Ham Radio

So I've always noticed that pilots, seemingly as a group, are also often ham radio operators. More than you see in the general population.

How many here on PoA are Hams?

(Setting myself up for peanut gallery comments with that question, I know!)

What's your callsign?

Are you active on the ham bands right now?

What Ham Radio stuff do you like to do?

My dad and I went to the Gobbler's Knob rest area about 20 statute miles South of Lamar, CO with the "battle wagon"... A former Air Force communications test van with a 42' pneumatic mast, which gets roughly 8 MPG, and operated 6 meter, 2 meter, and 70 cm SSB all weekend in the 2011 ARRL VHF QSO Party Contest.

We activated the relatively rate (Maidenhead) Grid Square DM87qs, and we already have a pile of QSL cards from folks who need DM87 for various awards and other contests. The custom QSL I made from a photo collage will arrive middle of next week so we can send them out.

Over 700 contacts in two days, and 3-4 countries worked on 6 meters - it was the Mother of all Band Openings Saturday and Sunday. Great fun.

a6cd0e28-ff3a-b229.jpg


Here's dad, working on "the stack" a couple weeks ago. 3 element yagi on 6m, 15 elements on 70cm, 13 elements on 2m.

a6cd0e28-fff5-9928.jpg


Yaesu FT-847 @ 100W on 6m, brick amps on 2m and 70cm - 170W on 2m, 140W on 70cm.

a6cd0e28-0096-c455.jpg


I know multiple pilots who carry APRS on flights, as well as chit chat on 2m or 70cm FM.

Heard a guy flying night freight a few weeks ago talking through an IRLP node on a linked repeater system in West Texas to whoever was in the IRLP Reflector (conference) at around 1 AM Mountain Time. He'd switch repeaters as he flew along.

Dad and I have taken the FT-857 and homebrew antenna plate strapped down in the baggage area and a big ol' sealed lead-acid UPS battery up and worked people during the Colorado 14er Event before who had to get to 14,000 the hard way. ;)

http://www.14er.org/

How about you? What's your Ham Radio fun?
 
Ask again in about a month and I hope I'll be able to answer affirmative. About a billion years ago (or maybe 38 years) I held a novice license for one year while in high school.

I found an interesting quote from this archived story:

"The Novice License Helped Shape the '50s Ham Generation"
http://web.archive.org/web/20070126104653/http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2006/07/28/1/

"The first ham radio contact -- like the first solo flight in an airplane -- was a never-to-be-forgotten experience. For teenagers, it opened up a whole new world. It also continued to shape them in ways not fully understood or appreciated at the time."
 
Back
Top