Alabama thread!

Unless I'm too lazy to learn both question banks at the same time, and end up learning half of each and failing all the tests

 

That's about the same price as our radio + license though. And it doesn't include an antenna. Not to mention installation :/

 

Us central folks all have ham radios now.

 

The test isn't bad. What I like about using the app is you can study it section by section using the section quizzes. Learn 12 questions or so at a time. The app also highlights the right answer.

After you go through a few times you can do the big. It pulls questions exactly how the real test would. If you get a passing number on the app, you'll pass on the test. And if you keep coming up short, it remembers which ones you're having a hard time with and you can look those up and take a few more times reading those questions over.

CB is a good radio. It serves a great roll. And it's free.

The ham test is $15 through ARRL. It's good for 10 years. But the nice part is that I can use 50watts of power in my truck, legally. I can punch through the mountains and forests here no problem when CB signal drops. I also have a massive amount of more "channels" I can use.

And if I'm near a repeater, I can cover 70 miles.

 

This is the big thing for me. I played a lot with walkie talkies as a child, but was always surprised by how bad the signal was. If I put a lot of time/money into a cool CB setup and it drops when someone goes around the other side of a hill, I'd be pissed. I'm an adult now, I should be able to hit whatever I want with my radios!

 

Well..none of them ride, so...#mallcrawlerradios

 

lmao I was thinking this was a lot of discussion for folks I haven't seen on trails...

 

Haha for sure. My farthest direct contact was 35 miles with my truck radio aka mobile radio. They don't need to break the bank either. You could get a

$40 Baofeng UV-5r Ham Radio Long Range Handheld UV5R Dual Band 3800mAh Rechargeable Two Way Radio Walkie Talkies for Adults with Earpiece,Speaker Mic and Programming Cable Full Kit (Black-1Pack)

Baofeng UV-5r for around $35 on Amazon and a magnetic antenna with a soft riubber base for another $28 and you're rocking and rolling in the vehicle and walking around.

 

I hear ya, and I will eventually get a HAM license as I have been tentatively "planning" on doing it for close to 8 years.

Just letting you know that nobody in out group that goes on the trips uses HAM. Dropping signal over a hill is better than no line of communication at all. Scotty has a handheld that definitely comes in handy when when the Carolina guys are around though.

 

I kinda just have mine for emergency too. I'll eventually take the test, but I'll gladly break the law in an emergency. Sorry not sorry @Sandytaco14 lol

 

That is the one I've used and passed multiple times but the questions are from the old pool

 

Legit question. No "Scotty" response.

Do you foresee having your truck and yourself in a situation where you will need emergency comms? That is the only reason i ave thought to have a HAM in my truck, but don't see a time where it would be utilized as I am always wheeling with someone else.

Maybe could come in handy on my #overlander trips in the middle of a national forest when it's just my wife and me.

 

honestly, no I don't.

I picked up the HAM on Amazon Prime day last year for stupid cheap was the main influence. I like the weather function...would've been nice to have that out at BFE in Moab where we didn't have cell signal.

edit: but now that I have it...I take it on every ride, just in case.

 

I was thinking that having at somewhere like moab would be an ideal "safety net". I know out west there are monitored "offroad recovery" channels set up for emergencies, however I don't know if we have anything like that over here.

 

I don't even have knowledge of really how to use/utilize my radio, but I know it has capabilities beyond my CB. I'll be the first to admit I need to learn to use it more effectively and study the little book that came with it.

and yes...take the test.

 

Main reason I wanted a HAM is for Emergency Situations (CERT), Storm Spotting and for use as a hobby. Riding on a trail has nothing to do with me wanting or purchasing a HAM. I figure I'll get my feet wet with the one I just bought.

 

Haha. It's been known to happen

They're all just tools. Most guys up here run both because we understand not everyone is a ham.


Most of them who have a ham license, never use cb any more unless it's with guys who only have CB.

 

Storm Spotting is what got me into HAMs several years ago.

 

A lot of the guys use them. And you already know they form a net around a specific storm when it's dropping tornadoes. It will be pretty neat to work in unison like that along with the news folk.