"Be a lifelong student. The more you learn, the more you earn and the more self-confidence you will have." – Brian Tracy

It’s been nearly 1 month since I earned the Technician Class amateur radio license. I’m scheduled to go back to Forest, VA on Sunday January 10 to take the General Class exam. I’ve been on the radio, almost daily since the FCC issued my first license.

The Technician Class license is fun, and if you just want to chat on the radio locally, it works really well. You have privileges on multiple bands / frequencies, but there are so many more opportunities as you upgrade your license.

I’ve tuned around on a few HF bands with my Dad, and brother. My Dad, WB4FLM introduced me to 40, or 80 meters and let me scan around and listen to a few QSOs, CW, even some AM stations as far away as New York and Kentucky! My brother, W4NJE introduced me to PSK31, aka. digital radio. He has a laptop connected to his radio and uses the soundcard of the computer to transmit messages over the radio. While we were on the air we heard from an operator in Cuba, and made contact with a person in Mexico.

I don’t have an HF radio, so it may be a while before I’m actually on the air, at least from home. Of course in my case, as in the case of many HAMs, I’ll be without a decent antenna and that makes all the difference.

I’m still working on my wife, Sarah to study for and get her Technician license. I think she will, one day. She actually committed to testing with me on January 10, but admittedly, I didn’t get her the study material.

73′s, and good luck to me. I’ll report back on my test results in a few days.

When I was a kid my Dad would honk the horn as we left his friend Dave’s place. I remember the “tune” (if you will) vividly, “dah-dit-dah-dit, dah-dah-dit-dah”, or as CW (Morse Code) operators will tell you, “CQ”. I thought “CQ” meant, “goodbye”, or “see you later”. I didn’t know anything about HAM radio, or morse code, but I (as well as a few of my siblings) would also honk “CQ” as we left our parents house, on occasion when we were older.

I now have a new appreciation for “CQ” and it’s actual, intended meaning. Essentially “CQ” means “calling all stations” when presented over the radio. I know this, now because I’ve recently studied for, and passed the Technician radio operator license exam. One of the questions is:

T3A08
What is the meaning of the procedural signal “CQ”?

1. Call on the quarter hour
2. New antenna is being tested (no station should answer)
3. Only the called station should transmit
4. Calling any station

The purpose of this post is not to give the history or meaning of the ‘radio code’, “CQ”. I simply wanted to provide an introduction, MY introduction to HAM radio, through my father (WB4FLM) and the BruingtonFamily-famous horn honking of ‘dah-dit-dah-dah, dah-dah-dit-dah’!

I’m 27. I’ve never had much interest in the radio. I’ve always known that my father used the handle/call sign ‘WB4FLM‘ and my mother, (was at one point, and is now again) ‘KA4USI‘. Additionally, I knew my grandfather, “Papa” (May he rest in peace.) as ‘W4NJE‘.

A few months ago my brother announced his passing of the Technician and General exams, this made him the newest official member of the HAM community. I don’t know his first FCC-assigned call sign, but he soon sought out the assignment of Papa’s call sign, ‘W4NJE’ which he was finally awarded!

At this point I still hadn’t taken the bait, but I was proud of my little brother for carrying on a cherished past-time, and even the unique identifier of our Papa.

I believe it was 2 weeks ago, today, I listened in on a “net” with W4NJE and WB4FLM. My brother and I were “mobile” in the front seat of a Dodge Ram, and my father was not far, perched behind his rig. This net operates weekly at 7:00 PM on Sunday evening on 146.685 MHz, which I believe is a repeater on top of Apple Orchard Mountain. It was kind of fun to listen to the net control operator go through the script and hear other HAMs call in and talk across the net.

I was mildly amused, but admit my curiosity had peaked like never before. I had my family going, thinking I would actually study for, and receive my HAM license. I spent the next week poking around the internet and looking for the exam questions. Once I found the questions and began reading, I realized the process is fairly easy to earn the Technician license, so I studied, and I passed!

I listened tonight, this time ‘behind the rig’ with WB4FLM on the net at 146.685 MHz and had a great time. My Dad handed the mic to me and I transmitted the news of passing my exam, and told the group I look forward to getting on the air as a “call sign-bearing radio operator”.

I’m really clueless when it comes to electronics, radios, etc., but I’m having fun and learning a little bit at a time. I told my brother (W4NJE) tonight on my way home that I’ll download EchoLink and try “keyin’ up” a few repeaters from my computer, just to give it a whirl until I have an actual radio.

In the mean time, thanks for reading and I look forward to talking with any HAMs on the radio.

73′s