Ham radio -anyone interested in free training?
Re: Ham radio -anyone interested in free training?
As it has been said it is easy to go unlicenced. But what ever you do, like any other bit of kit you need to make sure it works and you know how to use it. I the licence is a quick milti choice and 1-2 days training. It also gives you access to club knowlage. If you are using voice over short distances this is not that useful but if you want to get more out of a radio. I'd say the training is not a bad thing.
Give a man fire and he will be warm for a day..
Set him on fire and he will be warm for the rest of his life..
Set him on fire and he will be warm for the rest of his life..
Re: Ham radio -anyone interested in free training?
Thanks gonna do that! Could really do with one in my shed! =)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.
Me all i am and all i want to be!
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modplod
Re: Ham radio -anyone interested in free training?
Wow I have just seen that Moonraker are selling a dual handheld (144/430) for a truly unbelievable price. A 4.5 watt Baofeng UV-5RC plus 2013 (current latest model). Comes complete with desktop charger, antenna, belt clip and 1,800mAh battery as standard.
This little gem would make an excellent SHTF radio. Giving you full access to both 2 metre and 70 Cm local VHF/UHF radio nets.
The best thing it's only £49 new.
In my previous posts I have forgotten to say that preppers need access to local news and events and that transmission isn't necessarily needed. For keeping abreast with local developments and road conditions etc all that may be needed is listening to other persons transmissions. No need to press the pressel button and commit and offence (albeit a small one).
The above handheld is actually much cheaper than some popular Japanese scanners! Why spend £200 on a scanner when you can get full transcieve capability with something costing less than half the price!
The likes of ICOM and Kenwood must be sh1ting themselves!
Using simplex frequencies (one channel to transmitt and recieve) may give you up to 5 miles range.
Powerful local rebro systems (giving ranges of 100 miles plus) will need duplex frequencies instead of a single simplex frequency. This is one of the main reasons to get proper training.
This little gem would make an excellent SHTF radio. Giving you full access to both 2 metre and 70 Cm local VHF/UHF radio nets.
The best thing it's only £49 new.
In my previous posts I have forgotten to say that preppers need access to local news and events and that transmission isn't necessarily needed. For keeping abreast with local developments and road conditions etc all that may be needed is listening to other persons transmissions. No need to press the pressel button and commit and offence (albeit a small one).
The above handheld is actually much cheaper than some popular Japanese scanners! Why spend £200 on a scanner when you can get full transcieve capability with something costing less than half the price!
The likes of ICOM and Kenwood must be sh1ting themselves!
Using simplex frequencies (one channel to transmitt and recieve) may give you up to 5 miles range.
Powerful local rebro systems (giving ranges of 100 miles plus) will need duplex frequencies instead of a single simplex frequency. This is one of the main reasons to get proper training.
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Ejcb
Ham radio -anyone interested in free training?
I think ham radio is an excellent idea for our purposes, although the technical nature of the gear and its intricacies are proving a tough nut to crack - lots of reading!
It seems that most here have organised themselves into geographical locations, I wonder if interested preppers would organise a communication network?
If we could relay communications from north to south and east to west, it would certainly augment and solidify any response and capability that our forum offers.
Modplod - it seems that handset could be a good option to many in this thread.
What would be the greatest range and how would it be exploited for best effect.
A network of preppers would be excellent.
It seems that most here have organised themselves into geographical locations, I wonder if interested preppers would organise a communication network?
If we could relay communications from north to south and east to west, it would certainly augment and solidify any response and capability that our forum offers.
Modplod - it seems that handset could be a good option to many in this thread.
What would be the greatest range and how would it be exploited for best effect.
A network of preppers would be excellent.
Re: Ham radio -anyone interested in free training?
Sorry i'm been a little thick lol. Do you need a license to use it then? I plan on getting training anyway just do not know much about radios. Or do you get a certificate after the course which is your license =)
Thanks =)
Thanks =)
Me all i am and all i want to be!
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modplod
Re: Ham radio -anyone interested in free training?
If I'm honest the best communications tool for preppers will be local contact with other preppers.
A simple Citizens Band radio will enable you to do this with a range of up to 10 miles or so.
A CB Radio costs £50 - £100 new and can be operated without any licence.
You can buy them from a few UK retailers - just look in the latest copy of RADIO USER available at your newsagents.
The CB radio frequency (27 Mhz) is almost dead now but in times of strife I'm sure it will become very popular once the cellphone systems fail (after the cash ATM's).
A CB radio knocks out about 4 watts of power which is about the same as a radio ham handheld - more than enough for reliable local comms.
There is talk of allowing Single Sideband (SSB) operation on UK CB, this may increase distances to 20 miles or more.
IF YOU JUST WISH TO POSSESS A RELIABLE MEANS OF LOCAL COMMUNICATION THEN A SIMPLE CB RADIO TICKS ALL THE BOXES. FORGET HAM RADIO. SAVE YOURSELF TIME AND MONEY BY GETTING A CHEAP CB RADIO.
I really think we are needlessly complicating matters and confusing people by advising preppers to obtain a ham radio licence.
Becoming a Radio Amateur has almost NOTHING to do with prepping. In any case the best Ham bands for prepper useage will be the VHF/UHF bands which will not really do much more than a CB.
I can remember CB radio in the early 1980's and it was busy as hell - exactly what a prepper will need during civil unrest etc...
A simple Citizens Band radio will enable you to do this with a range of up to 10 miles or so.
A CB Radio costs £50 - £100 new and can be operated without any licence.
You can buy them from a few UK retailers - just look in the latest copy of RADIO USER available at your newsagents.
The CB radio frequency (27 Mhz) is almost dead now but in times of strife I'm sure it will become very popular once the cellphone systems fail (after the cash ATM's).
A CB radio knocks out about 4 watts of power which is about the same as a radio ham handheld - more than enough for reliable local comms.
There is talk of allowing Single Sideband (SSB) operation on UK CB, this may increase distances to 20 miles or more.
IF YOU JUST WISH TO POSSESS A RELIABLE MEANS OF LOCAL COMMUNICATION THEN A SIMPLE CB RADIO TICKS ALL THE BOXES. FORGET HAM RADIO. SAVE YOURSELF TIME AND MONEY BY GETTING A CHEAP CB RADIO.
I really think we are needlessly complicating matters and confusing people by advising preppers to obtain a ham radio licence.
Becoming a Radio Amateur has almost NOTHING to do with prepping. In any case the best Ham bands for prepper useage will be the VHF/UHF bands which will not really do much more than a CB.
I can remember CB radio in the early 1980's and it was busy as hell - exactly what a prepper will need during civil unrest etc...
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Spiderwebb
Re: Ham radio -anyone interested in free training?
I've been following this thread with interest....
I'm often travelling about with my job which can take me far from home (including abroad). Also, my parents live c. 250 miles away.
So the prepping solution I'm looking for is communication from wherever I find myself when SHTF to home & my parents. I won't always have a car with me, I often use trains. What I think I've learnt is that HAM is a solution.
I will use CB for local use.
As mentioned a few pages back in this thread, I have researched the Radio Society of GB website and plan to contact a local club next week. My research into obtaining a Amateur licence informs me it's minimal effort (25 multiple choice questions - prev exam papers look straight forward) and about £28.
Determining what type of Radio comms is most suitable is all about your requirements, so be clear on that first. Then to make an informed decision about the solution, assuming you have little or no Radio experience (that's me!), you need knowledge. I will get mine from a number of sources (as above) including this forum AND training. My theory is this ground work will lead to smart investments in the right kit with the right spec to suit my needs.
I'm often travelling about with my job which can take me far from home (including abroad). Also, my parents live c. 250 miles away.
So the prepping solution I'm looking for is communication from wherever I find myself when SHTF to home & my parents. I won't always have a car with me, I often use trains. What I think I've learnt is that HAM is a solution.
I will use CB for local use.
As mentioned a few pages back in this thread, I have researched the Radio Society of GB website and plan to contact a local club next week. My research into obtaining a Amateur licence informs me it's minimal effort (25 multiple choice questions - prev exam papers look straight forward) and about £28.
Determining what type of Radio comms is most suitable is all about your requirements, so be clear on that first. Then to make an informed decision about the solution, assuming you have little or no Radio experience (that's me!), you need knowledge. I will get mine from a number of sources (as above) including this forum AND training. My theory is this ground work will lead to smart investments in the right kit with the right spec to suit my needs.
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modplod
Re: Ham radio -anyone interested in free training?
Ham radio will NOT provide you with a reliable communications capability at the ranges you quote here!
VHF/UHF will only give the same kind of distances as CB radio if used simplex without access to the repeater network. Even using a base station (30-50 watts of RF power) will not give reliable comms over 20 or so miles.
As for HF - You rely upon propergation of your signal to get worldwide coverage. In effect you never really know where your signal will reach, that is why you go onto the calling channel and call for DX. In a SHTF situation HF radio will NOT enable you to talk with family 100 plus miles away. In the distant past when I was a licenced radio amateur it was often very difficult to reliably contact others living more than 30 miles away. I could very often be talking to someone the other side of the world yet at the same time be unable to hear someone else living 50 miles away. This is the reality of HF that is often not properly discussed in this place.
A HF radio set has lots more buttons and gadgets and requires a high level of radio knowledge to use properly.
A simple CB radio really is the way to go if you want uncomplicated local comms out to 10 miles or so. You only require a CB radio set (new cost £50-100) and an aerial as high as you can get it.
Most ham radios are quite complicated in their operation. They have a huge number of settings which will not be needed in a SHTF kind of situation. Why pay for these things you will never use? You will also need a degree of training to use these additional features...
A Ham radio handheld will generate the same RF power as a CB radio and therefore ranges are very limited.
Of course if you think you will get something out of Ham Radio then go right ahead but don't confuse this with what preppers normally require.
I suspect that once the cellphone system has gone down (which it will quite early on after the cash ATM machines have failed), that the CB channels will become widely used by anyone wanting to find out local intelligence.
This leaves 446 Mhz - these little handheld radios produce less than half a watt of RF power and distances are down to less than 1 mile. So I can't really see that 446 MHZ is the way to go unless you merely wish to talk to your next door neighbours.
So those of you out there who just need a capability to stay in touch with others at a local level would be best advised to procure a simple CB radio instead of complicated Ham radio gear (or next to useless 446 Mhz radios).
VHF/UHF will only give the same kind of distances as CB radio if used simplex without access to the repeater network. Even using a base station (30-50 watts of RF power) will not give reliable comms over 20 or so miles.
As for HF - You rely upon propergation of your signal to get worldwide coverage. In effect you never really know where your signal will reach, that is why you go onto the calling channel and call for DX. In a SHTF situation HF radio will NOT enable you to talk with family 100 plus miles away. In the distant past when I was a licenced radio amateur it was often very difficult to reliably contact others living more than 30 miles away. I could very often be talking to someone the other side of the world yet at the same time be unable to hear someone else living 50 miles away. This is the reality of HF that is often not properly discussed in this place.
A HF radio set has lots more buttons and gadgets and requires a high level of radio knowledge to use properly.
A simple CB radio really is the way to go if you want uncomplicated local comms out to 10 miles or so. You only require a CB radio set (new cost £50-100) and an aerial as high as you can get it.
Most ham radios are quite complicated in their operation. They have a huge number of settings which will not be needed in a SHTF kind of situation. Why pay for these things you will never use? You will also need a degree of training to use these additional features...
A Ham radio handheld will generate the same RF power as a CB radio and therefore ranges are very limited.
Of course if you think you will get something out of Ham Radio then go right ahead but don't confuse this with what preppers normally require.
I suspect that once the cellphone system has gone down (which it will quite early on after the cash ATM machines have failed), that the CB channels will become widely used by anyone wanting to find out local intelligence.
This leaves 446 Mhz - these little handheld radios produce less than half a watt of RF power and distances are down to less than 1 mile. So I can't really see that 446 MHZ is the way to go unless you merely wish to talk to your next door neighbours.
So those of you out there who just need a capability to stay in touch with others at a local level would be best advised to procure a simple CB radio instead of complicated Ham radio gear (or next to useless 446 Mhz radios).
Last edited by modplod on Wed Jan 02, 2013 12:51 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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modplod
Re: Ham radio -anyone interested in free training?
Also, the 2 Metre (144 mhz) and 70 Cm (430 mhz) ham radio repeater networks are operated by local radio hams. These repeater networks are likely to go the same way as cellular phone networks quite early on (for a number of reasons but mainly because they reply upon the national grid for power).
CB radio is THE way to go for us preppers.
There is talk of Single Sideband (SSB) on UK CB frequencies. If this goes ahead it will increase ranges to 20 miles or so. Although unlawful at the moment there are huge numbers of imported CB's that already possess this capability (both AM and FM). I used to use a President AR144 and Lincoln in the early 1980's which gave this capability. Because CB operates on the HF bands (27mhz) it could often be used for worldwide contact if the conditions were right (using 28 mhz). But again, you never knew where your signal would travel to and therefore it is an unreliable method for contacting people you may know.
There are too many of you out there who seem to be under the impression that HF will allow you to talk to mates 100 miles away! It won't with the degree of reliability you will need.
I suppose one of these illegal SSB CB's would be a great asset in time of SHTF.
CB radio is THE way to go for us preppers.
There is talk of Single Sideband (SSB) on UK CB frequencies. If this goes ahead it will increase ranges to 20 miles or so. Although unlawful at the moment there are huge numbers of imported CB's that already possess this capability (both AM and FM). I used to use a President AR144 and Lincoln in the early 1980's which gave this capability. Because CB operates on the HF bands (27mhz) it could often be used for worldwide contact if the conditions were right (using 28 mhz). But again, you never knew where your signal would travel to and therefore it is an unreliable method for contacting people you may know.
There are too many of you out there who seem to be under the impression that HF will allow you to talk to mates 100 miles away! It won't with the degree of reliability you will need.
I suppose one of these illegal SSB CB's would be a great asset in time of SHTF.
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modplod
Re: Ham radio -anyone interested in free training?
You can buy your CB gear from here -
http://www.alan-uk.com/cb/products_cbradios.shtml
Or packages here - http://www.4x4cb.com/public/menu.cfm?Category=519
I am intending to procure 10 CB radios - 5 x mobile car/base sets and 5 x handheld CB's. Each set costs in the region of £80 but if you look on Ebay or Gumtree you can often find them for less than £30!
£80 will get you an new emergency comms outfit ready for SHTF. After SHTF these things will be like gold buy...
To find out what is going on in the world you will need a good reliable transister radio (don't bother with DRB sets because the whole network will fall quite soon after the balloon goes up).
http://www.alan-uk.com/cb/products_cbradios.shtml
Or packages here - http://www.4x4cb.com/public/menu.cfm?Category=519
I am intending to procure 10 CB radios - 5 x mobile car/base sets and 5 x handheld CB's. Each set costs in the region of £80 but if you look on Ebay or Gumtree you can often find them for less than £30!
£80 will get you an new emergency comms outfit ready for SHTF. After SHTF these things will be like gold buy...
To find out what is going on in the world you will need a good reliable transister radio (don't bother with DRB sets because the whole network will fall quite soon after the balloon goes up).