Excellent reference! People need to save and share these!

The “elective” branch????

Might want to look into your own cognitive skills.

By the way, try something original. This cut-and-paste crap has been around the block already.

Jeez.

People are interested in radio as a back up for emergencies. It’s a huge part of what the ham community does. When there are hurricanes, storms, black outs, etc., hams set up emergency operations and relay messages to and from families and friends who have lost their phones, cell, power.

Any idiots who think they are going to take over the world using walkie talkie technology from the last century are going to be sorely disappointed in the results.

Go to Amazon and search on this code:

B077D488P9

Should give you a UV82 hi power for 29 bucks. I just bought another one!!!

Look for a Baofeng uv82, or just look up Baofeng. They have lots of model variants but they’re all basically the same radio. Usually you can find some variant on Amazon even if the obvious sources are sold out. Also, they are usually all over ebay.

To my knowledge, there are no VHF radios made in the US at all. Hope I’m wrong!

I guess he don’t go in for that fancy book learnin’. Shame, it’s a GREAT story!

Another thing: I think the training you give yourself with amateur radio equipment is also a valuable foundation for figuring out how to use other people’s radio gear if you need to.

Granted, learning to drive a stick shift doesn’t mean you are ready to move a tractor trailer, but it’s a start, you know?

Agree. I’m not sure how dependable repeaters will be in adverse conditions, so it is important to try simplex communication and learn its limits. If mass power is out or if the repeater tower has been knocked down/damaged, or if its frequency has been jammed, then you need alternatives.

Gladly!

Ham radio in a SHTF situation definitely has some pros and cons.

Pros: Doesn’t need any infrastructure that you don’t provide. You need a transceiver and an antenna and someone else to talk to. No A/C power needed, no internet or phone needed, no cell service needed.
Your messages are broadcast to anyone tuned to that frequency. So a call for help could reach many people at the same time. Even if you’re not hearing a reply, your signal may still reach someone who can relay your help message.
For local person-to-person use (this is not private - anyone can hear who is on your chosen frequency), the UHF and VHF bands have tons of distinct frequencies you and your partner can use. Keep changing until you find one with no traffic and go to town. Just remember, it’s not private at all.

Local VHF repeaters often have an auto-patch feature which lets you use the repeater to make a telephone call using your radio. This has become kind of a relic since cell phones, but it is a possibility.

You can establish a comms plan BEFORE an emergency with your group so that you all know what windows of time you need to monitor for broadcasts.

Cons:

No true point to point privacy.

Battery operated. You have to have a long term recharging solution if you lose conventional power.

Low power. Most hand held radios work at about 5 watts, which isn’t much, and diminishes with battery use. So simplex communication with a handheld is a near thing. Handhelds also have small antennas, which exacerbates the problem. If you’re with a group moving through hilly territory, stay close. Confirm your contact before you get too far apart.

A license is required. I don’t see this as a con myself, but it’s a real requirement for regular life, which is when you need to be practicing all of these skills.

Finally, it is really old technology. It’s easy to physically find someone who is broadcasting from a set location. It’s easy to jam frequencies. It’s often garbled or unintelligible at the edges of its capability.

Nice! No soy in you!

If you want to read some other great adventure accounts, try

HIGH ADVENTURE by Sir Edmund Hillary IN THE KINGDOM OF ICE by Hampton Sides KON-TIKI by Thor Heyerdahl

Wise words.

You’d never do it today, would you?!?

Loved that book.

Gladly! I’ll look for a PM.

Sorry, regarding LOCAL radio sales, that can be tough. A few cities have retail stores specializing in amateur radios and equipment (HRO is one), but they are not on every corner.
If you really want to put your hands on one, find a local amateur radio club in your town and introduce yourself. Most hams are really welcoming. Or, order an inexpensive Baofeng handheld from Amazon or some other online seller and learn how to set it up for local repeater traffic. You can find these for well under 50 bucks.

Enjoy! It really is a fun hobby!

You can have a VHF radio in your hands from Amazon pretty much overnight. Amateur transceivers are shipped ready to transmit. Only the honor system keeps you from transmitting without a license. Well, that and some steep fines for getting caught.

I should also add that using a ham transceiver for VHF/UHF is not as straightforward as using the GMRS-type radios you see in the sporting goods department. They usually require some basic vocabulary understanding and multiple setting adjustments, while the department store models work more like the walkie talkies of my childhood.

Not rocket science, but study a little BEFORE you have an emergency and see what you can tune in.

Also, regarding getting a license: it’s not an online test. You usually take it from volunteer proctors who are active operators in your area. Go to www.Arrl.org for help.

I am a ham and a big fan of amateur radio. The skills and knowledge we pick up by preparing for the license exam and later by day to day use, research, and experimentation are things you won’t get anywhere else. However, i think there are some misconceptions out there about it.

VERY SHORT PRIMER:

Amateur radio is the wattage-limited transmission and reception of over-the-air radio communication for noncommercial use and is regulated by the federal government. Anyone can legally own amateur radio equipment receive amateur radio signals but a license is required for any sort of transmission.

Amateur radio users (hams) pass a license exam and are granted call letters by the FCC (who regulate the airwaves). They are granted access to segments of the radio spectrum based on the license level they receive (there are 3 levels). The licenses are good for 10 years but may be revoked for abuse or rule breaking. Large fines are also possible for flagrant or repeat violators.

Amateur radio is open only to specific frequency ranges so that it does not conflict with other band allocations like police/EMS/air traffic control, etc.. Amateur radio transmitters are required to identify themselves by call sign. Amateur radio is public and open. Any sort of coding, encryption or scrambling is not allowed.

Amateur radio use happens lover UHF/VHF or HF frequencies as allotted. UHF/VHF can be used mostly in local areas (either direct or “simplex” or via amplifying systems called repeaters) and are similar in sound quality to your basic FM radio. HF radio traffic can happen across several different frequency ranges, or “bands”, and can be used for local to global communication when atmospheric conditions permit. HF can sound faint, full of static, and pitchy, depending on conditions, or can at times be unavailable altogether over certain bands. Each band requires a matching antenna that is best mounted from a tower or roof top. On either VHF or HF, radio traffic is receivable by ALL. People talk over one another (usually not intentionally) and the only “traffic control” comes from established user customs and FCC rules.

VHF equipment can be cheap (less than 100 bucks to communicate on local repeaters or with nearby hams). HF equipment is more expensive. You might spend 1,000 bucks on a decent radio and another 500 or more on antennas, power supply to get on the air at all.

CB radio is not ham radio. Citizens’ Band has its own HF frequency range and does not require a license. Most small Motorola-type walkie talkies are Not ham radio, though some use frequencies on GMRS that require a license. They are very limited by range and terrain.

Hope that helps. Glad to answer any questions or take any corrections from more experienced hams out there.

Grow up.

Fake. This shows up a couple times each week lately. Notice there’s no date on it.

I don’t understand. Dems are or are not going after ham radio? Source?

This is why TD is great.

It’s not going to be up to Mitch in a few days.

This has floated around before. No date on it.