Some discussion in the internet forum militia thread got me thinking about starting a NES ham club. In a serious SHTF situation, the first thing to go would probably be communications infrastructure. Amateur radio would be a great way for us to link up.
The entry level license is pretty easy to get. It only costs a nominal fee to cover the costs incurred by the volunteers who give the exam. (Currently $14 I believe). I'd be willing to put together a training class to cover what you need to know for the exam and how to get started. I have some friends who are Volunteer Examiners, so I could probably put together a test session also.
Ham radio is a diverse hobby, and there's an activity for any interest. Some of the big ones are emergency communications (probably the focus of the NES club), DXing(contacting stations in distant and rare locations), Contesting (marathons of contacting as many other participants as possible to score points), Ragchewing (just shooting the shit about whatever topic strikes your fancy), Digital/Packet (including radio BBSs and APRS, a GPS position reporting protocol), and many more.
One of the big annual activities is Field Day, where groups of hams around the country (and the world, though it's mostly a US and Canada thing), get together and set up stations in simulated emergency conditions. Class A (the most common entry type) stations are run by a group/club of 3 or more, off the commercial power grid, and with antennas set up in temporary locations. There are also classes for individuals/pairs in the same conditions, mobiles, home stations on emergency power, and groups affiliated with local public safety.
Field day is great fun, and also a good practical test. It is held on the fourth full weekend in June. I think it would be awesome to hold it in conjunction with a members shoot.
If you're comfortable posting it and you're interested, please post your Call if licensed, your location, and your current band/mode capabilities.
The entry level license is pretty easy to get. It only costs a nominal fee to cover the costs incurred by the volunteers who give the exam. (Currently $14 I believe). I'd be willing to put together a training class to cover what you need to know for the exam and how to get started. I have some friends who are Volunteer Examiners, so I could probably put together a test session also.
Ham radio is a diverse hobby, and there's an activity for any interest. Some of the big ones are emergency communications (probably the focus of the NES club), DXing(contacting stations in distant and rare locations), Contesting (marathons of contacting as many other participants as possible to score points), Ragchewing (just shooting the shit about whatever topic strikes your fancy), Digital/Packet (including radio BBSs and APRS, a GPS position reporting protocol), and many more.
One of the big annual activities is Field Day, where groups of hams around the country (and the world, though it's mostly a US and Canada thing), get together and set up stations in simulated emergency conditions. Class A (the most common entry type) stations are run by a group/club of 3 or more, off the commercial power grid, and with antennas set up in temporary locations. There are also classes for individuals/pairs in the same conditions, mobiles, home stations on emergency power, and groups affiliated with local public safety.
Field day is great fun, and also a good practical test. It is held on the fourth full weekend in June. I think it would be awesome to hold it in conjunction with a members shoot.
If you're comfortable posting it and you're interested, please post your Call if licensed, your location, and your current band/mode capabilities.