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From: ikluft@uts.amdahl.com (Ian Kluft) Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc,rec.radio.info,rec.answers,news.answers Subject: rec.radio.amateur.misc Frequently Asked Questions (Part 1 of 3) Keywords: FAQ RADIO HAM Date: 7 Oct 93 09:43:04 GMT Followup-To: rec.radio.amateur.misc Organization: Amdahl Corporation, UTS Systems Software, Santa Clara, CA Lines: 438 Posted-By: auto-faq 2.4 Archive-name: radio/ham-radio/faq/part1 Revision: 3.12 09/07/93 15:35:03 Rec.radio.amateur.misc Frequently Asked Questions Part 1 - Introduction to the FAQ and Amateur Radio ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is a regular posting of frequently-asked questions (FAQ) about Amateur Radio, also known as Ham Radio. It is intended to summarize some common questions on the rec.radio.amateur.misc newsgroup and Info-Hams mail list as well as to help beginners get started. Please provide a copy of the FAQ to any new or soon-to-be Hams you know. Regular FAQ postings can help save network bandwidth and maintain a good signal-to-noise ratio in the newsgroup. However, they can't do it alone - you, the reader, have to use them. If you are a new user, please print and review the FAQ articles and look at the instructions in the news.announce.newusers newsgroup before posting any articles. If you are an experienced user, please help by refraining from answering frequently-asked questions on the newsgroup if they are already answered by the FAQ articles. Instead, send e-mail to the user who asked the question. (It will be helpful if you include the part of the FAQ that answers their question, but not the whole thing.) The FAQ cannot always prevent people from posting repetitive questions. But even if hundreds of questions get posted, it saves you from having to answer them hundreds of times. Also, a friendly pointer to the FAQ in your first answer can help that person refer to the FAQ in the future. That is when we can begin to get a real savings of network bandwidth. To reduce the size of each article, the FAQ information is posted in 3 parts: Part 1 - Introduction to the FAQ and Amateur Radio Part 2 - Amateur Radio Organizations, Services, and Information Sources Part 3 - Amateur Radio Advanced and Technical Questions Table of Contents ----------------- Dates indicate last modification. Part 1 - Introduction to the FAQ and Amateur Radio ** Table of Contents (6/93) ** Introduction to the FAQ (11/92) * How to Contribute to the FAQ Articles (6/93) * Acknowledgements (6/93) * Notes on "Netiquette" (1/93) ** What is Amateur Radio? (11/92) ** Who can become a ham? (6/93) ** Where can I locate information and books on Amateur Radio? (9/93) ** How much does it cost? (9/92) ** Where can I take the tests? (9/93) ** What are the tests like? (6/93) ** What can I do with a ham radio license? (5/92) ** What can't I do with an Amateur Radio license? (pre-4/92) ** I'm interested, who will help me? (11/92) ** Should I build my own equipment or antenna? (11/92) Part 2 - Amateur Radio Organizations, Services, and Information Sources ** Where can I find Ham Radio information with a computer? (11/92) * The rec.radio.* newsgroups (6/93) * The ARRL e-mail server (1/93) * The KA6ETB e-mail "HAM-server" (new 9/93) * The Internet File Transfer Protocol (FTP) (9/93) * Access to FTP archives via electronic mail (1/93) * The Ham-Radio mail list: rec.radio.amateur.misc by mail (9/93) * Telephone BBS's with Ham-related information (9/93) * Callsign servers and geographical name servers (11/92) * FTP access to FCC Part 97 and FCC Amateur Radio question pools (9/93) * Lists of radio modifications and extensions (11/92) ** Can I send ARRL or W5YI electronic mail? (11/92) ** "Why doesn't the ARRL do...?" (11/92) ** What magazines are available for Ham Radio? (pre-4/92) ** How do I use the incoming and outgoing QSL bureau? (11/92) ** Are there any news groups for CAP? (11/92) ** What's the name of the QRP club that issues QRP numbers? (9/93) ** How do I become a 10-10 member? (9/93) ** How do I join MARS? (9/93) ** How do I join RACES? (pre-4/92) ** What organizations are available to help handicapped hams? (pre-4/92) ** I am looking for a specific ham, can anyone help me find him? (6/93) ** Can I post my neat new ham related program on rec.radio.amateur.misc? (pre-4/92) ** Where can I get ham radio software for my computer? (9/93) ** Are there Dialup News services or BBSs for Amateur Radio? (4/92) ** Where can I find VE sessions in my local area? (9/93) ** Why isn't XXX available electronically? (4/92) Part 3 - Amateur Radio Advanced and Technical Questions ** What are the different US amateur classes and what can each of them do? (pre-4/92) ** What is the best way to learn Morse Code? (10/92) ** What is the standard for measuring Morse code speed? (pre-4/92) ** What is the standard phonetic alphabet? (new 9/93) ** I'm confused. What do all those abbreviations mean??? (6/93) ** What do all those "tones" mean? (pre-4/92) ** Where can I learn more about Amateur Radio if I live outside the US? (9/93) ** How can I get a "reciprocal license" if I am a licensed ham from another country or if I am a FCC licensed ham who wants to operate in another country (on vacation)? (9/93) ** My apartment or housing complex does not allow outdoor antennas, now what do I do? (9/93) ** I got TVI...HELP!!! (9/93) ** Did you know that you can get college credit for being a ham? (pre-4/92) ** On what frequencies do JPL and GSFC retransmit the shuttle audio? (10/92) ** Can I take my HT on an airplane and operate it if I get the permission of the captain? (4/92) ** How do I modify my current Amateur license? (9/93) ** I'm confused about XXX, should I ask the FCC? (9/93) ** Is there any information on antique radios? (pre-4/92) ** Where can I buy vacuum tubes? (9/93) ** What do I need to get started in packet radio? (9/93) ** What do I need to get started in satellite communications? (9/93) ** What is available to get started in ATV, SSTV and WEFAX? (9/93) ** What are these contests I sometimes hear, and how do I participate? (9/93) --Rec.radio.amateur.misc Frequently-asked Questions------------------Part 1-- ** Introduction to the FAQ * How to Contribute to the FAQ Articles We accept suggestions from the Amateur Radio community. Please consider that all new contributions need to be SHORT and concise in order to be included. If a contribution is too long, the FAQ editors can help you find a more appropriate FTP archive or mail server for your article. We always accept corrections. Please allow some time (often not the next issue of the FAQ) because the FAQ maintainers do this as volunteers so each must give higher priority to their employers. Send correspondence to hamradio-faq@amdahl.com so that it will reach all the FAQ coordinators: (listed in alphabetical order) Ed Hare KA1CV ehare@arrl.org (Newington, CT, USA) Jack GF Hill W4PPT root@jackatak.raider.net(Brentwood, TN, USA) Ian Kluft KD6EUI ikluft@uts.amdahl.com (Santa Clara, CA, USA) Michael Larish KD6CTZ nomad@ecst.csuchico.edu (Chico, CA, USA) Paul Schleck KD3FU pschleck@unomaha.edu (Omaha, NE, USA) Chris Swartout N6WCP cas30@uts.amdahl.com (San Jose, CA, USA) Steve Watt KD6GGD steve@wattres.sj.ca.us (San Jose, CA, USA) Rosalie White WA1STO rwhite@arrl.org (Newington, CT, USA) Derek Wills AA5BT oo7@astro.as.utexas.edu (Austin, TX, USA) * Acknowledgements All questions listed as modified "pre-4/92" are entirely Diana Carlson KC1SP's work or her editing of a contributor's work. Diana established this FAQ and credit is due to her for founding this project. Thanks to Devon Bowen KA2NRC for accepting this FAQ in e-mail every month to keep the FTP archive at ftp.cs.buffalo.edu up-to-date. * Notes on "Netiquette" The rec.radio.amateur.misc newsgroup and Info-Hams mail list have a large daily volume of traffic. They can operate more efficiently if the following netiquette guidelines are followed. Please take them seriously. * If you are new to UseNet, the introductory articles in news.announce.newusers are required reading. Go to that newsgroup now. Definitely, read the instructions there before posting anything. Other rec.radio.amateur.* readers will appreciate it! * Pick the right newsgroup. Use only the most specific newsgroup for your subject. For example, a question about a homebrew antenna only needs to be posted to rec.radio.amateur.antenna. Also, don't post to rec.radio.amateur.misc when the subject can go in another rec.radio.amateur.* newsgroup. So, when there is a more specific newsgroup, that's the one you want. * When posting a followup article, ALWAYS try to minimize the number of lines of quoted material from the original article. * As a general rule when you try to determine whether to reply to someone by e-mail or with a followup article, remember to "praise in public, criticize in private." It's OK to disagree technically but be careful not to attack the person with whom you disagree. Also, be careful with your use of the word "you" when posting a follow-up article. Many unnecessary flame wars have started that way. * Use a descriptive subject. For example, a message subject of "Ham Radio" tells the reader NOTHING about the contents of your article since the whole newsgroup is about Ham Radio. Other examples of subjects which are so broad that they become useless could include, "Help," "A Question," "Antennas," or "Frequencies." Maybe "Books on Antennas?" or "Where can I find Repeater Frequencies?" would be better, for example. Remember, in a busy newsgroup a lot of users decide which articles to read from the subject line alone. If you post, don't deprive yourself of an audience! * Before answering a question, check if the FAQ adequately answers it or if someone else already answered it. If you have more to add, make sure to reference either the FAQ or the related articles. * If a user posts a question which is directly answered by the FAQ, there is no need to post an answer - the information is already available on the newsgroup. Instead, just send an e-mail message which politely explains where to find the FAQ. They will probably appreciate it if you include the answer to their question. (Don't send a "nastygram" - that would just discourage future participa- tion.) * Pay attention to the size of your audience - use the "Distribution:" header. If you leave it blank, your message will go to every civ- ilized country in the world and occupy disk space in all news sys- tems in all those places. If that's what you intend, that's fine but make sure your article is relevant outside your country. (In particular, Hams should already know there is more to the world than just their own country.) * If you have an item for sale, please limit the distribution area so that, for example, an article about a radio for sale in New Jersey won't get to California or Europe. If you wish, you may cross-post your for-sale article to rec.radio.swap. * Software sources should be posted to either alt.sources, comp.sources.misc, or comp.sources.* for a specific machine type. Software binaries should be posted to the appropriate subgroup of comp.binaries. ** What is Amateur Radio? Amateur Radio is a non-commercial radio communication service whose primary aims are public service, technical training and experimenta- tion, and communication between private persons. Amateur Radio opera- tors are commonly called hams. Hams often communicate with each other recreationally but also provide communications for others at public events or in times of emergency or disaster. ** Who can become a ham? The answer to this question differs in every country. The answer for the USA is listed below. If your country has a newsgroup specifically for it (i.e. UK, Australia, Germany) the most accurate answers can be found there. See Part 2 for the list of region-specific newsgroups. If that doesn't help, the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) may be able to help because they communicate with similar organizations in other countries, probably including yours. They can be reached by electronic mail or surface mail (see Part 2.) In the USA, anyone who is not a representative of a foreign government can be an Amateur Radio operator. There are tests that you must pass to get a license, however the tests are not insurmountable. On that general level, the requirements are probably similar in almost every country. For more information on becoming a Ham in the USA, the ARRL has a toll-free number where you can request information: 1-800-32-NEW-HAM (don't worry about the number being one digit too long - the phone system ignores it.) Other information can also be obtained from the ARRL e-mail information server in the file called PROSPECT. Details on the server are in Part 2. ** Where can I locate information and books on Amateur Radio? Your local Radio Shack sells some ham radios and Amateur Radio license books. Books can also be obtained through the mail from ham radio organizations, such as ARRL in Newington, CT (203-666-1541) and W5YI in Dallas, TX (1-800-669-9594). There may be one or two ham radio stores in the local area (ie, within 50 miles). Try looking in the Yellow Pages under Radio Communications. For the Novice license, get a Novice License manual, plus 5-word-per- minute Morse code tapes, costing around $25. For the Technician lic- ense, get a combined Novice and Technician License manual, and an FCC Rules manual, costing around $32. The FCC Rules manual is a good idea for Novice also, but not necessary, since the Novice License manual contains all the FCC Rules that are required for the Novice License. The ARRL Education Activities Department has several programs to help amateurs (or prospective amateurs) to get started. Ask for a "New prospect package" available free of charge, from ARRL HQ, Educational Activities Department, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. Information on Ham Radio can also be obtained with your computer. Part 2 of this FAQ contains a significant amount of material on that subject. ** How much does it cost? To take the tests for any class of amateur radio license, there is a small charge (around $5-$6 currently) to cover copying costs and running the testing sessions. (Due to changes in 1993, Novice tests are under same procedures as the others.) The cost of a radio is really dependent on what you want to do. You can make your own radio and antenna for under $150. You can buy a used single-band radio for $150-$300. Or you can buy a new multi-band multi-mode radio with all the doodads for $300-$3000. I'd suggest you learn more about ham radio, talk to local hams, find out what you want to do with ham radio first. ** Where can I take the tests? The Novice tests Used to be given by any two qualified hams of General class license or above. Now all the license tests are given by three qualified Volunteer Examiners (VEs) who volunteer their time. To locate an ARRL testing session in your area, you can contact ARRL at 203-666-1541 x282. See also the section "Where can I find VE sessions in my local area?" in Part 2 because more information is available via UseNet. ** What are the tests like? First off, come prepared to VE sessions. Bring: TWO forms of ID, one of which has a picture on it; a calculator (if necessary); a pen and two pencils; the applicable examination fee (around $5-$6 for 1993); the original AND a copy of your current Amateur Radio license (if you have one); the original AND a copy of any CSCEs for tests you've already passed (if you have any). Each of the written tests (Novice, Technician, General, Advanced, and Extra) are generally a multiple choice test of approximately one- tenth of the question pool. For example, if the question pool is approximately 300 questions, then the test will be a 30-question test. You need to get 75% correct to pass. Note that they truncate to determine the correct number of questions. That means for a 30 question test, you need to get 22 right, which is actually only 73.3%. Once you've paid the small fee for Technician-Extra tests, it costs no extra to take another test, so I'd suggest you keep taking the next more advanced test until you fail. If you pass the written but not the Morse code (or vice versa) for a specific class license, you have up to one year to take the other test before you would have to retake the written test again. Note that some VEs will not allow you to take the written test unless you've first taken the Morse code test. The Morse code test is a receiving test only. The test run 5 to 7 minutes. After the test, you are given a 10-question multiple-choice or fill-in-the-blank test. Passing grade is 7 or more. If you fail the 10-question test, the examiner team will examine your copy sheet to see if you have 1 minute of solid copy with no errors. For 5 wpm, that's 25 characters, for 13 wpm, that's 65 characters, for 20 wpm, that's 100 characters. If they can find 1 minute solid copy, you've still passed. Hints on Morse code tests: Generally, it will be a standard QSO (conversation), and it MUST contain at least one of each of the following: 26 letters A-Z, 10 numbers 0-9, comma (,), period (.), slant or slash (/), question mark (?), double dash prosign (BT), end of message prosign (AR), end of contact prosign (SK). The letters count as one character, all others count as two characters. There are a couple other prosigns which are worth knowing, but will not be on the test, like "I'm done talking, next" is K, "I'm done talking, back to you" is KN, "Please wait" is AS. ** What can I do with a ham radio license? There are so many things, it's a difficult question to answer, but here's some ideas: * Talk to people in foreign countries. * Talk to people (both local and far away) on your drive to work. * Help in emergencies by providing communications. * Provide communications in parades or walkathons. * Help other people become hams. * Hook your computer to your radio and communicate by computers. * Collect QSL cards (cards from other hams) from all over the United States and foreign countries and receive awards. * Participate in contests or Field Day events. * Provide radio services to your local Civil Defense organization thru ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) or RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service). * Aid members of the US military by joining MARS (Military Affiliate Radio System). * Participate in transmitter hunt games and maybe build your own direction-finding equipment. * Have someone to talk to on those sleepless nights at home. * Receive weather pictures via satellites. * Build radios, antennas, learn some electronics and radio theory. * Talk to astronauts in space, or use the moon to bounce signals back to people on the Earth. * Experiment with Amateur TV (ATV), Slow-Scan TV (SSTV), or send still-frame pictures by facsimile. * Experiment with amateur satellite communications. ** What can't I do with an Amateur Radio license? The most important thing you can't do is transact business of any kind over ham radio. Interference to other hams or services, as well as obscene, profane or indecent language is not tolerated and is illegal. Music and broadcasting are not allowed on ham radio. Some personal conversations may not be appropriate to Amateur Radio. Do you really want the whole world to hear about Aunt Mabel's hemorrhoids? ** I'm interested, who will help me? There are hams who are willing to become "Elmers" (mentors, helpers) in your local area. Look around and ask local hams. Search out local radio clubs. As well, some people have volunteered to be an Elmer over the Usenet. A list of UseNet Elmers and their e-mail addresses is posted to the newsgroup monthly. If anyone wants to be an Elmer, send e-mail to elmers-request@unomaha.edu There is also a lot to be said for exploring on your own. Take a look around the FTP archives and e-mail servers listed in Part 2. There's so much out there on UseNet, you'll find plenty of things you're interested in. ** Should I build my own equipment or antenna? [see also rec.radio.amateur.homebrew and rec.radio.amateur.antenna] "Homebrewing" is a fun and educational part of ham radio. It is a thrill to build your own transmitter and put it on the air. However, building your own receiver can be quite complicated; if you don't have electronics experience, you may want to buy a receiver instead. Most homebrew transmitters are QRP (transmit very low power). That's fine for an experienced ham with a very good antenna, but a Novice ham will just get frustrated. Your first rig, therefore should NOT be a home- brew. Antennas can be much simpler projects than the transceiver, though some types are also quite involved. Most hams build their own anten- nas for base station use and buy antennas for mobile (car) use. Most beginner ham books describe how to build different types of antennas. Order of difficulty, from easiest to more difficult, for some common antennas are: wire dipole, Zepp, Yagi, Quad, and Log-Periodic. Books from many sources, including ARRL and several Hams, discuss antennas in depth. When building or even understanding antennas, it is good to know the relationship between the antenna element length and the frequency or wavelength it is designed for. An antenna performs best at multiples of 1/4 of that wavelength, though 5/8 wave also has beneficial qualit- ies. The wavelength is related to the frequency with the following formula: wavelength (in meters) = 300 / frequency (in megahertz) You do not need a huge antenna or tower like ones you may see around your neighborhood. Large beam antennas and 40-foot towers are very expensive. As a beginner, a simple dipole antenna is perfectly adequate. As you gain experience (and money :-), you may want to invest in something bigger. If you can afford new rigs and antennas, there are many mail order stores that advertise in ham radio magazines. If you want to buy a used rig, the best place is at a "hamfest" (ham flea market). You should take along an experienced ham, since some of the used equipment may be inoperative, overpriced or poor quality. You can also answer ads in ham magazines or posted at ham radio stores, although often, by the time you call, the equipment has already been sold.