Posted: 11/9/2007 1:29:44 PM EDT
| I'm not even new, I don't even exist when you consider the classification of HAM users, but something I hope to determine is what the limit might be. I am interested in something compact enough I could install it in my vehicle or carry it in my pack (realizing I would need other things in my pack) but what good is it without some one to talk to. In addition to wanting to know what possibilities are out there for something that could be carried I would also like to know about base camp type communication devices. What I am asking is for those who have these kinds of devices share them here so I can see what is possible and being a student in addition to a husband and father it would need to be done on a limited budget. Thanks for your input. |
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The best communications for anyone other than a cellular phone is amatuer radio. The reason being that repeaters (the things that let police/fire/ems talk all over the county with using a walkie-talkie) are in place and can be used for free. Listed below with advantages and drawbacks of the most used comm equipment for us civilians. 1. 2 Meter amatuer radio.. Advantages:20 to 30 mile range through repeaters. equipment is fairly cheap (HT's about $130) Disadvantages: Everyone has to pass the test for their own license. 2. GMRS/FRS radios. Advantages: HT radios available in dept stores. If you go all out, 50 watt mobile radios available from radio dealers. Disadvantages: $85 License needed for GMRS. Radio to radio range usually less than 3 miles. FRS range 1 mile tops. To use GMRS repeater comms, you need to contact someone with a repeater already in place and buy much more expensive equipment from a radio dealer. 3. MURS radios. Advantages: 3 to 5 mile range, radio to radio comms only (no repeaters allowed), in rural areas, radio channels not busy. No license required. Disadvantages: Radios not readily available. Only 5 channels available and two watts transmitt power. Question is: How far do you want to talk and to whom? RS |
| Well that depends. I would like to be able to talk from the top of the mountains I like to hike (which is still line of sight to where I and most of my family live). By mountains I mean the Rockies. I would also like that kind of comm. for outdoors sporting activities (hunting and fishing) which in some cases would be a few miles (sometimes line of sight while other times obscured by other mountains and trees). Lastly I do have some interested in wireless Trans continental communications but it would only be an oddity or something fun to play around with. Does that clarify what I am looking into? Thank you ahead of time for your help. |
Remember, there are exceptions. Where I am, I can hit two repeaters with a HT, the 145.190 on Mt MItchell, hat covers between 5-8 states at times. There is also the 145.350 in Dallas NC (listed as Charlotte) that has usual mobile coverage towards VA, almost to Columbia SC, east of Charlotte atleast an hours drive, as well as many other directions.
UHF mobiles are a lot cheaper than they used to be, reconditioned Icoms are less than $200 and used (but usable/good) motorola maxtracs can be had for $100 or so, depending on how many CH they have. |
for on-person carry, you have basically two options: (1) amateur VHF/UHF HT (handy-talkie). this type of radio looks and operates similar to what you see the typical police officer, firefighter, or EMT carrying around. small, lightweight, short antenna, with either an integral or a detachable battery pack, an HT can be hung from your belt, cliped to your molle/etc, or stowed in your backpack. HT's are used to talk in one of three ways: HT to HT (called simplex operation), HT to base (also called simplex), or HT to repeater. while the first two scenarios are quite range-limited due to the low power output of the HT (typ 5W) and the small antenna (typ ~4" to 15"), the repeater situation is altogether a different one. utilizing a repeater, an HT can be used to communicate over an area of hundreds of square miles. i explain repeater operation in detail about 3 or 4 posts down in the Ham Radio 101 thread which is permanently tacked to the top of this forum. just to close up on VHF/UHF, depending on where you live there may be from 0 to 10 repeaters reachable using an HT. if you are way out in the sticks, it will likely be 0. if you are near a relatively populated area, it will be more like 5. examples of VHF/UHF HT's are the Yaesu VX170 (2 meter only=VHF) and the dual band Yaesu VX6R (2m and 70cm=VHF/UHF). these class of radios generally cost around US$130->US$250, depending on features. (2) amateur HF radio (also called a QRP radio). QRP is a "Q-signal" meaning "reduce your power". in the amateur community, the term QRP radio generally describes an HF rig which outputs around 5W, although some models produce up to 10W. a QRP radio also has features which minimize power consumption while receiving. for example, there will be settings to turn off all of the display and key backlights, and so on. and, a QRP rig will work on lower voltages than typical HF radios. why use a QRP radio? well, for remote operation (either on foot or at a campsite), the amount of available battery power will limit operating time and transmit power. hence, a QRP radio maximizes your overall operating time. with a QRP HF radio, you can talk either about 5000 feet, or about 5000 miles -- depending on band conditions, the quality of your antenna, soil resistivity, quality of your receiver, and your ear. QRP is a real "art form" in amateur radio; you generally have to know what you are doing to make DX (distance) contacts, and this requires practice, dexterity in antenna hanging, familiarity with the quirks of the ionosphere, complete knowledge of advanced features of your radio, and a keen ear for tuning. now the tough part. the primary issue with operating HF while portable is the antenna. HF requires long antennas for efficient transmitting and receiving; a short antenna hurts on both counts. hence, the antenna is the critical factor for remote operation. you can play this two ways: (a) operate while walking with a vertical antenna sticking up out of your pack, or (b) operate while at camp using an antenna you assemble from your pack. option (a) is employed by many folks; you can see some nice pics here (click on the Meet the Moderators jpegs at the bottom): www.hfpack.com/ note that Europeans, especially those in the UK, are especially active in man-portable QRP operation. they dig it. option (b) is employed by many folks as well. you simply bring along a radio, a battery, and a portable antenna, and set it all up on a picnic bench at camp. the antenna can be a roll-up type (google "yo-yo-tenna") or a pre-fab dipole type which assembles like a tent pole (google "buddipole"). typical all-mode radios for QRP operation include the Icom 703+, and the Yaesu FT817ND. the former is popular with the picnic table crowd, and the latter is extremely popular with the manpack crowd. note that these are multi-purpose, all-band, all-mode radios that also double as shortwave (SW) receivers. there are also available some very simple, very power-efficent HF QRP radios that operate CW (morse code) on a single band. these types define the true essence of QRP operation: simple, low power, task-specific radio. any way you do QRP, you'll need an external antenna of some type, a microphone (for voice) or a keyer (for CW), and ideally as much battery capacity as you can carry. more QRP info/links here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QRP_operation also see home.frognet.net/~mcfadden/wd8rif/seorat.htm www.dxzone.com/cgi-bin/dir/jump2.cgi?ID=11136 ar-jedi Icom 703+ in an example pack: (link)  |
I think this is a neat radio. Yaesu FTM-10R dual bander operates on 2 meters and 70 centimeters. High power output is featured with 50 watts on 2 meters and 40 watts on 430 MHz. Three power levels are available for 2M/440: 50/40, 20/20 and 5/5 watts. Very extended receive includes: 0.5-1.8 [AM band], 76-108 [FM band], 108-137, 137-174, 174-222, 300-420, 420-470, 470-800 MHz and 800-999 MHz (less USA cellular blocked)....... |
Start studying for your Technician Class license. When you think you know enough to pass the Tech written, you'll have a much better, informed idea about the capabilities of the bands. |
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Thanks for the input. I am especially interested in the HF pack types to start with. Are they at all compatible with either CB or those popular handheld radios? Just curious, I have a nice Cobra handheld CB with weather channels I would like to integrate if at all possible. Next question, where do I find necessary literature for studying for my technical license? Again thank you all for your help. |
all of your questions above are covered in the Ham 101 thread permanently affixed to the top of this forum. licensing is covered on the bottom of the 2nd post, CB interop is covered on page two a few posts down. ar-jedi |
| Thanks AR I just have been so busy at work and have not had time to review your 101 info. I printed it out but have had a load of reading from work (I currently work medical research and have several studies that I have to review). I am now staying up to read the rest of that 101 stuff. Thanks. |
I've got ICS/NIMS on the brain. Cut me some slack! 
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I find that with my dual band HT and my Dual Band Mobile set in "cross band repeat" mode I can go out in the middle of nowhere and use the mobile rig for a repeater for my handheld. I don't think I have been anywhere in Oregon where I could not hit a repeater using this setup. Mark. |