{"id":6766,"date":"2012-10-15T15:33:56","date_gmt":"2012-10-15T22:33:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/offgridsurvival.com\/?p=6766"},"modified":"2023-05-15T15:10:16","modified_gmt":"2023-05-15T22:10:16","slug":"hamradiofaq","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/offgridsurvival.com\/hamradiofaq\/","title":{"rendered":"HAM RADIO FAQ"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Ham<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The subject of Ham Radio, in relation to preparedness, is one that\u2019s often overlooked. When it is talked about, it\u2019s often an afterthought in\nan article, or it\u2019s presented by someone who has no real experience with radio\ncommunication technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my opinion, Ham Radio still plays a very\nimportant role in emergency communications and preparedness. If you\u2019re serious\nabout survival and prepping, you really\nneed to look into HAM Radio<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In general, radio communications is a pretty\ncomplicated subject; one that can hardly be\ncovered in a single article. That being\nsaid, I want to answer some of the most common questions I receive about\nHam Radio, and why I feel it\u2019s still important to survivalists and preppers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Ham Radio<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Amateur<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ham Radio, sometimes called\namateur radio, is a popular hobby and vital emergency service that officially became\nregulated by the government in 1914 when Congress passed the Radio Act of 1912.\nSince then, amateur radio operators have been required to be licensed and have been restricted to certain designated\nfrequencies.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today amateur radio\noperators communicate with each other over a wide frequency spectrum using various\ntypes of radios and transmission modes, including CW, phone, SSB, FM, packet,\nTV, PACTOR, PSK31, RTTY, and other modes. Ham operators can bounce signals off\nthe ground, the ionosphere, and even off of the Moon to successfully transmit their\nmessages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does ham radio stand for<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While most amateur\nradio operators are probably completely unaware of its origins, the term ham\nstarted out as a derogatory term to describe amateur operators who were\ncompeting for time and signal supremacy with government and commercial radio\nstations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amateur radio\noperators could effectively jam commercial stations operating in the area, so these\ncommercial operators started referring to the interference as \u201chams.\u201d The name\nstuck, and now we call ourselves hams. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is Ham Radio Still Important for Emergency Communications?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"My<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In an age where communication is often taken for granted, it\u2019s easy to\noverlook the importance of Ham Radio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I often receive questions like: \u201cWhy do I need\nHam Radio when I have a cell phone?\u201d or \u201cDidn\u2019t the internet kill Ham Radio?\u201d\nWhile these modern forms of communication may have shifted the attention away\nfrom Ham Radio, by no means did it make it unnecessary. In fact, during a\ndisaster, it\u2019s very likely that these modern forms of communication will be the\nfirst ones to fail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The number one reason for preparedness minded\npeople to consider Ham Radio is its reliability during times of crisis. Since\nthe early 1900s, this form of communication has reliably made it through every\nmajor crisis, disaster, and emergency situation\nwith flying colors. When all other forms of communication fail, Hams are often\nthe ones who are called upon to help communicate in and out of the disaster\nzone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the grid goes down, the Ham Bands will\nstill be alive and very active<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What about my Emergency Radios, can\u2019t I just use one of those to get information?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Probably Not!<\/strong> Emergency radios are great; I have a few\nof them myself, but during a large-scale disaster, they\u2019ll probably become\ncompletely useless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think about it this way; most Emergency radios\nhave the normal local AM & FM Bands, a few weather channels, and possibly\nsome shortwave frequencies. During a large-scale disaster, most of these radio\nstations will either shut down because of a lack\nof power, or they\u2019ll go silent when their employees stop showing up for\nwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, Ham Radio will be more active\nthan ever. During any kind of disaster, small or large, the Ham bands light up.\nFrom being able to monitor local communications\nto monitoring what\u2019s happening nationally or even throughout the world, Ham\nRadio allows you to find out what\u2019s really\ngoing on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing to keep in mind about Ham Radio is its\noperators are independent operators that don\u2019t answer to any corporations or\ngovernment officials. Yes, you do have to be licensed; but the people you\u2019re\nlistening to are independent operators that have no agenda, no filters, and no reason to lie about the\nsituation. You will hear raw, unfiltered news right from\nthe source<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How will I power my Radio when the Grid goes down?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While some radios require massive amounts of\npower, there are a lot of Hams who enjoy the challenges of operating on next to\nnothing. In Ham lingo, it\u2019s known as QRPing. And yes, these weird terms and\nphrases actually mean something and are\nextremely useful when operating in low power situations. (Check out our ham radio cheat sheet<\/strong><\/a> for\nmore terms)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From using solar, wind, and other alternative\npower sources to the batteries in your vehicles, boats, or RV\u2019s there are a number of ways to power a Ham Radio after the\ngrid goes down. In fact, some radios can be operated with little more than the batteries\nin your smoke detector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personally, I\u2019ve talked to people from around the globe\nwith less than 10 watts of power.  If you really\nknow what you\u2019re doing, you can transmit with even less. I use an Icom 703,\nwith a battery pack that can be recharged\nwith a small solar panel. Here is an example of one of my solar powered Ham Radio Rigs<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amateur Radio License Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Collins<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How to get a Ham Radio License: How hard is it to get the License?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In general, radio communications is a pretty\ncomplicated subject, one that\u2019s impossible to cover in a single article. That being said, the licensing process itself is actually pretty easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the last decade, the testing process has been simplified. Some of the past requirements,\nsuch as learning Morse code, are no longer required to obtain a license. In my\nopinion, it\u2019s a shame they\u2019ve dumbed down the testing by removing the Morse\ncode requirement, but I\u2019ll save that rant for another day. What\u2019s important\nhere is that almost anyone, with a little bit of practice, can get their\nlicense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to become a ham radio operator<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Technician class license is the entry-level\nlicense of choice for most new ham radio operators. To earn the Technician\nlicense, you need to pass a 35 question examination. The test covers basic\nradio theory, FCC regulations, and basic operating practices. The license\nallows you to access the very popular 2-meter band.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cost of the exam is $15. You can find a\ntesting center through the ARRL Website<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To really\nget the most out of Ham Radio, you should shoot for at least a General Class\nLicense. This license will require you to take another 35 questions\nexamination, covering more advanced radio theory, regulations and operating practices. Once you pass the\nGeneral Exam, you will have access to all VHF\/UHF Amateur bands and most HF\nprivileges (10 through 160 meters).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can\u2019t I just buy a Radio without becoming licensed?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I often come across people who buy the equipment\nwithout ever learning how to use it.  In my opinion, it\u2019s the same as\nbuying a gun and then never learning how to fire it. While there\u2019s nothing stopping you from buying the\nequipment, I probably wouldn\u2019t do it without learning how to use it first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each type of equipment, power source, antenna<\/strong><\/a>, and\ncommunication mode has its own set of strengths, weaknesses, and intricacies. Ham Radio equipment isn\u2019t\nsomething that you can just pull out of\nthe box during an emergency. Just like every other skill in life, it requires\npractice; and in the case of Ham Radio, a lot of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I refuse to be part of\nsomething where I have to be licensed by the FCC.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hear this argument a lot; and while I usually\ndo everything I can to keep government out of my life, in the case of HAM\nRadio, I feel the benefits far outweigh the risk. So unless you\u2019ve sworn off\ndriving for the very same reasons, I advise anyone who\u2019s serious about learning\nthe ins and outs of emergency communications to take a good look at becoming a\nlicensed Amateur Radio Operator (HAM).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What kind of Ham Radio should I Buy?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re just starting and have your Technician class license, you don\u2019t need to spend a whole lot of money to get started. In fact, a Baofeng UV-5R Radio<\/a><\/strong> will only set you back about $35 and is a great way to get started. The dual-band UV-5R covers the 2-meter band and 70CM ham band (136-174 & 400-480 MHz FM), making it the perfect choice for beginners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information on Ham Radio and Emergency Communication, check out these articles:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n