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Thread: Ham radio information needed

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    UK Avalon Member Nick Matkin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ham radio information needed

    Quote Posted by Szymon (here)
    Hi All,

    Just finished reading most of this thread. I have a few amateur radios here. If you're looking to become a ham operator your best bet is to get yourself the ARRL handbook and read it through, it should provide you with all the information to become a licensed ham operator. I also suggest joining your local amateur radio club every country will have one. Just get in contact with the president of the club and tell them that you want to become a ham operator and take it from there.

    The ARRL handbook covers everything.

    http://www.arrl.org/news/the-2022-ar...-now-available

    With regards to equipment, there is a lot of radios out there back in the day most of the were half solid-state and half tubes (final power output). Today they are entirely solid state, and now you get solid-state with SDR, the same goes with the price.

    If you looking for something go for a 2nd hand solid state like the Yeasu or Icom. I have both and they are brilliant radios. Make sure it has at least 100 watts. You don't want one that has a limit of 5 watts. In our field this is considered a QRP radio, meaning very low power and it provides another complexity where you might not be heard due to low power output. Some hams like this added complexity. It's a thrilling moment to make contact in a different country with 5 watts on the HF band.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaesu_FT-817

    The antenna is another important part, It must be tuned or the reflected power from the antenna will damage your radio and then you will need to get that fixed. So hence why we use an Antenna Analyser and Tuner, to keep the SWR down.

    Coax is another factor to consider always make sure it's a good quality 50 ohm and has a minimum loss. Something like this

    https://www.strictlyham.com.au/rg-213-u

    Hope this helps.

    Cheers,
    Szymon
    When Armageddon strikes, you may not have access for power for a 100w transmitter! For anyone really serious about communications during The End Times, a 10 watt transmitter and learning to send and receive Morse code is a serious option. No sophisticated equipment required. No high power necessary (although the more power the better), and The Bad Guys probably won't be equipped to read Morse.

    Yes, there are better ways of communicating using various data modes, but really, will you have a working computer to operate say, FT8 when things turn really bad?

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  3. Link to Post #162
    UK Avalon Founder Bill Ryan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ham radio information needed

    Quote Posted by Casey Claar (here)
    Bill - did you ever get your ham setup? ( have you learned how to use it? ).
    Ha. No — I just have it all, safely boxed up, with a long antenna I can rig up on the hill at the back of my house and all the detailed instructions. It can be attached to my 4x4 (or my little generator), so no external power is needed as long as I have some gasoline. The main barrier has been obtaining a license in a Spanish-speaking country. (But in a genuine planetary emergency, I doubt that would matter.)

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    United States Avalon Member Casey Claar's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ham radio information needed

    Well that's good you got all the equipment ready. This thread made me go looking for licensed ham radio operators near me. It turns out the neighbor in the house just to the front of me is one. So as long as they don't move, and I don't think they will, it is an older couple in their early 70s, I know where to potentially go for information. Very cool. There are actually a couple dozen licensed operators within a 2 mile radius. I was surprised!
    "Love is what is left when you let go of everything you no longer need." —Raj

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  7. Link to Post #164
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    Default Re: Ham radio information needed

    Just read the entire thread, wow such a wealth of information here. I am considering to get one soon, but I could not find any of these models commented here, I found same brands like YAESU, ICOM, KENWOOD.. but other models like IC 2300H and FT 2980R..
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  9. Link to Post #165
    UK Avalon Founder Bill Ryan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ham radio information needed

    Quote Posted by palehorse (here)
    Just read the entire thread, wow such a wealth of information here. I am considering to get one soon, but I could not find any of these models commented here, I found same brands like YAESU, ICOM, KENWOOD.. but other models like IC 2300H and FT 2980R..
    Try eBay, maybe? Here are a couple of radios I found immediately:

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  11. Link to Post #166
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    Default Re: Ham radio information needed

    Quote Posted by palehorse (here)
    Just read the entire thread, wow such a wealth of information here. I am considering to get one soon, but I could not find any of these models commented here, I found same brands like YAESU, ICOM, KENWOOD.. but other models like IC 2300H and FT 2980R..
    Theoretically operating amateur radio equipment without a license could get you in a lot of trouble and have the equipment confiscated. It won't take local hams long to know you're unlicensed. You can't just buy a licence either; it's like driving - you have to pass an exam. But in a national emergency the authorities (and other amateur radio operators) will have better things to do than track you down and prosecute!

    Also remember that most amateur radio equipment is quite complex. You need to understand how to use SSB, FM, match antennas on the bands you want to use, which bands will propagate in which direction and how far. Some equipment is just for local (ground-wave) coverage of a few tens on miles (as in the two links Bill posted), while other equipment is for international communication.

    For ease of use for just local communication I think CB would be a better option for most people. The antennas are quite simple and the equipment is far easier to drive. No exams and in many countries no license required either. And quite cheap. You can have a high-power base station with a range of say 50 miles in the right conditions, or a mobile set-up in your car.

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/16609031293...Bk9SR7zJgvqHYg

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/37421777387...Bk9SR-bXkPqHYg

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  13. Link to Post #167
    Avalon Member palehorse's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ham radio information needed

    Quote Posted by Bill Ryan (here)
    Quote Posted by palehorse (here)
    Just read the entire thread, wow such a wealth of information here. I am considering to get one soon, but I could not find any of these models commented here, I found same brands like YAESU, ICOM, KENWOOD.. but other models like IC 2300H and FT 2980R..
    Try eBay, maybe? Here are a couple of radios I found immediately:

    Quote Posted by Nick Matkin (here)
    Quote Posted by palehorse (here)
    Just read the entire thread, wow such a wealth of information here. I am considering to get one soon, but I could not find any of these models commented here, I found same brands like YAESU, ICOM, KENWOOD.. but other models like IC 2300H and FT 2980R..
    Theoretically operating amateur radio equipment without a license could get you in a lot of trouble and have the equipment confiscated. It won't take local hams long to know you're unlicensed. You can't just buy a licence either; it's like driving - you have to pass an exam. But in a national emergency the authorities (and other amateur radio operators) will have better things to do than track you down and prosecute!

    Also remember that most amateur radio equipment is quite complex. You need to understand how to use SSB, FM, match antennas on the bands you want to use, which bands will propagate in which direction and how far. Some equipment is just for local (ground-wave) coverage of a few tens on miles (as in the two links Bill posted), while other equipment is for international communication.

    For ease of use for just local communication I think CB would be a better option for most people. The antennas are quite simple and the equipment is far easier to drive. No exams and in many countries no license required either. And quite cheap. You can have a high-power base station with a range of say 50 miles in the right conditions, or a mobile set-up in your car.

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/16609031293...Bk9SR7zJgvqHYg

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/37421777387...Bk9SR-bXkPqHYg


    Hi many thanks to Bill and Nick Matkin.

    What grabbed my attention was that I could have a tiny radio station set to listening and not to interact with. would that require a license?

    I think more in terms of have the comm device set for a just in case situation in the future (beside listening to it). I am thinking in a scenario where internet won't be an option, I am not looking for daily use, more for emergency cases, also it is a great thing to have, there will always be someone around with a sharp knowledge to operate it, also I could learn most of the basics.

    I want to have it in my truck and in the house, 1 equipment that I can move depending on the circumstance, it does not need to be capable of communicating with people around the world, that would be a plus.. the only radios I have are the two-way baofeng that I use in the land sometimes because phones does not work in there, the little radio cover around 5km only, the other radio I have is the one with the hand-crank (dynamo), it is short wave / AM / FM, I think it can be useful to get some news too, but it is not a transceiver.

    I don't want to break the bank buying expensive things that I have almost zero knowledge, the links posted by Nick sounds great, I will take the time to learn about those radios, 60 bucks sounds doable.

    Many thanks, it helped a lot.
    --
    A chaos to the sense, a Kosmos to the reason.

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  15. Link to Post #168
    UK Avalon Founder Bill Ryan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ham radio information needed

    Quote Posted by palehorse (here)
    What grabbed my attention was that I could have a tiny radio station set to listening and not to interact with. Would that require a license?
    No license required for that! (And no-one out there would know you were just listening anyway.)

    Shortwave radios, which are receivers only and can listen internationally over long distances, are easy to find. There are dozens on Amazon and eBay, cost ranging from very little to several hundred dollars.
    If the lights went out everywhere and there was suddenly no internet or cellphone signal, this would be one of the best ways way to find out what the heck had happened.
    Last edited by Bill Ryan; 22nd May 2023 at 11:10.

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    Peru Avalon Member seehas's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ham radio information needed

    Quote Posted by Bill Ryan (here)
    Quote Posted by palehorse (here)
    What grabbed my attention was that I could have a tiny radio station set to listening and not to interact with. Would that require a license?
    No license required for that! (And no-one out there would know you were just listening anyway.)

    Shortwave radios, which are receivers only and can listen internationally over long distances, are easy to find. There are dozens on Amazon and eBay, cost ranging from very little to several hundred dollars.
    If the lights went out everywhere and there was suddenly no internet or cellphone signal, this would be one of the best ways way to find out what the heck had happened.
    You might want to stash all your emergency radio equipment in a metal-box to shield it from solar flares.

    I have a HAM radio, here where i live close to the jungle in peru the only signals i receive are from broadcasting radio stations and even when we have a power outage (which happens alot), im not able to receive any signal - so i doubt that my radio will be any usefull in a real emergency situation
    Last edited by seehas; 22nd May 2023 at 14:31.
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  19. Link to Post #170
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    Default Re: Ham radio information needed

    I came across this video, and it's NOT a bad one. It starts off with super-simple basics, but after several minutes it's going into some things I never knew, and it discusses every type of radio that there is. Just 18 minutes, and it might be worth watching.

    An EASY Guide to Radios for Preppers


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    Default Re: Ham radio information needed

    Quote Posted by Bill Ryan (here)
    I came across this video, and it's NOT a bad one. It starts off with super-simple basics, but after several minutes it's going into some things I never knew, and it discusses every type of radio that there is. Just 18 minutes, and it might be worth watching.

    An EASY Guide to Radios for Preppers

    There are some inaccuracies in this video:

    HAM radio covers a lot of bands starting from HF, VHF, UHF to SHF. The propagation of the signal is depending on the band used
    and things like weather conditions. In this video he mentions SSB (Single Side Band) for better propagation but that's not accurate.

    The VHF and UHF bands are most of the times used in the Baofeng radio's (and indeed I do have 2). The Baofeng handhelds can be
    programmed with a computer if you have the software and a cable to connect it to your PC. You can even program the VHF channels
    used on a marifoon (VHF communications used on ships and at sea). VHF and UHF are suitable for line-of-sight communication or
    indeed a longer range when used with repeaters (no privacy there of course). Sometimes there are special conditions like sporadic
    E-reflections (often go hand in hand with an increase in sun spots) that enables VHF comms over several hundreds of miles.

    Now there is also a long existing mix-up between bands and modulation. AM (Amplitude Modulation) was one of the first ways to
    modulate speech and music on a carrier wave and the early radio stations broadcasted beteen 500 Khz and 1.7 Mhz (LF).
    That's why on a normal radio it's called the AM band but that's actually not really related. So this band covers 1700 - 500 Khz =
    only 1200 Khz or 1.2 Mhz. and while mono AM modulated stations use a small bandwith it offers enough capacity for dozens of
    broadcasting stations. Amplitude modulation has another advantage and that is why it is used for air traffic communication. When 2 sources
    transmit at the same time you 'may' be able to at least notice them both and don't lose a transmission.

    FM (Frequency Modulation) uses more bandwidth and is more suitable to send hifi stereo music (using a technical trick). Stations broadcasting these broadband signals require more frequency space and that's why they use VHF (87 to 108 MHz) frequencies. For the same reason faster and faster wifi modems use even higher and higher frequencies (2.4 Ghz = 2400 Mhz and 5 GHz etc.)

    SSB (Single Side Band) is a very useful modulation for spoken communication. It's related to AM but provides even more advantages. In AM there 2 sidebands + the carrier. But you need only 1 sideband to obtain the informational content. You can filter 1 sideband and the carrier away so you need only 25% of the power to transmit without losing information, that's why it indeed is more effective (not on propagation by used frequency but used transmitted power). At the receiving side you need to add the missing carrier wave to detect the information of the received signal. If you're not exactly tuned to the frequency you will hear a low or high pitched voice.
    Internationally is 'agreed' to use LSB (Lower Side Band) below 10 Mhz and USB (Upper Side Band) above 10 Mhz. (In the video he shows a transceiver on the 20 meter band (14 Mhz) using the LSB mode which is odd)

    So here's a summary from my own use experience:

    80 meter band (3.5 - 3.8 Mhz depending on your location in the world) to be used with morse code (CW) or voice comms (LSB). Often better conditions at nighttime, range up to several hundreds of miles.

    20 meter band (14 - 14.35 MHz) to be used with morse code (CW) or voice comms (USB). Best opportunities for DX (long distance) conditions up to thousands of miles.

    11 meter band (CB channels at 27 MHz). In the Netherlands legalized (MARC) a few decades ago using FM modulation. In other countries or illegal versions also available using AM or SSB modulation. Range often not that good because of crowded channels and low (< 4 Watts) transmission power

    10 meter band (28 - 29.7 Mhz) I converted a dutch CB radio to channels on 29 Mhz (HAM radio band) using only 2 Watts. Under special (!) conditions I was once able to reach all the way up to Japan when I still lived in the Netherlands. Notice the difference it made between 27 and 29 MHz using the same transceiver but now in a different 'usage' space.

    2 meter band VHF (144 - 146 Mhz in Europe, 144 - 148 Mhz in the America's). Often used for mobile comms using FM (for example Baofeng handhelds, or mobile transceivers in cars) or also using SSB more likely from base stations with highly direction sensitive antennas. Repeaters are widely used in many countries and there are even AMSAT satellites !

    70 cm band UHF (in Europe 430 - 440 Mhz). Often used for local comms using FM (Baofeng handhelds are often UHF capable, called dual band) or SSB. I used 70cm a lot at very low power (200 mW) to (more privately) communicate with a study friend using a highly directive antenna and a homebuild 'transverter' which made my 29 Mhz FM modified CB transceiver usable on UHF.

    Don't forget that besides frequencies, modulation, power and equipment a lot also depends on the effectiveness of the antenna in use.

    And last but certainly not least: don't forget to prepare by making rendevous appointments in advance !
    I made some appointments already for a weekday and time on a specific frequency to reestablish comms between my location and family in Europe.
    (And do not forget to rehearse/test/practice this appointment frequently)
    Last edited by Operator; 24th May 2023 at 09:54. Reason: Typos

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    Default Re: Ham radio information needed

    Hi Guys,

    Just a quick note, during the pandemic I wrote a short booklet about emergency radio communications which addresses most of the questions. Check it out here in this thread.

    https://projectavalon.net/forum4/sho...=1#post1552462

    Don't forget to have the right antenna. If the antenna is not tuned you will not be able to be heard when transmitting. SWR is very important. Another piece of equipment that is recommended is to have an antenna tuner. Something like this, it sits between the radio and the antenna. This usually fixes your SWR issue.

    https://mfjenterprises.com/collections/tuners

    If you want a nice cheap HF antenna. I recommend making an End Fed Half Wave wire antenna. You will need a balun, you can make it yourself or purchase on online, go for a 49:1 ratio. Cut it to your frequency and you're good to go.

    Cheers,
    Szymon

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    Default Re: Ham radio information needed

    Ive got a great tipp for all here that own a cheap baofeng ham radio - the baofeng antennas are not good but there is a possibility for an easy and cheap upgrade this antenna will give you a big boost in performance, im using the same antenna on my YAESU.

    The Antenna is flexible and robust, i can highly recommend it.

    It is possible that you need the SRJ77CA Version for your Baofeng.

    Diamond SRJ77: 144/430MHz (/2m/70cm)
    Air band/150/300/450/800/900MHz receiving only

    Length:40.2cm
    Weight:40g
    Max.power rating:10W / Impedance:50ohms
    Connector:SMA-J
    Last edited by seehas; 25th May 2023 at 01:35.
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