ham to non-ham

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Delivers1234

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not sure if this goes here.

is there a way for a tech ham to speak to someone on ham radio to another person who does not have a ham radio? the other person will not use a ham radio either.

delivers1234
 

N8IAA

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?????

How are they supposed to talk back to you?? Smoke signals?
You do ask some perplexing questions.
Larry
 

mmckenna

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Could the other person use the internet?

Phone patch:
Some repeaters have a telephone interconnection that can allow placing a telephone call from your radio.
Used to be pretty popular back before everyone had a cell phone. Now, not so much.
It's pretty limited, though.

Voice to Voice:
Not possible unless the non-licensed person has a licensed person sitting next to them.

APRS:
APRS has a way to do some rudimentary text messaging, but probably not what you are looking for.

Packet radio:
Can do simple e-mail type functions.


For voice to voice, there really isn't any legal way to do what you want.
Most amateur radios cannot do anything (legally) other than transmit on amateur radio frequencies. Some radios can be set up to work on MURS, GMRS, Land Mobile radio, etc. I think you have a Yaesu FT-7900, and that can only TX (legally) on amateur radio frequencies.

This is one of the reasons why GMRS is a valid option for some people. With GMRS, your GMRS license would cover your family.
---amateur radio licenses (all levels) have ZERO privileges on GMRS---
You would need your own GMRS license for your family in addition to a suitable radio to work on GMRS.

Getting others to get their amateur radio license can be a real challenge.
 

Delivers1234

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Phone patch:

Some repeaters have a telephone interconnection that can allow placing a telephone call from your radio.

Used to be pretty popular back before everyone had a cell phone. Now, not so much.

It's pretty limited, though.



Voice to Voice:

Not possible unless the non-licensed person has a licensed person sitting next to them.



APRS:

APRS has a way to do some rudimentary text messaging, but probably not what you are looking for.



Packet radio:

Can do simple e-mail type functions.





For voice to voice, there really isn't any legal way to do what you want.

Most amateur radios cannot do anything (legally) other than transmit on amateur radio frequencies. Some radios can be set up to work on MURS, GMRS, Land Mobile radio, etc. I think you have a Yaesu FT-7900, and that can only TX (legally) on amateur radio frequencies.



This is one of the reasons why GMRS is a valid option for some people. With GMRS, your GMRS license would cover your family.

---amateur radio licenses (all levels) have ZERO privileges on GMRS---

You would need your own GMRS license for your family in addition to a suitable radio to work on GMRS.



Getting others to get their amateur radio license can be a real challenge.



Does Gmrs go across states or is it only local?
 

wrath

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Actually APRSDROID can be between hams or crossover to regular email accounts , I use the Bluetooth 74a into my tablet and send email with APRSDROID all the time, its fun to freak out non ham friends who believe I live in the dark ages with an entire house full of radios , then they come here and see my little Ole Shack and wonder how they can do it. I bait them and then just reel them into studying.

Sent from my SM-T810 using Tapatalk
 

N2AL

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Does Gmrs go across states or is it only local?



If it is simplex, point to point, it is local only.

If it is being used on a repeater, you will have larger area coverage, but nothing state to state. I would say 30 mile radius from the repeater max, and that is with a great repeater system, in a great location, with great conditions.

If you want to traverse the United States via radio, I recommend Amateur Radio, obtaining at least a general class license, and using HF bands.

The Technician, and General class licenses are not difficult to obtain either.

There are other ways as a ham to go from state to state, but a lot of that includes using radios connected to the internet.

I hope this helps!
 

902

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Put an asterisk next to this, because like most things, there are exceptions. Armed Forces Day and some other special events have non-ham services communicating with ham radio counterparts often using split-frequency. The military stations announce the frequency or range of frequencies they are listening to, and the amateur stations call them on amateur frequencies, while the military stations answer back on their out-of-amateur range. The latest seems to allow joint operation on 60 meters, where the frequencies are shared with non-amateur interests.

There are emergency provisions built into most of the radio services that allow inter-service operations (not necessarily off frequency or out-of-band) between licensed users. See 90.411, 95.143, These aren't normal circumstances, though.

There are a bunch of ways to do it, but one way - If you wanted to communicate with a non-amateur, or someone who does not have a ham radio and doesn't want to get one (even if they are a ham), and you wanted to do it by radio - is you could get them a GMRS radio, or a business frequency radio which you need to have (properly) licensed.
 

Rred

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Aw, he cheated and just memorized the answers to pass the exam.

Honest, the FCC regulations are pretty simple and any ham who doesn't really read and understand them may find a $10,000 "Notice of Violation" in this mailbox one day.

Each ham station requires a licensed control operator controlling it, regardless of who may be talking on it or connected to it. And ham stations are only license to connect to other ham stations, when it is radio-to-radio. (Direct, as opposed to being forwarded by Echolink or whatever else.)

Being a "tech" has got nothing to do with this. If you don't understand why you can't sell pizzas order the radio, or whether you can use a phone patch to order one for dinner, you've got to go back and read up some more. EVERY basic ham radio course teaches that stuff in depth.
 

Rred

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A "station" being a combination of equipment AND an operator, and that operator being required to be licensed...Yeah, the wallpaper may not be issued to a 'station' but the net effect is still the same. Even if the operator never bothered posting a copy of their license on the wall. Oh, wait...there are no paper licenses sent out anymore, I sure hope they don't require pixels to be posted at the station.(G)
 

bharvey2

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Could the other person use the internet?

If at any point in the communication a message is transmitted over the air in any of the HAM bands, that person would need to have an amateur radio license. For the most part the only exception might be that he or she was in the immediate presence of a qualified, licensed operator.

Looking at the larger picture, the mode of communication isn't usually the first thing to consider:

1. recipient
2. message
3. method of communication

Sometimes phone or text or e-mail just might be the way to go.
 

n5ims

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not sure if this goes here.

is there a way for a tech ham to speak to someone on ham radio to another person who does not have a ham radio? the other person will not use a ham radio either.

delivers1234

There's a way to pass messages, similar to e-mail, using amateur radio that's available to both hams and non-hams alike, the ARRL National Traffic System (NTS). The ham can send and receive the message directly or indirectly while non-hams can only do so indirectly. These messages could be local, national, or international (assuming that international third-party traffic rules allow), but are not real-time. Often they take a day or more to make it through the system.

The non-ham (or the ham doing the messaging indirectly) would contact a local ham or ham club that's part of the NTS and ask them to originate the message for you. The ham would check into their local traffic net and initiate the message directly or use the same method the non-ham would. Once the message has reached the destination area, a local ham (if done indirectly) or the ham themselves (if done directly) will be given the message from the NTS system. Unless the ham themselves gets the message directly, that local ham will generally call the recipient on the phone to pass the message to them. Often they will also be ready to take a reply and start the return process.

Generally this process isn't for much more than simple one way or perhaps a message with a simple reply (e.g. message: "You coming here for Thanksgiving?" - answer: "Yes, be there around 8 PM on Wednesday night.") and not for something that needs quick responses or multiple back and forth messages.
 

N4GIX

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If at any point in the communication a message is transmitted over the air in any of the HAM bands, that person would need to have an amateur radio license. For the most part the only exception might be that he or she was in the immediate presence of a qualified, licensed operator.
What about phone patch operation? It's not always the case that the person being called is a licensed amateur... :wink:
 

n5ims

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What about phone patch operation? It's not always the case that the person being called is a licensed amateur... :wink:

Most often that's covered by the "control operator" rules. In phone patch operation, the control operator would be the one making the call and controlling the connected ham radio. Often there are two control operators during phone patch operation. One on each end of the conversation. This operation may be using a phone patch on both ends of the connection or with a non-ham at the station on one end and at the other end a phone call is made.

Either way, this "immediate presence" implies direct control over the transmitting radio so that the transmission can be quickly terminated once conversations beyond what's allowed starts to take place. That "immediate presence" can be thought of as either the physical presence of the person or the phone patch.

OK, I already can hear your next question, "What about using an auto-patch?". Well, basically the same rules apply. The design of an auto-patch nearly always has the phone audio shut down when the remote radio is transmitting. This allows the ham using the auto-patch to quickly kill the phone audio when things start to move away from what is allowed. They can then quickly press the disconnect tone and shut things down for good if required. The ham placing the call using their radio is generally considered the control operator in that situation and has their license on the line for any infractions.

The repeater's normal control operators can also step in and take action as well since they have a stake in the situation as well. This operation would be just like two hams using the repeater for conversations that are not allowed, only more so since using a phone patch will generally have one side with a non-licensed operator that may not understand all the associated rules and regulations.
 

bharvey2

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What about phone patch operation? It's not always the case that the person being called is a licensed amateur... :wink:

Good question but doesn't the person initiating the use of a phone patch act as the control operator? Two other things to consider: It seems as the ability to do phone patches has faded away to some degree with the wide spread use of cell phones. Also, for the OP's application, the initiation of a communication would only be "uni directional". He wasn't completely clear on whether this would be okay or not. Anyway, the idea may be something to consider.
 
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