Former Amateur Radio Operators.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Everyone,
If you were an amateur radio operator in a past life but let your license lapse, the FCC made a change this past summer that affects you. From the November QST, "It Seems To Us" editorial...
"Of particular significance to many former radio amateurs is an
amendment to §97.505(a). This rule now instructs Volunteer
Examiners to give credit for Elements 3 and 4 to an examinee
holding an expired Amateur Extra class license, and credit for
Element 3 to an examinee holding an expired Advanced or
General class license. A longstanding provision that gave
Element 3 credit to holders of “old” Technician licenses
issued before March 21, 1987, when the Technician and
General licenses had the same written exam, has been
retained.
This change means that the FCC will issue a General license
to someone who passes Element 2 (the current Technician
exam) and demonstrates that they previously held an
Advanced or General license without requiring that they
retake and pass the Element 3 exam. Similarly, former Extras
can regain their full-privilege licenses simply by passing
Element 2."

So if you had a license and have been thinking about reentering the amateur community, this ruling combined with the "no code" rules makes your entry even easier. So check out the various training materials and get working. Several jurisdictions have winter hamfests (and therefore license testing) coming in the next few weeks that would allow you to get back into the hobby. I have been running digital mode on PSK31 almost exclusively as of late using 2.5 watts to work the world. This past weekend was a 10 meter contest and I hear the band was wide open. (I was working FTC events so I can't speak from experience.) No excuses, you have more than two weeks before kickoff.

[1094Jacob]

The 10m band was wide open for the contest. There was lots of DX (distant stations outside of the US and Canada) to make contacts with. It was a great time for even Technician class operators to make contacts.

Even if you have never held an amateur radio operator license before, the Technician class license is not that hard to study for and pass the test.

A good book to start with studying would be the ARRL Ham Radio License Manual Also, practice exams can be taken on qrz.com and eham.net

73 de AD0JA

[runneals]

This is nice! I also noticed something when I got my vanity, that your license is "renewed" when you apply and receive your vanity license (so you could literally have your license for like 20 years, instead of just 10).
I've been meaning to get more into radio... Maybe I'll have more time next summer to study up and get my general!

73
de KD0SET (Sierra Echo Tango/Science Engineering Technology)

[Al Skierkiewicz]

David,
See my last sentence above. You can do it.

[dellagd]

+1 For Amatuer Radio, I've learned so much about electronics and how to design them for radio emissions from the hobby. Personally, I enjoy operating on the HF bands with SSTV signals. So cool to receive images sent directly over radio waves from the other side of the world.

In the few years I've been in the hobby, communicating with someone under the age of 30 is unfortunately a rare occasion. Any other young ham operators out there on the forums?


PS
Yeah, just go and take the test! If you study its quite easy, I did the Tech and General on the same day and even that wasn't that bad. It's also cool to have those extra RF privileges for other hobbies if you use radio communication in them, like flying RC models.

73!
KB3ZKL

[DonRotolo]

Started as a shortwave listener when I was 8, capturing Chicago AM radio late at night in New Jersey using a plain clock radio. Finally met an Elmer (Amateur Radio mentor) at work after I graduated college, who dragged me kicking and screaming into my Novice license (which required 5 WPM Morse code at the time).

Rest in Peace, Ted Beauchamp KA2USU (Uncle Sam's Underwear)

Since then, I found myself mostly attracted to Digital modes, starting with Ax.25 Packet in the mid 1980's and lately with PSK31 which, as Al noted, can work the world on a watt.

In the meantime, studied a little and passed Technician and, later, when the 13 WPM code requirement was dropped, General.

You can learn a lot, and teach yourself even more, with the radio spectrum at your disposal. Kids, this knowledge will help you find and keep a job some day, trust me.

[Michael Sperber]

I got my Novice license in high school at the urging of my Tech Ed teacher, who was an Extra class... he challenged us to take the test in 45 days. He scheduled the exam, brought the volunteer examiners (who were his friends) into class, handed us pencils and said (with a smile) "just don't embarass me." (A little challenge and encouragement goes a long way.) An hour or so later, there were 3 new licensees in the hobby.

A few months later I sat for my Tech, and then pretty much put it aside and haven't been active since.

24 years later, I find myself studying for my General.
My goal is to sit for the General class exam prior to the question pool change this summer, and Extra exam before the end of next year.

-mike (KA1VCN)

[Al Skierkiewicz]

I should have mentioned that if you have any questions please contact any one of us. We are available via PM if you prefer a private Q&A. Don't be intimidated by the high cost of new equipment either. There is plenty of used equipment out there and a variety of low power kits to get started. I am currently waiting for delivery of some QRP kits from a place called QRPME http://www.qrpme.com/ While you do need to know Morse Code to use some of these kits, it is still possible to work the world with a watt and wire antenna. One of my favorite radios is the Yaesu FT817-ND which is capable of 5 watts and will do all modes, all bands from 160 meters through 440 MHz and has general coverage for AM/FM and shortwave listening. While I do not recommend used equipment for a new ham (you can find these everyday on eBay), these radios are the most popular rig ever built for hams at just over $600 new.

[runneals]

Heh, I need to get more into radio (The last time I turned it on to talk on it was, I can't remember when). I have gotten a club license for our Emergency Management club at my university (KD0YHT) and am hoping to get something radios (our President, Dean, and Department Chair all love us )
(And I don't have 2 weeks I'm mentoring a FTC team

[MrForbes]

I only ever got into listening, and just a little bit. But the old radio still works, at least. I can set my clock to it, WWV comes in ok this time of year.

[Seth Mallory]

The best thing about Amateur Radio is you have the same quality of volunteers as you have with FIRST. If you are going to work with people it is nice to work with people who put more then the smallest amount of required effort.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Jim,
I didn't know you had an old radio. check out this page...
http://aafradio.org/flightdeck/b29.htm
You can see the radio centered right in front of the operator. I once had a Navy version of the BC-458 transmitter, an ARC5. I built a power supply from an old B&W TV. Rated at 75 watts input, it gave me my first RF burn. I had not changed the original push type antenna terminal. You can see it in the picture above where there is wire passing from the 458 to the 459. The units to the right of the transmitters are a beacon receiver and two matching receivers to the transmitters. All of these units were capable of remote control from the cockpit in other aircraft.