I think when he asked about operating the guy meant actually showing what buttons to press. And I agree with him. Operating knobs and buttons is so intuitive to hams that they don't understand that other people may be intimidated by it. Video how to tune, how to use apf, how to use RIT in a fast paced environment would very useful.
@VictorDenisov
2 жыл бұрын
If you need more topics along those lines I have a whole bunch of them.
@HamRadioCrashCourse
2 жыл бұрын
Always! Email me at josh@hamtactical.com
@user-ud8zm1re3y
2 жыл бұрын
For the concern of getting in trouble with the FCC, let me share a quick story: I'm a General, my son is a Technician. He enjoys doing FT8 on 10m because it gets him some distance and contacts with foreign countries. The other day, I forgot to switch back to my call sign and accidentally transmitted on 20m until I realized my mistake. I immediately stopped transmitting. No FCC SWAT team showed up. To Josh's point, unless you're being a jerk, even an honest mistake won't get you fined or get you trouble with the law. You rectify your mistake, don't do it again, and there won't be consequences of any merit.
@DieselRamcharger
2 жыл бұрын
no one cares about ham radio. the government can kiss my ass.
@tarakivu8861
2 жыл бұрын
Thing is, you could get into trouble very easily and it can be hard. Thats why i rsther stay on general frequencies with nornal gear.. And i find some things to be very limiting.. like i want small, private, communication. And even P2P directional traffic is not allowed easily for consumers.
@lupacchinobros
2 жыл бұрын
According to BAD HAMS...one can get a 10,000 dollar fine for broadcasting on bands you are not allowed to.......NEEEEERDS!!!
@DieselRamcharger
2 жыл бұрын
@@lupacchinobros come n get me
@charliegoodnight7560
2 жыл бұрын
No one really cares. Honestly. Remember the guy in Florida that actually had a flipping radio station playing over ham!?! Went years doing it. Millions of $40 handhelds using the all sacred ham freq and yet no prison trains. Lol
@DonzLockz
2 жыл бұрын
Great answers Josh.👍 I don't think this person really did any sort of research though. :/ The FCC comment totally confused me! Lol 🤔🤷♂️
@ericgulseth74
2 жыл бұрын
I get where this guy is coming from. There's so much available to learn that one can just be paralyzed with the choices. Plus the jargon can just smother people. On top of it, the latest radios have so many bells and whistles that people are just overwhelmed. Once you get your foot in the door and simplify it, you realize it's not hard and it can be so rewarding. Sounds like this guy needs a quality Elmer to help him a long.
@BradSnyder1
2 жыл бұрын
That was a lot of questions and you answered them all very well Josh. I agree like the others, the SDR might be the route for him to try and listen to the airwaves. And who knows, maybe he’ll get inspired later on to becoming an amateur radio operator.
@theworkenman1936
2 жыл бұрын
I think what he meant about KZitemrs not showing how to use a radio, is that most KZitemrs just show the use of the radio and not necessarily how to use it. Of course there are some but not many. I’m a newly licensed technician and to be honest it’s still can be confusing to me how to use the features of some radios. Just my opinion I could be wrong. Love your channel and have learned a lot from it.
@DXCommanderHQ
2 жыл бұрын
0:19 Oh I know someone who shows radios working. He does it every Friday! (PS - Excellent Q&A)
@wallstreettrader1
Жыл бұрын
DXCommander in the house!
@hardtruth2039
2 жыл бұрын
I was like this fella in the beginning. I went with a WOUXUN KV-UG9G PRO. Has all of the cool stuff already programmed and scans fairly quickly. I got my GMRS license for family comms. Works great for us. Studying for ham license now.
@Fireman9143
Жыл бұрын
I'm in the same boat. I'm looking at the same radio. A big reason is because after watching many youtube reviews and comparisons I FINALLY found a radio of someone using one! They even posted the distances they were reaching with it. Wish @HamRadioCrashCourse and @HamRadio2.0 would demonstrate function when they review and compare, or point to videos where those radios were actually used.
@originalgrantbob
2 жыл бұрын
I'd also suggest the magazine The Spectrum Monitor (found online) for a little more info on monitoring all sorts of things.
@lawrencethompson465
2 жыл бұрын
I concur. There is a wealth of well written, highly informative, information this gentleman could use and learn from.
@oobihdahboobeeboppah
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks Josh for taking time to answer this guy's questions. Without saying it, you implied that Amateur Radio isn't for everyone or that the two aren't always a good fit. I appreciate your helpful attitude toward this fellow by laying out other options which might be a better fit for him. You're definitely not a "ham bigot" (if there is such a term); you explained other avenues folks can take if their interests lie elsewhere. Keep up the good work!
@MrRadioRover
2 жыл бұрын
Josh, you have outdone yourself answering these questions aimed at new radio peeps. We need more material from everyone answering what seems to e simple questions to experienced radio ops but not so simple for new people. Everyone is welcome in the radio hobby. Thanks for making that very clear in this video. KEEP IT UP!!!!
@Subdood04
2 жыл бұрын
Paid my fee today, just waiting on my call sign now! Must say at the risk of sounding like a fanboy, it was your guest appearance with Mike Glover that got me started. Thanks!
@jacechristian8725
2 жыл бұрын
I got a baofeng for listening to local repeaters and emergency responders in my county and within a month of listening I was hooked and decided to get my license. I still scan through my programmed channels while driving it's fun to hear the police and fire departments respond to calls. Radio reference is where I found most of my local channels to listen to, I also got the local repeater channels from one of the ham radio clubs in the area who were happy to send me a spreadsheet that included all the local repeaters, color coded with who owns the repeater or what clubs use them as well as a list of some of the scheduled nets in the valley.
@dave_n8pu
2 жыл бұрын
The problem in my area / state, Michigan, a lot of those services have gone to the 800 MHz Digital band. Not all but a lot of the 'public services' have done that. There's still a lot to listen to, just a lot fewer than there was a few years back.
@jacechristian8725
2 жыл бұрын
@@dave_n8pu I have the same problem here, I'm in Utah County, Utah. The county sheriff's are analog, so is United Fire that covers the EMS/Fire for most cities in the county. But most of the cities are digital. If you are wanting to listen in on more organizations digital is the way to go.
@theroguetomato5362
2 жыл бұрын
Correction: There are no dumb questions LEFT. I already asked them all.
@randycollins7699
2 жыл бұрын
I'd like to add a recommendation for the gentleman to visit / join a local radio club. Usually that's big source of information and help.
@HamRadioConcepts
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you Josh for addressing these concerns. I have heard a lot of these similar frustrations but we both know there is a lot of videos we have made that clearly show what we do in this hobby, not just an unboxing.. 73
@HamRadioCrashCourse
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks Eric. Well said.
@kimcooper437
2 жыл бұрын
After years I've never posted any comment on any video. But I felt this would just be an interesting one at least to me. I was standing right next to you at the hamfest in Xenia (too bad about CoViD) and I instantly realized that I don't know you. I used to run into celebrities all the time when I work downtown and the first thought is that you know them because they're in your house all the time. I absolutely hate running into celebrities because I'm always tempted to say hi like they would know me too and then I come to my senses. Anyways, I've enjoyed you being in my house and learned a lot for the past year as a newbie.
@davidl.4408
2 жыл бұрын
I saw Josh at the Dayton Hamvention in Xenia this year. Josh was very friendly and approachable. I felt the need to say "THANK YOU" to Josh for all of the informational videos. I've only been licensed since December 2021, and I've done a lot of learning watching HRCC videos. I'll also say that Dave Casler was extremely friendly and welcoming when I approached him in Xenia.
@mattquince6508
Жыл бұрын
As funny as this sounds. Josh is just a normal guy. He just makes videos, rather then sitting around at a restaurant talking with other hams.
@joshuafletcher4963
2 жыл бұрын
I second the SDR. I personally have an RTL-SDR V3 kit. Came with telescopic V antennas, tripod, etc. For roughly $30-40 USD. I caught my first NOAA weather sat imagery with that
@daytona1212
2 жыл бұрын
The SDRplay RSP1A is great too. More expensive, but has way better filters. Don't know if you know the sdr software SDRAngel, if not give it a try it's free of charge. It has many plugins build in for air traffic, ships, APRS, DAB radio and many more. And you can listen to 1, 2, 3 and more frequencies at the same time. I also have the RTL-SDR V3, but do not use it anymore since I bought the RSP1A.
@ve2zdx
2 жыл бұрын
Hi Josh, I have some interesting notes about KZitemrs not showing what ham radio actually is, I really hope you read this. I'm a CW, QRP, and field-only operator, not because that's my thing but mostly because I don't have other options besides QRP. And for QRP to be actually viable for DX it has to be CW (I don't have any interest in digital modes). When I do radio I go to a park close to home and deploy my QRPguys EFHW and get a lot of QSO into eastern Europe, middle east and sometimes Asia. This park I go to is in the middle of the city and full of people, I basically spend about 70% of my time explaining to people what ham radio is, and I like it. I explain what is each part of the rig doing, show them some people talking in SSB, and some digital signals and do some CW QSO where I translate the QSO, show them QRZ, etc...and then I used to suggest them to go to youtube and look for it. I don't do it anymore and I'll explain later why. 95% of these people I suggested to go to KZitem find your channel, Ham Radio Offline, and the other ham radio channels that score well in the YT algorithm. And the majority of the feedback I get from them is something like this "Is this hobby a buying hobby? I only found people reviewing equipment and sometimes building antennas but I didn't see anyone doing the things you showed me you do". The people who don't give me this kind of feedback are people who found K4SWL, for example. Your videos are really great for people who are Ham Radio operators already. I personally don't like most of them but many of your tutorials, and rig reviews helped me already, I thank you for that and it's valuable content. But your videos are hurting the community in this other way, it's scaring people off. One of these days one person who came to me was a newly licensed ham and when he told me what he was doing I realized he was on an insane buying spree which I consider was caused by ham radio KZitemrs. The man was buying so many things that he didn't need and was doing so little with it. At this case I had a Xiegu x5105 and a QRPGuys antenna with me and I spend about 2 hours with him showing that he could easily talk to Eastern Europe. When I showed that 9A/UW1GZ could hear me at the first call with a real 599 he was so amazed, then I went to SSB and the legendary S57DX answer at the first call, OM3, OK2, etc... after showing all these he realized himself that he was lost in a buying spree. Maybe you don't realize but you influence a lot of people. I do understand why youtube channels focus so much on reviews and tutorials, that's where the views come from. But focusing so much on that and not on what the radio is actually about is kind of hurting the hobby. Please don't take this text as harassment. It's a honest feedback from the field. 73s
@HamRadioCrashCourse
2 жыл бұрын
Hi Andre, Thanks for taking the time to reply. Based on what you wrote I took a pass over the last six months of my short form videos and my live streams. There is definitely product reviews, about half. But they all show how to use the equipment. Often including making contacts with the radios and antennas The other half are what you can do with ham radio. Or specifically answering questions people have. The reality is that for many parts of our hobby specific product solutions exist to achieve a level of functionality, that interests me. I don’t believe that a focused product review gets specifically more views than the “how-to” videos I make. So making an assumption that is the reason I make those videos, or what is driving my channel is inaccurate. I make those videos because I enjoy finding solutions to the specific things I want to in ham radio and as new equipment comes out, my gear load out evolves. Then we go use it (and I make videos on their use). I commend you on answering people in public by the way. Kudos to you! Perhaps take a look at my past videos and consider that while yes, product reviews are made. They show their practical use. And of course the wealth of how-to, demonstrations and practical use case. Lastly, eluding to “harm”, and scaring people away from the hobby, I don’t see that conclusion from talking about new, or new to me radios. People want new interesting ways to enjoy the hobby. That can be new radios. Or a new way to enjoy it.
@ve2zdx
2 жыл бұрын
@@HamRadioCrashCourse thanks for reading and answering my comment, I really happy with it. Yes I do know you have pota videos, I watched them. The thing here is that the ones that appear first in the KZitem result are reviews. I'm not talking about my view on your channel, I'm talking about what would some random person find. But this is not your fault, you do your best and show the the things that interest you. Anyway, just a feedback. I personally would prefer to watch you doing ssb/cw qsos, just that. Turn on the camera and talk to people =) But that's it, thanks a lot for replying. Best 73s
@HamRadioCrashCourse
2 жыл бұрын
I’ll try to do more operating videos. Good food for thought. Thanks Andre!
@kg7tuo999
2 жыл бұрын
I'm an Extra class, former Club President, Tech and General license course instructor. The Baofeng radios aren't all that complicated to manually program but CHIRP certainly makes it easier, and faster if you have a bunch of frequencies. What frustrates people with the Baofeng manual programming are a couple of idiosyncrasies that you have to understand. 1) You have to be in VFO mode 2) You have to be in the top window if you're programing a memory channel 3) The memory channel (number) you are saving to MUST be empty 4) If the memory channel isn't empty the radio will give a message that SOUNDS like you did it but it's not. I don't remember the two words but it something like "receiving" or "transmitting". One is telling you you were sucessful the other doesn't save but sure sounds like it did. Those four things, in combination with the selectivity and sensitivity (hey it's a 25-50 dollar hand held), and the innate limitations of any hand held, can frustrate someone. I don't know how many times I've been running a net and a very weak signal comes in with poor readability. I ask if they're on an HT in the house and almost always the answer is YES. GO OUTSIDE....or get an outside antenna and run the Coax to your favorite recliner. For those with issues manually programming a Baofeng (specifically the UV-5R) I have tutorials on my KZitem as well as for CHIRP.
@phildurall7466
2 жыл бұрын
Outstanding advice Josh! Especially the WebSDR starting point. No cost and able to get a feel for what is out there!
@briantalley8415
2 жыл бұрын
I started with an SDR and got hooked, but I had a HAM guiding me. I wouldn't have known the antenna should be horizontal for HF, for example...I knew nothing at that time. Maybe he should reach out to his local arc for someone to answer questions, show how it all works, and guide him.
@KE0YDB
2 жыл бұрын
You pointed Jeff to a lot of great resources, but don't forget your own work. One of my favorite videos was your appearance on The Modern Rogue channel talking about The Secrets of Shortwave Radio. I think it would be a great place to dive in.
@HamRadioCrashCourse
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you very much!
@Pigeon__Man
2 жыл бұрын
I had already had my tech when I got my SDRplay. When I started to decode FT8 and saw countries from all over Europe that made me immediately start studying to get General. SDRs are a gateway drug that let you start playing with the tools out there.
@LoneWolf-dv7ul
2 жыл бұрын
I have head the ISS twice now on my police scanner. Which had HAM radio selected to pick up. No doubt either of my Baofeng radios would pick them up if they were overhead.
@Dusty_Ham
2 жыл бұрын
SDR is how I got into ham radio. I started with an rtl-sdr v3, and eventually got a RSP1A which I still use all the time! There is so much cool stuff out there. Pogsac (pager) decoding, weatherfax, weather sats, sstv. It's what got me so interested. Especially doing weather sats with my little dongle and a laptop. Something I still enjoy doing!
@mattstosh6960
2 жыл бұрын
This is a GREAT video. My Uniden scanner (for local emergency stuff) usually goes ON while i make my first cup of coffee. Air Force pilots engaged in Red Flag training exercises fascinate me. And then I switch my RSP1A SDR on and listen to oversea broadcast news. North Korea radio (in English) is extremely fascinating right now. Really fascinating....
@IgmuHammerer
2 жыл бұрын
Antenna theory is also a pretty big thing. Understanding the antenna length is inversely proportional to the frequency you want to listen to. Also the antenna gain from omni directional to dipole, yagii, to highly directional and high gain parabolic reflector antennas.
@Emcipio
2 жыл бұрын
I just upgraded from a Baofeng UV-5R to an Icom IC-2730A. It is amazing how much more I can receive, how much further I can reach, and how much easier it is to understand the traffic once I used a much better antenna and a radio with better filters! I had no idea I was missing so much just due to the baofeng really serving the price point. They’re great and I’ll buy more for backup comms, but they aren’t really subservient to hobbyist radios.
@1crazynordlander
2 жыл бұрын
Ha! This video brings me back four years ago when I turned 60 and wanted to get into Ham Radio. You were my first stop on KZitem and the video was about SDR dongles. Multiple radios later and in the poor house because of it I have you to thank...It has been a blast!
@HamRadioCrashCourse
2 жыл бұрын
You’re welcome and sorry!
@MikeWest_W
2 жыл бұрын
I live near an FCC listening post and am not afraid. There’s a bit of a learning curve to this stuff but no need to fear. This video was nicely done.
@dangerous8333
2 жыл бұрын
Not me my man. I don't trust the current federal government at all.
@MikeWest_W
2 жыл бұрын
@@dangerous8333 well it was still a cool video.
@CharlotteCaniac
2 жыл бұрын
I’m a banker with no radio experience. I got my Tech/General license in Feb 2021 my Extra in Oct 2021. Getting your license is not hard.
@arupian666
2 жыл бұрын
True, it's not. But the gentleman in question said he has no interest in transmitting.
@raymondmartin6737
2 жыл бұрын
Very well said, coming from an amateur with over 60 years in the hobby, and before that Shortwave and Medium Wave DX'ing. We hope more people get into the hobby. Thanks, 73 de W2CH Ray, New Hampshire.
@dave_n8pu
2 жыл бұрын
I've been licensed for a little over 28 years, when you mentioned MW DXing, I had forgotten that I used to do that on occasion just to 'see' what stations I could hear when the sun went down. I ended up finding about three 'clear channel' stations I would dial to, just to hear what was going on outside of my local area, thanks for the reminder.
@AD2MM_NYC
2 жыл бұрын
Excellent video Josh, I’m sure many people that have interests in the hobby as well as many newly licensed hams found this very informative. Have a great day! 73 de AD2MM
@radioxdeath
2 жыл бұрын
A local Law Enforcment agency in my area just dealt with a situation where someone with a Baofeng was shouting obscenities on their repeater output. The LE Agency never actually heard the transmissions because said output is set to P25 and the Baofeng is of course only analog. The only reason why the LE Agency became aware is that scanner land was calling into dispatch hearing this on their scanners set to "Receive both analog and digital". A formal complaint was made with the FCC. They didn't even really care because it wasn't causing harmful interference at the present and told the LE Agency to just ignore them and most likely they will go away, which they did. Just goes to show you that you really have to repeatedley piss people off and grossly violate the rules to even get the FCC to turn on a radio and see what's going on.
@ke8mattj
2 жыл бұрын
I second the webSDR. The webSDR is what got me into learning how HF works before I got my HF rig. I finally got a RTL-SDR dongle so I can do some range tests without involving others (who are not interested in my radio geeking out). However, with it, I see what is out there locally, and it is pulling in a lot. I didn't realize that CB is still active in my area, as I don't have a CB radio. Though my Yaesu FT3D can get on those frequencies, it barely picks them up unless I put on a rat tail. It really helps to have a visual representation on what is going on.
@HAMRADIODUDE
2 жыл бұрын
Sean is the man with ISS and POTA. Great video and presentation
@nebraskarooster9244
Жыл бұрын
As someone new to HAM, I just want to say thank you for all that you are doing here. I personally really appreciate your helpful demeanor and content. Subscribed and joined.
@RicSpivey
2 жыл бұрын
That was an awesome breakdown! And I totally agree with addressing the doubts of "can people really hear that far??" I was amazed when I got into ham radio about how many things you actually could do with radio, and it can certainly be daunting to people. And I'm going to echo a lot of people here and say an SDR is a great way to get into radio
@g2D1
2 жыл бұрын
Nothing teaches more than the struggle to learn it, and to be completely honest, you will learn faster and better if you join a user's group.
@DARTHDANSAN
2 жыл бұрын
Yes and that’s hardest part to find a group
@OldSloGuy
2 жыл бұрын
Unboxing videos rule because of the KZitem algorithms which are advertiser oriented. Just think about the revenue stream. Unboxing videos play into consumerism. Operational videos are lower on the commercialization scale. If you don't scroll past the higher ranked videos, you won't see the videos you are looking for. Creators know this and many are chasing the algorithm at least by opening with the unboxing. Since attention spans are short, the viewer often switches off in search for something more emotionally satisfying.after a few minutes. Some people are actually put off by demonstrations of skill like installing a BNC connector on coax. Then there is the fear of looking foolish in public. Mea Culpas are uncomfortable.
@howardkarse9915
2 жыл бұрын
Very well done Josh and perfect for newcomers to both Ham and the radio hobby in general.
@HamRadioCrashCourse
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you!
@kevinwelch2885
2 жыл бұрын
If you're doing something wrong, you're more likely to hear about it from a local ham or from a volunteer monitor. The amateur service is supposed to be self-policing.
@SimonBlandford
2 жыл бұрын
+100! Plus it’s not like using a radio is like flying a plane full of passengers who are all depending on you with there very life not to make any mistakes. Amateur radio is much more forgiving.
@kevinwelch2885
2 жыл бұрын
@@SimonBlandford A lot of the wrong things you end up doing aren't illegal; they're just bad amateur practice (like overmodulating or causing unintentional QRM). Plenty of hams will be glad to tell you what you're doing and how to fix it.Compared to other radio services, amateur radio operators have a lot of rights, and of course that means we're the best people qualified to police bad amateur practice. Unless a lid is causing interference to another service, whatever happens in ham radio stays in ham radio
@SimonBlandford
2 жыл бұрын
@@kevinwelch2885 I NEVER OVERMODULATE!!! 😃
@BriKuz
2 жыл бұрын
For air band freqs, just look up the plates for your nearest airports. Ground, tower, approach, departure, and others are right on the plate
@Draggynsmate
2 жыл бұрын
SDR is absolutely the way to go to see if you would enjoy the hobby. I have multiple SDR dongles and can do just about anything I would want with them for next to nothing. As an example, I have a Pi with a dongle attached to it that feeds adsbexchange, radar spotting, captured my first B52 as it flew over my home just yesterday. I have a second dongle running as an iGate for APRS, I have a pair of dongles connected to another Pi running as a portable ADSB device for radar spotting on the go, I have a couple others that can be setup as a scanner. I have done POCSAG 900mhz pager decoding, Inmarsat decoding with a LNA and panel antenna, just good old am/fm listening when I want to just listen to local radio. These things are super versatile and I would highly recommend starting here.
@brentjohnson6654
2 жыл бұрын
Another great video. I have a RSP1A tied to my Kenwood TS 590 SG as a pan adapter. I didn’t realize the SDR could do the tuning. In my case I use rig control on the radio to tune to the clicked on frequency. Please ignore if my question doesn’t make sense. Over all you addressed all things in the email. Thanks for answering these questions.
@AlphaCharlieFour
Жыл бұрын
I copied a station from Texas that on the ISS. I'm in Kentucky. I didn't manage a QSO with him but I wanted to let him know I heard him. I looked him up on QRZ, and he didn't have an email but I did find him on Facebook and I sent him a message saying that I heard him on the space station and tried to respond but he couldn't hear me back. He then sent me a picture of his uv5r with the stock antenna. That was the radio he was using. I thought that was pretty cool!
@dreamstate207
Жыл бұрын
Josh, thank you for the information but you left out a very important point. If the electric grid goes down the only way you can communicate is with a Ham radio. I have four radios which can also be configured to be walkie-talkies for my family of four.
@thebugg333
2 жыл бұрын
I started with GMRS then got my Extra. One complaint I used to hear from GMRS users is that HAM is dead and old hams went to GMRS. I felt the same at first until I got my ham ticket. My QTH has many repeaters near by, one with daily and another with weekly nets. I'm sure I can transmit on .5w and still sound full quieting on those repeaters. On DMR, Fusion and more so DSTAR, most are just waiting to hear someone key up. On HF, there is plenty of traffic. I had some similar questions until I started watching youtube videos, discovering chip and RT systems automatically pulling up local repeaters and other frequencies I could monitor. At my QTH, unless there is a storm (outside of a weather net) there is always traffic.
@dave_n8pu
2 жыл бұрын
For me, RT Systems is the 'goto' software when it comes to programming a radio, yes it's a little more expensive but to me it is worth it. Plus if I need to redownload some software I already bought but lost the installer file, after a couple of questions to be sure I am who I say I am, I download it, plus the serial numbers to if I lost them. So yeah, for ME, the cost is worth it.
@JonathanKayne
2 жыл бұрын
I will second the "don't worry about getting into trouble" part. As long as you don't blatantly break rules you won't get into any trouble. In the case you do something wrong more than likely someone will just point it out. You apologize and correct the mistake.
@TexasScout
2 жыл бұрын
If this guy wants to listen to start out, I suggest he get a Home Uniden home patrol number two with the GPS attachment and programming from radio reference pages. That will pick up most anything in his area very easily without a lot of trouble.
@mikeo4899
2 жыл бұрын
Man you went full Elmer! And I mean that in the good way.
@00Klingon
Жыл бұрын
Speaking of beginners, and the point about YTers not showing radios in use (which I agree is false) but one topic I see very little is a direct demonstration of building a beginner's reference ham shack at various price points. I would love a series that's kind of like "This old house" that goes through all the basics from beginning to end of what recommended equipment to buy and how to install it step by step from designing and installing the ground points to mounting an antenna and calculating RF and adjusting to protect neighbors and family, and also running lines through to the shack itself and properly ground everything.. Essentially everything that will get a beginner on the air from A-Z, like a recipe that will get a majority of people started. I see many videos out there about theoretical scenarios, drawings and diagrams about how something could be done and even lots of videos showing already built ham shacks in operation, but the missing piece is often directly showing how to build it as a beginner as a complete guide. Perhaps the best way is to find a beginner who's willing to volunteer you walk them through it while you film the process? Hopefully a helpful video idea anyway.
@HamRadioCrashCourse
Жыл бұрын
I did a live stream on building a $1,000 shack all in with multiple options.
@00Klingon
Жыл бұрын
@@HamRadioCrashCourse awesome! I need to go check it out!
@nimroddiaries_
2 жыл бұрын
Good suggestions Josh. My take on the video statement is he was referring to super basic starter videos not actually operating the radio. As in, Here is how to connect the power, the coax goes here, etc. I would agree there are not many videos going that basic.
@bobdefield7842
2 жыл бұрын
Mabey I woke up a bit salty, I got I want what I want with out spending more than 20 bucks or reading more than a one picture pamphlet. Josh, you did a really good job answering the questions , its radio is confusing but Its a you get out what you put in. Zero to no investment in equipment or education will yield a less than fruitful experience. I have had my license less than 6 months only experience was VHF marine now I have a ic 705 and figuring out winlink express so it can be done.
@EdwardGriffin
2 жыл бұрын
Jeff, if you never see videos of YT's doing things with radios then you need to find some new channels to add into your watchlist. Often a first impressions and unboxing video is made prior to a use video simply due to the logistics and resource requirements of content creation. Baofengs and other cheap Chinese radios can do many of the cool things that are part of ham radio, they just can't do them as well as more expensive design radios. If your radio picks up the air band and has AM mode, you can listen to aircraft and ATC directly. If your radio picks up land mobile radio, there's a chance you could listen to the ground crews directly. Websites that focus on "scanner" users are where you find this information. Given your lack of interest in transmitting and focus on listening, your needs will be better served by the purchase of a scanner than an amateur radio. A SDR instead of a Baofeng is also a good choice as long as you don't mind using a computer with your radio would be a better budget option. Spend some time reading the forums and Wiki over at Radio Reference.
@betmulligan6192
Жыл бұрын
Beautifully answered questions. Bravo.
@threadripper979
2 жыл бұрын
Josh=google for those unwilling to search for answers. Kudos to Josh
@thomast8539
2 жыл бұрын
Just amazing isn't it? So much information right at a person's fingertips and people just don't want to research anything. Laziness? Lack of curiosity? Dunno. I just don't get it.
@otrdriver6767
2 жыл бұрын
Educating us seems to be a pleasure for you and I appreciate that. Thank you.
@HamRadioCrashCourse
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching!
@aa3konthego
2 жыл бұрын
Funny the misconceptions people have about Amateur Radio and radio in general. What one person thinks is interesting, another finds utterly boring.
@BryanDaniel42
Жыл бұрын
when I was a new ham operator, I was wanting to watch videos of people talking on the radio and it wasn't easy to find in the beginning.
@nickbernstein
2 жыл бұрын
I think something like a tecsun pl330 would be the way to go for this gentleman. It's great when people want to pick up the hobby, but if someone won't Google basics, this might be a frustrating hobby for them. A traditional radio with an ETL scan might be easier for them.
@HamRadioCrashCourse
2 жыл бұрын
It's hard recomending SW receivers with attached antennas in our high RFI world these days. He could easily be sitting with an S9 noise and be very defeated out the gate.
@nickbernstein
2 жыл бұрын
@@HamRadioCrashCourse you can plug in an external antenna, or just go to a park. It just seems like if he has difficulty finding lists of things to listen to a SDR might be too confusing for him. :/
@HamRadioCrashCourse
2 жыл бұрын
External antennas don’t resolve RFI for most. And “go to a park” to use a radio is a non-started for many starting out.
@amzf9008
2 жыл бұрын
So I just started looking into ham radio as well, and the biggest hurdle I have had is know what phrases to search on. The first searches I ran were just as disappointing as the writer of this email. What I did is look for license information and get the basic vocabulary in place and then changed my search.
@phelanpawly2507
2 жыл бұрын
I found that list of questions fairly ignorant. Part of the science and fun of radio is constantly fiddling with programming and tuning in the hope of hearing something new. I think this person would be happier with a scanner. After all, do you catch a fish every time you go fishing? You like fish but hate fishing. Until your prepared to read and educate yourself and learn from others, you will not enjoy radio in any form.
@Gambit-jo4rw
Жыл бұрын
For real it took me a long time to find someone that shows how to use them. They just read the brochure.
@wb8cxo
2 жыл бұрын
Josh you did a great job trying to answer this guy’s questions. But I think he really needs to find a local Elmer who is very knowledgeable and can answer all of his questions and show him his shack and also a person who is patient enough to deal with his critical attitude.
@ScannerJunkie
2 жыл бұрын
Listen to the Scanner school podcast and learn all about scanning.
@sandybottom6623
2 жыл бұрын
I think he's saying the videos don't actually show what buttons are being pressed, what knobs twiddled, what they do and why they are being used.
@blackhawk65589
2 жыл бұрын
I don't get the issue about the FCC either. Even cases were operators were caught interfering, the FCC gave them several warning and visits before fining them
@dangerous8333
2 жыл бұрын
It has nothing to do with doing things on the radio. It's simply that people no longer trust the government. Those of us who are paying attention and watching what's going on know why.
@blackhawk65589
2 жыл бұрын
@@dangerous8333 The government already knows what you (well not you personally) are doing. Your ISP or cell phone carrier will sell you out. Facebook is a treasure chest of information about you. The mighty cell phone tracks your every move. I highly doubt getting a FCC license is any less infornation than the DMV knows.
@GordonHudson
2 жыл бұрын
I have had a Baofeng UV-82 for years. I programmed it once with my local channels and I run it like an old crystal-controlled radio. It has a quarter wave telescopic on it and it works well. I paid £28 for it back then. I have an ID-52 but I still use the baofeng for local monitoring.
@TwoAMBlacktop
Жыл бұрын
I think that people forget that the FCC collects a minuscule amount of money from the hobbyists but collects millions from commercial ventures every year. They don't really care about us that much.
@based_radio
2 жыл бұрын
The problem with the FCC is that if you come under any scrutiny from the US government, which these days could be a simple as flying the American flag or being pro-choice, this would give the opposition a legal reason to enter your home. A stepping stone of sorts. Given the shady behavior of entities like the FBI, and ATF lately, this is not tin foil thinking. Also, you have to publish an address, and not everyone can maintain a PO Box strictly for radio in order to maintain ambiguity. I don't understand why this has to be publicly searchable. This doesn't apply for other things like driver's license, CCW permit etc etc
@HamRadioCrashCourse
2 жыл бұрын
This is a talking point. A grab waving of hands. Show me where this has anything to do with the FCC.
@dangerous8333
2 жыл бұрын
@@HamRadioCrashCourse Odd response from someone that's pro 2A. They are all government agencies and if you don't think they work together you're crazy. If you don't think at some point a radical activist at the FCC could start adding people to lists because they don't agree with things they're saying over the radio, you're out of touch. Having to give all those details and have it be publicly searchable is also an issue. Another thing I heard is that if you have a prior felony conviction and even if you've paid your debt to society and they happen to grant you a license, in some situations it will say felony next to your license in the FCC database. From a privacy and Fourth and fifth amendment standpoint it's a huge issue. I got my first radio a month ago and I have a felony for giving my friend a gram of cannabis when I was 18 years old, 23 years ago. Once I realized the hoops I'd have to jump through and information I'd have to give, including a letter of my character just to get a license, screw them. Not getting one. Edit: Lol! "Show me"... right, the government never does anything in secret. 🤦♂️
@HamRadioCrashCourse
2 жыл бұрын
Dan. That’s conspiracy. The “waving of hands” I said in the previous reply. Making an argument that someone “could” do something isn’t evidence that the FCC is currently corrupt. (Although I am not saying they aren’t) I’m saying we can jump to that conclusion without actual evidence. Here is the fcc enforcement blog. It states the actions they take: www.fcc.gov/enforcement
@devilsatan2973
Жыл бұрын
Our address is in a public database because it's a federal license. The others you listed are run at the state level. When you go the next step up to the feds, things change. I believe you CAN use a PO box for your ham license.(Just as with reg. mail) The FCC just needs a reliable way to contact you. You really don't need to worry about an enforcement action so long as your not being stupid! Don't cause interference, jam others, break the rules, and use freqs outside of the ham bands and you'll never have a problem!
@bluegizmo1983
2 жыл бұрын
SDR's are amazing. I've got several myself. I personally use a clone HackRF 99% of the time. It's not the most sensitive receiver out there, but it's plenty sensitive enough, and you can transmit with it! It works from 1Mhz to 6Ghz. I've use it for basic frequency scanning and listening, receiving realtime weather satellite images, tracking aircraft, tracking weather balloons, replay attacks to unlock vehicles and garage doors, hijack control of those shopping cart pushers that stores use, listen to police Trunked radio systems, receive and decode pager messages (mostly used by hospitals and maintenance departments now days), etc, etc, etc. Hell, I've even used it to setup a small local cellular phone network (fake cell tower basically)! And before buying my first SDR, I had zero knowledge of amateur radio or RF theory at all.
@Backjack31
2 жыл бұрын
Isn’t the software hard to use with hackrf?
@MrStanwyck
2 жыл бұрын
Awesome and informative video as usual…. As a Ham and a long time subscriber , I found your links in the video very helpful…
@MrDixieD
2 жыл бұрын
He comes across as a troll. As Clem would say "you are talking to my guy all wrong". Any Josh, great job answering and giving out really good thorough information.
@bassangler73
Жыл бұрын
You said it well!!! There are no worries with the FCC unless your being a complete jerk on the air...The only trouble i have had was with local code enforcement officers and that wasn't a big deal..They just set across the street watching me install an EFHW and once they figured out what i was doing i never had any other issues..
@mikeb2459
2 жыл бұрын
If you’re a jag with a license, a VM can elevate a complaint to the FCC. If you’re a gigantic jag on an unlicensed band, you’re immune.
@SteelWolf13
2 жыл бұрын
Anyone know what the device is mounted under the desk on the right side of the video? Roughly mid bicep. White lights on top. Then red, yellow then more white lights.
@MrWirebrain
2 жыл бұрын
Josh, I think this is one of the best videos you’ve ever made. To the point, not a lot of crap, not a lot of playing with your friends and beer. ha ha. Have a great day! N9NVU
@HamRadioCrashCourse
2 жыл бұрын
Hah. Thanks Joe!
@dovetomarc
2 жыл бұрын
Josh, you are very kind.
@kingduckford
2 жыл бұрын
The fun stuff is on 14.313 and 7.200 MHz. Short answer.
@TheNoCodeTech
2 жыл бұрын
Fantastic, utterly amazing. Thanks!
@HamRadioCrashCourse
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@jampskan5690
2 жыл бұрын
There's literally ham radio videos on every aspect of how to; set up, run, operate, maintain, mod ham radios! (Of course, I can't say a video exists for all mods, based on the fact that mods are custom to the operator). Speaking of that, shirt idea for HRCC for those that like to tinker, how about a "Custom Operator" tee? Could be of a bread board, soldering iron, hot glue gun ext... Or, if you aren't going to use that, I may attempt to start a not very good KZitem channel delving in to doing things I don't really know anything about, but just making stuff I think could be cool or fun.
@jasonbrown467
2 жыл бұрын
excellent questions, and excellent choice to select this person's s questions. i some times feel the same way about the fcc and i dont know what to do with radio, i know its cool and its like have a peice of scfi tech that can fit into your pocket, but i feel i am searching for a problem to use radio as a solution at times. i have only been playing around with radio for about 2 years and decided to investigate what my radios could listen to, and started zeroing in on that. i like seeing if i can program in frs channels and go to various stores and business's and see if i can scan those channels to pick up on their chatter. i suspect using frs for commercial applications is wrong lol i also, want to see if i can listen in to state parks, again just for fun. in the mean time i programmed one of my baofengs to scan a couple of 2m and 70cm ham repeaters and a gmrs repeater that is about 30 miles away that doesnt shut up for more than 5 minutes it seems. radio is freaking awesome, but it seems like most of the conversations i hear on the radio is about radio its self, not about anything else really, but i know its hit or miss and i will one day know what i want to know, right now i dont even know what i dont know lol
@janhobbel
2 жыл бұрын
Regarding YT videos. If you are only seeing radio un-boxing videos and not people using them that may be the YT algorithm suggesting more of the same. If you find and start watching videos of people using ham radio, YT will suggest more of them.
@weshawkins7165
Жыл бұрын
Hi Jeff, great videos. I’m getting my feet wet again after not being an active ham for thirty years, I have a technician license. It’s has changed a great deal and I had to go back and study the technician license practices to even get up to speed again. I’m studying for my general and have my father in laws older Kenwood TS120S to listen with. I built and put up an ARRL EFHW in the yard and it works pretty good. I’m kind of with this guy on one question and that’s how to find an active frequency that people are on without scrolling across the entire band so I can listen to or call CQ on once I’m licensed for that. Another thing some KZitemrs do is use abbreviations for things but don’t explain what the abbreviation means. I’m constantly going back and forth from KZitem to google to find what certain abbreviations mean.
@HamRadioCrashCourse
Жыл бұрын
Hi Wes, I’m Josh. Active frequencies are going to be found on radio most of the time on HF. You can use something called the cluster or chase Parks On The Air. But scrolling the bands is almost always the fastest way. Abbreviations are a way of live on ham radio. I try and break them up, but it’s best to work within the context of the point and figure out abbreviations later.
@weshawkins7165
Жыл бұрын
@@HamRadioCrashCourse Josh, I knew that, don’t know why I typed Jeff. Sorry. I’m just getting back at getting my EFHW up, connected and all my grounds in. Got shut down because of the snow storm we had in February and March. I have to do some trimming on the antenna, SWR’s are really high.
@Leo9ine
2 жыл бұрын
I have a question, if this is the right venue? I'm very new so forgive my ignorance - I notice you (and others) have tons of radio gear in the background of your videos. My question is - If a good SDR (like HackRF with HamItUp) can recieve and transmit from 300hz all the way to 6ghz, what's the reason for all that other gear? Why not just use a single wide range SDR for everything? Is it just for the fun experience of all the hardware? Or does it give you a tangible benefit over a high end SDR? Thanks so much man, I love the channel!
@HamRadioCrashCourse
2 жыл бұрын
Because the hackrf isn’t that great of a radio, it has an extremely low power output and is required to plug into a computer. KZitemrs have a lot of radios because they review a lot of radios 😅
@jakep5121
2 жыл бұрын
Awfully nice of you there Josh. 😉
@ahendrix9787
2 жыл бұрын
...great answers, Josh...you are obviously not a "sad ham"!!
@HamRadioCrashCourse
2 жыл бұрын
It’s true!
@geraldcampbell6834
2 жыл бұрын
Josh I just laugh when I here that stupid excuse why some people flat refuse to get a ham radio license “I don’t what the government to know where I live” or there another one that’s even funnier I’ve heard recently “the government can listen in to your house if you have a hame radio in it” “OMG LOL”!!!
@geraldcampbell6834
2 жыл бұрын
@Emmanuel Goldstein there are plenty of public searchable records that any moron can use not just ham radio license databases!
@thomasmaughan4798
2 жыл бұрын
@Emmanuel Goldstein "I care that it's a publicly searchable database by any m0ron who has access to it." Which is anyone with internet access. I'm not all that thrilled about it. However, using radios illegally and expecting help in an emergency seems like a non-sequitur. "I need help!" "Where are you?" "I don't want to say." "What kind of help do you need?" "I don't want to reveal it!" "Well, okay then. Good luck!"
@devilsatan2973
Жыл бұрын
Exactly! You can cure ignorance with learning and information. But you just can't cure STUPID! And there IS a difference! Those kind just get me everytime. Just when you think people can't get MORE stupid, someone pops up more so than the last! Really sad.
@ggggg4030
2 жыл бұрын
I see lots of videos listing features of radios but I see virtually none that show a specific problem and how to troubleshoot and tweak settings to improve the condition
@HamRadioCrashCourse
2 жыл бұрын
Give me an example.
@darrellh3769
Жыл бұрын
4:15 Maybe the guy is one of those ex CBers that ran a 1kw linear!?
@owlcricker-k7ulm
2 жыл бұрын
Short wave listening is a gateway for many people.
@wallstreettrader1
Жыл бұрын
It was for me. I started in 1979, still have the 120+ QSL cards that I saved from as early as 1980 from places as exotic as Indonesia, Mongolia and Uzbekistan, etc. Always wanted to be a licensed Ham, finally achieving that in 2010. Erik, NO8Z / 2CT094
@chris.eskimo
2 жыл бұрын
I listen to the ISS all the time on a Baeofeng, and Yaesu
@geraldcampbell6834
2 жыл бұрын
Mag loop antennas like the MLA 30+ makes a great SDR antenna if your limited on space or live in like an apartment or HOA where you’re not allowed to have an outside antenna for SDR listening on hf
@thomasmaughan4798
2 жыл бұрын
Mag-loop antennas also greatly reduce strong interference from overloading SDR (Software Defined Radio, or radio on a chip). The strongest signal, at any frequency, will dominate the SDR; the mag-loop antenna is itself tuned to a frequency and suppresses all others. A down-side of that is that you don't get this glorious waterfall of the entire radio spectrum all at once but it greatly improves sensitivity and selectivity of desired frequencies within the tuning range of the antenna.
@dangerous8333
2 жыл бұрын
I'm not getting my license... Got my first radio a month ago. Then started looking into getting the license and found out that if you have a felony on your record you have to jump through all these hoops. Supposedly you can write a letter to the FCC explaining your situation and then cross your fingers that they'll give you a license. I'm not interested in begging the FCC for a license for a charge I received for giving my friend some weed 23 years ago when I was 18. Screw them... I'm not interested in talking to people anyway. I mostly want to monitor cause I live in Northern California and I've been through multiple wildfires now. I am still going to learn everything just in case SHTF. If that happens I'll transmit all I want. Until then I'll just listen.
@HamRadioCrashCourse
2 жыл бұрын
“All these hoops” == send a letter describing what happened. Few have been turned away.
@dangerous8333
2 жыл бұрын
@@HamRadioCrashCourse I'm not sending a letter of my character begging the FCC for license to talk on a radio. I also left out that in some cases they actually put felon next to your license in the database. No thanks.
@HamRadioCrashCourse
2 жыл бұрын
I don’t believe it’s a character statement. It’s merely explaining what happened. I know a few felons who have been through it. I’ve never seen felon listed next to a licensee.
@devilsatan2973
Жыл бұрын
@@dangerous8333 Piss poor attitude buddy! Very sorry to hear it.
@DHTex11
2 жыл бұрын
I need some help with an antenna. Just not getting the reception. I have a Midland 75-822
@billbrown3414
2 жыл бұрын
Trouble with the FCC? I've never had any trouble. I've tried to keep my station clean and in-band. Now, if you include the FCC examiners that were saddled with giving tests to hams, they could be real horse's rears--but the FCC don't use them any more...
@dangerous8333
2 жыл бұрын
The people that fear the FCC aren't necessarily fearing them catching them while doing radio stuff. They just have a general mistrust of the federal government. This country is turning communist and the last thing we need is some radical activist at the FCC adding people to a list because they disagree with something they said over the radio.
@drozcompany4132
2 жыл бұрын
Should try websdr since you can listen in around the world from your PC
@HamRadioCrashCourse
2 жыл бұрын
Did you watch the video?
@hemitj
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you very much for this great informative video, as well as the links!
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