Amateur Radio is a hobby I've enjoyed long enough to have a certificate that calls me an "old timer." I was lucky to learn the Morse Code when I was in the military. I'd always been interested in radio from Boy Scout days, so those two things started me collecting and building equipment of different sorts in the early 70's. It is a hobby that can provide wonder in many different ways--building, achieving contest awards, theory, grand forum, schedules, rag-chewing, nets, message relays and emergency services.
I haven't built anything in years, but that was one of my early interests. The kit construction helped me to learn the theory. Theory was fine until the schematics began growing--from a simple power supply to combinations with an oscillator and amplifier, etc. etc.
Now, I'm just in it for the camaraderie, or the rag-chewing. I have only modest antenna capabilities (deed restrictions, you know), so I'm limited to mostly local 40 and 80 meters work. This gets me at least to San Antonio and Louisiana from Houston. Without more antenna height, Northern cities are harder to reach with voice transmissions using my present "inverted V" antenna configuration.
It's a great hobby. I'm hoping my kids will get to experimenting with it all and getting licensed. If you have the time to be regular at it, working with nets in reporting in and relaying messages, you can even perform a valuable community service in emergencies and get to know a great bunch of guys and gals.
Contact the ARRL to get started. If you prefer, write to them at 225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111-9965. According to the Nov 98 edition of QST, for $34 a year they will grant you a membership subscription to QST, the Official Journal of the American Radio Relay League.
Through their membership, you can learn of local, national, and international activities, keep abreast of current FCC regulations and, of course, keep up with the latest in equipment the market has to offer.
Try to get established with a local ham club to find out about times and locations for license testing. A couple of good references on the net, along these lines, are:
Yes, you can get a license these days without knowing Morse Code. However, if you really want to have a lot of operating privileges, learn at least 13 WPM and go for the General Class license as soon as possible. I look forward to hearing from you when you get on the air! If I can help before then, please don't hesitate to contact me by e-mail, phone, or regular mail.
My name is Herman, and my e-mail address is: kfonteno@flash.net.
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