Ham radio advice? Unit I'm thinking of getting and any other advice as well as legalities of broadcasting?

[–] • 1 pt

(edited )

First, consider what kind of comms will be of real benefit to you in a SHTF scenario, then pick your radio. Here are my opinions.

The small handheld 2 m unit units are of limited value. Most, including the cheap Baefung, will allow you to monitor (and illegally) operate on local law enforcement and/or emergency frequencies. There is some utility there, but the typical use is immediate regional comms (40-ish mile radius). To do so, however, is dependent on radio repeaters which you do not control and which represent single points of failure which can be taken down. Point to point communications will be limited to between 10 or 20 miles typically because of power limitations and the nature of the line of sight frequencies. Communications mode will be voice FM.

If you have a radio that can get on 80 m this will provide access to regional communications typically extending one or two states around you. This is very useful. There are multiple message-passing and informational nets, both official and informal. This is how you know what is going on in your geographical region, most useful for natural disasters, supply shortages, etc... Mode of communication will typically be side band voice, though CW (code) is an option. CW helps punch through high atmospheric noise levels and provides some level of security through obscurity against casual eavesdroppers. 80 m is pretty much restricted to evenings and night.

40 m, though occasionally global inreach, is pretty much the same thing except that your region will typically now cover the entire United States. 40 m has a broader usable time window, working fairly well during the morning and day and into the evening. It is probably the most general purpose band. Same modes of communication.

The shorter bands, such as 20 m, 17 m, and 15 m are typically hemispheric but are very fickle as to usable time of day.

There are many antenna types and options. A great starting option is an MFJ-1982MP. It is a simple end-fed wire antenna that you can throw over a tree limb and wind up and take somewhere else if you want to move. It is dark and non-obvious. Covers 80 m up to about 10 m. Very easy to move about and not obvious if you live in a neighborhood. I have communicated with Japan using nothing but this wire and a pine tree. You do not need a big tower nor a beam.

As for your radio, covering all of these frequency ranges in one radio is difficult. Historically they have required multiple transceivers and multiple tuners. Available these days are so-called "Shack in a Box" radios -- single units that cover everything and all of the comms modes. These are pricey, as with the Icom 7300, but they are extremely desirable as their small size and single unit construction provide one box that you can grab and go.

I personally opted for the Yaesu FT-991A and love it. It is the chief competitor to the Icom 7300, though the 7300 is very popular. I chose the Yaesu because it adds 2 m and 70 cm capability that the 7300 lacks and supports nearly every comm mode. It also exposes control and audio through a single USB connector, which makes use of the digital modes extremely simple.

Regarding the digital modes, JS8Call in my opinion will be one of the single most useful and indispensable tools in a true SHTF scenario. Look up

https://amrron.com/2014/11/24/aresraces-hf-frequencies/

Lastly, do not be discouraged by folks who dislike the waterfall displays. They are definitely more than just eye candy. Extremely useful at a glance for both spotting where traffic is and, once you get used to seeing it, what kind of traffic it is (SSTV, RTTY, PSK, JT8, etc...).

If you have a handheld as your 2 m solution I would suggest looking strongly at the Yaesu FT-891. It lacks the waterfall display but is small and rugged and compact and will handle the 80 m, 40 m, and other bands very well. Lots of people put these in backpacks.

One last thing, you will need a general class license at minimum to do all of these things. If you have not yet applied for your license here's a point of note - It all starts with what is called an FRN these days. It's a number of the FCC assigns you to track your license application and status.

USE A PO BOX FOR THE ADDRESS, not your physical address. This becomes public and easily searchable information associated with your call sign.

Good luck.

First, consider what kind of comms will be of real benefit to you in a SHTF scenario, then pick your radio. Here are my opinions. The small handheld 2 m unit units are of limited value. Most, including the cheap Baefung, will allow you to monitor (and illegally) operate on local law enforcement and/or emergency frequencies. There is some utility there, but the typical use is immediate regional comms (40-ish mile radius). To do so, however, is dependent on radio repeaters which you do not control and which represent single points of failure which can be taken down. Point to point communications will be limited to between 10 or 20 miles typically because of power limitations and the nature of the line of sight frequencies. Communications mode will be voice FM. If you have a radio that can get on 80 m this will provide access to regional communications typically extending one or two states around you. This is very useful. There are multiple message-passing and informational nets, both official and informal. This is how you know what is going on in your geographical region, most useful for natural disasters, supply shortages, etc... Mode of communication will typically be side band voice, though CW (code) is an option. CW helps punch through high atmospheric noise levels and provides some level of security through obscurity against casual eavesdroppers. 80 m is pretty much restricted to evenings and night. 40 m, though occasionally global inreach, is pretty much the same thing except that your region will typically now cover the entire United States. 40 m has a broader usable time window, working fairly well during the morning and day and into the evening. It is probably the most general purpose band. Same modes of communication. The shorter bands, such as 20 m, 17 m, and 15 m are typically hemispheric but are very fickle as to usable time of day. There are many antenna types and options. A great starting option is an MFJ-1982MP. It is a simple end-fed wire antenna that you can throw over a tree limb and wind up and take somewhere else if you want to move. It is dark and non-obvious. Covers 80 m up to about 10 m. Very easy to move about and not obvious if you live in a neighborhood. I have communicated with Japan using nothing but this wire and a pine tree. You do not need a big tower nor a beam. As for your radio, covering all of these frequency ranges in one radio is difficult. Historically they have required multiple transceivers and multiple tuners. Available these days are so-called "Shack in a Box" radios -- single units that cover everything and all of the comms modes. These are pricey, as with the Icom 7300, but they are extremely desirable as their small size and single unit construction provide one box that you can grab and go. I personally opted for the Yaesu FT-991A and love it. It is the chief competitor to the Icom 7300, though the 7300 is very popular. I chose the Yaesu because it adds 2 m and 70 cm capability that the 7300 lacks and supports nearly every comm mode. It also exposes control and audio through a single USB connector, which makes use of the digital modes extremely simple. Regarding the digital modes, JS8Call in my opinion will be one of the single most useful and indispensable tools in a true SHTF scenario. Look up https://amrron.com/2014/11/24/aresraces-hf-frequencies/ Lastly, do not be discouraged by folks who dislike the waterfall displays. They are definitely more than just eye candy. Extremely useful at a glance for both spotting where traffic is and, once you get used to seeing it, what kind of traffic it is (SSTV, RTTY, PSK, JT8, etc...). If you have a handheld as your 2 m solution I would suggest looking strongly at the Yaesu FT-891. It lacks the waterfall display but is small and rugged and compact and will handle the 80 m, 40 m, and other bands very well. Lots of people put these in backpacks. One last thing, you will need a general class license at minimum to do all of these things. If you have not yet applied for your license here's a point of note - It all starts with what is called an FRN these days. It's a number of the FCC assigns you to track your license application and status. USE A PO BOX FOR THE ADDRESS, not your physical address. This becomes public and easily searchable information associated with your call sign. Good luck.

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