I took my test in February of 1998. My name did not show up on the FCC's online database for an agonizing 4 weeks! I offered many times to make my way to Washington, DC to help fix their computers. All in vain. Oh well, it finally happened. I dusted my HTX-202 and said, "This is Cool! Now what?"
I have found a compliment to my Ham radio experience, Linux! My favorite example of a marriage of the two is the IRLP. The IRLP is a linked system of 2m, 70cm and 6m repeaters throughout the world. The brains behind the system is a neighbor to the north in Canada. The latest node additions are Perth, Australia, Sheffield, UK, and the island of Dominica in the Carribeans. A local reflector and node are operated by the Rocky Mountain Radio League in the Denver, Colorado area. You can listen in by going to the 145.340 RMRL repeater. There is usually an RMRL member monitoring who would be only too happy to pull up a node or two for you and others to enjoy!
The following are links to information on radios I own, owned, or have used. If there are others you think would be useful please let me know by clicking the link at the bottom of this page.
HTX-202 Manual in .PDF format - You may click on the link to open it up in your browser or you can right-click on it to save it to your hard drive - 1.5mb.