay on the air
But not nearly the only solution, any text-based digital mode (PSK, Olivia, RTTY, etc., even a software-based CW) would work and most of them allow for ragchew. I have no problem with FT-8 personally but thought it should be mentioned.
FT8 is an Pathetic excuse for the Lazy Asses who will let their computers run all day making contacts & then brag about what a DX Monster they are. They did not make a single contact while their computer was on overload.
@@1OFGODSOWN I would really like to know how to let my computer work DX without me on FT8. I must be doing something wrong.
Rose Bassette
But can you actually TALK to someone on FT8?
@@MauriatOttolink You exchange a grid locator, call sign, and signal report. No other conversation. However, A derivation of FT-8 called JT-8call allows you to carry on a qso with lines of text. Unfortunately, it does not have the same widespread popularity as FT-8
I agree about the tool box analogy and newer emission types, as far as the HF bands, many days it is very challenging and or not available at all, but I will never be anywhere without HF portable.
I talked to the Azores in 2017 with a 5 x 9 signal report from the West coast of U.S., a 3 ft diameter magnetic loop running 35 watts, when the band was supposed to be dead, also worked North East Russia from the truck going to the grocery store 4 or 5 months ago, although there are many challenges, you don't need large towers, or legal limit but you do need to be on the air, many hams that are on HF are on only if there are contests, the day I worked the Russian station from my truck, there were no contests going on, so there were very few hams on the air that particular evening. To work DX you have to be at least listening, at different parts of the day or night. 80 meters has been more consistent around my region of U.S. and all I use is a 5 to 6 foot home made magnetic magnetic loop, running 80 to 90 watts and works fine, the mag loops are great for reducing the ever common noise level, while keeping a half decent signal. 73's, P.S. my profile number is not a call sign.
What might be possibly confusing to many folks "bitten" by the "bug", is just what bug hit them? Was it simply to communicate? Or... to communicate without wire? The wireless bug hit me right about the time I realised that my home made intercom made from magnetic phone receivers ended when the wire stopped. Or if a wire was cut. It was a blast for us kids in the apartment complex... but when we discovered walkie talkies, oh wow. Forget the wire, forget the telephone, forget anything bound to "surface" communications. And for me, that concept perpetuated me into a 40+ year hobby/ avocation. So, along comes this internet which was, essentially, an extension of our phone lines. Oh, then comes wireless routers which connect us to our phone lines and onto the internet. Now comes wireless telephones which can connect us wirelessly to the internet... back to the phone.
You know, when that bug bit, not a one of us... at least my small circle... would have seen parking a walky talkie next to the telephone as radio. It would have just been an extended microphone to ultimately do the thing that was really opposite the primary motivation.... wireless from end to end, free from intervening and artificial connects.
Now, that's just me and what species of bug which bit me. Radio end to end. Even repeater operation we saw as more of an intercom than real radio, but since we used our rigs at either end and it was, basically, radio in between, we cut it a pass. Autopatch was not radio. Autopatch was landing the plane to get out and use a taxi to get somewhere. It was ham radio specifically to interface with the non-ham world. It was fun.... but it was a side-bar to the real thing.
And now we have major internet interfacing. Fine, and again, if that floats the boat, yeah, gopher it. But just to perhaps shed light on why many see this as "non-ham" radio.... is because just maybe it wasn't the same bug that bit?
Not saying one or the other is better or more "ham-radio" ish or whatever. Just what may by dynamically happening in the appraisal process.
I am one of those hams from 1972, and I have no problem with no code hams. I do believe that morse code is a useful thing to be able to use, but not essential. When band conditions are bad, it can be a way to communicate. But to be honest, unless it is an emergency it is not actually needed these days.
I actually went the hard way. I was a novice, with only cw available, with xtal control. I built my transmitter. Then I upgraded to Tech plus, and then to General, just before they dropped all code requirements.
I am happy to stay with the license I have. And as to the Baofeng radios, I often hear people put them down. I am also a gun enthusiast, and have the same argument with people about cheap guns. Unless you spend a bundle on your guns, they call them junk. The thing is, with manufacturing methods now days, often the cheap products are of decent quality as the major name brands, other than a few differences, such as finishing, and perhaps controls. In radios, of course, the quality of components, and even the value of them, can be lesser than in the more expensive rigs. I believe that the Baofeng 5r was based upon one of the Kenwood early designs.
But you are right, it gives new hams the chance to get their feet wet, and to decide what direction they want to go. They might not even like FM. I know that in some areas 2 meter FM is pointless, with the type of people that get on and dominate the discussions.
And also you made a great point about the bandspace getting sold. We must continue to add new hams, because our radio spectrum is very valuable. We were lucky to keep as much as we did the last sale. We perform a service, and that is why we kept what we did. It is vital that we don't screw it up.
lol good stuff !!!!! what is that internet interface for the mobile hotspot ? because of you::: i now own an FT70 and a jumbospot and got going on fusion today.
It’s a sprint / T-Mobile unlimited hotspot. Just got it this week. BTW, I hang out on America Link.
Darrell Collins Z
@@K6UDA Never hear you Bob, Ill listen harder Pete VK3TQ
I took my Tech test before they got rid of the code requirement. But my General and Extra were AFTER. I used CW about 20 QSO's worth, then went to SSB. But that was when the propagation was good enough that I could hit Europe with 40 watts on 20 meters on a random chunk of magnet wire shot out into the trees behind my apartment building.
Now I'm taking the CW Academy courses to relearn my Morse code, so I can actually TALK to someone using a RADIO. Sure, I can use digital modes on HF, or my NW Digital ThumbDV to use DMR and DSTAR without even using a radio. I do like holding a radio and pressing a PTT, so I got my Inrico T320, the cell phone that identifies as an HT. That's fine for just noodling around. But I like to build radios, and some of them are CW only QRP rigs. Which means I need to learn my CW again.
i did my testing backward i passed the first class radio telephone license in 1978 and 10 yrs later took the amature test ending up with an extra class which is almost the same test as the commercial license. and i never liked code but it will get thru if theres someone out there whocan copy
K6UDA just wanted to say that I enjoyed your video.
I was wondering if there ever was a way or maybe there is now? Surely there is now! I'm talking radio though not phone or email or voicemail and message.
Back in the old days if there was an urgent message to be gotten out you know say an out of control forest fire was headed for the next town or something - but no one was at the other end to receive the message.
Was there a way for another station to know that a certain station had tried to reach them when they return or did they just keep trying all day long until they returned?
Or maybe this is before your time?
As an old fart who worked his way to an Extra completing 20 WPM, I had to laugh! CW is actually my favorite mode, so no regrets that I had to sweat each test starting with the Novice. I understand why CW was removed from the requirements. As Dylan said all those years ago, “The times are changing.”
Correction, all tools are Hammers. There are Screw Hammers, Crescent Hammers, Combination Hammers, Open End Hammers and on some rare occasion Ball Peen Hammers.
Every once in a while there are code scanner hammers as well.
I let my gf use my bald peen hammer.
I once used an alternator hammer. I needed to release the tension on a V-belt to take off a bad alternator. I had backed out the bolt and nut that held the old fashioned manual tensioner in position. It would not move. So I took the new alternator and hit the old one a couple of times with it. Presto! The tension was released on the old alternator V-belt. That was the only time I ever used an alternator hammer. It was a 1981 Dodge Ram with a 318 V8.
@@indridcold8433 Hope you alternated between hammers.
Ba Dum Tiss!
I worked in aviation -- and in _military aviation_ -- for *years.*
A tool is NOT A HAMMER *_only_* if it will NOT successfully hammer whatever you are trying to hammer.
😊😊😊😊
Good work Bob! I had fun making my part. Lets do it again soon!
Thank you so much. You pushed me to up my game.
I am just getting into ham radio and am studying for my Technician & General license. I did buy the Baofeng handheld radio exactly for the purpose that you mentioned. It was a cheap price and I thought it would be a good place for me to start and learn. Now the more I learn, the better I get I will buy a better handheld radio. Also, after I learn more I want to invest in a stationary radio for my house. I ask that people not give us new guys a hard time, everyone had to start somewhere. Thanks for the video.
Brand new ham here. I have probably wanted a license for 40 years but (what I thought was) the morse requirement always scared me away. I have been heavy into electronics and old radios over that time period and when I found out code was no longer a thing, I just waited until I retired from the military to get my ticket. Imagine my surprise when I found out about all of these digital modes and so on from the OLDER hams in my area! With my interest in older radios it turns out the new guy feels more like the old curmudgeon at times!!
not even half way through the video and you have my Echo playing "baby it's cold outside" by Dean Marting...lmao
A cell phone is a radio. If you call another HAM who has a cell phone on the other side of the world using your cell phone, Should you get an award?
I think DX achievements should be from your radio to theirs with nothing in between except air. No repeaters, IRLP links, telephone systems including underwater cable or satellite systems,
Technology has removed the challenge from many things. It used to be a great accomplishment to cross the country. How much respect does one earn getting on a jet today?
K7EED
You are dead right. No one ever got a QSO from a cell-site, repeater tower, or LEO satellite. Unless you are bouncing your signal off something like the ionosphere or the moon, it shouldn't count.
I dont think there are any awards that include internet assisted contacts, but I would like to see some awards for Digital Voice, Radio to Radio
My way of thinking, is that Ham radio is not cell phone radio, because real Ham radio requires the radio op to connect a proper Ham designated radio to a proper Ham antenna and nothing more. Anything else is a cop out in my view, and does not follow in the true spirit of Ham radio as it's always been perceived.
@@mattbates6887 but you can use a ham radio and antenea to connect to a repeater connected to the internet to talk all the way around the world with a 2 meter 70cm hand held. Doing so is not a great achievement.
The Magus
Yep , I totally agree 😎👍🏻
The code requirement was still in effect in 1990 when I got my ticket
Correct. I took the 20 wpm Extra code test in 1993. I think it was around 2000 when the code requirement was actually dropped.
Great video.. You caused me to reminisce, I started back in 1979, my first HT was a IC2AT, I remember when a group of us wanted to upgrade, we traveled from Ohio to Detroit to the FCC office to take our tests, it was a all day event. Everyone back then attended Novice and General classes which together took from Sept to April, and they taught you basics of ham radio, with one hour of code practice, now you buy a book, memorize the question and answers and take the test. Im now starting the adventure into DMR, pretty funny,the locals get on Statewide, make a contact,then jump on the local repeater and talk about the DMR qso they just had, any case its a great technology. Keep up the great videos de N8CJT..Steve
The thing that is ruining ham radio is people talking about what is ruining ham radio. At least he didn't belch in this video.
@Paul J Pachasa JR Better out than In
@@3TQVK As long as they are out. :-p
I did not go through hell learning CW for my ham license. I went through hell in Navy Radioman school learning Code at 24 wpm.
So then why was I required to pass a five word per minute code test, in order to qualify for my Novice license in 1986? Two years after the 1984 decision. At 10:15
Yeah me too in 1987
@@EquipmentReviewer
I think he meant 2003
The first no-code tests were for Technician class. I know because I failed my 5wpm copy, so Upped my test from Novice to Technician, and passed the no-code tech. In the early days of no code, that was the only way to get a no code license.
Thanks! You kept triggering my Alexa. I kept stopping her until she started playing, "Baby, It's Cold Outside." I like that song! :-)
Love love love the SIRI-ALEXA BARBIE comments. Made me keep watching the video. Thanks so much.
Human nature in a nutshell What ever one group swears by another will swear at .
I’m still a newbie, I got my license in 1981. And i remember sitting in the FCC field office in Seattle Washington. It wasn’t 15 wpm but 13 wpm. And you could only get the written test when you successfully passed the Morse Code exam for the class license you were testing for. Three classes required Morse code proficiency: Novice 5 wpm, General 13 wpm, Extra 20 wpm. The Technician class required the Novice license and only allowed you more frequencies above 6 Meters or 50 MHz. Novices were only allowed 4 bands to operate in; 80m, 40m, 15m, and 10m. Even then they were slivers of the overall Amateur frequencies. The Advanced class required the General license and gave you more frequencies than the General class on HF which is where the really good stations were working. The Extra class gave you all the frequencies for Amateur radio. That is ONLY if you lived in Region 2. It was a different beast if you lived in Region 1 or Region 3. And ONLY if you were licensed as a US amateur. There were (and still are) many countries who did not have reciprocal license agreements as well as “Banned Countries” which did not allow foreigners licensing in their countries.
Ok, so i remember all that stuff as well as when the “change” occurred. In all fairness, i remember the new age because I am also an elmer and VE. And even with my skills drifting away due age, I am always forced into savage Amateur Reality when I talk to other OM OTA older than me who knew what it was like to accidentally brush a finger or arm across the HV section of the RF cage when neutralizing the finals... I only did that once, only once and survived... _ _ . . . . . . _ _ . ... _ _ . _ . . _ . . _ . . _ _ . . . . _ . . . . . . _ _ _ . _ _ _ . . . . . _ . _ (“73 es gd dx de ah2az sk”)
P
For the record, the bands do not suck. Last night I worked Tierra del Fuego from the North Pacific on 40, with just 50W to a random wire. (CW). The bands are just more tumultuous now. You have to be patient, persistent, and accept less than Bell Telephone conditions. (That dates me more than the brasspounding.) But a dead band is only dead because no-one's calling on it. I still get loads of great QSOs these days, always at low power to a longwire. DX, homebrewers, QRPpers, POTA-SOTA-IOTA, hell, just friendly interesting people. Some are an hour away, some are in Patagonia. Be a ham, dude.
I got my first Baofeng radio back in January of 2016 and they sound fine to me, and I have good hearing due to a vision problem. And I've never had any one tell me my transmission was bad. I now have a TYT UV8000e, also made in China and its better then the Baofeng. And if it where not for "Cheap" Chinese HT's, I would not be a licensed ham radio operator today.
I agree. The Baofengs aren't great, but they are good. much better than they were 10 years ago. There's still a lot of quality consistency and feature issues, but what can you expect for $40
My first handheld was $250+. I wasn't about to keep spending that kind of money. I have 2 baofeng handhelds @ $66 a piece and love em. Ive been licensed since 1992. Another thing that has ruined this hobby is the arrogance of some hams when u try to get on "their" repeater. 73s
Well most repeaters are privately owned with the rest being owned by clubs and a few by public entities. I know here there are repeaters that guys setup 20 or 30 years ago so they and their 2 or 3 buddies could use and they don't like people just "using their equipment". My advise is to find a club repeater or two and park on those.
@@richc8253 Guess I'm lucky, I live in Wyoming and I've yet to find a "private" repeater". A few of the older hams did kinda pho pho me because of my radio choice. But many of the younger hams, new too the hobby are using Baofengs. KI7BSL saying 73s.
@@K6UDA I live in Wyoming the least populated state in the union, with the least amount of Hams. I have yet to find a repeater in Wyoming or Colorado that I can't use. Have a good day and be well. KI7BSL and 73s
I'm starting to get into ham radio. And I love all the features of ham radio, at least for the technician class license.
I earned my first Novice ticket in 1973 (WN6DKH)... My High School incorporated Ham Radio into first year electronics. It only lasted 2 years and you had to upgrade to continue. I don't mind the No-code rule. When I got my second and current license the Novice was still around and I took it with code and passed the Tech within a week.
What I really missed on my second Novice test was any question having to do with actual electronics. To pass we had to be able to draw a Hartley Oscillator and explain what the function of C13 was in the given circuit. I'm a General class now and may go on to Extra just to say I did it.
Hi what handheld is by the window with short antenna
one of the things running ham radio is the bad operators on ham radio who come down to the CV bands and beat up on the guys who are on CB and that makes those guys not wanted to advance any further up I'm on both ends of the spectrum send I see it and it just disgust me
I only have a nice scanner with no transmit equipment. I have actually heard two operators on two meters say, "Lets go down to the Clown Band and stir things up a bit. See you on 19." I then change the scanner to channel 19 for CB and there they are with a loud echo, a splatter box amplifier, and a mouth that would make a sailor blush. I wish I could say something back to them but all I have is a scanner with a roof mount antenna.
Even though it's wrong, I sincerely doubt Hams harassing CBers would make them not want to become Hams. I was into CB back in the 70's when it was popular, now it's just an RF toilet. People leave CB and become Hams because they want to improve their radio skills, not because they were harassed.
Nailed it.. Just one comment.. "Get off my lawn" lol!
😄😄😄😄
Baofeng -
I use an Alinco DR130 mobile as a base station. Recently the mic died and being so old I have not been able to find a replacement mic. I finally broke down and ordered a new 2 meter rig, but in the mean time I've been using my UV5R connected to my J-pole and been getting excellent reports. As for range, the repeater is about 30 miles from me and I have no problem hitting it on low power with the UV5R.
CW -
one of the things I personally am upset about. I have tried for over 50 years to learn CW. Spent a solid month and a half with code tapes, practicing daily, and couldn't get it. Some mental blockage that will not allow me to learn code. Perhaps an Elmer could get me over it, but at my age of 70, why?
Yo so many years ago (1974?) I just barely met the 5WPM CW speed and never could break past 7WPM. Just something in my brain that could not "let it go"... have the same trouble with German and French and Hungarian... I work with customers doing high-performance airborne RADAR now. Did I do OK?
Not a ham yet, but I don't agree that making connections is ham radio.
Ham radio is about making connections *using radio*.
Now I don't think it's *bad* to talk to people over the Internet, I just think it's silly to tack on a 30cm radio link and call it a radio connection.
I can see using an Internet-enabled repeater (not in your pocket) to test your radio gear if nobody is nearby to talk to. Not a ham yet, as I said, so I don't know how likely that situation is. But remember the radio part is just between you and the repeater - you aren't talking to the other person over the radio, you're talking to an Internet gateway over the radio.
If the gateway is in your pocket it's just silly, unless you have a specific reason to be doing that, you may as well just call them over the internet that your gateway is using.
Again, if you're experimenting with hardware *that is a fine reason to be doing that*, but if your main purpose is talking to people, why bother?
And regarding FT8 (though I don't know what the modulation actually is!):
I think it's valid for people to be upset that the value of their previous hard work is diminished by a new technology that makes it easier.
I think if I was one of those people, I would be fine with people using slow modulations for better propagation, but I would be upset if they used it to claim they were as good as me (who had hypothetically done this over years by using CW)
Oh, and often people get angry about change no matter what the change is. You just have to ignore those people.
@x x I don't need a licence to make logical conclusions. If it bothers you, where's your logic licence?
Seriously fun (and honest) video. Alexa is hot. Use her more please. FT8? Always interesting to see where your signal lands, regardless of mode, power, etc. LoTW credit for digital modes? Great. There go the awards. Set up your digital robot on your phone, laptop, tablet, Nuk, etc., turn it loose at breakfast time, and after work you've earned DXCC and WAS. Now that's havin' fun. I'll pass on the SDR - software drone robot
My first dual band radio was a Baofeng, then I graduated to a Kenwood TH K-22 2m only handheld. My mobile radio is a Yaesu FT-2980R and a Yaesu FTM-6000R. 📡
Hi Bob,
Great video. Alexa was epic. Noticed your crank up tower in the video. Which tower is that? 73 WB3BJU
US Towers. 40' crackup tilt over.
Hi Bob,
I have a 35 year old Wilson Towers TT-45 crank up with what they call the rotating base raising fixture to put the rotator at the bottom. Has worked great when needing antenna work. Last summer had the whole assembly down for a rebuild and painting along with my tribander rebuild. The wire rope used to crank up the tower had rusted and broke. Used stainless aircraft cable as a replacement. 73 WB3BJU
What I find that is ruining HAM radio is that every HAM I try to talk to about the hobby is too upidy and stand-offish. They don't have time to help a new guy to get into the hobby. If you are not already a pro with years of radio under your belt they don't want to mess with you.
Isnt that psychological profile of the technophile, computergenius Ham
Yep, all bragart assholes with a fucking radio whoopty doo they talk other country shit can do that online...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
I've been in Ham for about 3 years now. I used to think that. Then I realized, hey, these old HAM guys have put in a lot of work and time to get where they are. Not to mention the $ investment in equipment. They've also put in tons of hours at field days, HAM club meetings, charity events, etc.. They climb high towers to fix antennas and repeaters. And they throw in a little extra when it comes time to pay dues.They study hard for class advancement tests as well. When the 2011 tornados hit in Alabama these guys were organized and did a lot of good. If you jump in there and show them you're willing to do all that, I guarantee you they will open up with anything you want to know. Otherwise, maybe CB is a better fit for you.
Just a thought.... years ago I told my son that you will find jerks anywhere you find people. There are a percentage that are that way. ON the other hand, if everyone you meet is a jerk, perhaps the world is reflecting something you need to consider about your own approach.
I have had great experiences with the knowledgeable guys I've met in ham radio; smart folks with technical skills and interests. Respect and humility go a long ways. It's fun exploring so many avenues of communication technology, HF, digital, various nodes. I like to help others too, paying it forward.
I hope you find people you do enjoy being with. It's worth the effort.
We wouldn’t need these individual hotspots if more repeaters would embrace DV.
Yep, there could be hundreds of Fusion repeaters out there, but Yeasu gives them away hoping they will put them online....but they dont. Just a cost effective way of replacing a 1960's Junk box for $800
I started out as a no code tech in the late 90s. I then studied cw, passed the 5wpm test, and obtained my tech plus. I now hold a general class ticket and hope to get my Extra soon.
My first radio was an HT that my elmer and I stumbled upon at a flea market. I had borrowed one and was carrying it.
As we walked through the outdoor portion a guy carrying a cardboard sign, that read Beanie Babies, ran up to us and asked what I was carrying. We explained what it was and he replied that he thought he had one for sale.
We followed him back to his table and sure enough, it was a Yaesu FT-11R that he’d been using as a scanner. He had no charger for it and of course the battery was dead. We asked how much and he said $25.
Needless to say we broke our arms trying to see who got our wallet out the fastest. My elmer won that race, but I quickly repaid him lol.
Hey Bob. Enjoying your vids. Thank you. I’m an odd ball here. I got my novice in 1969. Yep. That’s right! Now I’m starting back. I even remember code and run through it in my head so I keep it to some degree. Can’t report self wpm. I am studying to take tech and general the same day. My novice gave me the experience of dx. Can’t imagine operating without it. Hts look great. What really interests my is the blending of radio and digital especially for emergencies. Looking forward checking out your other vids. Yes, I subscribed.
Just checked 80M, and here in Europe there is yet another weekend contest jamming up the whole band. So there it is in a nutshell folks, it's great for the contest guys, but for the rest of us who want a chat, forget it. G4ZZB
See my comments Matt! G1OMQ
They will generally make space from my experience
@@CampervanCookout Well in my experience. If you're running average power or local propagation conditions are poor, forget it, because those mega high power European SSB contest stations will tend to walk all over you.
Matt Bates yes that’s very true but I guess as an m6 that’s often a challenge.
Matt Bates and if I had a £ for everyone I was in the qrp part of 20m and a station running 1.5kw booms over us I’d have a new rig ;-)
Love the Big Daddy Roth CARtoon in the background
I learned code and read for one week and got my tech+ (novice and tech tests), i don't regret cw one bit and from what i witnessed, a guy who can send code and receive at 40wpm is a total badass in my book. The new digital modes are amazing , especially at low power. My impression of what amatuer communications should be is a combination of the tools and the skills, cw is the basic skill that can be used with all the tools, even your blinking eyes.
Great video (even watched all 14 minutes of it lol) I did notice in the jeep shots the audio was left ear only though. This may just be a one off thing but if not, now you know!
5 things ruining ham radio seems to be ham radio dictators, who are arrogant, brash and obnoxious and treat new hams as lower class citizens. CODE is the thing that opened it to the world or should I say the lack of the requirement there of.
Oddly enough I can send and receive CW, and do almost daily, with my electronic keyer/translater.
There needs to be more activity on the bands or we will lose spectrum.
What blows my mind is how many licensed operators only know software!!! Solder what???
Surely an "electronic keyer/translator" means you're not using CW... the computer is?
I'm sure it's a fine means of communication but it also seems like it wouldn't be not much to brag about.
(Not a ham yet)
@@thewhitefalcon8539 Here is a perfect example of what I am talking about.... First I am not bragging about anything... just stating I communicate using CW daily. Here we see another person saying if you use a calculator to add those numbers it is not really doing addition.
I understand how those older signal corpsmen believe using a keyer is the only way to send CW... but today we have a handheld computer (Iphones), smart watches, and electronic send/receive CW translaters....grow with the technology.
@@stevemazz3121 So you're typing on your keyboard and having a computer translate it to and from Morse Code? Might as well just jump on Discord, that's not CW. Maybe your computer can get it's own DXCC award, not you. You aren't bragging about anything? "I use CW daily" isn't bragging? You're bragging that you're using something that you're not. Morse Code is about 2 operators actually sending code and listening not 2 computers sending and receiving signals between each other.
when voice came out on am hard core hams into code had a problem with that, when ssb came out the hard core am only hams had a problem with that, when the no code requirement happened to save ham radio hardcore code requirement hams had a problem with that, its all a problem with adjusting to something new you cant teach an old dog new tricks the old saying.
Bob good video, good to see Tyghe again. you need to bring back all your past guest hosts. Like the use of the Baofeng, i noticed you saved the good parts. 73 carl
This video is a RIOT! Please do more “Alexa” stuff or better yet where can I get the emulator, I searched but couldn’t find it. Thanks for the entertainment, yes, I actually learned something.
Just say simon says and whatever you want her to repeat. Add some creative editing and you've got it.
GREAT this is just a kick in the ass! My wife is just sitting there shaking her head with a $#/t eating grin on her face. Thank you ever so much.
She even understands Spanish and won’t repeat various words in Spanish...huh.
I do not understand only one thing. If people want to communicate via the Internet, why do they need a radio? It is superfluous. Enough smartphone, connected to the Internet.
Because it serves a dual purpose. A radio can be used simplex, on a repeater or on the internet through a hotspot or on a repeater.
It's more less the fun of frankensteining shit together to see if it works as noted on paper.. I do it all the time but would never consider it in a real world application.
Its part of technology. Using the internet adds another tool to the toolbox.I never hear guys complain about using their HF rig remotely from their phone or tablet using the internet. There are plenty of new hams that would like a taste of talking to people in different parts of the country or world and wetting the appetite to upgrade and get into HF.
There is also an increasing number of hams living in antenna restricted housing that makes running HF impossible. The great thing about the new radios is that they are all capable of falling back to RF only when the internet fails. For either group and others that would like to play, it keeps people using their radios and staying in practice. WINNING!!
@@K6UDA I never hear guys complain about using their HF rig remotely from their phone or tablet using the internet
Really? This is a bad example. I do not see any point in this at all. It's like a rubber woman, non-alcoholic beer, and so on. Probably even worse. It is like driving a dildo over the Internet. I recognize the right of everyone to any perversion, but it can not be called sex as no one can not get drunk with non-alcoholic beer. Excuse me.
There is also an increasing number of hams living in antenna restricted housing that makes running HF impossible.
Nevertheless, everyone can go out of town with radio and enjoy the clear air without any restrictions. Who wants - does, who does not want - is looking for excuses.
I agree, just use a cell phone.
13:23 “ruining ham radio”. Get over yourself. People like YOU are ruining ham radio.
The Baofeng is saving our hobby. Someone can now buy the book, take the test, and get on the air with a Baofeng with less than $50. Show me the proof that Baofengs are inferior radios. Show me the waveforms, not just your feeling. I bet you can’t tell the difference on the air.
The baofeng has its place as a starter radio or field radio but the fact that the fcc recently banned it “by name” and several Arrl lab tests have shown a lack of front end filtering, spurious emmitions and reliability issues. Saying a $30 piece of equipment is every bit as good as a $300 piece of equipment is a little like saying a Kia is the same as a Porsche.
@x x All Japanese radios are designed and engineered in Japan. The US market is almost an afterthought. I'm getting that straight from the companies themselves.
Great cameo with Josh #KI6NAZ !! You guys both make a lot of sense
Not gonna lie, yours is the best Alexa to date lol. Def got a laugh outta of that one. I wonder if Ken knows what she's up to these day. Good video, brother!
Thanks.
Its wild how everyone hates on the chicom radios simple fact they are cheep they work be nice if they were water resestant tho
Ft-8. Ft-8, FT-8, FT-8, internet modes. We may as well swap phone numbers and send each other texts. That's 'radio' too.
There is an application for android devices called Virtual Walkie Talkie. You may speak with anybody on the planet with no license at all. It is DX with no license. I believe it is part of what is hurting amateur radio. I have hesitated to get a license to talk DX because of the equipment price and the, "Virtual Walkie Talkie," application. I set up plenty of stations for people. I just do not have my own.
@@indridcold8433 Yep ?
Several years ago I got involved with a project started by a few techies who had gone to see the "Occupy" protests in their area, and had been frustrated by the failure of the cellular networks' ability to cope with the unplanned crowds. So we designed an ad hoc Wi-Fi radio network that could be rapidly deployed to give ordinary smartphones voice and data connectivity separate from cellular carriers. The project involved RF engineering, software engineering and adapting off-the-shelf items for specialized uses. Although an Internet backhaul was part of the plan, it could work independently, interconnecting people at the venue. That iMO was more in the spirit of ham radio than merely connecting to the PSTN or the Internet instead of using the airwaves.
My Alexa didn’t shut up for 5 minutes after you rattled her cage.
Four years after the video was posted, I'm a new-ish Ham. Don't know Morse Code, but interested in learning. My "starter" HT was an FT-5DR, I skipped the Baofengs ... but might pick up one or two for use where I don't want to risk losing/breaking a $400-plus HT. I'm far from a millennial, born 1949; but I encourage youngsters (and everyone else) to get into Ham Radio. Just ordered a "Plug & Play+ DMR HT/hotspot package since my apartment severely limits getting into HF at the QTH. After the recent Field Day, I'm very interested in going portable and doing POTA, maybe trying digital modes like FT8.
What's ruining Ham Radio from my point of view? High cost of jumping from VHF/UHF HTs and mobiles to HF rigs is a problem, but that's really just a "speed bump". A far bigger problem is Hams (and illegal operators) who abuse the airwaves with everything from indecent language to poor operating practices to "owning" a frequency because they've "always" been there.
But probably the biggest problem that's easy to address is that the general public doesn't really know what Ham Radio is. Every club, and every individual Ham, needs to spread the word and correct the misconceptions about Ham Radio. The Morse Code requirement is gone. The average person can pass the Technician exam with just a few hours' study, and getting General is not that much harder. New VHF/UHF equipment is quite affordable, and so is some HF gear. Most disability conditions are not barriers to Amateur Radio operation. Local Ham club members can be very helpful. Hams do a lot of good in emergencies, and often help out with charitable and nonprofit public events. Most of all, iHamming a lot of fun!
We’ll said.
Absolutely nothing wrong with a Baofeng.
You are correct. There is nothing wrong with the Beofeng. I own 2 of them but I also own several high end rigs as well. But I would not recommend it as a first radio to a new ham operator. They are limited in their capabilities and might not leave a good first impression of ham radio.
The local volunteer fire brigade uses them. I set up a repeater system for them. The repeater is a very expensive unit. But the hand helds are 8 watt Baofeng transceivers. They have a lot of antennas that can fit the radio so they got the little radios for their job. For the mounted mobile units, they use TYT transceivers. I set up their repeater and programmed their radios two years ago. They have not complained at all.
@@chuckleskie I agree but then disagree to the extent that the cheapie allowed me to buy a radio much sooner, get on the air and start talking and with experienced feedback from other hams, to make an informed decision on my $300 HT later. The impression of a new ham being told that his/her first radio is going to be a $300-$600 HT doesn't seem like a very good impression either. In fact after Tech license classes and lessons we have mentioned to them that they can get started for under $50 but that they should study into better quality radios as they can afford. These cheaper radios have allowed more newcomers to financially afford the hobby from the get go, and as they get more into it, most upgrade to better quality and more capability manufacturer's radios. Nothing wrong with having a few cheap baofengs everywhere in case something goes wrong with the main HT. I never worry about dropping one or anything because its only $30, but if I drop my FT2 then i'm out $300. In a pinch cheapies work, when I do ARES or tower climb (something critical) I will always use my Yaesu FT2, but there is a $30 baofeng somewhere nearby if I need a backup. But, thinking about it, if I was scared away from the hobbie at the start with high priced HT's maybe I wouldn't be thousands of dollars into the hobby now 6 years later! haha!
@@indridcold8433 If youve got plenty of backups, no issue. My honest experience bought two baofengs, after 2 months one died. Bought MD 380 and MD 390, only the 390 works now. My Icom U82 D-Star HH I bought in late 2006, replaced the battery in 2014 Still goes like it did 13 years ago
Hi...Loving all your videos as always.I love all aspects of our amazing hobby.Personally I still love the "challenge" of trying out new things too.At the end of the day we have to keep it in mind that Ham radio is a hobby and should be enjoyed.As for the Chinese radios I love my GT3..☺73.Ian.G7HFS/PA3IKH
Loved it..keep them coming. Being a new operator have learned a lot from your videos
I was licensed in 1971. I did not get an HT till 2003 (Kenwood THG-71). I was more interested in HF communications right out of the gate. I bought used used boat anchors for the 1st 2 decades of my hobby and did not buy a new HF radio till 1991 (Kenwood TS-440S/AT) been buying Icom HF radios since 2003.
#6 grumpy old hams on SSB.
Millenials, DMR, hot spots?
Shots fired!!!!
😂😂
Nah...just Millenials !!!
Hilarious AND entertaining, Bob… Look for me on FT8 as I'm going for FT8 5BDXCC --- or listen for me on 30 Charlie when I'm monitoring it with my D-74 and openSPOT since my UV5 does not do DSTAR… By the way, I was one of those triple sweating guys --- sweating bullets at the FCC office at 5, 13 and 20 wpm like a real ham… And have not used Morse code since then! 73 de Robert K3RRR
Code requirement for General didn't go away till after 2004. It wad only 5wpm, but it wad there. I took it.
If an internet outage or losing your cell phone breaks your setup, you're not doing ham.
That describes IRLP.
I've not done DMR yet. Debating it in my head. Analog is the practical mode for emergency and the grid going down. I understand DMR is just fun.
ham radio is used if you phone and internet does go out thats when ham radio or a cb is used in place of the phone, by using a generator solar or car power etc source to use the radio.
Michael Bishop yes I would call them half a ham
ka2rwp1 what do you use if an EMP hits
Watching now. First again. Thanks for the great videos. I like the changes, I like the Jeep, I have the d74 and am trying to learn this HAM stuff. I test on Saturday, ad then wait til the FCC gets back to work to publish call signs.
Good luck!! KJ7BKM
@@BigShip98Thanks!!
Fantastic video! New subscriber. KF6POE here. I loved Barbie and all of the guests! Can’t wait to recommend this on ACTUAL VHF frequencies like an Original Gangster. Thanks for all of the work. You may have turned me over to digital with your logic and persuasive style.
Learning morse was difficult but it wasn't hell. In fact, It was kind of cool to be able to communicate a message with just dits and dahs.
Nice!!! ( love the smell of warm bakelite in the morning....!!!)
Baahaahaaa, now that was funny!!
making contacts over the internet is NOT challenging.
ha ha might as well give your licence to the computer....
Greetings and felicitations from beautiful Uranium City, Saskatchewan, Canada. You are coming in very clear and your message was perfectly readable. Where are you currently located?
Videos are great! Keep up the good work! BTW, I don’t remember the last time I had a crush on a Barbie doll with a synthesized voice. My shrink will have a field day with that one.
Thanks.