Ham Radio 101/201

What Every New Ham

Needs To Know in progress for 2024


Sunday, October 20, 2023
Salon E


Hosted by the Bay-Net Group
(www.bay-net.org)

8:00 AM - Ham Radio 101: New Technician
9:30 AM - Ham Radio 101a: Intro to Digital Voice
10:30 AM - Ham Radio 201: New General/Extra
11:30 AM - Ham Radio 201a: Summits On The Air

Pacificon℠ offers license testing and one-day classes for those who want to get their first ham license, or those who want to upgrade to a higher class license.  You've passed, congratulations!  ...Now what?  What do you need to know?  What radios and equipment should you buy?  What features do you need?  What is CTCSS?  How is DMR different from D-Star?  Can you ever be truly happy without a tower?  How do you install an antenna without destroying your house, or killing yourself in the process?  When a disaster happens - how can you be useful?  How can you be better prepared?  Should you spend $500 for a new Icom/Yaesu/Kenwood handheld radio, or buy a Baofeng handheld for $20?

Or, you're a Technician who just upgraded to General or Extra, and you've only operated VHF/UHF.  Now you want to operate HF.  What do you really need in terms of radios, antennas, and accessories?  What kind of antenna?  Should you learn CW?  Do you need a kilowatt amplifier?  Can you operate HF if you live in an apartment?  Did you know you carry in, and operate an HF station from, a backpack?

To help answer these and other questions, members of the Bay-Net amateur radio group will conduct a half-day seminar for newly licensed and newly upgraded hams.  The seminar will be split into four parts, and each part will be followed by Q&A opportunities.

Ham Radio 101: New Technician
• Gear: Your first radio, accessories, setting up your station
• Operating: Using your radio, bands & modes, operating tips
• Tools: What you need, what you can borrow

Ham Radio 101a: Intro to Digital Voice (DMR, D-STAR, and Fusion)
• Digital voice overview
• Gear:  Radios, repeaters
• Registration and interconnection
• Operating:  Using your digital radio and connecting to the network

Ham Radio 201: New General/Extra
• Gear: Your first HF station, antennas, setting up your HF station
• Operating: Bands, modes, making and logging HF contacts

Ham Radio 201a: Summits On The Air
• Why operate HF from the field?
• Gear and weight considerations