Topic: ham noob

[Hezzy]

So I'm trying to find details on ham radios for my brothers and I. We wheel a little bit but we hunt a lot! so the HAM radios would be for hunting use mostly. We've looked into the Garmin Rhino GPS's with built in radios. they look cool and useful but I worry about how far they will actually cover.

 Cb's are cool but we need to jump on a channel that no one else can hear in on us and gain knowledge off from us.

Cell phones are getting better and better coverage and for us are our go to so far. but callin each individual and repeating what and where we've seen stuff gets old!

So I'd like to hear from the wheelin crowd what you think about my situation.

We will have a base camp setup. usually within 4-5 miles of where we hunt. Usually cruise the trucks to the ends of the roads and hike from there. so mobile units are a must as well as units for the vehicles. maybe base camp unit as well??

and we hunt NV UT AZ so any kind of terrain is available. deep deep canyons or antelope hunting in the flats.

So my main question is.... is Ham radios a good option for us?

I know lots of folks will say to take the test and you'll better understand what i need and what will work for us. But if some helpful Marlin crawlers will chime in and save me some time I'm all ears!

I've been on the HAM radio forums but holy hell they cant seem to bring it down to my level.

If you want to trade info on hunts I'm good with that too!

Thanks, Hezzy

[Wainiha]

As a kid I talked to my grandfather on a HAM he he modified.  Kauai to San Diego for years until we got shut down.  So they must have some reach.  Don't know anything helpful though, sorry.

Have looked at cell phones with push to talk?  Like Nextel.  My friend talks to his buddy from here to Cali.

[Hezzy [OP]]

ya we've tried nextel the push to talk is nice but the coverage sucks. verizon gives us the best coverage for the areas we go. but they still dont give us enough confidence that theyll have service everytime we need it.

Hopefully someone will help me out

[superyota]

Baofeng uv5r. Awesome radios and you can't beat the price. Don't get caught using it without a ham license. Great radios. I got one fr everyone in our club. $45 shipped from amazon.

[Hezzy [OP]]

Awesome! I just read a little about those on a different forum!

Is that all you guys use in your rigs? like do you have base mount models mounted in your rigs too?

Is that all I really need for my situation? (other than the license) seems way too easy!?

[superyota]

We have 2 guys that have base mount VHF radios. Everyone else has the handhelds. The hand heads work awesome. For what you are doing, I would recommend saving a couple hundred bucks and going with the handheld baofeng uv5r.

All you need then is a license.

[Wainiha]

I am new at this.  Why HAM over CB?  Range?

Can you explain the private channel thing? HAM has private channels or just more, so it is less likely to be overheard?

And CB doesn't require a license anymore does it?

[superyota]

No license required for cb. 

You have 100x more options r channels when using a ham. And if there is a repeater near by that you can bounce off of, in increases you range by a lot. 
Cbs work great, but you get limited to range and channels.

Hams have a greater watt output = stronger signal. I think most CB's are a max 4 watt. Most of your handheld hams are 5 watt, and base units get way up 200+watt. Most chase trucks will use a 55 watt.

You also have access to emergency frequencies with a ham of needed.

All in all, a ham is much more practical.  Why go
Cb when you can get a ham for the same price? Just get a license.

[Wainiha]

Do you have to know morse code?  Sorry if I'm jacking the thread

[superyota]

Nope, don't need to know morse code, but here is a hand full of hams that still use it.

[cruzila]

I am new at this.  Why HAM over CB?  Range?

Can you explain the private channel thing? HAM has private channels or just more, so it is less likely to be overheard?

And CB doesn't require a license anymore does it?

Ham radio is not private, but rather it is public. It is required by the FCC to have a license to operate a Ham radio on the Ham bands. The test is pretty easy, Marlin just passed it as well as his wife. Rubicon Trail Foundation has over the last several years helped more than 400 people get their ham thanks to Barb and John Arenz.

When you study for the test you realize that power does not equate to range. That is why a 200 watt booster hooked to a CB will not perform as good as 1.5 watts on the Ham bands. Yes, study just a little bit (check out http://www.hamtestonline.com/) you can take practice tests and turn on and off the help. There are a ton of radio clubs out there and it is easy to find a testing place.

The reason CB is no good is two cans and a string are just as good.

KZ6RTF

[superyota]

Good info Scott.

Any idea when there will be another ham class offered?

[Hezzy [OP]]

You guys have helped tremendously!! Thanks for everything!

Hezzy

[BenMara]

You could use those Baofeng HTs on MURS freq which arent HAM. Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS) is an unlicensed two-way radio service similar to Citizens Band.
1   151.820 MHz   
2   151.880 MHz   
3   151.940 MHz   
4   154.570 MHz   
5   154.600 MHz

[Cheesemaker]

This is good to know and look into Hezzy.   I am looking into get a HAM radio. 

[chim]

I have a couple noob questions:

1. Can Ham communicate with CB? I don't want to pursue Ham when friends are running CB if I can't communicate...
2. I have this radio (TK-7150) http://www.kenwoodusa.com/Communications/Land_Mobile_Radio/Trunking/Analog/TK-7150-8150
Would it be good to mount this in my truck or get a hand held?

Thanks!

[BenMara]

-chim- #1 im lost in your first question "Can Ham communicate with CB?"  are talking about a Ham using a CB to talk to another CB?
#2 That is a Land mobile radio, used in commercial and such, ive never heard of hams using them personally

These are one ive seen and heard hams use http://www.kenwoodusa.com/Communications/Amateur_Radio/

ask away,

[Cheesemaker]

Chim, from my understanding, no you can't talk to CB from a HAM.  The main reason most people run a HAM, is the simple fact that a HAM radio will reach out to get help, when cell phones won't work. 


Another option is the Spot GPS tracker.  I know several friends that hike and hunt alone, often deep in the wilderness, have this for a piece of mind.  http://www.findmespot.com/en/   Your family can track you online, and you can send out a SOS signal when you need help. 

[V-Man]

You could use those Baofeng HTs on MURS freq which arent HAM. Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS) is an unlicensed two-way radio service similar to Citizens Band.
1   151.820 MHz   
2   151.880 MHz   
3   151.940 MHz   
4   154.570 MHz   
5   154.600 MHz

Still illegal to use Ham Radio type radios on MURS. Don't do it.

[OTO Phil]

Still illegal to use Ham Radio type radios on MURS. Don't do it.

Actually, you can use almost anything to transmit on these frequencies. The stipulation is about how much power you use to transmit over these frequencies:

No MURS transmitter shall, under any condition of modulation, transmit more than 2 watts transmitter power output.

-http://www.fcc.gov/general/multi-use-radio-service-murs

[V-Man]

Actually, you can use almost anything to transmit on these frequencies. The stipulation is about how much power you use to transmit over these frequencies:

-http://www.fcc.gov/general/multi-use-radio-service-murs

No the stipulation is that radio used must be certified by the FCC for use in the MURS Service. You need to read what you linked to. Radios that are used in the Amateur Radio Service are NOT Certified for use in the MURS, FRS, or GMRS Services.