Ham Radio Class Interest

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/rubicon-trail/2006658-spring-ham-class-2015-april-4th-18th.html

RTF's spring ham class has been scheduled. Here's the info:

Ham Radio is the very best way to communicate on the Rubicon and other trails. It is literally a lifesaver!!! The class makes it easy.

This class, sponsored by Rubicon Trail Foundation, is designed to take you from zero to HAM radio operator in no time at all. It will be held in the Sacramento Valley area, in El Dorado Hills.

The dates are:

Class: April 4th, 2015, 9:00AM until 5:00PM, with a 1 hour lunch break – in this session, Barb will give you everything you need to know to pass the test…help you through the hard stuff, show you how to study the easy stuff, and where to look for info between classes. You should expect to be in class all day and you’ll learn a ton of stuff! She’ll also give you info on how to study for the test the easy way.

Test: April 18th, 2015, 9:00AM until about 2:00PM – in this session, an examiner team will meet you when you arrive. They’ll administer the test, and after you have passed, John will teach you stuff about using your radio in the practical world and give you a bunch of info about getting emergency help, setting up your radio, and using it in the Rubicon as well as general info for other areas. You’ll leave the session with all the tools you need to get started, including a radio, if you want one.

Radios: Once again we will offer a “group buy” price on the Yaesu FT-60 portable radio and/or Yaesu FT-8800 mobile radio. We don’t make any money on this, we’re just trying to get radios into the hands of OHV users. After you sign up, more info will be made available on that. These are the same radios we have offered in the past, and have proven to be durable, practical, easy to program and understand, and work very well.

Cost: The cost for the class is the $15.00 charge for your FCC license due on test day…that’s it! I will get prices for the radios as the date gets closer and will put that out via email to those that have signed up.

Book: The book you need is the ARRL Ham Radio License Manual, 3rd edition. It MUST be the most current book (question pool good through June 30, 2018, as identified on page viii). I believe they are cheapest at Amazon.com. and fastest from Ham Radio Outlet. You MUST have the new (June 30, 2018 question pool) version of the book as you won’t be able to follow the class without it AND the questions on the test are different! ISBN: 978-1-62595-013-0

Sign up for the class by emailing me with your name, address, phone number, and preferred email address at [email protected]. You MUST sign up in order to be in the class and receive further emails.

John Arenz
530-651-3028

Sounds interesting Greg. Is this the first mod for your jeep?

I believe Fred has his HAM license.
I know my son (Ben) is dying to get his HAM license. Is there an age requirement?
Maybe I'll take the class with him. I'll think on it for a little bit. I'm not gung hoe about it, but I know he would enjoy it.

JohnDF said

I believe Fred has his HAM license.
I know my son (Ben) is dying to get his HAM license. Is there an age requirement?
Maybe I'll take the class with him. I'll think on it for a little bit. I'm not gung hoe about it, but I know he would enjoy it.

I do have my license, KI6MLI. I don't recall any age restrictions. I took the class through RTF. It's not difficult to earn your Technician's license. It's pretty cool - one time while checking on a club member I was sitting in my driveway in Folsom talking with guys on the Rubicon!

Interesting - boooo for being on the 18th

We do not have to go through RTF. That was just an example of an upcoming class. Their is an Auburn Club that hosts the test every month at the Raley's in Granite Bay. You can just study at home then go take the test.

If we had enough interest, I thought we might he able to provoke them into holding a class and test just for us. 😁

Course Module:
http://www.hsdivers.com/Ham/

Fred said

JohnDF said

I believe Fred has his HAM license.
I know my son (Ben) is dying to get his HAM license. Is there an age requirement?
Maybe I'll take the class with him. I'll think on it for a little bit. I'm not gung hoe about it, but I know he would enjoy it.

I do have my license, KI6MLI. I don't recall any age restrictions. I took the class through RTF. It's not difficult to earn your Technician's license. It's pretty cool - one time while checking on a club member I was sitting in my driveway in Folsom talking with guys on the Rubicon!

This is the main reason I would like to push the Ham Radio. We have many new members as well as club growth and the ability to talk to the group on the trail could really help us out in case of an emergency. Jeff has had to use a satellite phone on the trail before to request a helicopter for a medical emergency. I think its a great tool for the tool belt when out on the trail.

BKGM Jeepers said

Sounds interesting Greg. Is this the first mod for your jeep?

Heck no!! I did floor mats like the 3rd week I had the jeep...😳

Gregulator said This is the main reason I would like to push the Ham Radio. We have many new members as well as club growth and the ability to talk to the group on the trail could really help us out in case of an emergency. Jeff has had to use a satellite phone on the trail before to request a helicopter for a medical emergency. I think its a great tool for the tool belt when out on the trail.

Funny you mention Jeff, that's who I was checking on.

If you can go through RTF I'd recommend it. It's good to support and get to know others in our hobby. Additionally, you can order radios through them and they'll modify them at no cost to allow you to communicate with the Forest Service and the rescue helicopters (emergency use only, otherwise its against the law).

Edit) I just reread the original post. Maybe they're not offering the modification any more.

Hey Fred, can your provide details, like what's the radio size? How do you manage space for it plus the CB? Is it something I could store in one of my watertight cases and just plug in when I needed it? Are the annual fees? Renewal tests? Anything else we'd need to know?

Thanks!

BKGM Jeepers said

Hey Fred, can your provide details, like what's the radio size? How do you manage space for it plus the CB? Is it something I could store in one of my watertight cases and just plug in when I needed it? Are the annual fees? Renewal tests? Anything else we'd need to know?

Thanks!

I've got the Yaesu FT-60 radio. It's a handheld radio in the walkie talkie size range. It's bigger than an FRS radio but still fairly small. It's battery operated, either with it's proprietary battery or there's an adapter for using AA batteries. The other radio offered by RTF is a vehicle mount radio. It will have more power and better long-range antenna options. I chose the handheld radio because I didn't want to have another radio mounted in my Jeep.

For amateur radio there are no annual fees but you do have to renew your license every 10 years.

Thanks. That's what I was looking for. Do you think you could connect the handheld to a vehicle antenna for increased range? Well, you said your handheld connected from your driveway to the Rubicon. What's the price range for the radio?

BKGM Jeepers said

Thanks. That's what I was looking for. Do you think you could connect the handheld to a vehicle antenna for increased range? Well, you said your handheld connected from your driveway to the Rubicon. What's the price range for the radio?

The "rubber ducky" antenna can be unscrewed and other antennas can be attached. One could mount the handheld radio in a vehicle with an external power source and antenna, but the radio itself wouldn't put out out as much power as the dedicated vehicle mount radio. I believe my radio cost somewhere between $400-$450.

The nice thing with amateur radio is the repeaters. Your personal radio doesn't necessarily have to transmit the entire distance to the recipient on its own. There is at least one repeater on Rubicon.

Thanks for the info!

These are all questions that could be answered in the class...LOL

Maybe it would be to the interest of the club to have a Ham Radio rep come share at a monthly meeting for general details like those above.

I emailed this club that tests in Granite Bay to see if they would come to a meeting and share.
http://www.w6ek.org/index.html

Here's the response I got from my interest email...

Hi Greg,

I will answer for the group, but most definitely we would be interested. I've forwarded your request to our Board of Directors and to the VE that normally leads the testing. Someone will be getting back to you shortly. If not, please feel free to call or email me.

My Son, Justin-N6FWD (note the 4-wheel drive phonetics?) has his Tech and studying for his General now. He is an avid 4-wheeler and may have literally crossed paths with you or members of your group on occasion at the Rubicon or other popular 4WD spot. He is helping 3 other "Jeepers" studying to get their first ham license as well.

Hope to meet you and talk more on the subject some day soon.

73,

Dennis

Here's a link to the AARL website, specifically to one of the recommended books for studying for the Technician license. http://www.arrl.org/studying-for-a-technician-license There are other books as well as online tests. Attending a class is not a requirement but it's not a bad idea if you're not already familiar with the subject. A co-worker was already familiar with the subject matter, didn't take any class, passed the technician test and immediately took & passed the general test.

Sounds interesting! It's something I've wondered about but have never really looked in to.

Very interested

Interested x2 for Logan and myself.

I'm in communication with this club, I will keep you all posted and updated as details unfold.

I agree with Fred, the class may not be neccassry, but I'm interested in it due to my limited knowledge of ham radios.

Gregulator said

I'm interested in it due to my limited knowledge of ham radios.

What are you talking about??? You are the biggest ham I know that I hear on a radio Pod Cast...

You may know ham and radio... but I know

BLTJeep said

Gregulator said

I'm interested in it due to my limited knowledge of ham radios.

What are you talking about??? You are the biggest ham I know that I hear on a radio Pod Cast...

You may know ham and radio... but I know

HAHAHA!!!