What Amateur Radio Forum to send a New Ham to? 4 - June - 2012
Posted by k9zw in Amateur Radio, K9ZW, K9ZW Just Rambled.trackback
I’ve been stumped by a question – what Amateur Radio Forum should a good intentioned ham refer a New Ham to read?
I’ve discussed the horrible shortcomings of some of the forums. The few bits of knowledge that come in in the eHam forums are hugely overwhelmed by the lurking ham-trolls who apparently gain their life substance lurking on the eHam forum boards looking for places to spread their negative biases.
Better are the QRZ.com forums, though they too have had some pretty sorry years of another band of ham-trolls lingering.
The AR15.com ham forums are pretty heavily skewed to juts a certain type of radio amateur, and lacks general information.
There are a handful of “by invitation only” forums that tend to have fairly sharply focused special interests.
So where should we refer a Hew Ham? What is worth their time reading, technically sound, and full of helpful upstanding people?
WHat do you suggest?
73
Steve
K9ZW
Instead of a forum, how about a podcast? I host the practical amateur radio podcast. http://myamateurradio.com
73
Jerry
KD0BIK
Hi Jerry KD0BIK
Appreciate the suggestion and I too like some of the Podcasts.
I’m seeing them filling a different role than a forum though, as a forum has that “two-way” thing where the New Ham can ask questions.
If you search the blogs posts you can catch some of the podcasts I like. Currently I listen to the RAIN Report and Amateur Radio Newsline fairly regularly and the Handiham Podcast (because I try to support that group) on occasion.
73
Steve
K9ZW
I would suggest some of the more focused/specific yahoogroups (for the new ham’s particular interests – radio make/model, antennas, qrp, cw, etc. and associated clubs like SKCC, NAQCC, QRPARCI, etc.) but even those can have their issues from time to time. I’d also recommend to follow some of the blogs & podcasts like KB6NU, KD0BIK and AmateurRadio.com and make use of their comment areas for assistance/pointers. Lastly, there are a number of very knowledgeable and helpful hams on twitter. While you can’t get too detailed in 140 characters, a little back n forth with several other hams can help you connect and take the further conversation to email.
hamradiohelpgroup on Yahoo Groups..