Bill Cohron
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| Bill Cohron's Journey into HAM Radio | |
| WD4AMC - Yes, that's my Amateur Radio Call Sign (William D. *for* Angela M. Cohron... Awwwww!) | |
| HAM Radio... Some of the most fun you can have with your clothes on! (Or maybe even with your clothes off? No judgement here.) | |
| I once heard it put that if you develop an interest in cars, motorcycles, boats, or HAM radios, you'll stay out of trouble because you'll never be able to afford to do drugs. My problem is that I like all four, so now what do I do? LOL For almost 30 years, I've toyed with the idea of getting my Amateur Radio License. I don't really know why I never actually took the test, although I'm pretty certain that my struggling with Morse Code probably had a great deal to do with my hesitation to pursue getting the license. Like many people, I've played with CB radios and they are fun even though they are extremely limited. As years have progressed, it seems like the CB radio culture has changed (and not really for the better) with fewer and fewer people using it the way it was intended. Now we have all used those little General Mobile Radio Service / Family Radio Service (GMRS / FRS) radios you get at WalMart in the camping section. They are low powered radios with fixed channels and selectable squelch that allows for close contact with family members and friends when attending small events or travelling close together on road trips. On a recent car rally, I picked up a little more technical version of this type of radio - A Baofeng BF-F8HP. This radio is, for all intents and purposes, a 2 Meter and 70 cm Amateur Radio which HAMs refer to as a Handheld Transciever (HT). This radio allows an unlicensed user access to a small group of FRS frequencies, although there are many more channels that are available to users who have their FCC Amateur Radio License. This little radio piqued my interest in becoming a licensed HAM Radio operator and I, once again, travelled down the path of studying and preparing for the FCC Technician License. On May 25, 2023, my world suddenly became much larger! I took my test, passed, and then began the wait for the FCC to issue my license. 2 weeks later, I became the newest member of a very large and very prestigious community! Starting with my small handheld, I began looking for contacts that I could reach through some of the local repeaters. Not satisfied with the limitations, I started purchasing inexpensive equipment that would expand my reach into the larger community, including a better quality radio (Yaesu FT-60), a fixed external antenna (Comet GP-1), and a 25 Watt 2 Meter Band amplifier to help improve my signal output (BTECH AMP-V25). With these small improvements, I was suddenly able to reach repeater stations as far as 30 miles away. Talk about EXCITING! The welcome (and the patience) I've received from the greater HAM community has been overwhelming. I find I'm excited to get up in the morning to sit with my cup of coffee and chat with a few of the relatively local folks about the weather, traffic, current events, or whatever strikes out fancy before heading out on our busy days. It's akin to meeting at the diner or coffee shop in the morning with the same group of folks who are excited to see you and chat about what's going on. It's old school and I like it very much. At the end of July, I upgraded my 4' antenna to an 18' antenna (Comet GP-9). Mounted on a 25' mast, this new antenna clears my roofline quite well and greatly improved my range and clarity. I can now communicate with stations that are almost 50 miles away. Little by little, my world was getting larger. On August 19th, 2023, I passed my General Class test and then the following week, August 26th, 2023, I passes my Amateur Extra Class test! Just over 3 months start to finish. This allowed me full access to HAM bands and frequencies and really opened up an exciting, new arena in the world of HAM Radio. Now I was able to work the longer wavelengths and really reach out around the world. By the end of October I had already leaped headfirst into the HF end of things. Starting with the ARRL November Sweeps, I racked up an impressive (for me) number of contacts which was really exciting. To hit states in the midwest, the Rockies, and even Hawaii was a tremendous thrill. While local communications through repeaters is tremendous fun, being able to reach people in far corners of the world is absolutely fantastic. As of January 1st, 2024, I've completed the WAS (Worked All States) award as well as a number of others. I'll now start working on specific bands to try and complete each individual one. So far, I've communicated with with people on 3 continents and in 12 countries, and I'm just getting started! Antenna improvements will eventually help to extend my overseas reach even further! Below are some images of my current setup and equipment. Anyone in HAM Radio understands that everything is a "Work-in-Progess" and I'm really happy where things are at for the short amount of time I've been in the hobby. I'd like to invest in some vintage tube equipment just to play with, but I'll have to find that sort of stuff at estate sales or HAM fests. In the meantime, the equipment shown here works extremely well and I couldn't be happier! | |
The WD4AMC Station with a Kenwood TS-890, iCOM IC-7610, and Yaesu FT-991A
Also shown is an Ameritron ALS-1306 Amplifier and a Palstart HF-Auto Tuner
The microphone is an Oktava MK-319 which is fed through a Yamaha mixer
Homemade 4-Band Resonant Fan Dipole Antenna 80m/40m/20m/15m/10m
2M and 70cm Dual-Band Comet GP-9 Vertical Antenna
(A full list of equipment is located at the bottom of this page.)
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I would like to a moment and offer a tremendous *Thank You* to some of the HAMs I've made friends with over the last couple weeks. Meeting on the GARS repeater every morning, we are able to engage in some fun conversations over breakfast and a cup of coffe. These morning conversations are a great way to start my day!
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| Some fun and informational widgets. Enjoy! | |
| Current Solar-Terrestrial Conditions for Propogation | |
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| QRZ Logbook Entries for WD4AMC | |
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| Utilities | |
| Full List of the WD4AMC Station Equipment | |
My current station equipment list includes:
Transcievers:
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