HAM Radio Discussion

[cstone]

I think amateur radio is even more important in mountainous areas. How is your cell coverage? With repeaters, you can communicate in an emergency even when there is no cell coverage.

I don't use my HT often, but take it with me on every trip, no matter where I go. If bad things happen, I only need to get a msg to another HAM and I trust the msg will be relayed. From anywhere, to anywhere, any time of day.

[rbeau30]

http://www.repeaterbook.com/repeater....w6ZzrnXj.dpbs

Gilpin Repeaters. I think I was successful at contacting the two on Thorodin Mountain with my Baofeng before.

[GilpinGuy]

http://www.repeaterbook.com/repeater....w6ZzrnXj.dpbs

Gilpin Repeaters. I think I was successful at contacting the two on Thorodin Mountain with my Baofeng before.

Thorodin Mountain is pretty close. Sweet - thanks!

[rbeau30]

Thorodin Mountain is pretty close. Sweet - thanks!

If you are not sure about wanting to get into the hobby. Get a Baofeng radio for 30 bucks on Amazon. They are very capable, and can get you a feel for it before you go spending money on some serious radios. Your License is going to be 15 bucks. So all together you can get into the hobby for way less than $100 bucks.

This is the one I bought (UV-5R):
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Singlestack]

If you are not sure about wanting to get into the hobby. Get a Baofeng radio for 30 bucks on Amazon. They are very capable, and can get you a feel for it before you go spending money on some serious radios. Your License is going to be 15 bucks. So all together you can get into the hobby for way less than $100 bucks.

This is the one I bought (UV-5R):
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Great advice. Give it a try with little investment. If you find its not for you, not much invested. I had my Baofeng for a year before deciding I wanted to get more into it and joined ARES. Got an Icom ID-51 for Christmas last year, and its an incredible radio. Better then the Baofeng in all ways except cost. But now I have the Baofeng as a backup, and it goes with me on daily walks.

One thing to consider, Gilpinguy, is to get some local height on an antenna - makes all the difference in the world. I only have 4-5Watt HTs that I use from my basement study, but have 60' of good coax to an attic mounted Diamond X-50AN 2M/70cm antenna. Sounds fantastic and I can hit other HTs 10 miles away on simplex (no repeater) without a perfect LOS.

A technician level license and an inexpensive dual band HT ought to be considered mandatory survival gear.

[buffalobo]

If you are not sure about wanting to get into the hobby. Get a Baofeng radio for 30 bucks on Amazon. They are very capable, and can get you a feel for it before you go spending money on some serious radios. Your License is going to be 15 bucks. So all together you can get into the hobby for way less than $100 bucks.

This is the one I bought (UV-5R):
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Great advice. Give it a try with little investment. If you find its not for you, not much invested. I had my Baofeng for a year before deciding I wanted to get more into it and joined ARES. Got an Icom ID-51 for Christmas last year, and its an incredible radio. Better then the Baofeng in all ways except cost. But now I have the Baofeng as a backup, and it goes with me on daily walks.

One thing to consider, Gilpinguy, is to get some local height on an antenna - makes all the difference in the world. I only have 4-5Watt HTs that I use from my basement study, but have 60' of good coax to an attic mounted Diamond X-50AN 2M/70cm antenna. Sounds fantastic and I can hit other HTs 10 miles away on simplex (no repeater) without a perfect LOS.

A technician level license and an inexpensive dual band HT ought to be considered mandatory survival gear.

Gotta love when the most recent posts have the answers/advice you are looking for.

Time to go back to the beginning and read entire thread and pull the trigger.

[HoneyBadger]

He should be able to hit Pikes Peak, but it really depends on the immediate terrain. If you live in a valley and can't see pikes peak, then you probably won't be able to hit it.

[Irving]

I was listening to my Baofeng just today.

[rbeau30]

I was listening to my Baofeng just today.

I have several stashed in strategic places.

Going to eventually set up my Baofengs to transmit to my car or bug out Trailer which is set up as a cross-band-repeater to transmit to a repeater on one of the mountains.

I know my car radio is capable of it It is just one of those "to do" items.

[rbeau30]

For some reason the Speaker mic seems to make everything sound better.

The 14" whip antenna upgrade seems to work for me even in a moving vehicle.