Steve Curren said:
Sounds as if I could really get the Jeep loaded with radios and no room for lunch. To start with would a 2 meter radio be ok or a dual band one? I really have no idea if I would want to go any higher on the radio useage like a 10 meter or something. I found that ICOM with 7 watts and I thought it might be powerful enough for what I need.
Steve
I have a friend with 10 radios and 14 antennas. A little extreme, but he has a ford extradition(somehow the word expedition doesn't seem to apply!).
No need to go overboard.
A radio is a means of communication. If you have 50 bands and the people you are expeditioning with only have 1, that is the only one you need. THings to consider(as always)
1.) Cost
2.) Intended use(are you going to be hanging out on repeaters during commute?Or just using it for trail use)
3.) How populated an area are you are going to be using it
4.) How much interest do you have in Radio for Radios sake
5.) How much interest you have in going to the upper license levels
6.) How much interest you have in multi-tier/more complex communications(APRS for example)
I would recommend a dual-bander off the bat for most people if you are a ham who is serious about adventuring or if you are an adventure-head who is serious about communications(and have the money for a dual bander.)
If you have a group that you go out on the trail with and they are all licensed and using 2ms and that is the only use you have for it, a 2m should be fine.
BUT, remember, the more radio options that you have available are the more options you have when you need it.
Be aware that most hams are kind of....well....paranoid. They spend great amounts of time preparing for disasters, so that they will be able to use their gear to help(<<Objective comment, not meant good or bad)
A side benefit of running a dual band rig is then you can access repeaters on two different bands. I commute 100 miles a day, and the commute has gotten much better since I talk on the radio all the way into work and back(on both 2m and 70cm bands).
The Bay area is pretty dense as far as the Ham population goes. We have 3-4pretty active repeaters around. Last time I went to Hollister Hills, I was talking with people over on Fremont peak(Hold on a second, I need to check my flex....)
I have met a lot of cool people with various backgrounds. It is kind of fun to be talking to tow truck drivers about winches (and the crane the had to tow home last night, or the pickup they had to yank out of a gully), the guy running comms for the Sea Otter, the network guy for Laguna Seca raceway, as well as firmware engineers for Hard Drives and software project managers.
I digress
To answer your question get what you can afford, although it doesn't hurt to buy a little over. I wouldn't worry about 6m, 10m or lower bands though.
Hope that helps!