I was going to get some GMRS radios to hit a local repeater, but all the repeaters I find on my scanner are Ham, so - I figure I should try to get a Ham radio to mess with. How should I go about finding a radio? Honestly I know nothing about them at all, but I have some technical and mechanical ability, but no experience with them at all.
First Ham radio
- Thread starter film495
- Start date
You should probably get (at least) a Technician Class amateur radio license first. Studying for the license will help you gain some basic technical and practical knowledge about the hobby.
belvdr
No longer interested in living
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2013
- Messages
- 2,567
Agreed, as you will need a license to transmit.
As a Technician class amateur radio operator, you will have some privileges on HF, but your most useful privileges will be on VHF/UHF. You can start with an inexpensive VHF/UHF handheld radio, but you'll quickly run into their limitations (low power, inefficient antennas). The next step would be a VHF/UHF mobile radio that you could operate from your car or from your home using a power supply or battery. A mobile radio will have more power output and you'll be using it with a larger antenna mounted on your car or mounted outside your house.
We've had several threads here discussing the topic of your question. Maybe reading through the things we've said before will answer some questions or spark some new questions that we can help you with.
forums.radioreference.com
forums.radioreference.com
forums.radioreference.com
forums.radioreference.com
We've had several threads here discussing the topic of your question. Maybe reading through the things we've said before will answer some questions or spark some new questions that we can help you with.
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I did. Pretty sure I did the same thing in 2018 when I got a GMRS licence and once I figured out I might have to get another licence and learn Ham I put it on hold. I'm in zip 03045, and there is a medium sized mountain behind me that has all the area TV and Commercial Radio, like a dozen towers, I'm pretty sure one or more those are Ham repeaters I should be able to get on at some point. I've been scanning the bands as well on a Uniden scanner thinking I might get lucky with the GMRS, but I don't think I'm finding it.
These are the frequencies I have in my scanner - a Uniden Bearcat BC125AT, I put a Diamon RH77CA aftermarket antenna on it and the signal strength went way up, not sure it gets me any additional frequencies, but all the reception bars peak out and the static is mostly gone on just a handheld scanner, so - I'm thinking a similar power Ham radio would get similar reception, but I don't know.
* 444.2000 N - ??NN1PA Repeater, on mountain right behind me
C.168.2
Goffstown, Mt Uncanoonic 444.20000 NN1PA New Hampshire Repeater
Amateur radio NN1PA 444.2 repeater at Goffstown, New Hampshire
www.repeaterbook.com
* 146.85- Y Ham?
* 147.21 - Y Ham?
* 147.135 - Y - H? Local?
* 146.6850 - Y - H? Localish?
462.5750 - N - GMRS - Pembroke, NH, no signal
642.550 - N - GMRS, Manchester, NH - no signal
154.355 - Y Ambulance
157.5 - N Town Trucking
461.2 - N Local Corporation
159.3255 - N Fire
156.1950 - N Town
460.05 -N Corrections
152.33 - Y EMS
170.6 - N New Boston Space/Air Force
154.16 - Y Town
159.1050 - Y Fire
170.15 - Y, Town, but just computer sounding tones infrequently
152.36 - N Ambulance
153.86 - Y Fire
154.57 - Y Emergency
151.955 - Y Town
151.625 - N Town
154.6 - N Town
158.85 - Y Police
154.25 - Y Fire
154.515 - N Local College
140.2 - N NH National Guard
269.4 - N Air
124.9 - Y Air, cool frequency, I can see the planes out my livingroom window, and hear the pilots landing take off stuff, 7,000 feet, etc.
125.05 - N Air
125.825 - N Air
127.35 - N Air
134.75 - N Air
27.025 - Y CB, choppy signal
27.2850 - Y CB, choppy signal
27.2050 - Y CB, choppy signal
27.325 - Y CB, choppy signal
151.535 - Y School Bus
155.7075 - N Air Security
172.6 - N Fed FAA
172.15 - N Fed TSA
435.9250 - Y State Police
154.3550 - Y Emergency
158.85 - Y Police
453.6750 - Y Police
I'll read through the links, I have difficulty telling what frequency is Ham or GMRS and I've been looking at references - but the Ham stuff quickly gets into terms I'm not familair with. I'm still trying to figure out if there is any repeater near me I can get on with any analogue technology, or if I'm wasting my time and it just isn't possible. I get zero over the air TV stations at my house with a decent antenna, and I know they broadcast right off the top of the mountain, so - maybe I'm in some kind of weird blind spot behind one of the hills between me and the transmitters up there. I get pretty good radio, and some decent scanner traffic, so - there's some signal here, very weak Cellular. Maybe this is why I'm not getting anything from the listed repeater when I'm scanning. Maybe I'm doing it wrong. I don't know. I don't think I'm doing it wrong, but it isn't working.
You can look here for an amateur radio band plan: Band Plan
The grouping names, like HF or VHF, change with every multiplication by 10. 3 to 30 MHz is HF. 30 to 300 MHz is VHF. 300 to 3000 MHz is UHF.
VHF amateur radio bands are 50-54 MHz, 144-148 MHz, and 222-225 MHz. UHF amateur radio bands are 420-450 MHz, 902-928 MHz, 1240-1300 MHz.
By comparison, the CB band is around 27 MHz and GMRS is around 462 MHz for repeater outputs and 467 MHz for repeater inputs.
Hams also talk about frequencies or bands in terms of wavelength measured in meters. 50-54 MHz is the "6 meter" band. 144-148 MHz is the "2 meter" band. 420-450 MHz is the "70 centimeter" band.
The grouping names, like HF or VHF, change with every multiplication by 10. 3 to 30 MHz is HF. 30 to 300 MHz is VHF. 300 to 3000 MHz is UHF.
VHF amateur radio bands are 50-54 MHz, 144-148 MHz, and 222-225 MHz. UHF amateur radio bands are 420-450 MHz, 902-928 MHz, 1240-1300 MHz.
By comparison, the CB band is around 27 MHz and GMRS is around 462 MHz for repeater outputs and 467 MHz for repeater inputs.
Hams also talk about frequencies or bands in terms of wavelength measured in meters. 50-54 MHz is the "6 meter" band. 144-148 MHz is the "2 meter" band. 420-450 MHz is the "70 centimeter" band.
There's a bunch of Ham VHF/UHF repeaters that you'd be able to hit from your location. There's a few clubs in your area as well.
Granite State Amateur Radio Club is pretty close to you:
www.gsara.org
Granite State Amateur Radio Club is pretty close to you:
Granite State Amateur Radio Association - GSARA
Granite State Amateur Radio Association is based in Bedford NH and serves the Amateur Radio Community and abroad. We participate in several events and are a Special Services ARRL Club
www.gsara.org
Interesting. So, far so good. Scanner led me to Ham as a viable option, saw no GMRS to speak of scanning. BC125AT scanner, put a diamond antenna on it which seemed to strenghten signal a good bit. Radio, a Yaesu FT-65, programmed it, seems to get the same Ham traffic with the RD it came with, might get a whip, but - for now it seem to have worked to test myself to see if I could receive some signals and confirm getting it to work at all. Grabbed a study book, so a license will be soon enough and then the fun begins. Well, it has been fun already, but you know what I mean.
ka9wrz
Member
@film495 , you've made some good first steps. Desmo1 suggested a good radio club to reach out to. Now, don't get me wrong, you can study on your own and likely pass the test, but the best thing about reaching out to a club is the help that is available, be it in person study classes or just a couple of club members that will take you under their wing and "Elmer" you along the way. So much easier if you are talking to someone and they tell you something that the terminology is confusing. Either your "deer in the headlights" look or the old "Huh?" will give them a clue that they are losing you and a simple rephrase can make it all clear. Why not make it a point to attend the Feb. meeting of the Granite State club (second Friday of the month, info on their website) and see what you think. Be honest when you go in. Let them know you are starting from scratch and want to get licensed and learn the ins and outs of the hobby and you are hoping to get acquainted with some folks that can help you understand as well as pass the test. (Take a notebook and pencil/pen with as they may suggest repeaters and other items that you'll want to recall.) Good luck!
kg4ehv
Member
Having a good elmer is such a big help. And a club is handy when you do antenna work, many hands make for an easy task.
if you place an HT scanner on a table or shelf, and the RD antenna is basically a ground plane antenna - with the user being the ground plane, but if you're not holding it, the signal is weaker by observation. Can I just place the HT onto like a metal plate, or like a metal top to a popcorn tin or something to fill out the rest of the ground plane if I'm not holding it. guess i could just test that.
climberkid
KM4FFB
Another big vote here for taking the leap into amateur radio. There are more hams around you than you may know, and every one of them knows the importance of spreading that knowledge. I taught technician and general classes for years and some those folks had no previous knowledge of radios at all. You’ve already got a leg up, not find yourself some hams and get that credibility of having a license! Wish you the best of luck.
73,
Alex
73,
Alex
