John Goerzen > Amateur Radio

John Goerzen & Amateur Radio

For other hams

If you're a ham and looking me up, you might be interested to know:

• My callsign is KR0L and my name is John Goerzen

• I was initially licensed as KD0MJT, which was used from July to October, 2010

• Some information about me, including my email address and interests

• QSL via LOTW is preferred, or direct.

• I send out QSL cards that are numbered and sometimes contain a message typewritten on the World War II-era typewriter that I restored.

• I'm still fairly new at this. I passed my technician and general exams on the same night in early July 2010. I got my station set up in late July.
• I passed my Extra in October 2010.
• My base station radio (since October 2010) is a Kenwood TS-2000 and a SS-30M power supply. It does HF, VHF, and UHF.
  • The HF antennas are 1/2λ dipoles at 40m, 20m, and 10m, strung up in some trees
  • The VHF/UHF antenna is a Comet GP-3 vertical, about 15ft off the ground

• My mobile rig is a Yaesu FT-857D. I have antennas for 20m and a dual-bander for 2m & 70cm

• My handheld is a Yaesu VX-7R with the factory antenna
• I also have an Icom IC-22U 2m mobile radio built in 1981, which was given to me by a fellow ham, but I currently am not using it.
• I participate in the ARRL LOTW (Logbook of the World)

• My digital setup involves a SignaLink USB device and, of course, Linux.

Interested in amateur radio?

Good! It's really a very interesting hobby. It is the most versatile radio service available in many ways. Users of amateur radio get to choose their own radios and antennas, and can even design and build these things themselves if they like. They can operate with a surprising amount of power in many situations, and can work with all sorts of modes including CW (morse code), voice, and digital. Most other types of radio restrict people to only government-approved radios, certain specific channels, etc.

With amateur radio, it is possible to talk to locals using only a battery-powered handheld radio. With something in a car or house, it's routine to talk to people across the continent with only a $30 antenna, or across the world with a bit fancier antenna. This requires no intervening infrastructure; you can talk directly from your antenna to someone else's thousands of miles away with no phone company, satellite, landline, or anything in between. This makes ham radio ideal for emergencies, and there are national organizations of amateur radio operators that work closely with governments and disaster response groups to provide communications in emergencies. Ham radio still works when cell towers are disrupted, power is out, etc. Some local organizations also operate repeaters, which work to extend the range of small handheld radios. Repeaters often have generator backup and some are even portable on a truck.

As a tradeoff for this tremendous range, flexibility, and responsibility, amateur radio operators must be licensed by the government. This process involves passing an exam, which isn't all that difficult to get started with. This is important because building your own radios, setting up your own antennas, and transmitting with large amounts of power (thousands of times what your cellphone uses, for instance) has the potential to interfere with users of other radio services. So the ham operator has to know some things about radio operation that aren't general knowledge. This exam isn't hard, and the ARRL publishes manuals that help you study quickly.

I have some more information on my wiki:

• Why Amateur Radio? answers the question in more detail than these paragraphs

• Getting started gives my tips and information on getting licensed, finding your first radio, etc. It isn't all that hard to pass the exams, and I've taken some time to write up some very specific tips.