Posted on 01/02/2012 10:46:48 AM PST by Professional Engineer
As others have mentioned, the problem with that approach is that when SHTF you likely won't know how to effectively use the ham bands to communicate.
People who buy a pistol or a long gun and then put it into the safe instead of learning to use it properly and regularly practicing with live ammo will have problems when something goes bump in the night, let alone when SHTF. Communicating via ham radio is quite similar in that respect.
Yes, your suspicion of the Obamunists is valid, however building proficiency without having a license is difficult at best.
Before cell phones changed, we were able to listen to them on the scanner. Amazing stuff there. We once listened as the county attorney set up a wild weekend with some high ups. The entertainment included a couple gals and their, uh, well practiced skills.
Nope, it’s pretty easy today. I had a novice and it expired in the late 70s, but my son wanted to get into it so he and I went and tested.
The nice thing is once you are at a test, you can keep taking the tests until you fail. So I passed both the novice and general. If my son hadn’t finished his test, I probably would have tried the advanced, although I hadn’t studied that much and would have likely failed. The guys were egging me on because apparently they had never had someone walk in and pass all three at once before.
Anyway, my son and I are both hams now, and we do have a radio, but we never do anything with it. Back in the day, it was fun, you could reach out and talk. Now there’s the internet, and cell phones, and long distance is free with your phones, and it just doesn’t have the appeal it once did.
I’m ready for the apocalypse though. I think my call sign is on my home page, but I’m not sure.
How intriguing.
SW is very cool.
I used to be KA0UNI a long long time ago. Wish I hadnt let it expire.
Don't get licensed.
Learn all the principals and practical applications...buy the gear...and learn to keep your transmissions to 15secs or less.
Long wire antennas, up to 100watts. Be discrete...DO NOT incur the wrath of other operators. Do not attract the attention of the authorities.
In a REAL SHTF scenario you'll be glad you are not licensed or KNOWN.
Note....I'm not ANY kind of radio user, so claim zero expertise in the topic.
2M (Two meter) is local and regional and beyond with repeaters. My 2M handheld will also tune to and transmit on Family Band, GMRS, 70 cm, some aircraft, etc. Even can listen on analog police bands like a scanner. Really a versatile tool. Most of us have old CBs also but have you listened to the crap on there (much of it illegal high-power).
For regional comms to 10-15miles CB is PERFECT.
Ensure you have a VERY GOOD HF receiver and Antenna though...you want to know what is happening in the rest of the world.
CB is 27MHz only. This is the higher end of shortwave and can go global if conditions are right.
Ham have frequency allocations from 1.8 MHz well into the upper microwave bands. The agility allows for global as well as extremely local, line of sight, communications.
That said, one of these days, I plan to add a CB to my shack.
No, I did for years before getting my General.
Look at programs like Fldigi (free) it lets you with computer/laptop send and receive in a bunch of digital modes including cw
just type in message and send same on receive you read the test not code
some of the other digital modes are faster than cw
KD0OWE
I would like some to tell me in English a HAM radio to buy and where. The best antenna to use in a HOA police state.
Thanks all.
Got my no-code Tech ticket 15 years ago along with my two sons (10 and 12 at the time). Daughter and wife weren’t interested. Dog was, but he couldn’t read the study books.
Haven’t used it lately, but I’m going to fire up the equipment again!
My biggest early treat was talking with a guy I thought was local on a repeater. After a short while and some confusing conversation, we realized we were going direct 90 miles across Lake Erie between Cleveland and Detroit. I was on my Yaesu FT-50R, a 5-watter. Not a big deal, but fun.
Does one have to get a license if only listening?
I was an avid SWL (short wave listener) when I was a teen back in the 50s I heard this station in Belgium and sent him a card to which he returned his card (QSL) which I saved, about 25 years later I finally got my ticket and had the pleasure of actually working him on the air one day, I sent him a nice letter with a copy of the card he sent me back then he then sent me his new card which I have both framed and hanging in my man cave ( radio room).Am still very active on the bands. Its the greatest hobby in the world. Fred-AE2DX
In general you have a few options:
Local communication = VHF/UHF radios. Typically these are handheld or mobile rigs and run on rechargeable batteries or 12V (ie. 13.8V auto) power.
Medium to long range communication = HF (the classic "shortwave") radios. The choices go up very,very rapidly here. Several up-thread have mentioned QRP rigs. QRP low wattage (under 15watts, or 5 watts for purists) output, and will easily run on batteries. I have one set up to run voice as well. It's great for camping. Camping equals practice in field conditions, and quickly points out what you're missing.
Where to buy: you can try local fleamarkets, known as hamfests. These give the opportunity to at least look at the rigs, sometimes powered up. Hamfests are organied by local radio clubs.
Online retailers. Amateur Electronic Supply is one of the most popular.
For brands to consider, I've used Icom and Kenwood almost exclusively, so can't readily speak of others.
Icom V82 VHF handheld can be had for about $150 new.
Icom 2200H VHF mobile can be had for $199 new.
Yaesu FT817 QRP HF + VHF/UHF transceiver can be had for $749 new. This is one of the common "factory built" QRP radios. I have never used one.
A drawback to nearly all (all??) factory built QRP radios is battery consumption. They typically draw 2 amps in receive mode, which can drain your battery rapidly.
One of the most popular QRP radios is the Elecraft K2 HF transceiver. This radio is user built. The price starts at $739 new, then goes up depending on options installed. Battery consumption is user controllable down to 0.24 amps. I use this radio with most of the options installed.
Antennas (especially stealth HOA): VHF/VHF - use a vertical indoors. Don't put this in the attic if your house has radiant barrier roof decking.
For HF use an outdoor stealth Antenna. My own HF antenna is in plain sight here. It is a Force 12 Flagpole antenna. It's been up for 9 years in the midst of HOA hell.
I'm a long time ham, a QRP nut :-)
Here are two of my favorite little QRP rigs.
I was WN3ZQR. Now I’m KJ4QHF.
Our school had a radio club, and my teacher was an Advanced, so we used his privileges. WA3PGP.
bttt
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