Ham Radio/Questions Answered by Expert Chris Bushman
| Subject | Date Asked |
| K5TYP??? | 10/30/2011 |
| Q: Chris, I see we are both broadcasters (I am a SBE member myself...and just came back from a SBE ... A: Pleased to meet you, Chris! I was at Keesler from about April 1964 to March 1965. It would have ... | |
| Ham radio and apartment life | 9/25/2011 |
| Q: Chris, I am new to the ham world, actually having my license for about 2 years now but just ... A: Big question, Jeff, and all the answers depend on exactly what you are looking to do. If you want ... | |
| Power Supply | 4/30/2011 |
| Q: I recently bought a sw rdo from usa..(Palstar R30A) There's no pwr supply with it... i'm wondering ... A: Any power supply that will give you a clean 12 volt 1 amp source will work fine. If you have a ... | |
| getting started | 3/20/2011 |
| Q: Sir My company has a communications need and we are wondering ir it can be met by HAM radio. We ... A: To begin with, Mark, HAM radio is not the answer. HAM is non-commercial radio which you could not ... | |
| TV show looking for ham radio expert | 3/1/2011 |
| Q: My name is Matt Caliri, and I work for the television show HOARDERS. We are working on finding ... A: Interesting concept, Matt. I retired a couple of years ago and moved to Northern California, but I ... | |
| extreme tower farm | 12/9/2010 |
| Q: I have a new neighbor that has recently bought 17 acres next to me for the solo purpose of erecting ... A: Wow, this guy is serious! Luckily, most serious Hams are also responsible Hams and good neighbors. ... | |
| generation | 10/8/2010 |
| Q: I'm an eighth grader and I am unsure on how a transmitter generated waves My teacher is not so keen ... A: .. Here is a link to a pretty good explanation... http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/radio5.htm ... | |
| SW Radio | 9/27/2010 |
| Q: Bushman: I'm thinking about buying an Allied 6 band shortwave radio which is selling for $55.00 ... A: The Pro-2037 is a scanner and not a short-wave receiver. $65 is a pretty fair price for a pretty ... | |
| SW Radio | 9/25/2010 |
| Q: Bushman: I'm thinking about buying an Allied 6 band shortwave radio which is selling for $55.00 ... A: An OK deal, but not great, Francisco. I think it's probably about 30-40 years old, not the latest ... | |
| Annoying neighbor with radio!!! | 9/9/2010 |
| Q: Have young adult neighbor who lives with his dad. Has a radio of some kind he talks on any time of ... A: Pat, this guy sounds very much like a CB'er (Citizens' Band operator). It is very unlikely that he ... | |
| equipment info | 8/25/2010 |
| Q: I'm new to the amateur radio world and wanted to know if there is one unit that can do everything a ... A: The short answer is no. Contemporary Ham radios generally only transmit within Ham bands which ... | |
| help to identify this ham radio of grandfathers | 3/9/2010 |
| Q: My grandfather passed away and left his radio to my dad. My dad has since passed away and my mom has ... A: This is a Hallicrafters SX-62 general coverage receiver. It was made between 1948 and 1950. It is ... | |
| Repeater | 3/6/2010 |
| Q: We have a repeater in the area that transmits 100 watts for ten seconds as the hang-time. When it ... A: I can relate to your repeater. I'm old and fade in and out sometimes too <grin>. I don't think just ... | |
| Long range communication | 3/5/2010 |
| Q: Following the latest earthquacke in Chile, I thought about securing means of communications between ... A: Good thought, Jay. The only viable option is to become a licensed Ham. Ham communications during ... | |
| Best radio for range | 2/28/2010 |
| Q: I am trying to determine what kind of radios to buy that could be used in the event of a ... A: 40 meter monobanders are rare, Steve. There are some good options out there in compact multiband ... | |
| Best radio for range | 2/26/2010 |
| Q: I am trying to determine what kind of radios to buy that could be used in the event of a ... A: Assuming you are talking about Ham Radio, then 40 meters would suit your needs. Repeaters are used ... | |
| ssb | 12/17/2009 |
| Q: i have an ordinary sw radio , i tuned it to 7 -7.1mhz .there is only ssb,but my receiver have not ... A: Of course you could build a BFO, it's merely an adjustable oscillator. The difficult part would be ... | |
| ssb | 12/16/2009 |
| Q: i have an ordinary sw radio , i tuned it to 7 -7.1mhz .there is only ssb,but my receiver have not ... A: If your radio has a variable beat frequency oscillator (BFO) - a setting that creates a tone used to ... | |
| Antennas | 12/10/2009 |
| Q: I have a 6 in external antenna that I connect my radio to on my jeep, it is a 0db unity gain ... A: Well, Ryan, I think there are too many variables here to know for sure. My best guess is that there ... | |
| Ham radio external antennas | 12/6/2009 |
| Q: especially the UHF ham bands. I was if connecting a CB magnetic mount antenna to a UHF Ham radio ... A: Wow, Ryan, you sure are full of questions tonight!!! If the SWR is very high, there is a very high ... | |
| Ham radio external antennas | 12/6/2009 |
| Q: especially the UHF ham bands. I was if connecting a CB magnetic mount antenna to a UHF Ham radio ... A: There are things called traps and coils in small antennas that make them think they are big. They ... | |
| Ham radio external antennas | 12/6/2009 |
| Q: especially the UHF ham bands. I was if connecting a CB magnetic mount antenna to a UHF Ham radio ... A: You need to remember, Ryan, that frequency and antenna length are directly related. Antennas for ... | |
| 2 way radio | 11/19/2009 |
| Q: I have 4 Audiovox FR548-2ch 2 way radios that are 6-7 years old..I have 2 chargers..each will charge ... A: If the charger was designed for NiMH cells, then the capacity of those cells is not a compatibility ... | |
| SK / etiquette of radio practice | 11/17/2009 |
| Q: A very good friend recently died and I would like to use his call sign as a Morse code cell phone ... A: Elizabeth, I think he would be honored. I know of no rules, practices, or traditions that would ... | |
| new radio | 9/19/2009 |
| Q: I have just purchased a new Icom IC-V82 the new 7watt radio they have come out with. I am having a ... A: You don't actually set the transmit freq, you set an offset from the receive freq. You tell the ... | |
| using a ham radio as a pger? | 9/17/2009 |
| Q: I have a puxing 777 and was wondering if this unit can be used as a pager. By this I mean say for my ... A: Tony, I'm afraid that your Puxing is not capable of that. Your pager, which is probably a Minitor, ... | |
| using a ham radio as a pger? | 9/17/2009 |
| Q: I have a puxing 777 and was wondering if this unit can be used as a pager. By this I mean say for my ... A: The first thing to do, Tony, is to find out what frequency is used by the paging system. The ... | |
| MFJ-969 Ant tuner - Worth getting? | 8/24/2009 |
| Q: Mr. Bushman, Have not been on-line lately, laptop HD failed. I wanted to recover as much data as ... A: Joe, if I were in the market for a tuner, I would buy this one. MFJ has a reputation for providing ... | |
| IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WE HAVE A PRIVET RADIO STATION IN OUR SETUATION | 6/17/2009 |
| Q: My name is Abdullah Almershed, living in Kuwait,which is about 818,17 Km, located in Arabian Gulf. ... A: I am most familiar with Ham Radio, not broadcast radio, but here is some information that may be ... | |
| MW tuning mode | 4/29/2009 |
| Q: When listening on AM, the station numbers don't tune in right, for example if I want to listen to an ... A: That's a nifty little receiver and a very good value, but it's not a precise instrument. All ... | |
| Ham Radio Frequency Selection | 4/16/2009 |
| Q: I'm taking my technician license exam next month and would like to learn more about ham radios and ... A: Okay, Reiner, here's a bit more about dipoles and verticals. Each leg of a dipole is one quarter ... | |
| Ham Radio Frequency Selection | 4/15/2009 |
| Q: I'm taking my technician license exam next month and would like to learn more about ham radios and ... A: Wow, Reiner, not really possible to give you an exact answer because on those bands terrain and ... | |
| tvi or? | 4/8/2009 |
| Q: my next door neighbor who i am on good terms with has a large flat screen tv with 12 speakers around ... A: Sometimes it takes a lot of experimenting to cure RFI issues, Bill. Here's what I would try... ... | |
| interference | 4/3/2009 |
| Q: Can you tell me please what needs to be done about the interference I'm getting from a radio ham ... A: I'm not familiar with the rules of interference in the UK, Paul, but here are a couple of things to ... | |
| Jpole antennas - more questions | 3/23/2009 |
| Q: My brother and I are both interested in j pole anntennas since we are new hams and we both have the ... A: Wow, lots of questions, Mark. 1. Yes, J's are omnidirectional. 2. Propagation more a function of ... | |
| Antenna Issues | 3/12/2009 |
| Q: My Friend I am in dire need of help,I have a Police Scanner;It is a handheld Pro 106 to be exact.I ... A: The rule of resonant antennas is that the antenna size depends on the frequency/wavelength. The ... | |
| Practice sending Morse code? | 3/9/2009 |
| Q: 3/9 Howdy Chris - I'm fascinated with Morse code and want to learn it. There are several ... A: Wow, Earl, it's rare to find someone that actually wants to learn Morse! I'm sure you could rig ... | |
| beginner wanting to get educated obn ham radio | 3/7/2009 |
| Q: i presently interested in becoming knowledgeable about all aspects of ham radio transmitting and ... A: Luckily, Hams are a very helpful group. The very best way to find out about the hobby is to find a ... | |
| CB RADIO COMES IN ON PHONE , COMPUTER , TV | 2/19/2009 |
| Q: WORSE IF USE THE LAND LINE PHONE , I OTLD HIM I WAS GOING TO CONTACT THE FCC , HE TOLD ME HE HAD ... A: Sounds like you are dealing with a real jerk. The FCC no longer has a budget to track down local ... | |
| sw antenna | 2/13/2009 |
| Q: for my sw radio, i put up an aluminium pipe of 5metres as antenna. i didn have wire, so used it. ... A: The un-un transformer is used to connect an unbalanced load to an unbalanced line. I makes it so ... | |
| Antenna connection | 2/12/2009 |
| Q: I connected two 75 ohm coax cables using a matching transformer on each cable, to the terminals of ... A: The difference is that there is essentially no difference. Both configurations will deliver almost ... | |
| antenna | 2/11/2009 |
| Q: i have an old radio which has MW SW1 SW2. which corresponds to nearer stations, which one to the ... A: MW means "Medium Wave", SW1 means "Short Wave 1", and SW2 means "Short Wave 2". MW is the lowest ... | |
| morse code | 2/10/2009 |
| Q: which is the best method to learn morse code? what all does a "Morse Code Practice Book" consist ... A: A Morse Code Practice Book is merely a bunch of groups of random characters used to practice sending ... | |
| Antennas | 2/10/2009 |
| Q: First, let me say thank you for being available to answer the sometimes inane questions of novices ... A: The "without coils" comment was a cost cutting measure. Sometimes an antenna can be physically ... | |
| Antennas | 2/8/2009 |
| Q: First, let me say thank you for being available to answer the sometimes inane questions of novices ... A: Jim, I admire your innovative and creative spirit. No question is unworthy for people like you. ... | |
| ham radio | 2/6/2009 |
| Q: do intercontinental hams connect to each other via internet cables(IRLP), i.e. with internet as ... A: Ham Radio is entirely independent of the Internet although most hams also use the Internet just as ... | |
| Radio Scanner Selection | 2/6/2009 |
| Q: I am just getting into the field of radio scanning. I have always had an interest in ... A: Well Jim, I don't think you can go too wrong with any of the hardware out there. Bearcat (now ... | |
| ham radio | 2/6/2009 |
| Q: i want to become a ham and later on create awareness about it in my college. i dont know any hams in ... A: Go to... http://www.arrl.org/ At the top left of the page there is a list of 5 items to "Find on ... | |
| Sub harmonics | 1/30/2009 |
| Q: Ron (K3ZLS) here. I was tuning around the 9.0 Mhz range looking for Rtty singals. Been amateur radio ... A: Well Ron, I don't think the cordless phone thing was a sub-harmonic, I would strongly suspect that ... | |
| Tunning a Jpole antenna | 1/21/2009 |
| Q: I am a new Ham and have just built a J-pole antenna out of copper pipe. Do I need a SWR meter to ... A: Ideally you should use an SWR meter but you should be OK without it. About 30 years ago I built one ... | |
| My Daddy! | 1/7/2009 |
| Q: During the early 1950's, my father was a HAM operator in Hawaii. If I remember correctly, his call ... A: Sorry Antonio, your daddy took his call to Ham Heaven with him. Ham licenses and calls are issued ... | |
| calll letters | 12/31/2008 |
| Q: Years ago (over 30 years+) I was in the Navy stationed in Bermuda. The ham operator had the call ... A: The prefix VP9 is indeed assigned to Bermuda (all Ham calls for countries associated with the former ... | |
| television sound interference | 12/8/2008 |
| Q: my neighbour is a ham and has a large aerial in his back garden.sometimes i get interference on my ... A: Absolutely possible and very common, Joan. Talk to your neighbor about it, there are things that ... | |
| Radios | 11/30/2008 |
| Q: I live in England but would love to have a radio which would enable me to listen in to American ... A: Wow, Larry, tough one! I'm afraid that your only hope is cable or satellite TV. Short wave ... | |
| tv and radio scanner antenna spacing | 11/14/2008 |
| Q: have a tv antenna mounted on a tower, want to install a dpd productions 118-1000mhz lp model antenna ... A: Well, Gary, since they are both receive only systems, it is not too critical. The TV antenna is ... | |
| Antena locaiton | 11/10/2008 |
| Q: I am studing for my amature license and have a quesiton about antena locaiton at my house. Are ... A: Well, Nick, the high voltage power lines could, indeed pose a problem. Since random sparking is not ... | |
| home theater interference | 10/29/2008 |
| Q: I was operating(20m.80/100watts) in cqww when my i was informed that I was getting into the next ... A: Wow, Richard, how nice to hear from a fellow ham instead on an irate neighbor. The first step for ... | |
| HAM radio | 10/27/2008 |
| Q: i want to know 2 things.firstly, who invented HAM radio and secondly, whats the difference between ... A: Well Pranay, nobody really invented Ham radio, it just evolved from a bunch of people that were ... | |
| sw ssb reception | 9/9/2008 |
| Q: Using ssb on 80,40 and 20m, I've been told that on some bands one should use LSB and on others USB ... A: Well Merrik, that's sort of an old custom and it applied mainly to 80 and 160. Way down there there ... | |
| Ameter antennas | 9/3/2008 |
| Q: I have 2 matching 2meter ultracom 25rigs but the range of themis only about 1mile mile . I'm using ... A: Well, James there are lots of possibilities here. The "20 inch" antenna is probably a quarter wave ... | |
| INSTALLINGMY ICOM V8000 IN MY BOAT | 8/31/2008 |
| Q: YES I WANT TO INSTALL MY V8000 IN MY BOAT BUT NOT SURE HOW IT SHOULD BE DONE PROPERLY . AS WITH MY ... A: I've never had a boat, Gary. I get seasick standing on the dock. A car is actually a really lousy ... | |
| radio wave interference | 8/12/2008 |
| Q: I have a question concerning sporatic problem I have with my wireless security system in my home. ... A: Absolutely Yes, Brenda. Your wireless security system can be very susceptible to any strong radio ... | |
| Grounding | 6/7/2008 |
| Q: I have just become a new amateur radio operator,and don't yet know too much about it. I bought a ... A: Here's one possibility... http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Product.php?productid=MFJ-1622 It's called ... | |
| Grounding | 6/6/2008 |
| Q: I have just become a new amateur radio operator,and don't yet know too much about it. I bought a ... A: Well, Dickie, I'm hoping you understand that you have an HF radio and a VHF/UHF antenna. The FT-767 ... | |
| Ham Radio Interference | 6/3/2008 |
| Q: My neighbor is a ham radio afficianado and is getting more and more into it -- he now has 4 ... A: Well, Jolene, there is no specific cure all for this problem, but I have a couple of suggestions. ... | |
| cb radio and police radio | 4/29/2008 |
| Q: i just installed a CB radio in my celica and i wanted to know if i could listen to cop activity on ... A: There are lots of scanner options. Check out... http://www.scannermaster.com/ Yes, it is perfectly ... | |
| cb radio and police radio | 4/29/2008 |
| Q: i just installed a CB radio in my celica and i wanted to know if i could listen to cop activity on ... A: Sorry, Scott, that would be a big NO good buddy. Police use different frequencies, usually in the ... | |
| Cordless Phone Security | 4/24/2008 |
| Q: I have a motorola model MD491sys digital 2.4GHZ cordless phone system (2 cordless phones and a base ... A: Well, Joe, I think they are mainly trying to cover all the bases so they won't get sued. Any time ... | |
| Two way radio problem | 4/23/2008 |
| Q: I am a race engineer for a Formula 3 team in the UK and i have a problem with the two way radio ... A: Well, Matt, it would seem that since you tried alternate ear plugs and the problem went away, and it ... | |
| Operating a HAM radio (literally) underground | 3/21/2008 |
| Q: my name is Ben Greller and I live in Colorado I'm writing a screenplay about the survivors of a ... A: Sounds like a fun project, Ben! Your concept sounds plausible but with a couple of caveats. A one ... | |
| ham radios | 2/21/2008 |
| Q: can a ham radio pick up my phone conversations ? A: Years ago, it was possible for someone with a scanner (didn't even have to be a Ham) to pick up bits ... | |
| Cell phones causing interference on Ham radio? | 2/18/2008 |
| Q: I am helping with Special Olympics in Idaho next week, and communication is being handled by Ham ... A: Tom, it would be EXTREMELY unlikely for there to be any interference problems between the two ... | |
| ham radio neighbor!!!!!! | 2/18/2008 |
| Q: I got cable and thought that would fix it! Still comes across and I have been trying to talk to him ... A: So it's War, eh Todd?!?! Any device that creates high level electromagnetic energy would do the ... | |
| Ham antenna | 2/3/2008 |
| Q: I answer on this site for paintball and have aquestion for you. I was wondering if my K40 or ... A: Base loading coils are designed to fool radio waves into thinking that the antennas they are ... | |
| Ham antenna | 2/1/2008 |
| Q: I answer on this site for paintball and have aquestion for you. I was wondering if my K40 or ... A: After 15 years, my two welts from paintball hits have finally gone away! Guess I'm just a wimp! ... | |
| FREE TV NEXT YEAR | 1/21/2008 |
| Q: I UNDERSTAND NEXT YEAR THERE WILL BE NO MORE FREE TV. YOU WILL HAVE TO BUY A BOX FROM THE GOVERMENT ... A: Yes, Joseph, it's sort of true. In a little over a year analog broadcast TV signals will be shut ... | |
| antenna location | 1/18/2008 |
| Q: Chris. I'm contemplating the installation of a Butternut vertical antenna on my 1 1/2 acre lot, ... A: Well, Jim, if it were me, in order to avoid celibacy, I would mount it on the roof with a flag on ... | |
| TV ANTENNA | 1/4/2008 |
| Q: COULD I USED A VHF-UHF TV ANTENNA ON MY HOUSE FOR LOW POWER HAM RADIO. WILL IT WORK ON HF BANDS.WILL ... A: Well, Joseph, you could but it would not be very satisfactory. If you use a high quality antenna ... | |
| question about repeaters | 12/10/2007 |
| Q: we have 14 Volunteer Fire Departments in our county. all departments use the same freq. for their ... A: Not as simple as it may seem, Mickey. Two hams can talk on exactly the same frequency if they are ... | |
| Getting back | 12/9/2007 |
| Q: Chris, I'm in the process of dusting off some of my old equipment after 20 years and thinking about ... A: Welcome back, Jim. It looks to me like, overall, the growth of amateur radio has slowed down, but ... | |
| cb radio | 11/15/2007 |
| Q: I am currently just a cb'er and want to join the ranks of ham operator, i have a amplifier and am ... A: Sounds like a great idea Mike. Go to arrl.org and look in the upper left part of the page for a box ... | |
| lost | 11/14/2007 |
| Q: I am an emergency contractor. I do board ups after a fire. Our service is 24 hours. I know people ... A: Well, Anthony, those people that are listening to the FD dispatch are listening to scanners. Check ... | |
| HAM RADIO ANTENNA | 9/18/2007 |
| Q: COULD I USED A MOBILE ANTENNA IN MY ATTIC TO RECEIVE AND TRANSMITT ON HF AND VHF BANDS.WERE I LIVE I ... A: Absolutely yes, Joseph! Lots of people have the same problem. I knew a guy that lived on the top ... | |
| 6 Meter Propagation | 9/5/2007 |
| Q: What type of propagation can I expect on 6 meters under average circumstances? In other words, ... A: Overseas is not very UNC since conditions and topography vary so widely. If you're going to the ... | |
| 6 Meter Propagation | 9/5/2007 |
| Q: What type of propagation can I expect on 6 meters under average circumstances? In other words, ... A: "Under normal circumstances", as you like to say, you can communicate a longer distance on lower ... | |
| 6 Meter Propagation | 9/4/2007 |
| Q: What type of propagation can I expect on 6 meters under average circumstances? In other words, ... A: Well Randy, the short answer is no, under normal conditions you will not be able to communicate much ... | |
| TV interference by Ham Radio? | 9/3/2007 |
| Q: Several times over the past several months I have been getting interference on our TV set. We only ... A: Well, Dustin, that does sound like radio interference. Mark down the times that the problem occurs ... | |
| tech status | 8/14/2007 |
| Q: Im very new KI6LEA tech I want to make this a fun hobby I have a TS-430S but not sure this is what i ... A: Well, Phil, the choice of rigs might not be a case of ideal timing, but not to worry, it's a great ... | |
| Neighbor's Ham, phone and baby monitor radio | 8/7/2007 |
| Q: We just bought a house and our neighbor has a Ham radio. The antenna is probably 20 to 25 feet ... A: Well, David, this is a puzzling one. None of the interference events that you describe sound like ... | |
| 2m antenna | 8/3/2007 |
| Q: I have a roof mounted Wilson 1000 whip and would like to add a 2 meter SBB-25NMO. Can this be ... A: Sure, Lance the 2M can be roof mounted as well. Best to separate the two as much as practical. The ... | |
| Frequenies (Police Tx/Rx) | 8/1/2007 |
| Q: I have been all over the Internet searching for Brown County Ohio VHF police frequencies and haven't ... A: See PS at end............. Well Tony, it was a long time ago, but when I was a fireman while I ... | |
| 10m radio and groundplane vertical | 7/21/2007 |
| Q: I recently dusted off my RCI and bought a new A99. Everything worked great. Today I bought the ... A: Yeah, Scott, you could design an impedance matching network for both sides of the filter, but it ... | |
| 10m radio and groundplane vertical | 7/20/2007 |
| Q: I recently dusted off my RCI and bought a new A99. Everything worked great. Today I bought the ... A: I solved the same problem by installing a low-pass filter right in back of the radio before feeding ... | |
| AM Radio thru a Uniden Scanner BC72XLT | 7/12/2007 |
| Q: I would like to find out if it is possible to listen to AM Radio via my scanner? I had an older ... A: Probably not, Bobby. Lower freqs and AM reception are not very common choices for scanners these ... | |
| CB Antenna for 38-45MHZ | 6/27/2007 |
| Q: Would there be any benefit using a CB antenna for scanning low band frequencies? I currently use a ... A: The length of a CB antenna is a function of the frequency, which is 27Mhz. 40Mhz is not a ... | |
| Radio tower | 5/24/2007 |
| Q: my husband and I recently bought a house in Maine that has a 40-50 foot tall ham radio tower ... A: Congratulations on your new home, Veronica. The value of the tower can vary greatly based on lots ... | |
| TV - Telephone Interference | 5/16/2007 |
| Q: Greetings, my neighbor has a tower that is approximately 12ft above the roof of the house. It has ... A: Denise, what you describe does not sound like Ham radio interference. Think of a conversation on Ham ... | |
| Saturn CB Antenna | 5/12/2007 |
| Q: It's me KC2DOT. I was at a Ham Fest and picked up a 40 Channel CB Radio Base unit for $5.00. I am ... A: Although I was luckier than you, I am also a Vietnam era veteran 1968-72 - Air Force. They taught me ... | |
| antenna safety grounding | 5/9/2007 |
| Q: I will be installing a 2m/440 mag-mount on the roof of my mobile home. Is it safer to just ... A: Well, Alan, since you are not talking big, tall tower, I wouldn't worry much. Disconnecting the coax ... | |
| Ham Radio | 5/7/2007 |
| Q: I have always been curious about HAM radio, I have just never known what was necessary to "get into ... A: Okay, Bill, now you're talkin'. Find a local ham club and/or get a license. Start with a handheld ... | |
| Ham Radio | 5/7/2007 |
| Q: I have always been curious about HAM radio, I have just never known what was necessary to "get into ... A: Well, Bill, the first thing to do is to determine what part of the hobby interests you. Amateur ... | |
| Calling Home | 4/26/2007 |
| Q: I live in Michigan and I'm a truck driver who doesn't want to use my cell phone to call home every ... A: Yeah, Thomas, you can do it but not reliably. CB frequencies are in a funny place. When conditions ... | |
| dummy load | 4/16/2007 |
| Q: I have a dummy load attached at the coaxend and my swr is 1.1 on 80 meters, changing my transmitter ... A: Naw, Bill, something's wrong. There can be differences in SWR depending on freq due to cable length, ... | |
| operating without a license | 4/12/2007 |
| Q: What happens to you if you use a ham radio without a license? ANSWER: Well, Tim, sometimes not ... A: Okay, Tim, you decide to mess with the BK. In order to mess with the BK you have to be rather ... | |
| Radio Call Signs | 4/12/2007 |
| Q: I acquired some QSL cards at an estate sale. In doing some research, I found that it was required ... A: Really good question Darlene! Ham radio callsigns started out in the form number/letter/letter like ... | |
| operating without a license | 4/12/2007 |
| Q: What happens to you if you use a ham radio without a license? A: Well, Tim, sometimes not much... But forinstance, if you accidentally interfere with other radio ... | |
| Can I use a HAM radio to call a land line # | 4/9/2007 |
| Q: I know nothing about HAM radio. I would like to know if it is possible to call or be called by a ... A: Yes, Dwight, we Hams been doing it for the last 40 years. It used to be really cool, in the days ... | |
| how close can 2 cb radios be? | 3/5/2007 |
| Q: I have a full size blazer and I have one cb for me (driver) with the antenna on center of cab. ... A: I'm afraid it would take more than a second antenna. It's possible, but not economically practical. ... | |
| not so green thumb | 2/22/2007 |
| Q: Is there a radio frequency that can be used to help grow plants? It has been said that talking to ... A: The orchids in my greenhouse would be thrilled to know how to grow better with radio frequency ... | |
| What kind of ham do I need? | 2/9/2007 |
| Q: I know nothing about ham radio. I know there are different meter classifications and some other MHZ ... A: First of all you need a license. There are 5 basic types: Novice, Technician, General, Advanced, ... | |
| cb and linears | 12/23/2006 |
| Q: I heard,that a linear will not really help 11 meter,because to get 10 miles it would take 1000 ... A: Well Blake, 11 meters is not about power, it's about propagation conditions. For long distance ... | |
| SWR | 11/28/2006 |
| Q: I have my LGD meter telling me that I have 100 watts going out but,when I transmit I have 50 watts ... A: I'm a little confused by you question. You say the meter says you have 100W going out but then you ... | |
| Tower Grounding | 11/16/2006 |
| Q: i noticed in one of your posting you mentioned that you have grounded a tower system before. I just ... A: I used a 6 foot copper sheathed steel grounding rod. I got it at a Ham store, but I've since seen ... | |
| Interference with phone service | 11/10/2006 |
| Q: My neighbor operates either a CB or a ham radio. His conversations come in loud and clear over my ... A: Well, Dee, it is EXTREMELY unusual for the radio operator to be able to hear your conversations on ... | |
| MARINE HF | 11/8/2006 |
| Q: Is there any compatibility issues with marine radios compared to land loving radios A: Well, Bundy, I'm not exactly sure what you're asking but let me throw out a bunch of answers to see ... | |
| Ham Radio | 11/6/2006 |
| Q: Does a Ham Radio have the capacity to intercept phone communications? Land lines? Cell phones? A: Way back in the early days of cell phones, it was possible for anyone with a VHF/UHF scanner (the ... | |
| HAM radio and Marine Radio | 10/20/2006 |
| Q: I was wondering about the difference between HAM radios and marine VHF radios. I have some marine ... A: Marine radios are designed for reliable, stable, short range, line of sight, communications. They ... | |
| HF Radio for Emergency Use | 10/16/2006 |
| Q: I was wondering if a handheld dual band HF radio would be a more economical option than a satellite ... A: Well, Joe, I think you might really be talking about VHF or VHF/UHF dual banders and tri-banders. ... | |
| Radio's & Roofing | 10/11/2006 |
| Q: I was happy though as I've learned a lot from you. How did you get into ham radio anyway? We have ... A: I was fascinated by Ham Radio ever since my Cub Scout master let us talk on his big old radio with ... | |
| Radio's & Roofing | 10/11/2006 |
| Q: Do you know whether or not metal roofing interferes with ham or short wave radio signals?? I am a ... A: It depends, Audrey. The type of antenna is the key. The following is all based on the antenna being ... | |
| CB ANTENNA as a SCANNER ANTENNA | 10/6/2006 |
| Q: Is it possible to use a CB ANTENNA on a MOBILE TRUNKING SCANNER ?? A: Why sure, Jimmy, that'll work. The CB antenna is designed work best around 27mhz so if you are ... | |
| antenna grounding | 9/28/2006 |
| Q: This is kg4tbt and I have an antenna question for you. I have a 2 meter Icom and have built a "J" ... A: You don't really have to worry about "grounding" a J or a quad. If the two conductors of the coax ... | |
| Ham Radio | 7/22/2006 |
| Q: I am about to start a ham radio home set up, I guess it's called a shack. I have nothing now but ... A: Sounds like fun Doug. I have a couple of thoughts/suggestions for you. Microphone. Instead of a ... | |
| 2 Meter Yagis | 6/27/2006 |
| Q: Greetings Mr. Bushman; Firstly, thank you for taking the time to answer this question. Sort of a ... A: Yes, you can run them on the same mast. Don't worry about the FM "interacting with the metal of the ... | |
| Radio waves | 5/29/2006 |
| Q: I am writing a fiction story in which a person has a homing device implanted in his head. What kind ... A: Well, Candy, although there is no perfect answer here, your best, most plausible, choice is called ... | |
| fm radio | 2/11/2006 |
| Q: sat i use the car arial on high with a short antenna,should i pick up anything cos like i said i am ... A: Well Stevie, the hissing may mean that there's nobody there to hear. You need to determine what ... | |
| fm radio | 2/10/2006 |
| Q: I have just recently bought secondhand a radio for my boat the guy promises my it does work but has ... A: Antennas for radios, especially 2-way radios, are designed to be a certain length depending on the ... | |
| Vibroplex key | 12/20/2005 |
| Q: I have a vibroplex electronic key, not a bug. I dont have a rig anymore but I want to see if I can ... A: Well Dave, what you really need is a code practice oscillator. It's a device that you plug your ... | |
| ham vs ssb | 11/29/2005 |
| Q: Could you explain the difference between Ham radio and SSB? I want to install a HF radio on my ... A: Marine Single Sideband Radio (SSB) and parts of Amateur Radio (HAM) are technically very similar. ... | |
| scanner guide | 9/8/2005 |
| Q: I'm wondering if you can get me the frequencies I need to listen in on police/fire/emergency calls. ... A: Well, Gail, the reason that your scanner won't accept 856.7375 Mhz is that your scanner is an older ... | |
| CB / Scanner antennas | 8/16/2005 |
| Q: I'm not quite sure where to ask this? I hope I'm not wasting your time. I'm looking for a good base ... A: I think if I were you, Mike, I'd go for a simple CB vertical antenna with good "radials". Radials ... | |
| ham radio vs. marine singlesideband radio | 6/6/2005 |
| Q: Could you please tell me the difference between a "marine singlesideband radio" and a "ham radio"? A: Good question Marianne! Marine Single Sideband Radio (SSB) and parts of Ham Radio (HAM) are ... | |
| crystal radio tuning | 4/29/2005 |
| Q: "It takes one to know one"--natur'l born teachers, that is. Thanks for both your answer and for all ... A: Well, Bruce, I did want to be a teacher when I went away to UC Davis in 1964. Then a huge oversupply ... | |
| crystal radio tuning | 4/26/2005 |
| Q: . I've got a Chris-tal radio question for you. My students are building old-fashioned crystal ... A: "Chris-tal" - I think breathing all that Fresno thule fog has turned you into a really corny guy! ... | |
| Cordless Phone and Scanner Question | 4/26/2005 |
| Q: I have a 2.4 Ghz Phone and a scanner. I was on my phone and I had my scanner on and it picked up me ... A: Great question, Shane! Transmitters and receivers on higher frequencies use multiplier circuits to ... | |
| what is shortwave radio | 2/4/2005 |
| Q: hows it goin, i was just wondering if you could give me an idea of what shotwave radio is, is that ... A: Shortwave radio is long distance broadcast radio. The "short" in "shortwave" is an old relative term ... | |
| TAKING DOWN A HINGED TOWER | 12/14/2004 |
| Q: Just need a few pointers on taking down my hinged base tower,nothing big on top vhf,uhf antennas 45' ... A: A gin pole or two attached as closely as possible to the top of the tower does the trick. You need ... | |
| Do Commerical FM Radio Repeaters Exist? | 11/11/2004 |
| Q: I've got a question that has been puzzling me. I know that in order to broadcast a commerical FM ... A: ...and a very entertaining question it is, Larry. The short answer is "Yes". A "radio repeating ... | |
| shortwave stations | 10/26/2004 |
| Q: How many licensed shortwave stations are out there in the US? About how many were there when you ... A: Interesting question Carol ! Nobody ever asked me that before. Here's a breakdown of the US Ham ... | |
| swr meter | 8/31/2004 |
| Q: i am a new ham. i just got my first hf radio. i would like to know how to i check my swr on the ... A: Well, Joe, you need an SWR meter, sometimes called an SWR bridge. Many watt meters can read forward ... | |
| Ham | 8/31/2004 |
| Q: What is offset? How is it used?Hello, I am just getting started using ham radio and was wondering ... A: Offset is the difference in frequency between the input of a repeater and the output. The reason ... | |
| Ham | 8/29/2004 |
| Q: I am just getting started using ham radio and was wondering if you could tell me what a repeater is ... A: A "repeater" is short for automatic radio repeating station. It is receiver and transmitter ... | |
| ------------------------- ------------------------- Ok.... | 8/11/2004 |
| Q: ------------------------- ------------------------- Ok. I listen to my police scanner after 7:00pm ... A: Time of day definitely affects propagation. The lower portion of the VHF spectrum is affected most. ... | |
| Do fronts or big changes is... | 8/10/2004 |
| Q: Do fronts or big changes is pressure effect VHF signals? A: Well J, there are lots of weather things that can affect VHF signals. Fronts and barometric ... | |
| Packet Radio Neophyte | 7/30/2004 |
| Q: I'm KC7FYS and 7J1AWL, and I'm somewhat active on CW on 20-80 meters. I want to hook my computer up ... A: KC7FYS de WB6EEQ Hi Jonathan, nice to meet you. I'm not gonna be too much help with packet because ... | |
| Artificial grounds, inductance, etc.... | 6/29/2004 |
| Q: I may have asked you a question before. I am a ham--but although I have built a 49-er QRP rig (that ... A: Ohayo gozaimasu Jonathan, Vertical, "Ground Plane" antennas rely on a ground plane, the earth, as ... | |
| novice level question | 6/8/2004 |
| Q: I currently live in Akron Ohio. I listen to the Cleveland Indians games on WTAM, 1100AM. In 3 weeks ... A: Interesting question, Eddie. The AM radio broadcast band is in the LF (Low Frequency) part of the ... | |
| FM reception | 6/8/2004 |
| Q: I have a radio reception problem. I live in a canyon and cannot get decent FM radio reception. I ... A: I wish I had an answer that you'd like. Unfortunately, I'm afraid you're out of luck. FM broadcast ... | |
| Frequency Question | 2/25/2004 |
| Q: I am just wondering what the difference is between the terms HERTZ used in Radio and HERTZ used for ... A: Well, Shane, you got some of it just right. Hertz is a fancy new term for Cycles Per Second which ... | |
| Pickup out of state radio staions. | 2/14/2004 |
| Q: Bushman. My name is Larry and I've just moved from California to Arizona. I listen to alot of radio ... A: Hey there Larry, Interesting question, but what I really want to know is why, after successfully ... | |
| Ham radio operator or CB operator? | 1/22/2004 |
| Q: I just emailed you about our neighbor. Thank you so much for your quick response. My husband just ... A: Most enthusiastic Hams have callsign license plates. Since your neighbor does not it MAY mean that ... | |
| antenna | 8/15/2003 |
| Q: I have an old Hallicrafter radio model #S-40B. I want to install an antenna and I want to run it ... A: Unless you drive a nail into the tree and use bare wire, you should be fine. If you use insulated ... | |
| Short Wave Radio | 12/24/2002 |
| Q: My question relates to my 93 year old sightless father and his delight in listening to amateur radio ... A: Ya know, Richard, you certainly would think there would be lots of options out there for the ... | |
| Getting into HF | 10/16/2002 |
| Q: I got my general class upgrade about one month ago. I have made about 4 contacts in that time. I ... A: Well, Noah, sounds like you're being overly polite and unassuming. This is a great way to be, but ... | |
| ALC meter | 9/13/2001 |
| Q: what is an ALC meter? how is it related to SSB phone transmitter? A: ALC is "Automatic Level Control" and it helps make sure the mic input is at the proper level. The ... | |
| Very Sentimental Tape | 7/20/2001 |
| Q: I'm not sure if you can help me with this, but its worth a try. I found a cassette tape that is 24 ... A: Sure it can be fixed, Dan. If there is a recording studio in your area, they can probably help you. ... | |
| coax length | 5/31/2001 |
| Q: I know of the 1/2 wave rule when it comes to coax length between transmitter and antenna (11 meter ... A: Sounds like you're talking low band stuff there Bert. Short (less than 5 foot) jumper lengths of ... | |
| Equipment and trainning requirements | 11/27/2000 |
| Q: I'm intrested in getting started in 'HAM'. What am I expected to layout far a 'startup'sys.and the ... A: The Ham world is very big and diverse. Rather than one hobby, it's dozens of different hobbies. ... | |
Chris Bushman
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I have been an amateur radio operator for about 36 years.
Experience
In real life I manage a small motion picture film lab in Hollywood. I've been a fireman, a teacher of English in Okinawa, a personal computer tutor.
I am an Advanced Class Ham radio operator using my originally issued callsign WB6EEQ. I have operated for extended periods of time from Okinawa (KR6FX & KR6OP), Texas (K5VXG), and Mississippi (K5TYP).
While in the Air Force, I was a Manual Morse Radio Intercept Operator.
BS Zoology, UC Davis
Member, Society of Motion Picture/Television Engineers http://www.smpte.org/ - Member, American Radio Relay League http://www.arrl.org/ - Member, Quarter Century Wireless Assn. http://www.lockport-ny.com/radio.htm - President, Zen Nippon Airinkai, So Cal Chapter http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Chris_Bushman/ - Member, Maltose Falcons Homebrewing Society http://www.westval.com/mfalcons/ - Alumni, American Brewers' Guild http://www.abgbrew.com/
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