Search Results for: ham radio

One Way to Get Started in Ham Radio, by Reltney McFee

…drawn from a published pool of 257 questions, and concerns basic radio theory (how do radio signals get from point a to point b), Federal Communication Commission rules about how you operate a Ham radio, antennas, and electrical safety, among other topics. I purchased a study guide (several different guides are available, from the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), Ham radio’s national association, and other test administration organizations), studied it, and passed the exam on my first try. My first radio was a HT (or “Handie Talkie”, or handheld radio). There are several choices to be made, ranging from very, very cheap (and, you get what you pay for, generally), to rather spendy (some top-of-the-line HTs from Kenwood, Icom, or Yaesu can run around $400. It you desire that sort of functionality, it can cost you). The Darling Wife (TDW) got her license a couple of years ago, studying on…


Get and Use Your Ham Radio License, by Mrs. R.L.B.

Just because there is a sewing machine in my house doesn’t mean I think any of my family members can sit down and sew a dress.  The same goes with your ham radio.  If you are one of those folks who bought one for when the SHTF thinking you will be able to just set it up and use it, you might be unpleasantly surprised. Why not make sure you have a ham radio license and become proficient with your radio?  It’s probably a good idea to dust it off anyway and make sure it is still working.  Some have internal RAM chips that die after so many years (ICOM 745 and 751A) and should be upgraded internally.   There are many good reasons to get your ham radio license now for the practice and camaraderie you can enjoy now before the SHTF.  As a ham radio operator, I have…


The K.I.S.S. Principle and Transceivers – Part 4, by Tunnel Rabbit

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…because CB uses Amplitude modulation (AM), and not frequency modulation (FM) that this transceiver uses. It can, however, receive AM-mode CB traffic. Because of this deficit, it does not function as a CB per se, but it is a very capable radio in other regards. It just barely fits into the theme of this article, and the big price makes it a tighter squeeze. It is mentioned as with this class of radio for the benefit of Amateur Radio enthusiasts who naturally would see the advantages of this radio, that can work injunction with the Anytone Smart, and Anytone AT6666. AMATEUR RADIO AND YOU An amateur radio Technician (“Tech”) license could still be in your future. It allows you to legally key up on the Ham Bands, and does give one access to numerous well-maintained repeaters. However, I would not plan on using repeaters after a collapse, or necessarily even…


How to Obtain Your Amateur Radio License, by N.M.

…an application you can download to your computer, and after verification that you have a license, allow you to connect to other repeaters through your computer. DMR is a digital form of communications, usually on the 2 meter or 70cm bands. These radios will also do analog communications for the common 2 meter and 70cm repeaters. Connect Systems[5] sells a very inexpensive DMR radio. Colorado has one of the most extensive DMR repeater systems in the country. DMR radios take some skill to program, however the Rocky Mountain Ham Radio[6] group operates the network in Colorado, which extends to Wyoming and Arizona, and provide complete code plugs (the code for programming the radio) for most DMR radios. Most local groups that operate DMR networks offer assistance with programming. For a more detailed explanation on radio bands, radio services, such as GMRS and FRS, and other information on communications in an…


Making Sense of What You Hear- Part 3, by Hal2000

…must keep your computer software and drivers up to date as well. And if your computer breaks or locks up, there goes your Ham radio. Whenever someone asks me about SDR’s, I tell them that I don’t mind having a computer in my radio, but I don’t want my radio to be in a computer. I don’t want to have to rely on Bill Gates to use my Ham radio. Hams are hooking radios to computers and the Internet and doing some really neat things. Using certain talk groups on a DMR repeater will allow you to talk to Hams in foreign countries on your VHF/UHF handheld. Using D-star you can dial up repeaters in foreign countries and talk to Hams there. Using IRLP you can dial up any other IRLP repeater anywhere. But all of this depends on computers and the Internet. My advice to preppers is to not…


Communications In Dark Times, by J.B.

…good for caravan driving or communicating over short distances while camping or hiking, but they typically are not built to emergency preparedness standards. CB radios are typically built as “mobile radios”, intended to be installed in and run off a car’s 12-volt battery system. In the world of electronics design, this means the designers don’t have to care very much about power consumption, and so they don’t. While there are some handheld CB radios, the established high quality radio makers of amateur and commercial radios do not make them. They make Ham radios instead. So your choices for a high quality hand-held radio capable of reaching any considerable distance and reaching others who are familiar with radio communications, perhaps even in emergency situations, are pretty much limited to Ham radios of some kind, and the most commonly used hand-held Ham radios are 2 meter radios. There is quite a lot…


Going the Extra Mile in Amateur Communications, by Extraman

…Service (FRS). It is really neat to have but one radio that can do all these things, Even though you cannot legally transmit on those other frequencies under normal circumstances. The Yaesu FT 8800 radio will also “Cross Band” repeat, Right out of the box with no modifications. This means a person can set up two channels and talk through the radio from a small low power hand held radio, At the full power of the mobile radio. (Cross band repeat means to talk to the radio on one band, VHF for example, and the radio will automatically retransmit your signal on another band, For instance UHF, and vice-versa) Speaking of hand held radios, My current favorite is the little micro size Yaesu VX 3. A tiny radio that can receive a very wide range of services, including commercial AM and FM broadcast. The simple snip of one little diode…


Four Letters Re: Long Haul Voice and Data Communications in a Post-Collapse Environment

…Communications Commission) creates the laws and issues you the right to use Ham frequencies. In the US, it is illegal to transmit on the Ham bands without an FCC issued license and call sign. So follow the rules, and get licensed. It really is easy, I did it with my dad’s help when I was ten years old. Now the good stuff: Ham radio is indeed a fairly robust form of communication (even capable of running off of small solar panels in the case of handheld radios), and for the most part, the Ham Radio community itself is very emergency preparedness oriented. There are numerous Ham groups across the US with the sole purpose of maintaining and practicing communication under disaster conditions, and most local area clubs participate regularly in related drills, classes, and actual disaster coordination. Becoming a “ham” involves learning some of the technical aspects of radio and…


EMP-Hardened Ham Radio Communications, by PrepperDoc

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…HF Ham gear that would likely survive an EMP attack. Published articles suggest that voltages/currents developed on antenna feed lines may reach 1 million volts and 1000 or more amps (for an instant), with voltages on power lines only a bit less. While some transistorized mobile Ham radio units were found resistant in one set of tests (Ref. 1), we opted to go with used vacuum-tube Ham radio equipment. Vacuum tube equipment has been found highly resistant to EMP damage. Furthermore, while entry level software-defined computerized Ham radio gear often starts at more than $500, older, used, vacuum tube equipment often goes for $200 in working condition. One of our members had extensive electrical engineering education and as a high school student had constructed Heathkit vacuum tube Ham radios. We went with that kind of gear. HF Heathkit vacuum tube 5-band 180-watt transceivers capable of modern communications (single side band…


Essential Communications on a Budget, by TCM

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…be licensed to own the equipment, only to transmit. But using the equipment is something you have to learn, it’s useless to stash ham radio equipment with your wheat and beans “just in case”. You have to use it to learn it. Idahoser if the frequencies are within a ham band, the FRS and GMRS rules don’t apply to the licensed ham. Idahoser I was misremembering where the FRS band is, please remove the above comment. At one time I’d had the idea they were within the 70cm ham band. Steve As several other commenters have suggested, obtaining an FCC license and practicing Ham radio regularly is a very good strategy. Building and tuning an HF radio and antenna set for optimum communications capability isn’t plug and play. You’ll likely need to experiment with a couple different configurations before finding one that suits your style and frequency range. PG 2…


Amateur Radio for Preppers, by Pastor R.V.

…radio for preppers as well as offer some steps for the new ham. Low power, amateur radio disaster communications. For about a century amateur radio has been the backbone of disaster communications across the globe. Even with the advent of cell phones ham radio operators have been crucial links in the communications chain, especially in the immediate area of a natural disaster such as a hurricane. Cell service may be available outside of the affected area but ham radio can help bridge the gap across the “last mile” so to speak. In a large scale disaster or collapse scenario it would be unwise to rely on any form of telephone or internet communication. I believe this is where amateur radio would really shine. I could also lump in CB radio here as well but I believe that the variety of frequency options available to amateurs gives them a much greater…


Radio Basics Presentation, by Saratoga

…Manual) manual for the Technician license. Ham Radio Outlet has them as do numerous websites. Ham Bands Chart http://www.arrl.org/graphical-frequency-allocations Short Wave Generally 11 meters to 120 meters in the HF spectrum. Travels more reliably for longer distances. Often government broadcasts. Listen only. Antenna Modification Known as a Tiger Tail Use on handheld radios to increase range YouTube Videos Part 1 Part 2 Wire: 19.5″ for 2 meter, 6.5″ for 70 centimeter Section 5 Wrap-up Conclusion Three Main Types of Radio Communication Short range – under 50 miles. Long range – state, country, and even worldwide. Scanning – keep tabs on what is going on around you. Power (watts) and number of channels are key. Ham radio is far superior to all other radio types. Radio Comparison Service Radio Websites Exams eham.com (Practice exams) qrz.com ARRL – American Radio Relay league Website License Manual Manufacturers Alinco Baofeng Icom Kenwood Wouxun Yaesu…


Retreat Owner Profiles

…house has an Icom M700 marine grade HF, an automatic antenna tuner, 1500 W linear amp, several different antennas including a log-periodic wide band (purchased surplus from the Air Force, it’s a huge antenna with a bigger rotator on a monster mast. $100K+ to replace, I got it for $1300 and it cost me another $4K to move and install it). The house also has 2 meter, 440, and commercial VHF-FM high and UHF-FM radios with programming software, and an aircraft radio. A variety of FRS/GMRS and ham/commercial handheld radios, some with earbuds or mic/earphone cords to connect to the four sets of Peltor amplified hearing protectors. I have a couple of military tactical radios – PRC-77 (FM) and PRC-90 and ARC-164 (UHF aircraft) that I occasionally monitor. The commercial radios have the local police department, sheriff and fire frequencies programmed, among others.An Icom (I like Icom Radios) IC 75…


Making Ham Radio Simple for the Survivalist, by Alan M.

…well known and therefore may have questionable security, and such sources are prone for takeover for propaganda and misinformation purposes during trying times. I was living in Southern California in 2003, and almost lost my home to the Paradise Fire. Most of the local firefighters had gone north to help with other fires before our local fire started, so we were almost completely on our own. Both cell phones and land lines went down very early in the game. Not long after this experience, I got my technician license, to be able to communicate locally on Ham Radio. I became involved with a local group of hams, and helped organized a communications net. Ham radio is one person with a radio and an antenna, talking to another person across the street or on the other side of the world, who has a radio and an antenna, with no other equipment…


Communications WTSHTF, by Rangoon

…do for your communication plan is to get your ham radio license.  The test is very easy to take.  I took it when I was 12 and passed.  You get a basic grounding in radio theory and it opens up thousands of short and long range communication frequencies for your use.  The world is literally your oyster!  The first level of ham radio operator is technician. This level allows you to use short and medium range frequencies while restricting most long range wavelengths.  The technician class license test consists of a 35 question written exam.  The best way to prepare for the test is to buy the American Radio Relay League Ham Radio License Manual.  It comes with lots of practice questions and is the standard to which all other ham radio test books are compared. The most common kind of short range communication is hand held FRS (Family Radio…