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1992-03-01
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192 lines
[Captured from the SHORTWAVE ECHO at Dave's OPUS 508-454-3864 Lowell MA]
From: Bill Ewald
To: Don Kimberlin Msg #249, 24-Feb-92 09:54am
Subject: Radio Shack Ethics
In a message to All <22 Feb 92 13:53> Don Kimberlin wrote:
DK> ...For those who want to consider Radio Shack salesmen as ethically
DK> uncorruptable founts of knowledge and advice to all their customers,
DK> read the following horror story first posted in Fido's FCC conference:
DK> This message was from ALAN DESJARDINS to ALL,
DK> and was forwarded to you by DON KIMBERLIN.
DK> -------------------------
DK> Recently upon a visit to the local Radio Shack I noticed a salesman
DK> attempting to sell a "pair of
DK> walkie-talkies" to a customer that needed good
DK> reliable comms on the ranch. The
DK> talkies he was peddling were the 2Meter HTs
DK> now for sale. I interjected "of course
DK> you'll need a ham license for those".
DK> Having gotten the customers attention I explained what he'd need to do.
DK> After all of this he left (no HTs
DK> purchased) and the salesman started giving
DK> me a hard time. The moral? Looks to me
DK> that a few more un-informed salesmen
DK> like this and the 2m band could be just like CB. I wonder how many
marine
DK> band HTs he sold as walkies as well? Just a tought, anyone else have a
DK> simmilar tale?
Maybe something like this would help. Its a brochure developed by a
member of the Raleigh Area Radio Society. I have left off the local contacts
at the end. Anyone is free to adapt this to their own use:
Two-Meter FM
Amateur Radio
in the
Triangle
Welcome to AMATEUR RADIO! The Radio Shack HTX-202 handheld radio
will be the gateway to a fascinating hobby for many new ham
operators. The Raleigh Amateur Radio Society has prepared this
brochure to answer some basic questions about Amateur Radio, and
to give you some local sources for more information and help
getting started. Our thanks to RADIO SHACK for distributing this
brochure.
IS A LICENSE REQUIRED?
Yes. To operate the HTX-202, you need a Technician Class or
higher Amateur Radio License, which requires passing a Federal
Communications Commission exam. But relax! The Morse Code
requirement is GONE! You don't have to be an engineer or
technical genius to get a license, there's lots of help
available, and the the exams are given right here in town by
licensed volunteers.
Radio Shack sells several study guides such as NOW YOU'RE
TALKING, and several area clubs offer classes. There's a list of
clubs on the back of this brochure. We'll tell you more about
Amateur licenses in a minute, but first, let's see what you can
do with a radio like the HTX-202.
WHAT IS AMATEUR RADIO LIKE? The HTX-202 operates on what Radio
Shack calls "the most popular ham band -- two-meters." And it
sure is! The two-meter FM band is Amateur Radio's "party-line."
Most two-meter operation is local, with communication across
distances up to about fifty miles. Within that distance around
the Triangle there are hundreds of active Amateurs, with
conversations going nearly 24 hours a day. Technically,
two-meter FM operation is similar to police, fire and taxi cab
radio, but the content of our communication is much different!
WHAT DO HAMS TALK ABOUT?
Anything and everything. Maybe 50% of the talk you hear on
two-meters deals with ham-radio topics specifically -- we talk
about equipment, activities, clubs and such. But there's lots
more. The only rule is that we can't use the radio for business.
Ham radio conversations tend to be polite, but not particularly
formal. We speak a combination of English, a little ham "slang,"
and some techno-gibberish. But plain English works just fine. We
discourage CB type language and operation, but if you've been
operating CB, we welcome you into ham radio. Lots of us got our
start on CB.
IS IT ALL JUST TALK?
No! Ham Radio is a big hobby, with many facets. Hams build
equipment, operate contests, help the community with public
service, have club meetings, publish magazines, orbit satellites,
transmit television... and lots more.
A LITTLE MORE TECHNICAL INFO: One detail you should know about
are devices called REPEATERS. The actual range between two-meter
Amateur handheld radios at ground level is just a couple of miles
-- five miles might be stretching it. To extend our range, we use
repeaters. A repeater is a specially designed receiver/
transmitter combination. When you operate through a repeater, the
receiver picks up your signal on the input frequency, and the
transmitter re-transmits -- or "repeats" -- you on the output
frequency.
Repeater antennas are located on tall towers or buildings, giving
them much greater range than radios with antennas near the
ground. When you're in range of a repeater, you can talk to
everyone else in range of that repeater. There are 12 two-meter
repeaters covering the Triangle area. One wide-coverage repeater,
located on the WRAL/WRDC TV tower, covers about a 75 mile
radius.
Most repeaters are built and maintained by clubs, and they're the
on-air gathering spot for members. Club membership or donations,
typically $10 to $20 per year, help pay for the equipment and
operating expenses, but most clubs don't require membership to
use the repeater. A list of area clubs and repeaters is included
in this brochure.
Repeaters can have many features beyond just extending the range
of mobile or handheld radios. One especially useful feature is
called Autopatch. A telephone line and special control equipment
at the repeater allow you to make local phone calls from your
radio. Now, this is not exactly a replacement for a cellular
phone. You can't do business on Amateur Radio, including on an
autopatch. You can't receive calls, you can make only local
calls, and your conversation is not private! Everybody else
listening to the repeater hears your call. Still, autopatch is
handy, within its limitations.
Are you interested in Computers? Another technical tidbit we'll
hint at is PACKET. If you've used a modem, or a computer on a
network, you have an idea of what packet is. Just replace the
telephone wire with a two-meter radio, and you're in touch with
dozens of area hams via their computers. We have on-the-air
bulletin boards, and linking systems for coverage around the
world.
Beyond two-meters, Amateur Radio offers a wide variety of
communications and activities: world-wide range on many
"high-frequency" bands, satellite communications, long-distance
VHF range on sideband -- too much to try to explain here. If you
begin on two-meters, you'll have lots of opportunity to learn
about everything else we have available.
OK, I'M INTERESTED. NOW, WHAT ABOUT THAT LICENSE?
You do need a license -- there is no un-licensed activity
available in Amateur Radio on any band or at any power level. But
a license isn't that hard to get! Especially the Technician
License.
There are five license classes. Each license class requires a
more difficult test, and is rewarded by greater operating
privileges. The classes are:
Novice
Technician (No Code)
General
Advanced
Extra
The Technician Class license is the one you need to operate
two-meter FM. The FCC recently eliminated the Morse Code
requirement, so the test for the Technician Class license
consists of multiple-choice questions on rules and regulations
and some elementary electronics. It does take a little study, but
anybody can pass this test. There are several 12-year-old hams in
the area, and many non-technical people. RARS recommends
skipping the Novice license and going directly to the Technician
license. We also recommend learning Morse Code anyway. You'll
need it to upgrade to a higher license class.
You can learn all you need from the books available at Radio
Shack, or you can attend a class. When you're ready to take the
test, testing is done by Volunteer Examiners at regular sessions
each month.
We're looking forward to hearing you on Two-Meters!
--- GEcho/beta
* Origin: SWL: Spielberg wants loonies. (RA 1:3641/1.43)
ECHO area 32 .. Shortwave Shortwave Echo Conference
ts loonies. (RA 1:3641/1.43