Ham radio information needed

[Raven]

I would also maybe check with George Ure over at Urban Survival - he has been involved with ham radios since a teen I think

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)

Posted by Operator (here)
What do you need to know or start to do/organize ?

Personally -- I'd like to know what to buy that's powerful, not too expensive, and operable by an intelligent novice. (Henry warned us against some models that are technically excellent, but not that simple to master due to their sophistication.)

I'd also welcome information about ham radio stations that are lightweight and portable, and which can operate on solar power.

[Carrie]

I came across this site....see links in right column under Short Wave Radio.... http://www.mrcometwatch.com/ Might be some added info for you.

[GoodeTXSG]

I am a licensed FAA HAM Operator... I would love to connect with other Radio people here... you would think that there are a lot of us here... forming a network across the US/World would be great.
HAM OPERATOR: KE5UNV
E-4/SPC JGoode TX Army State Guard (Command Control, Communications, Computation & Intelligence). Maybe we can start a forum group.
Bill, did you get your questions answered?

[GoodeTXSG]

Posted by Providence (here)

Posted by Operator (here)

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)

Posted by Operator (here)
What do you need to know or start to do/organize ?

Personally -- I'd like to know what to buy that's powerful, not too expensive, and operable by an intelligent novice. (Henry warned us against some models that are technically excellent, but not that simple to master due to their sophistication.)

I'd also welcome information about ham radio stations that are lightweight and portable, and which can operate on solar power.

John Waterman promotes this one:

http://www.yaesu.com/indexVS.cfm?cmd...5&isArchived=0



It looks like there is a newer model too: FT-897D

I think those are very complete and nice but .... they will be very sensitive to EMP too ... and difficult to repair.

I actually bought one of these several months ago, I wanted a way to communicate over great distances. It seems to be a nice unit not too overwhelming and can be used for mobile or home base operations. Finding the right radio was a breeze compared to choosing a suitable antenna. You really need to do a lot of research or find someone that can mentor you when selecting an antenna. I purchased one that had several additional segments to cover the most bandwidth. I have set it up once or twice, just to listen in and get used to the operation. I was studying for my license but haven't taken the test.

Here is the site I was using for practice tests:
http://www.qrz.com/ht/?

Good luck Bill

I prefer ICOM but China has really been tearing it up with their great radios. My next radio will be a Yaesu... I used one on a deployment and I was very impressed.

[GoodeTXSG]

Pretty cool, most recently when deployed in the Texas Army State Cuard I supported and operated the National Guard Pac Star 5500 unit

[gittarpikk]

CB is 27 mhz....and its lineage is mostly trucker and neighborhood yakking. CB (Citizens Band)...only requires a certificate available from the fcc assigning a 'call sign number' and is more user friendly than ham radio is(equipment is cheaper and more readily available).Antennas are basic, cheap and readily available. (Many people run illegal linear amplifiers to extend their range...and many times destroyed the tv reception of the neighbors next door)

Ham involved many frequencies and includes the ability to operate on 50 mhz flying radio controlled model aircraft. First person view video from the cockpit is also available to the ham license holder...and he is not nearly restricted in transmitter power(900 mhz, 1.2 ghz, 2.4 ghz and 5.8 ghz) so can fly his models via video link at great distances (google FPV rc systems).This is latest developments...however early hams used 160 meters, 80 meters, 40 , 2 meters etc for their communication..Meters represents the length of the one wavelength antenna. ..ie 40 meters is a 7 mhz antenna. 7mhz was code (CW) only (*no voice) and consisted of mostly 'skip' (ionosphere reflected) propogation...and one could easily chat (via morse code) to surrounding states as well as distant countries.

Equipment ,and more so, antennas can be home built...Hams that work 'skip' usually are on lower frequencies as the antenna is longer and the signal bounces further. ...there are 'moon bounce' communications as well. Ham radio is pretty much 'all' about the antenna and the equipment...with many belonging to networks both local and abroad.. Ham radio is a tighter held group than cb'ers who just like to yak....and avoid the patrolman's radar on the interstates.

Although not current, (in the 80's they developed the perpetual license---mine was only 2 years) I had a license (WB4BKW) (surprised I remembered this ) back in 74-78 and acquired it for the sole purpose of learning the morse code language...which carries much , much further than voice is capable of with same power outputs.

I can , to this day, still remember some/most of the code letters and with a bit of refreshing , could probably go back online at least as a Novice level user.

The fascination of the antenna and equipment is best understood by acquiring an ARRL handbook (American Radio Relay League)...which , for years , was the Radio Amatuers (Ham) "bible'.

Hope this answers some of you questions

SWL (short wave listening is similar and uses nearby frequencies ...and you will be amazed at what you can pick up that is not pure 'propaganda' as we have in our 'bought and paid for ' media.

Years ago...the 'goal' was to work as many states/countries as one could ...and have a wall with all the postcards from all the stations you could get to send you.....of course you sent your own to them as a courtesy of the 'skip' conversation.

[scanner]

Can we get something out of the way here , if the system breaks down you will not need or want a licence to use YOUR radio . All you need to do in the here and now is to educate yourself on the uses and operation of YOUR radio, so you don't, 1) damage your equipment 2) can communicate efficiently with other uses . If you go down the ham route and get a licence now YOU WILL go on a data base and could make yourself a target .

Why do you think they make you get a licence before you're ALLOWED to operate YOUR equipement too transmit. You will be classed as a PIRATE if you go down the stuff you route , so what I've been called worse lol .

[M6*]

It is my understanding that the morse code requirement has been lifted in the U.S. I started to get going on this last fall, but something held me back.
Playing around with a CB some years ago used to be fun to listen to people we actually knew openly talking about their lives was a lot of fun.
This, however, is for a far more serious purpose and it does require a bit of time to get qualified to pass the exam. The money could also be wasted
if one doesn't get something that is workable on an individual basis the first time around. M6*

[rmauersr]

Before purchasing a transceiver, determine the maximum distance you will use for communication. There are many inexpensive options for reliable short range contact, including CB, FRS and GMRS. But if you want long range communications also, you will need a radio intended for use in the Amateur Radio service. Frequency bands reliably used for long distance communication are identified by wavelength. Some popular frequency bands are 80 meters, 40 meters, 20 meters (world wide). These radios are typically called High Frequency (HF) radios.

There are many new and used HF radios available. The choices will overwhelm a beginner for sure. It is best to talk with some local amateur radio operators and get a variety of opinions before deciding which radio to purchase.

If a new HF radio is your choice, the ICOM 718 is the least expensive quality radio that I know of. Reviews can be found here. I paid $400 for a used one.

You can pay thousands of dollars for a radio but you do not need to do so. These high priced radios have been designed for enthusiasts with lots of money to spend. A basic radio with few "bells and whistles" will work fine.

As communication systems degrade during civil unrest, Amateur Radio will be "the last man standing".

[M0JFK]

In the UK you can do the FOUNDATION course. The foundation course will give you access to nearly all the Amateur bands but with limited power output to 10 watts.

Second is the INTERMEDIATE course. The Intermediate course gives you the advantage of using up to 50 watts of power output but will require you to learn a little more about how to solder and you will be require to build a kit to demonstrait your ability to do this...the kits are provided on the course and a small charge is made for them.

The Third and final course is the FULL licence. The Full licence gives you up to 400 watts of power usage here in the UK and you will need to learn more about circuit building, ohms law, and other aspects of the hobby in full.

So to sum up the licence comes in three parts and you can stay at the FOUDATION level if you so wish. It will give you access to most of the bands used by Amateurs below 24ghz but only at the power level of 10 watts. Worlwide comunication is quite easy even at foundation level so dont worry to much about the 10 watts of power at this licence level. You will find a lot of bands that you can use at foundation level are linked to the internet so worldwide coms is 24/7 ...this is called IRLP (Internet Radio Linking Page)

You can advance to INTERMEDIATE and FULL for greater power and more band usage (for example 24ghz ) that is often used for Satalight worldwide communications.

Nearly all these licence levels are done by local radio clubs so look up what club is close to you via a internet search engine or phone the RSGB (Radio Society of Great Britain) and they will give you the name of the club in your area that you can contact.

Good news ... Morse Code is no longer required for any of the licence levels (IN THE UK) and the foundation course is realy simple to pass and will get you on the Ham band's. If you want to advance then thats your choice and can I wish you all the best and be the first to welcome you all to my hobby... from Peter (M0JFK)

[4evrneo]

Thanks for all the great info, I have been wondering about this in the event of losing our normal mode of communications.

On my to do list.........

[Operator]

Posted by rmauersr (here)
Frequency bands reliably used for long distance communication are identified by wavelength. Some popular frequency bands are 80 meters, 40 meters, 20 meters (world wide). These radios are typically called High Frequency (HF) radios.

One more side note here: this is true under normal conditions. The question is what the conditions will be if TSHTF.

E.g. Aurora (Borealis) can favorably influence conditions on VHF ... solar storms could cause similar effects but on different places etc.
HAARP is capable of lifting layers hence change the propagation length of HF waves bouncing between layer and earth.
Ash clouds from erupting volcanoes would disrupt normal atmospheric conditions too ... etc. etc.

So experience will help dealing with the circumstances but an additional flexible, sharp and open mind would be needed too.

[kingmonkey]

Just curious, in what type of worst case scenarios will radio operation be useful in? What are the potential scenarios?

[scanner]

Loss of all other communications , for whatever reason .

[M0JFK]

After a nuclear detonation all radios (even the valve type) will be next to usless and was the main reason for the invention of the Internet. The internet was intended for post nuclear war communication.
Wikipedia only inform the reader of the comercial origin of the internet back to the 60's. The picture of the Yaesu FT857D above is a good radio but the Yaesu FT817D is a more practical radio to use given the fact you can get battery packs that fit inside the radio itself and is (by design) more for portable use.

[norman]

A few basic 'morse-like' codes could be handy.

When all else fails, it's still possible to send out bursts of radio energy over a large area by touching a couple of high power electrical wires together ( momentarily - only ).

I wouldn't recommend using 'dashes', just dots. Morse code is based on both but the dashes would be dangerous and could even blow out the source of the electricity and so to silence your efforts all together.

The signal would be very broad spectrum so a listener would hear it on a wide range of frequency settings on an AM radio.

( this was actually how the very first radio communication experiments were done. They only developed the idea of tuned carrier waves as a way to allow more communications to occure at the same time )

[SKAWF]

i was wondering if this was of any use

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Yaesu-FT-2...3324%26ps%3D54

its a portable ham radio

[rmauersr]

Posted by SKAWF (here)
i was wondering if this was of any use

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Yaesu-FT-2...3324%26ps%3D54

its a portable ham radio

That is a VHF (Very High Frequency) radio for a single band, 2 meters. The distance covered by 2 meter radios is approximately line of sight. Very useful over a distance of a few miles, and the audio quality is excellent.

Long distance communications (all over the planet) is done with HF (High Frequency) radios. HF radios typically cover 160 meters, 80 meters, 40 meters, 20 meters (usually best for long distance), 15 meters and 10 meters. Some HF radios have more bands.

[SKAWF]

Posted by rmauersr (here)

Posted by SKAWF (here)
i was wondering if this was of any use

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Yaesu-FT-2...3324%26ps%3D54

its a portable ham radio

That is a VHF (Very High Frequency) radio for a single band, 2 meters. The distance covered by 2 meter radios is approximately line of sight. Very useful over a distance of a few miles, and the audio quality is excellent.

Long distance communications (all over the planet) is done with HF (High Frequency) radios. HF radios typically cover 160 meters, 80 meters, 40 meters, 20 meters (usually best for long distance), 15 meters and 10 meters. Some HF radios have more bands.

ahhhh. so for worldwide communications then, would i be right in thinking it would need about 750w - 1kw of power?
and that its unlikely i would be able to get a portable one, unless i had a generator, and a truck to move the aerial around!!

[Operator]

Posted by SKAWF (here)
ahhhh. so for worldwide communications then, would i be right in thinking it would need about 750w - 1kw of power?
and that its unlikely i would be able to get a portable one, unless i had a generator, and a truck to move the aerial around!!

No, you don't need that much power. After they legalized CB in the Netherlands (a couple of decades back) there was a popular
modification going around in the HAM radio community. The sets could be modified from 11 Meters (27 Mhz) to 10 Meters (29 Mhz).
The modulation type was FM (which is not an advantage for long range). But still frequently conditions were good enough to reach
as far as Japan or the USA from the Netherlands only using 2 Watts of power. A good antenna and atmospheric conditions are more
important. Superduper power output is nice when you are in a comfortable situation but probably a luxury when you need it in
emergency conditions.

P.S. High power may make you being heard everywhere ... but a good antenna also will take care that you hear your counterpart. High power output won't do that