If anyone has any questions about Amateur Radio but have been reluctant to start a thread to ask, ask it here.

I know when I first started I had all sorts of technical info and read a lot of rules but what I didn't know was how an actual HAM radio conversation sounded.  I found myself listening to old guys talking about their Thanksgiving Dinner menus just so I could understand what was expected of me when I spoke on the public airwaves.  It took me a while before I was comfortable talking on the radio.  Two quick points:  1.  It's really straight forward, and 2. Where we travel there are very few people listening, if any.  So, relax, have fun, and don't worry about it.  If you have questions, just ask.

I'm still REALLY new to HAM/Amateur Radio (Amateur Radio sounds less geeky than HAM).  I don't know much about it in fact.  I know enough to talk to another HAM both via direct radio<->radio communication or indirect radio<->repeater<->radio communication.  Here's a brief intro to the technology.

An amateur radio is both a reciever like a regular AM/FM radio and a transmitter like a walkie talkie.  Because they can both transmit (send) and recieve (listen) radio signals they are called "tranceivers".

To receive/listen walkie talkie style (radio<->radio) you just dial the frequency in like you would with an AM/FM radio station.  E.g. on an FM radio you'd dial it in to 90.3 to listen to KEXP.  On a HAM radio you'd dial it in to something like 146.460 to listen to me (K7NAV) if I told you I was transmitting on that frequency.

To talk/transmit/broadcast you just push the button and talk.  You need to identify yourself using your callsign.  This is the hardest part at first since you can never remember the callsign you were given.  My memory is lame, so I got a "vanity" callsign that I could remember more easily.  Todd (K2RVR) and others have them as well.  It really helps to both remember your own callsign and for others to remember your callsign if you have something catchy like Todd's.

How do you get another HAM's attention and have a conversation?  For example, if I (K7NAV) want to get Todd (K2RVR) I would say:

Craig:  K2RVR K7NAV

Todd:  K7NAV this is K2RVR

Craig:  Talk as normal, in plain english.  No 10-4 good buddy stuff, no Q codes, etc.  Just talk.  If it's important, repeat things back to the other person to let them know that you understood.

Todd:  Just talk back as normal

Every few minutes drop your callsign at the end of what you are saying.  E.g.

Craig:  "I'm headed to the Chevron in Ellensburg, do you want to meet me there? K7NAV"

Todd:  "We want to stop for a burger, so we'll just meet you in camp. K2RVR"

When you sign off, say out loud that you are done.

Craig:  OK, we'll see you in camp then.  K7NAV clear (clear is particularly used if you are talking through a repeater)

Todd:  K2RVR clear

The only other thing that you need to do is to pause once in a while so someone can break in if there is an emergency.

I'm really new to this, but will do my best to answer the question.  Hopefully others will chime in with the info that I forgot.  There are many advanced things you can do with a repeater such as make a phone call (autopatch), link to another repeater (IRLP), etc.  I'll focus on the very very basic stuff that I know about and what I believe you are asking about.

There are two types of communication in HAM Simplex and Duplex.  Simplex is when your radio transmits and receives on the same frequency (E.g. 146.460).  This works like a walkie talkie, CB, or FRS).  Duplex is when you transmit (talk) on one frequency and receive (listen) on another frequency.  Repeaters are setup to use "Duplex".  The repeater listens to what you say on one frequency then re-transmits (repeats) it on the other frequency.

 A repeater advertises two frequencies in the repeater books.  The one it "listens" on, and the one it "broadcasts" on.  Tune your radio to the frequency that the repeater broadcasts on.  Most modern day radios will automatically go into "Duplex" mode and automatically set your transmit frequency to the one the repeater is listening on.

There are two basic ways to access a repeater without PL tones and with PL tones.

Without PL tones: If there aren't any PL tones then you are all set.  Talk into the microphone as normal and the repeater will repeat what you say on it's broadcast frequency.  Everyone who is tuned in to the repeater will hear you.

With PL tones:  If the repeater has a PL tone, that frequency will be advertised in the repeater directory along with the frequency.  A PL tone is *exactly* the same thing as a PL tone on an FRS radio.  It is just a tone played at a particular pitch.  Just access the PL tone menu on the radio and set it to the frequency (pitch of the tone) that the repeater uses.  Most radios have presets (like in a car radio) so you can store this info along with the frequency in the preset.  From then on out you just select the repeater from the preset.

Here's a great online repeater directory.  You can see some of the things that it lists for each repeater.  http://www.artscipub.com/repeaters/states/Washington.asp

Thanks.  Covers my Q's.

What I meant was how are the repeaters used in practice.  Theory is great but there's usually some gotcha's when you go to apply the theory.  I was mainly asking how not only do the repeaters work but the people who run and use them on a regular basis.

Way, way back in the day I belonged to a CB club (ch 2 out of Lakewood/Ft Lewis) when you still had to get a license and I can remember some serious radio nazis enthusiasts who thought they owned certain channels.  Just wondering if the ham scene is similar today?

Weird how nearly 30 years later I can still recall my call sign KBSG9461...wonder what I pushed out of the bucket dredging that up!

The big question for me is if I break down or have an emergency out in the middle of nowhere, (Quilomene, Nevada, the Maze District of Utah, Bothell, etc.) how likely is it that I will be able to get help via HAM?

The extra antennae looks cool.

Here is another way to look at repeaters, and I hope I not being redundant here.  VHF/UHF signals typically are line of sight.  In other words, the signals don't bounce off the ionosphere like HF signals can.  Typically repeaters are located at geographic high spots: mountain tops, tall buildings, on water towers, etc.  A repeater can "hear" your signal coming from a topographically low spot and retransmit it over a broad area.  This expands the area and number of other hams that you can communicate with.

There are large swaths of countryside here in N. America that are not covered by repeaters.  In these locations HF communications MAY be a better way to go.  The earlier example of the rig broken down in Baja is a good example of this.  The communicators initially used HF radios, not VHF/UHF radios and repeaters. 

When you guys on the wet coast are ambling about on your favorite Cascade trails, the changes of hitting one or more repeaters will be pretty high.  This is because of the high population density over there.  If you are traveling through northcentral MT the situation will be a lot different!

All that aside, a good VHF/UHF ham radio using FM and putting out anywhere from 25-100 watts will blow the stuffing out of any CB, etc. system.  I am constantly amazed at how well a ham rig will communicate in the mountains. 

I support Craig's effort to get everyone licensed.  You will find that ham radio is not only fun and useful in the field, it can be a lifesaver at home too.

Dale

The goal of getting everyone licensed is for vehicle to vehicle communications.  Yes, you can occassionally hit a repeater with a 2m radio but I wouldn't depend on it for your life or for the lives of your family.  It does help even if you can't hit a repeater though.

- You hit your SPOT help button

- Dale drives near to where you are and sees that you are at the end of a 4x4 trail.

- Rather than driving the trail for 2 hours, he contacts you via HAM and finds out what the problem is.  Runs into town to get the parts and then comes up to where you are.

In general, improved vehicle to vehicle communication just makes things a lot easier.  For example: 

Being able to shepherd in another member when they come late at night.

Making contact with someone long before they arrive at a rendesvouz point

Sharing a campsite location via APRS so another member can find the camp when they roll in late after work.

Easier to hear each other, so it is safer. 

There is a better understanding of what is happening at the front/rear of the caravan.

etc.

I'm almost done with the studying part on my ham radio on-line. Should finish this weekend. Hope to take a test be for the end of the year. I know I'll have a lot of questions.

Craig,

Excellent analysis.