Images of items I have purchased (except trainers [no feet pics])
- Thread starter Zefan
- Start date
It's not a telephone. It's not a text messaging system.
People laugh and say "haven't you heard of Skype or WhatsApp?" but they're missing the point. Amateur (ham) radio isn't an alternative to telephones, it's a technical hobby for experimentation and enjoyment. I have a transmitter here which I built that's the size of a couple of fag packets, transmits lower power than a mobile phone but is capable of sending a signal through a simple wire aerial that can be received anywhere on the planet without need for any external assistance or infrastructure.
It's a hobby, just like any other hobby.
I think there is a lot of projection here, maybe you get teased for the hobby - but I think both me and TonyLewis asked a genuine question out of interest. I also saw in the big thread a big ass satellite to bounce off the moon - I just don't get what you do - is the excitement about talking to strangers (omegle style) or building friendships (match.com style) or about tracking call signs on specific transmitters/receivers? I get the building it bit, but if it is anything like Warhammer, I checked out at the "actually playing it bit".
@dLockers
When I go into the shack after work, I switch the radios on and I can instantly be listening to anyone from anywhere. I never know who's going to be there, it could be a couple of Americans chatting as they drive around, it could be someone in Serbia calling to try and talk to people a long way away, it could just be a couple of locals nattering about anything.
Sometimes I'll put out a call, sometimes I won't. Some evenings I'll tune to the shortwave broadcast frequencies and listen to a foreign radio station playing music.
I like to chase new countries. There are 340 separate 'entities' around the world and I've made contact with 282 of them so far. Note 'entities', not 'countries' because some of them are smaller islands or areas that are technically part of a larger country.
I enjoy operating with data modes. Remember when the football results used to come on the TV on Saturday evenings via a teleprinter? I can make contact with people using a system very similar to that where we can type to each other. That's been around for years and there's a very popular data mode now which allows people to make contact with signals that are so weak, they're barely audible.
Chris posted a picture of a dish he's got - Yes, it's possible to bounce signals off the moon. There are also amateur radio satellites where you can talk to people by bouncing your signal off the satellite. Most are in continual orbit so ideally you need to be able to track them as they move across the sky but one of the newest is geostationary.
It's just a technical hobby that I love.
When I go into the shack after work, I switch the radios on and I can instantly be listening to anyone from anywhere. I never know who's going to be there, it could be a couple of Americans chatting as they drive around, it could be someone in Serbia calling to try and talk to people a long way away, it could just be a couple of locals nattering about anything.
Sometimes I'll put out a call, sometimes I won't. Some evenings I'll tune to the shortwave broadcast frequencies and listen to a foreign radio station playing music.
I like to chase new countries. There are 340 separate 'entities' around the world and I've made contact with 282 of them so far. Note 'entities', not 'countries' because some of them are smaller islands or areas that are technically part of a larger country.
I enjoy operating with data modes. Remember when the football results used to come on the TV on Saturday evenings via a teleprinter? I can make contact with people using a system very similar to that where we can type to each other. That's been around for years and there's a very popular data mode now which allows people to make contact with signals that are so weak, they're barely audible.
Chris posted a picture of a dish he's got - Yes, it's possible to bounce signals off the moon. There are also amateur radio satellites where you can talk to people by bouncing your signal off the satellite. Most are in continual orbit so ideally you need to be able to track them as they move across the sky but one of the newest is geostationary.
It's just a technical hobby that I love.
Caporegime
- Joined
- 20 Oct 2002
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- 75,891
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- Wish i was in a Ramen Shop Counter
Do you chat to truckers? or can you chat to truckers across the US?
I can answer this from my bit of research I did yesterday! Truckers actually use Community Band Radio (CB Radio) which is different.
Did I get it right, @Feek ?
Thanks - slowly getting the picture.
I have to ask, have you ever dropped into any saucy conversations or anything sinister?
If they have a ham radio transceiver installed in their truck, yes.
Most don't. They tend to use Citizen's Band (CB) which isn't a technical hobby at all, it's for people who have no real interest in what actually happens inside their radio, they just want to buy it, switch it on and use it. They don't care how radio works, it's just a tool. I appreciate that's a sweeping generalisation but it's pretty accurate.
No, it's not CB.
There used to be an app that I had on my phone that was like a radio. Cello or something, i cant remember now, but just turning it on and listening to people have a chat was fun tbh. I get the appeal.
Zello. There's a thread about it here.
There are a handful of different apps that pretend to be radio. They're not radio.
Close enough
It is a fascinating hobby, I was hooked as a teenager and I'm still learning new stuff now.
I had a friend who used to do this, and for him, it was about the least amount of power to bounce a signal the farthest around the planet. He was also into doing it with morse code (had one of those paddle senders with the dots on one side of the paddle and the dashes on the other).
I suppose nowadays ham radio is looked at like people who run old steam trains, or who run around orienteering with maps and compasses. Yes the technology has been superseded for the masses, but there's still a small group keeping it alive just for the fun of building it and running it.
I've experimented with very, very low power (see my comment earlier) and done the same sort of thing but I do think it's rude to be quiet
Modern radios are really technologically advanced, right at the cutting edge. These days, it's all about software defined radios which can outperform traditional radios. However, that's not always the case and a good superhet receiver still works really well.
Morse code usage has seen an increase over the last few years and a lot of people have got into amateur radio over the last couple of years, there's been a big increase of people entering the hobby. Lockdown gave people a chance to do things they've been thinking about for a long time (probably the same for train set builders).
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 11 Dec 2002
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- 10,872
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- Darkest Norfolk
Camera upgrade time with a nice bright lens 
Olympus Om-d e-M5 Mark III and M.Zuiko Digital ED 12‑40mm F2.8 PRO
Olympus Om-d e-M5 Mark III and M.Zuiko Digital ED 12‑40mm F2.8 PRO
"This radio ham lark's a wonderful hobby, y'know. I've got friends all over the world, all over the world... none in this country, but friends all over the world."
I'm so pleased someone picked that up
This is what happens when i find AE and end up going on a shopping spree because it's soo cheap.. and not only that, start brainstorming ideas in my head for a computer build to which i do not have the components for. The bag on the right has enought sleeving to probably sleeve 5 PSU.. i only need to sleeve 1.
ps.. this image shows half the order, i have about 15 more deliveries of screws/nuts/spacers etc etc on the way.. and once the parts arrive.. probs only end up using 50 items out of the 500+ items i have..
ps.. this image shows half the order, i have about 15 more deliveries of screws/nuts/spacers etc etc on the way.. and once the parts arrive.. probs only end up using 50 items out of the 500+ items i have..
