Ham Radio Workshop, San Diego 5/14

[sdspearo]

A few years ago I got my Ham license and a HT radio. Problem is, I use the thing so infrequently that every time I bring it on a trip I have to dig out the owners manual and 30 minutes later reacquaint myself on how to program new repeater stations, add them to memory, etc. Hopefully the below workshop will help. I plan to attend.

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PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY

Monthly "Communicator Gateway" Workshop

Date: Saturday, May 14, 2016, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Location: Scripps La Jolla Hospital Campus in San Diego (Schaetzel Center, next to main hospital building)
Parking: Park in underground parking or in the above-ground parking structure. (At the workshop, please ask for the parking validation procedure.)

Map: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Scripps+Memorial+Hospital+La+Jolla

ATTENTION people of all ages interested in Ham Radio (licensed, not licensed, or out of practice)!

San Diego Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) will conduct another FREE monthly workshop to help participants "Get On The Air." Everyone is welcome regardless of club or organization affiliation!

This two-hour workshop is intended for anyone getting started (or struggling) with a handheld "HT" radio. If you attended in the past, you are welcome to return for another workshop to hone your skills. If you have an earlier edition of the free workbook, please bring it with you to this workshop.

The workshop starts with basics such as how to turn on the radio and then progresses to operating in simplex and repeater mode. This is a hands-on workshop in small groups led by Elmers (instructors), not a lecture. Participants receive a free workbook to guide their progress.

What to bring:

1. A handheld radio, if you have one or can borrow one. Elmers will have a few loaners available. We recommend a 2m/70cm (VHF/UHF) handheld transceiver (HT).

2. The operating manual for your radio. Please bring the entire manual - either paper copy or on a tablet.

3. A pen, and a few paper clips or stickies to tab pages in your operating manual during the workshop.

4. If your HT is the Baofeng UV-5R (or other model Baofeng), please visit the web site www.miklor.com, print, and then bring to class copies of the documents: "On the Fly Keyboard Programming," "Keypad Layout and Functions," and "Reference and FAQ Page." These documents are much better than the manual that comes with the radio.

This workshop follows the regularly-scheduled ARES meeting.

If you plan to attend the workshop, please RSVP to [email protected] so we know how many study guides to produce, or if you have a specific interest or question. When you RSVP, please tell us which radio you will bring, and please include your call sign (if you have a call sign).

Thank you.

. . . Rob
K6RJF
ARES Training Coordinator

 

[Dubster]

You've heard the phrase "use it or lose it" right? That's why I'm on the air pretty much every day.

When I left Big Bear yesterday I monitored the Keller Peak repeater until I got to about Hemet. Then I switched over to FARC on Red Mountain in Fallbrook. Rebecca and Roxanne left about an hour before me so I knew they would be home before me. As soon as I got off the freeway I hear Rebecca call me. She knew I would switch to FARC when I got into range. She tells me that when she got home she realized we needed Emu feed so I stopped at the Feed Store on my way home.

If she had called my phone while I was driving I would not have answered. Saved one of us an extra trip yesterday.

We can start communicating regularly on a 2 meter repeater or HF simplex if you'd like. Gotta keep those skills up so you don't have to pull out the owner's manual when an emergency presents itself.

I can help with programming any time you'd like as well.

dub
KK6MBW

 

[sdspearo]

Thanks for the offer, I just may hit you up if I run into any issues.

 

[Anak]

Since we are talking ham radio I will mention there is a walking transmitter hunt coming up April 21, 10-2 at Lake Murray in La Mesa (San Diego area). There will be a BBQ around 3:30.

The walking hunts only come around once a year. They provide a good way to get your feet wet, so to speak. Hopefully no one falls in the lake. If you have an HT with a signal strength meter on the display and show up with an adapter to connect to a BNC then the group will have a directional antenna you can borrow for the hunt.

If anyone wants details PM me your email and I can send you the PDF.

 

[Dubster]

Since we are talking ham radio I will mention there is a walking transmitter hunt coming up April 21, 10-2 at Lake Murray in La Mesa (San Diego area). There will be a BBQ around 3:30.

The walking hunts only come around once a year. They provide a good way to get your feet wet, so to speak. Hopefully no one falls in the lake. If you have an HT with a signal strength meter on the display and show up with an adapter to connect to a BNC then the group will have a directional antenna you can borrow for the hunt.

If anyone wants details PM me your email and I can send you the PDF.

Thanks for the PDF Anak. Funny thing is just 2 hours after you sent it to me I received an email from ARRL with the same announcement. I think I might just drive down for this. Sounds like fun.

Dub

 

[Anak]

Cool.

I hope to see you there.

Do yourself a favor and if you are not fluent in Morse code (I sure am not) take a look at a Morse code chart and figure out what MOE, MOI, MOS, MOH and MO5 sound like. You will want to be able to distinguish one transmitter from another. It is set up so that it is easy enough for those who are not fluent in Morse code, but you do need to have a sense of what you are counting so you can tell the difference.

If you come you should also be grateful that the guys who set this up have refined the transmitters such that they do not drift over each other. It used to be a royal PITA because transmitters would cover each other up for several cycles and during that time you could not figure out much of anything useful. The equipment has improved substantially thanks to the dedication of some serious effort.

 

[Dubster]

Cool.

I hope to see you there.

Do yourself a favor and if you are not fluent in Morse code (I sure am not) take a look at a Morse code chart and figure out what MOE, MOI, MOS, MOH and MO5 sound like. You will want to be able to distinguish one transmitter from another. It is set up so that it is easy enough for those who are not fluent in Morse code, but you do need to have a sense of what you are counting so you can tell the difference.

If you come you should also be grateful that the guys who set this up have refined the transmitters such that they do not drift over each other. It used to be a royal PITA because transmitters would cover each other up for several cycles and during that time you could not figure out much of anything useful. The equipment has improved substantially thanks to the dedication of some serious effort.

They're all the same except for the last digit. dash dash, dash dash dash and then 1 dot, 2 dots, 3 dots, 4 dots and finally 5 dots.

It'll be a good chance for me to use my home brew yagi.

dub

 

[the_midwesterner]

Damn, I cant make it tomorrow. Any idea on if something like this will be held again in the future?

 

[Anak]

I am pretty sure ARES holds this as a recurring event.