recommended communications gear

[Nukes]

Can you recommend quality (not cheapo family band radios) communications gear and sources
(1) for family communications during times of cellular outage?
(2) for separated hunters/hikers?

 

[1USD]

Re: recommended communications gear

I've been studying for my HAM radio license. It's actually not difficult stuff to grasp, they just want to make sure you know the rules for the use of a HAM radio. You can pick up good quality hand helds for $1-200.00.

You'd be surprised at how flexible and capable these radios are. I've read that you are almost always within range of at least two repeaters (2 meter), plus there are a number of dedicated sattelites for HAM use as well.

Check out www.arrl.com

 

[Guest]

Re: recommended communications gear

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Nukes</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Can you recommend quality (not cheapo family band radios) communications gear and sources
(1) for family communications during times of cellular outage?
(2) for separated hunters/hikers? </div></div>
Get a Ham tech license, and then either a tri or quad band hand held. Some of the guys around here are running at least a duel band, but I and my side kick opted for tri bands for ours. Never ever depend on repeaters no matter the bands 10-6-2-1.25-440 or whatever, is in your area as viable 24/7.
If your going after you Ham ticket get the general as the minimum. The Extra license allows everything and it's Very easy to pass with minimal study. Search Radio clubs in your area they will help you out with any an all questions.

Ham Radio Outlet (HRO.com) is were all my radios came from save one HF/VHF I built. For a hand held (HT) I prefer the Yaesu VX6R with the adders. Not cheap at all for a HT but with that package it allows me to due a number of things an keep unwanted ears away as well. Once you move into the General class the HF an VHF world opens up to you, as does distance with voice. Make sure to learn CW (Morris code) as you can get around the world with code on 5-10 watts when all the horsepower allowed won't get voice across the street, at times.

Once your into it, the ability to keep your Como,... yours,... will come. The ability to snatch RF from the air is w/o question. What is questionable is can they find you fast enough, read and understand your code, before you have moved on?
The amount of folks getting Ham Radio is growing everyday, for the same reason you are. Some are getting in for reasons you will come too understand once your in.

Search these,...ARRL,... eham,... QRZ,... they will get you started.

 

[mexicanmatch]

Re: recommended communications gear

Great reply Gunfighter14e2. Yaesu makes good radios. I have had 2 of them for several years and no trouble at all. MM

 

[Nukes]

Re: recommended communications gear

Good work reading between the lines. So much for my subtlety. Thanks for the good advice. It looks like I can no longer avoid getting the HAM license. Woe is lazy me!

 

[Guest]

Re: recommended communications gear

Ham Freqs are like a cell or any other form of RF, you never know who is listening, so personalize your como and hop your freq's as needed.
Never ever use a Ham controlled Satellite for anything other than std ham playing.

When you get to general more of the world will open up. Then the ability to get first hand news from everywhere on this rock will open up. Some of the best (over seas) stations are in the extra bands, and those guys hate state run media as much as we do. The truth about world events is but a knob turn, button push, or set of paddles away.

 

[JoeyAld]

Re: recommended communications gear

I highly recommend getting the license. I just completed mine and it took me less than a week of studying. I highly recommend using this site.. http://www.hamradiolicenseexam.com/ ... I picked up a book and also attend field day a few weeks ago.. You will be surprised how much you will learn!

 

[carnivorematt]

Re: recommended communications gear

Yee Ole Experts of RF devices. I'm considering a radio for two primary reasons (1) communication with team in lightly wooded area, up to 2 miles away and (2) communication across town, up to 30 miles away, if the cell phones are down / overloaded.

It seems that a HAM radio is the way, and I have been checking out sites, including the one you mentioned "JoeyAld" A couple of quick questions to start this journey off:

1. For the ignorant, or simply uninitiated: whats a "como" and what does it mean to me? I see it referenced in thread.

2. If one is looking for a license for casual/occasional RF use as I am, which of the three licenses is preferred, or rather recommended by anyone here and why?

3. Is it possible / without significant complication to add some level of encryption or protection to transmissions, assuming you do not want the world to listen in to a private party conversation? If so how?

Any thoughts to any of these questions is appreciated and I thank all in advance!

 

[nimoz]

Re: recommended communications gear

Ham is the way to go.
- CB is line of sight, if even that.
- GMRS may beat CB, but I'm not too impressed.
2 meter and 440Mhz is an order of magnitude better - and they talk to repeaters which create network wide reach.

On top of this, you can have shared positioning via APRS .

Once they took morse code out from the tests - I'm an Extra

 

[nimoz]

Re: recommended communications gear

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CarnivoreMatt</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Yee Ole Experts of RF devices. I'm considering a radio for two primary reasons (1) communication with team in lightly wooded area, up to 2 miles away and (2) communication across town, up to 30 miles away, if the cell phones are down / overloaded.

It seems that a HAM radio is the way, and I have been checking out sites, including the one you mentioned "JoeyAld" A couple of quick questions to start this journey off:

1. For the ignorant, or simply uninitiated: whats a "como" and what does it mean to me? I see it referenced in thread.

2. If one is looking for a license for casual/occasional RF use as I am, which of the three licenses is preferred, or rather recommended by anyone here and why?

3. Is it possible / without significant complication to add some level of encryption or protection to transmissions, assuming you do not want the world to listen in to a private party conversation? If so how?

Any thoughts to any of these questions is appreciated and I thank all in advance! </div></div>

1. "como" - I have no idea?
2. Technician is plenty good.
3. Encryption is not allowed for hamradio, but word substitution is not really controllable.
Examples

- Where is the Volvo?
- You should bring your own toothpaste

 

[Nachtadler]

Re: recommended communications gear

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CarnivoreMatt</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
1. For the ignorant, or simply uninitiated: whats a "como" and what does it mean to me? I see it referenced in thread.
</div></div>

"Commo" is just short or slang for "communications".

 

[Guest]

Re: recommended communications gear

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CarnivoreMatt</div><div class="ubbcode-body">1. For the ignorant, or simply uninitiated: whats a "como" and what does it mean to me? I see it referenced in thread.

2. If one is looking for a license for casual/occasional RF use as I am, which of the three licenses is preferred, or rather recommended by anyone here and why?

3. Is it possible / without significant complication to add some level of encryption or protection to transmissions, assuming you do not want the world to listen in to a private party conversation? If so how?

Any thoughts to any of these questions is appreciated and I thank all in advance! </div></div>

(1) Answered

(2) Mim I would recommend is general, very easy to get, and opens up major freqs of all bands.

(3) CW (morris code) is the easiest. When you get to 30 wpm or better, you leave most of the world behind. Add freq/band hopping, dead key, plus A-B splits, to either voice or CW and even the best operators can't keep up. We have ran contests where over 30 guys with some of the best gear in the world interfacing with computers, were trying to snatch and read the RF a friend an I was putting out. They never put together what we were saying at all. The best operator missed 60% (80% was the average)of the freqs we were using, because some transmissions were in burst mode. Being a contest all the bands/freqs we used an the messages we sent(in plain english) were prepared and held by the 3 ref's. All of whom followed an recorded everything we both sent. If we would have wanted to use selective word/phrase code, it would have been easy to close that door as well.


Never ever use APRS unless you want the whole world to know were you are. 2 meter an 440 are "Line of Sight",(but it can be bent or bounced around/off some objects) My J-pole is up about 30 feet and I can trip a repeater that is over 75 miles away with 5 watts but, can't trip one that is only 4 miles away with 100 watts, do to a bump in the ground.

Extra here as well, it is very easy to get that license with minimal study. No matter what learn CW,... The ARRL and the FCC screwed up not making it mandatory any more. You never heard such trash on Ham before the code requirement was dropped, now some freqs are worst than CB. They are tracking an recording those folks, and shortly some will get the knock on the door.

 

[Guest]

Re: recommended communications gear

For those that want to see how easy it is just click here and take one or all three tests. Very easy to pass if you have had any electrical or electronics along the way. Search "Testing" in your area on ARRL.org/ or most all Ham Fests do testing as well.
Our CP (2nd ID) had the following words above it, and on the hill side.

<span style="font-weight: bold">To Shoot, Move, and Communicate.</span>

Without one the other two are meaningless as a team, be it 2, 200 or 2K men.

 

[carnivorematt]

Re: recommended communications gear

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Gunfighter14e2</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Our CP (2nd ID) had the following words above it, and on the hill side.

<span style="font-weight: bold">To Shoot, Move, and Communicate.</span>

Without one the other two are meaningless as a team, be it 2, 200 or 2K men. </div></div>

I couldn't agree more!!! Thus one of the primary reasons I am working to acquire the skills and equipment to ensure communication is maintained.

Thanks goes out to all for the information. I'll start with my General I believe and work my way up to the Extra at a later date. Now I simply need to find appropriate mobile and handheld devices to provide the type of range I need, preferably without line of sight requirements.

 

[carnivorematt]

Re: recommended communications gear

Prepping to take the test - does anyone have any specific, low cost, concise training material recommendations? Either in addition to or re-confirming support for JoeyAld recommendation.

 

[Guest]

Re: recommended communications gear

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CarnivoreMatt</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I'll start with my General I believe and work my way up to the Extra at a later date. </div></div>
Not allowed, you have to pass the tech first before you can take the general. An same from general to extra. You are allowed to take all three at the same testing session, but you must pass the lesser before moving up.
It's easy to do, this dumn ass hillbilly only missed 5 out of the 125 total, so it's not hard at all. Hardest part for me was polar coordinate's, but once I understood the whys it was much easier.

 

[Iggy]

Re: recommended communications gear

I have a Motorla CP185 with a remote speaker/mic that clips on my shoulder. It's great when shooting prone and the speaker is right next to my ear to hear the calls from the pits.

The radio is great. It's rated for 30 stories and I have used it at 2 miles in urban areas.

 

[kineticmedic]

Re: recommended communications gear

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JoeyAld</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I highly recommend getting the license. I just completed mine and it took me less than a week of studying. I highly recommend using this site.. http://www.hamradiolicenseexam.com/ ... I picked up a book and also attend field day a few weeks ago.. You will be surprised how much you will learn! </div></div>

Just used this site to study and pass my extra test. It really did make it easier than just trying to read the book alone.

 

[nimoz]

Re: recommended communications gear

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CarnivoreMatt</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Prepping to take the test - does anyone have any specific, low cost, concise training material recommendations? Either in addition to or re-confirming support for JoeyAld recommendation. </div></div>

I read a previous version of Gordon West's book

 

[Nukes]

Re: recommended communications gear

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: nimoz</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Once they took morse code out from the tests - I'm an Extra

</div></div>

No more Morse code? Taking the time to learn the code is what has kept me from HAM for years.

 

[Just Me]

Re: recommended communications gear

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Nukes</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: nimoz</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Once they took morse code out from the tests - I'm an Extra

</div></div>

No more Morse code? Taking the time to learn the code is what has kept me from HAM for years. </div></div>

Code was dropped in 2007.

 

[KTDLS7]

Re: recommended communications gear

Besides the comments regarding an alternate method of communications, amateur radio is also a great hobby! Read the rules & regs regarding legal communications (i.e. encrypted communications on amateur freqs is illegal). Unlike most of Lowlight's bans, the FCC will fine you besides a "lifetime ban".

License: as stated above, Technician will get you by for local voice communications (50 MHz - 1.2 GHz). General, Advanced, or Extra allows voice on HF bands allowing for cross-country and international point-to-point communications. Go to ARRL.com and download the frequency allocation chart to see what each license level is granted.

Couple of corrections in previous posts:
CW - Continuous Wave; listed in FCC Rules Title 47 as A1A Emission Mode; also known as "Code" or "Morse Code", as in Samuel Morse not "morris").

Monitoring cellular communications - presently, anyone will be hard pressed to monitor over-the-air cell conversations since the migration to digital air-link (TDMA, CDMA, GSM, etc) over 10 years ago.

73's

Kevin