Ham Radios

Telecommunications systems could be overwhelmed and we could loose use of telephones and internet. If Power goes down for extended periods of time, cordless phones would be useless. And just what do you do with any mail that might come through? Can you touch it? Is it safe? How do you work around internet concerns? Look here for help.
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Ham Radios

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Good Information can be found at PlanforPandemic:

The Essentials -> Communications -> Ham Radio:

http://planforpandemic.com/viewtopic.php?t=2106
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Ham Radios: Do it right!

Post by Readymom »

Originally posted by SIPCT at Fluwiki
http://www.fluwikie2.com/index.php?n=Fo ... munication

For information on ham radio in the US, see the American Radio Relay League. Their website can be found at

http://www.arrl.org/

Please, do it right. You really do need a license. No licensed operator will talk to you otherwise. Also, the government has started giving prison sentences in some cases of violations of the regulations. During a pandemic, if you interfere with emergency communications, you will be found and dealt with very quickly.

Look up the ARRL. Study and get licensed. Join the Amateur Radio Emergency Service. Take the courses - Emergency Communications I, II, and III, and the FEMA ICS and NIMS courses.

It’s worth it.

more by SIPCT:

A license is required, and you will have to pass a test. However, it is a multiple guess test, 35 questions from a question pool of 350 or so. All the possible questions are public knowledge. If you study, you will not see a question on the test that you did not see before. That - without Morse code! - will get you a technician class license. The Tech license allows you to use all amateur frequencies above 30 MHZ, with a transmitter power of up to - are you ready - 1,500 Watts. (Try doing THAT on battery power!) On the 2 meter band - 144 to 148 MHZ in the US - range is typically 20 - 50 miles, depending on antenna type and height, and transmitter power.

Many Amateur Radio clubs have built and operate repeaters - automatic relay stations, on the highest points they could arrange, and most with some form of back-up power. Using a repeater, it is possible to have contacts between two operators with handheld transceivers who are hundreds of miles apart. The repeater clubs listen to their machines, always, by law. Some of them run “hidden transmitter” hunts as contests. They will find unlicensed operators using their repeaters very quickly. In normal times, they would report such occurences to the FCC for law enforcement action. I do not know what they might do if you interfere with emergency communications during a pandemic, but I suspect it might involve something a lot more definite than a “notice of apparent violation.” You don’t want to find out. Get the license before you transmit.

You can get information on licensing, and ham radio in general, from the American Radio Relay League. Their website can be found at

http://www.arrl.org/

To use the short wave frequencies assigned to the Amateur Radio Service, it is necessary to have a General or Extra Class license, and these do - sorry, folks - require that you pass a test in receiving Morse code, at 5 words [25 letters] per minute, as well as additional multiple guess testing. These are the frequencies that people usually connect with ham radio - from just above the AM broadcast band to 30 MHZ, and usually referred to as High Frequency or HF. A typical entry level 100 Watt output HF transceiver and a decent wire antenna strung between two trees will give you worldwide range a large part of the time, and coverage of about 1/3 of the US all the time.

In the event of a pandemic, ham radio operators - and frequencies - will be very busy with emergency communications. Ham radio supports disaster operations of the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, FEMA, state, county and town governments, the armed forces, and whoever else shows up. Ham radio is what works when all else fails. Ham radio was used to tie together all the Red Cross operating sites in NYC after 9/11. Ham radio was the ONLY communication left in parts of Mississippi immediately after Katrina.

As far as cost goes, [snip] A 2 meter mobile ham transceiver will cost about $200 - $300, and an entry level HF transceiver with accessories will cost about $1,000 or so.
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For Further Discussion on Ham Radios: FluWiki

Post by Readymom »

For further information and more varied conversation on Ham Radios and some other communication options, go to Fluwikie's Communication thread at:

Communication
http://magictour.free.fr/fw/FW0200.HTM

and
Ham Sat Communication In a Pandemc
http://magictour.free.fr/fw/FW0838.HTM
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Re: Ham Radios

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Ham Radio-General Info

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Communications
http://www.endtimesreport.com/communications.html

Image By Miles Stair

We are living in an age of instant communication from radio to internet, telephone, not to mention television and newspapers. We are a media informed society. The sudden lack of information resulting from virtually any national or world wide catastrophe will be as startling and demoralizing as any other deprivation. We need information...we crave it. Most important, in any disaster situation we must be able to receive all the information possible in order to maximize our protection to better survive the ordeal.

Emergency communications can be broken down into several categories: sending and receiving, or receiving only.

SENDING AND RECEIVING

For long distance sending and receiving, only "ham" radios will work. --- CONTINUED at LINK, above ---
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Re: Ham Radios

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Ham Radios-Introduction

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The Only Form of Communication After T-SHTF
http://www.askaprepper.com/ham-radio-the-only-form-of-communication-after-t-shtf/

Image A wise prepper keeps his HAM Radio in his Faraday Cage

We take communication for granted because if we want to talk to someone we have multiple ways of contacting them: home phones, cell phones, email, and instant messaging.

We are used to instant gratification by calling or texting and pretty much getting an immediate response from virtually everyone on our contact list.

But after all the electronic infrastructure is gone, how will we get in contact with people? Cell phones, landlines, and the internet will be useless. However there are multiple radio options. Which ones will be of the best use and which ones will be basically useless? --- CONTINUED at LINK, above ---
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Re: Ham Radios

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Quick and Easy Cheat Sheet to Learn How to Operate a Ham Radio
https://www.askaprepper.com/quick-easy-cheat-sheet-learn-operate-ham-radio/

Traditionally, HAM is the informal name for amateur radio operators. The origin of the acronym HAM goes all the way back to 1908, when HAM was the radio station call name (call sign) of the first amateur radio stations from the Harvard Radio Club. Radio amateurs who used the HAM call sign were Albert S. Hyman, Bob Almy, and Poogie Murray. They called their station HYMAN-ALMY-MURRAY, or HAM.

Nowadays the people we call hams are dedicated enthusiasts in radio communications, ... ---CONTINUED---
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Re: Ham Radios

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How to Use a Ham Radio When SHTF (With Pictures)
https://www.askaprepper.com/how-to-use-a-ham-radio-when-shtf-with-pictures/

Ham radio is a diverse hobby that includes a wide variety of interests, and it’s also very useful for preppers. Shortwave and very high frequency (VHF) radios are very flexible communications systems, and unlike cell phones or anything to do with the internet, they don’t rely on any other infrastructure. It doesn’t matter what’s happened to the world; if you and the person you want to talk to both have a working radio, you can talk.

(SNIP) ... If the SHTF, obviously nobody’s going to be checking if you have a license or not, so buying a radio and storing it against the day it’s needed is an option. It isn’t one I’d recommend, though. The best way to ensure you know how to get the best from your radio when you need to is to use it regularly – so it’s better to get a license and put in some practice now, when it isn’t urgent. ---CONTINUED---
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Re: Emergency Communications-General Information

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The Only Things You Need To Know About Radio Prep
https://www.askaprepper.com/the-only-things-you-need-to-know-about-radio-prep/

Includes:

Getting a License
FCC License Information Is Public
Bands and Uses (Background for Other Important Information)
Countermeasures
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Re: Ham Radios

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Rainier Redoubt

I Don't Need No FCC License When The SHTF
https://rainier-redoubt.blogspot.com/2020/05/i-dont-need-no-fcc-license-when-shtf.html

From time to time some prepper or survivalist type will say that they are going to buy Amateur (Ham) radios as part of their disaster preparedness plan, but are not going to bother getting an FCC license to be legally authorized to transmit on the Ham bands. "I Don't Need No FCC License When The SHTF" they say, but is this actually the case? Does an FCC license matter during a disaster? ---CONTINUED---
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Re: Ham Radios

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HamTestOnline

What is Ham Radio?
http://www.hamradiolicenseexam.com/what-is-ham-radio.htm

Ham Radio-General Info Icom-706MK2G Amateur radio, or ham radio, is a fun and exciting hobby including a vast array of activities: ...

(SNIP) ... Ham radio is different from Citizens Band (CB), Family Radio Service (FRS), and the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS), which only allow local communications using strictly limited modes and frequencies (although some CB operators do manage to talk fairly long distances using illegal linear amplifiers). ---CONTINUED---
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Re: Ham Radios

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LOTS of information in powerpoint slide show style at this site:

Image

Ham Radio
http://www.iwillprepare.com/ham_radio.htm

(BIG SNIP) ... Amateur Radio has consistently been the most reliable means of communications in emergencies when other systems have failed or were overloaded. ---CONTINUED---
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Re: Ham Radios

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The Ultimate Survivalists Guide to Ham Radio
https://alphasurvivalist.net/the-ultimate-survivalists-guide-to-ham-radio/

(SNIP) ... Amateur radio services give you the freedom to communicate over long distances no matter what happens. You’ve probably heard this referred to as ham radio, but you might not know a whole lot about it.

The good news is that it’s easier than ever to get involved with ham radio as there are clubs and societies in almost every region. If you want to prepare for the worst, then all it takes is an absolute bare minimum of equipment and a little knowledge about how radio works to get started. ---CONTINUED---
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Re: Ham Radios

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How to Get a Ham Radio License in the USA
https://urbansurvivalsite.com/how-to-get-a-ham-radio-license-in-the-usa/

There are about 3 million ham radio operators worldwide, with about 700,000 of them residing within the United States. Ham radio operators range from young kids up through older adults who enjoy talking to other people around the world using technology that doesn’t require a cell tower or internet signal.

Ready to start your own ham radio journey? Learn how to get a ham radio license in the United States to begin chatting with others around the world. ---CONTINUED---
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Re: Ham Radios

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Read This Before You Buy a Ham Radio
https://urbansurvivalsite.com/read-this-buy-ham-radio/

Ham radio has become an increasingly popular tool for preppers and people living off the grid. While it is a fairly inexpensive hobby to get into (you can buy surprisingly good imported handheld radios for under $30) there are a few things you need to know before you purchase a ham radio. ---CONTINUED---
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Re: Ham Radios

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What Is The Best Ham Radio For Preppers?
https://www.askaprepper.com/what-is-the-best-ham-radio-for-preppers/

For those who are just delving into the world of ham radio though, it doesn’t take long to realize you’re being swept away with a whirlwind of questions:

What’s the difference between VHF and UHF?
Is getting into HF really worth it for my situation?
How do I communicate as discretely as possible?

These questions and more are the ones that flood the mind of the newbie ham. But perhaps one of the most daunting questions to answer is this: what is the best ham radio for preppers? ---CONTINUED---
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