{"id":12978,"date":"2017-02-14T08:47:01","date_gmt":"2017-02-14T13:47:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gars.org\/gars\/?p=12978"},"modified":"2019-12-14T08:49:01","modified_gmt":"2019-12-14T13:49:01","slug":"beginners-corner-february-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gars.org\/gars\/beginners-corner-february-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"Beginner’s Corner February 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

From a New Ham\u2019s Perspective<\/strong><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

Congratulations to Phyl!  She passed her test at Tech Fest, and is now KN4AEZ.  I know her very well.  She is my XLY (wife).  I was her Elmer.  Coaching her through the testing process was an eye opener.  It brought back memories of my early days as a new ham.<\/p>\n

When your call sign appears in the FCC database, you are authorized to get on the air.  The FCC no longer mails you a printed copy of your license.  Neither do they email it. How do they do it now? I asked a good friend the following questions:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere do you look for your name in the FCC database?\u201d http:\/\/wireless2.fcc.gov\/UlsApp\/UlsSearch\/searchLicense.jsp<\/a><\/p>\n

Click on “visit” at the end of the first line displayed, and then do a name search.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow long does it take to get an actual license?\u201d It varies and can be as short as a week up to about three weeks depending on how busy the FCC is.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHow do we log into the FCC database and where do we look for our license?\u201d<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Go to the URL listed in the first question and do a name search – or –<\/li>\n
  2. Go to QRZ and do a name search.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Now that you have that call sign or license, what happens next?  Hopefully, you already have a radio.  If you don\u2019t have one, you might want to head to the internet or to the ham radio store for one.  If you already have a radio, hopefully you have it programmed, at least for a couple nearby repeaters and a few simplex frequencies. Get an Elmer (mentor) to help you, if needed.<\/p>\n

    When you have your call sign and a radio that is programmed, (Don\u2019t forget the antenna!) the time you have been waiting for has come! You press that push-to-talk button and throw out your call sign, \u201cKN4XXX monitoring.\u201d  If no one comes back, wait a while and try again.  When someone does come back, the adrenalin starts pumping and you key the push-to-talk button once more.  This would be a good time to tell the other party that you are a new ham and this is your first QSO (conversation).  He or she will understand.  Remember that the other party you are talking to has also had a \u201cfirst time\u201d on the air, as well.<\/p>\n

    What do I talk about?  Let the other party ask a question.  If he or she doesn\u2019t tell them about your equipment and how it feels to be a licensed amateur radio operator.  Talk about your equipment.  Ask the other party about his or her first time on the air and what equipment he or she has.  Remember to give your call sign at the ten minute mark and at the end of your QSO.  Don\u2019t be afraid to make mistakes!  Everyone has made some kind of mistake on the air at one time.  We\u2019ve all been there.  No one will judge you. You can carry on the QSO for as long as both of you want to.<\/p>\n

    Whew!  That first one was over!  What next?  Don\u2019t hesitate to get on the air again.  Before you try again, you may want to pause a moment and contemplate what has happened, but don\u2019t stop there.  Make it a habit to get on the air again and again!  The more you get on the air the more comfortable you will be.  Before you know it, you will be hearing some else on the air with their first QSO.  Now, as a veteran, you can help them.  That is what amateur radio is all about.<\/p>\n

    David Harden<\/p>\n

    KJ4CMY<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    From a New Ham\u2019s Perspective   Congratulations to Phyl!  She passed her test at Tech Fest, and is now KN4AEZ.  I know her very well.  She is my XLY (wife).  I was her Elmer.  Coaching her through the testing process was an eye opener.  It brought back memories of my early days as a new […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[17,18],"class_list":["post-12978","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-beginners-corner","tag-beginners-corner","tag-newbie"],"yoast_head":"\nBeginner's Corner February 2017 - Gwinnett Amateur Radio Society<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gars.org\/gars\/beginners-corner-february-2017\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Beginner's Corner February 2017 - 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