My oldest hobby: Amateur Radio
My call sign: WC5WC (old call WA5OTR)
This page is dedicated to a really great hobby that not only has supplied millions of people of all ages a really great way to use their spare time in constructive ways, it has also inspired many young men and women to seek careers in the field of electronics.
If you enjoy communicating with other people on the Internet, you will probably enjoy this hobby also. It provides the participant with communications with other people, not only locally, but internationally. It also provides a tremendous amount of public service by providing volunteer active and backup communications in emergencies to governmental organizations in disaster hit areas. Probably the most visible means of volunteer activity is the large
number of mobile Amateur Operators who have attended severe weather spotter training and who voluntarily go out into severe storm areas to track severe weather for the National Weather Service, and County and City Civil Defense Organizations. The single most important means of tracking and identifying severe weather as it happens is by the use of eyes in the field. Radar can only show so much. It cannot show what is actually happening on the ground in a severe weather situation. Only trained eyes watching these storms can supply this information so that the Weather Service and Civil Defense Authorities can make informed decisions as to what to expect out of a storm. Amateur Radio Operators have been the main source of trained storm trackers since the early 1970's when the programs started being initiated.
Of course, if you are a construction minded type of person, enjoy using your hands to assemble projects, etc, there is nothing more fulfilling than assembling an electronics project and seeing it work when finished. Kids in school will find many projects for science and school projects available that use the knowledge obtained by being in Amateur Radio.
For those people who travel allot, there are repeater systems all over the United States that provide very reliable extended local communications almost wherever you may choose to go. In many areas, there are repeaters that can be accessed where cell phones are useless. This is especially useful for people who like to camp but are worried about safety while in remote areas where cell phones usually don't work. Using a compact mobile HF transceiver can give the traveler communications all over the world from the vehicle. For the international traveler who vacations in remote areas, there is the possibility of having a "DXpedition" during their travels and meeting Ham operators from other countries. For families, the ease of qualifying for an Amateur Radio License makes the service very attractive for keeping up with each other, and much cheaper than using multiple cell phones. Equipment is inexpensive, the tests are easy, and repeaters are very reliable with most repeaters covering large areas from hand held radios. For parents of school age children, there is no better entertainment on a day when you can't let the kids go outside than Amateur Radio. There are planned activities for all ages all through the year such as contests, personal operating challenges that have rewards from the Ham Radio organizations, and just plain talking and relaxing with friends on the radio who may live just across town or may live half way around the world.
Have I convinced you yet to get into a really great hobby and one that will also fit in very well with your Internet activities? If I have, visit the following links and find out more. Some of these links will even allow you to study on-line for the exams.
73's & BCNU on the air. Wiley Clarkson WC5WC
My Present Radio Station
In My 2005 Nissan Titan Crew Cab 4x4
I am now running only a Yaesu FT-857d tied to a Yaesu ATAS-120a screwdriver antenna. Yaesu, in my opinion, has the best mobile radio on the market for the money. At $700.00 (not including the antenna), it is a super buy for the person who wants the most versatility for the buck. The ATAS-120a is a good antenna and works quite well with the 857d. There are better antennas but they don't control automatically as easily as the ATAS-120a. Unfortunately, the ATAS-120a does have some shortcomings that need to be corrected to make it a survivable antenna for the rural environment that I live in and camp in. I have designed two modifications to the ATAS-120a that can be found below. The links will take you to photos and instructions on these very simple mods which will enhance the survivability of the antenna in brush country
and cities with lots of low tree limbs. Also pictured is a modification I made to my truck tool box to permit lowering the ATAS-120a to an almost horizontal position to permit entry into garages with low ceilings. The 144 MHz and 440 MHz antennas are made by Antennex, a commercial quality antenna manufacturer that specializes in Land Mobil Radio Service antennas. I have tried several Comet/Diamond style multiband mobiles with very poor survivability! They perform quite well but they will not survive more than a very short time in a rugged, rural environment where four wheel drive vehicles are common. My Comet SBB-7 is now on my camping trailer mounted to a raisable 15ft mast on my trailer bumper. Antennex antennas are extremely tough antennas that I used to sell to volunteer fire departments in this area and I have never had one fail. The VHF/UHF antennas are tied to the FT-857d with a Comet diplexer. I highly recommend the Antenex antennas! I have the FT-857d remote mounted with the control head, my cell phone, and my GPS receiver mounted to the top of the Titan dash at almost eye level. I power all of my equipment from a deep cycle marine battery mounted in my tool box.
My Nissan Quest:
My present go to work and shopping vehicle is a 2005 Nissan Quest mini-van. I have installed mostly old equipment from my storage shelves in this vehicle, with the exception of the 146/440 transceiver, which was purchased new. The 146/440 is a Yaesu FT-7900r with Antenex wide band antennas on an MFJ duplexer. For 6m SSB, I have a Yaesu FT-690-r11 and a 50 MHz loop antenna mounted on the luggage carrier. For 28.3 MHz, I am using a President HR-2510 with an Antenex CW-27 wide band antenna. I also have Magellan GPS and, of course, a hands free Nokia CK-7W cell phone system for my Nokia phones.
My Wife's Chevy Uplander
As most male ops know, when messing with the wife's vehicle, it has to be the minimum amount of equipment. Again, I chose a Yaesu FT-7900r remote mounted with just the control head on the dash. I'm using a Comet dual band antenna at present but may switch to the Antenex Wide Band antennas later. I also have a Garmin GPS for her and a Nokia CK-7W hands free cell phone system.
My FT-857d Mobile Installation
Yaesu FT-7900r extended transmit modification
My home office/ham shack
July 7, 2007:
During extremely severe weather that came through while I was at work, my house sustained a direct hit from lightening which did more than $12,000 damage to electronics, appliances, and A/C. I no longer have a fixed station as everything was fried and the antennas were literally blown apart by the sustained lightening strike. The insurance company, Germania, did everything they could to take the maximum depreciation they could get before paying any money. As a result, after repairing the house, computers, and telephones, there was just enough money left to purchase the Yaesu VX-7r that now serves as my handheld. My Kenwood TS-690s, ADI AR 146 and AR 447, along with power supplies, antennas, antenna tuners, numerous computer peripherals, all network wiring, phone wiring, coaxial cable, high quality amplified stereo speakers, Teak stereo, and our best TV could not be replaced. A word of warning to anyone reading this page: check the fine print of your Home Owner's Insurance. If it says replacement costs, change policies or change companies to get a policy that says "cash value"!
I wasn't told this is what I should have until after the damage was done.
Used Drake Equipment I would like to purchase
Moving ahead one year:
It is now October 28, 2008, and I am getting close to completing the rebuilding of my station after the destruction caused by the lightening strike. I have always been a techno nut and I love new techno gadgets. However, this time I decided to build what might be called an antique station by today's standards. I decided to get on Ebay and eventually build as complete a Drake 4C line as I could. When I was first licensed, I had always had this desire to own Drake. Back in the 1960's and early 1970's, however, I never had the money. I learned alot about buying old equipment off Ebay in the last year. I now have the basic 4C line but it did cost some money. The worst side of purchasing equipment off of Ebay is that you are at the mercy of the seller. The equipment I ended up with had issues, even though the sellers "said" it appeared to be in good shape. After a year of trying, I put together the basic station. It was then that I decided to look for someone who was skilled in restoration of old equipment as I soon learned that this was beyond my present skill level. I soon found Jeff Covelli, WA8SAJ. I sent both the R-4C and T-4XC along with all the cables to him. He stripped down the radios, cleaned and repaired mechanically problems then after reassembly he completely retuned the transmitter and receiver fixing many more issues than I had realized were present. When he returned them to me, it took exactly one day to get everything put back together and hooked up. Every report I have received has been "great audio and strong signal!" It's fun using the older equipment from the 70's at he house. It has a "feel" that is just not in the new equipment manufactured these days!
Used Equipment I would like to purchase
My Newest Station
November, 2009Every once in a while, I get lucky! I was reporting to work when a plant employee met me as I was getting out of my truck and asked if I was ham operator. He said he had a radio his father had used and it was just stored in a closet and was I interested in it. Of course I said I was interested in any amateur radio equipment if the price was right. He then told me he would bring it to work and I could take it home and check it out. It turned out to be a Kenwood TS-520s transceiver that looked and operated like it had just come out of the factory box fresh from the factory! The price turned out to be "right" and it now sits on one desk in my shack, with my Drake station on the other desk. I have since added some Kenwood accessories and hooked it to a full size 1.9MHz inverted V and a full 1/4 wave ground plane. Both antennas are mounted at 70 ft above the ground. When time and money permit, this radio will be matched to a Mosley 6 el yagi for 50MHz SSB. I'm also planning to purchase a Mosely TA-33 yagi for the Drake station.
A look at the different radios I have owned over the years
Links to Amateur Radio Pages
ARRL The American Radio Relay League: The National organization that represents Amateur Radio Operators. A very good source of study materials, information, up-to-date happenings, publishers of QST, the official journal for the ARRL that is published monthly. They also sponsor operating events like Field Day and the ARRL International DX Phone Contest, to name just a couple.
QRZ.COM This site is loaded with useful information and links.
HAMCOM This is the place to be at the June 8-10, 2001. See you there!
RAILS Radio Amateur Interstate Link System: This is a good example of the many linked systems on VHF and UHF that hams are installing and maintaining.
TX VHF FM SOCIETY If you are going to be are or are going primarily a VHF/UHF operator, you need to support this organization.
TEXAS AMATEUR REPEATER/LINK LIST A printable list of repeaters and links in Texas.
National Skywarn Homepage The National home site for SKYWARN
SKYWARN Texas Home Page The Texas home page for SKYWARN
NOA Ft Worth-Dallas Skywarn This is an important source of information for North Central Texas
K5KJ Skywarn Page Another good source of information and links relating to SKYWARN and Amateur Radio
This page updated on 02/ by Wiley Clarkson WC5WC