[hayden]

Please don't give your callsign but I've noticed that we have quite a few hams on here. Just curious about how many and what your interest are in the hobby. I have been a ham since 1987 and have an advanced license. I worked only CW (morse code) for many years before using voice. In the past few years I have become more interested in the digital modes. I have done slow scan tv, jt65, psk31 and my latest thing is trying to contact the International Space Station. I think I made contact yesterday using packet but I'm not positive. I got their callsign TO my callsign (UA F) so Unnumbered Acknowlegement ? Maybe one of you more familiar with packet can let me know.

 

[SSGT]

Least they heard ya!....I used to work Russian MIR Space Station many years before it took the big plunge! (Thats how long I been a ham LOL!) We'd list the mailbox messages...pick out a DX call....get a pre canned 2 line message together and when they came back around we'd upload and then check on later passes. Was some fun times! Still have a couple of QSL cards here from some of the guys I think?...Will see if I can dig em out!

 

[JPARIZ]

General class here. Got interested back in the 60's when some ol' fart gave me one of his old radios. I wanted to transmit on it bad enough to study & get my ticket. Talked all over the world on that low powered antique. Wish I had kept it but I passed it on to another new ham in need. Never got past General. Brain fart when it came to sending CW. Receiving is no problem but my right hand doesn't work right and my left hand is stupid. I like restoring old units, building new ones & experimenting with antenna designs etc.. My son got his ticket at 12. Aced the technician test but he just plays on 2 meters. It's a great hobby!

 

[hayden]

I still have my first setup, a Heathkit DX 60a with vfo and a Hammerland HQ170 reciever. Haven't used them in years but will probably keep them til I die. I think I probably made more contacts on them than I will ever make with my newer stuff. My main rig now is a Yaesu FT100 with 5btv antenna.

General class here. Got interested back in the 60's when some ol' fart gave me one of his old radios. I wanted to transmit on it bad enough to study & get my ticket. Talked all over the world on that low powered antique. Wish I had kept it but I passed it on to another new ham in need. Never got past General. Brain fart when it came to sending CW. Receiving is no problem but my right hand doesn't work right and my left hand is stupid. I like restoring old units, building new ones & experimenting with antenna designs etc.. My son got his ticket at 12. Aced the technician test but he just plays on 2 meters. It's a great hobby!

 

[JPARIZ]

W2MLA license has expired. If you get your license you can claim your grandfathers old call. It would be kinda cool to keep it in the family. It's really easy to get your ticket. If you need help almost any of us will volunteer to assist.

 

[SSGT]

My grandfather was a buff---I remember being fascinated listening to him chat with guys all around the world back in the late 50's.
Still remember- W2MLA. He had a couple huge radios

W2MLA...Original holder of that call!

Nowadays everything is recycled...like my call LOL!

I see that call was reissued in 1981 and expired in 1997....Nobody had had it since....Would be a great thing for a grandson to get a ticket and choose the call! Keep it in the family eh!

 

[JPARIZ]

W2MLA...Original holder of that call!

Nowadays everything is recycled...like my call LOL!

I see that call was reissued in 1981 and expired in 1997....Nobody had had it since....Would be a great thing for a grandson to get a ticket and choose the call! Keep it in the family eh!

Great minds think alike.

 

[hayden]

Yes you can be easily homed in on. Thats why I said no call signs please. All one needs is a callsign and visit a web site like qrz.com and all your info is on there from address pictures you might have posted and more.

Yeah,I assumed that--he's been dead for 20 years. I have been thinking about it & it would be cool to have his #. Can you be easily tracked or homed in on? I would think yes.
Thanks for the offer of help

 

[JPARIZ]

We are considering moving anyway. I read about a statistic that says "85% of all traffic accidents happen within 5 miles of home." That really sucks, we like it here but it's not worth a serious car accident.
Another thing I read... During the holidays as high as 28% of all traffic accidents are caused by drunk drivers! That means that the remaining 72% are caused by sober drivers. Apparently the drunks really can drive better so I'm considering taking up drinking just to be safer.
Kids don't try this at home. It was merely an attempt at humor.

 

[JPARIZ]

This really happened... One night I attended a radio club meeting. During a break I announced that I was going to try some "Moon Bounce" that night until I noticed we only had 1/4 Moon so I decided to wait until conditions were better. About ten minutes later only one guy caught on... looked confused for a second then winked at me. Out of 30 guys only one caught it, and it took him several minutes.

 

[JPARIZ]

For the non-hams out there I should explain "Moon bounce". With some frequencies the signal travels in a predominately straight line. Referred to as "Line of sight". So if you direct a signal to the Moon some of it should reflect back and hit the portion of the Earth that is facing the Moon.

 

[hayden]

I made a cool contact on 160 meters last night. Looked up k4cmc on qrz.com and there he has a picture of himself inside the Apollo 11 module one week before it went to the moon July 20th 1969.

 

[hayden]

Well I just did it. Made contact with the International Space Station using packet radio. Went to www.ariss.net and there on the station heard was my call sign. Been trying for 2 months on fm voice but just started trying packet a few days ago. Pretty happy right now.