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Eurofurence Community => Special Interests => Topic started by: A. Rakiri on 09.01.2012, 00:57:17

Title: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: A. Rakiri on 09.01.2012, 00:57:17
Any fur going to EF, are any of you Radio Hams? :3

I am :3 and i would like to know and meet any of you who are radio hams at EF :)
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: StrobeFox on 15.04.2013, 23:09:51
Will be this year :)
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: Clover on 15.08.2013, 16:43:01
Sorry for the late reply, but I just stumbled upon this topic browsing through the forums.

Not a Ham here, but totally interested by the RF subject. Feel free to poke me and bring up the subject  :)
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: Ralesk on 15.08.2013, 20:37:52
I've kinda always wanted to know what this is all about, but I never ended up getting into it.  If you can shed some light on it somehow for a total newb (I'm in software development — nerdy, but not too much to do with hardware and my electronics knowledge is rather weak), I'd be interested to sit down with you guys and listen, sometime at the con :)

(Much better than trying to decode Wikipedia articles and whatnot. They tend to be kinda dry and all that.)
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: White_Dragon on 15.08.2013, 22:25:35
Yeah I'm open to talk the subject, it would be rather interesting you will find me running around with ICOM IC-92 WHF unless circumstances changes and some peoples decides uses some offset CTCS US version radios, braking communication down. (PMR)

Just give me a poke I will try look the forum when on EF and also Use our Notice board next to Elevators opposite stage to announce any event or messages.   
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: Clover on 16.08.2013, 00:26:51
Wow the subject of Radio Amateurism seems to trigger some interest even in the furry realm !

How about organizing some kind of meet-and-greet Ham themed room party ? Everyone could introduce themselves and we could dive into it talking about what specifically interests the audience.

I'll be bringing a test rig made of a PC and cheap USB hardware to see if i can setup something to listen to PMR 446 radios. Since many attendees bring such cheap talkie-walkies, there is most certainly going to be radio traffic to pick up !

How about meeting in my room on thursday around 21:00 ? It will most likely be situated on the first floor and I can certainly stick a few post-its near the elevators when I'll know the info.

Don't hesitate to reply here or via PM if you have any suggestions or questions.

Greetings,

~Clover.
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: Ralesk on 16.08.2013, 00:29:02
some peoples decides uses some offset CTCS US version radios, braking communication down. (PMR)

I think using foreign band PMR is not quite legal (not sure who would notice (and how), and come find the perpetrators (and how))
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: Ralesk on 16.08.2013, 00:33:42
How about meeting in my room on thursday around 21:00?

That sounds good :)  I'm usually spending my evenings in the board games room or in the artist lounge (watching and socialising and messing around on my laptop for no good reason), so I'm usually “nearby” anyway — easy :)
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: VulpesRex on 16.08.2013, 04:24:12
   I would have an interest in this, I think - depending on what it is scheduled against.

   I was a licensed Amateur Radio Operator in the USA - callsign N6PNL - and had even taught theory classes back in the early 1980's.  It is a time-honored way to learn about the basics of Electronics, and many an Electronic Technician and Electronic Engineer has learned his skills for employment this way.  It was something which had fascinated me as a kid, from the mid-1960's.

   ...But alas, I am no longer a licensed "Ham"; after renewing my license once, I let it lapse in 2008, for a variety of personal reasons.

   I would STILL encourage those who are curious to explore the hobby, though.  It is international in scope, is of VITAL importance as a communications medium during Natural Disasters, and is often the only link to the outside world from less developed countries.  "Hams" serve as technological ambassadors, and of course are still important in advancing the State of the Art in Telecommunications and Electronics - and even in Physics.

   For all of these reasons, most countries have a special clause in their telecommunications regulations, allowing amateur radio enthusiasts to experiment and practice their hobby across reserved radio bands, using "home-brew" equipment, rather than the equipment required for the tightly regulated commercial radio services, which are restricted to fixed-channel frequencies and limited emission types and modes.  Ever wanted to bounce a signal off of the moon?  Ham Radio Enthusiasts have done this - even built their own satellites, which have been launched into orbit!

   AnthroCon has had a radio "Fox Hunt" most years since moving to Pittsburgh.  Such Fox Hunts consist of a low-power transmitter hidden somewhere about the premises, usually disguised as a mundane object, which transmits a weak-but-distinctive signal for brief intervals.  It is the job of the "hunters" to track down the "fox", usually with hand-held equipment and home-designed directional antennas.  Much like what naturalists and Park Rangers use, to track wildlife equipped with radio collars.  Prizes may be awarded for First hunter to find the fox, second hunter, and so forth.  And other than the owner of the transmitter, you do not require a license to participate in the hunt!

  "Real radios Glow in the Dark..."
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: White_Dragon on 16.08.2013, 21:15:58
OK I will throw into car then FT 817 ND, and bring it to EF unfortunately I don't have any antennas except Small whip as the rig has arrived just 4 days ago, and I had no time to organise some multi band whips or small tuner with long wire.

I would not have a huge expectation because the hotel in middle of town but least some of you might enjoy some 2m or 70cm and try RTTY or APRS (I hope I have correct lead )
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: Clover on 17.08.2013, 00:24:26
Please follow the thread here https://forum.eurofurence.org/index.php/topic,4723.0.html

Moderators, could you close this topic ? Many thanks !
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: AkiFox on 07.07.2014, 21:25:27
Any hams coming this year?

Finally upgraded from a novice to an advanced licence a few weeks back and
would love to chat ;)
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: White_Dragon on 07.07.2014, 22:03:08
Sure there would be few us. But not sure any would be TX from Eurofurence, way too busy. :P  also not licensed for Germany as only Novice licence, nah no group to sit advance licence exam yet

MM6MVI  if you curious
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: o'wolf on 08.07.2014, 17:44:50
DL1BKE here, and I also won't be QRV at Eurofurence, as way too busy. Maybe I'll let an APRS beacon run, but that's rather pointless in a big city...
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: AkiFox on 08.07.2014, 20:32:12
Sorry, i actually meant rl chat without using a radio ;)
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: AkiFox on 15.08.2014, 15:58:45
I will take a Short Wave/VHF/UHF transceiver with me, along with a magnetic loop antenna and a little ground plane antenna.
Added to that i will also take my laptop and a "modem" for radio teletyping.

Guess i won't use it often though, i'm also usually more into meeting other people on conventions ;)

But if you see me or my equipment in public, feel free to say hi :P
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: Ziggy_wolf on 15.08.2014, 16:34:23
Not much experienced with radios, would really like to learn, as it would improve my prepping.
We're bringing along cheep walkytalkys.
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: Christian on 15.08.2014, 17:35:15
I´m interested too. Unfortunately I also have not much experience with amateur radio as well, because I just get my license a few weeks ago.

73, DO7CWF
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: AkiFox on 15.08.2014, 18:39:47
@Ziggy:

Walkytalkys er også fint og vittig, især på en convention ;)
Bringer dere PMR eller CB walkytalkies?

@Christian:
Congratulation :) ! I made my advanced license 2 months ago.
I'm sure you still know some stuff regarding that you already have an E-licence ;)
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: Christian on 15.08.2014, 22:17:31
@Christian:
Congratulation :) ! I made my advanced license 2 months ago.
I'm sure you still know some stuff regarding that you already have an E-licence ;)
I hope so. :P

I´m planing to start learning for the advanced license soon, so I can finish it before I forgot everything of the novice level. ;D
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: Ziggy_wolf on 16.08.2014, 13:11:30
@Ziggy:

Walkytalkys er også fint og vittig, især på en convention ;)
Bringer dere PMR eller CB walkytalkies?


bare bilige klokke Cb radioer.

Btw Where and when are we gonna meet?!
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: AkiFox on 16.08.2014, 17:13:53
@Ziggy:

As I said, i will just be sitting there somewhere with my equipment, when i feel like it.
But i don't know when it is and how long I will stay there ;)

As the EF has a new convention site this year and I like to stay spontaneous on cons, i can't tell in advance, sorry :-(

But yeah, when you're into prepping, short wave is definitely something for you ;)
you don't need any relais and just a few watts for world wide contacts, if you use the right antenna.
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: Ziggy_wolf on 16.08.2014, 18:35:26
We`ll be at 100mhz channel 1 Callsign Ziggy. See ya there.
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: AkiFox on 16.08.2014, 19:04:40
@ziggy: are you sure, you mean 100MHz? Thats in the middle of the regular german radio broadcast band and illegal for private use^^  Or do you mean PMR radios?
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: Gyroplast on 16.08.2014, 21:55:34
@Ziggy: Are you absolutely sure you have sufficiently considered the local (german) regulations for radio amateurs, in particular the assigned frequency ranges (http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/afuv_2005/anlage_1_22.html)? You're smack-dab in the middle of Berlin here, and I don't look forward to explaining to the BNetzA why some of our guests are causing interference on frequencies they're not even allowed to transmit on. How comes you've got a UK callsign? Weren't you hailing from Norway?

Please, please, pretty please with cherry on top: Know what you're doing. If you interrupt the con's 70cm digital staff comms (UHF, but outside 430-440MHz), I'll be slightly annoyed. Stick to the amateur bands and their maximum ERP, and maybe check out what the DARC (http://www.darc.de/referate/ausland/main-page-english/visitors-to-dl/) has to offer as help to visitors in Germany wanting to HAM it up.

Thanks, and have fun despite the regulations, ;)
  Gyro
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: Ziggy_wolf on 17.08.2014, 02:36:11
Sorry  dubble checked it, that`s 446MHz (PMR)  outside your range, wich is on the amateur band acording to the link you posted.  Should we experiance any chatter we`ll just change the channel.
Still learning here ok. Sorry for anny heart attacks I may have caused. Some other security dude told me your system is incrypted and it`s virtually impossible to disturb your communications.
We mainly use it to communicate internally in our group, because it`s cheeper than cellphones. Ziggy is simply what I call myself when talking on it.  
However I do have a callsign wich I do not remember, wich I use on a digital scanner via a webbrowser, to try to lean how to do this stuf and look in to getting a licence some time in the future.
I`m basicly here to learn, and ask stupid questions, and apply what I learn to disaster preperation.
And get some advice on buying a scanner to listen in on safety anouncements.
Never had any problems with communications at EF, if I did you propably would have contacted me by now and beaten be with a rubber hose.

Anyhow since I have your attention, we`re bringing along a fully stocked first aid kit, (Yes I`m paranoid) Should you need anything if anything happens, just ask.
Just trying my best not to be an asshole here.
(http://www.fitderby.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/dont-panic-we-got-this-300x266.jpg)
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: AkiFox on 17.08.2014, 12:47:56
@ziggy: ok, i will give you a call on pmr channel 1 then, when i have build up my equipment :)
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: Gyroplast on 17.08.2014, 21:53:48
@Ziggy: Thanks for the clarification, all is well! I'm just too german for my own good, and love to quote incredibly boring walls of text.
And since I'm insufferable smart-ass: 446.0-446.1 MHz is decidedly not on an amateur band, but of course free to use with PMR devices. ;)

Now go forth and party!
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: nobs on 09.08.2015, 09:22:56
DD3AH here. I think i will have 2m and 70cm FM with me. But I won't promise to be QRV a lot.
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: meeko on 21.02.2016, 17:52:31
Oh! Count me in!
I'll have a cheap-n-cheerful Baofeng UV5R with me and a Wouxun KG-UV950 in the car.
Hoping to have a few chats when Im there, but a meetup would be good!
73s
Meeko
M0FVD
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: A. Rakiri on 25.02.2016, 22:59:46
Oh! Count me in!
I'll have a cheap-n-cheerful Baofeng UV5R with me and a Wouxun KG-UV950 in the car.
Hoping to have a few chats when Im there, but a meetup would be good!
73s
Meeko
M0FVD

Awesome :3 Would be nice to have you on board! :3

I hope i can encourage others to count themselves in!
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: Wawik on 02.04.2016, 12:00:01
Regarding EF22, I've written to the Events team to block a timetable slot so that interested furs can have a meet&greet during the con. I've made it a bit broader than "just" ham radio, but rather radio in general (hey, anyone still doing CB? XD).
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: SuburbanFox on 05.04.2016, 23:53:16
I will bring my handheld with me and be QRV on 145.500 :3

If I've got my M0 in time (or have secured a reciprocal licence through BNetzA... I need to ask if the 7-day licences are still available, the 70 Euros charge for a 3-month one hardly seems worth it!) I might bring mine along.

I'll pop along to the meet-up, whether I've got the radio or not -- I'm sure you can wrangle some discussion out of me about Datatrak, LF radio, POCSAG and any one of a dozen other things!
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: Wawik on 03.06.2016, 11:28:23
Alas, as the con is drawing closer, some relevant information for those coming from abroad.

Germany 2m band plan - http://www.darc.de/fileadmin/_migrated/content_uploads/VHF_Bandplan_2_m_Juni_2014.pdf
Germany 70cm band plan - http://www.darc.de/fileadmin/_migrated/content_uploads/UHF_Bandplan_70_cm_Juli_2015.pdf

Remember your call sign prefix will be DL/ or DO/ depending on your CEPT class.

And a list of Berlin repeaters - http://www.darc.de/der-club/distrikte/d/automatische-stationen-in-und-um-berlin/
DBØBRL and DBØBLO look close enough to be workable even with the cheapest of Chinese transmitters. :D

I'll bring some Chinese FM and DMR clunker HTs, maybe cobble together a RTL-SDR setup for the mere purpose of showing off as well.

73!
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: AkiFox on 21.07.2016, 12:28:15
I'll bring my Yaesu FT817ND ham radio with portable short wave / vhf antennas with me. The gain of it is quite bad but it's maybe good enough to make some nice trans-european QSOs :) At least you can listen with it :P
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: Wawik on 04.08.2016, 12:51:14
The meet and greet will be taking place, unless otherwise posted,

Friday, 12:00-13:30

Room Nizza

(that's the one out in the sticks, at the tip of the hotel in Wing 1)

And because the standard US con frequency 446.1 is out-of-band over here, I've spontaneously decided that the at-con ham frequency shall be 433.45 MHz (that is LPD channel 16 or UHF channel 276 if you're extremely old-fashioned).

See you there, I hope.  ;D
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: A. Rakiri on 14.08.2016, 11:05:53
I'll bring my Yaesu FT817ND ham radio with portable short wave / vhf antennas with me. The gain of it is quite bad but it's maybe good enough to make some nice trans-european QSOs :) At least you can listen with it :P

Yay! Someone is bringing a HF radio! :3 If only someone brought a HF radio with more power....like an FT-857?

Plus a nice HF vertical would do, say like working on 40m and 20m?

As you are in Germany, maybe for Eurofurence you could get an Special Event callsign for Eurofurence and we can set up a Amateur Radio station outside somewhere and etc? :3
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: A. Rakiri on 14.08.2016, 11:24:42
The meet and greet will be taking place, unless otherwise posted,

Friday, 12:00-13:30

Room Nizza

(that's the one out in the sticks, at the tip of the hotel in Wing 1)

And because the standard US con frequency 446.1 is out-of-band over here, I've spontaneously decided that the at-con ham frequency shall be 433.45 MHz (that is LPD channel 16 or UHF channel 276 if you're extremely old-fashioned).

See you there, I hope.  ;D

Yeah i shall be there :3 but it's clashing with the fursuit photoshoot and i'll be at that. as soon as it is over i will go to the radio furs meet :3
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: Wawik on 28.08.2016, 05:23:12
Thanks everybody who showed up - I didn't expect a turnout that high, and sorry I was an hour late  ::)

I think for a first-time roundtable this went rather nice, and we can repeat that next year.

..though I still don't get what was so funny about a telescoping antenna.  :D
Title: Re: Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Post by: A. Rakiri on 31.08.2016, 12:21:02
Thanks everybody who showed up - I didn't expect a turnout that high, and sorry I was an hour late  ::)

I think for a first-time roundtable this went rather nice, and we can repeat that next year.

..though I still don't get what was so funny about a telescoping antenna.  :D

No problem!

It was the best Radio meet at EF ever! The turnout was the biggest I've ever seen.

I hope next year i will be able to drive in my car to EF and bring my HF equipment including a vertical HF antenna so we can play proper radio in the biergarten :)

If not, i hope someone else can do this?