I got my license in late 2018 and as I struggled through understanding all this radio stuff, I decided to begin cataloging some of it here so I'd have a quick reference. I decided if it's useful for me, it might be helpful for others to read about my experience.
So this is the beginnings of a Ham Radio page. Immediately after I got my license, I started creating my own VHF antennas for manpackable radio setup, figuring out how to mount radios in my vehicles, etc. In the future, I'll add my repeater programming list, detail where I got the info for it, add more step-by-step instructions for DIY/MYOG (make your own gear) projects for antennas and manpackable kits, and other good info.
Maintaining a page gets expensive, but I'd rather earn an honest penny than a dishonest dollar so I'd like to point out that many of the product links below are affiliate links. I might earn a small fee if you purchase anything from the link (but it doesn't change your price). I only link to items I have direct experience with and discuss in context, so this page will never be overwhelmed with advertising spam. If you find my information useful, I'd appreciate it if you'd use these links, and consider turning off your adblocking software.
I had basically the same criteria for my TJ Wrangler install: very little permanent alteration, clutter-free install, and effective. I put it on the hood cowl and ran the coax through an existing grommet in the firewall. Again, it works well...although I'm sure the propagation pattern is a little weak toward the rear of the vehicle. (I included charts to illustrate why.)
Abstract: Robbie thought he was ready for a camping trip in the mountains near Seattle. He and his father Jeff made it into the mountains without a hitch, but nothing could have prepared them for the rest of the trip! After a city-busting earthquake strikes the Seattle area, Robbie and his father have to rely on their wits and some new-found skills to get home safely, dealing with many unexpected obstacles on the way. To make matters even worse, they still need to rescue the rest of their family from an insidious danger that made its way to their doorstep. The story combines exciting, non-stop action with dozens of practical emergency preparedness and high-tech ham radio tips that you will find helpful in many situations, from going on an uneventful road trip or day hike, to getting lost in the woods, even to surviving a natural disaster!
"This fast paced adventure will engage youth and adults in the realities of what can happen in an emergency and how amateur radio can be one of the many tools in the preparedness toolbox." ~Debra Johnson, K1DMJ, Education Services Manager, ARRL Second Edition
How to Make a Half-Wave Dipole VHF Antenna from a Tape Measure (not a Yagi)
Step-by-step instructions for a VHF half-wave dipole antenna made from a tape measure, with an SWR of 1.4 that's pretty flat across the 2m band. This antenna is sturdy enough to remain vertical when mounted to a backpack, but flexible enough to fold down for storage or when walking through brush.
Keeping your Baofeng UV-5R platform radios (including BF-B8HP, UV-5RX3, etc.) charged up is simple when you have access to a 120v outlet, but that's a boring way to use a handheld ham radio. Since a handheld transceiver's (HT, or handy-talkie) purpose is to provide comms on the move, I wanted to ensure I had the ability to keep my radio operational in many different circumstances. In this article, I discuss three batteries and a few charging options that help me get the most out of my radios, including the home charger, vehicle charging options, backpacking options like solar panels, and the ability to use regular AA batteries with an aftermarket battery pack.
I've cut open several of the cheap rubber ducky antennas that come with the Baofeng handheld tranceivers (HTs), and I put the pics here. It's interesting because there's a capacitor inside...which caused me some trouble because I tried to use the base as a foundation for a couple homemade antennas before I knew this. Those antennas are useless now...but at least I get to cannibalize them to make more new stuff!
I took a three-pronged approach to prep for the FCC amateur radio licensing exams. I viewed the exam as a "license to play" rather than an actual test of knowledge, because I didn't think I would actually understand the material until I put it into practice...and I couldn't put it into practice until I passed the exam. Therefore, my first step was to start taking the practice tests on qrz.com (pronounced Q-R-Zed by a lot of folks). This allowed me to practice with actual test questions that I would see on exam day, but I also focused on memorizing the correct answers. The official test bank contains 424 questions and you'll see 35 of them on test day, so you can actually pass just by recognizing the correct answers when you see them.
The QRZ practice exams contain the entire question bank, and will track which ones you've seen over all the times you take their tests. That way you can be sure you've studied well. But obviously that doesn't help you actually understand the material, so....
Second, I signed up for a course through my local radio club, and bought the study guides authored by one of the instructors, Stu Turner. These books helped me actually understand the questions and answers on the test. The material is structured around explaining the test questions, with actual test questions and answers bolded in the book's narrative and called out in sidebars. With the book's help, I began to understand the why behind the practice tests' answers and, as an extra measure of my understanding, I learned why the tests' incorrect answers were distractors. I haven't compared these books to similar ones, but I can say they absolutely helped me to both pass the test and understand the test's material. (Stu also runs HamRadioSchool.com, with lots of helpful material on it for free.)
The last prong was actually taking the class. This helped for the obvious reasons that they explained the material, gave me a chance to ask questions, I could learn from other students' questions, and I got to play with a lot of show-and-tell gear the instructor team brought to the class. Just handling the equipment gave me more perspective on how it all works. But just as importantly, I started meeting people in the local ham radio network. This has already come in handy, as I've reached out to Stu W0STU for help with antenna theory for installing one on my vehicle, and to Bob K0NR for help testing and tuning my 2m-band half-wave dipole. So I recommend considering the networking aspect when deciding whether to sign up for a class. (Plus, Bob's wife K0JJW made cookies for the classes....)
Updated FCC-Assigned FRS/GMRS/MURS Frequencies and Authorized Powers
As I began programming my first handhelds, I wanted to include FRS and GMRS frequencies. This has proven helpful a few times, like when I was looking for parking at a college football stadium and I could hear the parking attendants discussing where traffic was beginning to back up and which lots were about open. But the FCC website isn't exactly clear so I wanted to simplify it for myself, and I made the charts below. The info is taken directly from the FCC site, as noted on the images.
FCC Family Radio Service (FRS) page; click the DATA tab for frequency assignments. FRS is considered "license by rule," which means you do not need to apply for a license to transmit on these frequencies provided you follow the rules.
FCC General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) page; click the DATA tab for frequency assignments. GMRS requires a license distinct from an amateur radio license to transmit on these frequences. One license covers all family members, regardless of age.
FCC Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS) page; click the DATA tab for frequency assignments. MURS is also considered "license by rule," and you do not need additional licensing as long as you follow the rules.
The FCC's Personal Radio Services Page provides general information on Citizen's Band (CB radio), FRS, GMRS, Low Power Radio Service (LPRS), and MURS.
I created communications kits for all of my vehicles (which is one reason I chose to buy several cheaper Baofengs instead of one expensive Yaesu). In an emergency, I want whoever picks up the radios to be able to use them effectively even if I'm not around or unconscious, so I created communciations cards to go in each kit. I laminated them with Scotch self-seal laminating pouches to make them more durable.
Feel free to steal this idea and adapt the channels and frequencies to your location and needs.
I also got some accessories, of course. Some of these are for the vehicle kits and some are for the manpackable kit, but they're all intended to meet specific needs that I had to make using the radio more convenient in different use cases. I guess they're wants, really...none of these are necessary to use the radios. But I'm a tinkerer. I void warranties. Sometimes I want things to be exactly as I like, and not how the manufacturer likes...so I buy accessories, cut things open and use the parts to build new stuff, etc. I'll log some of that on this page. Below are some of the accessories I've collected so far.
Antennas:
I mentioned the Nagoya NA-771 antenna in an earlier post, and it significantly improves transmission on a handheld. It improves receptions a little bit, too.
But even with the better antenna, you're still inside a metal box if you want to talk from inside the vehicle, which isn't ideal for propagation. So I also got a Nagoya UT-72 magnetic-mount antenna to put on the roof. I actually use this antenna for talking on the handheld at home, too. My house sits in a bowl with high terrain all around (technically it's a depression), so putting this antenna in a second story window and significantly improves my Tx/Rx to the repeaters up on the mountains. I stick it onto a metal cookie sheet to provide the ground plane and it works great.
The magnetic mounted antennas can damage the vehicle's paint if you leave them on the roof long-term, so I wanted a more permanent solution. I got a Nagoya NMO-72 dual-band antenna that uses the NMO style screw-on connector, which is better for outdoor use than the SMA on the mag-mounts. I mounted it to the Wrangler's cowling with a Tram NMO Trunk Lip Mount. The install wasn't very difficult if you're used to taking off body panels. I also got an NMO mount rain cap in case I need to take off the antenna. Don't want water inside the contacts.
N9TAX Slim Jim antenna from eBay. This thing is awesome! It rolls up and takes up very little space when packed, but significantly increases transmission distances and clarity over the antenna mounted on the radio. Plus, you can hang this in a tree or out a window to get better propagation while you sit comfortably nearby.
I got an Antenna Relocation Cable similar to the one pictured below so I can mount the antenna to a backpack and leave the radio in a more convenient location, like on my belt. (See the EMDOM pouch below.) They worked great, but I cut them apart to use for homemade antenna projects that I'll write up later.
I wanted a flexible antenna that would have more surface area for better reception, and might be more comfortable and durable than the Nagoya NA-771--one that looks like what the military puts on their radios. I tried this "Tactical Antenna" (or Aantenna, as the eBay pic below says), but I measured the Standing Wave Ratio (SWR) at around FIVE so I don't want it on my radios. They didn't work as well as my homemade ones, either. I bought two, and I'll end up cutting them open to see what I can salvage for parts to build my own, so it's not a total loss.
Below are the accessories I've purchased...send an email if you have any questions about them.
Extended Battery with USB Charging Cable. Note that the USB charging cable doesn't work with the batteries that come with the radios. So not only do these batteries offer more use time between recharges, but they give me the ability to charge the radios in my vehicle without using the charging cradles that come with the radios. That's a significant convenience.
A 5xAA Battery Pack for each vehicle. This slides onto the radio just like the extended battery, but it holds five AA batteries (plus an included dummy battery) to power the radio. This means I can either use AA batteries in an emergency, or use regular rechargeable AAs with a portable solar charger if I'm away from the vehicle.
An actual Baofeng programming cable. The cable that comes with the two-radio set likely won't work with the CHIRP software, and you'll receive errors. Once I got this cable, I never had problems again.
The tiny Surecom SW-33 Mk II SWR Meter and directional watt meter. This little USB-rechargeable meter is great for taking into the field for on-the-spot SWR measurements. It's not as precise as the bigger, heavier, and more expensive options (that also require more power), but it's great for most of what I do. There's a lot of convenience in having something on hand for a quick measurement, and I'm less likely to keep a bad antenna on my radio until it causes damage. The Surecom meter was recommended by K0NR...check out his page here!
I wanted an external speaker/microphone that I could mount on my shoulder, so I started with the Baofeng $7 shoulder mic.DO NOT GET THIS ONE!! It's terrible. So I spent some extra money on the Code Red Signal 21-K shoulder mic and it's MUCH better. It also has a 3.5mm female jack so I can use almost any regular earphones on with it. (Or get a 3.5mm male-to-male adapter and use the shoulder mic with Howard Leight Impact Sport shooting earmuffs (4.5 stars with 15,000+ reviews!), for when I want hearing protection.
A BTECH Push-to-Talk Adapter that plugs into the Baofeng and lets me use whatever regular headphones I want. They just need to have the normal 3.5mm jack and a built-in microphones. I've used it with regular earbuds that come with Apple products (I recommend adding Earhoox to keep them in, whether or not you use them with ham radios), and with Tough Tested Noise-Cancelling Earbuds, and it works great. I've thought about plugging a Bluetooth transmitter into it so I can use completely wireless headhpones but I haven't tested that yet.
The EMDOM MM GPS Pouch is the perfect fit for a Baofeng radio without the extended battery! You can attach it to a belt or vest with MOLLE attachments, and access the radio by unzipping the pouch and folding it open. You don't have to remove the radio to access the controls, and it's nice and snug inside. I'd like to see whether the larger version fits the Baofeng with extended battery. I got some SMA 90-degree Adapters so I could feed the antenna wire through the bottom of the pouch and relocate the antenna onto the backpack, so it's not poking me in the face when the radio pouch is on my belt.
