Already have one.. Now I need a way to also transmit.
So what ham radio do you use? What ham radio would you recommend to someone wanting a do-it-all but middle of the road unit?
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Idiot newbie needs advice
- Thread starter Murphy625
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Already have one.. Now I need a way to also transmit.
So what ham radio do you use? What ham radio would you recommend to someone wanting a do-it-all but middle of the road unit?
Zombies or not, I'm not going to recommend aham radio to someone not authorized to use it. If you're an electrical engineer, you should have no trouble whatsoever passing the technician level test that would give you the right to use a ham radio. Who knows? You might like it.
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Wow.. On my very first post I ran into one of you... that was fast...
Oh.. and by the way.. Perhaps you might want to take a refresher course on Ham Radio operation because you obviously do not understand the fact that one does not require a license to be "authorized to use it".. You only require a license to transmit and even THAT requirement is no longer applicable in a life threatening emergency.
Heck, I haven't even taken the test or studied and I know that..
With all due respect sir, get off your high horse. Forums like this are meant to help others, they are not meant as a stage for those who think themselves holier than thou.
KC2YQW
Member
The short answer, Yes you will have trouble when it comes to transmitting and being useful not only to yourself, but to your family and others.
The long answer,
When I became a ham, I came from a public safety background of radios. I was use to the "program, install, forget" mentality on conventional radio traffic. After getting my license and putting some effort into learning, I discovered a great many things, such as different modes being used on different frequencies, how my transmissions on the radio can affect other transmissions, even when they are not on the same frequencie, even the general "emergency disaster drill" I particiated in was way different than I had expected. Through ham radio I found that just a simple car battery may not be enough to keep my HT going long enough to get through some incidents and made simple changes to better prepare myself for posible eventualitys. Heck I even merged equipment you may not think about, such as a weather station to help me follow my local weather patterns so I can be prepaired should a storm be comming when mains are down.
The fact is I have been around ham radio and I am still learning. APRS, TNC's, HF, portable repeater building, digital modes, the list goes on. Without a license all you have are the manuals to go by. When the time comes to actually use the equipment you wont know simple things like radio courtesy, (I dont know how many times during drills where "that guy" breaks in and just disrupts everything just because he feels hes more important,) or you'll find yourself transmitting conventional when others are using digital.
If you have the qualifications you claim, getting a license should be very very easy. The test is mostly common sense stuff, the rest has to do with electrical information, and a little about radio operation and safety. Go for it, even if you only use it once or twice a year, it will help you at least get familure with your radio and operating practices. Maybe you will even find a new hobby that will bring you beyond what you expected you could get out of your radio.
You never know till you try it!
The long answer,
When I became a ham, I came from a public safety background of radios. I was use to the "program, install, forget" mentality on conventional radio traffic. After getting my license and putting some effort into learning, I discovered a great many things, such as different modes being used on different frequencies, how my transmissions on the radio can affect other transmissions, even when they are not on the same frequencie, even the general "emergency disaster drill" I particiated in was way different than I had expected. Through ham radio I found that just a simple car battery may not be enough to keep my HT going long enough to get through some incidents and made simple changes to better prepare myself for posible eventualitys. Heck I even merged equipment you may not think about, such as a weather station to help me follow my local weather patterns so I can be prepaired should a storm be comming when mains are down.
The fact is I have been around ham radio and I am still learning. APRS, TNC's, HF, portable repeater building, digital modes, the list goes on. Without a license all you have are the manuals to go by. When the time comes to actually use the equipment you wont know simple things like radio courtesy, (I dont know how many times during drills where "that guy" breaks in and just disrupts everything just because he feels hes more important,) or you'll find yourself transmitting conventional when others are using digital.
If you have the qualifications you claim, getting a license should be very very easy. The test is mostly common sense stuff, the rest has to do with electrical information, and a little about radio operation and safety. Go for it, even if you only use it once or twice a year, it will help you at least get familure with your radio and operating practices. Maybe you will even find a new hobby that will bring you beyond what you expected you could get out of your radio.
You never know till you try it!
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At best, in these forums, you would get all kinds of answers as to "what is the best rig for..." questions.
Few would be the same. It is a rather personal choice based on many factors and most cannot decide all that for someone else. Most of us that have been hams for quite a while own several pieces of gear for different reasons and sometimes "just because"!
You might be better off asking about it in a preppers forum, like minded people and all that. I am sure there are many forums for that out there. I wonder how many of them spent $500 or more to pack away an HF rig only to drag it out and sell it later on because it has not seen any use for them.
Few would be the same. It is a rather personal choice based on many factors and most cannot decide all that for someone else. Most of us that have been hams for quite a while own several pieces of gear for different reasons and sometimes "just because"!
You might be better off asking about it in a preppers forum, like minded people and all that. I am sure there are many forums for that out there. I wonder how many of them spent $500 or more to pack away an HF rig only to drag it out and sell it later on because it has not seen any use for them.
I think you said this earlier. So get a license and you can transmit.
n5acf
Member
my 2 cents worth
Now as an Registered license Instructor and a VE as well as a field examiner for EmComm, I will give my 2 cents worth...The cost for the test is $15 each of which the Tech and General will give you more than enough to reach out for distance. The licenses are good for 10 years and no retesting required to update the 10 years.It takes the average person maybe 30 minutes or less to take the test. Being an engineer studying for them shouldn't take long either. I studied 3 months for my Amateur Extra and passed first time (not bragging just showing how with a little study anyone can pass them, took 2 times on general). Now to my other point...Most hams will not talk with or give out info to someone they are unfamiliar with during "SHTF" time. And that's just being smart. So just to get to know who you have locally that you can trust info from, you will want to be familiar with them. Why would you trust someone you just made contact with after "SHTF" happens? It's not like you have to give up your weekends to practice a little and maybe make good contacts with people who will be willing to help you and your family during a time of need.
Also you might consider joining a local ham club. Dues aren't much for most and most only have meetings once a month for maybe an hour or so. Another thing to think about is without practice before hand you may not know that it is very easy for a trained amateur operator to foxhunt or in other words pin point your location when you transmit a few times ( none of which are in the owner's manual of the radios/transceivers). Never can do that without ever transmitting just by listening. That's the training most on here are talking about. Or how if your rig isn't setup correctly, your radios can be destroyed quickly by an over-powering signal. Then you will not only have to look for food and such but also a radio shack to get share parts. That's my 2 cents worth...maybe it helps.
73
Now as an Registered license Instructor and a VE as well as a field examiner for EmComm, I will give my 2 cents worth...The cost for the test is $15 each of which the Tech and General will give you more than enough to reach out for distance. The licenses are good for 10 years and no retesting required to update the 10 years.It takes the average person maybe 30 minutes or less to take the test. Being an engineer studying for them shouldn't take long either. I studied 3 months for my Amateur Extra and passed first time (not bragging just showing how with a little study anyone can pass them, took 2 times on general). Now to my other point...Most hams will not talk with or give out info to someone they are unfamiliar with during "SHTF" time. And that's just being smart. So just to get to know who you have locally that you can trust info from, you will want to be familiar with them. Why would you trust someone you just made contact with after "SHTF" happens? It's not like you have to give up your weekends to practice a little and maybe make good contacts with people who will be willing to help you and your family during a time of need.
Also you might consider joining a local ham club. Dues aren't much for most and most only have meetings once a month for maybe an hour or so. Another thing to think about is without practice before hand you may not know that it is very easy for a trained amateur operator to foxhunt or in other words pin point your location when you transmit a few times ( none of which are in the owner's manual of the radios/transceivers). Never can do that without ever transmitting just by listening. That's the training most on here are talking about. Or how if your rig isn't setup correctly, your radios can be destroyed quickly by an over-powering signal. Then you will not only have to look for food and such but also a radio shack to get share parts. That's my 2 cents worth...maybe it helps.
73
The law says you don't need a license to transmit when your life is in danger.
I'm not interested in becoming a radio operator.. I just want to get it set up, learn how it works, then pack it away with the required documentation.. Hopefully it will be a complete waste of my money..
So far, I've been turned on to ICOM.. Seems like its a well respected brand.. Craigslist and ebay seem to have a lot of units and ebay is showing lots of bids on them.
Prepper forums are great for certain things.. this is not one of them.. When it comes to tech, doing things right means talking to people (like you) who use the tech on a daily basis.
I'm putting in enough solar panels to power my whole house.. about 10 KW worth.. Preppers talk about solar panels on their forums but they're not very knowledgeable.. A solar panel forum provides a lot better information on brand names, sizing, and finding specific information. Prepper forums seem to be best at discussions about food storage and various disaster scenarios.. a lot of stuff to be learned and some really great insight. But for ham radio's.. I think someone who's experienced would be better.
Its all about where you get the information from..
So how about you? If you had to choose one radio for your emergency communications needs, how would you spend $500 to $800?
This is an amateur radio forum. We talk about amateur radio in general, amateur radio equipment, amateur radio antennas, amateur radio licenses, amateur radio clubs and events, etc.
Since you are not interested in becoming an amateur radio operator, I see no need for this conversation to continue. If you just want a radio, there are other places to discuss your wants.
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