Radio for when Cell Phones won't work

[Dr Falken]

I have decided on the VX-170 as a hand-held to start.

Good Job! I have a Yaseu FT 60 (the dual bander) and it's solidly built and easy to run and well priced. I was going to buy the VX-170, but it is so nice to be able to get on the local 440 repeater system here in Bloomington. They are solid radios and I thought might be good for Search and Rescue or Cave Rescue or just out hiking situation. I have a Kenwood D7 HT and it just isn't as durable.

For those looking to buy Ham equipment, I usually order from R&L in Ohio, saves on tax, they have good prices and availability and if it comes UPS and I order before noon, I get it the next day! They also have used equipment.

 

[agentl074]

That 857 is sweet. You will need to take both the technician test and the general test to use the HF bands for phone (voice) but you can use the hf bands for cw (morse code) with just a tech lic. The 897d is the same but has the ability to run on batteries internally. You would need an external battery for 857. Both kick A.

What are the tech and general exams like? Would it be something I could take here at school?

 

[Sailor]

Go to QRZ.com they have practice tests and study materials. You have to find a testing date, and you can find that from a local ham radio club in your area is my guess.

Tech is pretty easy Gen, not as.

 

[rylosplanet]

When I was in Iraq, a couple of us had hand generated radios. They did not require batteries. There is actually a small hand crank on it. You have to crank it every few minutes, but they work fine and you don't have to worry about stocking up on batteries.

 

[agentl074]

Go to QRZ.com they have practice tests and study materials. You have to find a testing date, and you can find that from a local ham radio club in your area is my guess.

Tech is pretty easy Gen, not as.

Sounds like you just have to get your call letters... Like broadcasting school? We have some radio/broadcasting courses here at IU.

 

[Lars]

FWIW: Techres invited me to come down to BTown next month (March) to give a talk on exactly this for MSG2.

I anticipate putting my presentation docs online at w9zeb.org after the presentation.

if you PM me I'll make sure to send you a copy as well.

 

[Lars]

What are the tech and general exams like? Would it be something I could take here at school?

How to become a ham: Become a Ham | W9ZEB Dot Org


Portable HF/VHF/UHF: Yaesu FT-897 - Review

Hand Held VHF/UHF: VX-7R - Review

 

[agentl074]

Took the practice tests and eh... not much fun LOL. I think I'll stick with CB or any radio issued to me lol.

 

[Chefcook]

I use .5/1 watt FRS/GMRS Motorola T5530 handsets, along with 40 channel CB radios & two weather radios (Eaton crank powered AM/FM/TV/Weather w/cell phone recharger & LED area light, emergency flashers & siren, etc)

As far as the GMRS license, you'll need to fill out FCC forms 159 and 605 it's $85 for 5 years.

Is there anything left to do that doesn't require some sort of licensing or fee???? Before long we will all have meters in our homes and have to pay something like 5 cents a fart as an environmental fee for adding to the greenhouse effect...

 

[Panama]

FWIW: Techres invited me to come down to BTown next month (March) to give a talk on exactly this for MSG2.

I anticipate putting my presentation docs online at w9zeb.org after the presentation.

if you PM me I'll make sure to send you a copy as well.

FANTASTIC! I am looking forward to that!

Is there anything left to do that doesn't require some sort of licensing or fee???? Before long we will all have meters in our homes and have to pay something like 5 cents a fart as an environmental fee for adding to the greenhouse effect...

Do-ude, I think I may need to send Obama a quarter, get some air freshener, and change my drawers I'm just sayin'

 

[Sailor]

Since you would be using the same frequencies as many emergency responders it makes sense to me.

I would gladly take any test that would get me away from the drooling idiots on CB. No way can you listen to CB with the family around.

Test is not that hard, plus you get coast to coast comms, with out cell, or internet service.

Filling buckets with rice is not fun either but I do it.

 

[agentl074]

So the frequencies that we used at the Sheriffs department were HF/UHF/VHF? We used digital radios in the Air Force. LOL I dont know much about radios except for what we had to say and how we had to say it lol. Call/end traffic, Break between traffic, call signs, codes etc. At one point I was thinking about broadcasting school but figured that I should finish my current degree.

 

[Lars]

So the frequencies that we used at the Sheriffs department were HF/UHF/VHF? We used digital radios in the Air Force. LOL I dont know much about radios except for what we had to say and how we had to say it lol. Call/end traffic, Break between traffic, call signs, codes etc. At one point I was thinking about broadcasting school but figured that I should finish my current degree.

Most Police radios are outside the Ham Bands. There are some exceptions, where Entities had the frequencies before they were re-allocated to the Ham bands.

Marion county is primarily on 850mhz --> 870 Mhz UHF
They also have several frequencies around 154-157 Mhz VHF
Several Schools in Indianapolis have radios in the 464 Mhz UHF range.

GMRS (The licensed higher power version of FRS) listed above operates Just above the 70cm ham band between 462.550 Mhz --> 467.725 Mhz

The ham bands around these frequencies are as follows
2M 144.00 Mhz --> 147.99 Mhz (VHF)
70cm 420.00 Mhz --> 450.00 Mhz (UHF)
33cm 902.00 Mhz --> 928.00 Mhz (UHF)

Modes vary quite a bit. Most Police radios in Major metro areas are digital now which makes them hard if not impossible to listen to. Non-major metro areas likely still use FM. Most ham radios like the VX-7R can receive all of the above easily.

FRS & GMRS are always FM. Some of the frs radios have "Privacy modes" all these do is add a "Sub Audible Tone" to the transmission, and set a squelch to prevent transmissions without that tone from being received. This really doesn't make it "private" at all.

GMRS requires a license in part because you are allowed to run higher overall power (up to 50w I believe....)

FRS Radios share several frequencies with GMRS radios. Their power output is limited to .5W however. Coupled with the extremely sub-optimal antenna and you've got the perfect < 1mile radios to hand to the general public.

Hams are licensed for up to 1,500w on most of the bands they are licensed to use. In reality though for VHF/UHF it's very rare you use more than 10-25w With a 10w signal from my living room, on 2m FM, and my antenna inside the attic I can talk to hams within a 15m radius of me pretty easily. If my antenna was at 100' (say in the top of an old pine tree?) I would more likely be able to cover about 35 miles radius. (there's a math equation in there I've forgotten but will be looking up as part of the research going into my class next month )

 

[agentl074]

Cool! So we used FM radios there? I know we had one 800mhz digital radio that they were testing lol but we still had the old radios in our cars.

 

[davidw221]

get a sat phone, and get the kind that you only pay for when you use it, there out there

 

[Lars]

get a sat phone, and get the kind that you only pay for when you use it, there out there

You would be surprised at how little traffic those can handle before the system is overloaded.

During an "event" most traditional means of communication are going to fail due to use rather than the "event" itself.

 

[agentl074]

So you dont need to take a test for GMRS, just register with the FCC? That might be my ticket then

 

[4sarge]

So you dont need to take a test for GMRS, just register with the FCC? That might be my ticket then

The test doesn't appear to be that difficult. I passed the practice test w/o any study. Study and learn from the practice exams and you should be fine.

 

[Dr Falken]

FYI the Bloomington Amatuer Radio Club is having SkyWarn training put on by the NWS on Friday March 1st in the Weigmuller(sp) Auditorium at the Bloomington Hospital at 7:30pm. They have it every year and I'm planning on going. SkyWarn is sorta the public weather observation service, they report information into the weather service, such as funnel clouds, hail etc.

 

[Lars]

FYI the Bloomington Amatuer Radio Club is having SkyWarn training put on by the NWS on Friday March 1st in the Weigmuller(sp) Auditorium at the Bloomington Hospital at 7:30pm. They have it every year and I'm planning on going. SkyWarn is sorta the public weather observation service, they report information into the weather service, such as funnel clouds, hail etc.

This is GREAT training for anyone survival minded. I Highly recommend it for everyone!

Thanks Dr Falken for posting that