I have the eight watt version of the radios that Para mentioned. With a separate wired microphone/speaker and a 3.5mm male-to-male cord, they connect to my Peltors.

WOW that's a FANTASTIC set of radios!

I ordered the pair also.
I don't know much about ham radio, so I was thinking on getting this book.





https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BN...9BPEW&language=en-US

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
If something catastrophic happens nationwide, the cellular network will probably go down quickly, and then these gadgets will be worth their weight in gold.

Are you're thinking of something like an EMP? If so, then storing them in a faraday pouch/bag is an accessory worth considering.

I'm not thinking anything except that anything is possible.

The likelihood of a nuclear attack is so slight as to not be a real consideration. Think about the electrical grid going down from a cyber attack. This is far more likely.

My family uses FRS radios for our Jeep club and hunting, but I wouldn't mind having some of these for real SHTF scenarios. Licenses wouldn't matter in that case, just the knowledge to use them. Given that I work about 35 minutes away from home, it could come in handy if something went bad while I was at work.

quote:

Originally posted by Greymann:
I don't know much about ham radio, so I was thinking on getting this book.

If you get it, I'll be curious what you think of it.
It has shown up in my "suggestions list" (or whatever that's called) a few times.

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Huffman:
Licenses wouldn't matter in that case, just the knowledge to use them.

There's the rub. In order to have the knowledge to use them, use must use them before you actually need to use them.

Therefore:

I may obtain a Technician amateur radio license. Thirty-five multiple choice questions chosen at random from a pool of questions.

http://arrl.org/question-pools

If you expand "Technician Class Question Pool" and then click on "Technician Pool" you'll get an 80 page Word document with all questions (the correct answers are shown in parentheses next to the question number)

Thirty-five dollar fee, if I understand correctly. Your local radio club can conduct the test for you.

I don't want to be bothered by some authoritarian busybody dickweed screaming at me to GET OFF OF THIS CHANNEL!!

So, we'll do it right.

Sounds like that license may be the way to go. A friend does the testing, so I'll get with him if I get the radios. Thanks!

You can also take the exam online now. I picked up a radio a couple years ago but never really made time to learn it but now's the time.

http://www.arrl.org/online-exam-session

Yeah, I think I'll pass on that. Looking at their criteria, I wonder why they bother with online tests at all.

https://qsl.net/us-vegrp/

I just don't want to be treated with such suspicion over something like this.

Is there such a thing that are stupid simple to use?

quote:

Is there such a thing that are stupid simple to use?

In my experience the more simple to use are usually less capable and flexible.

I got a handful of radios a few years ago and learned enough to set them up identically with GMRS channels and access to local GMRS repeaters. I gave one to each of my adult kids with whatever instruction they were willing to take. Even the one who lives 50 miles away from us is only a few miles from a repeater that I can reach with my 50W base station and roof-mounted antenna. So, theoretically, we could talk if that repeater is up.

A handheld to this base station should work from 10-30 miles depending on terrain. I should get out and test that.

quote:

Originally posted by Greymann:
I ordered the pair also.
I don't know much about ham radio, so I was thinking on getting this book.





https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BN...9BPEW&language=en-US

NC Scout has more than just a book.

Whole store of gear including comms equipment: Brushbeater

And: Brushbeater blog

I bought a pair of UV-5R just a few weeks ago for just under $30 from Amazon and have seen the deal repeated in the last week or so. Just keep an eye out.

As for a license, I wouldn't mind getting one except that they publish your name and address on the interwebs when they issue the license. No bueno.

Also, check out Notarubicon on YouTube for some informative and entertaining videos on the UV-5R and related topics (including how to use CHIRP).

I would suggest that you find local ham radio groups and listen to their weekly "net". Hams love talking about their set ups and what they are working on. I learned a lot this way while I was studying for my licensing exams.

If you have some technical ability on a computer and are comfortable with the command line, suggest you take a look at SPLAT! RF modeling software. It can give you a pretty good idea what Line of Sight you have to/from a particular location, and give you the effect of antenna height if you're thinking about a fixed installation (i.e. should I mount it at 10 ft or 30 ft).

There are links on that page to a Windows build if you don't have access to Linux (or look for Linux in the Windows Store). There are also links to required terrain files. And please, RTFM. There's a nicely written PDF included with the download with very helpful examples to follow.

A trick that’s legal for HAM and GMRS radios to communicate with each other:

Set the HAM radio to transmit on HAM frequency but receive on a GMRS frequency.

Set the GMRS radio to transmit on the GMRS frequency the HAM radio is set to receive and set the GMRS radio receive the frequency the HAM radio is set to transmit.

As long as the person operating the HAM radio has a HAM license and the person operating the GMRS radio has a GMRS license it’s legal. There’s no license required to receive signals, only to transmit them.

You do need radios that allow you to set separate send and receive frequencies, so the blister pack GMRS radios won’t work.

I am also looking at a portable radio that I can also use as a base station. Basically a car radio that I can also use at home. I have been shopping around for one and just need to pull the trigger.

The UV-5R does look like a good set and you cant beat that price.

Looking at the TYT TH-9800 that he recommends here.


I like at the end he talks about how he got started just using his handheld Baufeng with an external antennae in his car.

(updated to start where he talks about the TYT radio)

quote:

authoritarian busybody dickweeds

Most hams are pretty good folks but there is always "That Guy". Most of the ones that will raise a huge stink are the guys that have been in the hobby for many years and detest the No Code amateurs. Yes they had to work harder to get their license but the hobby would have likely died without the changes in licensing. I also understand some of the rancor because with the limitations on available bandwidth and that other
usage groups would love to steal the air space we have.
FWIW, my local club has a one day course to get the Tech license and has a 90+ per cent success rate which includes a lot of 12 year old Boy Scouts. You can pass the test.
Unfortunately the ownership of a license is public record but it does not excessively target you as the gear is pretty much useless on the stolen market due to the same old cranks that will hunt down gross violators. Hams are a pretty tight knit group so if someone is selling stolen gear the word gets to the authorities quickly.