My amatuer radio license plate W5JSN moved to the 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage that I use to commute back and forth to work. I am getting used to new repeaters and vistas to look at! My little handheld did a network contact over 30 miles! Amazing!
Check in at Moonlighters Net on 40 meters from the Grassy Lookout in the Cibola National Forest from an altitude of 9643 feet. Clear contact at 20 watts!
The government chose to destroy the economy on the pretense of public health and like many other people, I was given $1200 in compensation. I used part of that money to buy a Xiegu G90 transceiver and a Hamstick antenna set. I installed it all in the Explorer, which serves as my portable ham shack. I have tested it with a local ham (K6TIM) and it seems to work! I am now on HF at 20w.
The car plate has moved again! My daughter Brenna brought a Ford Explorer home and gave me the keys and I had another car! I already found out that the Honda's heater didn't work, so it was getting a bit tricky to use it in the wintertime. I sold off the Honda and moved the plate onto new vehicle.
In New Mexico, you can get a car license plate as an amateur radio operator as someone with a public service function. I got my W5JSN plate a few months ago and originally registered it on my Mom's gold Chevy Malibu Classic. Our youngest son was looking for a car and he bought a Honda Civic from my brother. In the midst of the transaction, my son and I decided to trade cars and I ended up with this black Honda and the W5JSN plate moved onto it. This is all happening around a move to Tucumcari, so I join a small group of hams in Quay County.
Around this time, I dropped out of the radio club because I was "living" in Tucumcari and wasn't going to be all that close...
I decided to get so vain! As a ham, one can register a vanity callsign of their choice and availability. I decided to do this myself and am now known as W5JSN, taking the interesting fact that my first name (Jason) spoken sounds very much like my initials (JSN - Jason Scott Nemrow) and my initials are my first name with the vowels dropped (somewhat hebrew, yes?). Did you know my first name is found on many calendars that list months by their first letters (JFMAMJJASOND) as well? I have a fun name and I got to have a bit more fun with the new vanity callsign!
Right now, I am the acting treasurer of our local amateur radio club in Portales as well. I still participate in club meetings and nets about as occasionally as I always did.
I contacted the local ham radio club connected with ENMU (my undergrad alma mater) and went to my first meeting, where they almost immediately put me on the air! I made my first contact (well, checked in to a regional net) and got drafted to work with the club website! It is exciting to actually act like a ham!
I just passed my Element 4 test and am now an Amateur Extra license holder! Of course, I am getting a new callsign (AG5AH) commiserate with my new status. Still don't have a working radio, but I will remedy that one day...
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I have a Chinese 2m handheld that I have never had a QSO with. I have listened to others on the radio when I have been in more populated areas, but they couldn't hear me. Also, no one in my town seems to use 2m, so it is practically useless to me. I may sell it off at some point.
I have, on-and-off, been trying to learn Morse, but I lack resolve. I would need a 20m (preferred) or 40m setup to contact anyone, I think, given my remote location from other operators. I would really like to do something digital as well. My first contact will happen one day...
I had always been interested in ham radio, but figured I didn't have the money or connections to pursue it. It was always a toss-up between computers and ham radio, but my access to computers came first and jobs ultimately followed. This doesn't happen so readily in radio.
In 2008, I was very stably in my NMSU System Analyst job and terribly bored. I figured that I could just get my license (only costs about $15) on an odd trip to Albuquerque and that would be that. I bought a few books, studied very little, took all the tests and was four points away from earning an "Extra" Ticket. So, I have a "General" License, which lets you do everything on the all bands, except for a few privileged frequencies. Perfectly adequate for me, especially since I didn't have to learn Morse Code right off the bat.
My first radio was a Small Wonders Labs "Warbler" transceiver that I built from a kit. I finally got everything pulled together, but I live in quite a radio-remote place and I doubt I had everything worked out. Ultimately, I sold it rather unused.