New Amateur Radio Technician License

February 6, 2021 I finally received my technician license!

KJ7UCP

For many years I have been wanting to do this.

Back in the 80’s, I used big portable CB radio on my hang glider control frame to communicate with my driver as I flew cross country. As time progressed and my skills advanced, I began using amateur radios to communicate with a basic business class license on the gmrs bands.

I began classes to get my ham license but life got in the way and I stopped hang gliding and forgot about studying to pass the test.

At the time, you had to know Morse Code and I was studying it. Now, year 2021, Morse Code or “CW” is no longer a requirement. I studied a program on my tablet for an hour per night for two weeks and took my exam from an experienced examiner and passed the test. Two days later I had my call sign, KJ7UCP and I’ve put it to good use.

So that’s my background in amateur radio.

What you see here is the evolution of my craft.

Where I’ve come from and where I’m at and what I’m going to do next.

APRS - ISS (International Space Station) Communications

One of the first things that I wanted to do with my little Yaesu FT-3D was to receive and bounce packets through the ISS. As soon as I had built my 1/4wave ground plane antenna, I tried a few times with no success. Little did I know that it was not me, the ISS had a faulty connection on a prior space walk upgrade. Recently they did another space walk and repaired the system back to it's original configuration and I was able to connect.

First impressions are not about the radio but how big the space station is as it arcs across the sky. This thing is HUGE and it's not a pin point, it appears to be a big fuzzy dot cruising faster than airliners do, it's also bigger.

ARISS

Arrow Antenna

Yaesu FT-3D

Kenwood TH-D74a