Оглавление
H. Ward Silver. Ham Radio For Dummies
Ham Radio For Dummies® To view this book's Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and search for “Ham Radio For Dummies 4e Cheat Sheet” in the Search box. Table of Contents
List of Tables
List of Illustrations
Guide
Pages
Introduction
About This Book
My Assumptions about You
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the Book
Where to Go from Here
Getting Started with Ham Radio
Getting Acquainted with Ham Radio
HAM: NOT JUST FOR SANDWICHES ANYMORE
Exploring Ham Radio around the World
WHERE THE HAMS ARE
Tuning into Ham Radio
THE RADIO IN YOUR POCKET
Using electronics and technology
Design and build
Experiment with radio waves
Create your own antennas
Invent networks and signals
Code yourself a radio
Digitize your radio
Operate wherever you are
Enhance other hobbies
Joining the ham radio community
Clubs and online groups
THE HAM RADIO BUSINESS CARD
Hamfests and conventions
Emergency teams
Community events
FIELD DAY — HAM RADIO’S OPEN HOUSE
Radiosport — Competing with Ham Radio
Communicating through Ham Radio Contacts
Ragchews
Nets
Citizen Science and HamSCI
Getting a Handle on Ham Radio Technology
Getting to Know Basic Ham Radio Gear
Building a Basic Ham Radio Station
Basic stations
Communication Technologies
HAM RADIOS, CB RADIOS, AND MOBILE PHONES
Understanding the Fundamentals of Radio Waves
Frequency and wavelength
The radio spectrum
Dealing with Mother Nature
Experiencing nature affecting radio waves
Overcoming radio noise
Finding Other Hams: Your Support Group
HAM RADIO — MEETING ONLINE
Finding and Being a Mentor
Interacting in Online Communities
Social media and blogs
Videos, podcasts, and webinars
Email reflectors
Online training and instruction
Web portals
Joining Radio Clubs
Finding and choosing a club
CHECKING OUT A CLUB
Participating in meetings
Getting more involved
Volunteering your services
Taking part in activities
Exploring the ARRL
ARRL benefits to you
ARRL benefits to the hobby
ARRL benefits to the public
Taking Part in Specialty Groups
On the Air — IOTA, SOTA, and POTA
Young Hams — YOTA
Competitive clubs
Handiham
AMSAT
TAPR
YLRL
QRP clubs
Attending Hamfests and Conventions
Finding and preparing for hamfests
Finding conventions and conferences
Wading through the Licensing Process
Understanding the Licensing System
Getting Acquainted with the Amateur Service
FCC rules
Ham radio frequency allocations
Learning about Types of Licenses
Technician class
General class
Amateur Extra class
Grandfathered classes
Getting Licensed
Studying the exam questions
Taking your license exam
Volunteer examiner coordinators
Volunteer examiners
Receiving Your New Call Sign
Call-sign prefixes and suffixes
Class and call sign
Preparing for Your License Exam
Getting a Grip on the Technician Exam
Finding Study Resources
Licensing classes
Books, websites, and videos
Online practice exams
Locating Your Mentor
MY MENTOR EXPERIENCE
Taking the Exam
WHY DO I HAVE TO TAKE AN EXAM?
Types of Exams
Public in-person exams
Remote exams
Exams at events
Exam sessions in homes and online
Finding an Exam Session
Registering with the Universal Licensing System (ULS)
Getting to Exam Day
What to have with you
What to expect
What to do after the exam
Obtaining Your License and Call Sign
Completing Your Licensing Paperwork
Finding Your Call Sign
Searching the ULS database
Searching other websites for call signs
WHAT IF YOU DON’T FIND YOUR CALL SIGN?
Printing your license
Identifying with your new privileges
Picking Your Own Call Sign
Searching for available call signs
Applying for a vanity call sign
HAM RADIO LICENSE PLATES
Maintaining Your License
Hamming It Up
Receiving Signals
Learning by Listening
Finding out where to listen
Understanding how bands are organized
Using Your Receiver
Tuning, and scanning with channels
Continuous tuning with a knob
Software-controlled tuning
Listening on VHF and UHF
Listening on HF
Organizing activity on HF bands
Adjusting for time of day
Using beacon networks and contact maps
Beacon stations
Beacon networks
Contact maps
Receiving Signals
Receiving FM voice
Receiving SSB voice
Receiving digital voice
Receiving digital or data modes
Receiving Morse code
IDENTIFYING BANDS AND MODES BY EAR OR EYE
Basic Operating
Understanding Contacts (QSOs)
Common parts of contacts
Know your Alfa, Bravo, Charlies: Using phonetics
Q&A with Q-signals
Can you hear me now? — Signal reports
Casual contacts
Nets and talk groups — On-the-air meetings
Contests and DXing — Radiosport
How contacts get started
Starting repeater contacts
Starting an SSB voice contact
Starting a CW or digital mode contact
Joining a contact
Failing to make contact
During a contact
Common information to exchange
Getting used to repeater style
Joining a group
Calling CQ
Anatomy of a CQ
CQ tips
Casual Conversation — Ragchewing
Knowing where to chew
Identifying a ragchewer
Calling CQ for a ragchew
THE LONG GOODBYE
Making Repeater and Simplex Contacts
Understanding repeater basics
Understanding repeater frequencies
Finding repeater frequencies
Making a repeater contact
Using access control
Using tone access
Using Digital Coded Squelch (DCS)
Miscellaneous repeater features
Autopatch
Remote receivers
Open and closed repeaters
Maximizing your signal
Setting up your radio
Using radio programming software
Cloning radio configurations
Making a simplex contact
Digital Voice Systems
HF digital voice
VHF/UHF digital voice
Digital repeater networks
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems
The D-STAR system
The WIRES-X system
The DMR system
Casual Operating on HF
HF bands
Picking good times to operate
WHAT’S A WARC?
Contacts on CW and digital modes
Public Service Operating
Joining a Public Service Group
Finding a public service group
ARES
RACES
MARS
SATERN and Red Cross
Volunteering for ARES
NATIONAL INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (NIMS)
REGISTERING AND GETTING CHECKED
Preparing for Emergencies and Disasters
Knowing who
Knowing where
Knowing what
Assembling a go kit
Preparing your home
Knowing how
Operating in Emergencies and Disasters
Reporting an accident or other incident
Making and responding to distress calls
Making a distress call
Responding to a distress call
Providing Public Service
Weather monitoring and SKYWARN
Parades and charity events
Participating in Nets
Checking in and out
Exchanging information
Tactical call signs
Radio discipline
Digital Message Networks
Winlink — email by radio
AREDN
NBEMS
Operating Specialties
Getting Digital
Digital definitions
WSJT modes — fast and slow
A “NOBLE” HAM RADIO OPERATOR
FT8 and FT4
PSK31 and PSK63
Radioteletype (RTTY)
Non-WSJT MFSK modes
PACTOR, ARDOP, and VARA
Packet radio
APRS and tracking
DXing — Chasing Distant Stations
VHF/UHF DXing with a Technician license
VHF and UHF DX propagation
Earning VHF and UHF DX awards
HF DXing with a General license
Receiving HF DX signals
WATCHING THE SUN AND ITS SPOTS
Contacting a DX station
Navigating pileups
Working split: Split-frequency operation
Using spotting networks
Earning awards
CAN THEY HEAR ME NOW?
Taking Part in Radio Contests
Choosing a contest
Operating in a contest
Making contest contacts
Logging your contacts
WRTC – THE HAM RADIO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Calling CQ in a contest
Searching and pouncing
Being polite
Chasing Awards
Finding awards and special events
Logging contacts for awards
Applying for awards
Mastering Morse Code (CW)
Learning Morse correctly
Copying the code
Pounding brass — sending Morse
STRAIGHT KEY NIGHT — SEND IN THE NEW YEAR
Making code contacts
QRP (Low Power) and Portable Operating
Getting started with QRP
Portable operating
Direction-finding (ARDF)
Operating via Satellites
Getting grounded in satellite basics
Accessing satellites
Seeing Things: Image Communication
Slow-scan television
Fast-scan television
Building and Operating a Station That Works
Getting on the Air
What Is a Station?
Planning Your Station
Deciding what you want to do
Deciding how to operate
Home operation
Handheld radio operation
Choosing a Radio
Allocating your resources
Software defined radios
Radios for VHF and UHF operating
Mobile FM radios
Handheld FM radios
All-mode radios
VHF/UHF amplifiers
VHF/UHF preamplifiers
Radios for HF operating
Digital data on HF
HF amplifiers
Filtering and noise
Choosing an Antenna
Beam antennas
VHF/UHF antennas
HF antennas
Wire antennas
Vertical antennas
Feed line and connectors
Supporting Your Antenna
Antennas and trees
ANTENNA AND TOWER SAFETY — DO IT RIGHT!
Masts and tripods
Towers
Rotators
Station Accessories
Mikes, keys, and keyers
Antenna system gadgets. Antenna tuners
Power and SWR meters
Dummy load
Digital mode interfaces
Remote Control Stations
Remote control rules
Accessing a remote control station
Upgrading Your Station
Organizing a Home Station
Designing Your Station
Keeping a station notebook
Building in ergonomics
The focal point
The computer monitor
The radio
The operating chair
The desk and shelves
Viewing some example ham stations
Building in RF and Electrical Safety
Electrical safety
RF exposure
First aid
SOURCES OF RF AND ELECTRICAL SAFETY INFORMATION
Grounding and Bonding
AC and DC power
Lightning
RF management
Computers in Your Ham Station
What Type of Computers Do Hams Use?
Windows
Linux
Macintosh
Android and iOS
Microcontrollers
What Do Ham Computers Do?
Software-defined radio
WSJT-X and fldigi
Radio and remote control
NETWORKING HAM RADIO STUFF
Hardware considerations
Keeping a Log of Your Contacts
Paper logging
Computer logging
PREDICTING PROPAGATION
Submitting a contest log
THERE’S AN APP FOR MAPS
Confirming Your Contacts
QSL cards
QSLing electronically
Direct QSLing
Using QSL managers
Bureaus and QSL services
Applying for awards
Operating Away from Home
Mobile Stations
HF mobile radios
Mobile installations
Mobile antennas
Portable Operating
LET’S GET OTA!
Portable antennas
Portable power
Field Day
Field Day “gotchas”
Hands-On Radio
Acquiring Tools and Components
Maintenance tools
Repair and building tools
Components for repairs and building
Maintaining Your Station
Overall Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting Your Station
Power problems
RF problems
Operational problems
Data problems
Control problems
Troubleshooting RF Interference
Dealing with interference to other equipment
PART 15 DEVICES
Dealing with interference to your equipment
FERRITES AS RFI SUPPRESSORS
Building Equipment from a Kit
Building Equipment from Scratch
The Part of Tens
Ham Radio Jargon — Say What?
Spoken Q-signals
Contesting or Radiosport
Antenna Varieties
Feed Lines
Antenna Tuners
Repeater Operating
Grid Squares
Interference and Noise
Connector Parts
Solar and Geomagnetic Activity
Technical Fundamentals
Electrical Units and Symbols
Ohm’s Law
Power
Decibels
Attenuation, Loss, and Gain
Bandwidth
Filters
Antenna Patterns
Standing Wave Ratio (SWR)
Battery Characteristics
Satellite Tracking
Tips for Masters
Listening to Everything
Learning How It Works
Following the Protocol
Keeping Your Axe Sharp
Practice to Make Perfect
Paying Attention to Detail
Knowing What You Don’t Know
Maintaining Radio Discipline
Make Small Improvements Continuously
Help Others and Accept Help from Others
Index. Numbers
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
About the Author
Dedication
Author’s Acknowledgments
WILEY END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT
