Links
Here are links to many useful sites and much helpful information. If you have more links that you would like to suggest -- email us. Thanks.
Daily Interesting Things -- "he who toots not his own horn finds his own horn is not tooted". This was a saying told to me years and years ago -- when Dinosaurs roamed the earth" : ) So with that in mind -- here is a link to a website that is not 100% Ham Oriented but does occasionally have Ham related things and ALWAYS has something interesting.
Be sure to check it out DAILY. Daily Interesting Things
And if you want to do some personal Bible Studies (with the answers included in the text) then check out this link
Our Net Control person has told us about a website (LMARC.Net) that has a lot of very helpful information on many topics, Links to Many Nets in the Chattanooga Area and around the world, and much much more helpful information. It is the webpage for the Lookout Mountain Amateur Radio Club. You definitely need to check this out.
The Phonetic Alphabet -- Hams need to use a special word for each letter of the Alphabet. Why? Because sometimes letters sound similiar (such as B and C ) -- so to differentiate -- special words are used for each letter. Here are links to two websites -- Just click on the underlined links and voila !!!
This link gives the special words that are used for each Letter
And this link is to a very helpful short video which provides the correct pronunciation of each letter and explains why you need to use these words.
The ARRL has a wonderful chart that is posted in the QST Magazine annually and often you can pick it up at Ham Fests or other similar events. You also should put it on your smart phone or tablet as a PDF file.
An OM who often listens to our YL Net sent us this link. It is to a website that has 3 Books about Morse Code. One of the Books (the oldest one) is FREE (we love that word) and is over 200 pages long. You can download it to your iPad or Tablet or cell phone or whatever. The other 2 are for sale. You might want to check this site out and download or read the Free book. I couldn't get this link to embed so you might need to try a cut and paste.
http://www.n9bor.us/index.php/morse-code/the-art-skill-of-radio-telegraphy
What radio should you buy? This is a question that new hams ask (and even older ones). These links have very helpful information.
When you become a Ham, the Government gives you a call sign. Most of the time Hams keep that call sign -- but others want something special -- and these "something special" call signs are known as Vanity Call signs. This link explains what a Vanity Call Sign is and How to get one.
Your 'handi talkie' has an antenna called a "rubber duck" that comes with it -- (though you usually change it to something 'better') -- but when you decide to purchase the bigger rigs (for HF and more) you find that they need more powerful antennas. So what to do? What Antenna should you buy? This link has much helpful information.
But perhaps you don't want to buy an antenna -- you want to MAKE your own. So what does that involve. This link will give you helpful suggestions and advice.
Ok, you have your radio -- you have your antenna -- so now what do you do? This link gives suggestions about how to make your first contact !
Your First Station. This link gives a helpful overview.
Antenna Tuners. Some HF radios (this is not for your Handi Talkie radios) have them built in -- other Antenna Tunners are add ons. So What is an Antenna Tuner and do you need one? This link helps you understand and decide.
For those of you with Smart Phones and Tablets -- several helpful APPS were suggested by YLs during a recent YL Net. So check out these Apps at your favorite app Store (Google or Apple) and add them to your Tablet or Smart phone:
- HAM I AM --- this has oodles of very helpful information. Get it !!!
- QRZ -- this App lets you type in a Call Sign and it will give your the name of the Ham with their call, their location, their Ham Class, etc. Very helpful.
When you are ready to study for Tech, General, Extra -- After you have studied the books (ARRL, Gordon West, etc. ) there are several websites that you can use to see if you are ready to test. We have posted several of these near the bottom of the page on this website titled:
How to Get and Upgrade your Ham License. Go there and check it out but be sure to do the book learning first. Do not just use the test sites alone.
Samuel Morse and the Morse Code
We've come a long long way since the first transmission of a communications signal over the airwaves.
That occurred on May 24, 1844.
So what led up to this? And what did the first transmission say?
A YL checked in to our weekly YL net recently and has a really cool website. You will definitely want to check it out. HERE'S THE LINK
We will add links to more things later -- but this should get you started. So -- To Be Continued !!!