Topic: Ham Radio

[DaCarmack]

Hey all.
I just completed my radio collection. I now have a FRS/GMSR, CB, cell and now Ham. I took the test on field day on June 27th and saw it in the FCC database July 7.
I'm KJ6AVG 
So far I'm just playing with the repeaters here in Murrieta, but soon it will go with me anywhere the I travel that is far, jeep or car.
The radio's I have are a Icom IC-T7H 2meter/440mhz handheld good for 2,5 and 6 watt's, and a RadioShack 10meter HTX-10 mobile good for 25watts for the real middle of nowhere stuff.
I would recommend every one getting one, because some one will always hear on a Ham, but that opinon.

DaCaramck

[Jeffy]

Congrats.  I've had my license for 8 years or so now.  When I first got into it, I ended up joining Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (R.A.C.E.S) and volunteered for several parades.  Since moving, I rarely use my radio and sold my Tri-Band 2/440/6M.  I still have a Yaesu FT1500M which is a basic 2M setup in the Jeep.

What you'll find is that you'll probably be able to hit most local repeaters with less then 10w.  With a good antenna you can boost the output without having to actually switch the power.  My Larson 150C gives me about 2-3x multiplication to the actual wattage.  I've been able to hit RX stations around 100 miles away with line of sight.  TX'ing isn't too bad at 25w.  What you'll find is that to hit most repeaters you'll probably need to use the full 5w unless you're with in 20 miles and have good line of sight.

You might want to look into the Internet Radio Linking Project which will let you talk to people around the word if you can find a local repeater.  I've been able to talk to people in AU, UK and CA on 2M with the IRLP.

You'll probably want to check and see what frequencies the repeaters near your local trails use.  Sometimes times the local Sherif's dept will monitor those.  You migth also want to read up on phone patches.  These are stations that have a direct connection to a land line and can call out.  Not all repeaters have this feature though.