HAMS

If comms go down… some of you wonder why you need ham. If you can't drive for help, you might need to call for an ambulance, a fire truck, or a cop. But, if you don't have a radio, you would have to drive to a local ham operator to relay the message for you.

You're supposed to be licensed to transmit.

Anyone can listen for free.

Use Walmart type walkie-talkies for nearby neighborhood comms. They are already pre-programmed with the frequencies - no brainer comms. They are line-of-sight. Depending on your terraine, that might mean a transmit distance of a few hundred feet, to 8 miles (if nothing at all is in the way).

Comms over ham (and walkie talkies) are NOT PRIVATE. Anybody listening hears everything you say. Keep that in mind.

Look for the people with the BIG antennae arrays in your area. They are probably ham operators, and might help you transmit an emergency message. MIGHT.

If a WROL situation exists, you might be met with a shotgun instead of a smile. Unless your face is recognized as a friendly.

https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/searchAmateur.jsp

Repeaters - many have back-up batteries, but how old the batteries are, and whether or not they have solar panels to charge is quite another thing.

You don't just buy a ham radio and turn it on and use it. Frequencies and other data all has to be programmed in….. don't expect to buy a ham for emergencies and then not learn how to use it until the day the SHTF.

>>12033466

Better set up than me.

I am solar capable, and do ARES emergency comms from time to time. And in a pinch I can set up at the sheriff's office or fire/rescue if their regular comms go down, but they'd really have to twist my arm hard at this point.

Mostly I'm set up to network with my friends in event regular comms go down.

>>12033499

Ha, I never even heard of it. :-)

But with the reference to dial-up modem… you can communicate using a computer as your "radio". Just download a program…. (now where did I file the name of that in memory???) Used it a few times years ago to talk with someone about 1500 miles away. But you need the internet….as I recall.

Bad memory here, but internet to satellite, satellite to the local repeater, repeater to the ham radio the guy was using. And vice versa, he'd use his computer, and call me up via the local repeater on my radio.

>>12033605

The truckers DO use hams. I hear them all the time out here.

I monitor a "LINKED" network of repeaters all across my state. Truckers are one them all the times, and I've answered their inquiries a number of times.

When I'm traveling in state, I switch from one linked repeater to the next as I get out of range, so I can keep in touch with boytoy at home to let him know where I'm at.

The biggest problem I have with the truckers is they talk and talk and talk and talk and talk, not realizing that someone like me is waiting to make a quite call home, I'm OK and this is my current QTH.