Well, going for my ham license....questions for you hams.....

[mldollins]

I am taking this hobby up very slowly. I noticed some handhelds on ebay for less than 200 bucks. They can transmit up to 5 watts. I have a couple of repeaters within 5-8 miles. Can this reach those repeaters?

Secondly, with a repeater, how far can that reach? Lastly, in the event of a power outage, I assume the repeater is out due to no power, correct?

[AngieM2]

Congratulations on going for your license. Much success to you.

Hitting a repeater depends on the topographical area you are in and how far away from it you are. (even weather conditions can make a difference).

If your power goes out, does not mean that the repeater's power is out. The holder of the repeater license may have it on a back up generator. And while one may go out, the other in your area may still be up.

I know the tornado watches around here are done with local ham's via handheld 2 meters to give extra information to each other and the tv stations that monitor the frequencies.

Angie
WB8RME (currently inactive)

[Bearfootfarm]

Lastly, in the event of a power outage, I assume the repeater is out due to no power, correct?

Most repeaters have back up generators, and are designed to stay up and running in emergencies.

Whether or not you can reach a repeater is determined by terrain more than anything, since those radios work on "line-of-sight".

If there's nothing between you and the antenna on the repeater, 5 miles shouldnt be a problem. Adding an external antenna to a handheld will also increase it's range

[colourfastt]

I have an HT and external antenna in my SUV and easily hit repeater 30 to 40 miles away. And this is with all the buildings, etc. around Orlando.

[PNP Katahdins]

5 watts is the typical maximum for a handheld and they will probably have lower-power settings which conserve battery usage. Some smaller units are limited to lower power though. 2 meters is the most common entry-level band and that's around 146 megaHertz. In congested urban areas, that may be different though.

Rather than taking your chances on eBay, you might trying getting in touch with local hams and see if anyone has a used HT available that includes a GOOD battery pack and antenna. Being able to also use AA batteries is a plus. Many areas have clubs and will welcome anyone interested in getting a license. If you have several repeaters that close to you, there will be hams in the area to help, you just have to find them. It's a great hobby and service.

My favorite online ham sale site is eHam and we've bought and sold a fair amount of stuff there. We make a small donation to be able to view the latest sale listings, but I think you can see the ones more than 24 hours old.

Many ham repeaters are purposely located where they have access to emergency power. This is one thing that sets them apart from cell phones when the chips are down.

If I could get a Technician license on the first try, believe me, it's not that hard. You don't need to learn Morse code anymore but it is a good survival skill to have.

I started out with a used handheld in 1995 and still have it.

73 de Peg

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

The answer to almost everything in amature radio is that it has for more to do with the antena , and antena placment than anything else , the antena on the repeater matters also

but verticaly polarized VHF and UHF signals without a great deal of interferance or really rough terrain should easily make it 5-8 miles you should practicaly be able to see the tower from that distance

the simple answer is yes most likely

there are hams that practace QRP and operate at 5 watts and talk hundreds even thousands of miles but they are obviosly takeing advantage of atmospheric conditions

for less than 200 you can get a reliable hand held from AES Amature electronics supply but getting to know people in you local club is a good idea, they will help you alot. hams have got to be about the freindliest bunch out there.

good luck

[mldollins]

Do they allow switching of the rubber duck with a longer metal antenna if out in the field? Secondly, do they have a jack for an external antenna?

thanks

[cfabe]

All the HTs I'm aware of do have a removable antenna and you can hook it up to anything you want. The type of jack can vary so be sure you're getting the right type.

I'd think 5-10 miles is a safe range to assume if you are going to use a better antenna.

Most areas have at least some repeaters that are on backup power, usually coordinated with the county emergency management agency and used for storm spotting & other emergency activities. BTW most cell phone towers also have some form of backup power, either battery which will last a few hours or generator which will last at least a couple days before refuel. When we had that big northeast blackout in the early 2000s, cell phones still worked except for Sprint phones. I am sure the situation has only improved since then.

Repeater coverage range will vary with output power. Some repeaters also have remote receive stations to provide better RX coverage for HT users.

Chris
KC8ZGE

[knight88]

Hi and welcome to the society, I have been a ham since 1978, this time. I used to teach electronics and ham radio, wife was one of my students. That was in the old days when code was required. We have a number of handhelds but my love is HF DX radio, amazing the number of friends we meet there.
Study the question pool, and take practice tests until you miss no more than 3 questions. There are cheap handis around but I agree on the AA battery pack, have one available. With a handi it its like real estate, location location etc. KC7KS, ex N7CVH, ex KA8ADI husband of KB7ODD. 73s & 88s... BTW feel free to ask questions, they are not dumb!!!

[radiofish]

Originally Posted by mldollins

Do they allow switching of the rubber duck with a longer metal antenna if out in the field? Secondly, do they have a jack for an external antenna?

thanks

Well I got my 1st amateur radio license (WD8KXG) in 1977 at the age of 16 years old, and currently hold an Advanced Class license which I have had for many years (grandfathered in since they are not issued anymore).. Plus I am coming up on my 2nd ten year renewal, of my FCC issued Callsign. No Vanity callsign here!!

Yes, the usual 1/4 wavelenght 'rubber duckie' compromise antenna on a Handi-Talkie is a very inefficent radiator of EMF... I tend to use a 5/8 wavelenght flexiable antenna on my old school dual band - 2 meters 144 MHz/ 440 MHz HT's (Yaesu FT-727R's). They use the same battery packs as my Yaesu FT-109 220 Mhz HT's.. I have at least two seperate radios of the same model for ease in programming new frequencies into them when I travel.

Plus either the BNC or SMA antenna connectors where the 'rubber duckie' antennas attach to the top of the radio, will accept a male fitting and coax (RG-8 mini, RG-58 or any 50 ohm impedance unbalanced feedline) which can be attached to a full sized high gain antenna on a vehicle or outside like a j-pole or directional yagi/ quad. They are very easy to build, even for a beginner.

While recently back East at my Dad's house in Michigan, I was able to hit the 146.76 "Spirit of 76" 2 meter repeater in Downtown Detroit from 25 miles away, while using about 5 watts of power out of an older Alinco model "DJ-F1T" 'HT' while feeding a roll up j-pole 3/4 wavelenght antenna (made from old 300 ohm TV twin lead feedline and RG-8 mini coax) that was hanging on the wall of my bedroom inside the house.

Here on the hilltop at 1,800 feet in elevation using 50 watts output from a mobile rig and a 13 element beam, I can work repeaters as far as Gold Beach, Oregon - 135 miles up the coast. Most of the repeaters up here are located in Radio Vaults with either backup generators, or their own battery banks.

You can buy a new dual band HT for less than $200.00 dollars. Get one with extended receive (outside of the ham bands), lots of memories, and provisions for exteral 12 VDC power/ and an external speaker microphone.. Try looking at the retailers such as A.E.S.(Amateur Radio Supply) or Ham Radio Outlet for the new golly gee whiz bang radios (Icom, Yaesu, Kenwood, Alinco, etc..) with all of the computer menu driven bells and whistles.

de KK6ZY

[Frenchy]

sorry to stray off the subject........Am just wondering .......have any of you ham operators ever held a contest to see how many HT folks can work each other on the radio???........was just wondering my Dad was a ham got his first call back in the '60s ........when he passed away back last Christmas my older brother put in to have Dad's call transferred over to him, they approved it now my brothers call is my dads old W5DQ........
Anyhow my point was that Dad an brother both work contests all the time an many time my dad just used a hand held an work contest folks all over even over seas I believe .......he was also member of the emergency team here just using his hand held many times........

[mldollins]

Another question or two.....

If I went with a triband handheld, will an outside jpole antenna work on it?

Secondly, my wife is not thrilled with the idea of an antenna hooked to the house. I live in a log house so it doesn't necessarily fit the decor....I understand her point. I read somewhere that you could hook it to a tree. I have a tree right outside my bedroom in which I could hook it up high. THoughts on this?????