Amateur Radio (Ham)

HAM Radio - KI4HTE

I passed my technician-class license exam on November 20, 2004. The FCC issued the license on November 22, 2004. My call sign is KI4HTE. As a "technician", there are significant restrictions on what I can do. Among other things, I can't transmit in the HF ("shortwave") bands; I can only do VHF and UHF. I do not know morse code. ;-)

After doing extensive online research — especially on eHam.net — I decided to make the Yaesu VX-2R my first "rig". (Not much of a rig; it's a tiny hand-held unit.) It has very wide receive coverage (sometimes facetiously called "DC to light"). It can transmit in the 2 meter (VHF) and 70 centimeter (UHF) bands.

Some of the frequencies I scan for activity in my area:

VHF:

The Northern Virginia FM Association's 146.790 MHz repeater in Fairfax, VA and
146.910 MHz repeater in Tysons Corner (Vienna/McLean), VA;
The Vienna Wireless Society's 146.685 MHz repeater in Vienna, VA;
The Arlington Amateur Radio Club's 145.470 MHz repeater in Arlington, VA;
The Mount Vernon Amateur Radio Club's 146.655 MHz repeater in Alexandria, VA;
The Amateur Radio Research and Development Corporation's 147.210 MHz repeater in Vienna, VA;
146.520 MHz — the VHF calling frequency.

UHF:

The Northern Virginia FM Association's 447.025 MHz repeater in Tysons Corner (Vienna/McLean), VA;
447.425 in Falls Church, VA;
446.000 MHz — the UHF calling frequency.

Below are some links I compiled. Most of what I know I learned from Ward Silver's excellent book, Ham Radio for Dummies. I got many of these links from that book. Credit goes to Ward Silver!