Official list of Amateur "HAM" Radio Operators and info

[Hobbyhorse]

Looking for a spot in the inland empire to have a mobile radio installed. Any suggestions on where to go?

[GunDog]

Do a google search for "CB RADIO INSTALLATION ONTARIO CA" and you will see many businesses that can help you.

[Swift04]

I need help on getting my license, I know nothing

[bluenoise]

Originally Posted by Swift04

I need help on getting my license, I know nothing

Where are you located?

[rb765]

In Fresno, one of the local clubs gives free classes. I can get you information the next time classes are available. My son and I used an app called "Ham Test Prep" that was available for free to learn. It provides test questions and we just kept taking the test until we learned which were the correct answers for the questions. This app covers Technician, General, and Extra classes.

[hk91666]

Find a ham cram in your area, easiest way.

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[acegunnr]

Ham Cram this Saturday. Get your license in a day, no prior experience or studying required.

https://sbcares.org/testing-training/

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[Tripper]

You in on that ace? I'm a VE for them


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[acegunnr]

Originally Posted by Tripper

You in on that ace? I'm a VE for them


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Dude seemed like it was just yesterday when you got your ticket! Thanks for helping out!

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[Tripper]

Originally Posted by acegunnr

Dude seemed like it was just yesterday when you got your ticket! Thanks for helping out!

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I did my tech on their ham cram, then studied on my own and next session they had I got General then studied again and on their next session got my extra, then two weeks later they sent me the VE stuff. I won't be able to make tomorrow actually, wife has something going


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[jbolton]

Did anyone attend pacificon this weekend? I went today, and was surprised at the turn out. Was pretty busy. No real deals but I am very surprised that DMR is getting as popular as it is. I guess due to the sale of the 150 dollar vhf/uhf plus dmr handhelds that are selling like hot cakes.

[Tripper]

Oh dang I forgot all about pacificon.


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[bluenoise]

I meant to, but then a work trip had me in San Diego until about noon Saturday and then we had a couple of Halloween parties and chores. It's just as well that I should be saving my pennies anyway.

[Dubious_Beans]

Passed my Tech, General, and Extra exams today.
Will be impatiently awaiting my call sign.

[hk91666]

Originally Posted by Dubious_Beans

Passed my Tech, General, and Extra exams today.
Will be impatiently awaiting my call sign.

Congratulations, 10 day wait or so.

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[bluenoise]

Originally Posted by Dubious_Beans

Passed my Tech, General, and Extra exams today.
Will be impatiently awaiting my call sign.

Way to go! Do you have any radios, yet?

[Dubious_Beans]

Originally Posted by hk91666

Congratulations, 10 day wait or so.

"What have you got in jail?" My ham license...

Originally Posted by bluenoise

Way to go! Do you have any radios, yet?

I bought one of those little BaoFeng BF-F8HP's a few weeks ago, but that's all so far.
Trying to decide what to request for Christmas.

[hk91666]

Originally Posted by Dubious_Beans

"What have you got in jail?" My ham license...




I bought one of those little BaoFeng BF-F8HP's a few weeks ago, but that's all so far.
Trying to decide what to request for Christmas.

A hi cap tranmitter at 30 mhz per millisecond with a ptt bumpstock lmao

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[Dubious_Beans]

Originally Posted by hk91666

A hi cap tranmitter at 30 mhz per millisecond with a ptt bumpstock lmao

Heh, I was looking at those on amazon but I couldn't find one with the shoulder thingy that goes up. They probably wouldn't ship it to CA anyway.

[hk91666]

Originally Posted by Dubious_Beans

Heh, I was looking at those on amazon but I couldn't find one with the shoulder thingy that goes up. They probably wouldn't ship it to CA anyway.

Check HRO maybe wont ship , if you buy alot of mhz's prior to 1/1/18. You maybe will be ok.

On a serious note boa feng are decent starter radios. I used 3 or more before i moved up to more wattage. I got my tech and general

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[CG11]

Advanced class, licensed since 1975, VHF, UHF, HF QTH - VHF, UHF Mobile and Portable

[BillCA]

If you're just starting out and have a good Ham club or community near you, I'd suggest going to a meeting to find out what people in the area are using and what they're doing with their repeaters.

For VHF/UHF (2m/70cm) digital is increasingly popular. Bone up on C4FM digital as well as DMR radio, especially if used in your area.

[Dubious_Beans]

Originally Posted by CG11

Advanced class, licensed since 1975, VHF, UHF, HF QTH - VHF, UHF Mobile and Portable

1975 would have been when I was first exposed to ham radio. Our high school had a ham station but I was more interested in audio and building stereo equipment and didn't spend much time in the "ham shack".
40 years later and now I wish I'd paid more attention to it in school...

[Citadelgrad87]

I passed tech and general in one sitting while i was...uh...while i wasnt here.

So fari only listen on a Yaesu handheld, and i picked out an hf unit, but havent made the jump.

[jbolton]

Originally Posted by Dubious_Beans

Passed my Tech, General, and Extra exams today.
Will be impatiently awaiting my call sign.

That's incredible. Do you have an electronic or radio back ground?

[Dubious_Beans]

Originally Posted by jbolton

That's incredible. Do you have an electronic or radio back ground?

No previous radio related experience but I've got a good electronics background so the electronics & math questions were easy for me.
The radio specific questions, rules, regulations, permissible bandwidth stuff was all foreign to me and I spent time studying that stuff at hamstudy.org.
I got 100% on Technician, 94% on General, and 80% on Extra.

I sure hope Santa brings me a nice radio for Christmas but I'll probably get a stocking full of coal again.

[SamsDX]

After almost 5 years since upgrading to General, I finally decided to make the jump to Extra. I started studying a week ago, and took/passed the exam tonight. The material is pretty straightforward, and it wasn’t too hard, but I suppose I had an unfair advantage - I have an electrical engineering degree, and I still deal with RF engineering on a fairly regular basis.

Thank goodness for no code, though that’s the next thing I want to tackle.


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[G-Man WC]

Been thinking about doing a Ham Cram for years.
Going to need to just do it soon in the East Bay.
-g

[Dubious_Beans]

Originally Posted by SamsDX

After almost 5 years since upgrading to General, I finally decided to make the jump to Extra. I started studying a week ago, and took/passed the exam tonight. The material is pretty straightforward, and it wasn’t too hard, but I suppose I had an unfair advantage - I have an electrical engineering degree, and I still deal with RF engineering on a fairly regular basis.

Thank goodness for no code, though that’s the next thing I want to tackle.

Good for you!
Having a good electronics is definitely a good advantage, but not an unfair one. It just means you already took the time to study that material.
Yeah.. code... I would also like to learn it, but sure glad it's not on the test anymore.

Originally Posted by G-Man WC

Been thinking about doing a Ham Cram for years.
Going to need to just do it soon in the East Bay.
-g

Go do it!

I thought about it for decades and just never "got a round tuit".
The Sonoma county fires and the lack of cell service and communication that came with them finally got me motivated to study a bit and take the test.

Still waiting for my stupid call sign. It's been 10 days since I passed and I'm doing an impatient little dance...

[Abu Riyah]

Extra here. I have several HTs, Yaesu and BaoFengs, and portable Yaesu HF rig with a portable antenna. I turn on the handhelds for a bit every day to listen, but rarely talk. The HF radio and antenna are small enough to take camping to operate at night.

I joined OCARC earlier this year, but I've been out of town the day of the monthly meeting every time since I joined. I plan on becoming more active, though I'm not really interested in contesting. I've come across guys on a couple of repeaters discussing guns...I'd be interested in a CGN net if we could get that going.

[mej16489]

Originally Posted by Dubious_Beans

Still waiting for my stupid call sign. It's been 10 days since I passed and I'm doing an impatient little dance...

...and then there are those of us who had to go get tested at an FCC field office and wait 6 months for our ticket to come in the mail...





edit... I'm not even sure if we knew if we passed or failed after taking the test/s

[SamsDX]

Originally Posted by Abu Riyah

I joined OCARC earlier this year, but I've been out of town the day of the monthly meeting every time since I joined. I plan on becoming more active, though I'm not really interested in contesting. I've come across guys on a couple of repeaters discussing guns...I'd be interested in a CGN net if we could get that going.

That would be something cool to do, if I can manage to get my signal out from the deep valley I'm in (without a repeater in sight). It would also mean I need to divert my gun fund toward more substantial radio equipment.

I was never really into the whole contesting thing, but while I was studying for the extra, I was re-introduced to several different modes that I hadn't thought about operating in before, like EME, satellites, and the various digital modes.

[Dubious_Beans]

Originally Posted by mej16489

...and then there are those of us who had to go get tested at an FCC field office and wait 6 months for our ticket to come in the mail...





edit... I'm not even sure if we knew if we passed or failed after taking the test/s

Yeah, some of the older hams at the exam were talking about that. Did you also have to walk through 3 feet of snow and it was uphill both to and from the exam location? Cuz everyone else did.

It would suck to not know if you passed right away.
For us we knew in about 5 minutes and those who passed could start right in on the next test if they wanted.

My call sign is finally in the database today, so I'm official.

[tuna quesadilla]

Originally Posted by SamsDX

That would be something cool to do, if I can manage to get my signal out from the deep valley I'm in (without a repeater in sight). It would also mean I need to divert my gun fund toward more substantial radio equipment.

+1, I'd attend a Calguns net so long as it's on 2m or 440... I spend all my fun money on guns and ammo, no funds remaining for an HF rig

[Tripper]

Originally Posted by tuna quesadilla

+1, I'd attend a Calguns net so long as it's on 2m or 440... I spend all my fun money on guns and ammo, no funds remaining for an HF rig

Echolink


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[ProtectThe2nd]

Any Contra Costa / East County Ham Operators have an upcoming test schedule link beside...

http://www.arrl.org/find-an-amateur-...e-exam-session

I don't see a schedule listed by MDARC on their site

Studying for Tech...want to test within 2 weeks after 12/15 hopefully

[Dubious_Beans]

MDARC website says "There are no testing or other pre-meeting activities in December."
http://www.mdarc.org/activities/club-meetings

The AARL site doesn't show anything in the bay area in late december unless you want to drive to Saratoga. There's one in Benicia on 1/13.

[bluenoise]

I think there is a club in Martinez that you should check.

[jbolton]

Originally Posted by ProtectThe2nd

Any Contra Costa / East County Ham Operators have an upcoming test schedule link beside...

http://www.arrl.org/find-an-amateur-...e-exam-session

I don't see a schedule listed by MDARC on their site

Studying for Tech...want to test within 2 weeks after 12/15 hopefully

http://hamcram.org/

[ProtectThe2nd]

Thank you all...appreciate the replies