This Is The Hard Part
Some time ago, I wrote a post about the mechanics of getting your license. I got a little ping from a fellow operator mentioning that it was probably time to talk a little bit about step 8 in my list of steps to getting licensed. That step is Getting On The Air.
There are some great operators and clubs out there that will grab someone as soon as they pass their license, take them into the parking lot, and get them to hit a repeater just to get them started. For a newly licensed ham who still doesn’t have a callsign, this might feel a little weird. And let’s say that as a newly licensed ham what you get is a handshake and you leave the test site knowing that you’re now waiting for some emails and whatnot to finalize everything. All of the studying and test stress is over and there’s not much to do other than prepare to get on the air.
There are options!
Local Repeaters
One of the things I would do first is find out what the local repeater system is like. Is there one you can connect to from your home with a less than expensive HT? We can talk all day about HT quality and other nonsense, but a newly licensed ham doesn’t know what part of the hobby is going to be the most interesting until they start doing it. An inexpensive HT that does 2-meters and 70-centimeters isn’t the worst place to start. It usually brings the price point down under $50 to get on the air, so I recommend It. Or ask around your local club. Some ham out there has one in a desk drawer that is getting no use. I know I’d toss one to a new ham without thinking about it. A borrowed HT will get you on to the local repeater system and checking into a local net quickly and easily.
As a side note here, I’d offer that getting an expensive HT before you know the local lay of the land is probably not a great idea. You may find that your activities will be enhanced by having some features (built-in APRS maybe or really cool Bluetooth capabilities) that aren’t going to exist on a less expensive model. Resist the urge. No one wants buyer’s remorse and getting the wrong HT for your style of operating would be a bummer. All you want to do right now is get on the air. A $30 HT will do just that just fine.
Let’s say you can’t get your hands on an HT and still want to get on to a cool net. Well, there are options!
EchoLink
This is the software my wife used to refer to as “iHam” when my dad was visiting us. Honestly? She’s not all that wrong. With almost any desktop or mobile device or platform, you can download some permutation of EchoLink and attach yourself to a repeater somewhere on the globe and listen in.
How does it work? The EchoLink node’s server is very often attached to a local repeater. In the case of something like my local club, it’s connected to the K8IV repeater system. That means that when there is traffic on the repeater, you will hear it on EchoLink. And if you send something on EchoLink, it will be heard by anyone monitoring the repeater.
I would highly recommend getting an EchoLink account (you need a valid Amateur Radio License to get one) and listening in on a net like the PCARS Thursday night net on K8BF-L node #508081 at 20:00 Eastern US Local Time. Why that net? Because we get checkins from everywhere and the net control operator starts with checkins from EchoLink. You can talk or not. It’s up to you!
How do you get started? EchoLink.org has all of the details. Essentially, you download the software for your platform of choice (for mobile devices, you will find it on all of the relevant commercial app stores for free) and register your callsign. To be verified, you will have to upload a digital copy of your license. My experience is that it’s turned around quickly (about 24 hours).
I would say that this is the fastest way to get “On The Air” with your existing tech.
AllStarLink
Here’s another good choice. AllStarLink is an implementation of the Asterix PBX. What’s that mean? It’s voice over IP in almost every flavor that, like EchoLink, can be patched in to a repeater. It takes connections from EchoLink and even phone calls. It’s a crazy amount of functionality and I only mention it here because there are a lot of nodes out there and they are very active. I don’t use it very often, but I do operate a node out of my house on a Raspberry Pi that I had lying around. There are clients for most platforms and I’d say it’s a great place to get talking to other hams.
A Note On Keying Up
Mic fright is real. I’m pretty sure that everyone gets hit with it at some time or another. When you’re first getting on the air it can be initimidating. I want to start off saying this: This hobby doesn’t work if there aren’t other people who want to talk. There is NO POINT to a communication-based hobby where there isn’t a bi-directional exchange. Please believe me when I say that there is someone out there listening. Don’t be afraid to key up and simply announce your callsign and ask for a signal check on the local repeater. What do you say?
“[Your Callsign] looking for a signal check.”
Someone will tell you how you sound. You can even mention that it’s your first QSO. Every ham loves that! From there you can talk about the repeater or whatever else comes up. With every QSO there is a chance to make an acquaintance or even a friend or ally.
Another thing to do is listen to the repeater until you hear someone say, “[Some Callsign] listening.” This means that the operator is waiting for someone – anyone – to talk to them. Might be someone sitting at a desk at home or in a car running errands. You could come back with, “[Their Callsign] this is [Your Callsign], you sound good from here.” This is a conversation. Ask about their rig. Figure out what other local hams might be interested in that might grab your attention.
Note: You will hear plenty of things about toxic behavior on repeater systems. I don’t get that in my area and I’m quite glad. I’m sure it happens as I’ve heard crazy stuff on the air, but it shouldn’t scare you away from saying hello.
Local Clubs
I know that the local club that I belong to has a really great club site with plenty of rigs. There are Special Interest Groups that cover a number of aspects of the hobby and as a result, there are people at the club site weekly. Given that there are rigs available and operators who can use them, it’s a natural place to start trying to get on the air. Even if it’s a simple contest or QSO party, you will likely find operators who would be happy to sit with you while you participate. Your mileage will vary based on clubs and their resources, but it’s an option to investigate.
A Digital Option
What if you have a rig available to you that has digital capabilities? I would recommend that a really fun way to get started with HF (or VHF) is WSJT-X and the modes that it supports. Working any of these modes will tell you a lot about your rig and your antenna situation. It will also start you on your journey of making contacts. I know it worked for me. When I got started, I spent a little time on the local repeaters and then, when I got an HF rig, I plugged it into my computer and got started with FT8. I made many, many contacts that way in severely compromised situations and less than ideal solar conditions. One significant advantage to the mode is that there’s almost ALWAYS someone out there and “there” is a designated place so there’s a lot less guessing and hunting around for other operators. While they might not hear you every time, there will be some kind of activity on almost every band.
Another point for any digital mode is that it crushes mic fright. Letting the computer do the talking part helps a lot of hams who otherwise wouldn’t key up get on the air and enjoy the hobby.
What About CW?
I’ve not met many (OK, any) newly minted Technician Class License holders who knew The Code when they took the test. Learning it and getting yourself together to get on the air is a question of months (or years?). Frankly, hams like me don’t want to wait that long to make a contact with you! You probably don’t either. But when you do eventually come around and understand that QRP CW operation is the most fun in all of ham radio (see what I did there?) there will be a ton of us waiting to welcome you to the party!
Final
In truth, getting the license is the easy part of the equasion. Getting on the air takes a bit of gear and some resolve. Anyone who can get through the calculation of feedline impedence can work up the courage to push the key and get on the air. Look at your available options and just do it! Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help. Every amateur should understand that the hobby is only fun when we have other people participating. So get on the air!
73 and thanks for reading!
