Garth Almgren wrote in news:5mrc2nFem6taU1
@mid.individual.net:

I'm also thinking about
studying up and adding ham to the list.


Oh, do get your ham license, Garth. I've been a ham since 1957. I was
11...(c; It's been a helluva great ride. I don't use ham radio much any
more, but would never give up my license and vanity call....

Come join us! Find your local ham club, who also does licensing and
testing. You can get your license through their volunteers. I used to
be very active helping new hams get licensed. My record was a 7-year-
old. He flunked the code test you no longer have to take because he ran
out of paper to put the BIG letters on during the test and was afraid to
raise his hand for more...(c; He passed, easily, with more paper and is
now an Amateur Extra Class licensee with an MSEE from Georgia Tech. I
probably ruined his whole life. He came up to see me at a hamfest
convention and said, "Do you remember me?" Hmm...no, sorry. He was
about 25 by then. Somehow, he looked a lot different...(c;

I'm working on 2 yachties with HF aboard at the moment trying to get them
to interrupt their busy lives chasing dollars long enough to get the
General Class license, at least. They are fascinated when I come aboard
and work Europe or Hawaii or Russia on their boat radios. Some shortwave
listener heard the boat and sent me his QSL card for mine a couple of
weeks ago. He's in Arkansas. I always return SWL QSLs with my card to
encourage them to get their licenses.

It's a great hobby. I have QSL cards from all over, including King
Hussein's and his wife Nina. I made contact with her on 20 meters in the
1960's MOBILE TO MOBILE from Charleston, SC, to Amman, Jordan. The cards
were gold edged and simply beautiful from the palace.....JY1 and JY1B

Larry
--
You can tell there's extremely
intelligent life in the universe
because they have never called Earth.

Tim wrote in news:1191728577.061414.313520
@y42g2000hsy.googlegroups.com:

On Oct 3, 9:27 am, Chuck Gould wrote:

It's been so long since anybody was required to have an FTC license to
broadcast VHF within the US that maybe 1/3 or more of the boaters
don't *really* know how to use it. CB slang is rampant. It's one of
the few aspects in life where the careless and uninformed publicly
announce their ignorance.


For a long time I'd said that there were two things (minimum) that can
turn grown adults into babbling fools.

1) An infant.

2) a cb radio.

?:



What used to be fun on CB going down the interstate was to come on the
air and NOT sound like a hick with a clothespin over your nose. I used
to ask them, "Do you REALLY talk that way were you come from?", in my
best, most sophisticated-sounding voice. Within a hundred miles, the
interstate would be full of really nice people speaking as if they were
on the telephone, not sounding like rednecks at a BBQ drunk on beer.

"What's your handle, good buddy?"....."I'm Larry! I used to be 20W1956
but they reissued me KLP9928 in the mid 60's before they took our
licenses.", I'd respond enthousiastically, "What's your name?" The mere
mention of any real license and real names always made it really quiet on
CB until the shock wore off a few minutes later. Almost invariably, I'd
find some old-time CBer who'd heard me and that would start a
conversation with 6W1207 from Knoxville about those old tube rigs we used
in those days. I used to build Knightkit CBs when I was a kid or a
Heathkit walkie talkie that looked like a black leather box. I built so
many I could put one together in 2 hours without the instructions...(c;

Another fun thing to do on CB on the interstate is find another ham and
start talking about ham radio. Lots of CBers are hams or want to be
hams. Some go berserk from some stupid jealousy or pride, never sure
which. "Mike, can you hear the 147.270 repeater where you are?", I'd ask
him on CB.

CB is great fun on the road, still. I have a few I've resurrected from
thrift shops and keep one in the traveling vehicles. It has its place.

Larry
20W1956 in 1957....(c;
You had to be 18 to get a CB license. I was only 11 so my mother was
terrified I was going to be DRAFTED in the ARMY...

"John H." wrote in message
...

Dan? Rich? Damn, why didn't we know? That could change a whole lot of
attitudes around here!


Why...gonna suck up to him now?

On Sun, 07 Oct 2007 14:53:57 +0000, Larry wrote:

wf3h wrote in news:1191723567.937872.229660@
22g2000hsm.googlegroups.com:

i wonder how this is enforced. i'm willing to bet few CG watchstanders
know or care about this provision. probably if you use the GMDSS
feature on your VHF radio, if there's some kind of legal
ramifications, the FCC would get involved.



It's not enforced until someone becomes "interested in you", like most of
the rest of the laws. CG isn't, no matter what the PO2 bitching at you
on the radio says, the radio enforcement officers. The FCC is, for
civilians. FCC doesn't become "interested" until there's a complaint,
which CG would be the source of, I suppose.

After being told to **** off by a fancy boat dealer using marine VHF for
boat show comms on the dock and parking lot, I reported him to the FCC,
mostly because he ****ed me off with his "boat dealer attitude". (We
always attend boat shows in a little group wearing the jeans/t-shirts we
wear mowing the lawns, which makes us immune from most salesmen.)

FCC sent me a nice letter thanking me for my report, which I MAILED to
them, and had contact said boat dealer with an NAL (Notice of Apparent
Liability), the FCC's speeding ticket, which requires them to respond
within 30 days, IN WRITING. All FCC wants is it to stop and you to
explain that you know it was wrong and you won't do it again. That's
reasonable the first time. I doubt boat dealer told the FCC to **** off
and that he could do any damned thing he wanted with his VHF walkie, like
he did me.

Larry


Dan? Rich? Damn, why didn't we know? That could change a whole lot of
attitudes around here!

On Sun, 7 Oct 2007 12:28:23 -0300, "Don White"
wrote:


"John H." wrote in message
.. .

Dan? Rich? Damn, why didn't we know? That could change a whole lot of
attitudes around here!


Why...gonna suck up to him now?


Me? In case you've not noticed, I've not engaged in that practice.

As a matter of fact, I've tried to lay off the rancorous posts. Ever
thought of it?

(wf3h)wrote
those of us in the USCG use channel 9 for radio checks with boaters...

So, Your "in" the USCG? Did you go to boot camp in Alameda or Cape May?
Or did you crossdeck over from another service?
What's your rate? I know they did away with the RM ratings as well as
QM's awhile back.
Were you a Striker, or did you go to an A school?
The reason I ask is many Auxillarist I've encountered recently like to
think they're actually "in" the USCG, When in fact they haven't been
through the training, commitment or requirements to actually be "in" the
USCG.
So do a great diservice to those who serve, and have served honorably.
UD

On Sat, 06 Oct 2007 20:42:57 -0700, Tim wrote:

For a long time I'd said that there were two things (minimum) that can
turn grown adults into babbling fools.

1) An infant.

2) a cb radio.

?:

3. A 6 pack

4. The internet.

On Sun, 07 Oct 2007 14:11:38 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Sat, 06 Oct 2007 20:42:57 -0700, Tim wrote:

For a long time I'd said that there were two things (minimum) that can
turn grown adults into babbling fools.

1) An infant.

2) a cb radio.

?:

3. A 6 pack

4. The internet.

5. A packrat wife

On Sun, 07 Oct 2007 06:51:23 -0400, "Reginald P. Smithers III"
wrote:

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
On Sat, 06 Oct 2007 23:19:13 -0700, Garth Almgren
wrote:

I'm also thinking about
studying up and adding ham to the list

Hey - why not? All you need to do is memorize the question pool over
a week or so and you can go from zero to Extra in nothing flat - no
pain, no code - no knowledge beyond being able to answer questions on
a test.

Do I detect a tinge of sarcasm concerning the current method of issuing
licenses?

Ya think? :)

Ham radio is now nothing more than glorified CB.

Around 10/7/2007 3:43 AM, Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:

On Sat, 06 Oct 2007 23:19:13 -0700, Garth Almgren
wrote:

I'm also thinking about
studying up and adding ham to the list

Hey - why not? All you need to do is memorize the question pool over
a week or so and you can go from zero to Extra in nothing flat - no
pain, no code - no knowledge beyond being able to answer questions on
a test.


Aw, no fun doing it the easy way.



--
~/Garth - 1966 Glastron V-142 Skiflite: "Blue-Boat"
"There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing
as simply messing about in boats." -- Kenneth Grahame
~~ Ventis secundis, tene cursum ~~