Originally Posted By: Bingley

I am seriously considering getting a ham license. It seems to be a good idea in case of emergencies, not just on the road. If a tornado comes through my neighborhood and knocks out cell towers and internet, ham will help me stay connected to the outside. So on the road, how would one ask for help through ham? If you can find someone listening, you ask him/her to call the cops/towing service for you?

From looking at various ham websites, I gather that you can have a portable handset (i.e., do not need a whole bunch of machine plus antenna in order to talk). Is this correct? I'll have to get started studying for the exam.


I'm a licensed ham.

Short-range handheld radios are available and popular. Before cellphones, hams developed the concept of the repeater. It's basically a radio with a big antenna that hears what you're saying on one frequency and retransmits it in realtime on another, greatly increasing the range that two (or more) people can talk.

Hams who operate repeaters understand their utility during natural disasters, and many repeaters have backup generators. Hams also frequently use mobile repeaters when operating in the field.

On the road, you would consult your handy-dandy list of repeaters in the area, tune in to one, and ask for assistance. If someone is listening you'll get a response. There are also simplex (direct, non-repeater) frequencies that folks monitor.

I consider a ham HT to be a poor second to a cellphone for almost everywhere I go. I'd buy a PLB before getting a ham license and buying an HT for emergency communications.