1. UltralightDX | Main
  2. Topics

Are we a part of the Amateur / Ham radio hobby?

Paul Blundell
 

Would this extend to somebody who has passed the tests, held a licence for a number of years and then let it lapse but still has the certificate of proficiency?


On Thu, Mar 13, 2014 at 12:34 PM, <n3ikq@...> wrote:
 

I don't think it matters too much but if you spend lots of time and money on something and get nothing but satisfaction in return, you are an amateur! I got my amateur advanced ticket for the "street cred" as much as any other reason! Most hams/swls/dxers are a little bit of each! The one thing most of us have in common is that sense of wonder and mystery that comes from hearing those strange and exotic signals pouring in from who knows where at some time in our youth. Mine came from a Knight Kit Star Roamer that my dad gave me along with an old copy of the FCC frequency allocations to look at. Come to find out the old Star Roamer was a mediocre receiver at best in its day but it still has an honored place on my shelf and always will! Makes no difference what you call yourself. If you spend your time chasing those weak signals bouncing around the ionosphere and other people think you're crazy, I call you "brother"! Rick


Richard Jones
 

I don't think it matters too much but if you spend lots of time and money on something and get nothing but satisfaction in return, you are an amateur! I got my amateur advanced ticket for the "street cred" as much as any other reason! Most hams/swls/dxers are a little bit of each! The one thing most of us have in common is that sense of wonder and mystery that comes from hearing those strange and exotic signals pouring in from who knows where at some time in our youth. Mine came from a Knight Kit Star Roamer that my dad gave me along with an old copy of the FCC frequency allocations to look at. Come to find out the old Star Roamer was a mediocre receiver at best in its day but it still has an honored place on my shelf and always will! Makes no difference what you call yourself. If you spend your time chasing those weak signals bouncing around the ionosphere and other people think you're crazy, I call you "brother"! Rick

Paul Blundell
 

Thanks for the excellent and well thought out reply mark.

This question came about as I was talking to somebody the other day when I was undertaking one of my portable sessions and they asked if it was amateur radio, I explained the differences but it got me thinking about where we fit within the greater radio hobby. Personally, I call myself a radio enthusiast with an interest mostly in medium wave dxing.  


On Thu, Mar 13, 2014 at 11:25 AM, R. Mark Barnett <orgelkraft@...> wrote:
 

I think that ultralight DXing is part of the radio hobby.  I'm not sure if it matters beyond that, Ham, SWL, casual listener... all are radio enthusiasts. From what I can see everyone is welcome.

I consider myself just a plain crazy radio nut. Rob, I am well acquainted with much of what you describe. The skunks are the worst hazard to my patio listening! Right now I'm not sure I could FIND my patio under all the snow. I'm sure my wife would like to get me committed to a mental hospital after I have my all night radio sessions. 

I love the Ultralights because you don't need to spend much money to get the good stuff. I wish there were more mods for the radios, things like turning the soft-mute OFF... The Ultralight philosophy follows nicely with the Ham QRPp niche too, QRPp meaning transmitters under 1 watt. (for those that might not know) Doing more with less is always an interesting challenge. I am eagerly awaiting the next crop of super radios out of China.. 

I found a Radio Shack loop I'm playing with now.  I wonder if I can run it "backwards" and couple my long wire to my radio with it... it has an output jack and I was thinking I could use it as an input... I had a stroke and every time I search for something in my radio room, I find stuff I forgot I have, it's like CHRISTMAS!


 
Mark B. N8PGV   

 I usually include my callsign to make it easy to look up my location info. NOT because it makes me better, smarter or any other such TOTAL nonsense.
 
Today's scientists have substituted mathematics for experiments, and they wander off through equation after equation, and eventually build a structure which has no relation to reality.
~ Nikola Tesla


Well……I consider myself a Dxer, an SWL, and I am defintiely a Casual Listener at times too!!!  I am also a HAM and even worked many years ago as a Police Radio Dispatcher!! However……..If you ask my wife….she'll tell you I am a Crazy Bugger (Or other Adjective), who stays up half the night (Sometimes ALL NIGHT),  listening to Squeaks and Squawks, and has been known to sit out on the back deck in a Blizzard wearing a Snowmobile Suit, fending off Racoons, Skunks, and Coyotes listening to what she calls Jibberish (Morse Code) trying to hear Aerobeacons on Longwave,  that are located in a much WARMER climate than what I am experiencing out on the back deck during these Frozen Sessions!! All of this can be blamed on me trying to hear Montreal Canadiens Hockey Games back in the 1960's when I was a Kid and the Hab's Games weren't on TV!!! I had to try and tune them in on some Distant AM Station located in Boston, New York or Chicago!! Strange how this Lifelong Hobby evolved from something so innocent…..little did I know??!!

It all started with a SMALL Pocket Radio 6 Transistor Radio back in the 60's…and after many Tons of Radio Equipment have passed through the Shack here…It has once again come full circle with me Listening on a Bunch of Tiny Pocket Radios all over again!!

73…….ROB VA3SW

Robert S. Ross
London, Ontario CANADA








R. Mark Barnett
 

I think that ultralight DXing is part of the radio hobby.  I'm not sure if it matters beyond that, Ham, SWL, casual listener... all are radio enthusiasts. From what I can see everyone is welcome.

I consider myself just a plain crazy radio nut. Rob, I am well acquainted with much of what you describe. The skunks are the worst hazard to my patio listening! Right now I'm not sure I could FIND my patio under all the snow. I'm sure my wife would like to get me committed to a mental hospital after I have my all night radio sessions. 

I love the Ultralights because you don't need to spend much money to get the good stuff. I wish there were more mods for the radios, things like turning the soft-mute OFF... The Ultralight philosophy follows nicely with the Ham QRPp niche too, QRPp meaning transmitters under 1 watt. (for those that might not know) Doing more with less is always an interesting challenge. I am eagerly awaiting the next crop of super radios out of China.. 

I found a Radio Shack loop I'm playing with now.  I wonder if I can run it "backwards" and couple my long wire to my radio with it... it has an output jack and I was thinking I could use it as an input... I had a stroke and every time I search for something in my radio room, I find stuff I forgot I have, it's like CHRISTMAS!


 
Mark B. N8PGV   

 I usually include my callsign to make it easy to look up my location info. NOT because it makes me better, smarter or any other such TOTAL nonsense.
 
Today's scientists have substituted mathematics for experiments, and they wander off through equation after equation, and eventually build a structure which has no relation to reality.
~ Nikola Tesla



Well……I consider myself a Dxer, an SWL, and I am defintiely a Casual Listener at times too!!!  I am also a HAM and even worked many years ago as a Police Radio Dispatcher!! However……..If you ask my wife….she'll tell you I am a Crazy Bugger (Or other Adjective), who stays up half the night (Sometimes ALL NIGHT),  listening to Squeaks and Squawks, and has been known to sit out on the back deck in a Blizzard wearing a Snowmobile Suit, fending off Racoons, Skunks, and Coyotes listening to what she calls Jibberish (Morse Code) trying to hear Aerobeacons on Longwave,  that are located in a much WARMER climate than what I am experiencing out on the back deck during these Frozen Sessions!! All of this can be blamed on me trying to hear Montreal Canadiens Hockey Games back in the 1960's when I was a Kid and the Hab's Games weren't on TV!!! I had to try and tune them in on some Distant AM Station located in Boston, New York or Chicago!! Strange how this Lifelong Hobby evolved from something so innocent…..little did I know??!!

It all started with a SMALL Pocket Radio 6 Transistor Radio back in the 60's…and after many Tons of Radio Equipment have passed through the Shack here…It has once again come full circle with me Listening on a Bunch of Tiny Pocket Radios all over again!!

73…….ROB VA3SW

Robert S. Ross
London, Ontario CANADA







robert ross
 

Hi Paul:

   Well….I don't have a Photo of me in the Snowmobile Suit…but I am attaching a Photo of me in the Backyard, Snowblowing the Yard so the Dogs can run and play. if you look closely….you'll see a SONY SRF-59 ULR in my Hand and some Earphones strapped on over my Toque!!!!

Not sure if this attachment will work or not???? We'll see if it goes through???

73……ROB VA3SW

Robert S. Ross
London, Ontario CANADA

*********************************************************************************

On 2014-03-12, at 4:41 PM, Paul Blundell wrote:

 

Any photos?


On Wed, Mar 12, 2014 at 9:14 PM, Paul Logan <paulloganradio@...> wrote:
 

" has been known to sit out on the back deck in a Blizzard wearing a Snowmobile Suit"

Ha Rob, that made me laugh.


 
Paul Logan,
Lisnaskea, N. Ireland



Paul Blundell
 

Any photos?


On Wed, Mar 12, 2014 at 9:14 PM, Paul Logan <paulloganradio@...> wrote:
 

" has been known to sit out on the back deck in a Blizzard wearing a Snowmobile Suit"

Ha Rob, that made me laugh.


 
Paul Logan,
Lisnaskea, N. Ireland



From: Robert Ross <va3sw@...>
To: ultralightdx@...
Sent: Wednesday, 12 March 2014, 0:45:05
Subject: Re: [ultralightdx] Are we a part of the Amateur / Ham radio hobby?

 

On 2014-03-11, at 7:03 PM, Russ Edmunds wrote:

 
I consider myself a DX'er ( if I listened on SW, I'd consider myself an SWL )
unless I am transmitting and receiving. But by having a license, I am a ham
regardless.

Russ Edmunds
15 mi NNW of Philadelphia 



Well……I consider myself a Dxer, an SWL, and I am defintiely a Casual Listener at times too!!!  I am also a HAM and even worked many years ago as a Police Radio Dispatcher!! However……..If you ask my wife….she'll tell you I am a Crazy Bugger (Or other Adjective), who stays up half the night (Sometimes ALL NIGHT),  listening to Squeaks and Squawks, and has been known to sit out on the back deck in a Blizzard wearing a Snowmobile Suit, fending off Racoons, Skunks, and Coyotes listening to what she calls Jibberish (Morse Code) trying to hear Aerobeacons on Longwave,  that are located in a much WARMER climate than what I am experiencing out on the back deck during these Frozen Sessions!! All of this can be blamed on me trying to hear Montreal Canadiens Hockey Games back in the 1960's when I was a Kid and the Hab's Games weren't on TV!!! I had to try and tune them in on some Distant AM Station located in Boston, New York or Chicago!! Strange how this Lifelong Hobby evolved from something so innocent…..little did I know??!!

It all started with a SMALL Pocket Radio 6 Transistor Radio back in the 60's…and after many Tons of Radio Equipment have passed through the Shack here…It has once again come full circle with me Listening on a Bunch of Tiny Pocket Radios all over again!!

73…….ROB VA3SW

Robert S. Ross
London, Ontario CANADA






Paul Logan
 

" has been known to sit out on the back deck in a Blizzard wearing a Snowmobile Suit"

Ha Rob, that made me laugh.


 
Paul Logan,
Lisnaskea, N. Ireland


Listening Homepage: http://band2dx.webs.com/
Video: http://www.youtube.com/user/yogi540

From: Robert Ross
To: ultralightdx@...
Sent: Wednesday, 12 March 2014, 0:45:05
Subject: Re: [ultralightdx] Are we a part of the Amateur / Ham radio hobby?

 

On 2014-03-11, at 7:03 PM, Russ Edmunds wrote:

 
I consider myself a DX'er ( if I listened on SW, I'd consider myself an SWL )
unless I am transmitting and receiving. But by having a license, I am a ham
regardless.

Russ Edmunds
15 mi NNW of Philadelphia 



Well……I consider myself a Dxer, an SWL, and I am defintiely a Casual Listener at times too!!!  I am also a HAM and even worked many years ago as a Police Radio Dispatcher!! However……..If you ask my wife….she'll tell you I am a Crazy Bugger (Or other Adjective), who stays up half the night (Sometimes ALL NIGHT),  listening to Squeaks and Squawks, and has been known to sit out on the back deck in a Blizzard wearing a Snowmobile Suit, fending off Racoons, Skunks, and Coyotes listening to what she calls Jibberish (Morse Code) trying to hear Aerobeacons on Longwave,  that are located in a much WARMER climate than what I am experiencing out on the back deck during these Frozen Sessions!! All of this can be blamed on me trying to hear Montreal Canadiens Hockey Games back in the 1960's when I was a Kid and the Hab's Games weren't on TV!!! I had to try and tune them in on some Distant AM Station located in Boston, New York or Chicago!! Strange how this Lifelong Hobby evolved from something so innocent…..little did I know??!!

It all started with a SMALL Pocket Radio 6 Transistor Radio back in the 60's…and after many Tons of Radio Equipment have passed through the Shack here…It has once again come full circle with me Listening on a Bunch of Tiny Pocket Radios all over again!!

73…….ROB VA3SW

Robert S. Ross
London, Ontario CANADA





robert ross
 


On 2014-03-11, at 7:03 PM, Russ Edmunds wrote:

 

I consider myself a DX'er ( if I listened on SW, I'd consider myself an SWL )
unless I am transmitting and receiving. But by having a license, I am a ham
regardless.

Russ Edmunds
15 mi NNW of Philadelphia 




Well……I consider myself a Dxer, an SWL, and I am defintiely a Casual Listener at times too!!!  I am also a HAM and even worked many years ago as a Police Radio Dispatcher!! However……..If you ask my wife….she'll tell you I am a Crazy Bugger (Or other Adjective), who stays up half the night (Sometimes ALL NIGHT),  listening to Squeaks and Squawks, and has been known to sit out on the back deck in a Blizzard wearing a Snowmobile Suit, fending off Racoons, Skunks, and Coyotes listening to what she calls Jibberish (Morse Code) trying to hear Aerobeacons on Longwave,  that are located in a much WARMER climate than what I am experiencing out on the back deck during these Frozen Sessions!! All of this can be blamed on me trying to hear Montreal Canadiens Hockey Games back in the 1960's when I was a Kid and the Hab's Games weren't on TV!!! I had to try and tune them in on some Distant AM Station located in Boston, New York or Chicago!! Strange how this Lifelong Hobby evolved from something so innocent…..little did I know??!!

It all started with a SMALL Pocket Radio 6 Transistor Radio back in the 60's…and after many Tons of Radio Equipment have passed through the Shack here…It has once again come full circle with me Listening on a Bunch of Tiny Pocket Radios all over again!!

73…….ROB VA3SW

Robert S. Ross
London, Ontario CANADA



Paul Blundell
 

Thanks for all the replies, they made for interesting reading.
I guess it is best just to call it hobby radio and be done with it.

Russ Edmunds <wb2bjh@...>
 

I consider myself a DX'er ( if I listened on SW, I'd consider myself an SWL )
unless I am transmitting and receiving. But by having a license, I am a ham
regardless.


Russ Edmunds
15 mi NNW of Philadelphia
Grid FN20id
<wb2bjh@...>



--------------------------------------------

On Tue, 3/11/14, keith beesley <keith1226@...> wrote:

Subject: Re: [ultralightdx] Re: Are we a part of the Amateur / Ham radio hobby?
To: "ultralightdx@..." <ultralightdx@...>
Date: Tuesday, March 11, 2014, 5:38 PM
















 









Yes, there are
amateurs who transmit and receive, and then there are people
who DX LW, MW, SW, FM broadcast, VHF/UHF (scanning), and TV.
Sometimes all of the above, or different bands for different
seasons. All different branches of the radio
hobby. 
TV
DXing has become more of a challenge in N. America since the
digital
conversion a few years ago, but I think there are people
still doing it, with elaborate antenna systems, phasers,
signal boosters, etc. 
Keith
BeesleySeattle WA
USA 


On Tuesday, March 11, 2014 8:13 AM,
"g3gene@..." <g3gene@...>
wrote:

 









We're basically "Listeners" or
Dx'ers. Amateur Radio is understood to be licensed
operators in the Ham bands.
Loosely
speaking, we might be called amateurs, but
"hobbyist" is a better fit.

Gene

keith beesley
 

Yes, there are amateurs who transmit and receive, and then there are people who DX LW, MW, SW, FM broadcast, VHF/UHF (scanning), and TV. Sometimes all of the above, or different bands for different seasons. All different branches of the radio hobby. 

TV DXing has become more of a challenge in N. America since the digital conversion a few years ago, but I think there are people still doing it, with elaborate antenna systems, phasers, signal boosters, etc. 

Keith Beesley
Seattle WA USA 


On Tuesday, March 11, 2014 8:13 AM, "g3gene@..." <g3gene@...> wrote:
 
We're basically "Listeners" or Dx'ers. Amateur Radio is understood to be licensed operators in the Ham bands.
Loosely speaking, we might be called amateurs, but "hobbyist" is a better fit.

Gene


bluenectarine
 

We're basically "Listeners" or Dx'ers. Amateur Radio is understood to be licensed operators in the Ham bands.
Loosely speaking, we might be called amateurs, but "hobbyist" is a better fit.

Gene

Paul Logan
 

I feel about my listening interests being confused with "Amateur Radio" the way Amateurs feel about their interests being confused with CB radio ;-)

An Amateur (I'm one too btw) once told me that "listeners" were "wannabe hams" so I sent him a recording of an FM broadcast harmonic that appeared on 45.65 mhz from Niger and asked him to identify it.
 
Paul Logan,
Lisnaskea, N. Ireland


Listening Homepage: http://band2dx.webs.com/
Video: http://www.youtube.com/user/yogi540

From: Peter Laws To: "ultralightdx@..."
Sent: Tuesday, 11 March 2014, 13:59:06
Subject: Re: [ultralightdx] Are we a part of the Amateur / Ham radio hobby?

 
On Tue, Mar 11, 2014 at 3:40 AM, <tanger32au@...> wrote:


A quick question for everybody: is amateur / ham radio only the transmitting side or could you class short wave / medium wave listening as part of this? I guess my question is how can this side of the hobby be described if it does not fit in to the above?


I try to look at it this way:  is radio magic?  If yes, then you're in the club.  

From Wikipedia.  Note the etymology:

An amateur (French amateur "lover of", from Old French and ultimately from Latin amatorem nom. amator, "lover") is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science in a non-professional or unpaid manner. Amateurs often have little or no formal training in their pursuits, and many are autodidacts (self-taught).
  
So if you love radio, by definition, you are an amateur.  :-)  I would guess that most people that love radio receive and never transmit - SWLs, MWLs (to coin a term), scanner enthusiasts, TV/FMDXers, etc.  I do both but I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority.

Are you a ham?  Yeah, probably not.  "Ham" after all is the derogatory term for a poor operator (may even predate wireless telegraphy and may have originated on wireline telegraphy) as in "ham fisted" so that means you need to be transmitting.  But don't let any licensed amateurs get all snooty and tell you that you aren't worthy unless you're licensed.  


--
Peter Laws | N5UWY | plaws plaws net | Travel by Train!


Peter Laws
 

On Tue, Mar 11, 2014 at 3:40 AM, <tanger32au@...> wrote:


A quick question for everybody: is amateur / ham radio only the transmitting side or could you class short wave / medium wave listening as part of this? I guess my question is how can this side of the hobby be described if it does not fit in to the above?


I try to look at it this way:  is radio magic?  If yes, then you're in the club.  

From Wikipedia.  Note the etymology:

An amateur (French amateur "lover of", from Old French and ultimately from Latin amatorem nom. amator, "lover") is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science in a non-professional or unpaid manner. Amateurs often have little or no formal training in their pursuits, and many are autodidacts (self-taught).

  
So if you love radio, by definition, you are an amateur.  :-)  I would guess that most people that love radio receive and never transmit - SWLs, MWLs (to coin a term), scanner enthusiasts, TV/FMDXers, etc.  I do both but I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority.

Are you a ham?  Yeah, probably not.  "Ham" after all is the derogatory term for a poor operator (may even predate wireless telegraphy and may have originated on wireline telegraphy) as in "ham fisted" so that means you need to be transmitting.  But don't let any licensed amateurs get all snooty and tell you that you aren't worthy unless you're licensed.  


--
Peter Laws | N5UWY | plaws plaws net | Travel by Train!

Kevin Raper
 


On Mar 11, 2014, at 7:43 AM, Stan Horzepa wrote:

IMHO, if you don't need an Amateur Radio license to do what you're doing, then it ain't Amateur Radio.


Agreed! Now I do enjoy Long Wave, AM, Shortwave, and FM DXing, but it is a whole different Hobby than Amateur Radio where I like to hang out on the AM Windows and use Home Brew and converted Broadcast transmitters and such.



73,
Kevin Raper
KJ4HYD
CE WCKI WQIZ WLTQ

There is no limitation to the fidelity of AM radio. From a mathematical standpoint, AM does better in frequency response than FM. - Leonard Kahn



Stan Horzepa
 

IMHO, if you don't need an Amateur Radio license to do what you're doing, then it ain't Amateur Radio.

73,

Stan, WA1LOU


On 3/11/2014 6:06 AM, Paul Logan wrote:

I view everything to do with listening (apart from listening to hams) as a completely separate thing.

 
Paul Logan,
Lisnaskea, N. Ireland



From: "tanger32au@..."
To: ultralightdx@...
Sent: Tuesday, 11 March 2014, 8:40:48
Subject: [ultralightdx] Are we a part of the Amateur / Ham radio hobby?

 
A quick question for everybody: is amateur / ham radio only the transmitting side or could you class short wave / medium wave listening as part of this? I guess my question is how can this side of the hobby be described if it does not fit in to the above?

Paul



Don Peacock <don_peacock@...>
 

If you were going to categorize these, "Radio" would be at the top and then there would be sub-divisions.  I know Ham radio operators that do almost zero transmitting.  They have big receive antenna's (separate from their transmit antenna's) and listen outside the ham bands extensively.  I know Hams that do 'Fox Hunts'  Radio direction finding, which is pretty much a 'receive' operation.

I personally like both, but being able to exchange messages 'transmit' is a big part of it for me.  Building antenna's/feed systems that will transmit involves a different/additional set of constraints to be managed.


Don

To: ultralightdx@...
From: tanger32au@...
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 01:40:48 -0700
Subject: [ultralightdx] Are we a part of the Amateur / Ham radio hobby?

 
A quick question for everybody: is amateur / ham radio only the transmitting side or could you class short wave / medium wave listening as part of this? I guess my question is how can this side of the hobby be described if it does not fit in to the above?

Paul

Paul Logan
 

I view everything to do with listening (apart from listening to hams) as a completely separate thing.

 
Paul Logan,
Lisnaskea, N. Ireland


Listening Homepage: http://band2dx.webs.com/
Video: http://www.youtube.com/user/yogi540

From: "tanger32au@..."
To: ultralightdx@...
Sent: Tuesday, 11 March 2014, 8:40:48
Subject: [ultralightdx] Are we a part of the Amateur / Ham radio hobby?

 
A quick question for everybody: is amateur / ham radio only the transmitting side or could you class short wave / medium wave listening as part of this? I guess my question is how can this side of the hobby be described if it does not fit in to the above?

Paul


Paul Blundell
 

A quick question for everybody: is amateur / ham radio only the transmitting side or could you class short wave / medium wave listening as part of this? I guess my question is how can this side of the hobby be described if it does not fit in to the above?

Paul

1 - 19 of 19