Here is a pic to put a face to the name. As some may have already guess I am a ham. (Lingo for Amatuer Radio Operator). W2VQY is my call sign, that I was able to track down that was my grandfather's when he passed on. Check out www.qrz.com and my call sign for more info.

I'll have to make a picof me with my favorite cigar.

Do we have any other hams here?

W2VQY

nice. What is the farthest you have spoken to someone on there?

...so, you are a HAM radio operator.......??

Step away from the desk, man!

Face is too intense. Relax, have a smoke & a drink.

Keep up the good work in bad times!

Yep, call is NC6K. I was WB2KIH from 1976 until last year (I am from Huntington NY).

Regards,

egruff

Egruff,

I lived a few years in Huntington (E 17th st), but now live a little south of there. Where do you go to smoke? Have you been to Huntington Humidor or Stogies & Tales?

Patrick

Yes I know the look is a little intense. It was from having to get up and down so many times to take the pic myself. I finally settled on this one.

I have chatted with people all over the world, as for the furthest, I would name three: Japan, India and Antarctica. But as any Ham would till you its not so much the distance as the places that are more rare to hear in the air.

Ergruf I am in the Stony Brook area, I hold a General Class ticket and have been a ham for only a few years. But you must have checked that out on QRZ.com already so you know that. If you are on 2 meters (local frequencies) we might have chatted at one time.

73,
W2VQY

PS. 73 = Ham lingo for Best Regards

how hard is it to get into ham radios? I have thought about it

my Granpa was a Ham for years.. as long as I could ever remember... KNJ 1513 was his handle... Grease Monkey was his call sign....he talked to people all over the country....

Hog

I suppose it would be a great retirement hobby. With internet, and worldwide cell phones. I haven't been able to see the reward in running a HAM station.

One question, just as with CB radios. How do you know the person you are talking with is actually from where they say they are?

A buddy of mine who tried to get me into HAM would sometimes BS about where he was from. (I felt is was pointless and unethical...but I suppose it happens.)

Tar, A good start would be at www.ARRL.org. You do have to prove yourself with an exam for each level of privileges though.

Hog, in amateur radio we do not really use a “handle” that was more for CB. That is an interesting Call Sign you Grandpa had; usually the call sign would be a single digit with one or two letter in front and up to three letters at the end. In the USA, in his time, the first letter was either a W, A or later N. Could it be he was into CB? I think back then you needed a license for CB, but I do not know much about that.

Radyer, this would be true regarding not being truthful. (How much SB have you seen right here?!) In the most part I would say we are truthful. One can check the home location and the call sign from either the FCC or other wed sites to confirm the person. We also trade QSL cards (personal Call Sign postcards) for contesting and awards. So there is some Third party checking. I personally enjoy colleting the cards just for fun.

could have been the other way around... Grampa had both.. actually he had a whole wall full with his own base station... I'm 39 and he had these all through my childhood as far back as I could remember... he used Greas Monkey because he was a Mechanic.. he owned his own Garage/Gas Station for years.. then went to work for the Railroads out of Pekin IL. and retired there as a Mechanic...

Hog

I'm blonde...

Too technical for me...

Great pic though...

My father-in-law is a hammie...

Marla

Wow, really small world. I grew up right off of E. 17th Street (Suffolk Place near Depot Road), but have lived in San Diego for the last 13 years. I get my smokes here on CBid (of course).

Eric

Sorry for the delay in responding, but I was out of town on a business trip. The good thing is that I missed the election fiasco out here in CA.

I went to Grad School in Stony Brook from 1985 to 1990, then moved to San Diego. I wasn't really active on the radio during that period, but am trying to find the time to do so now. If you ever get on HF, let me know and maybe we can chat.

Regards,

Eric