AHM
NES Member
There are hams who have been preparing their entire lives for that day.So if SHTF (for real), you're telling me I'm going to upset the Ham Community by asking if anyone knows what's going on, because I don't have a call sign.
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There are hams who have been preparing their entire lives for that day.So if SHTF (for real), you're telling me I'm going to upset the Ham Community by asking if anyone knows what's going on, because I don't have a call sign.
Dude, they're on to you.So if SHTF (for real), you're telling me I'm going to upset the Ham Community by asking if anyone knows what's going on, because I don't have a call sign.
You'll never regret buying a $23 Baofeng or two or three, there is no downside to it. If you are just getting started, it's perfect. If yiu graduate to a better radio, the Baofeng just becomes a spare or something to monitor.
Grab an antenna connection adapter, some coax and make yourself ( or buy ) an outside antenna, put it as high as you can. You'll be surprised.
Obiden's swamp that put him in place will be banning this topic, for non off-shore use, so why waste your time and money?
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(Unless you live way in the upper reaches of the valley, somewhere west of Brattleboro),Any mentors in Souhegan valley?
I already have my license, just need some guidance setting up my UV5R(Unless you live way in the upper reaches of the valley, somewhere west of Brattleboro),
you should do what it takes to get hooked up with the Nashua Area Radio Society -
at least for licensing classes and other introductory stuff. They live for that.
XLNT.I already have my license, just need some guidance setting up my UV5R
(Unless you live way in the upper reaches of the valley, somewhere west of Brattleboro),
you should do what it takes to get hooked up with the Nashua Area Radio Society -
at least for licensing classes and other introductory stuff. They live for that.
Super relevant, thanks.Some of the Nashua Ham events and bootcamp classes have offered free "bring your Baofeng HT's " and they will program all area repeaters onto them for free.
Just thought I'd mention that as an incentive for some to consider.
Someone at NARS will have lived the hell that is your life (as a Baofeng owner),
and can advise on it.
No prob.I have a baofeng, runs fine.
I broke out my old Wouxun kg uv3d Friday and hit the Derry NH repeater from Lowell I thought that was pretty good and I'm sure that's a good ten miles.I have a baofeng, runs fine. Hits the boston repeater from 2 miles away no problem. But if I was buying a new HT/VHF/UHF I'd go alinco or yaseu. Alinco has a real nice dual band out right now with a remote head I want for my truck
1. 6-digit is called 2x3 (i.e. 2 letters, a number, 3 letters AKA prefix, suffix). You can get a vanity call sign if you want. I forget the rules, but higher license levels can get shorter calls.This is all great info. Some of it is getting dated, like the Baofeng is now 8 watts. I'm trying to put together several of the different learning sites for the testing, so will assemble some of that soon, and post back here. Just jumping into this with both feet, and trying to learn a little along the way.
Quick questions about how some of this works:
1) You need to study, then take a test to get "Technician" license. This gets you the 6 digit license number, and the ability to "legally" broadcast?
2) When you take the test, do you get your license on the spot if you pass, or do you have to wait for something else to happen?
3) Do people just talk through repeaters, or can they talk directly to one another? I've only had experience with the former on ham, but seen plenty of the latter with walkie talkies when skiing, only it is not "just one another", it is a bunch of people on same channel sometimes.
4) How do you test if reception is working, other than just zoom around the dial looking for something? Got a radio and built an antenna, but have not heard a whole heck of a lot this afternoong. To be fair, the Baofeng is programmed with 20+ repeaters, and that hasn't picked anything up either.
For what it's worth, I have a bunch of repeaters programmed in, hopefully programmed correctly. I asked elsewhere on here for people to check, and it sounded like it was OK. Anyhow, if you want that file as a starting point, you can copy/paste the whole thing from my file to your configuration, then save it and upload to your UV5R or equivalent, again as a starting point. Hope that helps someone.
Thanks.
HRO does not carry Baofeng.Ham Radio Outlet is a good one. They have stores sprinkled around.
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A 7300 does not do 2 meters or 440. An Icom 7100 does, as does a Yaesu FT991A.Is the 7300 worth the grand after rebate? What does one need for accessories and antenna to get it up and running for HF/VHF/UHF?
What else should one look at? Already have a couple
BF handhelds.
Thinking about starting with the SDRPlay Rx only but it's $160 with accessories.
If they don't remain sticklers, zillions of unlicensed CBers will start operating everywhere, and the ham bands will turn into CB. Hams don't want the yahoos to get their noses under the flap of the ham radio tent if they aren't licensed.So if SHTF (for real), you're telling me I'm going to upset the Ham Community by asking if anyone knows what's going on, because I don't have a call sign.
Also, I did say it's probably worth just taking the test and being done with it. Sounds like an awfully fickle community though if they're going to report me to the Feds for asking what's going on in an emergency situation, because I don't have a special piece of paper issued by the government saying it's okay for me to do something.
(This has swayed much too far from the topic - apologies, that was not my intent)
HRO does not carry Baofeng.
It depends.I bought two for emergencies. I’ll eventually get a license but not until buy a place where I can mount an antenna.
Any idea what the point to point range is on these?
If you stick with Icom, Yaesu, Kenwood, Alinco, or Anytone, you won't go wrong.Welcome to the hobby. I started with an ICOM T-70A handheld. Never regretted it, ICOM makes a newer handheld now. Well worth the money in my opinion if you can afford it. Check out the ICOM 7300 when you start looking for a base station. My Elmer is a big ICOM guy so I was “guided “ in that direction. There are other good radio MFGs out there.
Most modern ham radios can be opened up to operate anywhere on the HF bands. It's not technically legal, but they will do it.Caveat:
Normal turnkey ham HF shortwave transceivers are band-restricted
in a way that I don't think (more expensive for very similar innards?) Marine SSB rigs are.
However, Marine SSB rigs may last longer when installed in a boat.
At least one ham has been willing to skinflint with a merely kilobuck
HF transceiver (Yaesu FT-897) even though it means they can only talk to hams in a pinch.
Which is reasonable, because while there must be some dedicated yachtsmen
who mount a meaningful radio watch on their SSB gear, there are plenty of
ham yachtsmen and their hangers-on who definitely monitor traditional
maritime mobile ham frequencies and hold periodic nets. So there are lots
of hams trying to listen for ham boats in trouble.
But I've read of a guy who installed a ham rig in his boat,
totally protected in the cabin -
perhaps never even unboxed until going inside the cabin.
He discovered after only one summer that the radio was ruined
just from the salt air - the PC board had turned to green crap.
So I wouldn't drop a lot of coin on a ham shortwave transceiver for boat use
without a cunning plan to protect it from atmospheric corrosion.
Many sailboats with Marine SSB install insulators at both ends of their mast backstay,
and use that as the antenna.
Then again, sailboat topsides are busy enough that no one's mounting a whip antenna
on the cabin top. Depending on what else is going on, either top of the mast
or some monstrosity hanging off the stern, like where they mount most radomes.
The receivers in an HT (ESPECIALLY the Chinese stuff) were not designed to be connected to a decent antenna. They cannot handle the enhanced signals that will come in via a decent antenna. Things like paging bases, public safety, broadcast transmitters, and commercial 2 way radio users will overload the front end of the HT, and get in the way of hearing what you want to hear. In fact, if you drive through RF alley in Needham or near the Pru, even decent ham radios will overload.This is THE answer for someone just starting out. LEARN on the throwaway equipment. You'll either find you want/need a pricier radio or thank your stars you didn't spend a grand, instead of $30. And as Uzi2 says, it's an awesome backup even when you DO have better equipment.
Probably. Someone sent a reader to HRO to buy a Baofeng. You buy fengs on Ebay or Amazon.Don't think I said that. Are you responding to a different post?
Repeaters tend to be busy during commuting times, or just after supper. If you listen at 11 at night, they are probably going to be quiet, unless they have a digital, Internet connection. My hotspot connected to DMR, Fusion or D-Star is busy 24 / 7 on popular rooms / talk groups.P.S. I doubt you'll find someone on 2m by spinning the dial. On HF that's how it's done, but there's just not that much activity/range on 2m for people to be out there calling CQ on random frequencies.
Baofeng