HAM Radio Starter Kit - Information for Beginners

[The Heretic]

IMO, the most value you will get is from an antenna.

For an HT the 'rubber duck' the HT comes with is the minimum.

You can get a better and longer HT antenna.

You can get a coax dipole antenna (a length of coax configured to be a dipole).

You can get a magnet mounted loaded antenna for your car that can also be used on any magnetic base surface (I have several for my car that I use inside my house - I can put them on an ironing board or on my woodstove).

You can connect your HT up to a base station antenna that is external to your residence and is elevated.

In succession, each of these will increase your ability to RX/TX significantly and you can use most of them with other transceivers.

 

[AshWilliams]

Hey my friend, when I click on your avatar, I don't see an option to start a conversation but, I do on others. What gives? Got a question for you.

I recently updated my email information and had a confirmation email waiting in my inbox. I should be good to go now but let me know if that's not the case.

 

[ATCclears]

I posted this video before in this thread. Best bang for the buck for a BaoFeng HT may be the NA-771 antenna.

https://amzn.to/2OISutS

 

[parallax]

I think I've been over doing it and starting to confuse myself! Realistically speaking, about how far will I be able to communicate with just a Technician license? Or is that not an appropriate question?

I think techs are allowed VHF and UHF and morse code on many HF bands and voice on some parts of 10 meters..... ( 28-29 MHZ).
propagation is going to open up in a couple of years, so you could talk world wide on 10 meters. There was a proposal to FCC to open up more options for techs, but i think it went no where.

 

[ATCclears]

@parallax is correct - a Technician can do some non-voice activity on limited segments of the HF bands. For example, 7.025 MHz to 7.125 MHz in the 40-meter band.

The disadvantage to not having a General license is one cannot legally do voice activity in the HF bands.

Band chart from ARRL:

http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Regulatory/Band%20Chart/Band%20Chart%20-%2011X17%20Color.pdf

 

[HA556]

Thanks guys! I just got off the phone with a gentleman who is the main contact for the LCARES (Linn County ARES) and have gotten myself signed up for the Jan. 18th exam for my Technician. Also, if all goes well we will be finding me someone who is willing to Elmer me in this! Getting excited now. Also got my radio in yesterday.

 

[HA556]

Just got through digging around in the closet and found this not being used. Needs some modifying but, will make a great grab-n-go case for my handheld and gear.

 

[parallax]

I might be mistaken, but techs get a portion of H.F. 10 meters for voice 28.300 mhz-28.500 mhz ( S.S.B.). and the national call freq is 28.400MHZ where all the cool guys meet..

 

[ATCclears]

Practical Notes on FLDigi over Handheld Radios

One of the primary training goals of the RTO Course is teaching the students to use off-the-shelf commo equipment, and often the cheapest equipment they can source, in unconventional ways. The best…

www.americanpartisan.org

 

[ATCclears]

ARRL On-the-Air magazine for Jan/Feb, 2020, which should be free to access. Use the arrows at the top to change pages. Some may find some useful tidbits in here.

On the Air

On the Air - OTA January 2024

edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk

 

[Superglide]

gotten myself signed up for the Jan. 18th exam for my Technician

Good luck on your test @HA556 . Consider taking the General after you pass. It doesn't cost any more and you'll get practice, if nothing else.

Good info on that link above too. Thanks @ATCclears

 

[ATCclears]

Jumping Off The Grid. - Off Grid Ham

For readers who are not off the grid, or not as off the grid as they'd like to be, I've put together this “off grid radio guide” for beginners

offgridham.com

 

[ATCclears]

The Off Grid Ham 100 Watts for $300 Solar Energy Plant, 2020 Update. - Off Grid Ham

The conclusion I'm getting is that off grid ham radio on a budget is very popular and amateurs are hungry for information on how to pull it off.

offgridham.com

 

[ATCclears]

Everything But The Ham. - Off Grid Ham

There are some pretty good reasons why even licensed hams might want to consider unlicesned radio communications and other services.

offgridham.com

 

[Siglvr]

ATCclears site he's posting upthread has an interesting article: If You Missed The Train, Don't Worry. There Will Be Another. - Off Grid Ham

 

[Geardo]

Everything But The Ham. - Off Grid Ham

There are some pretty good reasons why even licensed hams might want to consider unlicesned radio communications and other services.

offgridham.com

CB is an interesting concept to compliment HAM.

 

[csa_ap_hill]

whirr spalt fizzle whines splat noise ….
Ello ello Ello anyone out there testing 1234 testing 1234....
let me repeat the birds fly south in the winter and Humpty Dumpty sat on his wall...

lol.

 

[The Heretic]

Picked up a good deal on some Peltor headsets (hearing protection muffs with MGRS radios builtin, external mics (for talking during shooting), a boom mic, PTT button and a jack for connecting to an external transciever).

So I started looking at the cable for connecting the headset to an external transceiver. Best price I could find on one was $80+, one website wanted $3500!

I figured if I could find what the cabling connection should be, I can find the end connectors, and make my own cable.

Anybody know anything about the pinouts on these cables??

 

[cigars]

CB is an interesting concept to compliment HAM.

The unlicensed stuff is ok and sometimes practical. However, the real reason to own CB, GMRS/FRS is purely tactical. These are mainly what the zombies will be using when they are scavenging neighborhoods for food, gas, etc., the low hanging fruit of commo. If you can hear their chatter, then you will have the advantage. When SHTF, it's not likely that the bad guys will be acquiring ham radios. Even if they do stumble across some, it's not likely that they will know how to figure them out. Even if one of them does, it's not likely that their cohorts will, especially if they are slapped upside the head with immediate hunger. These are also what your neighbors will be using. It's important to know your neighbors status during a such a scenario. Just saying.

 

[ATCclears]

There are three related articles/links at the end of this article.

Small Solar Can Give Big Results...If You Play It Right. - Off Grid Ham

You've probably seen the campy ads hawking small solar power systems and “solar generators”. These ads make some remarkable claims and the manufacturers are deliberately vague on the technical specifications of these products.

offgridham.com