Amateur Radio Information

PProvide information on Amateur (ham) radio, obtaining your Amateur Radio License, and purchasing an inexpensive handheld radio. To legally transmit on the amateur radio bands you must have a Amateur License, issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Without a license you can listen to communications but not legally transmit on the radio. Start to get you license by reading the links under “Obtaining your Amateur Radio License” below.

Obtaining your Amateur Radio License

Technician Class

The “Technician Class” license is the entry level Amateur radio license.. Links below provide the study materials, a question and answers bank ~ 160 questions. The actual test, has 35 multiple choice questions, of which you must get 26 correct to pass (74%). The test covers basic regulations, operating practices, and electrical and electronics theory. The questions are verbatim what is presented on the test. The question bank changes ever few years. The Technician Class question/answer bank changes in June 2022.

Technician Class Course videos

If you prefer an instructor explaining amateur radio and obtaining your license this might be for you. It give a more in-depth instructions about amateur radio in preparation for the Technician Class exam. The videos are about 2 hr each. They go into greater depth and follow the Technician Class Book by Gordon West. You don’t need to buy the book to pass the Technician exam, but if you would like a book to study, it’s here

General

Extra

Frequencies

Bands

Frequency References (Police, Fire etc)

Repeaters

UV5R and GT5R Radios

The Baofeng GT-5R is the new version of the radio that corrects these deficiencies. It can be purchased here: Bofeng GT-5R at Amazon The UV-5R (not recommended) can be purchased here: Baofeng UV-5R Plus at Amazon The preference of purchasing the GT-5R over the UV-5R is explained here: Dump the UV-5R and Get the GT-5R

Programming using keypad

As an example, program a repeater frequency in the 2 meter band and save in a channel:
freq “147.195” offset “000.600” offset direction “+” tone “100.0” channel “017”

Use your own frequency information. Obtain this information from here: Amateur radio repeater map (by State) UV5R_programming_instuctions for printing

Repeater Information You Will Need:

freq _________ offset __________ offset direction ___ tone _______ channel _______

If the frequency is not a repeater you only need the frequency (note 146.52 is simplex calling frequency)

Steps To Program And Save:

  1. UNLOCK (if locked) - Press and hold # (there is a little “L” of the upper left of the screen)
  2. Put into FREQUENCY Mode - Press orange VFO/MR
  3. Delete/clear channel to use: MENU, 28, MENU, type CH # three digits ex (017), MENU, EXIT
  4. Type main/receiving frequency on main screen ex 147.195

If programming in a simplex frequency (ex 146.52) or police or fire frequency (goto step 8)

If programming in a repeater, you have to set the offset frequency and offset direction + or - (steps 5 and 6)

  1. Enter Input (offset) frequency
    MENU, 26, MENU, OFFSET frequency offset enter “000.600”, MENU, EXIT Note: 0.600 offset is for 2 meters
  2. Enter frequency offset direction + or -
    MENU, 25, MENU, SFT-D shift direction enter “+” or “-” or “OFF”. MENU, EXIT (Note: OFF is for simplex)

If the repeater requires a tone (step 7 is required)

  1. Enter T-CTCS (TONE):
    MENU 13, MENU, select tone from list “100.0 Hz”, MENU, EXIT

  2. Save to the channel: MENU, 27 , MENU (enter CH to save) “017”, MENU, EXIT

  3. For Testing Repeater, if you have your licence, press push to talk (PTT) button and say your callsign, if you reach the repeater the repeater should respond with it’s call sign, in voice or morse code

  4. After you turn the radio off then back on, be sure you are on channel mode (VFO/CH button), move to channel you want using the up/down buttons, the desired freq for that channel should be in the upper line of the display with a small channel number to the right of the frequency.

Here is a short video on programming using the keypad.
UV-5R Program a frequency (9 min)

Programming using CHIRP

CHIRP is used to program the radio from the computer. It is much easier to program many channels You need the programming cable and the CHIRP program installed on you computer.

Amateur Radio Clubs

Fur Sail

Amateur Radio gear for sale

References

DYI Antennas

ZS6BKW antenna

ZS6BKW materials how to discussion

ZS6BKW parts

  1. 46.8 ft 14 ga solid wire (DX engineering)
  2. 39.1 ft 450 ohm window line, solid or stranded (DX engineering)
  3. 1:1 current balun
  4. 200+ ft Dacron line or fishing line
  5. 50 ohm coax low loss such as LMR-400
  6. center feed connector (wire to window line)
  7. ceramic insulators (optional)
  8. tall trees ~120 ft apart
  9. PL259 male

Manuals

Phonetic Alphabet

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