more hams
Posted: November 28, 2008 12:14 pmFiled under: Linky, amateur radio, internet
If you have a ham radio license, you can now easily find hams in your neighborhood (if there are any). Thanks to AA7BQ & his QRZ.com website.
Read the article where Fred introduces this new feature utilizing GoogleMaps. There are quite a few more hams in my neighborhood than I would have suspected. I’ll have to see if I can meet some more of them. /;^)
November 28th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
It sound really neat!
But about last night, although we ate turkey, there was a little ham among us… and I don’t mean me.
She was a cutie pie, just like her daddy & mama said, and she hammed it up for my camera!
But back to the qrz.com story…
It would be neat to be able to choose a grid square and see how many licensees are around that chosen area.
The software apparently relies upon the FCC database exclusively.
When I moved the map around, it didn’t show any other licensees. And, there was no ability to input a grid square.
For example, I’m out here in Fresno, CA. Doubtless there are perhaps thousands of licensees here - I go to church with one - I don’t know the addresses, names, call signs or anything about ‘em!
It’s cool, but IMO needs more work.
And here’s an interesting thought… what about privacy? No doubt there can, could be, or are some issues surrounding that topic. I realize however, that our addresses are a matter of public record. Which is why some (in Huntsville) have shared with me that they use a PO Box address in their communication with the FCC.
Now… what does one make of it when the location is shown as a Post Office building?
How “accurate” is that?
We presume, of course, that the “address” associated with the license is that of the residence. However, one of the beautiful parts about our licenses is that they’re portable. Unlike other types of licenses, they’re not associated with fixed locales.
And aren’t you glad!?
Here’s some forward thinking: In this emerging “digital” era, and with respect for Amateur Radio, I can imagine a ‘tool’ that every time the PTT is activated, the call sign is transmitted. We already have that with D-Star. But what if ALL radios were digital?
We’re headed that way. And, I predict that in the coming four years, we’ll see another significant advancement in technology, just like we did under the previous administration.
If you stop to think about it, under this administration, there have not been significant advancements in technology. No, I don’t mean ‘no advancements,’ I mean by comparison to the quantum leaps we experienced during the previous administration, there have been none during this one.
Talk about the creation of wealth in this nation! During that era, there was an unprecedented creation of private wealth among the general populous. But that’s for a separate thread.
I’ve spoken with some of my amateur radio licensee friends, and other tech-minded friends out here, and they also have noticed similarly.
And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming!
November 28th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
I guess the easy way, would be to drive around and write down the callsign of someone’s vehicle with a ham tag…
The QRZ database is of course filled and updated with FCC information, and is oriented toward looking up a specific callsign. Perhaps you might make that suggestion to Fred, for a mechanism to do a lookup - either by grid square (but then you’d have to figure out what that was) or by sticking a pin in a map - to find hams in that neighborhood…
By this point I figure that if someone has to resort to using the FCC database to figure out who and where I am - that it had better be worth their effort. Most often it is someone that I’d had been looking to find already. (See your previous posting about faith…) Don’t worry, be happy ! The sick-os already have easier ways to find you.
I think technological advancements are still being made every day as much as, if not more rapidly than, they were previously… People are just not as likely to share them these days. That is what needs to come back, is the concept of sharing ideas. Everyone now equates ideas
with money, and sharing is suppressed. It used to be such that if I have a good idea, and tell you, and you have good idea and tell me — then we both now have twice as much ! We are squandering our good ideas thinking they will be worth more - if we DON’T share them.!. HA ! Good ideas need to be shared, and folks need to quit thinking of how to use them for their exclusive enrichment… We all need everyone’s good ideas.
- So I guess that was my good idea for the day.
Anyone else wanna share one ?
Thanks /;^)
November 28th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Speaking of the FCC license. Some time back, I learned that an Amateur License was actually two pieces, one an operator’s license, and 2nd - a station license. I guess I do see a lot more folks now listing a PO Box - I thought a geographical address was required. Hummm. I’ll hafta look into that. Maybe that has changed. Lotsa other stuff has…
/;^)