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Congratulations on passing all three elements and welcome to the group. The Kenwood TM-D70A is a nice radio.

73 de WB6CGJ, Dennis in Imperial, Ca.

Silas,

Welcome to the group! You are in the same boat I was in back in April of this year. Sort of.
I was a brand new Ham (Technician only) with no call-sign and no radio. I now have two radios, both VHF/UHF rigs, a Yaegi antenna and, of course, a call sign. I think you will find a lot of friendly folks on this group with a lot of corporate knowledge they are willing to share. I look forward to hearing from you as you begin your journey into Ham Radio.
Mike
KF7BRW
Flagstaff, AZ

Thank you, for the warm welcomes.

I'm eager to get started, but I realize there's a big gap between the knowledge needed to pass the tests, and the practical knowledge one gains from actually operating. Happily, my XYL earned her Technician ticket, so the two of us can share the fun.

Since my last post, I've learned that the Yaesu FTM-350R is very close to release. The rig was originally due to be available in October, but the Vertex engineers decided to tweak it a bit, after the release in Japan this past summer, causing a delay in FCC approval. I talked to someone in the Yaesu sales department today, and asked if they expected to introduce it at Dayton, or before that. The answer is that it will definitely be out before Dayton. They are targeting December or January.

In the meantime I'll be putting up an antenna, making sure all ground rods for my house are bonded together, etc.

Welcome to the club.

Do you want to specialize in VHF/UHF?

VHF/UHF does seem to be the place to be for the things I want to do. Baud rates for packet radio are certainly higher... My main interest in general terms is EmComm, but for now at least, not to the extent of traveling into disaster areas. I'm more concerned with being able to contact the local emergency command center on behalf of my neighbors, should there be a major weather emergency or widespread power failure.

I did decide to start with an HT so I can be on the air without having to mount an antenna in winter weather. I picked up a Kenwood TH-F6A, a nice small tri-bander that should keep me busy for a while. I can hit at least a dozen repeaters from my location, so power isn't an issue.

There are also a number of clubs in the area, and I'm sure I'll join one of them. I'm just waiting for my call sign so I can start the process. Getting a new Amateur license is like getting your first drivers license. I know the rules and the basics of operation, but I have a long way to go when it comes to practical experience. Joining a club will help me move up the learning curve faster, and give me exposure to many facets of the hobby. I'm monitoring the local repeaters every night now, so I can learn who the regulars are, as well as the local etiquette.

I have the capability but never have gone digital; I'm an old CW junkie -- which is digital too if you stretch your imagination lol...

When you get set up check out EcoLink view link

You can find me on the (SATERN NET) KPRA repeater (146.385 pos, PL 146.2 Sundays PST/PDST) by Echolink via KE6TZG-R view link every Sunday 0400 UTC (0300 UTC Daylight Savings Time). That’s probably a little late for you but we can always work out an earlier schedule some time.

Again, congratulations on getting your ticket and welcome to Amateur Radio.

Fred

HI Silas & congrats to both you & your XYL for getting your amateur radio operators licenses.
If you haven't already done so, join the ARRL. They have a wealth of informative books, magazines, & online courses to avail your self of. They also sponsor operating events & the ARES program.
Also, consider taking the online FEMA courses that are required of all ARES members now.
Eventually you will want to get a mobile for each vehicle that you own.
There is an endless list of amateur radio related egroups on the internet some of which you may want to investigate & join. Many of these egroups specialize in 1 area of the hobby & others are more broad based groups that cover a wider range of subjects.
You will hear about public service events like marathons, parades, holloween patrol/watch type events which utilize amateur radio for communications that you may want to get involved in & get some good experience handling Emcom type traffic.
Good luck & enjoy your new hobby.

Silas,
Ok had to jump in again when people started talking about EmComm, which was the motivating factor for me to get my license. If EmComm is one of your primary interests, at least for the moment, you might want to consider getting involved with your local Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). They are usually sponsored by local Fire Departments Or Law Enforcement. Here in Northern Arizona, our team is sponsored by the Coconino County Sheriff's Office. I am a member of the local CERT as well as a volunteer instructor for the course. I noticed that more and more of our local Hams were getting involved with CERT and more Cert Members were getting their amateur radio licenses. AT least 10 of our CERT members are now also licensed amateur radio operators. Since becoming a licensed operator I have served as a net control operator for a simulated wildlands fire in conjunction with the local rural fire departments, Forest Service, and numerous other local agencies. The opportunities are out there. Congratulations once again on getting your "ticket" and welcome to the group.

Mike
KF7BRW