CQ CQ CQ: #HamRadio – 10 Jan – Sunday ZedNet reminder & Fr. Z makes a suggestion

Here’s a reminder about ZedNet for Sunday 10 Jan ’21 – evening at 2000h EST (0100h ZULU 4 Jan).

I hope some of you hams with DMR etc. access will check in!

Zednet
exists on the Yaesu System Fusion (Wires-X) “room” 28598, which is cross-linked to Brandmeister DMR worldwide talkgroup 31429, which essentially gives world-wide multi-mode access to a common ham radio network.  Right now, no Echolink.  It worked once but not now.

Any fellow hams who have access locally to a Yaesu System Fusion repeater, a repeater on the BM network, or a multi-mode hotspot that’s registered with BM can get on and have a rag chew…. 24/7/365

Given what we are seeing with deplatforming and social media, big tech reign of terror, HAM RADIO may become increasingly important.

Is it time for you to get that license and put some equipment together?  It is IMPORTANT that you start to NETWORK with others in your area, including a priest or two.  We don’t know what is going to go down in the next few months.

For these USA, here is one study guide for the entry level license: Technician

Make sure that any version you get is the guide for exams through 2022!

The Kindle version is about $10.

And there is this.

Also, at QRZ, for example, there is a link to practice quizzes. HERE

It could be that you hams in other countries have suggestions for your own region and language.

Also, here is something sent by WB0YLE who keeps the pieces of ZedNet together.  A diagram of how it all fits. Click for larger.

Anyone who uses Brandmeister ought to know this about their changes: HERE

In effect, they are applying security to their “masters”. They want you to set a personal password.  I did and it works.

WB0YLE gave me a clear list, with links, of everything you need to get involved in ZedNet via Brandmeister.  HERE  THIS WAS UPDATED on 6 Jan 2021

I created a page for the List of YOUR callsigns.  HERE  Chime in or drop me a note if your call doesn’t appear in the list.

 

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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20 Comments

  1. JTH says:

    I believe I’ll get involved. Get my brother involved too. The Baofeng radios are pretty inexpensive.

    At the suggestion of a priest I’ve been praying on what my role is during this time. What I got back was people should get involved locally. Local politics, public policy etc. Gain control locally. Anyway I’d thought I’d share that.

  2. All politics are local.

  3. SKAY says:

    Father Z you have had the foresight to see this coming for quite a while.
    I actually did not think it would happen this soon.

  4. JayDeee says:

    I have the pieces and parts, including DMR ID. The ZumSpot is talking to the PC. Next: will get the code plug(s) right. So, not today, but maybe the next time, I can jump in. -KG4KYA

  5. KG4KYA – let us know if you need some assistance for the settings. It isn’t that hard, but you have to be a little precise. And definitely register with Brandmeister and get your password set up. You’ll need that.

  6. bobmounger says:

    hamstudy.org is free I studied from it & went from 0 to Extra in one morning.
    73,
    AF5UP

    [TERRIFIC! Yes, it can be done.]

  7. GregB says:

    Just got done seeing the Sunday night live stream of lawyers Viva Frei and Robert Barnes about what went down in D.C. among other current issues. Towards the end of the stream a little before time mark 1:51:00 they were discussing communications resiliency and Robert Barnes mentioned ham radio.

  8. Paul says:

    Currently when you go to take your test there is a small fee of $15 in the US. Covers the cost of the exam papers etc and is pretty small. The examiners are all volunteers. The FCC will shortly (unknown when this will come into affect) apply a fee of $35 in the near future not only for a test fee but for each renewal, upgrade, vanity, etc.

    So, make sure you get your license sooner than later!

    video below that explains the increase etc. Also, he is a great resource for learning more about the hobby.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AphvG7pCyI

    73
    KC1NPJ

  9. Rod Maccabee says:

    “Is it time for you to get that license and put some equipment together?”
    This, right here. Frankly, at the pace events are proceeding, I think the day is indeed far spent. Who but very few among us would have seen this even 2 years ago? Make no mistake, they are coming for us. With that in mind I have to respectfully ask the wisdom of investing money and training in a means of comms to which they control the keys. TPTB and their minions own the internet, as some alternative sights are finding, much to their chagrin. I fully believe there is shortly to come a day when we will be scuttling about with our CW rigs sending clandestine messages to communicate.
    I’ve been chewing on this for a long time which is why I engaged in online CW classes last September. There are a plethora of avenues with which to go forward but my heart tells me that HF and CW will be the bedrock. Even repeaters can be shut down with a flick of their switch but you’ll have to triangulate me and my HB-1B before you can shut me down.

    Rod KC1CZB

  10. KC1CZB: I am really interested in your take on the HB-1B.

    How have you used it? What sort of antenna?

    And YES about CW. I’m working on it.

  11. Rod Maccabee says:

    “interested in your take on the HB-1B”
    Fr. Z: I have only played with it inside so far, (and only listened, still slogging on CW) it’s fairly new to me, and I’m building the 4S QRP tuner (right now as a matter of fact, still smell solder LOL) to deploy with it. It seems to have really good ears but that’s hooked up to a W5GI antenna outside my house. Once I get the tuner set up I’ll take it out to the woods but I definitely will be looking at some sort of end fed or smaller dipole for my go bag. Most of the research I’m getting on that comes from the SOTA guys. I got the HB-1B because after researching I feel its the best bang for the buck (4 bands), and a nice, stealthy, size. Also because I can’t afford a KX-3! I really want to build the FOXX-3 in an altoids tin but they’re not shipping stateside due to the plandemic.

  12. Semper Gumby says:

    These field manuals may be helpful, such as Field Antenna and Radio Operator, for info on improvised antennas and such matters.

    https://www.radionerds.com/index.php/Field_Manuals

    Also helpful could be fax machines and shortwave faxes. Note the possibilities for concealing data.

    https://ocean.weather.gov/shtml/atlsch.php

    http://www.blackcatsystems.com/software/multimode/fax.html

    Decoding weather faxes and satellite images:

    https://www.dxzone.com/catalog/Software/Weather_and_FAX/

    Scanners can also be useful, for example, railroads:

    https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?aid=7747

  13. OssaSola says:

    I passed the first 2 ham tests, bought a portable radio, then had NO idea how to work it even after a guy in the club let me clone his. I gave up in frustration and sold it. I couldn’t seem to figure it out and couldn’t find the simplest book or know who I’d talk to if I DID get it to work! I am just a “hamette” and perhaps not savvy enough to handle it. Sigh.

  14. Semper Gumby says:

    OssaSola: “Let not your heart be troubled.”

    Radio is important, so are other forms of communication.

    If you have arts and crafts skills that means you have “sticks and bricks” skills (from the WW II and Cold War hollow stick or loose brick to conceal a message). An afternoon browsing through a Michaels can develop ideas.

    If you have makeup skills, voila, disguises. Certainly, there’s facial recognition and security cameras these days, but disguise still has a use. A quick change of a clothing item or two, while not perfect, can be useful.

    Perhaps you know your local neighborhood or city park or state park well. Sure, there are drones and infrared technology, but that local familiarization will be helpful for couriers, and a man and woman together often blends in more naturally than a single individual.

    Perhaps you know…well, you get the idea.

    Two tips. First: slow and steady. Slow and steady adds up. Second, though there are cameras, they are not everywhere and seeing things from the perspective of an illusionist can be helpful. There are some interesting non-fiction WW II and Cold War autobiographies to help with ideas.

    JTH: Local is important, of course we want to stay active at the state and federal level. Take an interest in local election officials, judges and sheriffs. For that matter, get to know a bit more about your local reserve units and National Guard armories. Perhaps volunteer for the Fourth of July parade or the Marine Corps Reserves Toys for Tots.

  15. JonPatrick says:

    Well I had some money saved up so I finally broke down and ordered a DMR capable HT and a Zumspot hotspot from HRO. Alinco DJ-MD5TGP which are on sale right now and seems to have decent reviews on eHam. I guess I’ll be spending some time getting up to speed on DMR (around here DMR is the Department of Marine Resources that regulates the scallop and sea urchin fishing, have to get used to the new meaning), code plugs, talk groups, Raspberry Pi etc. (We just finished off a good Raspberry Pie we made for New Years, hope this is as tasty). Should keep me out of trouble for a while.
    73,
    JonPatrick, KC1EFW

  16. JonPatrick says:

    I was also working on CW but since I upgraded my computer, the latest version of the G4FON Koch trainer I was using won’t go below 20 WPM which is way too fast for me and they no longer have the older version on their site. Guess I’ll have to find another way to learn CW.
    73,
    JonPatrick KC1EFW

  17. JesusFreak84 says:

    If we don’t want to give Bezos any more money, where are the best non-Amazon sites to get a ham radio just for passive listening, to start? Made in the US is preferred, but made anywhere where workers’ rights is actually a Thing is fine. I’ve been concerned about China backdooring our tech since 2006, (so was a decent part of Slashdot at that point,) so this isn’t new for me =-p

  18. Rod Maccabee says:

    JonPatrick: Prevailing wisdom is to learn the “sounds” of the characters, preferably starting out at your desired overall WPM goal. It is commonly held that below 20/25 WPM character speed, most people are still counting dits and dahs. If you try to learn at a slow WPM it will lead to many inevitable walls where you need to relearn everything again, frustrating and a waste of time. The key (no pun intended) is to learn the individual characters at a relatively brisk speed but use the Farnsworth spacing to allow it to sink in. I was doing great at 20/7 until I hit numbers and then, I caught myself counting so I increased to 25/7 and the characters were too fast to count dits and dahs but the spacing allowed me to keep up. I suggest going back to G4FON and trying 20/5 or even 20/2 and see if that helps.

  19. Vir Qui Timet Dominum says:

    Father Z,

    I have a proposal for you about an idea that I have pertaining to HAM radio, but I’ll send you an email about it, rather than posting it here.

Comments are closed.