Question

[motofreak008]

I have been interested in radios for many years now and I am now starting do more with them. Does anyone have any text or a website where I can read about radio terms and capabilities? Some things have just got me confused and I would like a place to go to read about those things. Let me know.

[alex]

Hopefully - this is along the right track of your question - but I honestly, would go out and buy one of the ham radio study guides, and read through it. It'll give you a good overview of theory, the different bands, and such.

While you could then go out and get your ham license, it doesn't mean that you have to either...

-Alex

[440roadrunner]

!!!MAN!!! This is like asking, "where is there air?" For a seemingly simple question, it's really a little hard to answer. There is tons and tons of info on the internet, you just have to find it.

Start with your local library?

Go here:

http://www.qrz.com/detail/N0KLU

which hopefully will lead you here:


http://www.earth2.net/parts/?basics/neets.php


notice that the "modules" can be downloaded in pdf, look where it says below each section "download complete module........"


Do a search on Google for such terms as "basic electronics"

Here's one


http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~elec201/Boo ... _elec.html

Find a local ham operator who is friendly


I gotta say, the link I posted to the NEETS (Navy Electronics) course is probably your best bet of complete, easy to understand, and it's FREE. Millions of dollars of U.S. taxpayer money went into that course. It is, in fact, an updated version of the textbook I learned from in the US Navy at Treasure Island.


I don't know how on earth I could have forgotten this:


http://www.ac6v.com/

[motofreak008]

I checked those websites and didn't really find what I was looking for. I would prefer to just read it on the internet. If anyone has anything, let me know, and thanks for replying.

[allcomm]

Get this books..... covers the basics

http://pe.mediamallnetwork.com/mediamal ... Id=3493327

[alex]

Wow - and I thought that was a joke at first!

[txshooter]

[quote="440roadrunner
http://www.earth2.net/parts/?basics/neets.php
I gotta say, the link I posted to the NEETS (Navy Electronics) course is probably your best bet of complete, easy to understand, and it's FREE. Millions of dollars of U.S. taxpayer money went into that course. It is, in fact, an updated version of the textbook I learned from in the US Navy at Treasure Island.
[/quote]

Wow, I had not seen that one....looks like a wealth of information. Time to sit down and read a little more thanks for the great link.

[kc7gr]

I checked those websites and didn't really find what I was looking for. I would prefer to just read it on the internet. If anyone has anything, let me know, and thanks for replying.

While the Internet is a useful enough tool, it should never be considered the Answer to Everything, as it were. If you're serious about giving yourself a good background in electronics and radio, you need to be prepared to buckle down, work for it, make mistakes and learn from them.

Get your amateur radio license. Invest in some test gear and build a lab space for yourself, including a workbench. Build some Hamtronics or Velleman kits. They'll never replace Heathkits, but they're a good start. The best possible teacher for electronics is hands-on experience, complete with all the positive (seeing a dead radio come to life after you've worked on it) and negative (hooking up power the wrong way to something expensive) experiences that go along with it.

It is impossible to learn everything from books or web sites. Period. If you're serious about this, get out there and get your hands dirty (and have fun doing it). Best shot for a ham ticket is to check on local clubs and see if they've got license courses available (most do). Clubs can be searched for at http://www.arrl.org

Happy learning.

[440roadrunner]

I checked those websites and didn't really find what I was looking for. I would prefer to just read it on the internet. If anyone has anything, let me know, and thanks for replying.

Maybe you'd like to give us a little more information about just what it is that you are looking for? Those sites (and others) have a wealth of information.

For instance, do you have ANY knowlege of the basics, DC AC theory? Math? Have you studied anything related?

We have no ide of your age, education, shortfalls, and direction of travel. FM two way is but one aspect of electronics and communications in particular. FM two way has it's own little nich of terms.

[motofreak008]

I would like to know about how trunking works and other features that Motorola offers on radios. I have a private line radio and wonder how it works. I hope this helps.

[RESCUE161]

I would like to know about how trunking works and other features that Motorola offers on radios. I have a private line radio and wonder how it works. I hope this helps.

You need to visit http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Trunking

http://www.earth2.net/parts/?basics/neets.php
I gotta say, the link I posted to the NEETS (Navy Electronics) course is probably your best bet of complete, easy to understand, and it's FREE. Millions of dollars of U.S. taxpayer money went into that course. It is, in fact, an updated version of the textbook I learned from in the US Navy at Treasure Island.

Wow, I had not seen that one....looks like a wealth of information. Time to sit down and read a little more thanks for the great link.

WOW!!!
I'm going through the BMET School right now. I had to complete several NEETs modules before they would even accept me in this school. They are good, but this school blows them away. They taught us the complete electronics theory from beginning to present in 34 days.

Day 61 and we've already been troubleshooting and finding faults on medical equipment. Start a new piece tomorrow and will be on another by Friday. Fast paced, but it really teaches you the right way and boosts your confidence at the same time.

[440roadrunner]

other features that Motorola offers on radios. I have a private line radio and wonder how it works. I hope this helps.

Private line is nothing more than Motorola's own brand name for CTCSS, which means Continous Tone Coded Squelch System. All brands in existance when "PL" came into common use had their own special word, but they all work pretty much the same. This allows a GE/Ericsson, RCA, Icom, Kenwood radio to communicate with other brands on the same system. In other words, CTCSS is "industry wide" standardized.

Do a search on Google for CTCSS. Here's a start


http://florida-repeaters.org/ctcss.htm


http://www.dra73.org/pl.html


http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=ctcss


Here's a bare bones start on trunking


http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.ph ... ing_Basics


Again, do a search on Google for something like "trunked radio", basics


or "trunking radio", basics

Bear in mind that there are whole big complicated books written on these subjects. I don't know whether you are just curious, or think you want to get into this industry--but whatever you find on the internet will not be too much in depth, generally speaking, especially on such specialized subjects as trunked systems.

[d119]

The best possible teacher for electronics is hands-on experience, complete with all the positive (seeing a dead radio come to life after you've worked on it) and negative (hooking up power the wrong way to something expensive) experiences that go along with it.

Well put. That's the honest truth - You can read and be degreed to the hilt on the subject, but it's useless without sticking your hands in it and making the errors that everyone makes.

Sage advice at its best.

[motofreak008]

Just getting back to this. I am thinking of possibly going to be a Motorola radio tech. I just would like to learn some of the things that go along with it. I know people here talks about "flashcodes," "keys," and etc. What are those and how do they work?

I am thinking about getting that book for dummies, is it any good?

[W4WTF]

I will second to calls to go ahead and get you ham license. There is really no substitute for hands on learning and palying with things, and that was exactly what ham radio was designed to do... let people play with radio and learn about it.

Come on over to http://www.hamsexy.com

[kc7gr]

Just getting back to this. I am thinking of possibly going to be a Motorola radio tech. I just would like to learn some of the things that go along with it. I know people here talks about "flashcodes," "keys," and etc. What are those and how do they work?

I am thinking about getting that book for dummies, is it any good?

I've not read the 'Dummies' book, but I do have just one bit of advice: Do NOT go to work for Motorola themselves! You will regret it, even if you get hired. Take it from one who knows!

Flashcode = Another name for a radio's operating software (or firmware). Modern radios are a marriage between embedded computers (which require operating code) and RF circuitry.

Keys = Can be darn near anything, from mechanical keys used to open a radio for service, to digital encryption keys, to software or hardware keys designed to enable the operation of a program... what context would you like?

The biggest problem with learning electronics at this stage is not asking questions (that's never a bad thing). It's knowing WHAT questions to ask, and how.

Get your hamateur license! That'll get you a good deal of the basics from the get-go.

[motofreak008]

If I go into a technical school for this, what area do I have to study in? Does Motorola have a training course?