Idaho Digger
Greenie
- Feb 25, 2016
- 16
- 17
- Detector(s) used
-
Teknetics Delta 400
Garrett Ace 250
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
I'm new here, so I don't know if this subject has been brought up before, if so, maybe this will help someone who has not read about the benefits of having an Amateur radio.
When you are out away from everything and you get hurt, stuck or have other problems, having a Technician Amateur Radio License and a Radio could mean the difference between life and death. Cell service gets spotty in many areas, but there are Amateur 2 Meter and 70CM repeaters on many mountain tops that can greatly extend the range of a handheld or mobile radio. A repeater is simply a radio on top of a mountain that receives your radio signal on one frequency and then transmits the signal on another frequency to other radios from the mountain top position to anyone listening. Most of the time, there will be at least a few people who are listening and will get you help. Many repeaters have a range from 50 to as much as 100 miles depending on the location. You will find Amateur radio operators will help in any way they can, from an emergency, to getting directions to calling family to let them know you may be running late.
A handheld 2M/70CM radio can be bought for as little as $40.00 from ebay or Amazon and will work just as good as the higher priced handheld radios. Having a higher power radio with a good antenna in your vehicle can extend the range in which you can access a repeater.
There are repeater frequency guides that have the information on where repeaters are located and the frequency's that need to be programed into your radio. You will find many areas with no cell phone coverage but you can still access repeaters. If you are in a valley, you might have to get to higher ground to access a repeater.
Having an Amateur Radio and a GPS will enable someone to find you if you get in trouble. The handheld radios are also much better than GMRS radios (the cheap radios you see in the stores) as to range and clarity when working with a partner or group of people. You transmit on simplex, a single frequency programed into all the radios in the group. You can buy or make a roll up antenna that can be pulled up into a tree that will greatly extend the range of a handheld radio. These roll up antennas weigh next to nothing.
The Technician license is an easy license to get. There are Amateur radio groups that have regular Study and testing sessions or you can get the study questions right off of the net. It will cost you about $15.00 for the test plus study materials should you decide to buy them. I studied for one night and about 4 hours the next day with study material off of the net and aced my test, it's not a hard test to pass. The exact questions and answers are available on the net and in study guides. There is a pool of 150 questions. From that pool, the test has 35 questions.
The radio license itself is cheap and good for seven to ten years if memory serves. Most Amateur Radio operators are more than happy to help you with any question or problem you might have.
The one thing you don't want to do is use an amateur radio without being licensed. The licenses are easy to get, cost little and will keep you out of trouble with the FCC.
For both safety and being able to communicate with others in your group, having an Amateur radio is a huge bonus. You might even find some good hunting tips talking to other Amateurs in the area. Another great resource for finding hot spots.
John
When you are out away from everything and you get hurt, stuck or have other problems, having a Technician Amateur Radio License and a Radio could mean the difference between life and death. Cell service gets spotty in many areas, but there are Amateur 2 Meter and 70CM repeaters on many mountain tops that can greatly extend the range of a handheld or mobile radio. A repeater is simply a radio on top of a mountain that receives your radio signal on one frequency and then transmits the signal on another frequency to other radios from the mountain top position to anyone listening. Most of the time, there will be at least a few people who are listening and will get you help. Many repeaters have a range from 50 to as much as 100 miles depending on the location. You will find Amateur radio operators will help in any way they can, from an emergency, to getting directions to calling family to let them know you may be running late.
A handheld 2M/70CM radio can be bought for as little as $40.00 from ebay or Amazon and will work just as good as the higher priced handheld radios. Having a higher power radio with a good antenna in your vehicle can extend the range in which you can access a repeater.
There are repeater frequency guides that have the information on where repeaters are located and the frequency's that need to be programed into your radio. You will find many areas with no cell phone coverage but you can still access repeaters. If you are in a valley, you might have to get to higher ground to access a repeater.
Having an Amateur Radio and a GPS will enable someone to find you if you get in trouble. The handheld radios are also much better than GMRS radios (the cheap radios you see in the stores) as to range and clarity when working with a partner or group of people. You transmit on simplex, a single frequency programed into all the radios in the group. You can buy or make a roll up antenna that can be pulled up into a tree that will greatly extend the range of a handheld radio. These roll up antennas weigh next to nothing.
The Technician license is an easy license to get. There are Amateur radio groups that have regular Study and testing sessions or you can get the study questions right off of the net. It will cost you about $15.00 for the test plus study materials should you decide to buy them. I studied for one night and about 4 hours the next day with study material off of the net and aced my test, it's not a hard test to pass. The exact questions and answers are available on the net and in study guides. There is a pool of 150 questions. From that pool, the test has 35 questions.
The radio license itself is cheap and good for seven to ten years if memory serves. Most Amateur Radio operators are more than happy to help you with any question or problem you might have.
The one thing you don't want to do is use an amateur radio without being licensed. The licenses are easy to get, cost little and will keep you out of trouble with the FCC.
For both safety and being able to communicate with others in your group, having an Amateur radio is a huge bonus. You might even find some good hunting tips talking to other Amateurs in the area. Another great resource for finding hot spots.
John
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