The frequencies and PL tones I can get easily enough and have programmed them into my Wouxun. Seems easy enough to contact a repeater with no formal training or license. I won't actually do that except in a dire emergency or societal breakdown but I certainly know how. I do use it to monitor the repeaters up here in the Cascades from time to time. Have an outdoor 2M antenna but don't seem to need it.
The shortwave stuff I receive on the Degen 1103 and one or two backups.
Any site or tutorial to get someone started that knows nothing about radios?