Amateur Radio Operator

[Colleen_definitely]

Nope, just fill out a form in the online portal and attach your name change order electronically. They had it switched in about two weeks for me

[Danielle Kristina]

OMG! A ham radio thread!!! Any problems with the FCC during transition? Problems changing over your license?
Extra here

Wow, I knew I was not the only transgender ham operator, but when I started this thread I didn't expect as many people to respond. 

I've held a General since 2000.

73!

Danielle

[Sarah1979]

Nope, just fill out a form in the online portal and attach your name change order electronically. They had it switched in about two weeks for me

Squee!! Now all I have to do is get my birth certificate change letter from my therapist, then I can see how big the pileups get for my YL voice TY girls *hugs*

[Steph Eigen]

Maybe we need a TG net...

[Danielle Kristina]

Maybe we need a TG net...

I would love that!  I can't wait until I develop my YL voice and add it to the bands.

[Michelle_P]

Maybe we need a TG net...

"Ladies of the Net"
While not a TG net, traffic is light, and at least one Net Control person is trans.  Checkins are welcome.
40M, 7.245 MHz at 10 AM PDT Monday through Friday.
https://www.qrz.com/db/km6cir

[Danielle Kristina]

"Ladies of the Net"
While not a TG net, traffic is light, and at least one Net Control person is trans.  Checkins are welcome.
40M, 7.245 MHz at 10 AM PDT Monday through Friday.
https://www.qrz.com/db/km6cir

I so wish I had my HF antenna back up.  I'd love to check in.  For now I'm on VHF/UHF.  I do have 10M in the vehicle, but other than that I'm on 2, 220, & 440.

[ainsley]

I have my technician license.  My ham radio goes with me for any possible emergencies (especially tornado!). 

[Sarah1979]

"Ladies of the Net"
While not a TG net, traffic is light, and at least one Net Control person is trans.  Checkins are welcome.
40M, 7.245 MHz at 10 AM PDT Monday through Friday.
https://www.qrz.com/db/km6cir

I wish I could get in on this, but my FT897 in the truck is feeding into an ATAS-120, and with the MASSIVE loading coil it needs just to get resonance on 40m, I'm pretty sure I'm not getting any ERP over 1-2W.  The receiver is awesome though, I can hear anyone anywhere with it even though with the ultra high Q of the coil, the bandwidth on 40m is only like 10-20kHz.  I really need to get a G5RV to take on the road with me.  73 girls

[Danielle Kristina]

I wish I could get in on this, but my FT897 in the truck is feeding into an ATAS-120, and with the MASSIVE loading coil it needs just to get resonance on 40m, I'm pretty sure I'm not getting any ERP over 1-2W.  The receiver is awesome though, I can hear anyone anywhere with it even though with the ultra high Q of the coil, the bandwidth on 40m is only like 10-20kHz.  I really need to get a G5RV to take on the road with me.  73 girls

I too have an FT897.  Great little radio!  I use mine as a base station.  Right now I only use it for VHF/UHF however.  I still need to put up an HF antenna.  That's one of those things on my To Do list that I just haven't accomplished yet.

[Sarah1979]

My problem is that I drive a truck for a living, and am only home about a week every month, so everything has to be portable

[Zumbagirl]

I have a technicians license and once in a while I will use one of my 2 HT radios on the VHF/UHF (2m/70cm) frequencies. I don't know if I want to make a huge investment in ham equipment, right now I have made a substantial investment in a 3d printer and that seems to keep me occupied and happy for the time being. I have participated in field day though. I have been on the air and I have a few friends that I meet up with that belong to an amateur radio group. There are probably 5 or 6 women in the group so I am not alone.

[Sarah1979]

It really started with me as a distraction from the dysphoria, I really do like it though, but, for now the investment into more equipment has to take a backseat to my transition.  Once Sarah is fully in the driver's seat (driver joke), I'll be more comfortable getting fully active again. 73 girls

[Sarahthenerd]

I'm a little late to this thread, licenced since 2001, fully upgraded 2015.

Built a few repeaters.

Sent from my P00A using Tapatalk

[Danielle Kristina]

I'm a little late to this thread, licenced since 2001, fully upgraded 2015.

Built a few repeaters.

Sent from my P00A using Tapatalk

Welcome to the thread!  And congratulations on the upgrade.  I've been licensed since 1998 and upgraded to general in 2000, and been one ever since. I've never had any repeater before.  That's really cool.  I'm getting ready to put an HF antenna back up so I can get back in the air.  I have VHF/UHF gear up and running, but I am an HF'er mostly, at least until my antenna came down.

Danielle

[Sarahthenerd]

I'm not on the air as much as I used to be, apartment living has a few disadvantages. Every now and then I go qrp. But most of my activities are all done on the bench anyways. 73'

Sent from my P00A using Tapatalk

[Michelle_P]

I'm not on the air as much as I used to be, apartment living has a few disadvantages. Every now and then I go qrp. But most of my activities are all done on the bench anyways. 73'

Apartment life does that.  I'm experimenting a bit with a magloop antenna on the condo balcony.  Plastic vines and a bogus pot 'base' should disguise it a bit from the HOA police. (Bored older residents who have a hobby of looking for real or imagined infractions.)

[Danielle Kristina]

I just ordered a new HF antenna today.  I could have built one, but I'm usually too busy and if I'm not busy, then I'm too lazy.  It should arrive in about two weeks.  My plan is to put it up as soon as I get it.  I miss HF and can't wait to get back on the bands.  Once I'm back on the air I'll check out "Ladies of the Net."  I haven't developed my YL voice yet, so my "male" persona will have to do until I'm further along in my transition.  Oh well, at least I'll get my HF back!  I'm so excited!!!



Danielle

[Sarah1979]

Not long ago, I bought a Buddipole which is supposed to be quite good all the way from 20m to 70cm, and will also work all the way down to 80m, but I just haven't gotten it put up yet.  My YL voice is not bad, (wish the rest of my transition was that easy ), but I feel like I shouldn't use it on air until further along (after name/gender change)

[Dani]

I was able to visit Barry Goldwater's shack and they had a special license where they could run 3.000 watts instead of the normal one for 1,000 watts. Because this was during the vietnam war, the shack was used to relay personal telephone calls for the members of the military as normal calls were very difficult to make. The length of the call was limited but often service men hadn't talked with their family for months and a call was very welcome.

This was the Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS). In the 1960's there were not many communication satellites, no internet, no nothing. Overseas telephone was by under sea cables. The MARS system allowed service members a few minutes of personal talk time with their family. 

There were many other MARS stations in use at the time, but Senator Goldwater's station paid for the domestic long distance telephone call once the link to his stateside station was established. This was before cell phones where any call outside your area code was charged as long distance. Other stations made a collect call to the service members home to complete the communication link.