Who's licensed?

i'd like to get licensed.

how long did it take you to read the book and learn what you needed?

and are there really people who give a damn if you're not licenced? I've heard that some make sport of finding unlicensed users, but i almost can't believe anyones that faggy

>>57012820
Licensed for 17 years here in 6-land.
>>57012891
Yes. Getting licensed is easy if you're not retarded.

>>57012871

I learned in one night. Maybe 2 hours of studying if you just do a brain dump. I studied for 4 hours and aced the test. I haven't done anything with it since I passed in June. Only old men with beer bellies use ham radio around me.

If you want to get your Extra license to talk internationally, it'll take maybe a day or two of studying.

All the questions and answers are public, so it's literally just a matter of memorizing the answers.

There's an app with all the questions on the play store, and a few websites that let you take practice tests too.

>Only old men with beer bellies use ham radio around me

this would be the most fun part. you could roleplay so hard

Can you listen in without saying anything?

>>57013154

i don't see how anyone could stop you

ive been thinking about getting my license for a while now, mostly so i can use 1.3/400/900 on my drones without worry, even though nothing is stopping me from doing that now

> using analog irc

>>57012820
Britfag here.
I'm licensed..

>>57012820
Former mil spark here, licensed.

Learned morse on the job.

>>57012891
The fcc fines are over 5 figures if they find you. Imagine you want to troll someone, tracking them down isn't to hard, there is your new game.

Can someone tell me what makes this better then lets say a chat room or discord? I just can't imagine what would make this better or even fun with all the bullshit hoops you need to jump.

>>57012891
You have no clue how faggy some operators are

>>57012820
what is HAM all about?
Is it basically an expensive skype call?
Good for when shit hits the fan i guess?

>>57014271

>expensive

No its free after you buy a cheap 30 dollar radio.

>didn't take it out of the packaging
pussy

New applicants before they take the ham radio exam should be required to watch this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWE7FrVY9T4

>>57013154
Honestly, that's all I do. The only convo I've had was about a Greek restaurant in Baker, CA.

>>57014271
It's basically been relegated to hobby-status in the civilian market. People mostly use it to talk to other operators about how to improve their setups, much like computer builders on this board.

>>57013154
Yes. You can also make unlicensed broadcasts if you're with a licensed user.

>>57012891
>>57013994
This is especially true due to the fact that proper broadcast etiquette calls for introducing yourself by your call sign, and the fact that call signs are public record (at least with FCC licenses in the US). Literally Googling a US call sign will turn up a name.

>>57015236
I didn't know that until after I got my license, and I'm still really fucking pissed about it. I mean, my license is still registered with my address from when I lived with my parents back in high school and now I live over a thousand miles away but fuck letting random autists know my full name.

Outside of volunteering at a few events that used HAMs to coordinate communications, I've never broadcasted because of that. Really glad I spent $180 on that radio...

>>57015133
And holy fuck this is so true. When I lurk in the local frequencies, all I fucking hear are people talking about their setups.

>>57012891
Any gobbledegook and the three letter agencies will suspect you of being a disguised number station. In that case a quiet bullet is waiting for you. I remember some British news reader years ago with an overly straight face announcing this guy had committed suicide ... by shooting himself in the head 6 timers. After that he had thrown the gun under the car and locked the doors.

You just cannot beat British dead pan delivery.

Also if you interfere, intentionally or intentionally through any harmonics, on any military emergency bands there will be another accident waiting for you. Very tragic, you know.

Angry hams is also a factor but they tend not to murder you in cold blood.

>>57014271
Either tech, making radios, antennas and more, competition in DX and contests, or just social chats with likeminded hams.

>>57013994

do i get the money?

>>57012820
I'm not licensed but I've been thinking about getting one. I have a Baofeng I keep in my innawoods kit that I use as a walkie talkie with my buds. Radios are interesting as fuck actually and I'd like to get into it more.

>>57014035
it requires no infrastructure, just the users' equipment and a way to power it.

can I run ham out my town & cuntry and SSH into my home from anywhere in the world?

>>57015725
no, you just fuck someones year/decade up.

>>57015831
In theory yes but there are a lot of rules coming up here.

If you use a ham station crypto is a big no-no in most countries. The cold war is not entirely gone.

If you have a permit for own lines you could do it. Generally speaking most govts. like to maintain means for listening on their subjects.

There are ways to transmit without being found but that is a skill.

>>57012820
me but the regs make me want to puke

>>57016879
OK what about if I telnet but use an invented language with a parser on the server to communicate?

>>57015011
Been there. Not bad. Too many flies.

>>57012820
Anyone use echolink?