(Rick and or other ham experts)

From reading the other posts and looking at the ARRL web site it looks like I might want to get started with ham. I have already been left stranded in the swamp by lack of CB and Cellular range.

If you wouldn't mind, I have a few general questions regarding ham and its abilities.

1. What kind of equipment and cost (in car) could I get started with. No, I really do not want to look like that photo of the Suzuki that is on the site. Brand and model info would be helpful.

2. For starters I am looking at using ham as a option to get roadside or emergancy service. There are many country roads in the middle of the state where there is no communication available. Is this a good use for ham? Can I get AAA or the police at 2:00 am in the middle of the everglades?

3. There are times where the weather gets bad and the ocean gets high. (Can you say Andrew, Hugo, Donna?) I've read that you can interface phone and just about any other form of communication into ham. Another thought to have ham available would be in the case of a disaster. This way I could get in touch with family and also provide assistance in case of a disaster. Am I looking at racks of equipment to do this?

Thanks in advance.
hg

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'91 EB, 4dr, 2wd

I haven't bought any new equipment in quite a while so I'm not very familar with the newest model numbers and prices. I believe you could get an excellant dual band (VHF-UHF)mobile and antenna for about $400.00. Brands to look for are Yaesu, Alinco, Kenwood and Icom.

If you want HF communications you can get an Icom 706 which has all of the HF bands and the 2m-70cm bands for about 1300.00.

You would need to talk with hams in your area to see if the locations you are concerned with are covered by repeaters. Chances are good that they are.

For emergencies such as hurricanes you will find many hams in your area to work with and yes, ham radio can interface with the phone system as well as with computers.

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Rick Horwitz
Editor
explorer@4x4central.com

www.4x4central.com (http://www.4x4central.com)

Thanks Rick,

Through the ARRL I found the local club and will hit their meeting at the end of the month. I also grabbed the ARRL membership form and found a nice HAM overview book and Barnes and Nobel.

I'll probably need to start a bit smaller than the $1300.00 unit or I'll be stealing from my lift and tire fund. The $400.00 units will probably be fine for my initial needs.

The ARRL site mentioned something about the license structure changing in the next few months. Should I be concerned about this and try to get my Tech. license asap? If so, do you have any opinions on the video/book study kit on the ARRL site.

Thanks again for all your help.

hg

The tests will all be changing on April 15th. So if you buy a current book be sure to get tested before that date. If you wait it's no big deal, just a different question pool. The Technician license will still give you full VHF/UHF privledges from 50MHZ up.

What has really changed is that instead of 5 classes there will now be 3. 1 - No Code class, and 2 - 5wpm classes which add HF privledges.

The day of the 5wpm Extra is finally here!! I had to learn 20wpm for my extra and I hated every wpm if it!!

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Rick Horwitz
Editor
explorer@4x4central.com

www.4x4central.com (http://www.4x4central.com)

Me again Rick,
Just a quick word, I do not want to turn this into a bitch session.
I got my Extra the hard way, two years of code pratice until I final got it. It is something I am pround of and it made me feel really good to have achieve the Extra status in the Ham world. Too bad the government is dumbimg things up.

73, Sandy

I find the code worthless. I call myself a "no code extra" I know the code, but I haven't used it since I got my ticket.

It's not the government that's dumbing down the hobby, if anything it's the hams who are in charge of the question pools. I would have no problem making the written tests harder to make up for the loss of the code.

Regarding the 20wpm and 13wpm code. I know LOTS of people who have 5wpm under their belts who have studied literally for years to upgrade to General without success. One of my friends has taken the 13wpm code 11 times in the past 3 years. He has passed his General written 3 times in anticipation of passing the code. My wife took the 13wpm test 4 times and passed the General written twice. I have helped her study, I have watched her study and see that she puts forth a real effort, yet there some people can never break past that barrier.

I really don't believe knowing the code at a high rate of speed makes for a better operator. Just listen to 75 meters and various other places on the HF bands and you can hear what I'm talking about. Many of the worst offenders are the ones who took the stiffest tests, at the FCC office, perfect copy, etc..



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Rick Horwitz
Editor
explorer@4x4central.com
www.4x4central.com (http://www.explorer4x4.com)