Radios for SHTF

[Spedsterguy]

Ham Radio Prep is a great site. For under $20 I think you can get some really good education and teaching. The site has test quizzes and if quite a lot of fun to use

[marlin39a]

I studied online for awhile, and took my test for technician in 5/19. Cost $15.00. Got my call sign a week later. I’ve got a dual band mobile in my truck, and a handheld. Both loaded up with simplex channels and repeaters throughout Arizona. Joined my local ham club too. I wish I had done this years ago. KJ7GTZ.

[MrWolf]

On the Apple app store search for 'ARRL'. There's a HAM Test Prep for Technician. It has the questions for the current test. I did a quick check on my Kindle and it only has out of date test questions unless you pay the couple bucks to update. I'm sure Google apps has the latest questions. Current questions are from July 2018.

A hint for studying... Read the questions and the correct answers, ignore the other answers and only the correct ones will be familiar. The app lets you take the test with randomly selected questions over and over. You can also just go through the whole list of questions until you have them memorized.

Thanks. I will check them out.

[Mr_Sheesh]

When you take the test, if you've studied for General you can take that test for the fee you already paid, and if you pass the General test, even take the Extra test. So consider keeping studying once you're sure you'll pass the Tech test, General is a bit harder, but Extra is considerably harder.

[BamaNapper]

When you take the test, if you've studied for General you can take that test for the fee you already paid, and if you pass the General test, even take the Extra test. So consider keeping studying once you're sure you'll pass the Tech test, General is a bit harder, but Extra is considerably harder.

That's the way I did things a couple years ago. Maintaining and teaching electronics has been my job for 40+ years, but I never had an interest in HAM. That would be a hobby way too close to what I call work. Then the wife got the HAM bug but knew nothing about radios or electronics. So she set out reading the study guide for Technician with a test date about a month off. She quickly reverted to memorizing the questions and answers. I read through the study guides for Technician and General, then used the app to pre-test and memorize questions on the fine details. I was cool with understanding the fundamentals, but I'm not going to commit a table of frequencies, bandwidths and transmission modes to memory. I was more than prepared for the General so I read the book for Extra class just out of curiosity. I think I tried the Extra test on the app once before I went to the exam. On exam day the wife aced her Technician exam. I aced the Technician, then nailed the General. Just for grins I took the Extra, made my best guess at what I didn't know, and passed with the minimum passing score. I chalk it up to nothing but luck, but I do have Extra. And I have yet to transmit on anything other than the Baofeng radios mentioned earlier here.

[downzero]

When you take the test, if you've studied for General you can take that test for the fee you already paid, and if you pass the General test, even take the Extra test. So consider keeping studying once you're sure you'll pass the Tech test, General is a bit harder, but Extra is considerably harder.

I agree. I did that and walked out with my General. I took the extra 6 months later. The Extra is a LOT harder than the General, but the Tech and General are pretty similar.

Hamtestonline is what I used to study. There is no reason to pay for study materials.

[Jim22]

A vote against the Baofeng radios from an Extra class Ham. I bought one and found it too complicated to use. I suggest a radio that will transmit/receive over 30 miles - a Marine VHF radio. While driving the Alaska highway some 20+ years ago I had the opportunity to talk with some truckers about why I wasn't hearing them on CB. They told me they were using marine VHF radios because they would transmit/receive over 25 miles. Their experience is similar to what preppers want and you can get them for less then a hundred bux.

[Meatpuppet]

It is a bump in price from the Baofeng, but the Wouxun KG-UV9D Mate (10 watts)... Rugged little radio.

TX:136-174MHz(FM) 400-512MHz(FM) (a free software update gives you MURS, GMRS, Marine Band VHF and more)

RX:108-136MHz (AM Band Receiving) / 136-180MHz(FM) / 230-250MHz(FM) / 350-400MHz(FM) / 400-512MHz(FM) / 700-985MHz(FM)

You can charge it from AC, 12V DC or USB... Pretty Handy...

Also, the Signal Stuff, Super-elastic Signal Stick is fantastic...

[bushboy]

Some good info in this thread!!

[Outpost75]

Using VHF marine radios on land is ILLEGAL. Once a marine VHF radio goes ashore, it cannot be used for marine band transmission (without a Coast Station License).

47 C.F.R, Part 80
https://www.fcc.gov/bureau-divisions...radio-stations

You must have a marine utility station license, in addition to a ship station license, to operate a hand-held marine radio from land -- a ship station license IS NOT sufficient. You may apply for this license by filing FCC Forms 159 and 601 with the FCC. To be eligible for a marine utility station license, you must generally provide some sort of service to ships or have control over a bridge or waterway. Additionally, you must show a need to communicate using hand-held portable equipment from both a ship and from coast locations. Each unit must be capable of operation while being hand-carried by an individual. The station operates under the rules applicable to ship stations when the unit is aboard a ship, and under the rules applicable to private coast stations when the unit is on land.

If it appears to the FCC that you have violated the Communications Act or the rules, the FCC may send you a written notice of the apparent violation. If the violation notice covers a technical radio standard, you must stop using your radio. You must not use your radio until you have had all the technical problems fixed. You may have to report the results of those tests to the FCC. Test results must be signed by the commercial operator who conducted the test. If the FCC finds that you have willfully or repeatedly violated the Communications Act or the rules, your authorization to use the radio may be revoked and you may be fined or sent to prison.

[BrassMagnet]

Using VHF marine radios on land is ILLEGAL. Once a marine VHF radio goes ashore, it cannot be used for marine band transmission (without a Coast Station License).

47 C.F.R, Part 80
https://www.fcc.gov/bureau-divisions...radio-stations

You must have a marine utility station license, in addition to a ship station license, to operate a hand-held marine radio from land -- a ship station license IS NOT sufficient. You may apply for this license by filing FCC Forms 159 and 601 with the FCC. To be eligible for a marine utility station license, you must generally provide some sort of service to ships or have control over a bridge or waterway. Additionally, you must show a need to communicate using hand-held portable equipment from both a ship and from coast locations. Each unit must be capable of operation while being hand-carried by an individual. The station operates under the rules applicable to ship stations when the unit is aboard a ship, and under the rules applicable to private coast stations when the unit is on land.

If it appears to the FCC that you have violated the Communications Act or the rules, the FCC may send you a written notice of the apparent violation. If the violation notice covers a technical radio standard, you must stop using your radio. You must not use your radio until you have had all the technical problems fixed. You may have to report the results of those tests to the FCC. Test results must be signed by the commercial operator who conducted the test. If the FCC finds that you have willfully or repeatedly violated the Communications Act or the rules, your authorization to use the radio may be revoked and you may be fined or sent to prison.

Be aware that VHF frequencies are used for air traffic control. If you transmit on aviation frequencies you may interfere with control of aircraft and you can cause a midair collision. I know of one Canadian walk around telephone which did this in Colorado and only an alert commercial pilot averted a midair collision. The transmitting location was found with direction finding equipment. They would not answer their door when LEOs knocked. A SWAT team forced entry and seized their equipment.

[lksmith]

Baofeng uv5r. It isn't as but is rechargable.... battery lasts forever and in an emergency you can use it without a ham license

A few dollars more and you can get the uv82 which has FM radio bands too and more wattage for more range.

3 miles even with trees isn't far on 2m band radios. The 5r runs about 25 shipped and the 82 is roughly 30 shipped.

Neither are what I would call hard use but for your purpose prob just fine. I have both and love them.....tons of groups out there that can help you use and program if you need. Dollar for dollar a great entry to ham band radios

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk

I have one of the 5r's the battery lasts forever on receive. I have the telescopic antenna on it, and also a small roof mag mount antenna. A couple miles on the telescopic is nothing, even better on the mag mount

[BadgerShooter]

My wife and I used Hamtestonline for learning. She got her General and I got Amateur Extra. I have an 8 Watt Baofeng that works pretty well. I coupled it with a 2 Meter roll up J-Pole antenna that you can run up a tree to get more height. Works very well. Have 2 UV5R Baofengs that don't work. Looking at some DMR handhelds. Picked up a Xiegu G90 HF radio and made a 40 meter Dipole antenna for it. I haven't used it a lot yet but I was picking up transmissions from 1000 miles away using a low mounted NVis. Lots to learn.

[Jim22]

study a bit and get your technician ham license.

It's very easy these days.

practice with it, meet some local hams, figure out it's capability in your neck of the woods.

buying a beofeng radio, tossing in a drawer, is comparable to buying a gun and not learning how to use it.

.
.
we learn by doing.

get your license you can can gain experience

....if that's too much, buy a CB radio.

.

I agree. I have been a licensed Ham since the seventies. You wil need to do some studying to pass to exams but the Morse Code requirement has gone away. The studying you will do will ready you for SHTF as well. You will learn how to set up a rig, how to build antennas, and a bunch more helpful stuff. You will also have a chance to learn procedures. Try to become a net controller.

Jim