My son and I both downloaded the free HAM Test Prep app and started taking Technician practice tests. After taking a dozen tests a day for a couple weeks we both sailed through the Tech exam. No studying in the traditional sense. Just the repetitive nature of seeing the correct answers allow you to memorize the information.

The UV-5R in Para's link just dropped to $35 and still has an additional $3 off coupon so I just snagged them up. Seems like a great idea to have a set. Now time to figure them out. I'll be rereading/watching this thread.

quote:

Originally posted by SHOOTIN BLANKS:
My son and I both downloaded the free HAM Test Prep app and started taking Technician practice tests. After taking a dozen tests a day for a couple weeks we both sailed through the Tech exam. No studying in the traditional sense. Just the repetitive nature of seeing the correct answers allow you to memorize the information.

So easy anyone can do it. But if you want to actually know and understand the information, you might want to pick up a book and study "in the traditional sense".

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
https://www.radioreference.com/db/

Great reference, thank you.

I already have an 8 watt Baofeng. If I want to add a second radio is the 8 watt worth the extra money over the pair of 5 watt radio's that Para bought?

I bought the same package as Para did today - LOTS of youtube stuff on those radios.

Also check out hamstudy.org

I ran thru their study questions and then took the practice test and passed with 74% (minimum) 1st time, after 20 minutes of study. It doesn't look like rocket science.

Im kinda stoked now :-)

Thanks, just ordered.

I wonder if I could have used one to communicate with the sub that was supposed to come pick me up

To get started on the "Boofwang" UV-5R...

quote:

Originally posted by mark60:
I already have an 8 watt Baofeng. If I want to add a second radio is the 8 watt worth the extra money over the pair of 5 watt radio's that Para bought?

A discussion of 5w vs 8w here:
https://ham.stackexchange.com/...-difference-4w-vs-8w

Amazon has the radio set for a limited time deal of $35.09 now. I just pulled the trigger.

quote:

Originally posted by PKFan:
To get started on the "Boofwang" UV-5R...

https://www.youtube.com/embed/0wCLbiHvsMg

Note the very deliberate placement of the YouTuber's presumed favorite gov't official (Hint: 'It' is an 'Admiral' ), proudly displayed over the shoulder during the intro. If I had a 'Boofwang' I'd definitely be inclined to educate myself using other resources rather than providing clicks/views for this self described 'unemployed hand model'! There are other/better options on this subject.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:

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.

It sounds like you're already set to get your license, but I would add a little bit of encouragement. Getting your technician, and even general will teach you a huge amount of things about radio communication that you don't know you need to know yet. It's knowledge that will be incredibly helpful to ensure successful communication in the event of an emergency where you need it to work. Radio theory is immense, but the knowledge needed for the basic ham licenses gives you a really good foundation in it to ensure you'll be able to make it work how you need it to work when you need it to work.

I started my journey with a UV5R and it's a great radio for emergencies or tossing in the car without caring about losing it, but they have a lot of limitations as well and the theory in the license material will teach what you need to know to work around those limitations.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
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 LOVE this idea! One of those “lightbulb” moments that is really pretty simple, yet never heard or thought of before.


As to the “legality” of using without proper licenses or FCC type-approved radios…


Yes - It is “illegal”. As others have noted, in an emergency, anything goes. As for day-to-day use, common sense can be your friend and while you may break a law (regulation?) or two, it doesn’t involve much risk if you are smart about it.

GMRS shares the same frequencies as FRS but FRS has more restrictions on radios, output power and no repeaters. If you buy and use a GMRS radio at low power output on a frequency shared with FRS and behave as a reasonable person you stand little if any risk of being a target for enforcement. No one is going to know you are using a GMRS radio with the extra-deadly removable rubber ducky antenna as if it was a less-lethal FRS model with fixed/non-removable antenna.


There is another radio band/service no one has mentioned - MURS (Multi use radio service). It is comprised of 5 “channels” in the VHF range (151/154mhz) 2w max output, no licensing, no callsigns and very little in the way of “restrictions” on use. Of course you are “required” (supposed to?) use an FCC-type accepted radio, however if you have one of the earlier version of BF before they locked them down or another radio that has TX ability in that range, you could use these frequencies with the only “violation” being you radio isn’t type accepted.

This is the band many companies will use for comms at their facility.


As to “Type Acceptance” and the link I posted earlier for the TIDRADIO, it is sold in two different configurations. HAM dual band VHF/UHF and GMRS. They are both type accepted by the FCC and bear the appropriate stickers.

With the exception of transmit power, they appear to be identical with the GMRS version limited to 5w while the HAM version can be had with a 10w output. Both versions have adjustable transmit levels with Low power being 2w which falls within power regulation for FRS and MURS services.

The radios have three different installed “Firmwares”- HAM, GMRS, “Unlocked”. If you buy the HAM model it comes set up for HAM use, if you buy the GMRS model it comes set up for GMRS use. When you turn it on, it boots to whichever firmware was selected.

If you choose to, you can change the Boot Firmware through a startup key sequence to select one of the other firmwares. Yes, if I buy a GMRS version then I change it to the HAM firmware, then my PARTICULAR radio is no longer type-accepted since the sticker on the back says “GMRS”.

I might have chosen to break a rule, but the FCC has accepted these radios. The fact they can be booted with different firmwares doesn’t seem to invalidate the certification, only an end-users decision to change the firmware creates a violation.


I have both HAM and GMRS licenses. If I otherwise operate within the rules of power output, frequency, bandwidth, etc. the capabilities of a specific radio I am operating without utilizing those capabillities seems (to me) to be splitting hairs.


In a SHTF situation, having a single radio that can reach out on VHF/UHF, GMRS, FRS, MURS, or even MARS could be the difference between rescue or recovery. I’d rather not carry around and be knowledgeable in the operation of 3-4 different radios in such an instance.

Having a single radio with multiple possible options, that you use regularly in compliance with all other FCC factors save “type-acceptance” seems to offer far more benefit than risk to me.

But then sometimes I roll stop signs, go 5 over the speed limit, throw recyclables in with the trash (illegal in Seattle), and selectively comply with other laws, rules, regulations, and societal norms because that is the kind of rebel I am.

I climbed onboard. Since it's just me, they may not come out of the box....except to charge, but for that price it seems like a worthwhile investment for use at some point.

And as mentioned, could be interesting to listen in to emergency channels sometime.

quote:

Originally posted by nhracecraft:

quote:

Originally posted by PKFan:
To get started on the "Boofwang" UV-5R...

https://www.youtube.com/embed/0wCLbiHvsMg

Note the very deliberate placement of the YouTuber's presumed favorite gov't official (Hint: 'It' is an 'Admiral' ), proudly displayed over the shoulder during the intro. If I had a 'Boofwang' I'd definitely be inclined to educate myself using other resources rather than providing clicks/views for this self described 'unemployed hand model'! There are other/better options on this subject.

I think you need to watch him a bit before rendering judgment. You're 180 degrees off on his perspective.

quote:

Originally posted by Ripley:
What's the expected range? The link says "long range", a quick scan didn't reveal further details. I understand there are mitigating circumstances.

The claim I read is 8 miles. This is probably under the very best conditions.

Obviously, repeaters can extend this.

quote:

Originally posted by PKFan:

quote:

Originally posted by nhracecraft:

quote:

Originally posted by PKFan:
To get started on the "Boofwang" UV-5R...

https://www.youtube.com/embed/0wCLbiHvsMg

Note the very deliberate placement of the YouTuber's presumed favorite gov't official (Hint: 'It' is an 'Admiral' ), proudly displayed over the shoulder during the intro. If I had a 'Boofwang' I'd definitely be inclined to educate myself using other resources rather than providing clicks/views for this self described 'unemployed hand model'! There are other/better options on this subject.

I think you need to watch him a bit before rendering judgment. You're 180 degrees off on his perspective.

I did watch some in the hopes that I might learn something even though I don't actually have any 'Boofwangs' (I've got Retevis RT87 radios). Anyway once he got into it I really wasn't impressed enough to continue watching and I didn't like his delivery either so then I bailed on the video.

From there, I clicked on his user name to learn more about his account, viewed his 'about' info, learned that he uses ChatGPT to respond to all of his emails from 'people asking for help' and decided there MUST be better resources! YMMV

BweeFang: RECEIVED

Lookin' for the FCCs