Believe me.....IT WON'T...!!! If you decide to get into HAM radio you will find that the communications "venues" are amazing. All kinds of different paths to go down and check out. And each type can potentially mean different kinds of gear. So it's pretty much an an ongoing "expanding" hobbie. At least it is for awhile. Then many HAMS find what they really like and slow down at least a little.
For me, the one thing that really won't end, because of my huge fascination with it, are antennas......Talk about never ending, and really quite a lot of fun to build.

 

Talk about 'venues'. APRS is awesome!!! I did my first contact through a text message via APRS followed by voice with same ham via local repeater.

 

See...??? There ya go...!!! All kinds of stuff to get into. Exciting isn't it...???!!!

 

Sweet. APRS is probably my favorite part of ham radio.

 

AK4Dave

You should be ashamed of yourself, getting these young men hooked on HAM, now the poor little JK will sit in the corner, being neglected waiting for it's next mod.

Being an old Viking Valiant and Ranger user with a collins receiver and a 1000 watts, with a 40ft rotary beam ant, I know it is a bottomless pit, ( did get most of my WAS thou ) and true this was a little before your time the 60's to be exact. What can I say learn the tubes and what the hell is an IC.

I would like to say THANK YOU and all the hamster's, great bunch of people, past and present because of what this group did for us, back in the 60's they allowed us to talk to our family's back in the states, from Nam, THANK YOU VERY MUCH HAMSTERS. OVER

33

 

Hmmmmm........lets see now...new lockers? new bumper? or new radio...!!! Yes...I'm sorry, as it may end up being quite the conundrum for many a JK /slash/ Ham man...lol.

Glad to meet you Mr. Vintage radio...!!! During the last solar cycle I had a lot of fun going up to 29 meg and working the alpha mary side with all you guys. Even tho I was running a rice box at the time....a TS-570D, I had it dialed in pretty good with the Goldline "Pro" and you guys welcomed me with open arms. Got many a compliment on the AM audio with the little Kenwood, and many actually didn't believe I was running it. Looking forward to doing it again with a TS-950SDX this time.

Yes, a little before my time, as Nixon was pulling out the troops when I graduated high school. So I just missed it by the skin of my teeth. Over the years I have heard a number of stories of HAMS being able to talk back home to their loved ones from Vietnam. That had to be absolutely fantastic! Goes to show you that ham radio can end up being a whole lot more than just simple radio coms.

Anyway....let me know your call so I can look for you when the cycle picks up.
73 & All the Best from the Great While North...
Dave / wl7cmg

 

Life took me on another trail, all equipment was sold to start a family and buy property that didn't have room, Plus the desire to continue with ham was not there.

So at this stage in life ( if the health hangs in there ) I will get my ( WORK ALL STATES ) using the MH towing the JK.

And for the Jker's that feel the need for emergence com,( which is smart to have) you can rent a sat phone with prepaid minuets pretty cheap now.

Thanks for the old memories wl7cmg, the best to you and yours

33

Oh forgot winch and bumper first

 

RR OM.....73 & Good Luck with your WAS

 

Man I thought that was going to be a long story until I started reading, great thread AKDave and thanks for posting it up. I just installed a Uniden XPro 520 modified to 8watts from 4 and it works fine for trailriding. On the hwy (ch 19) it's pretty much overtaken by the powerhouse truckdriving community pushing their megagigaziga watted systems and I can't get a word in edgewise. I can see me using my phone to call my wife within a 50 mile radius but funny you posted that, guess if cells we're down that'd be an option. The other thing I think this would be nice for is communication during our storms here close to Galveston, TX, Hurricane Ike last year knocked out cell phones for a few days, power, etc, at least a HAM would allow us to get some info besides the radio...or at least be a good excuse to my wife for what we need one for

 

After the 64' earthquake up here in AK., HAM radio was the first, and only way that the outside world found out what had happened. As YOU found out, even today, when the shit hits the fan, other than SAT phones, cell phones can be useless. But as long as there is a HAM around with a battery for an emergency, then the rest of the world will know what's going on. That's why there are daily "Nets" going on all over the US., as well as a one weekend per year event called "Field Day". It's where HAM radio ops set up quick (portable) stations and make contacts all over the world.