Ham radio -anyone interested in free training?

[madmedic]

To be honest. With a foundation licence that costs £28 and a little trial and error I was communicating with most of the world on HF. With that kind of range networks or areas become less of a problem. More important would be some frequencies that people will try to get on. And when to try.

[modplod]

It is my understanding that there are individual frequencies on most bands which are alotted by the authorities as emergency channels to be used in times of civil unrest etc.

Perhaps someone with more up to date knowledge will be able to provide this list of frequencies?

Those of you who are unlicenced radio operators will be using frequencies for general chat. Providing you do so in a responsible way, I really can't see a problem with this (no foul language and always be polite to other users).

A radio in TEOTWAWKI will be used to get news on what's going on and how to stay safe. That said, you will always get idiots who spoil it for the rest by keying over conversations and generally being anti-social & abnoxious. I can remember a few licenced operators who acted like this!

The old method was to simply use someone else's callsign - pinch a French callsign was widely used. If you listen to the radio hams you can easily work out what to say and when to say it.... CQ CQ CQ DX this is G4... CALLING CQ CQ CQ DX, LISTENING & STANDING BY......

As some of you say here - obtaining a legal callsign is quite cheap and easy to get these days, so why operate unlawfully? The old morse test has been binned (which is a great idea in my view).

I still have my old Yausu FT840 which is a brilliantly simple and reliable HF radio.

[madmedic]

Modplod. You are correct every band has emergency frequencies allocated. And for the recent tsunami in Japan it was made clear to keep off them except for emergency traffic. I was meaning more one for us to use if anything happened to contact each other for mutual aid. As a licenced operator especially in HF I'm sure you had hours of searching for that quick message.

My idea was more saying if SHTF be on xxxMhz and at x time daily we will have an RV on the radio. The emergency frequencies quickly get full of open broadcast.

[tom2tom]

I'm interested too but do you need a license to own one?

[modplod]

No need to spend very much these days on over-expensive Japanese imported gear. There are plenty Chinese imported radio sets (VHF, UHF, HF) available now at bargain prices. In general these sets do exactly the same as Jap gear.

Icom, Kenwood and Yausu used to be the only options available to UK operators.

I bet that ICOM UK are extremely peeved off because of these Chinese imports.

No longer a closed shop eh?

For unlicenced preppers you just need to decide what range you want. I suppose the most useful bands will be local VHF/UHF frequencies where local conditions are discussed.

Personally I never had a problem with unlicenced operators providing they were polite & respectful to all other users.

Of course you will always get licensed (legal) operators who think they are members of an elite club and perceive themselves to be better than unlicenced users. This is complete tosh in my book.

Then again, perhaps CB radio or even 446 mhz will be most useful to preppers who want to chat with others and discuss local conditions?

[modplod]

I'm interested too but do you need a license to own one?

NO!

Anyone can purchase a Ham Radio set up. There is no legal requirement to show a licence.

If you want the set up for use after SHTF then just store the gear until it's needed.

Go to the newsagents and pick up "Practical Wireless" for £3.75. In it you will find VHF/UHF handhelds for less than £100 new capable of using local rebro transmitters giving up to 100 miles range duplex (not bad from a handheld radio putting out 5 watts).

Personally I prefer 2 metre band (144 Mhz) for local chat over 70 CM (433 Mhz). A new Chinese made Wouxun costs less than £80!!!!!!! You can get a dual (144/430) handheld for £100.

If you have more to spend then look at HF sets - a good secondhand HF set can be obtained for less than £400.

A CB radio (27 mhz) costs less than £80 and can be legally used without licence. The CB airwaves here in the UK are dead although after SHTF it will become widely used I'm sure. The Cell phone structure will be one of the first things to fail (after cash ATM's).

If you intend to be unlicenced, my advice is to store it until SHTF otherwise why not operate legally and get the right training?

If you want a compact set up then pick a simple handheld which whacks out 5 watts. No need to buy an expensive and complicated aerial (antenna) either.

[madmedic]

If you are spending £100+ on even a second hand set £28 for a weekends training and licence is not a lot. This gives you a call sign and the rights to use the stuff. After SHTF I doubt anyone will care, but right now it gives you all the praciice you want now on all frequencies. Lots of licenced users will ignore you because it is a breach of their liscence to talk to you and OFCOM will revoke licence and can confiscate sets. Although most M3 (foundation) licence holders I know use more power than they should.

For those who say just make up a call sign any worldwide callsign can be checked very easy and on HF I find usually they will check before they talk. I got pulled up because I had wrong address online

If you sticking PMR or CB (both donot need licence) or 2m 70cm you do drastically reduce your range. Ok for local network but not for over 30miles

[madmedic]

I thought I was going to have to have a rant about unlicenced users.. Well more of a rant but modplod did say why not get trained. Thank you.

Going rogue on the airwaves just gives preppers a bad name. Do it legal get some practice for when you need it and you never even need say you prep.

[modplod]

Not all callsigns are listed publically in radio registers. Under the DPA 1998 you have the right to stop your data being published in these kinds of public available books. I'm sure other countries give the same rights. I know many operators who refused to allow their names to be cross-referenced with their callsigns in these kind of registers (including myself).

In the old days you just needed to use the callsign of a far off casual operator or one known to have given up or sadly gone by way of slient key. Honestly if you are careful and do not draw attention to yourself by acting anti-socially, it's very easy to bring off...

I'm NOT telling anyone to operate against the law here - I'm merely pointing out the reality of what goes on every single day...

If you buy the gear to use only after SHTF - that does no harm and is legal too until the point it's used and then it won't really be much of a crime...

I agree if you are interested in ham radio, the best thing to do is get the right training and get an inexpensive licence to operate.

[modplod]

I practiced on the HF bands for 3 years without any kind of licence or formal training (without causing any kind of problem). I used to use the callsign G4 IMK (if memory serves me right) in the early 1980's. Apologies to the rightful holder of that callsign. It is plain wrong. In the end I loved it so much I decided to get legal.

Serving in the police and breaking the law isn't such a great idea.

I gave up radio in 1998 and haven't operated since. I still have most of my gear though. These days I prefer hunting (and possess both FAC and SGC).