Ham Radio is BORING! What's the Point? 

I have had my license for 34 years now. I got it when I was 17 years old. POTA is the most exciting thing, even more than the over 100 disasters I went to with the GA Baptist disaster relief as a communicator. It saved me from despair after my mom died in 2021.

Radio is magic. The power to throw your voice thousands of miles from a handheld is a force multiplier. No monthly fees. You are the tower.

It's not boring at all. You get to learn all about the radio the other person is using to talk to you on.

The main reasons I'm getting into Ham is for the experimental side of things and to be in on the emergency communication action, I want to be able to help. There are so many neat aspects to Ham radio that I don't think I will ever find it boring or a "disappointment" just dreaming up and building different antennas will take up a ton of my time. I just finished my course yesterday so I just need to book my test, I can't wait to get on the air.

Something to keep in the back of everyone’s mind is simply this; If radio is so obsolete, why then are radios still widely used in the Military, EMT/Ambulances, fire fighters, police, sporting and entertainment events, hotel staff, schools, security, airplanes, ocean liners and boats, ski resorts, and the list goes on and on…almost seemingly endlessly. If radio is so obsolete in any given day to day situations, why then has the use of radio proliferated beyond even the days before the commonality of cell and internet? Radio is not dead.

Reddit is a cesspool of cynical opinions. I tend to take the route many hams do when explaining radio to normies, which is to equate it to cellphones and the internet. The art of communication is a science to pass down to each generation so that people don't forget how it all works. Otherwise, we'll just mindlessly use devices that are handed to us in the name of convenience and the distribution of propaganda.

At present, I am studying for my General license and I look forward to making DX contacts.

Great video Jason. After hurricane Ivan in 2004, we were without power and cell service for almost two weeks. (South Alabama). Radio certainly has its place! N5GEB.

If one sticks to the notion of ham radios are just for calling, you're missing "a lot." ham is literally a hobby within a hobby. hams are the only citizens legitimately allowed to experiment on air. now that's a lot of things to do! In this digital age, automation with analog to digital and vice versa can open up a lot of options and possibilities

Ham radio is what you make of it, just like any other form of radio.

I live in Connecticut, that first fella probably has a dead setup and doesn't even know it. When I lived in Vermont I could easily hear Germany back in the 90's and here in CT I get to Japan with a dipole at 100 watts.

I will admit I love the technical aspects of amateur radio a bit more than the actual QSO’s. And there’s nothing like the feeling when you make that first contact to a distant station in another country. Learning about people all over the world including the US is a blast. There are some really interesting stories out there that will rival the best and most interesting any TV program has to offer... I’ve learned more about technology,big corporations, worldwide cities and towns, veterans and military services and just folks everyday lives just by listening to the QSO’s over the radio and never even breaking in.. Ham radio is boring only if you let it be. There are so many aspects to this hobby, I can’t see how one could find the time to be bored.

Just came across your channel. Awesome stuff. Loved CB radios back in the 90's. Ham radio always seemed fun and fascinating. May end up trying to get my license. Subscribed.

A fews weeks ago our club had a presentation by a Ham that responded to Puerto Rico after the hurricane. He was part of a team of Hams who flew down there with the military to assist with Emcomm. I wish I could remember the name of the org. They had NO cell service and the only comms during that first month were Ham radio. They even had to help the military base out by teaching the soldiers there to build antennas. The base was totally out of comm with the US. Yes, Jason, Ham radio is still relevent!!

Jason. After FreezeMageddon I decided I needed comms. I knew CB well from the 70's but knew I needed better. You were the first person I found to get me started. I've watched you ever since. Others also now but it was you that cleared up the fog. I do have a CB again just for the road but I've gotten heavy into GMRS and yes I'm licenced. Talking regularly on GMRS nightly nets. Making contacts. Got in my new TN07 fiberglass mast yesterday so I can get up my Ed phong antenna I got from you to hit even more repeaters. I'm studying for my ham ticket and I'm addicted and it's all your fault. 😂 You da man!

Just got my technical license… Really enjoy your channel… Wife and I were talking about HAM radio as being a standalone on our way to church… Question are repeaters powered from independent sources or are they tied to the grid?

Well said, Jason. The typical appliance operator will eventually grow tired of RF communication hobbies. There is an element of magic to explore when you look beyond the shiny, expensive radio in your hand or on your desk. There are endless things to do in this hobby.

I have been into Ham since I was about 16 years old. We got our novice licenses while in electronics class. I am 70 now. Back in those days we all built our own radios. It was a class project. Those radios were fired by tubes and only generated about 10 watts but they were pretty cheap to make and we all understood the electronics behind the knobs and meters. Today, I know of no available ham radio kits out there (that is what the semi-conductor did for radio). Factory made radios look nice, do tons of things but they can cost more than $10,000. We all put up dipoles for almost nothing, today a tower and a beam can cost another $10,000. All of that adds up to quite a lot for some guy to spend to see if he like Ham or not. Flash forward 40 years: Once upon a time years ago I joined a local Ham club. I stopped going after a year or so because the people there seemed as though they were from other planets. "Geeks" doesn't to it justice. Most were nice guys, but some were quite odd. They kept to themselves, argued over the smallest of details. I looked around the room and noticed that I would not want to spend time with those guys, why would I want to talk to them on the radio? That turned me off for a long time. Then, I got a new job and I found myself on a radio all day long. It lost its magic for me. I live in another place now and am retired. I am into other things (fishing) but I am coming back around to Ham. But, I guess my long winded point here is, the Ham of today as VASTLY different from the 60s. I remember talking to people in Europe, Australia, Africa, the Artic Circle and it was VERY CHEAP to do. AND we talked. Talked about all sorts of stuff. Today I hear people out there giving a call sign, saying the obligatory "73" and moving on. What sort of conversation is that? Why spend $10,000 for that? Its a sad affair I must say. And the geeks out there do far more harm to the hobby then they realize. They have turned away many, many people. No one wants to be told off in their own radio shack (maybe that's why I fish now?). THOSE guys need new hobbies. Leave the air waves to people who like people. Thats my 25 cents worth.

My favorite part of amateur radio is FT8. Luv just pushing the ENTER key over and over and letting my PC do the work. You meet the nicest people on FT8.

Got licenced in 1977 in Germany. The magic for me is building kits and antennas . CW operation is initself magic and to tune down and up the frequencies gives the chill of a hunting trip.

Another great video with intelligent explanations and opinions. I have watched your videos in the past, although not very many. I have started watching again and I am impressed with your content. Subscribed!

Have a technician license I got 10 plus dx contracts 5000 miles or less yesterday in 1 hour on 20 watts. Good stuff😎

I've been Mesmerized by all types of radio Communications Since the first Signal i ever heard With a squelch tail as a Kid! Great Video Tnx Man!

When also else fails Ham Radio the Moto of ARES / Auxiliary Communications Service which I am a member of both. Serving my community in times of need is one the of the best parts of Ham radio. Actually I gained a ton of information about Ham Radio being part of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service. So much to learn and love about this hobby. The world is your playground. Thanks Jason great subject!!

This post sums up my ham radio experience in the last 10-15 years pretty well. I occasionally get into something like psk31 but talking is more of a pain than it's worth. I have no deed restrictions and soon will be moving to acreage where I can put up any size antennas that I want. I only have a 2m fm radio in my truck and other than my one friend that I talk to once every month of two it's dead whenever I try. I was big into 2m ssb around 2008-2011 but after my 2m halo fell out of the tree in my backyard fell down(probably about 25' high in a dead flat area) I haven't really messed with it much since then. I'm hoping to get back into it over the next couple or years once I get my new station setup, but being ~100 miles from a metro area I expect vhf+ to be dead. HF phone should be great for listening but since I usually run qrp power I end up more of a SWL than an active operator. It's really frustrating to deal with all the big guns and that's a big part of it when it comes to HF. I just don't enjoy CW that much and low power digital modes like psk31 can be fun but seem very automated and still dealing with the all knobs to the right guys. I'm in my 40s but still relatively young and rather work on my financial security than building or purchasing an amp, which is what I feel like would make the biggest change in success on the airwaves for me since I can put up full size dipoles on the hf bands. I still do like being on the air but my days of sitting in my truck at a park(pre POTA) with a 100 watts and a hamstick trying to make a contact from Houston to Brazil for 45 minutes are long over. I don't mind putting some effort into contacts but my general experience is to constantly be stomped on by guys that shelled out for 500+ watts. VHF+ repeaters are fairly boring, I still like 2m usb and haven't tried in years though. I may start back there once I get my new station setup in a few months as I won't be too far out from dfw and hopefully will be able to work some ops there.

I totally agree with that and I would like to see it go back the way it was when I got my license you had to have a ham call sign in order to buy a radio

Got into Ham radio for the EMCOMM, stayed for the other aspects. Got into making minimalist antennas with max usage for my preferences. Always appreciate the videos Jason!

Good video. Interesting the POV 8 years ago was the hobby is dying, but then experienced a renaissance due to the solar cycle, and the availability of information largely due to the RU-vid community. The challenge going forward will be to continue the popularity of the hobby when the solar cycle 'sell' goes away for a few years.

Hey Jason. We’re trying to “reboot” our radio club here.

IC-7300 on 40m during sunrise... Power set to zero into a poorly install 80m EFHW during the start of the solar cycle... went from Southern AZ to Eastern Georgia using FT8... Hope to get a rig again before this solar cycle is over. Personally I think thats that most exciting thing I can do with a HF transceiver in 2024

I remember you saying previously about getting on the repeaters and I can say it DOES work!

Radio waves do not rely on ANYTHING 3rd party.

Absolutely right, Jason! I got into ham radio because I am a prepper (of a sound mind: even if nothing ever goes wrong, I still save money, eat better and learn stuff), and I've since been bitten by the ham bug and experiment with all sorts of modes, build my own antennas, etc. As a tech guy who writes software, I appreciate the internet and the vast interdependence that infrastructure relies on. I've also met a lot of people, many of whom are smart like a bag of hammers. I'm not a misanthrope; I'm realistic and I don't particularly like relying on other people. If there's anything one can do to provide for a particular need, whether we're talking pure water, safety, food, building, cooking, or communication, then I'm all over it. For the record, my local ham club's monthly newsletter always has a list of new licensees. Far from dying, I'd say ham radio has had a big boost in recent years by people who are keep up with current events. Keep up the great videos! 73, N2BKT

I’m a licensed GMRS operator. I’m now studying for the Amateur Radio Technician license. I have watched a lot of videos for both GMRS and Ham radio including your own Ham Radio 2.0 videos. But here I’m talking more about GMRS than ham as I’ve been told that there are no local hams or ham repeaters in my rural area. So to take my ham license test I’ll probably have to drive at least a 500 mile round trip distance. Also I don’t yet have a ham radio and my GMRS radio is not programmed for Ham Radio frequencies. But regardless, the same situation would or could apply to both GMRS and Ham Radio. I’ve also read a lot of the comments pertaining to the channels and repeater channels being dead. Well the problem with that is I’ve sat and just listened to one particular channel or repeater channel for a whole 24 hours then do the same thing upon another channel each following day until I’ve covered all channels and repeater channels and yet upon each channel or repeater channel I listened to for 24 hours at a time before moving on to the next channel I’ve not once heard any activity at all not even a kerchunk leading me to the same conclusion that the channels and repeater channels in my rural area are totally dead. Even the GMRS club I was allowed to join is located over 250 miles away from where I live. They supposedly have a repeater in my area and I’ve listened to it for over 24 hours and the same thing occurred not even a kerchunk out of it The same thing if Try to listen to what is supposedly the channel truckers are using. Here’s the situation. Each time the video producer always tells the listening audience to key up at least once a day or even many times a day to let others know the channel is being monitored and used by others and that the person listening to the channel should try to respond back to the person keying up. I’ve tried to follow their advice and check in but my little GMRS version of the Baofeng U5R (and yes it is the newest updated Baofeng U5R with the factory installed GMRS stickers inside the battery compartment of which Randy at NotaRubicon has posted a video about and not the Ham Radio version), with its 5 watt output it won’t even reach the 25 mile distance to where the nearest possible repeater is supposedly located. But if that repeater is used, then I should at least be able to hear somebody else upon it when they key up even if I can’t talk back to them. And no, I do not have any obstruction in the path between my house and the location of the supposed repeater, it is a clear unobstructed line of sight distance and slightly down hill to that location from my house. So under those conditions, I should at least hear somebody upon that repeater if they key up. The same thing should occur if the Ham radio repeaters are being monitored and used, a person just listening should at least hear somebody else if they are keying up and checking in. I know this comment is long winded and I humbly apologize, but I just had to put my 2 cents in. But anyway Ham Radio 2.0 ,Thanks for the Great Video's I've enjoyed every one of them including your Technicians class training videos.

I think there is a place for all forms of radio from CB,FRS,GMRS,Amateur Radio! Also 2AA!! Enjoying this channel!!

Live just outside Boston. Either this hasn’t aged well or he was just wrong. I’m on 5 repeaters almost daily and a ton of DX. New ham as of end of January (tech to extra in 3.5 weeks) and your channel was a big reason for it. Thanks 73 W5GI

Im here in Midtown Manhattan so I am centrally located , so I talk to New Jersey, Connecticut , Brooklyn, Queens and Nassau all day . 100s of people on my lunchbreak.

Ham radio has something to offer almost everyone. I do Weather net, local nets, EmCom, one of my friends is never on the nets, doesn't want anything to do with EmCom, but likes to talk to friends and family on his radio.We are both right! I live to do things that can help, he likes to just talk.We live in Florida and my internet is out sometimes for a week or more after a storm. We both can use our radios after the storms. I like the way you covered this! 73 W4DES

I got my general in about 2013. I gave up on the hobby from 2014ish until last year. It was too much proprietary crap. Too much resistance to change. The celebrated new hardware was 1980s technology. The whole point of the hobby is experimenting and sharing info (not just emmcom and prostate health) and none of that was happening. It's still not great but it's moving in the right direction enough that I can enjoy it.

what I love about ham radio is the large variety of “sub-specialties”. I can use satellites, build hardware, bounce a signal off the moon, write software, do POTA, just to name a few. I’m always learning something new and enjoying a new aspect of the hobby . KB2GCG (who went from General to Extra a week ago)

Our 146.520 call frequency used to have an "informal net" where a bunch of guys would all get on there and talk all night. They called it the Area 52 Crew. They'd have one guy call, then more would chime in and they'd just sit there instead of QSY'ing to another frequency, clear up until midnight....

Your analogy of buying a firearm just in case you need it and then never learning how to use it is perfect. That is the best reason I've heard for preppers to get a ham license. I have a GMRS license and have been thinking about getting a ham license. I don't really need another "hobby," but its usefulness can't be denied. I've been all about preparedness for years but have not seriously considered emergency comms. That has all changed now. Thanks for the great info and keep up the good work.

I work satellites for a couple of years and in my experience the QSO's are extremely fast paced. It may have been different 8 years ago but today you usually don't hear longer QSO's.

1. With cell phones you can't meet new people and make new friends, you can just call people whose numbers you know. 2. IIRC one of the criterion for unlicensed use of a ham radio in an emergency is that you've exhausted all other available means of communications, including cell phones, knocking on someone's door and asking them to call 911, flagging down a passing motorist. 3. I met a guy who after typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in the Philippinesin 2013 which decimated Samar and Leyte went there with a QRP HF radio and established an emergency communications link helping to coordinate relief efforts and tell the world about the conditions there. He didn't waste time setting up a line-of-sight 2m repeater like "meandyourmom" mentioned. 4: Preppers: ain't nothin' wrong with having an emergency supply of food, water, first aid and shelter items. In fact FEMA and the Red Cross recommend that those in at-risk areas which is much of the world do so.

27.245 (CB channel 25) using js8 call is HOT and its very active in europe and you can see those signals coming to/from the US as well on psk reporter. I don't use js8 on 11m due to FCC rules, but new people are coming to digital modes (not just FT8) every week. 20m during the day and 40m evening/night.

10 or 12 years ago was Hurricane Sandy. Hurricane Katrina was 2005

You made some really excellent points. Practice with a radio (or a firearm) in normal non-emergency times so you'll know what to do when a REAL emergency comes along. At age 13, I remember picking up a broadcast station from New Zealand 🇳🇿 (on a shortwave kit radio I built on the kitchen table) about 8,000 miles - over half a 🌎 world away! If that doesn't seem like some small miracle, then we've totally lost our sense of wonder. I heard an account of a QRP operator in Kansas who worked a station in Germany 🇩🇪 with only 5 Watts. That is amazing!

I'm in Connecticut. You can find people monitoring repeaters all over the state. We also have a very popular linked repeater system that spans the state that you can almost ALWAYS find people on. Plenty of contacts while driving around upstate NY and Massachusetts too. And CB is mostly dead. Dont know what he is talking about.

Mainer here. First, I'm not sure why we're getting all riled up over an 8 year old forum post. None of it seems relevant today. I can't speak to 8 years ago, only having gotten into ham radio 6 years ago. Even in those six years, I've seen a resurgence of activity across the board. Ham clubs that had faded away have been reorged and rebuilt by new members, excited and eager about the hobby. Using analog FM repeaters, I've talked from southern Maine to Bangor via a hill in Buckfield, and from ME to VT on Mt Washington's FM repeater. Networks of repeaters on DMR (NEDECN) and C4FM Wires-X (Wolf Pack Repeater Network and UFB New England) and even GMRS have cropped up. There are regular nets on 75m: ME Potato Net, Sea Gull Net, and the ME Public Service Net. I'm following three different CB hobby groups that are very active from NH to northern ME. They see a bit more success than I, but I have a cheapy antenna on my truck and no home base station for CB, and only one transceiver with SSB. Our ARRL ME Section Manager has posed the same challenge, too: Get on the repeaters! Emcomm is big up here. There were a couple of incidents over the last couple of years: one where a lost hiker was found when they called out on DMR, and a major car crash in Northern NH where a ham came across the scene and called for help on the Mt Washington repeater. I heard it and the person responding from my truck in southern Maine. Since your video was posted, we had a major nor'easter last Thursday; 18" of heavy wet snow brought down trees and wires, crushing vehicles and buildings, and cellular. Our cell towers are still down, and we still have people without power, their roads still buried in tree limbs and snow. My friend who does SKYWARN said he spent all of Thursday taking 46 reports in 13 hours. To say radio is dead in New England, and that there's no one to talk to is just baloney. At least, thankfully, it is now. :) de KC1JMH

I live in New Hampshire. In the southern part of the state there are repeaters active all day, mostly 2m. There's one 70cm repeater is busy all the time. I wasn't a ham 8 years ago though. CB on the other hand, I live right near the highway, and on CB all I ever hear are those idiots in Mississippi running 2kw foot warmers who like to pretend they're FM radio DJs.

I agree that HAM radio is needed for emergency communication especially in times when Mother Nature speaks loud and clear. There is some vulnerability with VHF and UHF communication that relies on repeaters, so I agree on your point of prepping and learning different ways to establish communication.

Being a truck driver I key up gmrs repeaters all over the U.S some cover large areas covering 100 miles so being able to talk to locals for many minutes while driving using an HT. CB is OK, BUT too many jackwagons slinging BS so you can’t leave the radio on very long at all and never in a traffic jam!

After Hurricane Maria in PR, the number of repeaters both Amateur and GMRS nearly double

I talked to Argentina, That's 4500 miles...QRP 11 meter! Also talked to LA, Los Angeles not Lower Alabama. I'm in Ocoee, Florida. 5 miles west of Orlando!

I was in the same boat and then I learned CW and started doing POTA. I can go to a park and make 40 contacts in an hr, it made it fun.

Aside: I was a Novice years before I first used a CB. For those who are just looking to save on phone minute charges, yes, they will be disappointed with Ham radio, and should probably stay away. If you're too shy to talk to strangers, you might still enjoy FT-8. If you haven't been around enough old people to realize that we don't know that you've already heard that story we like to tell, and that we're going to try to tell it again, then maybe you interpret that as somehow being unfriendly to youth, then just wait until you are in your rocking chair listening to some whippersnapper telling you you tie your shoes the wrong way. From my perspective, our club does everything that it can to welcome and help new members, including free first year membership to folks who get their license at our VE sessions. (I know that there's at least one member who was licensed before my 1963 novice, but I think that we're among the most welcoming, though probably not ready to carry you up a SOTA.) If the club you tried is unfriendly, try a different one. And we're in NH, and NH is in New England, so I don't believe that it's a regional problem If you want the repeater too be busy, make it busy. Now that I'm retired, my radio time is more likely to be HF Before I retired, I had VHF in the car, but that didn't mean that I used it while I was supposed to be working, or during the nasty part of my commute, or when I was eating, or sleeping, or when there was a non ham in the car to converse with. I can remember the 80's when the Derry repeater was the sound that was never silent. Those days are gone. Too many repeaters, perhaps? Maybe further balkanized by DV modes? Back when solar flux was really low, I tried out JS-8 Call, and my first live keyboard to keyboard contact was with a guy in San Diego, which is a healthy distance from NH. So long ranges are always possible, but sometimes you have to ham harder.

Amateur radio operators also participate in events such as marathon, bike races plus fairs and carnivals. In such situations multiple operators have instant communication with each other and not need to dial a phone number to report a need such as requesting more supplies for the event or emergency care. Amateur radio operators use a repeater network which is prevalent in a larger area than GMRS repeaters. Also if need be amateur operators can set up repeater sites quickly.

I was on 2m simplex last night and made 2 new friends.

I primarily work data (PSK31, OLIVIA, RTTY and FT8). PSK31 and Olivia is more active than RTTY. I'll do some SSB, usually on the higher bands during the day and 20-80m at night. As for digital voice, I'm active on D-STAR quite a bit. Got YSF capability, but only a couple weeks to check into a net on the Southeast Link Multimode Digital Voice Net. I enjoy all aspects of radio, either local repeaters, HF SSB or Data and Digital Voice modes. It has helped me a great deal after getting out of the Marine Corp by making friends and giving me something to do and learn.

I was in his shoes for a bit. I just got my technician license and tried for months to get a QSO on VHF and UHF. Then gave up when I didn't make a single contact after a few months of trying. 2 years later, I joined our local radio club, got my General then Amateur Extra ticket, and went from there. My best advice: get connected to your local ham radio club.

I think I understand both sides of the "argument". I totally get the prepper mindset. But I also understand that a hobby is more fun if you get feedback or something extra out of it. For the 2A side, shooting is much more fun if I have a target that I can get feedback on. It's not just me shooting into the void which would get boring very quickly. Essentially, for many things that you do with shooting, there is a lot to it that you can get this kind of feedback and satisfaction from. For radio, while building things and experimenting can be very fun for some people, and that's where they get their satisfaction, others may want something more social out of it - HAM radio would be for connecting with others in a way that you don't get with the internet or phones. That's one of the draws that it had to me when I was younger. If you don't get that extra little bit from it, I can see why some people would call it boring and lose interest. If it's hard to find others, and no one seems to be talking, if they don't get that little extra from the other aspects of it, I can see why they lose interest.

I’m currently working on my amateur radio license and for awhile I was on the fence about getting my license. But the more I review the material so I can test, the more I realize the information itself is far more valuable than the actual license.

I never hear anyone on calling or adventure freqs. GMRS is way more active.

I'm on 146.52 when I road trip.

Comment on your Satellite question. You can rag chew on a SSB Satellite due to the linear transponder that allows multi contacts on one Bird. However an FM Bird can only support one channel of operation at a time and the contacts are short and abrupt. Best 73 KB6OZX

I agree with your comments on ham radio being bigger than emcomm. If you want to do emcomm and you sincerely want to be useful during a real life emcomm event you should be doing more than a once weekly emcomm net. You should be doing something like POTA or SOTA so you have the repetition of setting up and tearing down your station, paying attention to details coming across to you, working weak signal ssb etc. Think of portable operations for fun to be your “range time” of radio .vs shooting.

I was an old school Ham. I started out with a Novice License and progressed to Extra. When I did that I had to pass the Morse Code requirement. After the Novice License and Morse Code requirements were dropped Ham Radio changed in just a few years. At events like Field Day you could leave your equipment for a break to sleep. You can't do that today because everything would be stolen by some Ham that no longer has the old Ham community attitude that disappeared with the loss of the Morse Code filter. Subsequent Hams will stab you in the back as I harshly discovered at any and every opportunity. I became so disgusted I left what has become just a Hobby. When my license came up for renewal I had been off the Radio for quite a while and had sold off nearly all my equipment. I ultimately decided I was never going back to the Hobby and let my license expire. I got into CB Radio in the mid 60's and continued that aspect of radio even after becoming a Ham. I was never treated the same way by other CBers as I was treated as a Ham after the Morse Code filter was removed which changed it from a Public Service to an expensive Hobby.

I took a few trips with a CB, and talked to 1 guy on the Ohio Turnpike. Worked several repeaters though.

New to radio, got my GMRS license 2 years ago. There’s a GMRS repeater that has a big foot print with over a hundred users and growing, some are ham radio licensee also, most are GMRS. GMRS is a good introduction to radio communications.

Only reason I have radio is for emergency, prepping, SHTF scenario to keep contact with friends and family in a grid down situation.. I'm not really into daily broadcasting, altho I like to scan but allot is just noise.

if it wasnt for ham radio we wouldnt have cellphones, text messaging, picture messaging, and internet! heck we wouldnt have tv, and radio brodcasting! thank a ham for the things we have now!

DX has never been dead. I worked many many stations all the way out to Russia on 30 watts or less using digital FT8 mode. That was back in Solar Cycle Minimum. My antenna was a wire strung around the ceiling in an apartment. Have a ton of QSLs to prove it.

I’m having a blast as a newer hammer, BUT, in my location there is absolutely no repeaters (I’ve looked), and getting all the cool stuff for radios isn’t legal here (digital radios, hotspots, etc) so I’m stuck with EchoLink. Granted it’s cool to use but I got into radio to use radios and here it’s not possible, definitely a buzzkill but I’m still on the air.

I feel like it's the magic of obscure, rather closed and limited communication systems. It's not distracting or very intrusive but still gives that "yeah, there's other human being down there and we can share few thoughts to each other". And obviously the emergency and safety element is super important - if shit will go wrong people with ham radios, pidgeon breeders and other "weirdos" may end saving life of hundreds of people because of their unconventional communication systems.

I am not a talker, and trying to see how many people I can contact. I do enjoy the the building such building out a GoKits and radio setups. Or building out a system and then seeing how far Incould get. I enjoy the experimentation, which there is not as much since so much with the radios themselves, however there is a lot that can be done with antennas. And of course I have the radios for emergencies. Next challenge is digital radio such as DMR, and devices like a pi-Star.

Love the comment on the BSA!

I have a General Ham and a GMRS license solely for the purpose of communication in a grid down or emergency situation. Otherwise I do find it boring to just randomly contact folks around the world. May just be me since I don’t like to talk to people I don’t know about nothing.

Communicating via the ionosphere (on more than just the 11 meter band) is magic. Is has amazed me for 31 years

I was there for the hurricane Katrina nightmare. The ham radio uhf link system that I started in the 1990’s was extremely effective and did help to save lives. Yes I was there contributing and aiding the desperately needed communications that GOHSEP need as well as other government agencies including the 256 Army National Guard required during those very dark times.

I went through a phase where I would have agreed with a lot of the complainers. I was an active SWLer in the 90s and veered close to thinking about a license then, and then thought, "Well, the Internet..." and let it drop. Now, of course, I regret that, but I do see where it came from.

I concur with everything you said. Thank you for posting this.

Preaching to the choir as usual. We know what Ham radio is good for. Those who depend on the internet for info are bound to be sadly disappointed, or badly misled. Ham Radio is the way to get the truth from those who live it, or saw it. Nothing else matters.

Good video but I do all data modes like cw, rtty psk sstv via free to use online apps and free to use software no radio license or call sign needed. I was licensed for 20 years but asked to have it revoked as I've lost interest and the hobby to quickly.

You can't get on your cell phone and say, can anyone from Pennsylvania come back and talk to me? And get an answer.

I have been an amateur radio operator since 1987. I couldn't get my general license until they dropped the code requirement. I had a lot of fun with it when I first got my technician license, then it quickly got boring. When I got my general, I rushed out and bought a new Icom 718. Again I was thrilled with it, for a few months. I could literally talk to people thousands of miles away with no repeaters. But that also became boring pretty quickly. I'm like, "is this all there is?" My main interest in radio is in the radios themselves. There was a time when hams built their own radios. They built their own antennas. And they experimented with them. They made changes. They tried this and that. None of that exists anymore. Amateur radio is just like commercial radio. You buy a new factory made radio, and a new factory made antenna, connect everything together, and start talking. You probably have no idea how the radio even works, because it is more computer than anything else. Computer technology making it's way into ham radio is a big part of what ruined it. This what I call TRASH technology cannot be understood or worked on by amateurs. So why do they even call it amateur radio anymore? Fortunately I do have some vintage radio knowledge. A few year ago I bought a beautiful condition Yaesu FT-DX 560 tube radio. It didn't work. But it was complete, and it was something I could work on. I completely rebuilt it. All new tubes, new caps, new pots, and a few other repairs. It took a while, but it was so much fun to work on, and I seriously increased my vintage radio knowledge in the process. It now works beautifully. I restored a D-104 Silver Eagle microphone to use with it. Many hams I talked to were amazed at how well it worked, or that it worked at all. Many had no idea what it was. They had to look it up, and then asked why I would put so much work and money into such an old radio when I could just buy a new one. That is the mentality of most of today's amateurs, if you could even call them that. I have gotten back into11 meters, which is where I started. I got an older non digital SSB radio, fixed it up, built myself a 100 watt tube amp, built my own antenna, and was amazed at just how many DX contacts I was able to make. Older 11 meter sideband radios can be worked on, and if you can't build a simple, clean tube amp, you shouldn't call yourself an amateur. You find a lot of much nicer people on 11 meters than on the HF ham bands. And the "not quite legal" aspect of it definitely makes it more fun. And there are no computers involved. I still love radio, I just don't like what modern amateur radio has become. I live in the southwestern U.S., and can make 11 meter contacts in the South Pacific area every single day. Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania seem to be the big ones, but I have also been able to make a few contacts in New Guinea, the Soloman Islands, even a few in Hawaii. All those places are southwest of my location. I have not made any contacts in Europe or Asia. That could be my antenna. A lot of these people are using homebrew equipment, which to me is what amateur radio is all about. I tend to take a lot of long distance highway trips, and you can talk nonstop to truckers with 25 watts on AM with a Wilson 1000 mag mount antenna on the trunk lid. That is IF you know how. If you pull that '70s CB slang, nobody will respond to you. Truckers have a terrible job, and they don't like being patronized. But say the right things, and they will talk to you. I have had conversations with truckers that easily lasted over 10 minutes, and other truckers would join in. They love to talk if they believe you understand and appreciate them. I use the internet strictly for communication. It is not a hobby in itself, the way radio is supposed to be. RU-vid is the only social media site I use. But I also belong to a lot of online bulletin board forums relating to my other interests, vintage cars, vintage motorcycles, vintage radio, guns, etc. I do my financial business online, I order things online. That's just another way of doing thigs I've done all my life. I DO NOT have a "smartphone" and never will. I despise new technology. I have a $50 flip phone with no touch screen, no internet, no operating system, it just makes and receives phone calls, that it. Works fine for me. So far, and I am almost 65 years old, there has never been a disaster in my area. But I have my ham radios, my 11 meter radios, my GMRS radios, and a gas powered generator with enough fuel to run it intermittently for many weeks. I keep about 20 gallons of gasoline on hand, and I rotate it through my vehicles to keep it fresh. I got all my amateur licenses (novice, technician, and general) by studying the questions and answers on PAPER. It worked fine. Technology even screwed up something as simple as information on paper.

You never know who you will meet. So many great folks on the radio.

Great analogy of firearms and radio: practice and be prepared. Thanks.

I totally believe in being ready for an emergency. I live in St. Louis, MO where we have radioactive waste from WW2 that they found in a landfill in a highly populated area. It's just a matter of time before some disaster happens and causes an evacuation. The ham radio community already has protocols in place and set aside frequencies on both repeaters and simplex for when that day happens. When that day happens EMS will be too busy and cell phone towers will be jammed up. Ham and GMRS will be the ONLY thing working. Better to be ready now than sorry later.

A Jack wagon thing to do, I came across a couple of guys today on 52. Maybe four guys and they were having a net. Yes a net on 146.52

The only reason I'm getting my license is to keep the net and so I can test my skills. Remember once the folks leave the Gov will take it away.

It's good you mention FT8 and digital modes. But this guy is obviously a tech. DX on the VHF and UHF are typically during the summer months.

One thing I remind people is that the emergency clause does not remove liability. In other words, if an operator acting in what they think is an emergency later is shown to have been unnecessary or disruptive to official emergency comms, the operator may be cited. An example would be to get on the police fq to report an accident where someone is hurt. If it is later discovered that a cell phone was available and working, there will be a citation. Another example that happened several years ago where someone used a marine channel to call for help, only the person was on land and it was later shown that the injury being reported was not even life threatening, which landed the operator in hot water. If you break the rules because of an emergency, you need to keep in the back of your head that there can be consequences later that you may face, and that the imminence, lack of alternatives, and life and property threat better be worth it. This is like the 2A issues as well - drawing from the holster better be the last resort, and there still could be consequences that you are willing to suffer just to stay alive. When it comes to the 2A, it is better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6, and the same goes for unlicensed and/or unauthorized emergency use of radio.

Love hitting Texas on a good day even with just a simple inverted V trapped dipole from up here in Ontario Canada. Also on the subject of cellphone outages… on July 8th 2022, one of Canada’s “big two” cellphone & internet providers Rogers had a massive outage. Over 12 MILLION Canadians across the whole country were affected. Sometimes for over 24hrs. Cell service was out, internet was out, payment systems were out (most people couldn’t even pull cash out of an ATM), even emergency dispatch systems that rely on VOIP and internet linking were out, and yes there were reports of some people dying because emergency services couldn’t respond and dispatch calls during this outage. All this is to say, if this can happen to 12 million Canadians, toughly 1/3 of our population, imagine what it would be like if that happened to 1/3 of the US’s population. That’s roughly 110,000,000! A lot more than 75,000. Oh, and also our outage happened because of a simple firmware/software update gone awry… it can happen anywhere folks and to any unimaginable degree. Don’t rely on big corporations and governments to do everything right and have your back, because they won’t when you need it the most. Rely on yourself!

Only dx hf interests me, ymmv. When you start most people buy a ht for 146MHz vhf and 430MHz uhf. It is boring. Buy a cheap 80s HF radio and enjoy (or brand new if you can afford).

My advice would be to get a RTL-SDR to keep the interest up. There is a crap load of things you can do with it besides radio. You can even connect it to your android. I quit my memberships to radio clubs because of all the angry old men who were just nasty if you didn't agree with them.

Hey Jason, Stanley KF4KQL, that's right Everytime, something, really serious happens, any where they always talk about the Internet, or the cell phone networks, but very rarely, will they speak of ham radio.!!!!!!!!!!! I do remember back, somewhere in the middle 90s the tornado that hit, jerold Texas, the weather channel, spoke of amateur radio, operators. !!!!!

Been a Ham for a long time, I have had my ups with it, and my down. To me FT8 is BORING, so is APRS, and I don't do contest because everyone is a 5x9(599) no matter how many times you have to get a repeat and the biggest one is the weekend BBQ also known as Field Day. I have done dx-ing (both sides), county hunting, pota etc. My opinion yes it can get boring. 2 meters/70cm here is 99.9 dead, but a local club give away a dual band (UV5R HT) at their testing sessions. Right now, I am on the downside, but something will perk my interest. For the last 2-3yrs it has been wood working. I still listen but, I haven't found anything that interest me on the bands. Now this is my opinion, and everyone has their own. 73

Good point of repeater usage...

I have a few repeaters around I can hit however I dont care for cliques.They are not dead for the most part but here it is nothing more then a clique..Had the main repeater in town awhile back and had a few in the clique talking about how hams in the last 30 year didnt have to earn their license they are just given it.One even said the FCC just tells testers to pass anyone who comes in..Now I know I am a big moron lol but I had to study like hell to get my tag and earned my license..And this is only a small part of repeater life here..I spend most my time on HF and rarely have a repeater going..I have met a few from the clubs here and the clubs and such a big clique it is not worth it..If you are not part of their clique here dont bother..But get on HF and have a ball..Dont need a repeater and locals to love ham radio..This hobby has far to much to do in it to really worry about a local repeater in my book

His post does not say anything about HF. Just VHF and UHF. I would not expect to see much along the lines of DX on those bands, unless you're doing EME or something.