Getting Licensed in Amateur Radio is Easier Than You Think
By Tom Fuszard | Submitted On April 21, 2009
Now that you've decided to try your hand at amateur radio, you may wonder: what's the next step? What's involved, and what does it cost? As a member of a ham radio club, I get those questions all the time. I'm always eager to talk about amateur radio, but I find occasionally that a little explanation is in order.
Some people confuse ham radio with the Family Radio Service or Citizens Band. Those are designed for folks who just want to chat over short distances--really short, in the case of FRS--using inexpensive equipment that doesn't require a license. Amateur radio is more involved, but it also offers the hobbyist more choices and opportunities. It is designed to be the experimenter's service, so the FCC permits a wide range of activity. A deeper discussion of the hobby will be saved for a later column. For now, we want to talk about how you can jump into the wonderful world of amateur radio.
First, a little primer about licensing. There are three classes of license in the Amateur Radio Service: Technician, General, and Amateur Extra. Each offers a certain amount of privileges, which increase as you progress to a higher class or level. The wonderful thing is, though, that you decide how far you want to go. Many folks attain Extra Class, but others are quite content with a lower class of license. All three levels offer great opportunities to operate across the radio spectrum using a wide variety of equipment.
So you're not likely to get bored. You proceed at a pace that's comfortable for you, and upgrade when and if you wish.
The Technician and General Class exams have 35 multiple-choice questions; the Extra Class exam has 50 questions. A passing score of 70% is required for all exams. That equates to 26 correct answers on the Technician and General Class exams, and 37 correct on the Extra Class exam.
You will start with the Technician Class exam. Study guides are available from a number of sources, including, the American Radio Relay League (arrl.org), the W5YI Group (w5yi.org), and Amateur Electronic Supply (aesham.com), among others. At least one Web site, QRZ.com, offers online practice tests. You can "test" yourself to see how well your studying is going. (Official tests are taken in person.)
However, before even doing that, I suggest you track down a ham radio operator to act as a mentor (known as an Elmer). You will probably have some questions as you study the material. Plus, your Elmer can help you find an exam session. Once licensed, your Elmer will help you choose the right equipment, and will review with you the on-air procedures and etiquette.
Do you have a ham radio operator for a neighbor or a co-worker? If not, the Web site for the American Radio Relay League can help. Click on the "Clubs" link found near the top of the home page, and follow the instructions from there. Feel free to visit a couple clubs. Find one that you're comfortable with, and mention that you're interested in finding an Elmer.
Once you're "ticketed" (as we call it) and have your equipment, it's time to start taking advantage of the wonderful opportunities available to you. Among these are charity rides and walks. Public service is very important to ham radio operators, who provide basic communications for the larger walks and rides in your area. Sign up, and join your fellow hams as they provide an important service to a very worthwhile cause.
Sound exciting? What are you waiting for? Take that first step toward earning your amateur radio license, and you'll be well on your way to a very rewarding "career."
Tom Fuszard, KF9PU, has been a ham radio operator for more than 20 years. He has participated in various charity rides in the greater Milwaukee area. Past chairman of NCVEC, Tom is a co-manager of MRAC VEC, Inc.
Tom posts articles frequently on his own blog, which offers material on a variety of topics important to business people. Feel free to check out all his posts. Your comments are always welcome. You may reach Tom through his blog.
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Tom_Fuszard/181471
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Survival Radio: 5 Critical Concerns And Why HAM Radio Is The Only Answer
By Kurt H Petrich | Submitted On July 24, 2014
Want to stay in touch with your loved ones in the middle of a hurricane? Well, if you are thinking about using your trusty cell phone or FRS or GMRS survival radios, then think again.
I want to show you 5 critical issues you need to address. But even if you don't, the truth is, these 5 keys are essential to your survival. So what are they? When it all comes down to it survival radio is about:
1. price
2. reach
3. privacy
4. mobility
5. reliability.
And as I share each of these with you, you'll see why HAM radio is the best solution.
First Concern: Pricing Why is the pricing important when it comes to the best emergency radio? Well, Walmart has some great low priced radios. But watch this. Walmart has two way radios that cost more than a Baofeng UV5R handheld HAM radio. And the Baofeng is of pretty good quality at under $40. The only thing missing is your license. So don't assume that you'll only get bad stuff at low prices.
As for CB radios, emergency handhelds are reasonable priced. You can easily find a Cobra WX or a Midland handheld transceiver in the $70-$100 range. OK, so what's the next essential ingredient to a good survival radio after price?
Second Key Concern: Range Why is reach or range important? Well, do you want to get your signal beyond the neighborhood? If so, then range is critical. For any use beyond your immediate family, walkie talkies are out. FRS or Family Radio Service radios are also out.
GMRS radios say that they can handle 14 miles, but the reality is more like 1 or 2 miles. But here's something interesting.
Some GMRS radios have repeater capabilities. Repeaters are devices spread all around the country that receive and retransmit signals. If you can hit a local repeater, then it can forward your transmissions around the country. The downside to GMRS is that you need a license. So what do you do if you want range but don't want to get a license? Then get a CB.
Now with CB's, their range is better than FRS and you don't need to get a license. With full power, a CB can reach about 4 miles. The limits are your line of sight. If you want to increase your range, then attaching a longer antenna to your CB will do the trick.
Another way to increase range is to get a HAM radio/short wave radio. You'll need a license. At that point, you have access to repeaters which are located all over the country. Some great handheld HAM transceiver examples are the Yaesu VX3R and the BaoFeng UV5R as mentioned earlier.
I think that if you want farthest range, then get your license and pick up a HAM or GMRS radio. But price and range aren't where the search ends. Lets look at another essential survival radio consideration.
Third Key Concern: Privacy Why is privacy important? Well, let me play out a scenario for you that will illustrate the point.
In a disaster, phones go down. So where does everyone run to? The radios. And the more people that are talking, then the less privacy you have. Every radio channel available will have people on it all talking at the same time. It will be utter chaos. For some radios that is.
For instance, with the cheaper radios, the accessible frequencies are very limited. Cheap radio is affordable to many people. Limited frequencies means more people. If you get on an FRS radio in the middle of a disaster, it's going to be very hard to get through to any specific people.
Trying to coordinate with family or friends will be near to impossible. CB will be about the same. So here's where privacy comes in.
Many radios come with "privacy" channels. But there's nothing private about these channels. They are just a cheap feature added to the radio. But with HAM you have a better chance with privacy.
That's because you get a wider frequency spectrum to choose from. For instance you'd have your group start out on a national calling frequency and then move to a special frequency. This special one can be on a ham band or not. It's up to you.
A second factor that thins out the crowds is that HAM operators are required to have a license. And a third factor is that HAM gear isn't as easy to buy as FRS radios. For instance, you wouldn't go to WalMart to buy a handheld amateur radio transceiver. Sure, You can get it through Amazon or eBay, but you're not going to find them at WalMart. So the chances of people buying HAM radios at the last minute is not going to happen.
Fourth Key Concern: Mobility Why is mobility important? Well, what if you have a HAM or CB station setup in your house, and a flood comes? If you have to leave without your gear, then you've got no communications. So mobility is going to be essential.
FRS and GMRS radios are by default mobile. If you want to go CB, then a great mobile CB is the Cobra HH 38 WX ST 40-Channel CB Radio. With the built in antenna, the range isn't that good. Maybe it's a mile.
The downside to mobility is that you can't just plug into the wall for power. Batteries will be at a premium so think about foldable solar panels or a BioLite stove with a USB to power a battery charger. Now although mobility is huge, reliability is even bigger.
Fifth Key Concern: Reliability Why is reliability important? Here's why. You never know what you'll encounter. Let me explain.
Imagine it's raining heavily in a hurricane. Water is everywhere. You are on the run and you drop your radio in the water. Everything is wet and short circuited. End of game.
But, it doesn't have to be. That's because the Yaesu VX7R can withstand 30 minutes of submersion in 3 feet of water. But physical reliability isn't where things end.
Another example of reliability is the use of channels. With everyone crowding existing channels, they increasingly become unreliable to communicate on. But with HAM, you have more to work with. In short, your communications become more reliable.
I Used To Think That FRS Was The Way To Go Maybe you've never considered HAM or shortwave radio. When I first started out, I thought FRS and walkie talkies would do the trick. But after learning more about HAM and all the areas it addresses, I was sold. There were just too many critical areas where HAM blew away FRS and CB.
What I'm going to be doing is start working on getting my license. Then I'll pick up a BaoFeng UV5R or a Yaesu. How about you? Did these 5 critical concerns help you? Do you understand the issues of survival communications a little better?
By the way, do you want to learn other essential survival and bug out skills? If so, check out Kurt's website SurvivalKitClub [http://www.survivalkitclub.com] for more survival kit tips.
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Kurt_H_Petrich/229758
How an Amateur Radio License Might Just Save Your Life
By Jake Buckland | Submitted On June 01, 2018
Practical Uses
An amateur radio license serves different purposes to different people, from hobby enthusiasts and professional engineers to military personnel and survivalists. The license gives you access to operate a ham radio, which can be fun for beginners or offer a challenge to experts. These radios are versatile in cold weather, mobile and when all else fails, acts as an excellent source of amateur radio emergency communication. An amateur radio license isn't just a piece of paper, it's a backup plan for your backup plan.
Emergency Response
Having an amateur radio license provides many radio operators an opportunity to work alongside emergency responders, providing them emergency communications support during a disaster. A radio operator may provide equipment or radio frequencies to emergency officials, therefore giving them the ability to transmit vital information from ground units to an emergency operations center. An amateur radio license provides individuals within a community an additional tool to respond to and recovery from disasters and emergencies.
How to get your license?
Getting an amateur radio license requires you to successfully pass a test conducted by a ham radio operator. A ham radio study guide is readily available online, at the library or can be found on the national association of amateur radio website. Once you pass and become a ham radio operator you'll be assigned a unique alphanumeric call sign by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). That call sign gives you legal access to operating ham radio frequencies which in turn allow you to communicate with other ham radio operators within and outside the United States.
Clubs & Emergency Response Exercises
Once you have your ham radio license, you can decide to join your local radio club to further increase your education and participate in annual emergency exercises. These are excellent opportunities to mix your interest in ham radio with emergency preparedness. Many use this as an opportunity to test their emergency kits. From living off the grid and setting up your own radio station to generating your own power and using the moon to reflect radio waves, these opportunities give you more tools for your emergency kit. At the same time, it will broaden your social circle giving you additional sources of help, if the need ever arises.
In the end, having an having this license as part of your emergency kit will significantly increase your chances at survival by giving you access to a whole new world of individuals able to help, when all else fails.
Having an emergency kit is only one aspect of surviving an emergency or disaster. The others include having a will to live, having some luck and finally acquiring knowledge. Becoming knowledgable with amateur radios will give you that added protection, in case all communications are out, which by the way happens with every prolonged blackout. - Practical Emergency Kits
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jake_Buckland/2555329
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