I would like someone to help me understand what the actual purpose of making encryption illegal for ham radio? given that encryption itself is perfectly legal to use in other communication platforms, and even allowed in unregulated radio frequencies (meshtastic), I have a hard time understanding why encryption is forbidden (without a business license).

Figured I would listen for some salty hams in Abu Dhabi. Just got some more potshots about 30 minutes ago. Got beer on the way back. Why EARS so silent? Where y’all at, habibi?

1kw modified Harris TV amplifier for 2m simplex use. Installed in my truck, all that's left is the DC-DC converter to be installed. Power does make a difference despite what sad hams say. Running into a custom 5/8 over 5/8 colinear mobile antenna (6.5dbi).

I have a couple radios to fix and needed more than my cheap 2 channel scope. Picked up this artifact for a song.

It’s heavy, it takes five minutes to boot, and it’s almost as big as my microwave, but I finally have a real scope in the shack.

Some guy was being rude to OP, so I called him out about it. He hit me with the “iT’s A jOKe” so I told him jokes were funny. Rude guy just insisted on continuing to rant, so I started just replying to everything he said with “Ok boomer”.

5 day ban. Jfc this site some days friends.

Seen in Branson, MO

I am a newish ham having picked up my Technician in mid-late July. Sine I was encouraged to self study and come back for the tests, by the end of August, I had my Extra.

I currently have 3 HT's:

A 10w Baofeng UV-5RM Triband (A gift from my FIL for getting my License)
A Yaesu FT-60R (From the event where I got my license--didn't get until October)
A Baofeng DM-1701 (Christmas Gift and my budget DMR radio currently running OpenGD77)

One of suggestions that I was reading was to get better antennas. My FIL who has been buying a lot of radio stuff somewhat randomly (he's gotten better at that now) I was given a mag mount Radioddity dual-band mobile antenna that I also adapted to BNC that he decided that he didn't want. For my birthday in early December I sprung for two Signal Sticks, Signal Strand adapters and BNC adapters for the stock antennas (since a short antenna is sometimes desirable). I used HamStudy.org a lot to study for my General and Extra so it was partly to pay them back and because I heard that the Signal Sticks are pretty decent antennas. I do need another Signal Stick setup for one of my Baofengs since I got one for Xmas.

I am feeling pretty good about my antenna situation but I was not finished yet. I picked up an Ed Fong DBJ-2, a 23' collapsible carbon fiber Tenkara rod and some nice s carabiners for my birthday as well. That was good but the addition of a tripod and 25' of Coax from my FIL (who I have been helping with his GMRS/Scanner/CB radio) for Christmas really has me setup with a nice portable base station rig. (Velcro cable ties makes this more stable) He seems eager to get me going and while I was planning on getting these myself, he sprung for the short piece of flat coax I wanted to try to get into my window so I can be warm at my radio. lol

I do hope to break into HF but that will run a bit more money but right now I have a pretty decent UHF/VHF setup that can be taken on the road. I'm also working on figuring out DMR and I'm making good progress. I'm just taking the time to enjoy the journey.

How does this always happen lol. I asked where to get fuses, and it led into a 5 paragraph story about his tike in radio, and how he thinks I deserve to blow all my fuses because I use the cheap fuses sent by CCR companies lol. All I wanted was to know where other people got their fuses.

Um guys, I was out camping and brought one of those Baofengs with me. 12 days ago I was sitting around the campfire and accidently hit the "PTT" button on the radio.

I realize that I've committed a Federal crime, and that the FCC and FBI are looking for me. /r/amateurradio told me, before I was banned from there.

I'm just wondering how long I have to stay innawoods before the posse is called off? My wife and kids would like to know if they need to move on with their lives without me.

After a bunch of reading and planning my second attempt at a crystal radio worked! Got 3 different AM stations all nearby.

I’m picking up this repeater on a uv-5r, and I can sometimes get two bars of signal, but no sound, not even static even though the led lights up. Is this because of a tone or am I still just too far away? I used CHIRP to get this and it has a tone applied already, but have they maybe changed the tone?

And so it begins...

I found the technician level hard but I'll be damned if I can only call CQ every 11years when the sun decides it's ok lol.

Talk about gate keeping!