Government Grants for All

Ever Wonder What it Takes to Broadcast Radio From Your Own Home?

Ever since the beginning people began forming organizations, being lured by amatuer radio technology. The big difference between ham radio and CB radio is that amateur radio setups can be up to 1000 watts and have unrestricted antennas. The available wavebends are more diverse and less crowded and you can even obtain access to very specialized teletype and tv frequencies. With the addition of satellite advancements no corner of the world is beyond your reach. The issue is that amateur radio is licensed and there are tests you must to pass before you can get the license.

Depending on what you want to accomplish there are several licenses available.

The Novice level license conveys access to some HF bands and SSB transceiving between 28.3 and 28.5 MHz and also between 28.1 and 28.3 for radio tele-type. To access these [frequencieschannels] all you need is a 10 Meter Radio [Althougheven though] these radios are [oftencommonly] referred to as a 10 Meter CB Radio they are [actually quite differentquite differnt] as a CB radio does not require [ayou to have a] license and a 10 Meter Radio does. SSB and FM transmissions are allowed between 222.01 and 223.91 Mhz and 1270 – 1295 Mhz too.All it takes to get a Novice license is a simple radio theory exam and the capability to operate Morse code at 5 words per minute.

The Technician license restricts voice broadcasting to the same frequency range as the Novice in addition to the VHF and UHF ham radio bands[AcquiringObtainingGettingAchieveing] a Technicians license [opens upgives access togrants access to] the VHF and UHF bands.~The Technicians license means that you can now [transmitbroadcast] on the UHF and VHF [frequencieschannels]. In order to obtain this license all you must do is pass a simple test about radio theory and FCC regulations.

Next after the Technicians Class is the General Class. The General Class aloows broadcasting on HF and UHF across the entire spectrum and even a few television frequencies. To get this license you must have the ability to work Morse code at the speed of 13 wpm and pass an exam on general radio theory plus FCC requirements.

The Advanced radio license grants access to more frequencies in the HF band, but in order to get this you need to have completed the General class Morse Code and radio theory exams and a more complicated radio theory test.

In the US the best amatuer radio license you can obtain is the Extra Class.. People who have this license have complete access to all HF VHF and UHF frequencies which are designated to ham radio. To get this license you need to have passed the previos licencing tests and pass a new, more advanced theory and morse code test..

The American Radio Relay League is a non profit group that helps ham radio operators complete their exams by providing all the materials you may need.

Like many people you may not really enjoy to undergo all that testing, try CB radio. There are no examinations to pass and there is no license to obtain. The verbage used is relaxed and there’s no need to learn Morse Code. Just go purchase a radio and an antenna and are ready to go. Sound fun?

Tags: Broadcast, Ever, From, Home, Radio, Takes, Wonder

Broadcast TV: What did HBO do with “Inside the NFL?”

It was a Saturday morning ritual in our family.

After an hour in bed watching the Superfriends and Richie Rich, downstairs to the living room we went to the only TV that had a cable box.

There, we’d hit button #14 all the way on the left for HBO, grab a couple of Dunkin’ Donuts from the box of a dozen our father had brought back — along with a couple of Big Ones for he and our mom — and then we’d stretch out on the floor, and for the next hour watch Inside the NFL.

For four months every fall, this is what we did.

However, after what HBO did this past week, my days of tuning to Inside the NFL are officially done.

There were two reasons why I watched Inside.

One was to hear the voice of Harry Kalas, owner of the most perfect throat box for voiceovers on a sports clip man has ever heard. And two, to watch ex-NFLers Len Dawson and Nick Buoniconti provide insight, perspective, fire, passion, knowledge and, most of all, character, to a unique show, which from its inception, gave new meaning to the concept of sports recaps.

But, as is so typical for generation 2002, HBO, like every other cable or broadcast network, is collapsing to the temptation of star power and name recognition.

After more than 20 years together, Dawson and Buoniconti have been dumped for Bob Costas, the Tom Hanks of sports broadcasting.

Sure, Costas is good at what he does. So is Hanks, but that doesn’t mean he’s fit to play every role Hollywood has to offer.

Can you picture Hanks striking down Roman warrior after Roman warrior in the Coliseum in “Gladiator?”

No, there’s something to be said for fit, style and uniqueness, and boy did Dawson and Buoniconti ever have it for this show.

Who can ever top Dawson’s turn in the chair from right, looking at Buoniconti, to left, looking at the camera, ready to open a new segment of the show or recap of a game, capturing its premise with two sentences in a voice perfectly suited for a facilitator’s role?

Or what about the demonstrative Buoniconti, never afraid to criticize a team’s performance, or, to predict the Dolphins to win, no matter who the upcoming opponent was?

But now, they’re gone, thrown to the trash heap for a broadcasting cornerstone worth $2.5 million a year in salary, countless more in headlines and recognition, but not nearly as much in the department of intangibles.

Dawson and Buoniconti, their faces, their voices, they were Inside the NFL, and despite the influx of loud mouth yo-yos like Jerry Glanville and Chris Collinsworth, and that stiff of a TV personality Dan Marino, they were the only ones who could set this show apart from the countless other cookie cutter take-offs TV has to offer.

Hell, it’s not like they were sliding performance-wise, either, like Pat Summerall or Ken Venturi (CBS Golf).

In whatever episodes I saw as recently as this past season, Dawson and Buoniconti appeared as solid and as energetic as ever.

Unfortunately, energy and enthusiasm don’t count for much these days. No, only big names and big faces do.

Bring in a star here, shake loose a format there, and bam, instant gratification for producers and viewers alike.

Well, take it from this viewer. HBO…there are three less people in the U.S. watching Inside the NFL now, and no Bob Costas sermon will ever, ever change that.

Tags: Broadcast, HBO, Inside