OAUSA Net – July 19, 2018 –Ham Radio for newbies

[toms]

Our net this week is about sharing concepts, tips, and equipment suggestions that are beneficial for new hams.

Hector KE6VRL will lead the discussion. However, don’t hold back. Share your good practices, tips, techniques, and insights that will help a new ham!

Post up pictures along with your recommended best practices, radios, equipment, memory management, mic fright solutions, etc.

[KAP]

Dave Tom and Hector,
Please check me in.
Kevin
KK6DGL

[Greg]

Newbie here, I think tonight's topic is right up my coax,
I guess I can check in early for tonight's net right here?

Greg
KM6SYX

[KA9WDX]

Early check in please - Thanks - Don't really have too much advice for new Hams, and what I would say may make the new Ham more confused than he/she already was, plus the fact that my interests, most of them anyway, probably would be considered "Old School" so to speak, but I do have some newer interests as well, like Echolink for example, which, like the "Old School" Hams feel, isn't radio, but, the way that I look at Echolink, is that it's a mode, just like Packet Radio is a mode, SSTV or Slow Scan TV is a mode, RTTY is a mode, etc, so I look at the Echolink interface as sort of like the Packet TNC was/is, a, "Box," that allows me to use the Echolink Mode, but "old School" Hams, some of them anyway, feel that Echolink isn't radio, so they won't or don't have anything to do with it, but I like it.

I might do more harm than good, if I tried to give the new Ham advice, but, if a new Ham does ask me a question, I probably will try to answer it, even though I am not the most intelligent Ham, and/or sometimes I will have a different view than the average Ham, so I sometimes become afraid that I might offend the other Hams, or get them upset, by what I say, or I might cancel out what another Ham, one that maybe has had more experience than me, might attempt, or might be attempting to do, with the new Ham.

The net should be interesting, especially if we get a few newer Hams on it...After two or three weeks, I finally was able to get some data, so I can get on-line.

CUL,
Bernie

[Jeff-OAUSA]

Please check me in.

WD6USA
Jeff

[Diesel4x]

Thanks for early check-in, Randy KF6KOC.

[NotAMog]

Please check in John, KN6VL and Bruce, KD6GCO.

[k9atk]

Early check in for
K9ATK BRIAN
K9FOG TRISH
KD0EXI CHEYENNE
KD0GPE AUSTIN
W9RIK RICK
THANKS

[KK6DYO]

Please check me in tonight. I'll be at the shack a bit late.

When a new ham, I was surprised at the disconnect between the material I had learned while studying for the FCC's amateur radio license tests and the actual knowledge that is needed to properly and politely use the radio, i.e., protocols and etiquette. PAPA System's "Smooth Operator" write up provides some information that's good to know, but just listening to and conversing with others--such as this OAUSA net--is the biggest help.

[HsuuJrt]

Please give me an early check-in.
One radio is programmed 0 - 99 as local repeaters. 100 - 135 or so has programming for a 150 mile trip Texas to Oklahoma. 200 bank has public safety frequencies for the same route. Bank 300 has repeaters used for bike rides in out lying counties( ones I don't normally use). Bank 400 is simplex frequencies. Bank 500 is for a different trip route. I scan only about 12 frequencies in the first bank. Others are put in scan for trips.
James kg5pmn