ú Subject: rec.radio.amateur.misc Frequently Asked Questions (Part 1 of 3) Posted-By: auto-faq 2.4 Archive-name: radio/ham-radio/faq/part1 Revision: 3.7 02/19/93 17:18:18 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.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 (1/93) ** Introduction to the FAQ (11/92) * How to Contribute to the FAQ Articles (1/93) * Acknowledgements (7/92) * Notes on "Netiquette" (1/93) ** What is Amateur Radio? (11/92) ** Who can become a ham in the United States? (11/92) ** Where can I locate information and books on Amateur Radio? (4/92) ** How much does it cost? (4/92) ** Where can I take the tests? (pre-4/92) ** What are the tests like? (4/92) ** 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 (new 1/93) * The ARRL e-mail server (1/93) * The Internet File Transfer Protocol (FTP) (1/93) * Access to FTP archives via electronic mail (1/93) * The Info-Hams mail list: rec.radio.amateur.misc by mail (1/93) * Telephone BBS's with Ham-related information (11/92) * Callsign servers and geographical name servers (11/92) * FTP access to FCC Part 97 and FCC Amateur Radio question pools (11/92) * 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? (pre-4/92) ** How do I become a 10-10 member? (pre-4/92) ** How do I join MARS? (1/93) ** 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? (pre-4/92) ** 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? (4/92) ** Are there Dialup News services or BBSs for Amateur Radio? (4/92) ** Where can I find VE sessions in my local area? (6/92) ** 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) ** I'm confused. What do all those abbreviations mean??? (5/92) ** What do all those "tones" mean? (pre-4/92) ** Where can I learn more about Amateur Radio if I live outside the US? (4/92) ** 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)? (11/92) ** My apartment or housing complex does not allow outdoor antennas, now what do I do? (pre-4/92) ** I got TVI...HELP!!! (pre-4/92) ** 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? (4/92) ** I'm confused about XXX, should I ask the FCC? (4/92) ** Is there any information on antique radios? (pre-4/92) ** Where can I buy vacuum tubes? (pre-4/92) ** What do I need to get started in packet radio? (5/92) ** What do I need to get started in satellite communications? (pre-4/92) ** What is available to get started in ATV, SSTV and WEFAX? (5/92) ** What are these contests I sometimes hear, and how do I participate? (7/92) --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 the following criteria: - is it a commonly asked question? - will its inclusion help reduce the usage of network bandwidth? - how useful is it to beginning Hams or to the majority of Hams? Contributions don't have to meet all of these but the minimum is one. We actually only ask that you consider these before contributing. We can't necessarily include every question or every topic - the network simply doesn't have enough bandwidth to carry that much information. Besides, the point is that we're trying to conserve network bandwidth. You can find the locations of much more informa- tion by referring to the "Index to the rec.radio.amateur.* Supple- mental Archives" posted monthly by Paul Schleck KD3FU. If you suggest a question for this FAQ, please include the answer. You'll get credit for your contribution and you'll speed up the pro- cess of getting the information ready for distribution. If you feel your contribution is sufficient to meet the considerations shown above, send it to hamradio-faq@amdahl.com so that it will reach all the FAQ coordinators: (listed in alphabetical order) Diana L Carlson KC1SP dls@genrad.com (Hudson, NH, USA) Ed Hare KA1CV ehare@arrl.org (Newington, CT, USA) Ian Kluft (editor) KD6EUI ikluft@uts.amdahl.com (San Jose, 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) 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's work or her editing of a contributor's work. Diana estab- lished this FAQ. She is now one of the larger group that maintains it but we didn't want her effort to be lost in the crowd. * 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. * 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 in the United States? Anyone who is not a representative of a foreign government can be an Amateur Radio operator in the USA. There are tests that you must pass to get a license, however the tests are not insurmountable. ** 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. ** How much does it cost? To take the Novice tests, it's free. To take the Technician or higher class tests, there is a small charge (around $5-$6 currently) to cover copying costs and running the testing sessions. 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 can be given by any two qualified hams of General class license or above. The Technician tests and all higher class 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. ** 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 1992); 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 ** Should I build my own equipment or 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. ========================================================================= ú Subject: rec.radio.amateur.misc Frequently Asked Questions (Part 2 of 3) Posted-By: auto-faq 2.4 Archive-name: radio/ham-radio/faq/part2 Revision: 3.7 02/19/93 17:49:15 Rec.radio.amateur.misc Frequently Asked Questions Part 2 - Amateur Radio Organizations, Services, and Information Sources ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Questions discussed in Part 2: (dates indicate last modification) ** Where can I find Ham Radio information with a computer? (11/92) * The rec.radio.* newsgroups (new 1/93) * The ARRL e-mail server (1/93) * The Internet File Transfer Protocol (FTP) (1/93) * Access to FTP archives via electronic mail (1/93) * The Info-Hams mail list: rec.radio.amateur.misc by mail (1/93) * Telephone BBS's with Ham-related information (11/92) * Callsign servers and geographical name servers (11/92) * FTP access to FCC Part 97 and FCC Amateur Radio question pools (11/92) * 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? (pre-4/92) ** How do I become a 10-10 member? (pre-4/92) ** How do I join MARS? (1/93) ** 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? (pre-4/92) ** 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? (4/92) ** Are there Dialup News services or BBSs for Amateur Radio? (4/92) ** Where can I find VE sessions in my local area? (6/92) ** Why isn't XXX available electronically? (4/92) --Rec.radio.amateur.misc Frequently-asked Questions------------------Part 2-- ** Where can I find Ham Radio information with a computer? This question has many answers spanning several electronic media including UseNet, electronic mail, the Internet, dialup bulletin board systems (BBS) and others. Various electronic information sources are summarized under the subheadings that follow. All electronic mail addresses listed are in Internet format. If your site is not connected to the Internet and does not support Internet- style mail addresses, you will need to contact either your system administrators or a local "guru" to find out how or if you can send mail to the sites listed. Ask them, "how can I get mail to the Internet?" and show them the address you're interested in. * The rec.radio.* newsgroups The primary distribution mechanism for this FAQ is UseNet. There are several newsgroups dealing with Amateur Radio and other aspects of radio. The full list is as follows: rec.radio.amateur.misc (*) Ham Radio - misc/general topics rec.radio.amateur.packet Ham Radio - computer/packet radio rec.radio.amateur.policy Ham Radio - policy & regulation rec.radio.broadcasting public broadcast radio rec.radio.cb Citizens' Band Radio rec.radio.info (*) periodic info from all rec.radio groups rec.radio.noncomm misc non-commercial radio topics rec.radio.shortwave Shortwave Radio rec.radio.swap radio equipment wanted and for sale This FAQ is cross-posted to the newsgroups marked with asterisks (*). It is also cross-posted to rec.answers (the archive for FAQs in the rec.* newsgroups) and to news.answers (UseNet's general repository for FAQs.) These should be the first places to look for new current copies of the FAQ. Most of the rec.radio newsgroups have their own FAQs as well. * The ARRL e-mail server ARRL is the American Radio Relay League, representing and promoting Amateur Radio in the USA. They have established an automated file server which responds to information requests via electronic mail. To use the server, send mail to info@arrl.org with any number of one-line commands in your message. Valid commands are as follows: help sends more detailed instructions about the e-mail server index sends a list of the files currently available send file sends a file (replace "file" with the file's name) several files are referenced by name in parts of this FAQ quit ends command processing - use it if a signature will be appended to your message The server program will respond to the commands, each in a separate message. Among many other informative files, a current copy of the FAQ (updated monthly) can be obtained from the ARRL e-mail server. * The Internet File Transfer Protocol (FTP) Sites connected to the Internet can access large amounts of data almost anywhere in the world, often at high speeds. One common way to transfer the data you want is FTP. Some sites offer a service called "anonymous FTP" which allows remote users to access a set of public files without requiring a password. Tom Czarnik coordinates a fairly definitive list of anonymous FTP sites, their IP numbers, time zones, general contents, and access policies which he posts to the comp.misc, comp.sources.wanted, alt.sources.wanted, and news.answers newsgroups. It is itself available via anonymous FTP (how about that?? :-) from (among other places) rtfm.mit.edu (18.172.1.27) under directory /pub/usenet/news.answers/ftp-list. For specific information about exact locations of files by name, the Archie database server may be of help. First check if anyone has installed the "archie" program on your machine and use it. Archie may also be accessed by telnetting to one of the following sites (use the one closest to you): Finland/Europe: archie.funet.fi (128.215.6.100) Canada: archie.mcgill.ca (132.206.2.3) Australia/New Zealand: archie.au (128.184.1.4) Israel: cs.huji.ac.il (132.65.6.5) UK/Ireland: raquel.doc.ic.ac.uk (146.169.11.3) USA (Maryland): archie.sura.net (128.167.254.179) USA (Nebraska): archie.unl.edu (129.93.1.14) USA (New York): archie.ans.net (147.225.1.2) USA (New Jersey): archie.rutgers.edu (128.6.18.15) Login is archie. Type "help" at the prompt for a description of all server commands. For those without telnet capability, the database may be accessed non- interactively via mail server. Send E-mail with the word "help" to archie@host where host is one of the Archie sites above. The above two resources (the FTP list and the Archie server) are extremely powerful tools for finding out "what's out there" at various FTP sites around the world. *PLEASE* exhaust their capabilities before posting requests to the net. The following is a brief summary of major ham-related FTP sites and places where you can obtain a current copy of this FAQ: ftp.cs.buffalo.edu (128.205.32.9) (submissions to this ftp site should be made to bowen@cs.buffalo.edu) - contains many ham radio files, including the FAQs, Elmer list, SWL and scanner info, Packet FAQ, examination opportunities, information on various regulations, information on commercial radios (i.e. GE or Motorola), SSTV (slow-scan TV), HTs (handheld transceivers) and the KA2UGQ worldwide BBS list. See ~pub/ham-radio. This FAQ is updated monthly here. wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (192.88.110.20) Keith Peterson, W8SDZ, has apparently returned as the maintainer of this huge repository of ham-radio (software and modifications), MS-DOS, and CP/M files. To find out how to submit files to this archive, please read his informational posts to the comp.binaries.ibm.pc.archives newsgroup. If you cannot directly FTP from wsmr-simtel20, there is a mail server that can help. Send mail with the text "help" to listserv@vm.ecs.rpi.edu (128.113.5.11). wuarchive.wustl.edu (128.252.135.4) A "mirror" of the files available on Simtel20, plus a *LOT* more. A more user-friendly Unix environment (plus a faster net connection) makes this site preferred over Simtel20. If you are on a Unix box locally, see if your system administrator will "NFS-mount" these files for faster/easier access. ucsd.edu (128.54.16.1) The "home" site (with the most recent versions for the largest number of different computer platforms) of the KA9Q TCP/IP Network Operating System (NOS), other ham-related software, and the archives for the Info-Hams, Packet-Radio, Ham-Policy, Radio-Info and TCP-Group digests. uxc.cso.uiuc.edu (128.174.5.50) cd pub/ham-radio - This site contains the HyperCard Hamstacks written by Diana Syriac as well as ASCII readable ham radio question pools. ftp.apple.com (130.43.2.3) cd pub/ham-radio - Ham software and information, especially Macintosh software ftp.uu.net (137.39.1.9) wuarchive.wustl.edu (128.252.135.4) wolfen.cc.uow.edu.au (130.130.68.4) athene.uni-paderborn.de (131.234.2.32) nic.funet.fi (128.214.6.100) ham radio files and software for the Amiga computer system rtfm.mit.edu (18.172.1.27) also called pit-manager.mit.edu cd pub/usenet/news.answers - all participating FAQs and periodic informational postings are archived here, including those from the rec.radio.* newsgroups which can be found in pub/usenet/news.answers/radio. Participating FAQs are automatically archived here when they are posted on UseNet. uts.mcc.ac.uk (130.88.200.3) cd gopher-data/justforfun/faq/recreation - see *radio* for radio-related FAQs. This site is located in the UK and is a good place to obtain the FAQ from the UK and the European mainland. ftp.amdahl.com (129.212.11.1) also called charon.amdahl.com cd pub/radio/amateur - the most up-to-date copy of the FAQ (updated nightly when changes are made) If you experience difficulty connecting to the above FTP sites, some troubleshooting hints are shown below. The unfortunate situation here is that Netnews is far more prevalent than direct Internet hookups, accurate name servers, smart mailers and routers, and of course, telnet and FTP client services. What this means is that your trouble may be caused by MANY factors. Here's some hints to check what's wrong: * It may very well be that your newsfeed and email are via dialup line and UUCP (Unix-to-Unix copy) in the wee hours of the morning. If this is the case, then you have no direct connection to the Internet and thus cannot use real-time interactive services like FTP and telnet. * If you are at a college or university, your host (ie, the computer you are logged onto) may be on the Bitnet network, which has an email gateway to the Internet, but no direct connect capability. * If you do have a direct connection to the Internet, does your host have telnet and/or FTP client programs? (ie, if you type "ftp" or "telnet" at your command prompt, do you get anything?) Many hosts, particularly IBM mainframes not running Unix, do not support these services! * Can you telnet to other hosts and get a login prompt? It may very well be that some hosts are "not recognized" due to misconfigured connections and inaccurate host tables/name servers (*.mil computers are *NOTORIOUS* for this!) * If you get "host not in host table" or "host unknown" or similar error, try telnetting via the IP number, a set of four 1-3-digit numbers separated by periods (eg, 137.48.1.1). The exact IP number for the site can be obtained via the nslookup utility, if your computer supports it....or check the FAQs. Your host may not recognize the "fully-qualified domain name" (like callsign.cs.buffalo.edu), but it should ALWAYS recognize an IP number if their network is reachable from yours. * If you get "network unreachable" check with some more knowledgeable users if your site is actually connected to the Internet. If it is, a link in the network may be temporarily disconnected for maintenance (or by accident.) * In the case of telnetting to a non-default port (as in the case with the callbook servers), if telnet doesn't work, but you can telnet to the default login port (ie, no qualifiers), then the manner at which the port qualifier is entered may be system dependent. * Syntax for telnetting from different operating systems differ. Some common command syntaxes are: (angle brackets are for readability, do not type these in literally) Berkeley Unix or VMS with Wollongong TCP/IP uses syntax: telnet Other possibilities to try: telnet console (for 2000 port) telnet open : telnet / telnet /port= (for Multinet on VMS) * Compression techniques are different for different operating systems. However, these hints should help: foo.sit needs MacIntosh UnStuffit to unstuff; foo.hqx needs MacIntosh BinHex to uncompress; foo.Z needs Unix 'uncompress' to uncompress or VMX compress_vms.exe (on gatekeeper.dec.com) will work too. If more than one method was used, like for foo.hqx.Z, start at the outside and work in (so uncompress on Unix with 'uncompress' first, transfer to MacIntosh, then uncompress with BinHex to get uncompressed file). * There is an excellent introduction to FTP and archiving software regularly posted to comp.binaries.ibm.pc and news.answers. * If all else fails, ASK your system administrator or check system documentation. * Access to FTP archives via electronic mail ANY BITNET, EARN, or NorthNET site can access the Princeton mail server. It will be most efficient if you know the complete path and filename for anything you wish to transfer, but you can use 'cd' and 'ls -l' commands to move about and browse the remote site's directories. The Archie database server may also be useful to search for files and their directory locations on FTP sites around the world (see below). Please be patient when using non-interactive mail servers such as BITFTP as each request may take several hours (or longer) to be fulfilled. For access to the FTP server, send email to bitftp@pucc.bitnet (for BITNET, EARN and NorthNET users ONLY!). Subject doesn't matter. The text of the email is the FTP commands one after another. For example, suppose you wanted to access the FTP site lcs.mit.edu: FTP lcs.mit.edu USER anonymous PASS yourname@yoursite (not required) ASCII CD telecom-archives GET filenames BYE A help file is available giving detailed instructions by putting the single word HELP into the text of the email. For nonBITNET users, there is also a FTPMAIL server at ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com (16.1.0.1). Commands include: REPLY , CONNECT [HOST [user [pass]]], ASCII, BINARY, COMPRESS, COMPACT, UUENCODE, BTOA, LS , DIR , GET , QUIT, HELP. Get the help file for more information by sending mail with the single line "help". The ftpmail site may complain if you try try to get more than 1 file per email request. Here is an example of a request: reply your_name@your_site connect uxc.cso.uiuc.edu binary uuencode get pub/ham-radio/Tech.v3.3.sit.hqx.Z quit A note on the use of FTP mailservers: If you want to use FTP mailservers, like FTPMAIL, please be considerate of any systems that your mail must pass through. The quickest way to find yourself cut off from the world is to make the admins of sites that pass your mail pass 60Mb of X11 graphics system source. If you need large amounts of information from a mailserver, contact your admin for help -- it may already be available, or he may know a better way to get it. * The Info-Hams mail list: rec.radio.amateur.misc by mail You can use rec.radio.amateur.misc even if your site has no NetNews feed. To subscribe to rec.radio.amateur.misc, send email to: Info-Hams-Request@ucsd.edu In the body of the message, write: subscribe Info-Hams If your local e-mail software does not provide a valid return address (i.e. Bitnet, many Milnet sites, and many non-Unix e-mail packages) you can provide your return address between the "subscribe" and the name of the mailing list (i.e. "subscribe myname@here.org Info-Hams".) Similarly, to subscribe to some other rec.radio.* newsgroups, use the following directions: * To subscribe to rec.radio.amateur.packet, send email to Packet-Radio-Request@ucsd.edu, message is "subscribe Packet-Radio" * To subscribe to rec.radio.amateur.policy, send email to Ham-Policy-Request@ucsd.edu, message is "subscribe Ham-Policy" * To subscribe to rec.radio.info, send email to Radio-Info-Request@ucsd.edu, message is "subscribe Radio-Info" * To subscribe to rec.radio.shortwave, send email to listserv@cuvma.columbia.edu, message is "subscribe swl-l (your name)" TO UNSUBSCRIBE, follow directions above, changing the command word "subscribe" to "unsubscribe" DON'T POST TO THE NEWSGROUP ITSELF! USE THE REQUEST ADDRESS! Help is available by using the command word "help". Note that command words MUST be the first word on each line of the message. You can post to rec.radio.amateur.{misc,packet,policy} by sending your posting email to Info-Hams, Packet-Radio, or Ham-Policy, all at ucsd.edu. Since rec.radio.info is a moderated newsgroup, requests to post to it may be sent to Radio-Info but they will be mailed to the moderator, rec-radio-info@ve6mgs.ampr.ab.ca, for posting. All of the Amateur radio newsgroups are archived for FTP on ucsd.edu under subdirectory mailarchives/{Ham-Policy, Info-Hams,Packet-Radio}. Radio-Info is not archived at UCSD. (See the news.answers archives at rtfm.mit.edu.) * Telephone BBS's with Ham-related information WB3FFV has one, phones are 301-625-0817 or 301-625-9482 or 301-625-9663. Data settings are 8 bits, NO parity, 1 stop bit. Login is bbs, no password. This BBS is also available via UUCP, login is uucpanon, no password. For a listing of available archived, try: uucp wb3ffv!~/FILES /usr/spool/uucppublic Another one is N8EMR at phone 614-895-2553, login hbbs. Data settings are 8 bits, NO parity, 1 stop bit. N8EMR has a comprehensive list of other ham-related BBS's on-line. * Callsign servers and geographical name servers If you are at an Internet site you can connect using telnet to one of the two primary servers: callsign.cs.buffalo.edu (currently 128.205.32.2) ham.njit.edu (currently 128.235.1.10) There is also a general geographical name server at: martini.eecs.umich.edu (currently 141.212.100.9) The callbook servers sit on port number 2000 and the geographical name server sits on port 3000. These are different port numbers than what telnet usually defaults to. So if you just telnet to these machines, you will get a login prompt instead of the server. How you tell your telnet program to connect to port 2000 or 3000 instead of the default port is operating system dependent but it is usually done with a line like telnet callsign.cs.Buffalo.EDU 2000 If this doesn't work, check the telnet/FTP troubleshooting hints above or consult your local systems guru for the proper command string. The interactive servers are designed to be somewhat self-explanatory and they support fairly detailed help facilities. The first command you should execute when connecting to one of these servers is "info". This will list general info about that server and how to use it. You should then type "help" to list the various commands available. Typing "help" followed by a command name will give you a little more detail about that command. Servers allow searches by call, last name, zip code or city and also provide regular expression filters to trim your searches so you get a reasonable amount of output. Both these servers are built from a database distributed by Rusty Carruth, N7IKQ. This database currently contains US and Canadian callsigns and it does not contain club calls. A new version of the database is sent around approximately once a year. There is also an email callsign server at callbook@sat.datapoint.com (The UUCP address is ...!uunet!dptspd!callbook). In the body of the text, say "lookup" followed by callsigns you want to look up. If your mailer appends signature files, you should put a line "quit" at the end of your request (before the signature file). If you want help, put the word "help" on a line by itself. Here is what a request might look like: help lookup kc1sp wn4bbj lookup n0fzd quit There is another email callsign server at callbook@n8emr.cmhnet.org. The subject line is the list of callsigns to lookup. All other lines are ignored. This same callsign server can be accessed with packet radio via cbook@n8jyv.#cmh.oh.usa.na. The body of the message should include "REPLY n8jyv!HOME_BBS!CALL" (where HOME_BBS is YOUR home BBS, and CALL is YOUR callsign), carriage return, "CALL call1 call2 ..." (where call1 call2 .... is space separated list of callsigns you want to lookup). If you are a packet radio station, callserver data is available from REQQTH@WA4ONG.VA.USA.NA, subject line should be up to 5 US callsigns, separated by spaces. For Canadian calls, use the callserver at REQQTH@VE3JF.ON.CAN. Body of message is ignored. The server is an OS interface to the MBL packet BBS using the Buckmaster CD-ROM callsign database. The REQQTH address is for the AX.25 radio-linked amateur packet network, *NOT* the Internet. If you attempt to send Internet mail to this address, and use the old .NA suffix instead of the new .NOAM suffix, it will get routed to Nimibia (Internet suffix .na) which is currently paying a lot of money for misdirected ham mail. Help maintain a positive example for amateur radio and please do not attempt this! The FCC "call sign hotline" at 717-337-1212 is available for those who wish to listen to the call signs allocated in each group for each district. This requires only a touch-tone telephone to use. * FTP access to FCC Part 97 and FCC Amateur Radio question pools Part 97 is part of the FCC regulations and only applies to the USA. The text to part 97 is available by ftp from several locations: Western US ftp.amdahl.com /pub/radio/amateur/part97.txt.Z Central US pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu /msdos/ham/part97.arc Eastern US gandalf.umcs.maine.edu /pub/ham-radio/part97.txt ftp.uu.net /networking/ka9q/part97.arc The *.arc files are MSDOS ARC files with the same ASCII text. An ASCII copy of the question pools are available by ftp from uxc.cso.uiuc.edu (128.174.5.50) in /pub/ham-radio/-pool.txt.Z, where is novice, technician, general, advanced or extra. * Lists of radio modifications and extensions Some mods can be found on wsmr-simtel20.army.mil or the Simtel20 mirror directories on wuarchive.wustl.edu. There is a new server at pcserver@novell.business.uwo.ca. Some examples of main body email requests are as follows: HELP SENDME RADIO MODS SENDME TH215 MODS SENDME ALLBAND MODS There is a packet radio Mods Server. To get the directories, send a packet as follows: SP REQFIL@N2IMC.NJ.USA.NA Subject: MODS\Dir.1 /EX To get the mod, send to same place, with Subject MODS\Filename.ext. REMEMBER that any modification is likely to void your warranty and that these mods are NOT guaranteed to work. This list is supplied here because it is sometimes a frequent question on the newsgroup. ** Can I send ARRL or W5YI electronic mail? Several ARRL HQ staffers can be contacted via the net. Their e-mail addresses are available from the ARRL e-mail file server in the file called "email". See above for more information on the ARRL e-mail server. ARRL requests that you include your postal address (the slow kind) in case they need to send you nonelectronic material in answer to your request. W5YI, a large VEC, can be reached at the following address: Fred Maia, W5YI 3511297@mcimail.com ** "Why doesn't the ARRL do...?" If you want the ARRL to do something, tell them! Direct input from a concerned member (or, actually, any concerned Ham) carries a lot more weight than hearsay from any source. Their e-mail addresses are available from the ARRL e-mail file server (see above). They want direct input - that's why those addresses are available. ** What magazines are available for Ham Radio? Your local ham store may have some, but here's some popular ones (this is NOT a complete list!): QST, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111 - basic projects and contesting CQ The Radio Amateur's Journal, 76 North Broadway, Hicksville, NY 11801 - beginner ham radio articles 73 Amateur Radio Today, WGE Center, Forect Rd, Hancock, NH 03449, FAX (603) 525-4423, email: COMPUSERVE 70310,775 or Internet 70310.775@compuserve.com - more technical ham radio articles QEX, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111 - more technical projects WorldRadio, 2120 28th St, Sacramento, CA 95818, (916) 457-3655. Subscriptions to 201 Lathrop Way, Ste D, Sacramento, CA 95815, (800) 365-SUBS - lots of special interest columns, like QRP, ATV, YL, etc. W5YI Report, PO Box 565101, Dallas, TX 75356, 1-800-669-9594 - up-to-date information on Amateur Radio happenings, including VE information and statistics ** How do I use the incoming and outgoing QSL bureau? To use the outgoing QSL bureau, you must be a member of ARRL. In general, you send a bundle of foreign (not States!) QSL cards to the outgoing bureau in Newington, Connecticut, along with a label off of your QST magazine (which shows ARRL membership), along with $2 per pound of cards (approximately 150 cards) or $1 for 10 cards or less. To use the incoming QSL bureau, you do NOT have to be a member of ARRL. Send one or more Self-Addressed Stamped Envelopes (size 5x7 or 6x9, NO BIGGER, NO SMALLER) with one ounce of postage attached and with your callsign in 3/4" letters in top left hand corner where the return address label would go. If you expect a large quantity of foreign QSL cards, attach extra money or postage with a paper clip; do NOT affix extra postage to envelope. Send the envelopes to the QSL bureau for your callsign area. If your callsign is xx3xxx/5, you would send it to the 3rd call area, NOT the 5th call area. Addresses for QSL bureaus are listed in QST and on the ARRL e-mail server (see below); if you don't have access to a QST magazine, ask another ham. IMPORTANT: BE PATIENT! Turnaround time for a US QSL bureau, not considering foreign QSL bureaus, is about 3 months. Foreign QSL bureaus and hams can be as fast as 2 months or as slow as TEN YEARS, while average is about 6-12 months. Addresses for the US incoming and outgoing QSL Bureaus are available from the ARRL e-mail server in the files called "qsl-in" and "qsl-out". See the question above ** Are there any news groups for CAP? There is no news group just for Civil Air Patrol discussions. However, rec.aviation.misc is appropriate for CAP aviation discussions and for CAP radio information, these rec.radio.amateur.* groups are available. CAP-related files are also stored on the FTP site sunburn.cps.udayton.edu in pub/capital. ** What's the name of the QRP club that issues QRP numbers? QRP Amateur Radio Club International, c/o Bill Harding K4AHK, 10923 Carters Oak Way, Burke, VA 22015. ** How do I become a 10-10 member? 10-10 is simply an organization to sponsor the use of the 10 meter band. It was first conceived when propagation was poor on 10 meters, as a method to get more hams to use 10 meters. The past few years have been great for 10 meters worldwide. However, "the bands are closing down" again, and 10 meters will once again be limited more for local communications, except for sporadic band openings, until the next sunspot cycle. To join 10-10, work ten 10-10 members and LOG each 10-10 number, call sign, operator's name and location. Send the list to your numeric call sign or DX area manager (as shown below), with $5.00 U.S. new membership registration fee ($6.00 for foreign addresses). 10-10 International Area Managers: USA 1 - Al Kaiser N1API, 194 Glen Hills Rd, Meriden, CT 06450 USA 2 - Larry Berger WA2SUH, 9 Nancy Blvd, Merrick, NY 11566 USA 3 - Chester Gardner N3GZE, 9028 Overhill Dr, Ellicott Cty,MD 21042 USA 4 - KY, TN, FL, VA, NC, SC only Rick Roberts N4KCC, 7106 Ridgestone Dr,Ooltewah, TN 37363 USA 4 - GA, AL, Puerto Rico only Jim Beswick W4YHF, 112 Owl Town Farm, Ellijay, GA 30540 USA 5 - Grace Dunlap K5MRU,* Box 445, LaFeria, TX 78559 *summer addr Jun-Oct Box 13, Rand, CO 80473 USA 6 - Dick Rauschler W6ANK, 4371 Cambria St, Fremont, CA 94538 USA 7 - Willie Madison WB7VZI, 10512 W Butler Dr, Peoria, AZ 85345 USA 8 - John Hugentober N3FU, 4441 Andreas Ave, Cincinatti, OH 45211 USA 9 - Jim Williams N9HHU, 240 Park Rd, Creve Coeur, IL 61611 USA 0 - Debbie Peterson KF0NV, RR 1 Box 35, Duncombe, IA 50532 All DX- Carol Hugentober K8DHK,4441 Andreas Ave, Cincinatti, OH 45211 ** How do I join MARS? To join MARS, you have to be 14 years or older (parental consent required under age 17), be a US citizen or resident alien, possess a valid Amateur Radio license, possess a station capable of operating on MARS HF frequencies, and be able to operate the minimum amount of time for each quarter (12 hours for Army and Air Force; 18 hours for Navy-Marines). Novices must upgrade to Technician within 6 months, else be dropped from MARS. No-Code Techs can apply, provided they have transmit and receive HF capability for MARS frequencies (they don't need transmit capability for Amateur HF frequencies). For application forms contact: Chief, Air Force MARS HQ AFCC/SYXR (MARS) 203 W. Losey St. Room 1020 Scott AFB, IL 62225-5219 (618)256-5552 Fax: (618) 256-5126 Chief, Army MARS HQ, US Army Information Systems Command ATTN: AS-OPS-OA Fort Huachuca, AZ 85613-5000 Chief, Navy-Marine Corps MARS Naval Communication Unit Washington, DC 20397-5161 ** How do I join RACES? Contact your nearest Civil Defense or Emergency Management Agency. The Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service is a part of a municipal, county, or state government. This does not mean, however, that every such government has a RACES program. If your government does not have a RACES, ask them to refer you to the nearest jurisdiction that does have a RACES program. ** What organizations are available to help handicapped hams? Courage Center Handihams 2915 Golden Valley Rd Golden Valley, MN 55422 (612) 520-0515 ARRL has a Handihams information package (get it by requesting it thru 2155052@mcimail.com) and a book called "The ARRL Plan for the Disabled", available at no charge from the ARRL Regulatory Information Branch. ** I am looking for a specific ham, can anyone help me find him? Rather than sending out a message on Usenet, you might first try directory assistance from the phone company or the locator service provided by the Salvation Army. A Salvation Army post in your local area may be able to help you. If you have his/her callsign or name, you might also try one of the on-line callservers shown above. Also, the Quarter-Century Wireless Assn maintains a collection of callbooks going back to "the beginning of time". Their address is: 1409 Cooper Drive, Irving, TX 75061. Also, the Callbook has a dial-in line for accessing new ham callsigns. Try (1-708-234-8011) at 2400 baud. ** Can I post my neat new ham related program on rec.radio.amateur.misc? This is really not a good idea, since many of the readers receive these newsgroups as mail digests. Posting is also a one-shot thing. If you post and someone missed it, it is gone. A better way would be to announce the existence of your program here, along with information on how to obtain a copy of your program. You can also submit it to one of the FTP archive sites, which will allow the world to access it without you having to mail it to each requestor. If you just GOTTA post it somewhere, post it to more appropriate groups, like comp.sources.unix or alt.sources or comp.binaries.ibm.pc. ** Where can I get ham radio software for my computer? Atari: John Adams KC5FW, 17106 Happy Hollow, San Antonio, TX 78232 "or tune into the weekly net Sundays 1600 UTC on 14.325 MHz". MacIntosh: MacNet, John Seney WD1V 144 Pepperidge Dr, Manchester, NH 03103 (sent 2 800k FORMATTED diskettes, one of which contains a TEXT file containing your name, address, home PBBS, your radio & computer interests and equipment). (See also the information about Anonymous FTP and ham-related telephone BBS's above.) ** Are there Dialup News services or BBSs for Amateur Radio? There are two major news services for ham radio. Both are run by volunteer hams and provide bulletins of specific interest to amateurs, hence they are perfectly legal to rebroadcast on ham bands according to FCC Regulation 97.111B(6). To lessen the load on the dialup lines, consider getting your local repeater operator to rebroadcast it, or tape record it to play at your favorite HF net. RAIN (Radio Amateur Information Network) is produced by Hap Holly, KC9RP, located in Illinois. The news is typically updated 8am CST Fridays. Phone numbers are 1-708-299-INFO (299-4636) and 1-708-827-RAIN (827-7246). NEWSLINE is another, produced by Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF. Donations for NEWSLINE are accepted at Newsline Support Fund, c/o Dr. Norm Chalfin K6PGX, Pasadena, CA 91102. Phone numbers are: Chicago 1-708-289-0423 N.Florida 1-407-259-4479 West Palm Beach 1-407-965-1234 Los Angeles 1-805-296-2407 (Instant Update Line) Los Angeles 1-213-462-0008 NYC 1-718-353-2801 Ohio 1-513-275-9991 Seattle 1-206-368-3969 ** Where can I find VE sessions in my local area? VE sessions are often announced in the local newspapers, but more often, they are announced by local radio bulletin boards. The local packet BBS will most likely have a monthly updated schedule for VE sessions. ARRL or W5YI can generally be called and asked for local VE sessions as well. Don't forget that you will need the following when you go in for an upgrade: a copy of your current Amateur license; your original Amateur license; any CSCEs (duplicate not required), if applicable and less than a year old; a picture ID, preferably a driver's license, passport or visa; and the VE test fee (approximately $5 right now). Bart Jahnke, KB9NM, the ARRL VEC Manager (bjahnke@arrl.org) posts a definitive listing of VE exams indexed by state (and some overseas sites, usually at embassies and military bases) to the net every 6 weeks or so. ** Why isn't XXX available electronically? This is a theme for a lot of common questions. For the "XXX" above, substitute any of the following: Callbooks DX QSL Lists Radio station lists ARRL publications (i.e. conference proceedings, repeater directory) and more... Except for the Callbook (via callsign servers), these are not available because of any of several reasons. Either there are copyright restric- tions, royalty fees, or the source just may not have done the work. Also, not everyone that has information has reliable UseNet access. In one example of someone's effort to bridge the information gap, there is a new repeater-mapping project which can automatically accept entries via e-mail. If you can get enough details about a repeater for a complete listing, you may want to help by submitting an entry. For more information, use the following e-mail addresses: repeaters@wattres.sj.ca.us Just send a message with only the word "help" in the message body. The project's software will reply with instructions. steve@wattres.sj.ca.us For other questions (Steve Watt KD6GGD) As soon as the list is big enough to be useful, the project will make it available electronically. That will mean one less "why isn't it available electronically" question for the net. ========================================================================= ú Subject: rec.radio.amateur.misc Frequently Asked Questions (Part 3 of 3) Posted-By: auto-faq 2.4 Archive-name: radio/ham-radio/faq/part3 Revision: 3.2 01/27/93 23:07:48 Rec.radio.amateur.misc Frequently Asked Questions Part 3 - Amateur Radio Advanced and Technical Questions ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Questions discussed in Part 3: (dates indicate last modification) ** 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) ** I'm confused. What do all those abbreviations mean??? (5/92) ** What do all those "tones" mean? (pre-4/92) ** Where can I learn more about Amateur Radio if I live outside the US? (4/92) ** 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)? (11/92) ** My apartment or housing complex does not allow outdoor antennas, now what do I do? (pre-4/92) ** I got TVI...HELP!!! (pre-4/92) ** 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? (4/92) ** I'm confused about XXX, should I ask the FCC? (4/92) ** Is there any information on antique radios? (pre-4/92) ** Where can I buy vacuum tubes? (pre-4/92) ** What do I need to get started in packet radio? (5/92) ** What do I need to get started in satellite communications? (pre-4/92) ** What is available to get started in ATV, SSTV and WEFAX? (5/92) ** What are these contests I sometimes hear, and how do I participate? (7/92) --Rec.radio.amateur.misc Frequently-asked Questions------------------Part 3-- ** What are the different US amateur classes and what can each of them do? Novice - has CW (Morse code) privileges on 4 HF bands (80, 40, 15, and 10 meter), Voice privileges on 10 meters, and privileges on 2 VHF/UHF bands (220 MHz and 1290 MHz). Required are 5 wpm Morse code test and 30-question Novice test. Technician - has full privileges on all VHF/UHF bands above 30 MHz. Required are Novice test and 25-question Tech test. Technician may access Novice HF bands by passing the 5 wpm Morse code test. General - has all Technician privileges, plus larger access to more HF bands, including CW and Voice on 160, 80, 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, 12, and 10 meter bands. A General class amateur can give Novice tests. Required are 13 wpm Morse code test, Novice, Tech and 25-question General test. Advanced - has all General privileges, plus wider band access on 80, 40, 20, and 15 meter bands. An Advanced class amateur can also become a VE and give tests to Novice and Tech tests. Required are 13 wpm Morse code test, Novice, Tech, General and 50-question Advanced test. The Advanced test is the most difficult of the five written tests. Amateur Extra - has full privileges on all amateur bands. An Extra can become a VE and give all amateur tests. Required are 20 wpm Morse code test, Novice, Tech, General, Advanced and 40-question Extra test. ** What is the best way to learn Morse Code? This is becoming an increasingly common question as many "no-code" Technicians realize they can add more privileges to their license if they learn Morse Code. The following list of suggestions should be helpful in finding ways to approach the effort. * Listen to code at a rate faster than you can copy. * Participate in Novice-Roundup and/or Field Day. Practice whenever you get the chance! * Avoid the "deciphering" plateau around 5 WPM and and character plateau at 10 WPM by listening to the fast Farnsworth-paced "beat" of each letter and the "beat" of common words. (See the question on Morse code speed for more information on Farnsworth pacing.) * Practice to develop a "copy buffer" so you copy about 5 characters behind. (This is not easy but it's how the higher speeds are done.) * Practice both with headphones and "open-air" copy as the code test may be in either format. (If you only practice one, you may fumble on the other.) * Most of all, don't give up! Recognize when you reach plateaus and keep trying until you break through them. ** What is the standard for measuring Morse code speed? The word PARIS was chosen as the standard length for CW code speed. Each dit counts for one count, each dash counts for three counts, intra-character spacing is one count, inter-character spacing is three counts and inter-word spacing is seven counts, so the word PARIS is exactly 50 counts: PPPPPPPPPPPPP AAAAA RRRRRRRRR IIIII SSSSSSSSS . - - . . - . - . . . . . . 1 1 3 1 3 1 1 3 1 1 3 3 1 1 3 1 1 3 1 1 1 3 1 1 1 1 1 7 = 50 ^ ^ ^ ^Intra-character ^Inter-character Inter-word^ So 5 words-per-minute = 250 counts-per-minute / 50 counts-per-word or one count every 240 milliseconds. 13 words-per-minute is one count every ~92.3 milliseconds. This method of sending code is sometimes called "Slow Code", because at 5 wpm it sounds VERY SLOW. The "Farnsworth" method is accomplished by sending the dits and dashes and intra-character spacing at a higher speed, then increasing the inter-character and inter-word spacing to slow the sending speed down to the desired speed. For example, to send at 5 wpm with 13 wpm characters in Farnsworth method, the dits and intra-character spacing would be 92.3 milliseconds, the dash would be 276.9 milliseconds, the inter-character spacing would be 1.443 seconds and inter-word spacing would be 3.367 seconds. ** I'm confused. What do all those abbreviations mean??? AM Amplitude Modulation AMSAT Amateur Satellite Corporation AMTOR Amateur Teleprinter Over Radio. A more sophisticated version of RTTY. Also used commercially as SITOR (Simplex Teleprinter Over Radio). ARRL American Radio Relay League ATV Amateur Television - a way to see who you're talking to! CAP Civil Air Patrol is a volunteer organization that searches for downed aircraft and missing kids and uses frequencies just outside of the ham bands and often uses modified Amateur radios CB Citizen's Band radio, this is NOT part of Amateur Radio and does not require any license to operate CQ An on-the-air request for a conversation with anyone "dupes" A dupe sheet is a duplicate check sheet, in matrix format, used to quickly check that you have not had a "duplicate" contact with someone (on a specific band or mode) in a contest Elmer An amateur radio mentor, or "Master Craftsman" to a new ham. Could refer to anyone, regardless of age or gender. FCC Federal Communications Commission, the "law enforcers" FM Frequency Modulation FieldDay A June activity to practice emergency communications for 24 hours....wives call it 'an exercise in male bonding' :-). HF High Frequency - 3 MHz to 30 MHz HT Handy-Talky, a shorthand for "hand held radio" LF Low Frequency - 30 kHz to 3 MHz MARS Military Affiliate Radio System, military affiliated Amateurs who provide free communications for overseas GIs and other Federal services. MARS operators are licensed under DoD instead of FCC. NTS National Traffic System, a way to send radiograms OF Old Friend, or Old F#$%, used to denote an older ham OM Old Man, refers to any ham, including female hams packet computer bulletin boards/electronic mail via Amateur Radio PRB Private Radio Bureau, administers Amateur and CB services QSO One of the Q signals used in Morse code to mean "conversation" QCWA Quarter Century Wireless Association, membership means you've been a ham for more than 25 years RTTY Radio Teletype - older form of computer communications on HF SAREX In Amateur Radio talk, Shuttle Amateur Radio EXperiment, a chance to talk to astronauts in space. In CAP talk, Search and Rescue EXercise, practicing for the real thing. SK Silent Key, a nice polite way to say a ham has passed on "to that great antenna farm in the sky" SSB Single Side Band - need less band width than AM or FM SSTV Slow Scan TeleVision - REALLY slow, low data rate, typically used on the lower frequency bands UHF Ultra High Frequency - 300 MHz and above ULF Ultra Low Frequency - 30 Hz to 300 Hz VHF Very High Frequency - 30 MHz to 300 MHz VLF Very Low Frequency - 300 Hz to 30 kHz, audio frequencies WARC World Administrative Radio Conference, a summit meeting that occurs every few years, required by international treaty to determine how the spectrum get sliced up to all vying communications services (last one was in 1992) XYL eX-Young Lady, or wife YL Young Lady, non-ham girlfriend or female ham 2m Shorthand for "2 meters" (144-147.995 MHz), which is a reference to the wavelength of a common Amateur frequency band used for local communications ** What do all those "tones" mean? Sub-Audible Tone: A low tone that you're not supposed to be able to hear. It's used as a "PL Tone." PL is "Private Line", a trademark of Motorola for their implementation of CTCSS (Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System). Basically, the transmitter sends the signal with the Sub-Audible tone and the receiver only opens when it hears signals with that tone. Signals without the proper tone are ignored. This is useful for "closed" repeaters, or for repeaters on the same frequency that have overlapping geographic areas. Tone encode refers to the feature of providing the tone on transmit. Tone decode refers to the feature of responding to the tone on receive. Tone squelch refers to all of the above. DTMF refers to Dual Tone Multi-Frequency, or "Touch Tone" which is a trademark of AT&T. DTSS probably means Dual Tone Squelch System and refers to the feature of providing a predefined sequence of Touch Tone digits to open the repeater for transmit. DTSS is an alternate method from CTCSS, which provides a way to use a "closed" repeater even if your radio doesn't do Sub-Audible Tones. ** Where can I learn more about Amateur Radio if I live outside the US? Write to the ARRL and ask. They can usually tell you how to get a license in your country. If you know of any location where this information is available electronically, whether by an e-mail server, anonymous FTP, or a contact person, please mail it to us so we can include it here. Send it to hamradio-faq@amdahl.com. ** 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)? Editor's note (11/92): the regulations affecting this question are being changed. Contact your local Volunteer Examiner (VE) and ask about a VE 60-day pass. More details will be included in future revisions of the FAQ. This paragraph is soon to be obsolete: You need to submit a FCC Form 610-A to the FCC, PO Box 1020, Gettysburg, PA 17326. They will then send you a reciprocal permit for alien amateur licensee (FCC Form 610-AL). You must be a citizen of a country with which the United States has arrangements to grant reciprocal operating permits to visiting alien Amateur operators. This information is still current: For FCC licensed hams operating abroad, the following guidelines apply: * A reciprocal license is required in all foreign countries (that have a reciprocal operating agreement with the US), except Canada, where the FCC license is automatically valid. * Send a SASE to ARRL Regulatory Information Branch, telling them which country you are going to visit and they will send you the info and an application form. Foreign hams can likewise request information from their national Amateur radio society. * Submit your application with a certified copy of your Amateur license (ie, notarized copy), and fee if applicable (use a bank draft of a bank that does business in that country) to the appropriate licensing administration of the foreign country. Processing may take 30 to 90 days. * If less than one month, you could try sending the application and pick up the permit upon arrival in that country. * Most countries will not allow you to bring communications equipment into their country without a license or permit. If you applied, but haven't received the permit yet, show the copy and your FCC license to the customs officer, however, the equipment may still be held at customs until your departure. * Be sure to use only those frequencies covered by your FCC license which are also used in the foreign country, unless otherwise authorized. ** My apartment or housing complex does not allow outdoor antennas, now what do I do? First of all, don't despair. Many hams have similar problems. Many books offer advice for the growing group of hams that cannot put up antennas. Some options are: * Install an "invisible" antenna made of magnet wire. * Disguise an antenna as a flag pole. * Install an antenna in the attic. * ASK the apartment manager. You may find they will let you put up something as long as it "is invisible" or "doesn't disturb your neighbors" or "doesn't attract lightning". * Operate primarily from your car. * If the restriction is due to local ordinance, you may have relief via PRB-1. Meet with the local government and seek an informal compromise. It is possible to win in court...but it's expensive and time consuming. * If you are restricted by "covenants" attached to the deed of your home, your options are severely limited. Covenants are considered to be private, voluntary contracts between individuals and are outside of the intended application of PRB-1. In many cases, you can petition the Homeowner's Association for an exception. Sometimes you can win in court on the basis that other violations of the covenants by others without action taken constitutes abandonment of the agreement. * For further information, contact the General Consel's office of the ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. ** I got TVI...HELP!!! Here's some hints on Television interference, but this is not a complete list. There are also books on the subject available from ARRL. * If cable TV is an underground feed, look for central distribution box. Check for a grounding rod. * Try installing torroids on the cable TV cable close to the TV, and maybe torroids on the AC cord as well. * VCRs are notorious for RF leakers, try disconnecting the VCR. * Check to see if interference is better or worse when cable is disconnected and you use rabbit ears instead. It could be the cable company's problem! * Calling the cable company may get results, since they are also responsible for RF leakage from their equipment. However, they are very often obstinate. Good luck! Try some or all of these suggestions before calling the cable company: 1. Log the interference, noting geographical location, frequency, and characteristics. 2. Bring it to the cable company's attention in writing, preferably addressed to "Chief Engineer", or "Technical Staff". 3. Don't be accusatory, instead ask for assistance in resolving the problem. Try to work it out with someone technically knowledgeable. 4. Do mention your "licensed radio system", but try not to be too specific about "ham" or "CB" unless requested. * Try moving the radio antenna further away from the TV sets. Make sure the SWR is LOW. ** Did you know that you can get college credit for being a ham? It's true! You can receive up to 14 credits in electronics and engineering thru placement tests for CLEP (College Level Entrance Placement) exams and DANTES (Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Educational Support) exams if you have an Advanced or Extra class Amateur license. For more information, ask your campus education office or (for DANTES) your military education office. ** On what frequencies do JPL and GSFC retransmit the shuttle audio? Station VHF 10m 15m 20m 40m 80m Video WA3NAN 147.45 28.650 21.395 14.295 7.185 3.860 W6VIO 224.04 21.280 14.282 7.165 K6MF 145.585 7.165 3.840 W5RRR 146.64 28.495 21.350 14.280 7.227 3.850 W6FXN 145.46 KA9SZX 146.88 426.25 K4GCC 146.94 WA4VME 145.17 All frequencies are in MHz. Use FM on VHF, USB on 10-20m, LSB on 40-80m. WA3NAN - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Greenbelt, MD W6VIO - NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, CA K6MF - NASA Ames Research Center (ARC), Moffett Field, CA W5RRR - NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX W6FXN - Los Angeles, CA KA9SZX - Champaign-Urbana, IL K4GCC - Titusville, FL (near or at Kennedy Space Center) WA4VME - Melbourne, FL (near or at Kennedy Space Center) ** Can I take my HT on an airplane and operate it if I get the permission of the captain? Technically, maybe. But don't count on it. In general, you can't use a radio or scanner on an airline (or charter) *unless* the airline allows it and the pilot-in-command (PIC) determines that it will not interfere with the instruments and radios on that specific aircraft. disconnect the antenna when you ask. (Don't even ask to transmit.) For reference (in the US) the pertinent portion of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) is Part 91, paragraph 91.21. Due to airport security, you may have a little difficulty carrying the HT (or any electronic equipment) onto the airplane. Generally, you can appease the security guards, simply by showing that the unit is operational and doesn't have a bomb inside. For a radio, just turning it on and opening the squelch satisfies them. Expect more difficulty during periods of increased security. On a private airplane, it is legal to operate an amateur radio if you have the permission of the PIC. It is still possible for the radio to interfere with the plane's navigation or communication equipment, so be sure to ask first. Always obey the requests of the PIC. He knows his airplane and radios better than you do. ** How do I modify my current Amateur license? To modify your license (change of address, change of station location, change of name, renewal, or even change of callsign), submit an FCC Form 610 to the FCC. Forms are available from the FCC or ARRL or a local VE session or ham radio store. Do NOT use a photocopy. Check off the appropriate boxes, fill in the new/changed information, SIGN THE FORM, and attach a copy of your current license (or a brief letter of explanation for its absence, ie, "my dog ate it"). NOTE: If you check the box to change your callsign, YOU WILL GET A NEW CALLSIGN, even if all you wanted was to supply a new address; if you want to keep Gettysburg, PA 17326. Turnaround time (for CURRENT licensees only) is about 2-4 weeks. ANY ham can apply for a new callsign (this is different from the past where you can only get a new callsign if you move or upgrade). You can't specify WHICH ONE you want, a new one comes from the same pool as new licensees for that class of license. The callsign is based on your mailing address. For overseas military and civilians, be sure to specify a station location that is within FCC jurisdiction. New licenses are for 10-year terms. If you apply for renewal before its expiration date, the expired license is valid for 60 days after expiration to allow for the new license to arrive. You have up to 2 years after expiration (5 years for an old 5-year license) to renew before re-examination is required (but you can't operate with an expired license). You will lose your current callsign after 1 year after expiration if you don't renew. ** I'm confused about XXX, should I ask the FCC? Whatever "XXX" is in this case, the overwhelming ARRL and net opinion is a resounding "NO!", at least not as a first step. Amateurs are generally very law-abiding people and have historically written the FCC asking for clarification on some operating practice or another. This is a very dangerous practice, for several reasons. Most amateur radio regulations (contained in Part 97) are generally very loosely-worded, so as not to restrict experimentation and new techniques. But asking the FCC for a clarification will set in motion the process of "clarifying" it for everyone (i.e. new rulemaking.) Examples of such restrictive rulings include varying topics like when Hams can help non-profit agencies or effectively forcing packet BBS sysops to screen messages before forwarding them. They were the result of well-intentioned questions by Hams that forced the FCC to make a ruling where they previously allowed the amateur radio community to police itself. Under all circumstances, it is better to first read the rules yourself. Then, if there's a problem, ask your national amateur radio organiza- tion (such as the ARRL in the US) which can give qualified advice about interpretation of FCC regulations. Organizations like the ARRL also have the influence to ask the FCC informally, without forcing a ruling. Even if asking the FCC doesn't result in a restrictive ruling, it is generally a good idea to not overburden an under-staffed and under- funded government agency with a lot of correspondence. The Amateur Radio Service has traditionally been a low-workload "hands-off" service, and has enjoyed a wide latitude from the FCC. Please don't ruin this image for your fellow amateurs. ** Is there any information on antique radios? Antique radio classifieds: ARC, PO Box 802-B6, Carlisle, MA 01741 - old radios, TVs, ham equipment, 40s and 50s radios, telegraph, books, etc. Hallicrafter Service manuals: Ardco Electronics, PO Box 95, Dept Q, Berwyn, IL 60402 Antique Wireless Association, Bruce Kelley, W2ICE, Route 3, Holcomb, NY 14469 - sponsors the Wireless Museum ** Where can I buy vacuum tubes? Kirby, 298 West Carmel Drive, Carmel, IN 46032 (1-317-843-2212) Antique Electronic Supply, Box 1810, Tempe, AZ 85281 (1-602-894-9503) Fair Radio Sales, Box 1105, Lima OH 45802 Fala Electronics, Box 1376-1 Milwaukee, WI 53201 Southern Radio Supply, 1909 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA 70112 (10504-524-2343) ** What do I need to get started in packet radio? Packet radio is a digital form of communication using radios. There are OTHER digital forms, as well, like CW, RTTY and AMTOR. To use packet radio, you'll need a radio (2 meters and 70 centimeters are most popular), a box that converts radio signals to digital signals that a computer can understand (called a TNC or terminal node control- ler) and a computer or terminal. For some computers or TNCs you may need special software as well. However, most TNCs and computers get along quite well with just a terminal emulator software package. Most personal computers can be interfaced to use with packet radio. Since there are many digipeaters, generally even an HT will work with packet radio. Your first source of information on Packet Radio should be the rec.radio.amateur.packet newsgroup. It has its own regularly-posted FAQ that goes into much more depth on the subject than this one can. See also the mailing list and archives info in Part 2. For more information on packet radio, you might try TAPR (Tucson Amateur Packet Radio), PO Box 12925, Tucson, AZ 85732 (602-749-9479). ** What do I need to get started in satellite communications? For more information about Amateur Satellite Communications, try AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation), PO Box 27, Washington, DC 20044 (301-589-6062). They also have an international net on Sundays on 14.282 MHz at 1900Z. ** What is available to get started in ATV, SSTV and WEFAX? This is a large subject area in itself. Amateur Television (ATV), Slow-scan TV (SSTV), and Weather FAX (WEFAX) all deal with transmitted pictures. (ATV includes moving pictures and audio just like your household TV.) Equipment is available to interface to most common microcomputers including PC clones, Amigas (which are prominent in most video applications anyway), Atari ST, and others. (At last check, we didn't see Macintosh on the list.) There are also a handful of publications on the subject. All this information is available via FTP in the /pub/ham-radio directory at ftp.cs.buffalo.edu. (See Part 2 for more information on FTP.) The file called sstv_wefax_info is maintained by John Langner WB2OSZ (johnl@avs.com). The ARRL e-mail server contains an introduction to SSTV in the file sstv-info. (See Part 2 for more information on the ARRL e-mail server.) Another resource is the regularly-posted UseNet Elmers Directory. The list contains a volunteer Elmer who can help with ATV, SSTV, and WEFAX questions. ** What are these contests I sometimes hear, and how do I participate? Dozens of contests are held each year, usually at weekends, and can provide useful operating experience. They typically last for 24 or 48 hrs, and are usually on SSB or CW only (the Russian CQ-Mir contest is on both modes at the same time). You can participate by making one QSO or several thousands. In most contests you send a signal report (traditionally 59 or 599) followed by a number that is different for different contests - the most common one is a serial number (so you send 599 001 for your first QSO, then 599 002 etc). The exchange may, however, be your age (All Asian contests), your CQ or ITU zone (CQWW and IARU contests, respectively), your state (ARRL contests) or something else. Read "Contest Corral" in QST for the rules for all major contests - the more serious contester may wish to subscribe to the National Contest Journal, or join the e-mail contest mailing group (write to Trey, WN4KKN, at garlough@tgv.com). Knowing the rules can prevent embarrassment - you will get a cool reception if you are a W or VE and call a W/VE in the ARRL contests, since they can only work non-W/VE stations. Otherwise, QSOs made in contests are just as valid for DXCC (DX Century Club - more than 100 contacts), WAS (worked all states) and other awards as are 30-minute ragchews. Although not strictly a contest, the annual Field Day provides very useful operating experience under less than optimal conditions and is highly recommended for new operators - check with your local club for their Field Day plans some weeks before the (late June) event. =========================================================================