Ham Radio Communication - Ham Radio

MagicMtnDan · Oct 10, 2010

Ham Radio is an alternative to CB radio and FRS (Family Radio).

Range and versatility are the biggest advantages. A C.B. radio is normally limited to local line of site contacts, which means that hills buildings, and even the curvature of the earth can all be limiting factors to the range of your transmissions. Amateur Radio operators or "Hams" have the added advantage of using repeaters to increase the range of reliable contacts.

Repeaters can be located on mountain tops, tall buildings or tall free standing towers. Your signal is sent from your location, to the repeater and is instantaneously retransmitted from the repeater location over a wide spread area. This can be extremely helpful when four wheeling or camping in remote locations. Some repeaters have autopatch capabilities, which means you can make telephone calls from your radio. There are thousands of amateur radio repeaters located across the country and they are often located on top of the mountain ranges we do our wheelin' in.

High Frequency amateur radio equipment (HF) is capable of communicating with stations anywhere in the world using voice, Morse code, Slow Scan TV and many other modes of communications.

With a "packet radio" a GPS unit and APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System) software, you can keep track of vehicles on a moving map, transmitting the information to any number of monitoring stations. Hams have used this system for years while providing communications assistance for bike races, walkathons and parades.

Many Hams have installed APRS in their vehicles as a vehicle locator system. When they leave their vehicle they turn the system on and the system sends out a "packet burst" every few minutes. Hams have called their local police and told them that there car has been stolen and then they tell the police exactly where it's located. This system was in place before LOJACK.

Do I need a license to operate a Amateur Radio station?

YES! A license is a must, but don't worry there is no longer a requirement to learn Morse code and the theory for the written test can be learned by many people over a weekend or two. The Technician license permits you to use all VHF/UHF amateur radio frequencies, use transmitters capable of up to 1500 watts output, use satellites for re-transmitting your signal and many other privileges.

In order to use the world wide HF bands you must learn the Morse Code at 5 words per minute.

What type of equipment do I need?

For a very capable package that can be used while your offroad, I recommend a high power mobile unit capable of at least 40 watts. A dual band mobile (VHF/UHF) with crossband repeater capabilities is even more desirable because you can use the radio in your own truck as a repeater while you are out hiking with a HT (handi-talkie). HT's are low power units producing up to 7 watts output, which is why I don't recommend them as your primary unit.

Above info from: http://www.explorer4x4.com/radio.html

Some ham radio websites:

Forum: http://www.eham.net/ehamforum/smf/

License forum: http://www.eham.net/ehamforum/smf/index.php/board,17.0.html

http://www.hamradiolicenseexam.com/index.html

http://www.arrl.org/

http://www.eham.net/

http://www.qrz.com/

MarkT · Oct 11, 2010

Forgive me for saying this... (or not... lol) But this seems to be "apples and oranges" from the original post BigJ recently made about installing a HAM radio...

The above quote recommends a 40 watt radio? WOW. Now I'm really wondering how well something like that would work with several vehicles in close proximity. Maybe if two or three started transmitting at once you could toast a cheese sandwich with the radio waves?

(j/k)

And lvdezdawg brought up a good point this afternoon... if you have a 5 watt CB and a 5 watt HAM, is there really going to be that much difference in range? Unless you are in range of a repeater of course... but how many repeaters are out there in the middle of the desert? And if you're in a narrow winding canyon is the little 5 watt HAM really going to blast around the rocks any better than a CB of the same power would?

I know very little about this stuff but would like to learn more.

MagicMtnDan · Oct 11, 2010

This is beyond my pay grade but there's plenty of info online on the subject.

Single sideband transceivers (SSB two-way radios) cost more than AM transceivers because they use more complex circuitry, and they take a little more skill to operate properly. In return, the SSB radio signals will almost always 'get through' over longer distances, and in poorer atmospheric conditions than an AM signal can manage.

Ham Radio (officially called the Amateur Radio Service) is where people who have studied two-way radios, antennas and US and international regulations - and who have passed an examination (and paid a fee) are allowed to communicate with other radio hams in their own country and with other licensed radio hams around the world.

Ham Radios (Amateur Radio equipment) can range in power from less than 1 Watt to 1000 Watts, and it isn't the equipment that gets licensed... It is the person operating it. Most handheld ham radios would be 5 Watts or less, but mobiles are usually between 10 and 100 Watts, most HF amateur radio base stations are 100 or 200 Watts, and hams are allowed to use linear amplifiers that give them up to 1000 or 2000 Watts of power.

Above is from: http://www.squidoo.com/CB-Radio-and-Ham-Radio

Another link: http://www.popularwireless.com/blog1/2008/04/03/gmrs-vs-cb-whats-the-difference/

BigJ · Oct 11, 2010

Mark there is far more to this than just power; signal modulation it what's key here and is much more important than signal power. A 5w 2meter handheld ("ham" or ameture type radio) will have the capability of reaching much greater distances and is far less line of site dependent because its "frequency modulation" based... FM on your radio dial. CBs are amplitude modulation based...AM on your radio dial.

To put it another way, the guys at the shop explained to me that yes range is dependent on power, to some degree with ham; but really it's a deminishing return type situation; unlike CB where power dictates how far you can reach, ham radio power determines how strongly you come thru...how well you're heard. Like in my case I could have gone with an antenna half the size and still reached just as far, but my voice on the other end would sound a fair bit weaker at that distance.

And thats just about where my current understanding of all this ends, except to say ameture radio provides for a whole world of expandability and option, where CB is pretty limited.

MarkT · Oct 11, 2010

The FM vs AM comparison conflicts with my experience. AM radios seem better for long distance and around obstacles. I remember when I was on vacation as a kid we could listen to KFI in Los Angeles (an AM radio station) at night from 800 miles away! The reception was crystal clear.

FM radio stations routinely get blocked by bridges and buildings... and the range is never as far as AM stations.

There has to be more to it than AM vs FM... I have an ARRL handbook... I'll have to do some reading.

I do agree with the expandability and options though... CB is very limited in comparison.

:cheers:

BigJ · Oct 12, 2010

I'm not doing a very good job translating what was told to me, which probably means I don't understand this stuff well enough to even try. I can say you're absolutely right in that there's more to it that FM vs AM Mark. But I can confirm that 2m/70cm (what we're really talking about here) is FM, where CB is AM. I can also say that in terms of handhelds, we can buy a 5watt ham radio for about the same money we can buy a 4watt CB. CB is legally limited to a max 4watts. (Ham is limited to a whopping 1500watts.)

MarkT · Oct 12, 2010

Gotcha J... I'm not trying to pick on you or your posts... just trying to understand.

I spoke to a friend who knows maybe too much about radios... here is some of what he said. (hope I got it right)

Both CB (11m) and 2m ham are "line of sight" technology. They won't blast through rocks or buildings.

He said that if you have a 2m and are in a canyon and can look up and see a mountain, and on that mountain is a repeater, and whoever you are trying to talk to also has a 2m and can look up and see that repeater, then you have a big advantage over CB use in a vehicle. Otherwise, not so much. Both are line of sight.

CB's are HF... 27 MHz. HF signals are actually better at bouncing around natural obstacles (rocks, trees) than VHF signals (2m falls into the VHF range at around 147 MHz). HF signals also bounce of the ionosphere fairly well which is why sometimes you'll hear a crazy story of someone talking to Japan or someplace far away on a 4 watt CB. HF is also more susceptible to solar flares, etc than the higher frequencies.

One advantage of CB's is their short range... out in the middle of nowhere it is not likely you'd have an issue finding a clear frequency.

One possible disadvantage of 2m is what he called "Ham Nazis". Apparently there are some people that carefully monitor Ham transmissions and report people who don't use correct protocol, etc. Not that much to worry about but it does happen. (CB on the other hand is far less regulated and almost no enforcement exists... plus far fewer people are likely to hear you)

He said a decent CB will give you a 5 mile range... depending on obstacles. A low-power 2m might give you a little more range until you factor in the repeaters. Then the 2m blows away CB.

Bottom line is that both are good to have in a vehicle... the CB because it's more popular and the Ham because of the added range if you can hit a repeater.

In either case, it probably matters more what the people you are trying to talk to have...

Oh, regarding the FRS radios? He said most have some higher power GMRS frequencies that actually require a license! (of course I'm sure when we use them we stay on the "legal" FRS channels). He said he thinks a GMRS license is just a fee you have to pay... no test or anything.

AndyR · Oct 13, 2010

Correct on the GMRS license part. IMHO 2m wins just on call quality alone. It took 2 evenings of online study (4 hrs total) and the Mrs. & I aced out ham test.

MagicMtnDan · Oct 13, 2010

AndyR said:
Correct on the GMRS license part. IMHO 2m wins just on call quality alone. It took 2 evenings of online study (4 hrs total) and the Mrs. & I aced out ham test.

OK, tell us what site you studied. It should only take me 40 hours total to pass it :mrgreen:

AndyR · Oct 13, 2010

MagicMtnDan said:
OK, tell us what site you studied. It should only take me 40 hours total to pass it :mrgreen:

http://www.qrz.com/ham/

Ham Radio Communication - Ham Radio

MagicMtnDan

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MarkT

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MagicMtnDan

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BigJ

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MarkT

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BigJ

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MarkT

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AndyR

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MagicMtnDan

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AndyR

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