by db36046 » Mon Jan 15, 2024 1:51 am
Been licensed for 38 years, most of that time as Extra Class, the top level in US, which IEEE recognizes as equivalent to a degree in Electronics Engineering. My Dad was a Ham before the FCC existed and invented licenses, so I grew up with it.
Ham radio is a great way to meet people around the world and can often safe your life or someone else’s. You have to get licensed in each country to which you travel in order to transmit there, but once you’re licensed anywhere go to the local Ham club and you’re automatically a friend. I held a license in Mexico for years and it was a great door opener to meet some of the best people around.
The $50 Chinese radios will work for basic comms but don’t risk your life on them. Get a good one; it will cost ten times as much but I’ve failed to communicate with one of the cheap ones, then made the contact easily with a good one standing in the same spot a minute later.
It’s a good investment both financially and regarding the time you spend learning about the technology, building your own antennas, equipment etc. there are also ways to connect a VHF/UHF radio to an internet gateway for handheld worldwide communications and it doesn’t cost an atm and a leg to talk, the way a sat phone does.