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I'm not sure ham radio is the right choice for that application. My first thought would be FRS (Family Radio Service). No licensing or testing is required to use them

The radios are small hand held transceivers with 22 channels. The radios are $10-40 each.

A step up from FRS is GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service). It is similar to FRS, but had 30 channels (the 22 of FRS plus 8 more), higher power limits, and does require a licenses. GMRS users are allowed to talk with FRS users on their shared channels.

A GMRS license does not require any testing. You just fill out a form and pay a fee (around $85, I believe). It's good for 10 years.

Ah yeah I was thinking of that as well (FRS/GMRS), but it's a bit less versatile as someone else mentioned (no repeaters, less range). A full-on HT isn't much more pricy, and in fact you can transmit/receive on all the same frequencies anyways (IIRC). That said, in Canada you don't need a license to use GMRS (up to 2 watts) which is pretty awesome. A family member of mine has a bunch of GMRS radios which they take up for offroading, hunting, etc. They do have fairly decent range (~2km), especially in more open fields and so on. In mountainous or heavily-forested areas, not so much haha :) The low barrier to entry here in Canada makes them a great solution for casual use, going on a family getaway in the outdoors or so on.

The big advantage of ham radios over FRS is repeaters, which greatly increase your ability to contact somebody in an emergency if you are hiking. Of course, this depends on a repeater being line of sight.

I've actually learned quite a lot just by listening into my local VHF/UHF repeaters with a USB-connected Software-Defined Radio (SDR). Very easy to set up and you can pick up lots of neat stuff other than voice (like weather satellites and image transmissions (SSTV)). If you use Twitter or the like there are lots of people regularly posting about neat stuff as well (look for hashtags like #amateurradio, #vhf, #hamradio etc.) ...

Thing is, amateur radio is a really deep universe and there's almost no end to how much stuff you can learn or experiment with or try, so it takes a while to get a feel for things and know what you want out of it. You say you have a lot of hobbies - this can so easily be another one, a potentially massively-time-consuming one hahaha :)

Since you're probably intending just fairly short-range group<->group communication you probably want a typical handheld VHF radio. An "HT" as it's often called, or "handie-talkie". You can get cheap ones as low as like $50 but more often around $100. Baofeng makes the cheapest ones (I got one for $20), but they may not be legal to transmit with in your region, depends on where you're located. I only use one to listen for trucks on logging roads, or as a backup emergency radio. You won't really need digital modes like DMR or D-Star, in my opinion. In terms of how to use, the radios always come with comprehensive manuals that explain all the functions and how to use them. I learned everything I need to know to use my radio from the manual. You can probably buy one used, or scour some forums to know what the most reputable radio equipment vendors are. It's definitely a lot easier to get into this stuff if you know someone who's already into it, as everyone is into radio for different things. That said, ARRL has a decent "Get on the Air" site which you might find useful! Check it: http://www.arrl.org/get-on-the-air

Hope this helps a bit, even if it's just some general info... Can answer other questions if you have some. :)

Thank you! What are reputable brands for HTs around $100?

I think any of them, Yaesu is really popular as they are affordable and good quality, I could easily recommend them (not that I have firsthand experience, just purely going by what I've heard). I hear people talking about the Yaesu FT-65R pretty often and it should be around $100. It covers the usual VHF (2m) and UHF (70cm) bands. Icom and Kenwood are popular as well, but usually a bit more pricy (though probably for good reason, they seem great). Anyone else who sees this comment feel free to chip in with your experience with HTs in that price range! :)

Seconding this recommendation. I have an FT-60 that I'm happy with, and think the 65R sounds good for your price range.

https://www.dxengineering.com/search/part-type/handheld-tran...

Once you have it, check https://www.repeaterbook.com/ and program in what's local to you.

I have an FT65, it works well. It is less susceptible to being overloaded by nearby strong signals than the Boafeng. Easily worth the extra.

If you can spend a bit more, get an HT that includes DMR.

Wow, didn't except a downvote for that comment. This isn't reddit folks. Having seen a demo of digital voice on HF by Bruce Perns K6BP, I'm sold that digital voice is a good addition to Amateur Radio.

Two words: You Tube

The answers to all your questions are there. (You don't have to join a club.) Lots of videos for people in your situation.

One example: "The first ham radio you should buy" by Ham Radio Crash Course: https://youtu.be/A4Udu-WdwK0

fwiw, I also got into radio for the same reason as you. A few years ago, on our trip to Isle Royale National Park, one of the other adult leaders had an emergency (broken foot; needing National Park Service rescue...) and we didn't have a ham radio. We did have a satellite communicator (Garmin inReach), so we weren't completely screwed. But from now on, I'd like to always have a ham radio (in addition to the inReach) on me for future trips.

Get a Radioddity GD-77 and an MMDVM hotspot and install https://github.com/rogerclarkmelbourne/OpenGD77

Should keep you busy and learning!

What’s the actual point of having to learn all that for the license? What’s the actual point for the license in the first place?

> What’s the actual point for the license in the first place?

The electromagnetic spectrum is a limited resource; an amateur radio license is a license to do certain kinds of experiments in the spectrum. The kind of activity that makes up these experiments when done by someone who doesn't know what they're doing has the potential to cause harm which is hugely disproportionate to the amount of effort it would take to do it. While it's possible to pinpoint individual offenders, if unlicensed activity was widespread then the ability to do so would be overwhelmed.

In practice though lots of 'HAM's' use their license as an access ticket to a slightly more elitist version of CB radio. The number of people that actually move the needle by doing experiments is dwindling year by year.

Not just more elitist, also a lot more capable of course. With 4W FM on 11m you're not going to make it across the world (unless in exceptional conditions).

But I agree this was never the intention of the license.

nitpick: CB is AM or SSB, not FM.

Aside: 4W is for AM. You can do a little more (12W iirc) on SSB because it's spread more evenly across the bandwidth being used.

CB = Citizens band, it does not actually prescribe a modulation method unless you want to apply some geographical limitation. Nothing technical stops CB from being FM (in many places it is), and SSB is technically just another (improved) form of AM.

The main technical restriction is simply that at the frequencies that CB typically operates at an FM modulation mode would use too much bandwidth. Enter the UHF version of CB which allows for FM modulation.

"Nothing technical stops CB from being FM (in many places it is), and SSB is technically just another (improved) form of AM."

No, FM is not allowed, see below.

SSB is basically AM with a suppressed carrier. (i.e. In SSB, Frequency deviation is the demodulated frequency, whereas with FM frequency deviation is the demodulated amplitude.) (You're not wrong in calling it improved, I'm just expanding on how for anyone else reading.)

FWIW, You're not allowed to broadcast music on CB, but that doesn't stop people either.

    § 95.971 CBRS emission types.

    Each CBRS transmitter type must be designed such that its capabilities are in compliance with the emission type rules in this section.

    (a) Permitted emission types. CBRS transmitter types may transmit only AM voice emission type A3E and SSB voice emission types J3E, R3E, or H3E.

    (b) SSB requirements. Each CBRS transmitter type that transmits emission type J3E, R3E, or H3E must be capable of transmitting only the upper sideband with suppressed, reduced or full carrier, respectively, but may additionally be capable of transmitting only the lower sideband, with suppressed, reduced or full carrier, respectively.

A3E or A3EG -Ordinary amplitude modulation used for low frequency and medium frequency AM broadcasting

J3E - SSB speech communication, used on HF bands by marine, aeronautical and amateur users

R3E - SSB with reduced carrier (AME) speech communication, primarily used on HF bands by the military (a.k.a. compatible sideband)

H3E - AM, single sideband, full carrier

But yes, even narrow FM would be too wide at 10-15kHz.

    § 95.973 CBRS authorized bandwidth.

    Each CBRS transmitter type must be designed such that the occupied bandwidth does not exceed the authorized bandwidth for the emission type under test.

    (a) AM. The authorized bandwidth for emission type A3E is 8 kHz.

    (b) SSB. The authorized bandwidth for emission types J3E, R3E, and H3E is 4 kHz.

"Enter the UHF version of CB which allows for FM modulation." That could be interesting, but would be even more line-of-sight than CB is.

> unless you want to apply some geographical limitation.

which you just did, by quoting US law. FM on CB is normal in other places.

It is kind of funny when someone tries to show off their tech knowledge instead immediately displays their lack of reading.

Then pointlessly expounds. It's like the person that doesn't listen because they are so concerned with what they are going to say

Or perhaps since the article is about the us, I simply assumed we were talking about the us. I also often hear that (us) cb has this allowed when in reality it's not, so I simply wanted to clarify.

If we want to nitpick, it's pointless to talk about cb outside the context of a country. The frequency ranges, power, and allowed modulation are all different. You can do any modulation you want at a cb frequency, whether that's allowed is entirely specific to the country.

Yes that was the entire point of the other response completely excluding the US and legal aspects. No need to double down.

Ahh I suppose it is in the US. Here in EU it's FM actually. AM and SSB are forbidden. But I know some people import "President" rigs to use it anyway, as the band is hardly policed at all these days.

Are there European countries left which don't allow AM or SSB? I know UK was an outlier, but they allow it since 2014.

> AM and SSB are forbidden.

Slightly depends on the specific country: in Germany some channels also allow AM and SSB.

The license is an FCC requirement. They are also the ones who come up with the test questions. You would have to ask them. I can understand why they would want me to understand the laws governing ham radio. I don’t understand why I need to be able to read a schematic diagram to get a license. I assume that if I was going to build my own equipment that I would need to know a lot more than what I needed to learn to pass the test.

> I can understand why they would want me to understand the laws governing ham radio. I don’t understand why I need to be able to read a schematic diagram to get a license.

You need to consider the big picture. Ham radio is just one of several radio services. They have different licensing requirements depending on their purpose and/or who is meant to use them.

For services that are aimed at people who just want to communicate, getting a license won't involve anything like schematic diagrams--if a license is even required.

The ham radio service's target is radio geeks. Hams are given considerably more leeway in what they can do with radio than are users of most other services, and so the licensing requirements include more things concerning the underlying technology than you need to just operate a radio reasonably.

>For services that are aimed at people who just want to communicate, getting a license won't involve anything like schematic diagrams--if a license is even required.

For people who might be interested in what those 'unlicensed' services are, they include:

- FRS (the Family Radio Service[0]), which is typified by the sort of $20 bubble pack radios you can buy at a sporting goods store;

- MURS (the Multi-Use Radio Service[1]), which is common in commercial radios used by e.g. staff at big box stores;

- CBRS (the Citizens Band Radio Service[2]), which is probably familiar to most from "any movie involving truck drivers".

These services may have licensing/approval rules for equipment, but not for individuals using them.

[0] https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-divisions/mobility-divis...

[1] https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-divisions/mobility-divis...

[2] https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-divisions/mobility-divis...

Being able to read schematics and have basic electronics equipment is likely tested because getting a license gives you the legal right to build your own radio equipment that can transmit on amateur radio frequencies, potentially worldwide. They make some effort to ensure you know some of the basics so you aren't stomping around on the frequencies and ruining the airwaves for others. Plus it's a good way to introduce some of the necessary concepts to tinker in the amateur radio space. When I was trying to pick up signals from as far as possible, I used the knowledge I gained from studying for a license to inform how I needed to alter my setup (knowledge of antenna construction, impedance and basic circuits like a balun for example). The license studying material actually provided an excellent starting point which helped me know exactly what I needed to search about online :) I think the overall point is, if people don't grasp those basic concepts, they are probably not well-suited to the world of amateur radio and will cause trouble when they buy some expensive radios and misconfigure them, or start making seriously questionable DIY radio equipment, or so on.

This is not so uncommon, though.

The FAA private pilot's license is often described as a "license to learn", for example: it gives you the technical permission to fly aircraft that are entirely unsuitable for someone who has as few as 40 hours flight time; even the right to be the test pilot for an aircraft that you built for yourself!

Both licenses are intended to help you with the foundational framework for success, like: what are the regulatory limits? how should I think about my personal limits? what's potentially dangerous? where and how can I learn more than the basics?

> The license is an FCC requirement.

Technically yes, but these requirements are pretty much the same globally, because they're copy-pasted from the ITU. Ham radio is practically governed by international law and quite possibly the field with the least diverse regulations in the world.

One of the arguments for allowing operators to have part of the spectrum is to help build a pool of technically knowledgable, and practically capable, people in the population.

Speaking for France, but I suspect it is the same elsewhere: back in the day, the license exam was to build your own radio and operate it in front of an inspector, so it might be a remnant of that era. You also need to know this stuff to set up antennas.

You should join the ARRL. That will put you in contact with the information you need, and other hams, if you choose.

They have a new magazine specifically for newbies:

http://www.arrl.org/On-the-Air-Magazine

Ham radio is a very diverse activity. Some hams prefer the technical end, others the social aspects. You'll find your preference once you get started.

To follow up, I'd also suggest browsing around this fellow's website to get an idea of the range of activities pursued by a ham interested in VHF/UHF.

https://www.k0nr.com/wordpress/

you probably would have been fine with a walkie-talkie or some kind of pmr-466.

you being not interested in joining a club is not a good reason to blame the certification.

the certification is about being able to evaluate components to buy, both off-the shelf and for self-building.

About PMR466 and innovative phones, check ulefone.com:

- their previous "armor 3WT" does PMR-466 and traditional VHF with 2W on 400-470MHz and feature a 10 Ah battery : https://www.ulefone.com/armor-3wt.html?PageName=specs

- their latest "armor" does FLIR thermal imaging and endoscopy (currently on the homepage)

>I asked someone about this and they said I needed to join my local club to learn this stuff. But, I don’t want to join a club

/diy/ always has an amateur radio general thread up if you want to ask questions.

https://boards.4channel.org/diy/thread/1855439

>But, I don’t want to join a club.

This is self inflicted silliness on your part. Joining a club means access to online discussion as part of the club, ie what you'd do anyways.