Ham Radio
<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=150 BGCOLOR="#99CC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="1858dfc3.jpg"> <div> <B><!-- Start Gem Insert your own HTML --> <HEAD><STYLE> <!-- A:hover {color:white} --> </STYLE></HEAD> <!-- End Gem Insert your own HTML --> </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Go to</B></div> <div> <A HREF="links.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ham Links"><U>Hams Links</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <B>Go to</B></div> <div> <A HREF="shops.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Shops Page"><U>Shops Page</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="23e50030.png" border=0 width="80" height="3" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Return</B><B> to</B></div> <div> <A HREF="hobbies.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Hobbies Page"><U>Hobbies Page</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <B>Return to</B></div> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Home Page"><U>Home Page</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="23e50030.png" border=0 width="80" height="3" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>Any link below here takes you off this site</B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.mods.dk" target="_blank" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.mods.dk" target="_blank"><U>Radio Mods</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.rsgb.org" target="_blank" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.rsgb.org" target="_blank"><U>RSGB</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.qrz.com" target="_blank" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.qrz.com" target="_blank"><U>Callsign Search</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/g1ntw/wab.htm" target="_blank" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/g1ntw/wab."><U>W.A.B.</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="1868dfc3.jpg"> <div> <!-- Start Gem Insert your own HTML --> <HEAD><STYLE> <!-- A:hover {color:white} --> </STYLE></HEAD> <!-- End Gem Insert your own HTML --> </div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B><U>Ham Radio</U></B></div> <bR> <div> <!-- Start Gem Animated Image (GIF) --> <img src="HTMLobj-791/aniGif.gif" border="0" align="bottom" width="120" height="58"> <!-- End Gem Animated Image (GIF) --> </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <A NAME="hello"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="comic sans ms" >Hello Again</FONT></div> <bR> <div> I started to become interested in 'radio' in the early '80's when my stepdaughter asked if I would get her a handheld CB radio so she could "rag-chew" with her friends. (She hadn't been raised to 'chew rags' she was well fed :-) :-) :-) .</div> <bR> <div> It sounded fun so after a while I bought all I needed to set up a Home-Base for myself, and used the "spare bedroom" as a shack, I had lots of fun with the people I 'chatted' to, and struck up some new friendships. It was one of these friends who introduced me to a local "Radio Ham" and who asked me on meeting him if I ever thought of 'taking my ticket' on to amateur radio (I wasn't really interested at the time).</div> <bR> <div> (To be continued....)</div> <div> <A HREF="#hello" TITLE="Ham Radio"><U><IMG SRC="1611e0a0.png" border=0 width="30" height="10" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <div> About a year later when having a friendly debate with this 'ham' it got to the stage where my bluff was called when he said "you're not clever enough and you'll never pass the examination" at which I said "sure I would, it's easy". I asked which study books I should buy, and started an evening course at the local Technical College.</div> <bR> <div> The examination consisted of 2 papers with multiple choice questions, it was always said that paper 1 (1 hour duration), was the easiest to pass with paper 2 being more on the technical side (1½ Hours).</div> <bR> <div> Both papers had to be passed, but if you were unsuccessful with one paper you could retake the paper at a later date, then if successful, a pass certificate was awarded.</div> <div> My first attempt resulted in a failed paper 2, :-( I re-sat the paper at a later date and was successful :-)</div> <bR> <div> Here in the UK there are 2 classes of licence, 'A' & 'B', most aspiring amateurs gain the 'B' licence by taking the above test, which basically is the entry level. To gain the 'A' licence a further examination is required, this consists of receiving and sending Morse code (C.W.) in a two 3 minute passages which includes words and numbers at a speed of 12 words a minute.</div> <bR> <div> I've been 'B' licensee since July 1986 as was allocated "<B>G1VKT</B>", as my Ham Call sign, but did not start operating until 1st September 1986 as I had no equipment at the time :-( :-(</div> <div> I had at the time, a Trio 2000 receiver with a VHF module installed, so I was able to listen to hams on that, continuous coverage from 0-30 MHz H.F., and commercial radio stations.</div> <bR> <div> I bought a secondhand Trio 9000 2mtr VHF (144 MHz) all mode radio (which is still operating today) a GPV5 2mtr vertical antenna and got it set up ready to "start" my venture into the world of amateur radio.</div> <bR> <div> (To be continued....)</div> <div> <A HREF="#hello" TITLE="Ham Radio"><U><IMG SRC="1611e0a0.png" border=0 width="30" height="10" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <div> It was not long before I was introduced to a data mode called 'RTTY' and pressed into service my old Dragon32 computer, which till then I only played games on, remember those games, Chuckie, Frogger, etc. etc.? (sigh, those were the days) (I think if I have a 'rummage around' I've still got the full bound copies of "INPUT" magazine)</div> <bR> <div> I built a TNC, and started 'operating' it was good fun, watching the letters appear on the screen</div> <div> (To be continued....)</div> <bR> <div> I then moved up to a PC, a 386SX33 4meg of RAM & 42megHD, (nearly bees knees at the time) as with all things you have to move on???.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <!-- Start Gem Animated Image (GIF) --> <img src="HTMLobj-792/aniGif.gif" border="0" align="bottom" width="48" height="48"> <!-- End Gem Animated Image (GIF) --> </div> <bR> <div> The 'collection' now consists of 3 Pentium's ( Pent-3/600 & 2x233 ) 2 old 486DX2 80 along with a 486DX4 133 which I used for Packet radio, with Linux OS, </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <!-- Start Gem Animated Image (GIF) --> <img src="HTMLobj-793/aniGif.gif" border="0" align="bottom" width="48" height="48"> <!-- End Gem Animated Image (GIF) --> </div> <bR> <div> The main use for me is "Packet" which is a method of transferring information over radio, to other Hams.</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >The original 'controller' was a </FONT><A HREF="http://www.baycom.de" target="_blank" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.baycom.de" target="_blank"><U>Baycom</U></A><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > board, which I purchased from the </FONT><A HREF="http://www.merseyworld.com/nwpug" target="_blank" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.merseyworld.com/nwpug" target"><U>N.W.P.U.G</U></A>.</div> <bR> <div> The setup for now consists of a Pentium 233 MHz (48meg RAM) a couple of HD's ( 8g & 2.5g ) 1 Terminal Node Controller (TNC's) a KAM all mode (for 2mtrs), the software is Linux-Mandrake V7.2, for the operating system, with a TCP/IP programs running ( Jnos ) which allows S.M.T.P, FTP, TELNET, CONVERSE SERVERS, N.N.T.P, etc., similar to the Internet only a lot lot slooooower (1200 baud)!!! So it does take quite a long time to transfer files etc.</div> <bR> <div> (To be continued.......)</div> <div> <A HREF="#hello" TITLE="Ham Radio"><U><IMG SRC="1611e0a0.png" border=0 width="30" height="10" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <!-- Start Gem Insert your own HTML --> <div align="center"><p> <a href="http://pub50.bravenet.com/guestbook/show.php?usernum=4225505500&cpv=1" target="_blank"> <img src="http://images.bravenet.com/pub/viewbook.gif" border="0" width="100" height="35" /></a> <a href="http://www.bravenet.com/"> <img src="http://images.bravenet.com/pub/gbook.gif" border="0" width="100" height="35" /></a> </div></center> <!-- End Gem Insert your own HTML --> </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="16358020.png" border=0 width="600" height="2" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <A NAME="guestbook"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>