The Fun Of Ham Radio DX - Contacting Stations Around The Globe

[@hazelwood55]

My dad loved Ham radio. He developed Alzheimer's and went into a memory care facility. They put a momento outside the patient's door to help the patient identify their room. We put my dad's personalized license plate outside his room, WA8ATS. After my dad had forgotten who his sons were, my brother asked, "Dad, do you remember WA8ATS?" A look of knowing suddenly came to my dad's face and he said, "W-A-8-A-T-S, Whiskey, Alpha Eight, Alpha, Tango, Sierra." My dad must have said those words a million times. They were burnt in his brain. Not even Alzheimer's could erase them.

[@lendavidhart9710]

Very nice comment

[@NsndoBrasil]

@@lendavidhart9710Muito bom este comentario ou seja interessante como o indicativo fica gravado na memoria . Oliveira PU2OLT QSL do Brasil visite

[@RedneckLn]

your story sounds so familiar I teared up a little my dad had a stroke and he was an active ham before it and after he could not remember much of anything I miss him so much his call is n2euw mine is kd2hou.

[@hazelwood55]

@@RedneckLn Sorry to hear about your loss. Hopefully there are Ham radios in Heaven. I remember sitting in my dad's "Shack" and listening to him talk to people around the world. He talked to Sen. Barry Goldwater and guys in the old USSR and everywhere in between.

[@Flatus4La]

Hazelwood 55 ... what a wonderful story. I grew up listening to my dad on his ham radio as well ... I got my license and was able to get my Dad's old call sign. Makes me feel good to be connected to his hobby even if I am no where near as involved as he was I enjoy the hobby. 73s

[@acastuscor6680]

Okay, this video has convinced me. I'm officially getting into ham radio now. Heading to my first club meeting tomorrow! Should be good fun.

[@RadioHamGuy]

+Acastus Cor Sounds great, I hope you have some good local people that can help you out, but if not, there is plenty of things online or just ask me and I will help you get started. Ham radio is so much more fun than cell phones ever will be! You will enjoy the hobby.

[@acastuscor6680]

The local club seems to be super supportive. There's not many members, but they're all old hands and seem to have the patience to deal with my newbie questions. My county seems to be something of a hotspot for ham radio. There's a repeater practically next door to my house, and there's about four clubs in the space of four square miles. I don't think I could ask for a better place to start!

[@RadioHamGuy]

+Acastus Cor You are very lucky then, I hope you have a lot of fun with it, I have been doing it since I was 13 yrs old and am now 51 and still having just as much fun. Let me know how things go for you!

[@acastuscor6680]

I certainly will! I'm 21, and the hobby seems like an excellent opportunity to learn some basic electronics; as well as pick up an important set of skills that could help in my future career. And apart from the practical stuff, it just looks like an absolute blast!

[@marcocolombo2428]

+Acastus Cor Great to hear this fantastic news. I wish you all the best 73 Marco IU2DXF

[@LoomisPC]

I suddenly became very, very interested in this.

[@KE4VVF]

I talked with a fella who was ice fishing. He had a nice fishing shack with an IC-746 and a G5RV. We talked for about an hour while he caught fish.

[@ray_biker7406]

Very nice. I've been a ham for 25+ years and still get amazed when working DX on HF bands. You can work the world with just a simple wire antenna and a 12 V power source.

[@patrickslevin6424]

+Ray_Biker I can't, is the antenna the secret?

[@jeffdubuque3755]

@@patrickslevin6424 when it comes to radio antenna is tops

[@pmacc3557]

Can you put a few links up for an absolute beginner to get going?

[@aidanchiu2195]

It is insane how a sine shaped wave signal which bounces around randomly can make you friends. In fact, EMRs are everywhere, these radio signals we have just seen arrived at radiohamguy's station and then the audio is then recorded and sent through the internet in fibre optic, which uses light which is ALSO an EMR wave. These things are everywhere and is one reason why physics never fails to amaze me.

[@wramsey2656]

Love that desk, reminds me of many years ago in my first utility engineering job assisting our operations center (SCADA). Excellent video thank you Larry!

[@hakeem4802]

Seems to be a very awesome hobby. 40 years old and I'm looking for a new hobby, especially during the winter. Will research and learn more.

[@RVArchery]

Great station, great contacts, and great video, Larry. Was a pleasure to see your station in action. 73~KF7TOV

[@ellenj9969]

Great vid, and thank you! I am looking at getting into HAM radio and have not been able to find any vids that show someone using the radio and showing us what fun you can have, and was happy to find your vid. I have been mildly interested in HAM, and when I saw your vid, I became much more interested. Please keep making vids that show us the fun and which will entice new people to start. The technical vids people are creating are great and helpful, but there need to also be many more vids showing the fun. For instance, operators keep saying, “you can do so many things with this or that radio” but they don’t always tell us exactly what those things are. If we’ve never engaged in ham, we are in a nebulous cloud of not having a clear idea of what we can do. So thanks, and please make more vids! :)

[@RadioHamGuy]

Well thank you very much Ellen, I sure appreciate your nice comments and will try to keep doing more vids that show the fun of radio and what you can do. It is people like you that keep me inspired to do more, so thanks! I hope you do get into ham radio, it is very fun with so many different things you can pick and choose to do.

[@ericdreizen1463]

He uses a stereo audio amp to amplify his receive signal. Of course both channels have the same audio because the signals are in mono. He also uses an audio equalizer. Takes a lot of effort to build a station this elaborate, but certainly it's a labor of love if u have the room for it plus an antenna farm that would justify it!

[@propheticinsightsbyninajoi5030]

Looking to sell

[@oliviamonkey]

Thank you, Ham radio is 'timeless' it's always exiting.

[@Socalove-ss3xo]

I would like a ham radio. I prefer talking this this modern texting😀

[@Cheeseoverdose]

that's a really nice cabinet setup youve got

[@samsungw200]

That's a nice setup there, after 25 years of thinking about it, I'm going to get my ham licence. Used to love qsl'ing on the fm cb years ago. Thanks for posting

[@RadioHamGuy]

Thanks and that sounds great, go for it. Sure been fun for me! Good luck with everything there, so much you can do.

[@enriqueroman62]

did DX'g on 11 meter band, from 1977 to 1996, and decided now to for my license, good luck !

[@RadioHamGuy]

enriqueroman62 Yes, that sounds great. And I still do 11 meter also, it is all radio to me but the more you can get into the better. Good luck!! You will have fun.

[@samsungw200]

enriqueroman62 I'm doing my foundation licence training now now hope to pass my exam soon.

[@1pikeybob]

Crikey you have a amazing set up there. It looks like the bridge on a ship👍

[@mutestingray]

I think this just goes to show that we live in an ever increasingly smaller world. Internet has made that apparent but this adds a very tangible feeling to it all.

[@Vortigan07]

I've been endlessly interested in Ham radio and SW listening for years. Thought about trying to get into it a few times but it's always looked so incredibly complicated and very costly. Beautiful looking/sounding rig you have there!

[@ToddFun]

Thanks Larry! That was fun to watch.

[@7PauloSergio]

Hello, my father is CT1AKL from Oporto, Portugal , he passed away 11 years ago, i have good memories from DX meetings with many hamradio enthusiasts around the World, many late nights with my father. Best regards

[@theenglishlife1393]

Hi thanks for sharing. I only picked up my first call sign a few days ago. And I too have picked up many DX contacts from all over the world. Using just 10w and a wire dipole strung up in the garden! Awesome, 73s M6WXD

[@JP-fx4ki]

I've worked in telecommunications for the past decade. This seems like a hobby I can see myself getting into. Thank you for the video, sorry im late to the party!

[@K0LWC]

There is nothing like some good DX! The thought of your voice bouncing around the earth and landing thousands of miles away... it doesn't get any more cool than that! 73 de K0LWC

[@PelDaddy]

Hi. Thanks for sharing. I am a new ham, and just got my General as well. Installing my HF rig (IC-7300) this week. Looking forward to it. Thanks.

[@RadioHamGuy]

That is great to hear! Congrats on the new General and I hope you have a lot of fun with radio! 73

[@jonathanrobertson3406]

Hey PelDaddy, I know this reply is a month old but, nevertheless, congratulations, and I hope this last month has been rewarding to you. I recently purchased an ICOM-7300 as well. I think you made a smart choice. (Now if only I didn't live in both an HOA as well as temporal location we'll call "the bottom of the sun cycle" so I could use it to it's full potential.... *sigh*) I think any ham's who get their WAS or any other award in those two conditions should get an extra endorsement on their certificates. ;P 73s and happy new year! Jonathan

[@matgdowski7578]

Awesome stuff, Larry. This is exactly why I just earned my Tech and General license two days ago. I think DX is super interesting. I’m sure my setup will be nowhere as nice or as good as yours, but I’m hoping to at least reach out to someone from overseas at some point when I get it all set up.

[@Bulletguy07]

Interesting vid clip and nicely edited too. I've always been interested in radio but Ham equipment is damned expensive at least here in UK it is. I satisfy myself with HF listening now and use a Trio-R1000 receiver i bought used 23 years ago. Still working perfectly. I made my own end fed longwire antenna (about 60ft) from braided copper wire and get stations all over the world.

[@matthooper5059]

Love these. Studying for my tech, going ahead and buying the GMRS license and currently learning about the gear I currently have. This type of communication I find just fascinating.

[@SalimMohamedIsmail1963]

I am a new HAM from the south of India, Kerala. I am just starting,very interesting, this video was very informative

[@AndrzejZawada-bj1sn]

Shortwave radio is such a thing that once you like it once, you will love the hobby for the rest of your life. I took a liking to radio communications during a Boy Scout camping trip in 1966, and I'm still a ham radio operator today. But my wife is jealous and sometimes asks what I love more, her or radio, because she has doubts. Greetings from Poland, de..sp2eef.

[@andybrooks9855]

I've been looking for a real world HAM radio video and this one is the best by far. No silly chit chat just diving in to see what it's all about. This video has prompted me to go to the HAM radio store and find out more. Great job!

[@RadioHamGuy]

Thank you very much! It is a fun hobby for sure. Best of luck and let me know if you become involved.

[@electronicsradiovideo]

As mentioned, DX'ing is just one aspect of amateur radio - there are many others from construction to experimentation, etc . . . and of course you can make friends around the globe. I enjoy it as well.

[@jrmcdowe]

Larry, I am curious about your antenna setup. Have you done a video on your antennas? Jim KK4DJX

[@RadioHamGuy]

I guess I have not done a good video on antennas here, might make a good video when it warms up here, thanks for the suggestion!

[@freddie_video]

from Japan :) ex JG1KGK YAESU is nice rig right? I owned FT290 MkII When I am 60's, I'll come back to ham radio world.

[@SICKENEDMAGGOT1]

I can't wait to get my Ham radio licence! Loved the video Larry!

[@Totes_ma_Goat]

My grandfather did HAM radio after the war. He was in a SAW unit in WW2 he was a warrant officer. He passed away a few years ago. Have you ever run across a Richard Ski from Georgia?

[@RadioHamGuy]

That is very interesting. I can't say that I know that name but might remember a call sign possibly.

[@kevintoews5656]

What a great channel. Thanks for the content. I'm a private pilot and have always been interested in radio. Just about to take my Technician test!

[@RadioHamGuy]

Well thank you and that is great to hear. I want to wish you the best of luck on your test, I am sure you will have no problem. I know I hear a lot of pilots on the air who talk about flying etc and I also enjoy hearing about that and watching videos about that also. Some also have a radio on board to make contacts on the air in their free time, always fun making contact when they do that! Some commercial pilots will dial up the HF radio to ham freqs in spare time on overseas flight if they are licensed hams. 73 and keep me posted if you wish.

[@johnreagannumber1]

P.S. Nice editing as usual. Loving the screenshots of QRZ. I do that all the time while listening to the ham bands! Booming Austrian station there as well.

[@simmo246]

Larry, How did you set up the 19" rack gear. It looks like one hell of an operating station (could be a video in this). As always a greate show. 73 G0PIB

[@AlnairLindalwe]

Hey Larry, thank you for the video. That's some impressive tech you got there, the reception is basically flawless. But what's that double-channel hardware that's on top of you rig? I see 2-channel EQ and 2-channel S-meter, but why would you ever need it?

[@VA3ELX]

When did R change to “Radio” from “Romeo”. Lol use the standards like everyone else

[@RadioHamGuy]

Since I made the mistake of saying it, ha, I will never hear the end of that! 73

[@noth606]

RadioHamGuy I was about to comment but figured I'd scroll the comments a bit to check for someone else getting to it first. FYI improper phonetics is potentially a transmit license suspension in NL, proper phonetics are not recommended, they are mandatory with no exceptions here. 73's

[@bouncingsoul777]

Holy crap who cares? Say "radio" if you want to big guy. Appreciate the video

[@noth606]

Everyone who wants to follow regulation should care. The NATO phonetics are not optional.

[@thomasdavis4253]

@@noth606 ITU phonetics are a good standard to follow, but according to Part 97.119(2) : "...Use of a phonetic alphabet as an aid for correct station identification is encouraged..." This means you *should* use phonetics BUT it doesn't state you have to use NATO or ITU phonetics.

[@BTubbs]

I am so glad this popped up in my feed. I will be watching all your videos

[@MarioGarcia-ip6qx]

I enjoyed looking at your radio desk combination. Very nice.

[@felipeaccioly8671]

Please can you suggest a setup for someone who is starting in ham DX? I live in Vermont and want to keep in touch with my hometown in Brazil

[@thestingyham1188]

Really enjoyed this! Nice clean, well-made video that's to the point. Not shaking all over the place. Exactly what I wanted to see as a newbie interested in Ham. So fun to see the photos of people and their rigs online! My dream is to transmit around the world on 20m, and one day work up to CW. I'm going for my Technicians license here in Seoul next month (I can get my US license from here, apply it here in Korea, and wait a month for the gov't to give me the go-ahead, etc). I am studying for the test with the help of a really great Android app someone put together. Unfortunately, I think I will have a lot of difficulty with all of the RF noise and whatnot around Seoul. My home is literally 3 meters away from the junction of two big power lines, so I think I'll need to set up a mobile rig. Some day, I hope we can talk! Derek (originally from central Iowa... just South of you, but living in Seoul these past 12 years as a university teacher).

[@johnreagannumber1]

Hello Larry (I think there was a sitcom with that name in the 70s!) just saying that I'm glad to see a new video posted by you, especially one with actual on-air time using your awesome station. I've been a subscriber for over a year and you've even helped me on one occasion with advice on cleaning pots in radios. As an SWL I too have been noticing conditions in 20 meters to be superb. Also it seems every time I watch your videos I notice even more bits of your station, in particular the device with the dual channel VU meters. Must know what that is! Again, great seeing this ... 73!

[@propheticinsightsbyninajoi5030]

I have a 100ft Guyed Tower for sale in NC, be good for ham. Who do I contact or get the message out

[@BrianBeeMoMoses]

CQ CQ CQ Unlicenced transmission from Seattle. You have an awesome setup! I'm currently studying for the Technician exam, after seeing this video....I know what I want to do in the future. Thanks for sharing! 73

[@RadioHamGuy]

Brian Moses Thanks Brian and great to hear you will be getting into the hobby, so many things you can do with it. Maybe we will be able to talk by radio some day. 73 and good luck with the exam!

[@crosisofborg5524]

CB seemed a lot better. We actually talked to people. What, as a RVer driving around the country, is the benefit or attraction of Ham Radio?

[@ReadinessLinks]

I am a new Technician in Prescott, WI and I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your vids. Nice shack btw! KD9APF Jason

[@RadioHamGuy]

Thanks very much Jason, glad to hear that you are a new technician, congratulations on that! Glad you enjoy the videos also, I will try to keep at it, 73. Have fun on the air!

[@DC.]

This is so cool. One day I hope to have a similar setup.

[@orbotik]

Oh man is that a Yaesu 847? That's my first radio picked up a year and a half ago! Sitting right next to me. Love that thing.

[@RadioHamGuy]

Yes and it is a great radio, very expensive back in the day when I purchased it new so you are lucky to have it!!

[@NamasenITN]

Just got my license!! This video made me however a bit sad: was it during a contest (with extra quick exchanges to get as many qso as possible) or people were a bit too quick to say 73s? The Austrian OM was of course a tiny bit more interested in rag chewing but not that much. May I respectfully ask whether this is the standard or the exception? CBs, 25 yrs ago, sounded to me way more friendly - maybe I have to do more listening and live with that.

[@chadesser7779]

Looking at getting into ham radio, and came across your video. I am in louisville Ky, and I have family in Minnesota Lake.... small world, but a connected world. 👍

[@pmacc3557]

Thinking of getting into this - love the idea of scanning the world for contacts. BUT I thought people actually have a chat...

[@RadioHamGuy]

Yes that is what I like to do most of the time, this was just something a little different with the conditions that were going on at the time. I think towards the end I chatted with someone for a long while but had to edit a lot of that out for time on the video.

[@pmacc3557]

Thanks! If you can , to make a vid for 2023 starter pack for the novice (your equipment looks pretty serious), equipment you' d recommend etc and how to register. If you have time :) Sometimes in the car I like to switch to AM and scan thru the channels, but obviously its nothing compared to Ham radio but my curiosity to hear other radio stations from abroad etc tis very cool @@RadioHamGuy

[@CoveiraoPS3]

DX... this is so rare among American hams on KZbin . Congrats, hope more hams in the us start to DX

[@drysie]

Thanks for making this Video Larry. I've been DXing since the 90s and have recently given up work so looking to take exams in the near future. In the meantime, doing background like watching this video etc. Keep posting Larry. 73

[@petemason57]

Ham equipment must be cheap over there as in the UK it's very expensive. Not been active since 2002 but now brushing off the dust of my 22 year old Yausu ft 920 will be putting some RF out there once again. Shame so few people on the air. Nice video.

[@danielbaster2883]

Nice mate!

[@John-uj9zy]

I just passed my Tech and General exams over the weekend. I can't wait for my name and call sign to come up in the FCC database. I don't have a radio of my own yet. But Im sure the local club that meets once a month will help me work some DX!

[@dctisthebest]

I am also from Minnesota! I'm in the process of getting my ham license.

[@RadioHamGuy]

Sounds excellent, it is a great hobby! Good luck on the test.

[@fredbreitkopf2762]

My grandparents were into ham radio when I was a kid in the early 70s my grandfather call sign was PY5YR and my grandmothers was PY5YS . I thought it was really cool and later in the late 70s he purchased a radio called Yaezu FT101ZD, it was a wonderful piece of technology. Now they are gone, memories stay.

[@RadioHamGuy]

Thanks for sharing that, I do remember the 101ZD also, fun radio. We will always have the great memories of things like you are talking about! 73...Larry

[@drohegda]

My first Ham Radio Video, Thank You very Much My Friend. Looks like a Great Hobby.

[@gamingnepal2631]

The communication between HAM radio operator of INDIA and NEPAL helped a man who was in prison for 40 years without any guilty. love from NEPAL

[@ElwoodBluesAK]

What do operaters write down when they talk to people?

[@grigoris.7732]

how does one find a decent radio club. there doesn't seem to be shit around me.

[@WiredWordNews]

i need the exact same setup ! Could you share the equipments list and diagram ?

[@adelarsen9776]

A QSO contact is not complete without a full weather report :-)

[@KE8NUF]

Very nice setup you have there, had my license for about a year now and right now I just have 3 mobiles working 10, 2, and 15 meters

[@RadioHamGuy]

That sounds great. Those bands should start improving this year with the new sunspot cycle so things are looking good!

[@Fearlessmullet]

Sir, i live close to you and am still fairly new to the hobby. Your videos get me excited that i can make contacts even from the middle of the usa.. my question is how do people go about growing their knowledge to expand in the hobby? I am a technician license holder.

[@pd9rd]

Join a HAM radio club and look up what you want to know right here on KZbin. And, make as much QSO's as you can 😊 73

[@Hanesy]

Amazing communication hobby indeed. This is fun ❤️

[@jeffdubuque5699]

nice setup you got there, cheers form Ontario.

[@MM0SDK]

This makes me want to cry. I miss my setup as a 15 year old kid, QSL cards from around the world through a PO box i rented and working a Yaesu FT840 through a 500w Zetagi valve linear and 20ft silver-rod on a 60ft mast. 73's from the UK..... 2M1VFO. I passed my intermediate in 1995 before cars took over my life. Now I'm a little older, the radio bug has me again, but this time I don't have a home big enough for a nice antenna & mast again, because I love HF DX. The long wavelengths hurt me. :(

[@InfernalismMusic]

I'm sure as a ham you've heard of loop antennas or other limited space HF antennas. There's one from MFJ that's very compact, works 40-10 meters, can fit in your attic, and costs between 400-500 U.S. Dollars I think. It's just like a metal circle. Just do some research in limited space antennas. There's always options.

[@larryak0z672]

This is a great video. I shared it with my four sisters to see if it will motivate them to become ham operators. Thanks for you help!

[@hubercats]

Thanks for making and sharing this video, Larry. I’m a new ham and hence in learning mode. I’ve heard that some DX operators get upset if they are contacted by other hams who live in their country, or more generally too close to them. I’m wondering why operators calling DX don’t include their location in their CQ DX calls. That way others would know immediately whether to respond or not. Thanks again! - Jim (KK7CSC)

[@RadioHamGuy]

As kind of a general rule, hams in the US calling CQDX are looking for contacts in another country and not in the US and if they are calling CQ only or calling CQ for any contact or anyone anywhere then that is what they are looking for. Happy to hear that you got your ticket and I hope you have a lot of fun with radio, it is a great hobby! 73

[@tomahawk5118]

Still a Technician for now but I’ve made some amazing DX contacts on the allowed 10m from Europe to the Caribbean to the southern end of South America from Tennessee using a 100 watt Icom and G5RV jr. What an addicting hobby. I do prefer phone rather than other methods. 73 N4IOI formerly KM4BCA.

[@erikagree]

i have in the last 3 years been been seeing so much on ham radio and im pushing to finally get into it

[@RadioHamGuy]

Hey that sounds great. Great hobby with so many different things you can get into! You will enjoy it very much I think. Been doing it since I was 13.

[@Mr_Dieguito]

wow what are the chances. After 7 years I find this video because I'm thinking about getting a ham radio and I hear you are in MN. Same here! I'm originally from Chile, but I have been living in MN for the last 12 years.

[@RadioHamGuy]

Thank you very much and glad you are thinking about getting into ham radio, it is a lot of fun. I am in Albert Lea, MN.

[@adelarsen9776]

"Victor has a wall map just like I do" LOL :-) This is a nice video :-) Thanks

[@adjo82]

I see you have a Radio Shack Pro2006 scanner, kept me entertained for years during the 90s until the UK went onto TETRA airwaves.

[@enriqueroman62]

WOW I got the thrills back, oh my god it's been 30 years since I left my Yaesu be purchased by another amateur, thanks for posting this video, nothing compares to Ham radio, internet is not even close to it, VOICE over text. Nice set up RadioHam ! I will be going back to my old ham radio hobby.

[@RadioHamGuy]

Thanks and that is great to hear, there are so many things going on in ham radio now so it is a fun time to get started again!

[@toddkelsey2794]

I love your setup. It looks great. De N2ETA

[@sanjayd411]

Great looking shack Larry and terrific QSOs on 20m. Hope to catch'a on the bands one of these days. ....73 .de KG9FA.

[@eduardosturla]

I love ham radio! Great video. See you around the bands! 73 from HI8ESF

[@jasontheflyingfarrierhays]

A fella, Larry, in his own home, doing what he loves, idiots on KZbin still give him shit. I know nothing about ham radio but I still really enjoyed your content. I feel like I should look into this hobby more. I can see the attraction from this fun video! Apparently 73 means something nice, so 73 to you Larry, whatever it really means

[@RadioHamGuy]

Thank you Jason, that is very nice of you! It is a fun hobby and what many don't realize is that this is a small snipit of things. I usually make much longer contacts and chat a lot more, this was a demo of a time when conditions were very good and everyone wanted to see where they were being heard. At the end of this video I did have a long conversation with a ham and we talked several minutes so I had to edit it way down on the video. It is a fun hobby with so many things to try and do. 73 by the way means best regards and good luck. 73 to you Jason!

[@moonlitphantasm]

I am taking my test soon. DX is what really intrigues me most.

[@KandiKlover]

It's fun and such but I don't think saying 599 TU and exchanging license numbers really implies being friends now all of a sudden lol

[@thomasdavis4253]

Gotta start somewhere, sometimes people just like to collect Countries, States, Islands, Counties, etc etc. When someone from a rare or even not so rare location comes on the air, you get a lot of people wanting to make contact. In this instance, it is good etiquette to exchange the minimum amount of info to count as a contact asnd let someone else have a chance. Sometimes there is a contest. This is where a lot of stations get on the air and try to make as many contacts as possible in a limited amount of time. Then, there are operators that have a groups of friends they like to meet on the air each day and talk about the goings-on in their lives. Some of these operators have been meeting up for years, or even decades. You've got guys that like to get on air, make a random contact and talk for hours or till band conditions change. Then you have all this in Morse code or the many digital modes as well. Some digital modes work so well that you can make contacts when the other station is so far in the noise you can not ever hear them by ear. There are modes that allow you to send pictures back and forth. There are so many aspects of this service/hobby, you are only limited by your imagination and budget. You can have large directional antennas on 100ft towers and amplifiers that let you transmit 1.5kW, or you can throw a piece of wire over a tree and try to make contacts 1000s of miles away with a fraction of a watt of energy. You can do Meteor Scatter where you bounce your signal off the ionized tails of meteorites the size of a grain of sand, or you can build a large antenna array and aim it at the moon to use it as a passive reflector to communicate-if your system is good enough, you can even hear your echos returning back to earth 2.5 second later at the end of their half million mile trip. You can use a small Yagi antenna with a walkie talkie to get in to any of the Amateur Radio Satellites orbiting the earth whenever they are overhead, or talk to the crew of the ISS on the rare occasion they are on the radio as they fly over. YOu can even homebrew your own equipment, either by building it as a kit or designing it from the ground up, and then get on the air with it. All that said, it isn't for everyone, and thats cool.

[@Vlfkfnejisjejrjtjrie]

@@thomasdavis4253 dang..wrap that up in a book. I was wondering about the interest in HAM radio. That was interesting. Thanks.

[@thomasdavis4253]

@@Vlfkfnejisjejrjtjrieapologies. There may have been caffeine involved. Lol

[@Vlfkfnejisjejrjtjrie]

@@thomasdavis4253 No apologies needed. I reread my comment and I could have written it better. I meant to say , your writing style, enthusiasm and knowledge, held my interest while reading. If there was more in a book, I would buy it.

[@19brandon66]

nice shack, great video. The Austria QSO, OE6MBG, had an amazing signal! 73s, ex WA5FMV.

[@Greywolf3]

Larry, I enjoy your videos and you have a beautiful ham shack! w0xs

[@RadioHamGuy]

Thanks, I think I have things set up pretty much how I like it but still seems like I change things around now and then! 73

[@lancerogers9694]

This set up got to be over 5 grand, easy.

[@DisabledPrepper]

Just got a sub and like from the UK! Looking forward to getting used to HAM radio comms! Warm regards DP

[@Jefflantern483]

Yes my Dad was a ham operator before he passed away back in 1997. His call was VE1I W. Me I’m a ham operator myself & yup saving some coin for a radio set! Yes 73’s Jeff VE3EUP! 🙂

[@DroneFun]

Simply too beautiful the way you fixed the radios in your shack. I've particularly enjoyed seeing the FT-847 in operation. 73 - PY4CK

[@minke9561]

It's nice to listen these conversations. I hope we can make a contact in the future, I'm on my way to get my callsign. And of course trying to get the tools.

[@robert1217]

Hi Larry, I watched some of your video. I don't know much about radio. I am looking for couple of radio for me and my fishermen at sea. The distance won't be more than 500 miles. Can you recommend me a few models? Thank you very much.

[@AlabamaDad]

Great video Larry but as a Technician class operator who will pass my General exam next week I would love to see how you made the contacts. 73

[@betmen216]

Great video.. Greetings from 9A3FKV, QTH: Mrkopalj, Croatia! 73

[@pmull252]

Great video Larry. I hope to work you sometime. . OK8EI, Paul

[@uncleart112]

Nice video Larry. I posted it on our Facebook page Tri-County Radio Association for our new members to see. I love the console you have. Thanks Art /K2ADC

[@RadioHamGuy]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed that and hopefully it might be of some interest for new members to see what can be done on HF!

[@Furtadofamily]

This is a beautiful upload dear and thank you for sharing it with us too dear.

[@RadioWhiz]

Ham radio looks like a fun hobby in the future I'd like to have a ham radio station

[@RandomlySelectedUserName]

I don't have license and radio yet, and cant wait to get both of them. Thanks for vid

[@BenjaminChavez]

Hello Larry, that looks like very expensive equipment. I just got the idea to find something and learn with my kids on how to communicated with people from countries far from here. They are girl scout and I thought they might find it interesting. Awesome upload thank you por posting and best wishes for you take care and be well

[@2j4ez]

Very good video I passed my foundation licence in march. in the middle of doing my intermediate licence got the exam tues 12 dec 17. I've just put a video up of me receiving the space station on a Yaesu FT 70DE radio using a beam