Homestead Communications

[k0ua]

If you join the ARRL, it comes with a choice of magazines.

 

[k0ua]

I'm still in the YouTube and reading phase of planning, but 50-100 mile range sounds pretty good. It would give me communications during natural disasters. I'm trained in the Incident Command System. I'm too old to be humping equipment, but could help with communications. I have a friend in Costa Rica who does long range stuff, but he's way over my head, using SW digital communication protocols. Thanks for the gear suggestions. I'll be back on that when I actually start shopping. Meanwhile, my first investment will be knowledge. Are there recommended web sites, YouTube channels or magazines?

Larry, watch as much or as little of this as you want, but bottom line this guy shows what you can do with a simple little mobile antenna on HF just like the one on my truck and the same exact rig as I have mobile in my truck. He made contact with 20 users in like 13 minutes in a so called "POTA" or Parks On The Air activation of a park. (it is just a game) including one up in British Columbia and one in Puerto Rico. His power supply was a battery on the park bench. This is about typical of what to expect for a few minutes of horsing around. Much further distances are possible, but you have to be at the right place at the right time.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

One of my advantages is that the Rim Drive at Crater Lake peaks out at 8000', and there's a parking lot. It's my favorite spot for comet watching. Would that be a spot for POTA?

 

[k0ua]

One of my advantages is that the Rim Drive at Crater Lake peaks out at 8000', and there's a parking lot. It's my favorite spot for comet watching. Would that be a spot for POTA?

Crater lake is a National park so yes.

 

[k0ua]

Crater Lake National Park

---

Reference:	K-0018
Location:	US-OR, Oregon
Latitude / Longitude:	42.87, -122.144 (CN82wu)
DXCC Entity:	United States Of America
Park URL:	Crater Lake National Park (U.S. National Park Service)
Agencies:	National Park Service
Agencies URL:	NPS.gov Homepage (U.S. National Park Service)
Is Active?	ACTIVE
First Activation:	N4CD on 2016-07-17
Stats:	13 activations / 16 attempts (468 QSOs)

 

[Avenger]

Ok, I have some questions concerning this, trying to learn what I can do.
Here cell phones are just short of useless, CB radios are useless and we do not have the funds to spend on fancy radios, or the intent to use them.
A large percent of our car travel we are together, so what we need is the ability to communicate on our 10 acres.

not looking for expensive top of the line nor a toy. Must be Easy to carry, dependable, and affordable. When I am working the farm I cannot hear my wife call most times and at our age and the distance to help I want to keep in better contact.

Does anyone have any ideas?

As the OP for the other communications thread, I've recently gone down this very road. Granted, I was looking for longer ranges, but also something that will work on my property, which is 10 acres of woods and hills. FRS radios, the blister pack radios everyone sells, will work, but not very good. Has limited range and audio quality, but they will reach from one corner of my property to the other. Here is what I'd recommend if your looking for performance just above FRS without breaking the bank:

Amazon.com

$70 for two. Can use a repeater. They are GMRS so you'll need the blessing from the FCC. Everyone says there is no test, but in reality the 'test' is to see if you can navigate their website. I just did this, its not that hard. Here is a review of these radios

You could go MURS, and probably be very happy. You'd certainly be more private than GMRS since no one really uses MURS. If communicating with your wife or someone else on the property is what your after, without breaking the bank, has great audio quality, then I get those GM-N1 radios.

 

[dodge man]

I’m not knowledgeable on the terms and what licenses are needed so forgive me. I will echo what Avenger said, the cheaper radios you but at Walmart are junk. The audio quality is lacking and you just keep saying “WHAT”!

I worked as a land surveyor so I used radios for 35 years. We always seemed to go with Motorola radios. We started out with red dot radios, which I think are VHF. We got licenses which is the bad part, but it covered the entire company, like a 100 units. The range was always over a mile and very high quality sound. License cost? Don’t remember exactly but $100 to $200, good for a few years. No test required. I can’t recommend breaking the rules but most surveyors didn’t mess with the license, but we did.

I think the last pair we got were Motorola RMU 2040, about $400 for a pair, not cheap. We twice tried cheaper radios. I actually determined I wouldn‘t use them if they were free. For occasional use though, might be worth a try if cost is a big factor.

 

[k0ua]

The old "dot" color radios are now called the MURS. (Multi Use Radio Service). Yes they are VHF down around 151 Mhz. No license now.

 

[Grumpycat]

I'll reiterate: $25 blister pack FRS radios have 25¢ receivers. Transmit power is cheap and easy. A quality receiver is difficult and expensive.

Kenwood and Motorola offer quality FRS radios for about $80.