Sorry I meant that I wanted two radios with both having two bands VHF and UHF
Forgot to mention: When available because HF is pricey I would also like to dive into that
OK, so two separate dual band radios.
Can I ask why you need two of them? Just want to understand your use case so we can make helpful recommendations.
And, two dual band radios means you will need to have two separate coax runs to the roof, two separate dual band antennas, and those two antennas will need some healthy separation.
If budget is a concern, I'd strongly recommend starting with one radio and learning what it'll do. If you still think you need two dual band transceivers after that, we can help. But with two antennas, two coax runs, two antenna mounts, plus your requirement to have two separate power supplies, you are going to quickly exceed your budget.
Yes, HF can be pricy and the antenna requirements will dictate what you can do. Many hams start with a 2 meter or 70 centimeter radio as their first entry. If you like the hobby, adding HF down the road is a possibility. What I often see is new hams "want it all, want it right now" and usually get frustrated. Take it slow, one radio. Learn the hobby, there's a lot more to learn than just passing the multiple choice test. Getting the license opens the door, but there's a lot more to learn once inside. Pace yourself….
I am also actually fairly interested in the ICOM transceiver IC-2300H and while I do understand it is made for mobile vehicles it would be effective considering the room I plan to put this in has other things in it. Question is can this radio be used a private repeater and can it be controlled by computer?
No. It's a single band radio. To act as a repeater, there needs to be a separate receiver and transmitter so they can both work at the same time. This radio will not do that.
I'm not fully against having it being public. My use case is I can connect my handheld radio to the repeater and I want to be changing the frequency transmits back out on with some sort of wireless remote setup.
That's called a "remote base" and you don't need a repeater to do that.
I feel like if I have a public repeater that the frequency is changing people might get annoyed. Also I would use this repeater for many things such as helping my church that uses radios for parking team and I could transmit the signal to the other campus among other things.
Amateur radio cannot be used for business use, even a church. Things like helping with parking can be done on amateur radio by volunteer groups, but everyone needs to have their amateur radio license. Amateur radio licenses only cover the individual, not a group/church. The only way your church can do that is for each and ever person with a radio -must- have their amateur radio license.
If your church wants a radio system, they need to use commercial frequencies with an appropriate FCC issued license.
What you are describing becomes a complex system with site linking and repeaters. That gets very expensive and requires a lot of expensive test equipment, knowledge and skill to set up if you want it to actually work.
Recommendations: Start with your ham license. Don't try to get into commercial radio work.
Also, keep in mind that all radio services have their own set of rules. There are a lot of complex technical requirements that you won't learn as part of your ham license studies. Amateur radio rules do not apply in the commercial world, and commercial rules do not apply on amateur radio.
A couple of high points to keep in mind as you plan things out:
-ALL- radio services require a license. No exceptions. There are some "license by rule" services that don't require an FCC issued license (CB, FRS, MURS, to name a few), but all others require specific licenses.
-ALL- radio services have rules regarding what frequencies you can use and what radio equipment can be used. Amateur radios cannot be used on non-amateur radio frequencies, no exceptions. You cannot legally use an amateur radio on business frequencies, FRS, GMRS, etc. Doesn't matter what the internet says, FCC rules still apply.
Your amateur radio license gives you -zero- permissions to transmit anywhere outside the amateur radio frequencies, no exceptions. You cannot legally use your amateur radio gear on frequencies your church uses. You cannot use your amateur radio gear on CAP/USAF/NTIA frequencies, no exceptions.
If you want to use a radio with your church and they are on business channels, you will need a couple of things:
You will need written permission from the person whose name is on the FCC issued license the church operates under.
You will need an appropriately type accepted radio that has been programmed correctly, not an amateur radio that has been hacked to work outside the amateur radio bands.
Essentially I want this repeater to have far receiving distance so I can connect from a good ways away most likely 20 miles max and I want to transmit back out powerfully so that I can use the repeater for events around my home such as church events for the parking team and sending the data back to the other campus.
See above. What you are describing is not allowed under FCC rules. This should be what you'll learn as you study for your amateur radio license.
Amateur radio is a hobby radio service. It's not for business use. It's for individuals.
Also, there are often a lot of underutilized amateur radio repeaters in urban and suburban areas. Most are run by radio clubs. A good way to do this is to reach out to your local amateur radio clubs and see if they have regularly scheduled meetings. Start attending those. Let them know you are interested in getting your ham radio license, and most should be happy to help you study. Once you get your license, they'll happily help you access their repeaters. Repeaters are very expensive and require a lot of knowledge, skill and test equipment to set up. Repeaters are not 'plug-n-play' devices that you toss together.
Thanks so much for the help, maybe I'll hear you on the air!
I hope so. Always good to get the younger generation into the hobby. With this hobby you should learn a lot of good skills that can help with future careers. Many of us that work in the professional/public safety side of radio got our start as hobbyists.
Good luck and let us know if you need help.
