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Reply 20 of 27, by keenmaster486

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AlaricD wrote:

It's called "amateur radio".

Amateur radio is not broadcasting. Its purpose is for people to experiment and have fun talking to other hams on the dial. Broadcasting is a whole different story.

World's foremost 486 enjoyer.

Reply 21 of 27, by AlaricD

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keenmaster486 wrote:
AlaricD wrote:

It's called "amateur radio".

Amateur radio is not broadcasting. Its purpose is for people to experiment and have fun talking to other hams on the dial. Broadcasting is a whole different story.

And here I am, wrong on the Internet for the first time ever! No, wait, I've been wrong before...

I was reading "broadcast" as transmit, and overlooked the obvious thing that a broadcast is a one-way radio transmission wherein the receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof (or "as a transmission intended for reception by the general public, either direct or delayed.", versus amateur radio operators typically performing two-way, point-to-point transmission and receiving, message relaying, and the like.

Yes, the nature of radio wave propagation makes 'most any transmission a "broadcast" in a technical sense, but not in the legal sense.

So, I'm wrong and you're right.

Reply 23 of 27, by Jo22

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AlaricD wrote:

The DX-160 has the added advantage of a bandspread dial and variable BFO for SSB.

Pffft, BFO.. Real men use the "backfeeding" knob of a regenerative audion. 😉
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audion_receiver

(PS: just kidding a little bit, your DX-160 is a neat little RX.
Still have got an old RadioShack catalog from the 70s, which featured it.)

AlaricD wrote:

the nature of radio wave propagation makes 'most any transmission a "broadcast" in a technical sense, but not in the legal sense.

I use and interchange both terms occasionally, too. Though broadcast is usually something that's enjoyed by an audience of several people.
In ham radio service, there's also real "broadcast". On the 2m/10m FM relays and on shortwave they have speakers that tell the newest news in ham radio. It's used to inform the operators of changes in regulations, newest technology, current projects in ham radio, DX weather, et cetera.
So all in all, that wasn't wrong per se. Broadcast just isn't common to describe two-way communications, normally. 😀

"Time, it seems, doesn't flow. For some it's fast, for some it's slow.
In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel

//My video channel//

Reply 24 of 27, by AlaricD

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Jo22 wrote:

(PS: just kidding a little bit, your DX-160 is a neat little RX.
Still have got an old RadioShack catalog from the 70s, which featured it.)

I think I need to get it aligned, but otherwise it works pretty well. Very nice aesthetic, too.

I use and interchange both terms occasionally, too. Though broadcast is usually something that's enjoyed by an audience of several people.

I should have known better, though!

I have a friend working on getting his ticket-- I may do the same. The test can't be THAT hard, can it?

Reply 25 of 27, by keenmaster486

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AlaricD wrote:

I have a friend working on getting his ticket-- I may do the same. The test can't be THAT hard, can it?

It's something I've meant to do for a while. Someday... I've heard it's not too hard if you're already very familiar with electronics, ham radio equipment, and radio stuff in general. You don't even have to know Morse code any more, but really that's something that needs to be kept alive even if only for safety purposes.

So here's a tangent, who here knows Morse code? I've been familiar with it for years but I don't know it perfectly; I struggle with decoding at high speed.

World's foremost 486 enjoyer.

Reply 26 of 27, by gdjacobs

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AlaricD wrote:
I think I need to get it aligned, but otherwise it works pretty well. Very nice aesthetic, too. […]
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Jo22 wrote:

(PS: just kidding a little bit, your DX-160 is a neat little RX.
Still have got an old RadioShack catalog from the 70s, which featured it.)

I think I need to get it aligned, but otherwise it works pretty well. Very nice aesthetic, too.

I use and interchange both terms occasionally, too. Though broadcast is usually something that's enjoyed by an audience of several people.

I should have known better, though!

I have a friend working on getting his ticket-- I may do the same. The test can't be THAT hard, can it?

I say do it! The test in the US is quite a bit easier than ours is, IMHO.

All hail the Great Capacitor Brand Finder

Reply 27 of 27, by Jo22

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I second that, do the test! 😀
Don't be afraid, things *may* (or may not) look more complicated to you at first than they really are.
Personally, I think that learning the regulations is more cumbersome than the technical stuff (by comparison).
Also, there are several classes to choose from. Just start from where you feel safe.
There are also many simulations programs on-line, which do simulate these tests. 😀

"Time, it seems, doesn't flow. For some it's fast, for some it's slow.
In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel

//My video channel//