Welcome to the Newcomer Help & Advice forum

[Pete M0PSXKeymaster]

Hi everyone, and welcome to the first post in this new forum. This forum is intended to provide help and advice for newcomers to the hobby..

As well as hubs for the various UK regions, we also have other forums, for people looking for help, to learn more about amateur radio and a range of other topics – see the full HamHub Forum List.

Please get chatting – it’s up to you how popular (or not) our forums are!

[TartanRamboParticipant]

Hi Peter,

I’m a ‘newbie’ too. I’ve just taken a look around the new site and I think your team has done a wonderful job. There are plenty of interesting areas to explore and to meet people. So, on the topic of the website, congratulations, I think you have nailed it!

Best regards,

Tartan Rambo

[RichardParticipant]

Hi Pete,

New site looks great! I will definitely be checking in here!

Thanks again

Richard

Richard Walker

[BobParticipant]

Hi Pete,

I’ll be exploring further, but it seems to be the start of something rather useful so far.

Cheers,

Bob Boyd

[MZeroXMZParticipant]

Do you have any section on the “online”/contacts aspect of the hobby? I mean a guide to which websites to register on (qrz.com comes to mind first as it seems the global standard, but I may be ignorant to others) and how to confirm contacts and the different its that can be used QRZ, LOTW things like QSL cards, eQSL and any other sites etc? I think this would be every helpful, I’ve been given a crash course but can’t remember it all, and there seems so much to it (but maybe its really simple!?).

Maybe a “now you’ve got your callsign and radio, what next to be an effective operator” kind of thing?

[keshParticipant]

Hi does any know if it possible to get an headache or a migraine from being a amateur radio fan

[Richard JonesParticipant]

Hi Pete,
I am currently doing the very excellent Foundation course for after September 1st 2024. I have two problems.
1) I am disabled and live in a very small flat. My bedsit, where my computer resides is chock a block with books and piles of paper from my various hobbies and studies. So I assume that I cannot use that room for the exam?
The kitchen is cramped and very cluttered and not suitable with cupboards and draws everywhere. So that leaves only the bathroom to do the test in with my laptop. Is that likely to be OK? Who do I ask for a definitive answer?
2) I currently have an SDR-RTL V3 dongle radio using a magnetic loop aerial attached to my window. It sort of works but I can’t find any ham stations. There is a lot of interference, which comes from my iMac and the high speed router. It sounds like a washing machine. Obviously I can’t use the aerial for transmission and so I have ordered a JPC-12 vertical pole aerial, which I will have to put up each time I use it. My flats don’t allow external aerials and banned all satellite dishes. I have a busy road twenty yards from my window and so I’m wondering about interference and how to reduce it?

Best Wishes

Richard

[MixParticipant]

Hi Pete,
just started Foundation Course today and I am really enjoying it. Well thought out and logical training course.
Living next to a main road with tall trees on one side and a series of Hills between me and the nearest repeaters makes me think I might have to spend some time thinking about aerials. If I struggle I may have to take up morse code in CW mode to make contact. 🙂
Lots of questions spring to mind during the course so far. I’d best wait for the appropriate Module before tackling them all.

Kind Regards

Mick

[Author]

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