To be a HAM or not to be a Ham????

[ZEVRO]

My wife and I are setting up on our overland truck for an around the world adventure. I am getting ready to ask a very stupid question so please don`t beat me up too bad.
I have been reading about mobile HAM Radios that have been installed in overland vehicles. My question is why? With Sat phones, unlocked cell phones and other communicators like In-Reach and others, what uses would a ham radio have? I guess I can see its uses in a doomsday scenario where all other communications would be knocked out but for all practical purposes what would be the benefit of a ham radio for over landing? I know that we will be in some very remote areas but why wouldn't my sat phone be enough? Calling for help and staying in touch with family is our primary concern. Our family members are not avid radio users and wouldn't know what to do with it even if it bit them in *****.

Please let us know your thoughts and recommendations for a nice set up for our application.

Thank you.

 

[biggoolies]

My wife and I are setting up on our overland truck for an around the world adventure. I am getting ready to ask a very stupid question so please don`t beat me up too bad.
I have been reading about mobile HAM Radios that have been installed in overland vehicles. My question is why? With Sat phones, unlocked cell phones and other communicators like In-Reach and others, what uses would a ham radio have? I guess I can see its uses in a doomsday scenario where all other communications would be knocked out but for all practical purposes what would be the benefit of a ham radio for over landing? I know that we will be in some very remote areas but why wouldn't my sat phone be enough? Calling for help and staying in touch with family is our primary concern. Our family members are not avid radio users and wouldn't know what to do with it even if it bit them in *****.

Please let us know your thoughts and recommendations for a nice set up for our application.

Thank you.

I believe what you are missing is that satellite is to call another part of the world. Ham is generally to call someone in a truck near you. Ham can repeat and you can perhaps call home but you are better off with satellite with that. Just be aware, in some countries they see a ham radio, it may be taken away or you may be fined or jailed.

 

[ZEVRO]

Thanks biggoolies,

Good point on the jail part. We will have a sat phone when we take off.

 

[Crom]

...Just be aware, in some countries they see a ham radio, it may be taken away or you may be fined or jailed.

Are you theorizing, or do you have a specific example of such hostile countries?

As for the OP, ham radio may not be a good fit for you. I have found it to be a valuable asset for us. We travel in the U.S. When visiting other towns, I love being able to find good restaurants and other recommendations, local information, from local hams.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Are you theorizing, or do you have a specific example of such hostile countries?

There are some. The ones that are will be unsettled politically in other ways, so having a ham radio is likely not going to be your main issue getting into these countries one would think.

The FCC has for U.S. ham license holders entered into reciprocity agreements with other countries that gives us some form of honored operating privileges in at least 84 countries (with many bodies overseeing several territories beyond their main land). There are two international coordinating bodies, the CEPT (Europe) and CITEL (The Americas), both of which the U.S. FCC works with to allow our licenses fairly simple international recognition.

You have to generally apply for a permit to operate in other countries, it's not automatic such as the agreement between the U.S. and Canada (just use your U.S. or Canadian call sign with the correct regional suffix). But it's not a terribly difficult process.

http://www.arrl.org/us-amateurs-operating-overseas
http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/index.htm?job=about_4&id=amateur
http://www.oas.org/juridico/english/treaties/a-62.html

Beyond these the IARU maintains inter-country operations, basically any country that issues ham licenses will have it's local member society (such as our ARRL) involved with the IARU. Sometimes you can get local permits or licenses in these other regions, sometimes not. But it's unlikely they'd be hostile to just the possession of a ham radio, although operating it might not be possible.

http://www.iaru.org/member-societies.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Amateur_Radio_Union
http://www.arrl.org/reciprocal-permit

As for the OP, ham radio may not be a good fit for you. I have found it to be a valuable asset for us. We travel in the U.S. When visiting other towns, I love being able to find good restaurants and other recommendations, local information, from local hams.

I totally agree. People equate ham with SHTF and some recent licensees will probably never key up waiting for the apocalypse. But the use for ham is beyond last ditch communications (which is certainly one reason to have and why HF still plays a role in military and Red Cross plans). A simplex HF path relies on very little infrastructure. No need to worry about Internet backbones and satellites. That stuff is great and no reason to substitute ham radio for them. But the reason I am a ham is to tinker and chat and that it serves additionally is a benefit. But unless you use it and understand what it can and cannot do, just having it isn't of great utility.

 

[olly hondro]

I have had a ham ticket for over a decade....never once have used it.
KG6QNS

 

[DaveInDenver]

I have had a ham ticket for over a decade....never once have used it.
KG6QNS

Your call was issued in 2/28/2013, so did you let your original lapse? Why did you get a new ticket? The FCC gives you a 2 year grace before the call sign is put back into the pool if your ticket isn't renewed at the regular 10 year period.

 

[dstn2bdoa]

Ham operators are generally a mature, resourceful, and helpful minded group of people.

A breakdown, accident, medical or otherwise tricky issue may be more easily mitigated with the help of local hams. If nothing else, you can get pointed in the right direction or good friends can be made. Either way, it's just another tool in the tool box.

 

[unseenone]

If you have a general license, much of the HF frequencies are open to you, and you can easily make contacts 5000 miles away.

If you've had a ham ticket for 10 years, why not buy a radio and key it up. It can be fun to communicate with others, regionally or locally, it's not just for emergencies and can be entertaining.

For those relying on Sat phones post apocalypse, well, the Satellites would be damaged long before earth bound infrastructure. The government/military/red cross, NOAA,FEMA, most hospitals and many many others have and continuously use HAM radio before and during small emergencies, such as post fire, storm, etc. HAM operators are continually being recognized for saving lives and doing good. Most NASA Astronauts are hams, and the ISS is equipped with HAM gear.

http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?437123-Connecticut-ham-uses-radio-to-save-girl-s-life

http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?435001-Radio-hams-support-Indian-elections

http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?433920-Maine-Hams-Help-Boy-Raise-Funds-for-Mud-Slide-Victims

http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.ph...hnology-is-a-lifesaver-in-the-emergency-field

http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.ph...Panamanian-ham-operator-rescue-3-from-sinking

It's not for everyone, and it does not need to dominate your life, but if it's for you, it can be a useful and fun tool.

 

[ZEVRO]

All,
Good points everyone. Perhaps a hand held unit would be the better route so it can be tucked away somewhere and use in case of emergency just in case nothing else works. Besides the less seen in the cab of the truck the better. Also there would be no external attennas to give it away to boarder security. I have travel through out the Middle East in the Military and the less you give them to look at the better off you are. What are your thoughts on hand helds?

Thanks,

 

[unseenone]

A hand held unit is not going to have HF most likely, and will not have the range. It is easily possible to extend the range with an external antenna and have extensive monitoring capability, but I would probably suggest something along the line of an FT857D You can leave the antenna stowed when you need to. It also allows a remote head capability, so the actual unit can be installed in a discrete location.

 

[trae]

We travel in the U.S. When visiting other towns, I love being able to find good restaurants and other recommendations, local information, from local hams.

Crom, how do you discover local HAMs? Do you do your research before hand and jump on a local repeater or is there a better way to do it?

 

[Crom]

Crom, how do you discover local HAMs? Do you do your research before hand and jump on a local repeater or is there a better way to do it?

Two ways. I'll call out on 146.52 MHz (2-Meter national calling simplex frequency), or I'll use an app on my mobile phone called Repeater Book, which is a directory of open repeaters. I also have paper copies of the database for every 2M and 440 repeaters in my state. I keep two copies of that, one version sorted by frequency, the other sorted by location.

 

[vicali]

I don't key up too much, unless there is a net or conversation I would like to join. But I do get a kick listening to the local guys chatting on the air.
Nice to listen on road channels as well, logging trucks like it if you're clear when they meet you.

 

[Borrego60]

I use my ham all the time in the desert why, cell coverage sucks.