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>

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[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.