Ham/2 meter/ 10 meter radios

[Bult4mud]

Who has one?
which one
where did you get your license?
was the test hard?

thank you

[Roadhouse]

Best person to answer this would be Jim M. kcby8lmnop...or whatever his call name is. :D

[Creative Fab]

The test is super easy cause they give you the answers to the questions, you just dont know which questions they will ask.

I just checked out the study guide from the library again, by again I mean I have checked it out before but never took the test. And Jim M (KC8YMF) will tell you that us Gitchee Gumee trail leaders are long over due to get our licenses. And we will agree, my new years resolution is to have mine before I venture to Canada again.

We will touch on this subject at the West Branch meeting for sure!

[Brian]

I took the test up by Fenton but they give them all over the place. Here is a link so you can find a class near you. .Test location link (http://msuarc.egr.msu.edu/intro/)

The test is not hard if you read the book and study the questions and answers they give you. I bought my book for the Technician at Borders for around $20.00

[MuddyPaws]

Don't see the point to use it maybe once a year. I think there are better ways to spend my money then to get another gaget that I won't use. A couple hundred bucks can get other stuff for the Jeep.

[Roadhouse]

Is there any online sites to study or take practice test? I would go to the library, but it sounds like Pat keeps checking out the book :bigemo_harabe_net-163:

[Brian]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Roadhouse66 &#064; Dec 30 2005, 08&#58;43 PM) 7379</div>

Is there any online sites to study or take practice test? I would go to the library, but it sounds like Pat keeps checking out the book :bigemo_harabe_net-163:
[/b]


The book only cost &#036;20 just buy one :P

Here is a pratice test for you TEST (http://www.eham.net/exams/generateexams) There are more out there just do a search.

Here is the pool of questions and answers used for the test. Any question that might be used on the technician test is listed here. Pool of test questions (http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/tech2003.pdf)

This stuff might help you. I read the book, it worked the best for me.

[kb8ymf]

Bult4mud and Roadhouse: The main website for Amatuer radio is www.arrl.org
If has all the info for testing and the books available. &#39;Now your Talking&#39; is the one I used over 10 years ago. It&#39;s the best way to learn enough of the info to pass your test. The test is straight forward multiple choice from a &#39;pool&#39; of questions. You only need to get a C to pass.


Ham radio license &#036;6.32
Ham radio and antenna &#036;150.00
Radio communication with home base when your broke and all other communication fails.....priceless

Just ask the Trail 17 group from 1999 if they were thankful of the radio communication that was used to rescue them?


Jim - kb8ymf

[MuddyPaws]

Still think a well planned route, knowledge of the area, a defined time of return and a willing group to go out and get people works. Been doing it that way for years and years and haven&#39;t had any troubles or left people in the woods that didn&#39;t want to stay there. (I did have one guy want to stay with his rig till morning...he was worried someone was gonna do something to it overnight :huh: ) Waiting for daylight doesn&#39;t sit well with me, but that&#39;s just me. If I know where someone is, and know the area, I won&#39;t let them sit all night...ever...radios or not.

If there were more large runs to canada I might think about it, but there aren&#39;t. A good CB witha a good antenna has served us all very well for years. Most of our runs are smaller, single group runs anyway, so who ya gonna call?

[SKIP]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MuddyPaws &#064; Dec 31 2005, 10&#58;52 AM) 7393</div>

Most of our runs are smaller, single group runs anyway, so who ya gonna call?
[/b]

Basecamp or someone who has a ham & can get a skidder to pull you out? :bigemo_harabe_net-95:

[Brian]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MuddyPaws &#064; Dec 31 2005, 10&#58;52 AM) 7393</div>

so who ya gonna call?
[/b]

:bigemo_harabe_net-163:

Just about anyone you want if it&#39;s an emergency&#33; Hit the repeater in Sault Ste. Marie and use an autopatch to make a land line phone call to call for an ambulance or towing help. Heck call me here in Rochester Hills Mi. if you need to. The possibilities are endless with ham radios.

The radios can be used for more then a stuck or broke down Jeep. Ham radios can be used to get help in a medical emergency a whole lot faster then you driving 50 miles back to town. I like being as prepared as I can and it?s just one more tool in the bag. I hope we never really need them on a run but if we do everyone will understand their importance. Until then I will communicate with the other hams out there when I?m board with the C.B.

[MuddyPaws]

And exactly how are you going to direct a tow truck to you?

"Well ya see, there is this tree, yea, take a left there and then look for the big rock, go up and over that...travel about 5 miles and then look for the other tree, yea, it has green leafs...well, then go....crap, HEY JOE, WHAT WAY DID WE TURN AT THE TREE WITH THE GREEN LEAFS? Ok, turn right, then there will be a washout to the left, go up there, you&#39;ll need to winch your rig up there, then go back down the other side of the ridge, cross the river, hang a left, go about...I dunno...100 yards, go back across the river and up the hill. Look for tree with the cool knot in the trunk, hang a right there.....awww, the hell with it, just send a chopper and i&#39;ll shoot flares up...crap, forgot the flares...we&#39;ll build a fire and send smoke signals."

&#39;Tis why cell phones have GPS in them now, becasue if you don&#39;t know where you are, or can direct help to you, it does no good to be talking to them. I know, can&#39;t rely on cell phones, not saying that, although I had a signal the whole time I was in canada and even talked to my wife while I was on the trail.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SKIP &#064; Dec 31 2005, 10&#58;56 AM) 7395</div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MuddyPaws &#064; Dec 31 2005, 10&#58;52 AM) 7393

Most of our runs are smaller, single group runs anyway, so who ya gonna call?
[/b]

Basecamp or someone who has a ham & can get a skidder to pull you out? :bigemo_harabe_net-95:
[/b][/quote]


Again...getting them to you is the issue. Lets say you get hold of someone, and they aren&#39;t 100 miles away, AND they just happen to have a skidder in their back yard. How are they going to find you? It&#39;s not like the trails are all named or that everyone calls them by the same name. Even trail 17 is called something different by the locals.

Those that know me know I love my techno toys...crap I have a laptop and a coffee maker mounted in the Jeep for gods sake. But I need convinsing (sp) that it would make a difference. So far, i&#39;m not sold. If someone has one, great, but I don&#39;t see it as a "must have toy for 2006" yet. :D

[Brian]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MuddyPaws &#064; Dec 31 2005, 12&#58;23 PM) 7401</div>

And exactly how are you going to direct a tow truck to you?

"Well ya see, there is this tree, yea, take a left there and then look for the big rock, go up and over that...travel about 5 miles and then look for the other tree, yea, it has green leafs...well, then go....crap, HEY JOE, WHAT WAY DID WE TURN AT THE TREE WITH THE GREEN LEAFS? Ok, turn right, then there will be a washout to the left, go up there, you&#39;ll need to winch your rig up there, then go back down the other side of the ridge, cross the river, hang a left, go about...I dunno...100 yards, go back across the river and up the hill. Look for tree with the cool knot in the trunk, hang a right there.....awww, the hell with it, just send a chopper and i&#39;ll shoot flares up...crap, forgot the flares...we&#39;ll build a fire and send smoke signals."

&#39;Tis why cell phones have GPS in them now, becasue if you don&#39;t know where you are, or can direct help to you, it does no good to be talking to them. I know, can&#39;t rely on cell phones, not saying that, although I had a signal the whole time I was in canada and even talked to my wife while I was on the trail.
[/b]

I can hook my GPS into my ham radio and broadcast my location automatically every time I key the mike if that?s what it takes. A tow truck would not be first on my list of people to call if I were stuck in the location you described above, someone like Tim Strader is who I would call and I would be happy I could make a call of that distance. It?s obvious you don?t want to do any research into amateur radio and that?s fine with me I?m not going to argue with you or make fun of a point you are trying to make. No one is making you get a radio they just said it?s a good idea so if you don?t agree don?t buy one.

[MuddyPaws]

I can hook my GPS into my ham radio and broadcast my location automatically every time I key the mike if that?s what it takes. A tow truck would not be first on my list of people to call if I were stuck in the location you described above, someone like Tim Strader is who I would call and I would be happy I could make a call of that distance. It?s obvious you don?t want to do any research into amateur radio and that?s fine with me I?m not going to argue with you or make fun of a point you are trying to make. No one is making you get a radio they just said it?s a good idea so if you don?t agree don?t buy one. [/b]

Not arguing.... :huh: Just thinking out loud. I like new toys, I just need more than "you can call someone" because I don&#39;t know how it would matter when you were out in the bush. Just getting hold of someone isn&#39;t enough.

And your are right, researching Ham is a bit confusing...most of the sites I have looked at have been way over my head as far as "geek speak" and I am still looking for someone that can explain it in english...for MY NEEDS. Not for the dude with no life, living in his mom&#39;s basement. I looked at a site and it explained how you can get repeaters and bounce off this and that and then end up talking to yourself after the signal went around the world or soething like that...WTF? Who cares about that except the geek in his mom&#39;s basement? Not me. "Look, I can talk to myself". I do that just fine now and don&#39;t need it to travel around the globe first...I like to get a faster answer from myself. :P

Now, broadcasting a GPS signal when you key the mic...now there is something that is useful...one step closer to my needs. I care not to talk to some guy in Turkmenistan, Kasicstan, Afghanistan or any of the other "stans" out there...I want to talk to someone who can help, and that can GET TO ME.

[Roadhouse]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MuddyPaws &#064; Dec 31 2005, 12&#58;31 PM) 7401</div>



"Well ya see, there is this tree, yea, take a left there and then look for the big rock, go up and over that...travel about 5 miles and then look for the other tree, yea, it has green leafs...well, then go....[/b]


Dont laugh I had to give directions to my wife twice like this to come save me. Once was bout 7-8 years ago, buddy and I went out in his Toyota, alone becuase we where too cheap to take two trucks. Got stuck had to call wife to come save us. Then two summers ago, I was out tooling around some two tracks and got my 2wd Expedition stuck....had to call her again. Both time giving directions like you said.......

sorry of the hijack...back to you&#39;re regularly scheduled debate.

[WhiteRhino]

I think both arguements have a basis. A well planned trip with capable rigs and people should not have a problem.

But here&#39;s the kicker: Last month I went off the road and was literally a foot from going completely over the bank and possibly rolling. Thank God that we did not and no one was hurt. But if we had, we had no way to communicate to call for help short of someone driving back to cell phone range. Could have been a life or death situation.

Since I needed a new driveshaft, I had thought I would try to call home to see if someone could get one for me. Cell phone didn&#39;t work and neither did my GM Onstar.

So, with a ham, we could have called for help and called home for new parts. Not a bad idea.

Keep in mind, we had a capable group and our wives knew which trail we planned to run.

But we were very close to the "what if?"

I will have one next year.

[SKIP]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MuddyPaws &#064; Dec 31 2005, 02&#58;16 PM) 7408</div>

And your are right, researching Ham is a bit confusing...most of the sites I have looked at have been way over my head as far as "geek speak" and I am still looking for someone that can explain it in english...for MY NEEDS. Not for the dude with no life, living in his mom&#39;s basement. I looked at a site and it explained how you can get repeaters and bounce off this and that and then end up talking to yourself after the signal went around the world or soething like that...WTF? Who cares about that except the geek in his mom&#39;s basement? Not me. "Look, I can talk to myself". I do that just fine now and don&#39;t need it to travel around the globe first...I like to get a faster answer from myself. :P

[/b]


Now where would we be if Al Gore never left the basement to tell us all about this new invention he came up with called the internet? :bigemo_harabe_net-163:

Sorry, I couldn&#39;t resist. lol

I think it&#39;s confusing, but I just want a backup. :thumb:

[Roadhouse]

Holy Bold text....Mark :bigemo_harabe_net-59:

And Al Gore didn&#39;t invent the intraweb.....................................I did :D

[Brian]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MuddyPaws &#064; Dec 31 2005, 02&#58;16 PM) 7408</div>


Not arguing.... :huh: Just thinking out loud. I like new toys, I just need more than "you can call someone" because I don&#39;t know how it would matter when you were out in the bush. Just getting hold of someone isn&#39;t enough.

And your are right, researching Ham is a bit confusing...most of the sites I have looked at have been way over my head as far as "geek speak" and I am still looking for someone that can explain it in english...for MY NEEDS. Not for the dude with no life, living in his mom&#39;s basement. I looked at a site and it explained how you can get repeaters and bounce off this and that and then end up talking to yourself after the signal went around the world or soething like that...WTF? Who cares about that except the geek in his mom&#39;s basement? Not me. "Look, I can talk to myself". I do that just fine now and don&#39;t need it to travel around the globe first...I like to get a faster answer from myself. :P

Now, broadcasting a GPS signal when you key the mic...now there is something that is useful...one step closer to my needs. I care not to talk to some guy in Turkmenistan, Kasicstan, Afghanistan or any of the other "stans" out there...I want to talk to someone who can help, and that can GET TO ME.
[/b]


90% of ham radio operators are as you described. I tried to talk to people and even met with a group of ham operators one time to discuss my needs for a ham radio. I ended up leaving there confused and never went back. All they wanted to do is tell me how many QSL cards they have and I need to learn CW. I will try to answer any questions anyone has about ham radio but if you want in depth information about ham radio and what it can do get a hold of Jim Mazzola (KB8YMF). I am still learning about ham radio and a little new to relay all the benefits with it.

[MuddyPaws]

Anyone know how the "get a repeater and then make a call via a land line" thing works? How it gets charged? Is it like a collect call?

Last time I asked this I got the "no way man, you can bounce off this and then that and get a thing in Russia that will let you make free calls to anywhere in the world"

[Brian]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MuddyPaws &#064; Dec 31 2005, 08&#58;50 PM) 7444</div>

Anyone know how the "get a repeater and then make a call via a land line" thing works? How it gets charged? Is it like a collect call?

Last time I asked this I got the "no way man, you can bounce off this and then that and get a thing in Russia that will let you make free calls to anywhere in the world"
[/b]

I have never done it but it is my understanding that the owner of the repeater would have to pay for your phone call. That?s why you are asked not to abuse the privilege. There is a few different ways to turn on auto patch depending on the repeater. This one seems to be the most common.
I was told you just hit * (Asterisk or star) to bring up the auto patch holding down your PTT. With the PTT active (your radio keyed), enter the number you wish to dial from your keypad. Release the PTT and the repeater controller will say ?Auto Patch? and will read back the number for verification. If it is correct, then key your microphone to tell the controller to dial your number (you have to perform this function in a relatively short period of time or the controller will not dial your number). If you do not want the controller to verify your number (read it back), then hit the PTT after it says ?Auto Patch? and it will dial at that point. # (Pound sign) terminates or brings down the auto patch when you are done. These are the basics for making an auto patch. Sometimes you need to know what the access key is to turn on autopatch so you may need to contact someone using the repeater or the people that own the repeater.

[kb8ymf]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MuddyPaws &#064; Dec 31 2005, 11&#58;52 AM) 7393</div>

Still think a well planned route, knowledge of the area, a defined time of return and a willing group to go out and get people works.
[/b]

So, has anyone EVER had a trail ride that worked like this? 1 in 10 maybe.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MuddyPaws &#064; Dec 31 2005, 11&#58;52 AM)</div>

although I had a signal the whole time I was in canada and even talked to my wife while I was on the trail.
[/b]

Sure, if you go to the same place all the time and never venture to new and farther remote areas. If you ever venture out west you&#39;ll find amatuer radio alive and well in the fourwheeling comunity.

Here&#39;s the thing I really don&#39;t understand:

Fourwheelers are the most independant go anywhere group that I know. For example,
we buy fourwheel drive because we want to be able to go anywhere anytime&#33; We put the best tires we can afford including beadlocks, we get winches, some with even with hi-tech rope. We get lockers for at least the rear and sometimes the front. Some lockers are even air or electric. On board welders and air to power air wrenches on the trail. Enough spare parts to rebuild We get 1,000,000 candle power offroad lights. I&#39;ll bet most have the latest cell phones containin all the gagets. Some are now running laptops in their vehicles with every form of GPS maping software available. Satellite radio is now the latest addition.
All in all, fourwheelers have the literally the BEST of EVERYTHING to go anywhere and do anything in their vehicles.
BUT, when it comes to communication........we settle on the most primitave form of communication short of 2 dixie cups and some string, the CB.
WHY?

jim - kb8ymf

[Bult4mud]

WOW this dude got off topic quick
sorry guys

I love gizmos, and i want something i can reach out with, i only get 2 miles out of my CB so to me a Ham is a justifiable expense, just gotta figure out where to mount it is the hard part.

I think ill talk to JIM at the quarterly and see what he says...


I could always call brian to he seems to know his stuff

later guys

6 DAYS TILL WHEELING

[lgottler]

I want one.

Can&#39;t answer any questions, but I have a story&#33; Canada over Labor day, we go scouting, they know the area, but do you have any idea how many trails their are up there&#33;&#33;??? We didn&#39;t need help really, we just would liked to have spoken to camp and let them know our 3 hour trip was turning into an 8+ hour adventure and to not come to look for us, cuz we&#39;d eventually make it back to camp that night.

Trail 17, I was a newbie on that trip, I walked past Jims Suzuki on the 3rd night and was amazed by all the lights and gizmo&#39;s in his ride&#33; Once communication came, all fears were gone, we finally had an idea of what the plan was, wish we had it days before&#33;

CB&#39;s are fine for chatting in a group, but at least one guy in every group needs a way to talk to camp or at least another group&#33;

Lucas

[kb8ymf]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MuddyPaws &#064; Jan 1 2006, 07&#58;53 PM) 7475</div>

Sorry...that was my fault. :bigemo_harabe_net-152: I always cause problems...
[/b]

I don&#39;t agree&#33; Your only asking the some of the dark little mysterious questions that have tended to keep ham radio in the dark and &#39;in mom&#39;s basment talking to Afghanastan&#39; as you so eloquently put it earlier.



Now, on another side of this...to use UHF you need a license also, however I have a few UHF radios that we have used while hunting...yes I have a license, but no one ever has checked that license. They travel farther than CB&#39;s or FRS radios...are there "Ham Cops" out there that come and shoot you if you don&#39;t have a license? How do they know if you have one or not? What&#39;s to stop someone from just picking up a Ham radio and using it?
[/b]

By UHF you mean GMRS I assume? As a matter of fact most every GMRS or FRS in reality sold today is operated illegally and without a license. If you read the package is typically says FCC licence required. GMRS and FRS are operated on mostly the same frequencies. The big difference is that GMRS is at around 3 watts while FRS is about 0.5 watts. GMRS land based is much higher in wattage. It was primarly designed to commercial use, tow trucks, delivery service and other retail industry apsects.
GMRS on the FRS frequencies are 1-7 and 15-22 On GMRS/FRS radios they operate at a higher power level and hence more range. The FCC license cost &#036;50 per family and is good for two years if I&#39;m not mistaken. It does not require any type of test. To my knowledge you are the only one I know that has gotten a GMRS/FRS license.

Good straight man Tim, I&#39;m going to give you the answers to one of the questions on your ham radio test:
Q. What&#39;s to stop someone from just picking up a ham radio and start talking?
A. You must transmit or say your call sign every 10 minutes or at the end of your &#39;on air transmission&#39;.
Call sign definitions are described below:
Once you pass the test, the FCC issues each user a unique call sign. The first one or two letters are unique to the U.S. We have K,N,A,and W. the next digit is the area you live. Michigan is the 8 call sign district. The last two or three are unique to you as an individual. Hence my call sign is KB8YMF and my wife&#39;s is KB8YXZ. She got her&#39;s a week or two after me. Yes, even a non techinal person like Kim passed her test.

&#39;Ham Cops&#39; .... :bigemo_harabe_net-163: as a mater of fact yes&#33; :bigemo_harabe_net-59: They are called OO&#39;s, or Official Observers. They listen in on amatuer radio transmission to make sure that etiquitte, language, and civility remains in check. It&#39;s one of the reason I went to ham radio so I could actually have radio communication on in my vehicle with kid&#39;s on board. Just one listen to CB&#39;s and I&#39;m sure you know why&#33; And if you think you can make up a call sign......NOPE&#33; Ther&#39;re all public knowledge within the FCC database which can be accessed by anyone on the internet. Go to http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/searchLicense.jsp and put in my call sign or my wife&#39;s and you&#39;ll see what I&#39;m talking about.
And one more fact....You know about LO-Jack right? Where do you think the technology came from? Amatuer radio experimentation of course It&#39;s call frequency triangulation. It&#39;s actually a game that amatuer radio operaters play called &#39;fox hunting&#39;. If you transmit from a radio, for example, a group of amatuer radio operators could find you in a matter of an hour or so if you didn&#39;t move. Moving is a bit tougher but has been done by the more advanced &#39;fox hunting&#39; groups.

So, great questions Tim. Sorry to ramble on about this but there are so many facets to amatuer radio besides the sterotyped ham radio geek&#33;

jim - kb8ymf 73&#39;s Tim&#33;

[Brian]

Cool I don&#39;t have to try to answer Tim&#39;s question............Jim is up from the basement :lol:

[kb8ymf]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bult4mud &#064; Jan 1 2006, 03&#58;51 PM) 7464</div>


just gotta figure out where to mount it is the hard part.

[/b]

An option available in ham radios is a detachable faceplate. Just like some high line FM radios. All you need to mount is a face plate which varies in size. Mine are 2" X 4". The rest of the radio mounts under your seat or in back or even behind a kick panel. All the controls are on the mic or the face plate.
I&#39;ll have one of mine at the quarterly to show you.

jim kb8ymf

[Roadhouse]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Brian &#064; Jan 1 2006, 10&#58;24 PM) 7489</div>

............Jim is up from the basement :lol:
[/b]


I don&#39;t care who you are that right there is funny :bigemo_harabe_net-163: ......Sorry Jim

[kb8ymf]

Actually Tim UHF extends from 300 MHz to 3000 Cell phones @ 900 MHz are also in the UHF band. FRS and GMRS essentually share the same frequencies right in the 462.5500 MHz to 467.7125 MHz. Interdispersed with that range are both GMRS and FRS. Difference being FRS is limited to 0.5 Watt and GMRS is 5 watts
Police and Fire are mostly now on the 800 MHz trunked system which is indeed on the UHF band. However some jurisdiction still use VHF, 31.34 MHz to 173.075 MHz. Going to a common system (800 MHz) was an enabler to allow those groups with common needs to be able to talk to one another. Imagine a police office not being able to talk to a incident commander at a fire, sound a bit stupid but it used to happen.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Table A-6 -- Radio Frequency Bands

Band Nomenclature Frequency Wavelength
ELF Extremely Low Frequency 3 - 30 Hz 100,000 - 10,000 km
SLF Super Low Frequency 30 - 300 Hz 10,000 - 1,000 km
ULF Ultra Low Frequency 300 - 3000 Hz 1,000 - 100 km
VLF Very Low Frequency 3 - 30 kHz 100 - 10 km
LF Low Frequency 30 - 300 kHz 10 - 1 km
MF Medium Frequency 300 - 3000 kHz 1 km - 100 m
HF High Frequency 3 - 30 MHz 100 - 10 m
VHF Very High Frequency 30 - 300 MHz 10 - 1 m
UHF Ultra High Frequency 300 - 3000 MHz 1 m - 10 cm
SHF Super High Frequency 3 - 30 GHz 10 - 1 cm
EHF Extremely High Frequency 30 - 300 GHz 1 cm - 1 mm

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Handheld radios with 11 watts output &#33; YEOW&#33; Talk about cooking your brain. You wouldn&#39;t catch me near one with type of output. It is VERY dangerous to your internal organs. To my knowledge FCC limits handheld UHF/VHF output to 6 watts. GMRS is 5 watts
I assume those are in the commercial restricted service.
Amatuer radio actually have allocations on virtually every band HF thru EHF.
The GMRS fee is now raised to &#036;80.00 but it includes all imediate family members

So this has gotten SOOOOOOOOOOO off track. I&#39;ll be bringing some radio stuff this weekend to &#39;show and tell&#39; just like in school.



I have heard of the fox hunts...the father of a friend of mine was a ham dude and he spoke of that once or twice a lonf time ago befoer I cared. But, if I were in trouble...let them come and find me.
[/b]

So now you want us to all to carry PLB&#39;s&#33;&#33; (Personal Locator Beacons)
Who&#39;s getting deep now&#33;&#33;

jim - kb8ymf

[Bult4mud]

Jim ill be looking for ya at quarterly,

ummmmm

are any of them capeable of picking up CB&#39; bands too? or do i still need to run two radios?

[ky8t]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Roadhouse66 &#064; Dec 30 2005, 05&#58;43 PM) 7379</div>

Is there any online sites to study or take practice test? I would go to the library, but it sounds like Pat keeps checking out the book :bigemo_harabe_net-163:
[/b]

There are two web sites that let you take practice ham radio license exams using the actual question pool:

http://www.qrz.com/testing.html
http://www.aa9pw.com/radio/

Try them both, but I used the first one to get my extra class license a couple of years ago. Here is the method I used:

1. Read the study manual for the class of license you are seeking.
2. Answer all the questions that usually appear at the end of the study manual. Go through them several times, and read the manual text for any you don&#39;t understand.
3. Take the QRZ practice exams over an over until you can consistently score above 90%. The pass rate is 75%, and that should give you plenty of margin. The practice exams are randomly generated, and if you take it enough times you will see all the questions.

Two my club&#39;s members read the study manaul and passed the exam. Now that the Morse code requirement is gone, passing the exam is no big deal.

If anyone would like any help understanding the material, send me an email to "ky8t at sbcglobal dot net". If enough people are interested, we could probably get a license class or two together. I&#39;d be happy to help, and I bet KB8YMF could be talked into it also. We might even be able something using Net Meeting on the PC to cut down on travel.

Someone in the thread mentioned putting out the effort to use the radio only once a year. If enough people get their licenses, you will have someone to talk to every time you go out on the trail. And there are repeaters ( receive-retransmit stations like the police use) in most locations that can be used 24 hours a day. Depending upon height, you have a talk range of may be up to 50 miles. There are linked repeaters in the western LP that permit you to communicate the entire length of the LP. Unfortunately the Detroit Metro area is not included. The repeater in West Branch has been upgraded and can probably be reached from most of the trails in that area. If we can get enough people within range of a repeater, we could even set up a scheduled four wheelers net.

Lee
KY8T

[kb8ymf]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bult4mud &#064; Jan 4 2006, 12&#58;49 PM) 7605</div>


are any of them capeable of picking up CB&#39; bands too? or do i still need to run two radios?
[/b]

Sadly no. There is just to much range in frequency to cover them all. Plus, CB, 11 m isn&#39;t in the Amatuer Band plan. It&#39;s much the same as the Chevy dealer isn&#39;t going to carry any Ford parts on his shelves.
I&#39;ve got both in my vehicle, plus a scanner, tilt meter, and a GPS....heaven help me if I have to start running the laptop like MuddyPaws does I&#39;m running out of dashboard&#33; :BangHead:

Which is another neat fact I forgot about. You are NOT allowed to have a scanner in your vehicle unless you have an amatuer radio license. The police will confiscate it. As in, never get it back&#33;

jim - kb8ymf

[shawn]

Just wanted to bring this back up top. I was looking for a thread that Brian created, and talked in great detail of Ham Radio and interfacing it with a GPS. It was great stuff, but doesn't look like it exists anymore.