I will tell you why I got my license.

I got my license tdue to an emergency that I had while paddling on Peace
river.  I was out there and no phone service worked when we needed it the
most.  I figured Iif I got my Ham radio license, I would be able to get
myself a radio and communicate while out there.

I got my license and realized it was not that simple; or was it? It began
for me a tremendous project because I am now involved in the best and most
incredible hobby ever.  While I may have not yet transmitted using a real
radio, I have had communication through EchoLink to folks that do use a
radio on the other side.  I do have two HTs but have not yet been able to
get in touch with anyone in my area.  The nearest repeater appears to be too
far away.  So, that leaves me with the next step: getting some new antennas.

The internet gave me an opportunity to get started where I would otherwise
had not been able to in the past.  Now I see the great potential that is
available through Amateur radio and I am making it work for me.

While I understood something in the beginning, something totally different
happened.  I am building (conceptually) my go kit so that I can communicate
while out paddling.

I still don't have a kit and I am still almost a year into it. 

I was introduced to the remote base client, and knowing nothing about ham
radio, was able to decipher and  continue something that was started more
than ten years ago by another fellow ham.  My knowledge  of coding and lack
of knowledge of ham radio really propelled me to that next level.  I
understand much more than I did a year ago and have lots of experiences that
have been truly rewarding.

Does it really matter how one gets started, when, in the end, it is all for
a great cause.  It is all for ham radio.

I will be transmitting purely using RF but I am not in a position to do that
just yet.  I have played with some very nice technology that leverages the
internet to control a station remotely.  That is pretty cool to me.

Thanks to all that have participated and assisted me with my endeavor.  IT
has been quite interesting and I have lots of Hams to be thankful to;
especially Pat Tice, WA0TDA of Handiham!

73,

Jose - KK4JZX


-----Original Message-----
From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Brian Sackrider
Sent: Wednesday, May 01, 2013 3:43 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: ham radio and the internet

Hi this isBrian Sackrider n8mnx and you need to rembember that lots of
people live in places with very restrictive antenna restrictions I live in
an apartment am I very limited on what antennas that will fit on my balcony
and I use the cq100 program on my computer this is a vertual hf radio no
it's real hf radio but it's all that some of us have you are required to
send prove of your licence to by a membership on cq100.  there is a 90 day
free trial and then it cost 39 dollars per year.  there people on it that
are in nursing homes and in hhospitals and they can still can communicate
and on the issue of echo link and irlp they are 2 other modes that people
with antenna restrictions can still operate so it's always that people are
to lazy to putup antenas please think and get your facts before you judge
put yourself in our place I got my licence to communicate

-----Original Message-----
From: John Miller
Sent: Wednesday, May 01, 2013 1:25 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: 47 years as a ham

When *I* pick up the phone, it generally is a complete waste of time but
        that's beside the point. I didn't get a radio license to talk on the
phone or the internet, that's not radio and I'd be flat out embarrassed to
brag about my last phone call to NY or skype call to TN or where ever it was
all those months ago and I certainly would never call an internet
conversation or phone call DX, accept a card or anything for it. Why anyone
would get a radio license just to use the internet is well beyond me but
then, that's why I never get on 2 meters, that's all anyone seems to do
these days and they're so happy they never have to actually work to make a
contact, upgrade, put up antennas or anything. As far as I'm concerned, they
shouldn't be any part of radio with that attitude since they don't even know
what radio is if they're calling the internet radio.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Howard Kaufman" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, May 01, 2013 8:47 AM
Subject: Re: 47 years as a ham


> So john, does that mean if you pick up a telephone you are just 
> wasting your time?
> How is that different than incorporating the Internet?