We were camping in West Texas where there are VERY few cell towers due to the sparse population. While at Big Bend National Park we heard an odd sound from a camper as it went passed us. When we caught up to it, broke down, we found that the lug nuts on one of the wheels had loosened and worn through the wheel holes. The gentleman and his wife were walking around trying to get a signal with their cellphones when I told him I could try and help. I pulled out my painter's pole, Jpole, and 2 meter radio. In that area they have an extensive repeater network. I got ahold of someone who made a few phone calls and a local RV repair place gave directions to bring in the RV's Hub in. The gentleman was very interested and his wife explained to him that he needed to find out how to get his license and radio. 73!!! de KE5ES
This video, is, quite frankly, the best explanation of why one should 1) learn to use their radio and 2) become licensed, that I've ever seen in a single video or post. I just shared this one to a group I'm helping to prep for testing. Thank you!
Im not licensed yet but i got to listen during the 2022 sc area hurricanes. The south carolina government emergency communications center was checking all of the zones for reports of any local damage /road damage. Several amateur users reported damage back to the gov communications center. That was awesome to hear
I got my tech license many years ago for our solar car race crew to communicate over longer distances. I put it aside but have kept it renewed. Getting back into it now for emergency communication options in these troubled times and this video was a perfect outline. Thanks.
I like your videos because generally they show you having fun with ham radio. This one is more serious, and rightly so. Just wanted to say thank you, and because of your videos I just ordered a radio and have begun studying for the exams.
Thanks for explaining these details. I am outside Seattle and think if a real event were to take place having this information will save lives. The ham radio might be better than a gun!
Listening to hams on youtube is such a pain almost always, but you got to the point and explained everything i neeed to know based on the topic i searched. Thumbs up clicked
Love your content, hope to hear you on again soon! Your videos really helped me in beginning my Ham Radio journey, and inspired me to get a vanity callsign (K4LLT , the LLT being my grandpa’s initials, who was a Ham back in the 50’s/60’s) and made things like using the repeaters on the ISS seem approachable for a new ham such as myself. Just wanted to thank you for your content, and 73’s from Kentucky!
This situation with the car is already tested. My car broke and was in the middle of nowhere. I turn on radio and start talking to nearest repeater. And I was saved. And also having a radio build in is a big plus.
I have several preps for radios. I keep a hand-crank radio for FM/AM/NOAA. I also have 2 two-watt gmrs radios to communicate between family members if we need to split up. I then keep a uv5r program will all local HAM frequencies programed in(main use handheld). I have another uv5r with EMS and Fire programmed in(not digital and transmit turn off for those frequencies) and gmrs frequencies. then in my truck, I keep a 2m/70cm antenna with a 50watt 2m radio(with local frequencies and a CB radio. the CB radio is very useful for road updates in severe weather.
Got tech and general about 10 months ago. Lots of videos online that helped me with that. Also lots of videos online for advanced, but not many for us guys trying to figure out the next steps. Your videos are great, and I hope I can find more teachers online like you. Trying to figure out what bands to use to setup reliable skip with the Mother-in-law about 60 miles away. Thanks. KD9SEW
As of 3:00pm on Easter Sunday of 2022 there has been an emergency service breaking in locally (NE Ohio) on gmrs ch2 462.5875. I heard them again at 7:00am this morning doing the same thing. They announced that they are the emergency service and tell police and other services not to reply, then they exit with call letters. Last night it was a man, this morning it was a woman, both sounded like they were definitely serious. I didn't get the call letters, but will be recording now. It seems that with what's going on in the East, they may have started something that I don't recall them doing before. 73s KE8OPY.
Plus you need to know if your local repeaters have backup power too run during a power cut. The problem with the cheap 2m/70cm handhelds is they only have line of sight comms if the repeaters are down due to a power cut. The HF bands can get out furthur with groundwave propagation but HF rigs are bulkier and alot more expensive.
Landlines are typically fairly reliable as long as phone company can power them, they have big battery banks and backup generators. That being said, you have to get an old school landline, not one through your cable or fiber provider, trust me, had power come back on and Spectrum phone wasn't up for part of the day. Some areas you cant get the old copper landlines anymore.
Where did you see in any regulation or statute that "in an emergency, anyone in the US can use a ham radio"?? You said this within the first 15 seconds of your video. Can you please cite your source for this?
He's misrepresenting the nature of these tiny radios, which are about as powerful as they look. These are NOT emergency or rescue radios. Anybody who makes the mistakes he describes has been mislead by similar video's on YT containing incomplete and sketchy information.
Hams helping other hams? What a joke. I can't talk on any frequency or repeater unless I'm shouted and cursed at by Extra license holders. It's being a technician license holder is a bad thing.
what is the logic behind needing a license for ham radio? "its the law" is not a logical reason.... thats "an appeal to authority" which is a blatant logical fallacy. Im looking for actual logic. example, you SHOULD have (but dont need) a license to drive a car, because if you dont know how to drive, you could crash and kill people, that license, (supposedly, but not actually) shows you know how to drive and not kill people ( but people still crash and kill and die all day every day) . But i cant think of a parallel situation, that backs up the "need" for a ham radio, or any other radio, license..... from what im understanding, basic decency and sensibilities, such as, dont be a dick, dont block up channels, dont mess with emergency services, and similar common cortices, should be fine... its not like if you press the wrong button, or say the wrong thing, some one is gonna die..........so whats the point?
It is an emergency communication. Imagine if they allowed anyone to use those frequencies at whim without accountability? Imagine an emergency happening and people (and what we know how large groups of people act) there would be chaos, interruption in licensed bands, etc.
@@bronzegaming2107 nope. there are lots of people who dont have licences, they are not clogging up emergency frequencies. A license dosnt unlock some secret code to the universe that allows you to use the emergency frequencies in some proper way that you cant with out the license. Pretending a license has some sort of power is nonsense. Its simply a power grab, any thing they can control, they will want to control......... we dont need their permission, we have a right called freeedom. Only the weak and cowardly need permission from a master to do what the free do with out hesitation.
@@ZOMBIEHEADSHOTKILLER A power grab? Really? Nope! Try by international treaty! If you let folks in your country have a ham community, you are required by international law to also provide a license structure for them. That's the main reason. It also provides for a trained group of people that know how to communicate in an emergency situation.(local or national) Otherwise, it would be a madhouse on air. We are taught how to communicate effectively AND efficiently in all situations, and practice this regularly. Part of that is knowing who we're talking to.(via a callsign) Those are the main reasons for a license. As you move up, the license test covers more stuff. But, you get access to more bands now that you know how/why they work.
Actually, you DO need a license to drive a car according to state laws!(every state) The reason for a radio license is that it's written into an international treaty!(as well as national rules) If your nation has a ham community, you need to have a license structure for them. Part of it also is so that we have a group of folks here at home that are trained in how to provide communication in a disaster situation.(local or national) That includes being able to just set up a station anywhere, anytime. Hope this helps.
@@devilsatan2973 i already explained "its the law" isn't a reason, its an excuse.... i have no obligation to live by any individuals or groups fictional beliefs, and no obligation to be their victim if i dont..... no exception , not even for "The Law"........ even if youre the "law abiding" type ......there is no victim, there is no crime, no exception..... you cant justify violence, in a peaceful situation. a piece of inky paper, has no connection of any kind, to your ability to use a radio or not, no matter what type it is........ all a licence/permit/ permission slip proves, is that you have an inky paper...... and that you submit to terrorist demands. literally any one can learn anything, both on their own, or from others...... this isnt the matrix, having inky papers dosnt automatically upload info to your brain... "it would be a mad house" is again, another excuse... not a logic based reason...and again, your submitting to fear, not rationality............ i can guarantee you it wouldnt be "a mad house"......... i can guarantee this, because any one can buy, or make, their own radio, at any time, and use it at any time, in any way, for any reason, good or bad.......... thats a real world ability every single person has............they have it right now, reguardless of any laws, or other make believe nonsense...... and guess what........ its NOT " a mad house"....................its not the laws that are stopping people, it their lack of need, and want.............. it dosnt happen, because there is no reason for it to happen....... the same way if you legalized murder, most people would still never become murderers...... there just isnt a need for it. The law isnt real, neither are the fears they try to scare you with. its time people wake up, grow up, and live in the real world.
Great channell- recently purchased 2 baufeng UV-82 5W handsets with different ways to charge batterys, up graded antennas, picked up a Cobra 4W 40 channel unit & antenna from wally mart for 65$. For under 180$ I have a base unit, 2 handsets. Im a Navy vet and previous to the plandemic I hadnt thought about radio comms in 30 years..lol. Last set I got operator training on was the milspec PRC77 field com. Lol
