How I got into ham radio ( pic heavy )

[lugnutz]

Ok first I like ham, can't get enuff of it

 second I like talkin to people, but what really really got my wife and I into this other hobby?

Check out the kansas city news chopper !!

Anyone guess yet??

It aint photography but I like it too!

Guessed yet?  For those of you that said Storm Spotter YOU ARE CORRECTO!!

Wife and I have been hams for almost 10 years now and the last 3 years or so we have slacked a bit, but now getting back into it.  Next big ticket item is gonna be a digital SLR   I think its time to retire our film cameras and go digi!  We spot for 2 counties Ray ( our home county ) and Clay ( our neighbor county ). 

 

[garyt]

I was right, I am N9NQK, been licensed for about 20 years

 

[lugnutz]

Kc0ogg ( me ) and Kc0ogf ( wife )  Just techs but with echolink and all the new technology out there it serves us well.  Nice to meet another Ham

 

[smokey paul]

OK OK you got my attention... As an ex ham and a amateur weather station owner i want to know how you protect your self's. Did you dig a deep hole and line it with brick and put up a 40 or 20 meter ant. that would take 200 mi winds or ???

would like to tap into your feed...

Not a lot of big wind in AZ so you have it... Have in-law in NE and they see this. But not me O well..

Did the helo chopper make it OK ??

Good pictures...

Good non-smoke Qviews...LOL

 

[fftwarren]

ok, those are really great pics. But Im not a ham op or storm chaser or whatever so I have a question. What does a storm spotter do and whats it used for? I mean obviously once you have spotted the storm, so has everyone else in your county and the news soo what gives? exactly what do you do/whats your role when storm spotting?

 

[lugnutz]

Chopper was fine. As far as protecting my ham equip at home I unhook everything.  I wish those pics were from the house but we live in a hole!  I hit the road to take those pics tonight

after getting home from my parents and dinner ( porterhouse MMMMMM ).

No 40 or 20 here just standard 2 meter, had 440 till I blew a used radio up!! I miss that old thing LOL.

 

[lugnutz]

ok, those are really great pics. But Im not a ham op or storm chaser or whatever so I have a question. What does a storm spotter do and whats it used for? I mean obviously once you have spotted the storm, so has everyone else in your county and the news soo what gives? exactly what do you do/whats your role when storm spotting?

I run out and say " yup there she is"  Just kidding.  From my ham radio I am hooked into a network of information ( Sky Warn ).  I get info on what the storm is doing and I relay info back as to what is going on real time from my location.   It is not common to have a news chopper out my way as I live 45 mins or so north of Kc.  The news channels do use info from storm spotters both hired and general public such as myself.   We are extra eyes.  Sky Warn is on a frequency that I can hit from my car on a good day, but I report to a local freq, that reports directly  to Sky Warn, Sky Warn in turns monitors radar and communicates with NOAA. The network that I use is Clay County ARES ( Ametuer Radio Emergency Services ).   
 

 

[fftwarren]

hmm thats pretty cool. really awesome pictures

 

[meateater]

You storm chasers are an interesting bunch. Keep on keeping us safe. In grew up in Calif. near the San Andreas fault, funny I don't remember any earthquake warnings.

 

[smokey paul]

Thanks for the info may visit some of the pawn shops for some used equipment and find a 2 meter rig just to monitor the freq.

Enjoy smoking when the wind dies down    LOL

WA6ERG ex...

 

[hounds51]

N3imf Extra or should I say Ex Ham. Stopped When they took the code away! Now all I do is Smoke and fish.

de N3imf dit da dit da dit da.

 

[smokey paul]

Hay meateater, from north Hollywood, simi valley and San Diego

Earthquakes, i was there in feb 9, silmar and others wow the earth did move..!!!

 

[meateater]

Hay meateater, from north Hollywood, simi valley and San Diego

Earthquakes, i was there in feb 9, silmar and others wow the earth did move..!!!

I grew up in La Crescenta. I rode them from 1970 till the Northridge big one in 94/95? I had a retail store,sold it and see ya Calif.
 

 

[garyt]

Thanks for the info may visit some of the pawn shops for some used equipment and find a 2 meter rig just to monitor the freq.

Enjoy smoking when the wind dies down    LOL

WA6ERG ex...

You can monitor these on a police scanner