Amateur Radio !!!

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  • Bullwinkle

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    There is only one form of electronic communication that can withstand natural disasters, economic collapses and the Zombie Apocalypse.
    Amateur Radio. It's more than a hobby.

    Amateur radio operators, or HAMs, communicate at all hours of the day, from their home, their vehicle, and in the most remote locations on earth, communicating both in their local community, different states and different countries around the world. Many of the Ham operators focus their hobby on emergency communications, and can operate from anywhere at anytime, with the use of their portable radios, portable antennas and minimal logistics, to aid and assist local and statewide emergency services, both collecting and relaying information about an affected area, to the latest news, announcements for residents of the area, watching weather, and even manning evacuation centers.

    There is truly a concerted effort of Ham Radio operators statewide in Louisiana to provide emergency communications throughout the state, preparing for the next event.

    Both local and state governments support Ham Radio, not as a last resort, but as an additional communication infrastructure in the case that an area emergency would occur.
    These are just some of the organizations and government entities:

    American Red Cross
    Salvation Army
    Louisiana statewide Parish Emergency Operation Centers
    Local Hospitals
    National Weather Service

    So be prepared for the next emergency, and get your license, and then get your family involved. This is a great way to stay in contact, because as we have found out, cell phones and electricity are the first to go.
    Not so with Ham Radio. It is the most survivable of all electronic communications, regardless of events.
    We all should have the bottled water, gas cans, propane, generators, batteries, flashlights, and non-perishable foods. Ham Radio is the next step.


    All it requires to get started is a license test and an inexpensive radio. The rest will grow from there.
    If you know one, ask them how to get started. If you don't, visit www.laarrl.org.
     
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    autogateman

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    maurepas la
    Lol! ImageUploadedByTapatalk 21370149185.556294.jpg
     

    nolaradio

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    Both local and state governments support Ham Radio, not as a last resort, but as an additional communication infrastructure in the case that an area emergency would occur.

    To be honest, government entities support Ham radio in varying degrees. When I lived in Jefferson Parish Walter Maestri was the director of Emergency Preparedness. At that time, he flat out told the local ham community that Ham radio was not needed in their emergency preparedness plans. Things may have changed since Katrina, but I cannot comment on the current situation there. Here in St. Tammany parish, there's a great working relationship between hams and the NWS office in Slidell and the parish's emergency director, Dexter Accardo, has embraced the ham community. Since Katrina, several local governments have welcomed Ham radio into their communications plans. While the relationships between the ham community and local governments have gotten better, I don't think it is fair to make a blanket statement like "Both local and state governments support Ham Radio". As a ham, I wish the relationship was better. But like any other community of enthusiasts, we have those fanatics that consider themselves better than the others and let a little bit of authority go to their head. There's some that think the fact that they have a pass to get into affected areas and a radio that they are now first responders.

    I didn't mean this to be a rant to discourage others from joining the ham community and I am sorry if it came across like that. I would fully encourage anyone interested to get their license. It's easier than ever. A simple 35 question exam is all you need to pass. Do a simple Google search for online practice exams and start at it. If anyone has questions, I can try my best to help out or at least point you in the right direction.

    http://www.w5sla.net/
    http://www.selarc.org/
    http://www.selcoms.org/
    http://qrz.com/
    http://www.eham.net/
     

    charlie12

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    Pride
    I have a bunch of HAM friends and I'm going to get my license in the near future. You might hear them on 146.835
     

    nolaradio

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    I don't get to talk as much as I'd like to anymore. Working up to 60 hours a week and spending most of my time here has cut into my on air activities. My commute isn't as long as it used to be either. I'm mostly monitoring the local repeaters between 5 and 5:30 am and between 6 and 6:30 pm Monday thru Friday. Not much radio time at all.
     

    tallwalker

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    Covington, LA
    My shack is out in a small corner of my barn. Antenna is a long length of wire high up in the trees. Just something about sitting in the dark and tapping out messages to some other guy sitting in the dark in his barn in the Ukrain or Australia or who knows where. Or even just bored radio operators on ships at sea. Amazing the things you can end up talking about believe it or not.
     

    nolaradio

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    I finally got an inverted V up last summer. Only to find out that I totally trash my tv. I don't mind wiping out the tv signal but it made my very expensive flat screen do some really scary things. Thought I fried it or something. Since then I haven't the time to investigate options for filtering it out. That just leaves me my VHF/UHF radio. Seems like life has been getting in the way of radio.
     
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    tallwalker

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    I mainly operate QRP, so 1-5W is generally all I transmit unless I am operating digital modes. A good balun and very good grounding helps. I usually have more trouble getting rid of noise and interference from other equipment than causing it. Sometimes I go out on my sailboat in the middle of the lake and launch a wire with a weather balloon. It's kinda wacky but fun stuff all the same.
     

    Ellis1958

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    Anyone know of any clubs in the baton rouge area?
    Baton Rouge Amateur Radio Club. Vice-president of the club and a Volunteer Examiner (VE) here.

    It's never been easier to get an Amateur Radio license. The morse code requirement was dropped in 2007. Just a 35 question test each for Technician and General. More than a few have tested for both in one sitting and passed.

    Pick up the ARRL Technician and General study guides.
    http://www.arrl.org/shop/Ham-Radio-License-Manual-Revised-2nd-Edition/?page=1
    http://www.arrl.org/shop/ARRL-General-Class-License-Manual-7th-Edition/?page=1

    Study the Technician guide and take the online practice tests.
    http://www.qrz.com/hamtest/

    Once you get a consistent 85% on the Tech test start studying for the General test. There's a lot of overlap between the two and it's not a big leap to General. The privileges for General allow you on the HF bands where the fun really is.

    My go-to ham radio forum is the one on AR15.com. http://www.ar15.com/forums/f_10/22_Ham_Radios.html&page=1

    For the hams my interest is in DX. Over 130 entities confirmed with DXCC Mixed and Digital certificates awarded. In tandem working on 5BWAS also. Due to HOA restrictions I can't have any antennas outside so everything is in my attic. Pair of 2m/70cm Elk LP on a rotor for working everything on those bands. Satellites, 2m SSB, 2m FM. 6m M2 loop. Dipoles for 10m to 40m.
     

    Gatorbug

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    Gonzales
    The Ascension Amateur Radio club will participate in Field Day at the Gonzales Fire Station at 724 W Orice Roth Road in Gonzales. Amateur and non-amateurs are welcome.



    ARRL Field Day is the single most popular on-the-air event held annually in the US and Canada. On the fourth weekend of June of each year, more than 35,000 radio amateurs gather with their clubs, groups or simply with friends to operate from remote locations.

    Field Day is a picnic, a campout, practice for emergencies, an informal contest and, most of all, FUN! It is a time where many aspects of Amateur Radio come together to highlight our many roles. While some will treat it as a contest, other groups use the opportunity to practice their emergency response capabilities. It is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate Amateur Radio to the organizations that Amateur Radio might serve in an emergency, as well as the general public. For many clubs, ARRL Field Day is one of the highlights of their annual calendar.

    The contest part is simply to contact as many other stations as possible and to learn to operate our radio gear in abnormal situations and less than optimal conditions. We use these same skills when we help with events such as marathons and bike-a-thons; fund-raisers such as walka-thons; celebrations such as parades; and exhibits at fairs, malls and museums — these are all large, preplanned, non-emergency activities.

    But despite the development of very complex, modern communications systems — or maybe because they ARE so complex — ham radio has been called into action again and again to provide communications in crises when it really matters. Amateur Radio people (also called *hams*) are well known for our communications support in real disaster and post-disaster situations.

    What is the ARRL?

    The American Radio Relay League is the 150,000+ member national association for Amateur Radio in the USA. ARRL is the primary source of information about what is going on in ham radio. It provides books, news, support and information for individuals and clubs, special events, continuing education classes and other benefits for its members.

    What is Amateur Radio

    Often called *ham radio,* the Amateur Radio Service has been around for a century. In that time, it’s grown into a worldwide community of licensed operators using the airwaves with every conceivable means of communications technology. Its people range in age from youngsters to grandparents. Even rocket scientists and a rock star or two are in the ham ranks. Most, however, are just normal folks like you and me who enjoy learning and being able to transmit voice, data and pictures through the air to unusual places, both near and far, without depending on commercial systems.

    The Amateur Radio frequencies are the last remaining place in the usable radio spectrum where you as an individual can develop and experiment with wireless communications. Hams not only can make and modify their equipment, but can create whole new ways to do things.

    For More Information visit: www.arrl.org


    The club website is www.k5arc.org
     
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