First Contact!
Making a ham radio contact has been a frustrating experience so far. Until I get a decent antenna up, I suspect I will remain frustrated. It sounds like Boy Wonder and his buddy, Dave, will help me at some point, but rounding those two up to do some focused antenna work is a bit like herding cats. In their own good time. . .
In the meantime, I decided to look in to Echolink, a VOIP/Internet based system of communications that links computers and ham radio. You must be licensed to use Echolink, and they require a picture of your actual license before allowing you on the system. When my actual certificate arrived the other day, the first thing I did was scan it and send it to the Echolink gods. The next day I was validated. I downloaded the software for the Macintosh (EchoMac), as well as the iPhone/iPad apps for those devices. Today I decided to try to make a contact on Echolink.
After several false starts, I managed to make a connection with a very nice gentleman in Victoria, BC. VE7XAT, Doug, was using his computer and I was on my iPad, so there really was no “radio” component to the interaction. I am not sure whether I should count this as a “first contact,” but I certainly enjoyed our conversation.
It turns out that Doug used to live in London, is familiar with Woodstock and our mascot cow, and follows the snowstorms that hit London. Small world!
Having broken the ice, I decided to try another QSO (conversation) with a station in Great Britain. I connected this time to a link station, 2D0IOM-L. This means the operator at that site has his computer hooked up to a radio, which in turn can be accessed from another radio (such as a handheld 2m). Darrell, it turns out, lives in Castletown on the Isle of Man! We talked for a good 45 minutes discussing ham radio, how the world has changed since our youth, and the terrible, snowy weather with which the inhabitants of the Isle of Man have had to contend this winter. I must say, I am over the moon about this new technology!
So I can talk to ham all over the world with very little effort, and no @$>?!!! %$ antennas to worry about! This a great fun. I can’t wait to tell Marlin all about it. He will, of course, poopoo the very idea of it as not being REAL radio. He may have something there, but it IS fun!
In the meantime, I decided to look in to Echolink, a VOIP/Internet based system of communications that links computers and ham radio. You must be licensed to use Echolink, and they require a picture of your actual license before allowing you on the system. When my actual certificate arrived the other day, the first thing I did was scan it and send it to the Echolink gods. The next day I was validated. I downloaded the software for the Macintosh (EchoMac), as well as the iPhone/iPad apps for those devices. Today I decided to try to make a contact on Echolink.
After several false starts, I managed to make a connection with a very nice gentleman in Victoria, BC. VE7XAT, Doug, was using his computer and I was on my iPad, so there really was no “radio” component to the interaction. I am not sure whether I should count this as a “first contact,” but I certainly enjoyed our conversation.
It turns out that Doug used to live in London, is familiar with Woodstock and our mascot cow, and follows the snowstorms that hit London. Small world!
Having broken the ice, I decided to try another QSO (conversation) with a station in Great Britain. I connected this time to a link station, 2D0IOM-L. This means the operator at that site has his computer hooked up to a radio, which in turn can be accessed from another radio (such as a handheld 2m). Darrell, it turns out, lives in Castletown on the Isle of Man! We talked for a good 45 minutes discussing ham radio, how the world has changed since our youth, and the terrible, snowy weather with which the inhabitants of the Isle of Man have had to contend this winter. I must say, I am over the moon about this new technology!
So I can talk to ham all over the world with very little effort, and no @$>?!!! %$ antennas to worry about! This a great fun. I can’t wait to tell Marlin all about it. He will, of course, poopoo the very idea of it as not being REAL radio. He may have something there, but it IS fun!