Thread: Amateur Radio Station

I'm not sure how many Hams there are on the forum, but, I thought I'd post a pic of my new ham station.
My station consists of a Kenwood TS-480SAT with Kenwood desk mic and external Kenwood speaker for HF.
For VHF/UHF I have a Kenwood TMV7A currently not on an antenna, but planning on using a copper j-pole once it's checked out.
HF antennas are a multi-band dipole for general coverage and an end fed for MARS use. Power supplies are a Samlex and a MFJ, at least until I can afford better.
The LED sign in the alcove is my MARS call sign, it was made by projectgm.com
My Amateur call sign is KD5AFE.

Okay, Hams, let's see your stations!

Originally Posted by freebird

I'm not sure how many Hams there are on the forum, but, I thought I'd post a pic of my new ham station.
My station consists of a Kenwood TS-480SAT with Kenwood desk mic and external Kenwood speaker for HF.
For VHF/UHF I have a Kenwood TMV7A currently not on an antenna, but planning on using a copper j-pole once it's checked out.
HF antennas are a multi-band dipole for general coverage and an end fed for MARS use. Power supplies are a Samlex and a MFJ, at least until I can afford better.
The LED sign in the alcove is my MARS call sign, it was made by projectgm.com
My Amateur call sign is KD5AFE.

Okay, Hams, let's see your stations!

I know we have a few hams on the site.

I'm afraid I just listen in on my Icom R71A.

You are a part of a real dying breed.

I'm not sure it's a dying hobby. I watched the series Nat Geo did on preppers, and several were getting into the hobby for a means of communicating if the grids go down. Some on YouTube talking it up as well, although I'm not sure about their being licensed.

The "breed" is far from dying. I run a Kenwood TS-590 SAT to a 180 foot dipole fed with ladder line. I've worked over 200 countries all using Morse Code, usually referred to as CW for "continuous wave". The bands are alive right now because we are at the top of the eleven year solar cycle. I'll often listen while honing.

I concur that "hams" are not extinct, althought the numbers are down b/c of cell phones and internet. However, CW code is still quite useful because it will get through when nothing else will. I consider a basic license and a 2 meter handheld radio a mandatory necessity in case of emergency.

Actually, the licensed-ham count is increasing:

2012 Continues to Show Growth in Amateur Radio Licensing

A lot of us are old men, but this hobby is _not_ dying out!

. . . . . Charles / VA7CPC
. . . .. Yaesu FT-450 / LDG Z-11 Pro tuner /
. . . . . Alpha-delta DX-CC loaded fan dipole in the attic

Har har, I knew I'd get your goat when I said dying breed.

Relative to years ago it's way down. Probably when they eliminated Morse Code from the requirements that did more to bring in new folks.

we're not dyin,. we just don't move around much lol

i never understood why you have to be licese to have a form of communication. but then again a i never got into hams

Originally Posted by Deerhunter1995

i never understood why you have to be licese to have a form of communication. but then again a i never got into hams

It's because you are operating a radio station and are on the public airwaves. There are various regulations you need to be aware of and rules governing broadcasting of any kind.

You will find these guys (mostly in the south) who operate late at night on the AM band using insane linear amplifiers and drown out the airwaves for everyone else broadcasting a lot of nonsense.