Here is a rundown of the Ham equipment I have now:
 

You can click on the radio / antenna name to go to the manufacturer's website.
These are all quite good radios as far as I have seen and heard, and they work well.
But as the old saying goes, radios in a Ham shack tend to multiply... ;-)
 

Radio Beginnings...

I have (yes still) a nice AM/SSB Uniden Grant mobile, which served as base station, that I mostly listened to.  I put a 1/2 wave 18' vertical antenna on the roof.  I was already planning ahead- this antenna could also be used on 10 meters no problem.  I also put a neat compact little Cobra 19dx2 in my car,  its size and black color made it an inconspicuous travelling companion.  I mostly checked the upcoming traffic with it.  Then I got a couple HT 11 meter radios for going to swap meets etc, a Cobra HH35, and a pair of GE 3-5980's.  I kept them all clean and legal, even though lately it seems the trend is to "kick it up a notch".
 

Movin' on up...

So I started to look into how one goes about getting an Amateur Radio License from the FCC.  With the help of a good friend of mine, who became my "elmer", I started  to learn about it.  I met him in a Linux users group no less, Orange County Linux User's Group.  We are both still active in it.

I also got one of the Technician Class License Manuals, and even though it was only effective up to 1997 and it was outdated, I read through it.  I also made use of a few online test sites, one good one that comes to mind is eHam.net.  There you can take all of the US Amateur License exams online, which are automatically generated from the publicly available question pools (with the correct proportions of questions, etc.).  Being able to go to these sites, take a practice exam every so often, and have them generated fresh each time to keep me on my toes, was of great help.

When I was ready, I went down to a VE testing center in June 2000, and took the test for Technician class license.  I looked up where to find local VE sessions from the American Radio Relay League (which I am now a proud member of).  Afterwards I learned I had gotten 100% on the test!  Not too shabby.  The examiners there told me I had done really well right after I finished, and asked me if I wanted to try the General class theory test?  I figured "why not?"  I took that, and although I did not pass, I was only 3 answers shy of doing so!  I also had read through the slightly outdated General class License Manual...  there was a special at the "Friends of the Library" sale ;-).  I went home with the happy note I had passed the Technician exam with flying colors, and with the determination that I would be back for more.

I was originally licensed with the callsign KG6BZQ, but have since then applied for the "vanity" call K6LNX.
The LNX stands for Linux ;-).  The K just because most newly issued licenses in my area have K prefix, and the 6 because that is the geographical district locator, in this case California.  I think K6LNX is a bit easier to pronounce than KG6BZQ as well.
 

Playing with the Big Boys now...

I went with my elmer friend to the monthly TRW Ham swapmeet to scope out what kind of used gear I might be able to start off with.
I eventually found an Alinco DJ120 2 meter handheld, which I bought.  Although I bought it before I got my license, I was a "good boy" and didn't transmit on it yet.  I let my friend test out the transmit capabilities and it worked.... but only plugged in.  The NiCad battery pack was toast.

So, off to Yahoo Auctions I went (eBay has good selection too), put the old DJ120 up for auction, and looked around for a better one.  I found a good condition used Radio Shack HTX-202, shown in the table at the top of this page.  By the time I had this radio I was licensed.
After a while I picked up a 2m/70cm dual band magnet mount antenna, a 19 inch "spike" as they are called (1/4 wave on 2 meters).  Though I didn't have a 70cm radio yet, it couldn't hurt to be prepared... It helped get the HTX202's signal out a little etter, but as most Hams would agree good enough is never enough.

So I went to my friendly neighborhood Ham Radio Outlet and looked for a good 2 meter mobile radio, that could put out more power and hold more than just 12 channels in memory.  I ended up getting the ADI 147+ listed in the table above.  I also wanted a better antenna, so I picked up the 5/8 wave MFJ magnet-mount as listed in the table.

Just recently I decided to start expanding my horizons beyond 2 meters and found a nice 1.25 meter used handheld radio on eBay, the Alinco DJ280TH in the table.  Soon I will be getting a nice J-pole antenna for 1.25 meters to really improve the range.  I also hope to put up a 2 meter cubical quad that has been just sitting there unused in my garage.

I have joined a local Ham radio club, Orange County Amateur Radio Club.  It is a good group, and so far I have already met a friend in it, whom I have known for a while from my community college wind ensemble, and all this time neither of us knew the other was a Ham!
My elmer friend is a member of South Orange Amater Radio Association, another group group I might join some time.  By the way he is a lifetime member of ARRL.
 

To boldly go...

Here a few Ham links I have collected:
 
 

Thanks for stopping by, have a good one.

73 de K6LNX

Please feel free to email me, click on my callsign.