HAM training/licensing

[cranemech]

There are hamcrams in Modesto and Tracy on 11/12/11.
I plan on attending the one in Modesto.

[Paltik]

Wow, that cheap Chinese HT you linked is half the price of my cheap Chinese HT--cheap enough to stockpile 'em in BOB's, 72 hour kits, vehicle trunks, etc.

[kablooie]

...
<THREADJACK>
On a side note, I just ordered one of these yesterday:

Cheap Chinese Handheld Radio

I heard a guy with one of these on the scanner yesterday and it sounded good. At $45.80 i couldn't pass it up... And they even had Camo!

</THREADJACK>

Wow, that cheap Chinese HT you linked is half the price of my cheap Chinese HT--cheap enough to stockpile 'em in BOB's, 72 hour kits, vehicle trunks, etc.

what's the range on two people talking on these together?

[TrailerparkTrash]

what's the range on two people talking on these together?

It's like any other VHF, UHF communicator with 4 or 5 watts and a piece o garbage "rubber duck" antenna. Line of sight if you're talking "simplex" operation. If you use a mountain top repeater (semi-duplex operation), then your signal is carried further. If the repeater is linked to other repeaters, even further. If your repeater is linked to the internet via "IRLP," then around the world, depending on where the control operator has the "link" connected to.

If you want "around the world" or "across the country" real "two-way" radio (simplex) communication, you need to buy an "HF" (high frequency) radio which is 30Mhz and below. Those are the radios you typically see with an antenna the size of Mt. Everast over someone's house. Those radio frequencies tend to skip through certain layers in the atmosphere and back down to earth, thus making it possible to communicate great distances. All without the help of the "internet." To be able to operate on 99% of the "HF" airwaves in "voice" communication, one needs to study harder and move up from the basic ham radio license (Technician class) to the more advanced "General class" operator. To move up with ALL ham radio privledges, one needs the hard "Extra class" operators license. The study book is very intense and requires math/electronics knowledge to pass. It's pretty tough.

[DiscoBayJoe]

the guy I heard on the scanner sounded great. He said it was better than his Wouxun (I have one of those too). If it's even on par, i'll be happy.

Besides the funky menus, the only issue I have with the Wouxun is that it's battery doesn't hold up well. I'd like to get a AA holder for these for emergencies.