mikedent Loc: Florida

Hi all- this came in my inbox. I am interested in getting a basic Ham license but wondering if anyone has heard of or had experience with this group? Or what other options are there? Thanks for advice!

Earn your ham radio license BEFORE the next cell phone FAILURE!
My friend Creek Stewart and I personally experienced the value of communication in survival and disaster scenarios. We want you to be prepared for the next communication catastrophe, too...BEFORE IT HAPPENS! So, Creek and Valiant Outfitters are offering the six-hour Ham Cram course on outdoorcore.com for 20% OFF the regular price of $49! Please don't wait, this offer ends Wednesday, February 28, 2024.

Here's Creek's message with more information and the code to receive your discount.

Grace,

Joe Bassett - Founder and Lead Guide
Valiant Outfitters, LLC

gastech1949 Loc: Imperial Beach, CA.

All well and good, but even Ham Radio will not normally connect you to basic emergency services (Fire, Law Enforcement, etc.) during a cell phone outage. Sure you can talk to other Ham operators. Yes many disaster services use Ham Radio Operators when needed during major disasters so take that into consideration. There are many "Ham" clubs around and may offer help getting a license for low cost or free.

RodeoMan Loc: St Joseph, Missouri

I have a friend who has been a Ham operator for years. He communicates with other operators all over the world. He has taken part emergency response work. He does most of his communicating in Morse Code. From what I have learned from him, it is the chatting with others half a world away is what he enjoys the most and doesn't look at his Ham set up as a replacement for his phone if that should fail. There is also the matter of setting up the antenna. Some HOA's have serious restrictions. I agree with Gastech, try to find a local club to reach out to. Good Luck and have fun.

HamB

Many clubs offer free classes.
Goto ARRL.ORG to learn more about the hobby.

The ARRL is the national organization of Ham Radio Operators.

mikedent Loc: Florida

Thanks for all the suggestions!

twowindsbear

First off - what class license are you studying for? $40 for a 6-hour course doesn't sound very bad, considering a radio club's 'free' class is more likely an hour or so 1 night a week for 6-10 weeks or maybe even longer and then plus a fairly nominal fee for processing the test & handling the paperwork for your actual license. And, IF you want to learn The Code - a hands on class is the way to go, IMHO of course. From a long time ham 73 de WD4IRK

mikedent Loc: Florida

Just a basic initial license so I can legally transmit with proper equipment. Maybe next level license as a second step.

Bmarsh Loc: Bellaire, MI

Almost every area of the country has coverage with ham repeaters that can connect to the phone network. True, the phone networks may be down but in that case, place a ham in the emergency HQ and connect/relay with many other hams.

Mojaveflyer Loc: Denver, CO

My brother worked as an administrator for a community college in the San Francisco Bay Area. The school ordered all of the administrators to obtain a Technician Ham License in case the 'big one' hit the Bay Area and wiped out cell phone communications. I've been a weather spotter for years (before cell phones were available) to report what we were seeing in eastern Colorado. Not only getting a license but obtaining a mobile radio (2 meter) and an exterior (or mobile mount) antenna for greatest range would be an excellent idea. Learning morse code is NOT necessary unless you intend to obtain an advanced license. There's tutorials on You Tube to help with studying for a license as well. Depending on where you live there's probably amateur radio groups to help study for the test. Good luck!

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Ham radio is not a substitute for a cellphone, although some VHF repeaters have an interface and will support phone calls - it’s a framework to understand, build and use radio communication and electronics. Some hams enjoy it for chatting locally with friends, some enjoy making contacts to other countries, and some enjoy using satellite communication(hams have their own satellites) or bouncing signals off the moon. Others enjoy the hobby for the technical aspects - knowledge of electronics and building equipment. Some like the camaraderie. If any of that sounds interesting, Google “amateur radio clubs near me” (Florida has tons of clubs) and get in touch or go to a meeting. They will welcome you and help you understand the license process, the equipment and how to study for and take the test (which is administered by local volunteers).

Come join the 700,000 of us in the US that love and enjoy this hobby. if you tell me your location in FLA, I’ll give you contact info. for the nearest club where you can make contact and see if this hobby is for you. There’s a tradition in this hobby to help newcomers get licensed and on the air.

Chris
K4CKB

mikedent Loc: Florida

if you tell me your location in FLA,

Thank you! I live near Clearwater. Pinellas County, west coast of FL.

HamB

Morse code has not been a license requirement for many years.
2M repeater activity has dropped precipitously with the wide spread use of cell phones.

twowindsbear

Mores Code is no longer required for any US class of ham license. Don't know, don't care, about other nations.

avflinsch Loc: Hamilton, New Jersey

Go to arrl.org and search for local ham radio clubs, most of them will offer classes for free.
73 DE AB2RC

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

In grad school I used to work on a mountain top about 30 miles out of the city. There was about a mile of gravel road to get there and it was not plowed in the winter so I had to ski in (carrying my supplies for a few days including a 25 lb block of dry ice (until we built refrigeration for the sensors). There was a phone line but it would occasionally go out (tree limbs). I tried CB radio but it really wasn't very useful so I thought I'd try ham radio. So my dim memory recalls that there were 4 levels of license at that time (1979): novice, regular, advanced, and extra. They all required morse code 'way back then. The novice license was limited to code only. Voice was the prerogative of the higher classes. So I went about studying morse code. I finally figured I could handle 5 words/minute so I went in for the test. The test started with 20 words/minute for the extra license. Of course it was all a blur. Then 13 words/minute for the regular and advanced license. After the 1 minute test I had copied 5 characters. I took the test, which was a multiple guess test. I passed it somehow.

Having passed the code test, the test on rules/regulations and radio theory were no problem to a graduate student so I walked out with an advanced ham license.

The ham license did not allow me to transmit data from my remote site to work, but I could talk to people on 2 meters. Pretty easy to build up a group of friends to talk to, so if I ever had a problem I could just ask them to make a phone call. Some of the 2 meter repeaters eventually could connect to the phone system so I could make a phone call directly.

As far as the lower frequencies were concerned, it was pretty easy to talk to people around the world. It was random: you never knew whom you were going to talk to. But most of them spoke english. But the signals were frequently noisy and my hearing has never been all that great so noisy voices just weren't my thing. I concentrated on morse code. After a couple months of playing around I got my code speed up to 35. Faster than I could write it down.

So I collected gear. Eventually I had a 50' tower with a triband antenna and a 40 meter beam. Then I got a tractor. One day my wife decided to mow the lawn. The roll bar snagged one of the guy wires and bent the tower in the middle. It fell away from her. That was pretty much the end of my HF activity.

I continued on 2 meters for a while. I used to go to work at 5am so there were a few people who were commuting at that time and we usually spent the commute talking. There was one guy who lived in Pawtucket RI and worked in Nashua NH. He had to drive all the way across MA to get to work and back.