The walkie talkie thread got me thinking about this. For those who've been meaning to do it, it's time to stop putting it off!

First, the morse code requirement was eliminated years back, and so all you have to do is pass a test in which both the questions and answers are available online for self study. Easy!

But... if you're like me and terrible at sitting down and studying, not to mention being new to radios and very confused as to what all of this technical stuff means, you might try this link in which a helpful HAM goes over every question and answer in video format.

http://www.hamwhisperer.com/p/ham-courses.html

(I'm not affiliated in any way, but it helped me a lot, and I hope it can help you too).

Each video is 10 minutes long, and the technician portion is enough to get you into some of the common wavelengths used. You don't HAVE to do the general or extra portions unless you want to, but they do open up other wavelengths which you might enjoy exploring.

That's about 5 hours of video for the Tech part, so you can knock it out in one afternoon. Don't worry if you don't remember everything precisely, the test is multiple choice and once you see it, it'll come to you. And, it's only 35 questions.

Once you feel you're ready, the arrl website has practice exams, frequently asked questions, and a place to search for exams near you. Sign up for one, pay the fee ($15) and you're ready to rock and roll.

http://www.arrl.org/find-an-amateur-radio-license-class

There are lots of threads out there on this forum and others about radio setups, from entry level to advanced, and the community is usually very friendly and helpful.

Alright, who wants to join me??? Let's do this as a group project!

Too late, I am MØICM.

Any support needed in the UK? Just ask. It really is not difficult.

Too late here as well - I tested for US Extra class (20 wpm morse code and everything) 27 years ago.

I've been a ham for well over 20 years and upgraded to General a couple years ago. In addition to Burncycle's recommended link, I would also suggest you look at http://www.arrl.org/question-pools (every possible question, along with the correct answers) and http://www.eham.net/exams/ (free exams using the question pools from above). I'm an ARRL member and use eham.net a lot but both links are free and I don't have any other affiliation.

What would getting a HAM license do for us? I'm thinking it just might be a fun thing to do. I understand the entertainment and hobby value, although I can't see myself spending hours at a time communicating with some unknown individual somewhere. Participating in group discussions like ETS is one thing, but I'd think one-on-one communication with an unknown person would be ... maybe a little strange feeling after the initial newness wore off? I don't know, maybe I'm wrong in what I think I understand about HAM radio. Is there a practical use for a HAM license? I have my degree in engineering, electrical specifically, but nowadays I'm 100% computer geek. Still, I think I could comprehend the technical aspects at least as well as the next guy.

Haertig The big thing for us is Emergency Comms like ARES RACES.

Lee KC3L

Amateur radio may look a little out of place in this day and age, it has definitely lost a lot of appeal since the internet. But there is more to it than one-on-one chatting with some unknown person some place far away.

The real challenge in ham radio is getting your transmissions reach as far out as possible. It takes a lot of hands-on knowledge (plus the right equipment). But it's also highly rewarding along the way insofar as you learn a lot about radio, long range communication, electronics and DIY homebrewing. These skills tend to come in handy in any sort of major emergency.

When the chips are down, radio usually remains the best and most reliable means of communication with the outside world. Cellphone networks, land lines, the internet - none of those systems can compare to amateur radio in terms of simplicity, reliability and bang for the buck.

From that point of view, getting a Ham license and learning the basics of amateur radio would be energy well spent in my book. It doesn't have to become a life-long obsession and you don't need to end up a nerd... Just think of it as another useful skill.

5 years too late in my case, though I took the effete route - Technician with no code requirement.

> What would getting a HAM license do for us?

Well, it can come in useful for rescue.

Here's my anecdote, with some background, first.

I got my license (my wife already had hers) for the annual peak-peak Boy Scout mirror signaling event, Operation On-Target. They use HAM radio to coordinate between peaks (call for signal, confirm signal seen, etc). For a feel, see this Blog Entry - Operation On-Target 2012: 120 mile flash, photos of ham operator, scouts with mirrors.

A few years back, an Operation On-Target team wound up on-topic for this forum - they were using a cell phone for GPS, so when the battery died, they were doubly out of luck (nav & comms). They used the ham radio to contact a ham, and passed the GPS coordinates of the peak they were returning from (since they'd written that down) to the sheriff, and when the sheriff's helicopter asked if they could signal to show their current location, that was a "gimme" for a troop of scouts with signal mirrors who'd been training to hit peaks 50 miles off. So both the ham radio and the signal mirrors paid off. (3 accounts below[1])

If you provide HAM support for an Operation On-Target scout team, I'm sure they'll be happy to show you how to use a signal mirror <grin>

=============
[1] Ham radio and signal mirrors complement each other for rescue:

First News Account
Second news account

I also got the Scout leader's version of the story (below) from a friend of mine in that council:

[ The Scout version of that story, from my contact]

"I spoke to the leader of the Varsity Team which was "lost". The two articles have most of the facts correct, but there is some background that needs to be noted.

First: the reason they were "lost" is because, according to the Forest Service, all of the trail signs in the Pine Mountain Wilderness had been removed by environmentalists. So the guys were just having to bushwack their way on and off the mountain and it just took a lot longer that they anticipated. It was hot and with the elevation a couple of the boys became somewhat dehydrated. Because of the delays, they had become short on water.

Second: They were using the GPS app on their cell phone and the batteries had died on the way out, so they only had approximate coordinates. They had the coordinates for the location where they had done their signaling, which got the heliocopter into the general area. They were then able to use their signal mirrors to direct the helicopter to their immediate location, as reported. So their use of the mirrors really made the difference. At this point all of their verbal communications were by way of hand held HAM radios, which they had used during the On-Target Signaling activity, but which could not communicate directly with the heliocpter..

Third: when they called the Prescott ham operator, it was simply to ask him to call their families to advise them that they would be later getting out than planned. The Prescott operator took it upon himself to call the Sheriff. As it happened the Sheriff's office decided that this would make a good training exercise for their guys so they dispatched the rescue unit. It worked out fine, but the leaders knew that they were not in a real emergency situation and could have gotten out on their own. It was just going to take a little longer than planned and apparently, the boys were not in real serious trouble and could have hiked out all right.

It turned out all right, but, unfortunately, the whole thing got blown out of proportion and the team leaders wound up taking a lot of unnecessary flak. They knew what they were doing and could have made it on their own without any serious consequences. However, it did give them a good opportunity to utilize their emergency signal mirrors and their ham radios. The boys also had a never- to- be-forgotten experience and learned some good life lessons.

Hope this answers your questions. It is a good example of the use of signal mirrors in an emergency, which we regularly teach the Varsity Scouts and leaders how to do. So maybe we are doing something right, after all."

Why on earth do you need a radio to supplement a heliograph network? After all, the US Army operated with mirrors successfully and effectively around the 1890s, well before radio.

There is no better way to give your location to a pilot than a signal mirror - I have done so many times. Ounce for ounce and dollar for dollar, nothing beats a signal mirror and/or a whistle.

Well, yes it tells ones location. But if you want to say anything more than that......


I played ham games here in Colo where we had guys on as many of the 14,000' mountains as possible just to exchange signal reports. Was a good excuse to climb a mountain. (although I cheated and rode my motorcycle to the top of Mt. Bross that time. I later climbed it honestly :-)

Cellphones have given the masses mobile comms so things like 2m phone patches which once were very cool - are now clunky and awkward. (but they still work)

But if you learn only a little in ham radio, understanding some things about antennas and radio pathways (propagation, barriers, reflections) may prove useful in many situations.

you employ Morse code to send often fairly involved content(or at least the military did in 1892). The system did require a lot of manpower.

That too is part of my trip plan I leave with my wife - the plan states that I can send and receive morse code. By flashlight or whistle or whatever. Many SAR volunteers are hams. But anymore they are probably no-code folk.

Last time it proved to be handy in a non-ham radio situation was on the bridge of a destroyer in position preparing to come alongside the tanker to practice underway refueling.
I was an ROTC summer cruiser on the bridge and read out the blinking light on the tanker aloud. The Commanding Officer was astounded and fortunately didn't dismiss me from the bridge. But he did wait the additional 7 minutes for the message chit to come down from the signal bridge written by the official signalmen. They agreed with me :-)

this is something i thought about doing a few years ago after using a old SW to just listen in.i got some books and watched the Youtubes but it seemed like a dead end these days.computers are the main source of international contact and the number of Hams is so low that in the evenings i was not hearing many talking back and forth.
the price of gear is sort spendy and unless your involved in some sort of emergency network club i can't see any use for a Ham radio.
fun hobby but not what it was years ago.

I think Morse Code would be a good thing to know. Ham operator or not. You would probably seldom, if ever, use it. But still good to know anyway. Could be the only way to communicate in some emergency situations. Of course you would need someone on the other end who knew it too. And staying proficient could be difficult if you never end up using it for real, only practicing with it.

• Most participants don't know Morse
• Most participants have signal mirrors, a few have heliotropes, but I'm the only one I've known to bring a full heliograph.
• Often one end of the link is "receive only"(under clouds)
• Its a lot easier to spot a flash if you know roughly where to look.

A true heliograph, such as a Commonwealth Mance Mark V or a US Marine Corps Field Heliiograph, has three components:

• 1: Means for aiming the beam to substantially better than the 0.25º beam radius. (See Mance Mark V Demo Video)
• 2: means for holding that beam steady (tripod, post, etc.), and adjusting the beam to hold it on target as the sun moves.
• 3: means for modulating the beam for Morse code without compromising (1) & (2) (Shutter, or 4-bar mirror tilt mechanism)

In progression: A true signal mirror usually approximates #1, though seldom to the accuracy of a bespoke heliograph. A heliotrope (which preceded and outlived the heliograph) has both #1 and #2. Lots of Morse has been sent with a heliotrope and a hat for a shutter, but a heliograph makes Morse a lot easier.

Having said all that, I've thought that we should encourage folks to actually build, learn to use, and field heliographs. There are quite a few sets of "make your own" heliograph plans around.



Yes - see A short history of the American Heliograph. One year at Operation On-Target, all three of our team's successful links were achieved without any radio frequency benefit, since we had radio issues, and were in a cell phone dead spot. However, ham radio is a huge facilitator.


Amen, brother ... but in me, you are preaching to the choir.

Speaking of dollars and signal mirrors, the 2"x3" glass Coghlan's "Survival Signal Mirror 9902", which Peter Kummerfeldt seems to think is the best 2"x3" signal mirror currently on the market in the US (and I agree), is less than $8.00 if you shop around, and I've seen the excellent 2"x3" polycarbonate Rescue Flash signal mirror designed by Doug Ritter (and worn under my shirt) on sale for under $7. For those wanting a bright, accurate signal mirror for less than that (or in a larger size), you can put an accurate inexpensive retroreflective aimer on pretty much any plain glass mirror using a square inch of red truck "conspicuity tape", as shown in this video:



If you are stuck with one of the made-in-Taiwan "Phony Glass Signal Mirrors", you can vastly improve it by putting the aimer above on it.

One application of 2 meter ham radios- hiking alone with a buddy.

Kind of long but it's a good outdoor adventure in Rocky Mountain National Park and might give a sense of what just one aspect of ham radio (without morse code) can do for you-

http://estes.on-line.com/rmnp/reports/HighDivide.html

Hi all, been a while since I visited. I did take my Technicians Exam this year -- and passed.

What motivated me was the low price of gear and a desire to have improved comm's with other members of my group when off-roading, as well as access to ARES/RACES nets in the event of a local disaster. There's a couple of Chinese manufacturers that are turning-out decent vhf/uhf handhelds for under $50. I figured at that price it was worth trying out.

We tested them on an expedition this summer with mixed results. Obviously, they are no substitute for a PLB, of which we had one but, thankfully, no need to use it. Operating mostly in the valleys we were blocked from any local repeaters. But we did get more than double the range using 70cm than we did with CB when talking simplex between members of our group. We got slightly better than 1 mile on 70cm and less than 1/2 mile on CB in the foliage. This was using 5W 2m/70cm handi-talkies, mine from Baofeng and the other from Yaesu, with externally mounted antennas.

I think there is some value to amateur radio. I remember periods of landline and cell phone interruption during 9/11 and Sandy. An alternate method of reaching loved ones or emergency services is not a bad idea, particularly if it only costs around $50 and a week or two worth of studying.

But I can't think of any reason to carry one on a hike.

Congrats, and well worth it. Now start studying for the next upgrade so you have access to more spectrum.

In my travels to Arizona, I see a lot of off-road vehicles with 10-meter antennas. Good for keeping in touch with buddies I suppose. Sure can't hurt in an emergency.

I carry an HT on every hike. Sometimes, if I'm at the top of a mountain, I'll make a few contacts and have others marvel at the range I'm getting. Fortunately I've had no need to use one in an emergency.

Not involved in ham radio as much as I used to be, but still make it a point to at least keep a quality HT around, especially when traveling on road trips or in more remote/rural areas. There is a website called Repeater Book (and they also have an app), which is great for printing out lists of repeaters by geographic area ahead of time.

That is one thing about your standard handheld 5 watt 2M ham radio (HT) - you'll get some range without line of sight, but it is on the order of a mile or two. With line of sight, and a large clearance zone around the line of sight (as in peak to peak), we routinely talk at 90+ mile range using hand-helds with a 19" whip antenna substituted for the stock antenna.

Just passed the technician and general class exams tonight. Now to get my Kenwood HT-72 D programmed with local repeaters, and wait for my license to show up in the FCC database.

Nice! Congratulations!

Congrats!

I went to go look at the question pools they have available online, just to see what a test would be like. I was surprised that there were very few technical questions, and the ones I did find didn't seem all that tough to answer (granted, I have an EE degree and many decades of engineering experience that would give me an edge). I just jumped and skipped around the question pool, not in any order, but that was my impression. Most of the questions seemed to be about rules and regulations, and some of those rules and regs just seemed to be regulating the most inconsequential of things. You need rules and regs, I understand that, but it seems like the FCC is regulating minutia - things as silly as what color underwear you have to put on when using amateur radio (that's tongue-in-cheek obviously, but not far from what I saw in the questions). I guess I was just expecting something a little more ... technical ... in nature.

Check the amateur extra question pool. It tends to be more technical and less rule oriented. But as an EE, it probably won't be anything you haven't seen before.

Seen before? Probably a lot of it. Remembered? Uuuhhh, maybe not so much. My degree is from 1979! I could probably do OK on the technical part if all the questions were multiple choice. I would probably be better at recognizing what was NOT the answer, than knowing what was the answer.

For those in the UK try QADV:

http://freespace.virgin.net/murray.g3kzb/QCSSprognts.htm

It is a Windows program which gives you the tests needed to pass the exams. It works well and is up to date. Give it a try.

Multiple choice, and you can use a calculator. Not that it helped me much with formulas that include Greek letters. But if I can do it . . . . .

You just need a batter calculator, my HP48 knows how to read those greek letters :p