Any Amateur "ham" Operators Around?

[Sarah Rose]

I am an 'extra class' amateur radio operator and was just curious to see if there were any other people like myself (transitioning, crossdressing, etc) that take part in the hobby.
My biggest fear actually is being kicked out of my radio club, since most of the operators are in their 60s or older I'm going to assume they are set in their ways on gender issues.

Anyway not to get off topic, it's a really fun and exciting hobby that lets me create and do new/interesting things with radios and computers.
Just curious if anyone else here was into that sort of thing.

[Julie1957]

I used to have my radio license (a long time ago) but it expired and I never got back into it.  I found that my interest was more in designing and building radios than in talking on the air.  I still like building radios and I still remember morse code.

Lori

[Sarah Rose]

I used to have my radio license (a long time ago) but it expired and I never got back into it.  I found that my interest was more in designing and building radios than in talking on the air.  I still like building radios and I still remember morse code.

Lori

I'm still learning code, my interest is more in the data/packet side of things than it is voice.
I wanted to build a 2.3GHz radio network for the county but unfortunately there isn't enough interest to do it. Right now I've been working on getting APRS working out here.
So far I have an iGate setup for my town but it doesn't cover more than 10miles... It's enough to get the area though as well as anyone passing by i-90, and of course if they are running 50Watts I can hear them a good 40 miles out or more.

I only run 5 watts in my car at the moment.

[Julie1957]

I've only built HF rigs.  Since I moved (1 year ago now) I haven't gotten my electronics lab set up so I've done no work on radios.  I don't have to equipment to do anything with 2.3 ghz.

Lori

[Sarah Rose]

A lot of commercial 2.4ghz wifi gear can be modified to run at 2.3ghz..... Doing it however is proving to be quite a process.
It's something locking it up in software but only DD-WRT has it working and they charge for it.. There have been a few people in germany who've done it with open wrt... However following their work with nothing more than poor translations is pretty difficult.

[Rebekka]

some months ago, i got a baofeng UV-5r, and just now, i purchased a technician class test book. im also transitioning (2 and 3 weeks into hrt).

im interested in all kinds of radio stuff; high band, computer/radio interface, distance contact (?) (trying to see how far you can transmit/receive, like being in texas and seeing if you can reach europe or russia or even japan.)

as to the rest of your club, sarah rose, i would think that while they may make club meets difficult, or if they can indeed dismiss you from the club, they can't stop you from transmitting and using your stuff. (well, not legally, anyway, i would think.)

[Joelene9]

  I'm not a ham, but I do have an FCC commercial radiotelephone license and did repairs on both the commercial and amateur rigs along with the cellphones. I do talk with the hams from time to time about their operations and the ham-fests they go to. I have several hams in my astronomy club and some come to the star party camp outs with their gear. One star party venue on a ranch I went to actually has a permanent ham shack onsite with a small FM broadcast transmitter inside. The problem is that FM station tape loops with the same old STUFF from the WWII Boogie-woogie Bugle Boy from Company B to the older Elton John selections year after year with no DJ. We are asked to turn down the music during the night anyway as to not bother the adjacent observers or sleepers. Worthless as there is WiFi available and those tiny units with earbuds with at least 8GB worth of songs on them for the past 12 years anyway. The hams do manage the WiFi systems.

Joelene

[IdontEven]

I've actually been looking at getting involved with ham. Haven't ordered a book or contacted any clubs yet though, I'm hesitant to start up a new hobby. They always cost money :p

[CoriM]

I figure I'll bump this as I'm new to the game and have a hobby... ham radio. ham is not HAM.

Right?

I have an Extra class license and live in 7-land. I do mostly local vhf, I'm a repeater trustee, club secretary, webmaster, Volunteer Examiner, Net Control Coordinator, somebody please tell me I'm taking on too many activities...! I am thinking of joining ARES to get a head start on the local disaster scene. Never can have enough coverage!

On the topic of getting a license, the best answer is studying as much as you can, and passing the online practice tests consistently. I used the practice exams at qrz dot com and hamstudy dot org. also, look for the grotesque antennas on a neighbors rooftop, walk up to the door and ask if he can help. I know that may be contrary to some people's instincts, but it works. Politeness and curiosity are the best clothes you could wear that day.

On the topic of joining a club, a club is nice and we do hold social activities monthly not related to the General Meeting. A holdover from years past (I mean long ago past) is the "YL" Luncheon. The men (expected only men to be hams) sit in one section, and their wives (YL is Young Lady, abbreviation is easier for Morse Code, which some folks still use) get a different section.

I'm not out to the world yet, but I think the club now would have a collective cow if they knew. Once the Old Guard has left it should be a different matter. The club I came from had a nice lady, but she left the club; another member there misgendered her and words were said. So, I'm a little reluctant to say anything just yet. I konw it's a tough road, but hopefully the experiences of others will help smooth it out.

[Michelle_P]

Hi!

I'm president of a local amateur radio club with about 70 members currently, and just took on the position of lead examiner for our infamous One Day Ham Class program, a modernized form of the old 'ham cram' followed by a massive exam session.  We will typically test 80 students of thereabouts, and have been seeing a pass rate of around 90% for Technician and General class licensees.

I came out to our club shortly after going ful time.  It's sort of hard to chair a meeting and be perceived as male while full time, so I had to work something out.  The board and I decided the best approach was to NOT be at the November meeting, instead reading a short announcement and providing some information.  Then, at our December meeting, a holiday party, I'd be there in a social environment where others could interact with me or not, and I'd be readily visible without disrupting a business meeting or making it about me rather than the club business.

The letter we finally came up with, largely written by others here at Susan's Place, and the details are over in my life logging thread:
https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,215456.msg1912383.html#msg1912383

I also came out to an instructional team I work with that has some affiliation with a rather strict Christian church noted for its emergency aid and support work.  The class teaches all comers in an 8-10 week course several times a year.  I'm one of the teachers.  I haven't had any problems yet.  I used the same letter to let the team leadership know I had changed, and then just showed up at an annual instructors meeting to plan the next class cycle.  No issues so far.

I'm sure something will come up in the near future.  I'll deal with it when it happens.

We don't do the silly gender partitioning in the club.  The wives in some married couples are the ones with the more advanced licenses.  My vice president is one of them, and a very competent leader. 

I hope some of this helps a little.  I'll be around if there are questions.

Michelle, out in 6-Land

[sarah1972]

Where can I sign up for your classes :-) Getting a Ham license has been on my list for ages... I know my way around FM transmitters due to having worked in that area and one of my other hobbies has ended up in me having a small FM transmitter around but Ham radio has always fascinated me :-)

[Michelle_P]

Where can I sign up for your classes :-) Getting a Ham license has been on my list for ages... I know my way around FM transmitters due to having worked in that area and one of my other hobbies has ended up in me having a small FM transmitter around but Ham radio has always fascinated me :-)

Assuming you are in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, there are several groups offering these classes now:

http://www.baears.com/
http://beniciaarc.com/wp/?page_id=8

A new group doing this is at UC Davis:
https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/amateur-radio-training

More towards Central California, there's:

http://w6nbc.com/

More conventional classes over a several week period are offered by Mount Diablo Amateur Radio Club:

http://www.mdarc.org/

Outside of my area?  Try ARRL.org, for lists of classes around the country.



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[sarah1972]

Thanks! Have to find some classes on the east coast - there are plenty around. It will be a bit before I dive in, right now I am still working on completing my wardrobe and started saving for surgery :-)

[Michelle_P]

Oh, OK.  I don't do East Coast classes.  Long commute...

The really fun part will be holding pitch at A3 for 50 minute lecture sessions.  If I can pull that off, it'll be time to see the speech therapist for the next step in my voice work. 


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[Emily R]

Hi,

Used to be one with a technician license many years ago, but was more interested in building, and technology than talking about the the weather in you town, so I unfortunately let my license expired.

Also check the website "Femulate" as Stana has always been very active and I believed she recently won an award at the Dayton Hamfest where she has been showing up as herself for many years and collected the award also as herself AND was very well received by fellow Hams.  Everything is documented on her website.

Have a Merry Christmas or any other Holiday that its appropriate to you!

Emily

[laurenb]

Extra Class here. Haven't been active in a while. I moved a few years ago and never set up a proper antenna or shack. I do set up a buddy pole on the top floor when a nor'easter or hurricane is heading up the coast and hook up the FT-817 or FT-8900. I'd really like to put up an HF clothesline outside.   Looking for an excuse to become active again. Wish it was more cool to be TG and a ham - or at least have a TG ham friend to help me put up my cobra ultra light in the trees.

[Steph Eigen]

Also Extra Class, been doing radio since I was a kid.  Mostly HF, 6 meters, occasional 2 meter FM, SSB and CW.   I fool around with QRP but don't get enough tome to keep my CW proficiency up to the point where HF QRP is really fun.

I am in 3-land, in a neighborhood with extensive restrictive covenants so lots of wire up in the old trees of my wooded lot.  So far, no complaints from the neighbors or the neighborhood politburo.

Steph