Post your ham radio questions

[Joel Gambino]

I’m putting together an article for HF Amateur Radio communication for camping and would like to get some input on what questions everyone might have. Please post some questions to this thread so I more effectively cover the information people are looking for.

Thanks,
Joel

[Alex Blasingame]

1] Do you need a license and if so how do you get one?
2] what is the difference between “HF” Ham vs “standard” Ham?

[Duke Baugher]

What safety considerations are important to HAM operations from a mobile rig; especially pertaining to lightening?

Along the same lines, are under tire (image below) antenna mounts “ok”?

Is there value in setting up your rig with a base station equipped for cross-band repeat and having a hand walkie with that capability also? Just started looking at that and like the idea that should an energency happen while afield, that would be a great resource…especially where cell is no-go.

73,

K7EZZ , Technician

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[Joel Gambino]

I’ve been having trouble posting replies to this thread. I keep getting an error that says my request can’t be processed at this time. Not sure if it’s because I have links in my reply or my browser is not compatible.

This reply is just a test to see if I can post at all.

[Joel Gambino]

Well that worked. Trying again, this time not cut and pasting.

1) You do need a license. There are three different license levels, Technician, General and Amateur Extra. With each successive license, you get access to more of the frequency spectrum. With a Technician license you are limited to higher frequency, line of sight bands which have limited propagation. With a general license you have access to all of the frequency bands. The Amateur Extra license gives you additional frequencies on the bands. The ARRL band chart better illustrates this. It shows all of the frequency bands and what each license class has access to. Do a web search for ARRL band chart.

To obtain a license, you first need to learn the material. There are online study guides, flash cards and sample tests. Search the interweb to find one you like. The ARRL web site also has licensing information.

Once you learn the material, you will need to take the test. Many local amateur radio clubs provide testing for a small fee. Search the web for an amateur radio club in your area. The club website will show if and when they provide testing. My local club does testing about once a month.

[Joel Gambino]

OK. Well that worked. I guess it doesn’t like me cut and pasting. Bummer.

Anyway here is the rest of the reply:

2) HF refers to High Frequency. The amateur radio spectrum has frequency bands from 135.7 kHz to 1.3 GHz. See the band chart linked above to better understand the frequency spectrum.

HF, Very High Frequency (VHF), Ultra High Frequency (UHF), Medium Frequency (MF) all refer to various frequency groups that have similar propagation characteristics. VHF and UHF (28 MHz and above) are basically “line of sight” bands. As a Technician, you would have privileges on these bands. These bands are limited to local communications. Maybe 20-30 miles radio to radio or “simplex” or up to 100 miles or more through a repeater.

The fun, for me anyway, is with the HF bands (3.5 MHz to 25 MHz). These bands bounce of the Ionosphere and, depending on atmospheric conditions, can get you around the world. I regularly talk to Europe and South America and have made contacts as far as Siberia with a 100 watt transceiver and a homemade wire antenna. You’ll need a General class license to access these bands. It’s a little more involved, but not too bad to pass the test. The online resources are a big help in preparing for the test. If you want to reliably be able to make contacts from remote locations where you don’t have cell service and can’t get out with VHF or UHF, you’ll need access to the HF bands and therefore a General class or above license.

I hope I have answered your questions. Let me know if you would like any clarification or if I have spawned additional questions.

Thanks,
Joel

[Joel Gambino]

Now to answer Duke’s questions:

I am not aware of any safety considerations for mobile installations. I also reviewed the Mobile Installation chapter of the ARRL handbook and did not find anything there either.

I don’t see any issues with the under tire mounts. Many folks use them for portable operation. They are quick and easy. I have a telescoping fiberglass mast attached to my camper that I use to get an antenna up. If I’m in the woods, I usually hang a wire antenna in the trees.

Cross band repeat is great. At home, I can set up my Kenwood TM-V71 for cross band repeat and use the Handy Talkie (HT) anywhere around the property. For those not familiar with cross band repeat, it’s when you set up a dual band radio to receive the low power signal from an HT and send it out a higher power. You can set it up to hit a repeater or a simplex frequency. You can set it up in your camper to extend your range when you are out hiking or whatever. Note that this is for VHF/UHF (2 meter/70 cm) only. So you are limited in your “reach”. If you are in range of a repeater, then great. Otherwise it’s hit or miss whether you would be able to reach anyone. I would guess I can hit a repeater in about half of the places I’ve camped. To get out reliably (100% of the time for me so far) requires HF capability. Of course HF access requires a General class license (unless you know morse code). I regularly make contacts on 20, 40 and 80 meters. I figure if I can talk to someone with a phone and know my location, then I can get help.

Thanks for the questions. Let me know if you have follow up questions. It can be a lot to take in. I will be sure to include these topics in my article.

Thanks,
Joel

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