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New and looking for help and information!

T

Tayous

First off not sure if this is the right place to put this. If not please put it in the right place.

About me interested and studying to get my HAM license and trying to find out more about the radio unites mostly right now.

I know very little about the radios only from articles that I have read that helped me decide that a HAM radio would be better then buying a regular AM/FM multi-band radio.

Right now I'm mostly looking to use this as a tool for emergency information and if need be to broadcast emergencies. I read a great pro-HAM article about Hurricane Maria and how it knocked out all the land lines and cell towers. That HAM was the only way to communicate.

It was an eye opener for me, telling me I need to get better communication for myself and my family.

Right now I'm looking for something more hand held just to get into the game and test the water out! I know that's going to limit my range but I can deal with that if just learning. I did try to look for club near me but closest one is 120 miles one way.

Also as I was looking at handhelds I keep seeing whip antennas for handhelds that looked like the ones we used on the radios in the military. Are they any good? Is there a good antenna to buy for a handheld?

Thanks for your time and advice and hope to pick your all's brains a lot on HAM radios and other related topics!
 
First off, welcome! I do not really consider myself an expert on this sort of thing, but because I've worked with shortwave receivers before, I'll give it a try. There is this forum: https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/ham-radio.648/.

Edit: Let me ping @boombox4 @Kelly A @DavidEduardo and @SomeRadioGuy

What band interests you? For simplicity sake, I will be looking through the lens of SW, which is where most Hams are to begin with.

Going point-by-point:
Tayous said:
I know very little about the radios only from articles that I have read that helped me decide that a HAM radio would be better then buying a regular AM/FM multi-band radio.

Right now I'm mostly looking to use this as a tool for emergency information and if need be to broadcast emergencies. I read a great pro-HAM article about Hurricane Maria and how it knocked out all the land lines and cell towers. That HAM was the only way to communicate.
Click to expand...
If you like to listen to shortwave/ham in your free time, buy a portable DSP like a Radiwow, Sihaudon, Tecsun, and they are only around $40-70. When you do get your ham license, the transponder you buy will likely be both a send and receive. "Ham Radio Crash Course" on YouTube is awesome and got ME hooked on HAM radio. Also, I love your line of thinking in regards to emergencies. Sometimes, it is the only way to get through. :)
Tayous said:
Right now I'm looking for something more hand held just to get into the game and test the water out! I know that's going to limit my range but I can deal with that if just learning. I did try to look for club near me but closest one is 120 miles one way.

Also as I was looking at handhelds I keep seeing whip antennas for handhelds that looked like the ones we used on the radios in the military. Are they any good? Is there a good antenna to buy for a handheld?
Click to expand...
Best individual antenna for shortwave I've seen is the Kaito T-1 (about $14), or for whatever radio you buy, the stock antenna should work fine. Reach out to your club, even if they are 120 miles away!

One final thought: When it comes to receiving on the SW band, it doesn't take much to get into the game, and in no time you'll be seeing 2,000+ mile contacts without breaking the bank.

Best of luck, and cheers! (73 is a shorthand for saying cheers :))
Z
 
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Tayous said:
First off not sure if this is the right place to put this. If not please put it in the right place.

About me interested and studying to get my HAM license and trying to find out more about the radio unites mostly right now.

I know very little about the radios only from articles that I have read that helped me decide that a HAM radio would be better then buying a regular AM/FM multi-band radio.
Click to expand...
Welcome! The Ham Radio room is further down the list. Scroll down to "Specialty". Once you click on that you'll see Ham Radio. This particular section is mainly geared toward broadcast radio.
 
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