HR2.0 - Best Handheld Ham Radio for Off Grid | Hunting - Survival Ham Radio

Many of the areas where I hunt have spotty cell phone coverage. However, there is a fairly busy (read: generally monitored) repeater approximately 15 miles away. I park my truck on a ridge where it can easily hit the repeater and I set my mobile rig (FTM-400) to cross-band repeater mode. As long as the HT I carry with me can reach my truck’s radio, I can talk to the repeater.

My cell phone is my primary option for communications, but if I lose cell service my HT is always my backup.

Edmo

 

100% agree friend, it’s embarrassing.

 

Yeah I was going to say, portable HF would be an option too

 

Up until the late sixties the Gubbiment prescribed holding up to 6 months supply of food. Civil Defense was serious. It was also the prepper mindset that got many family's through the worst of the depression. History has lessons for us to understand but Tech and the push for constant entertainment has bred generations of people who will be burdens on the rest rather than helpful contributors in times of national emergency. We recently had a severe windstorm here and my neighborhood bore the brunt of it. Within 30 minutes my family worked the plan. The inverter was fired up and electric chainsaws running. My lights were on and though my antenna farm was destroyed the mobile was operational. Funny how many with solar installs thought they would have power. The rest of the neighborhood just sat there staring at their phones waiting for help. Was a few days of that here but after several came to ask me how to get ready. The rest nothing.
I think its good to know who to worry about the next time as they will be the ones to loot others after the 72 hour window passes.
Overall it boils down to who is a help and who is a hindrance. A little understanding of that and you can even see what side many are on here. Worlds in a crazy space and disasters loom about everywhere one can look right now. Just discard the deadwood and concentrate on those that can help others and themselves. Leave the deer in the headlights on the road.

 

“Preppers” in the modern sense of the word (vests on their backs with magnetic signs on their cars, trying to look official) is not what we’re talking about here.

Helping the public in an emergency is.

You’re trying to make a point about ham radio that flies in the face of what ham radio has, for decades and decades, had in its purpose and stood/stands for.

You’re way off base here and sounding like it.

“Preppers” is not “preparation” - being prepared in ham radio is similar to being prepared for anything... you hope you never need those emergency things but if they need should arise your a lot better off being prepared than scrambling at the last minute. Even if we don’t like the “preppers” and how they act, if they are licensed they are as free to use the ham bands within their license class as you or I.

The video was not about “preppers” so to bring that up to try to prove a point only serves to make you look desperate.

You’re an Extra class operator...I would hope you would at least try to represent the hobby better. We need more positivity in the hobby. Try it.

73!

 

Amateur radio stands for hams getting in the way of professionals doing their jobs? Times have changed, a lot, in the past several decades and professionals are much better equipped than 99% of amateurs.

No, I'm not.

Yep. I'm an Extra. I represent amateur radio just fine. I'm even one of those old curmudgeons that took a CW test. I would hope that since you got your Tech ticket almost 7 years ago that you would better represent amateur radio by showing other amateurs how easy it is to upgrade so you can use HF, but you haven't (you don't even need to learn Morse code now). That's not really showing the best in amateur radio. Your QRZ page speaks heavily about modes which require the internet to operate. I'm not sure how effective you'll be if the internet connection dies in a storm. Your QRZ page disparages people who use magnetic mount antennas, that's not really in the spirit of amateur radio, is it?

So, before you berate me about representing amateur radio, why don't you do some self-reflection. I have Elmered my two YL daughters, who are very active in amateur radio, including being invited to Dayton to give a presentation. One of my daughters (who is now 14) has been an ARRL certified instructor since she was 12 years-old. You really need to get your facts right before you start disparaging others. Do you have any more questions or comments for me? If not, I am going to go fire-up an HF radio and enjoy operating where I can still make contacts even if my internet connection gets flaky. If there happens to be a disaster in my neck of the woods, I will gladly stay out of the way and let the professionals handle it while I ensure that my family is safe and sound.

Happy Thursday everyone!

 

Maybe in some areas the odds of someone listening is small. But I feel you vastly underestimate the amount of people listening who never say a word, and are licensed. And those people might just step up and help when needed. During the last 2 hurricane in Central America there were numerous nets attempting to make contact and a few individuals handling traffic out of the disaster area. During Hurricane Andrew in the early 90s, my father handled relay traffic out of the islands from his station in Arkansas getting messages to family members across the US via phone patch. Just because you do not participate in times of disaster does not mean there is no one doing it. Is there more modern tech to handle traffic and messages today? Of course! Is it as reliable as amateur radio. Not quite.

 

To say the "professionals" are more equipped is an asinine statement. I can name 10 people local to me that, individually, are more equipped than the so called "professionals" you speak of. Our local authorities use OUR clubs mobile towers for emergencies when needed.


When was the last time you made an HF contact? Or used CW?

I did not get into ham radio with the intentions of being a life saver or hero. But within the first year of being licensed I was asked to man a shelter during Hurricane Dorian. Luckily we did not take a direct hit from the storm. The Bahamas were not as lucky. While comms were down over there some traffic was handled back to the US. Again, luckily, they restored cell and internet rather quickly for the most part.

With all of the mud being slung around with AMSAT I highly doubt the majority would say you are "representing" amateur radio in a positive manner. From an outsider looking in it appears to be sour grapes from the lack of being elected to a board position.

You do ham radio however you see fit. But the belittling and bitching is really getting old.

 

What kept their solar installs from working? Knocked over trees ruined their panels?

 

As much as I hate paying taxes, I'm glad my taxes, here locally, help maintain good infrastructure so that police/fire don't have to rely on amateur radio operators. If that is the case in your area, you really should work with you local government to ensure that your local community is relying on amateur radio for health and welfare needs.

I'm not sure why this is relevant but I was on HF earlier this morning (QRP SSB) and did some 40m CW yesterday. That's a really odd question to ask.

I advocate satellite phones for public agencies and organizations such as the Red Cross and Salvation Army. They are much more reliable and can be operated by anyone in an emergency. This is 2020 (almost 2021) there are much better technologies that can be trusted to save lives. Amateur radio cannot be trusted to do so.

Huh? I thought we were discussing using amateur radio as a survival tool. If you want to discuss AMSAT-NA, I will be glad to do so but let's do it in the satellite forum, okay?

I'm not sure how to respond to this since I have already stated how *I* do radio. I don't play weatherman, militia member, lifesaver or any combination of those. It's a fun pastime and it's fun to learn and experiment but I do not, for one minute, pretend that I am going to be saving a life with amateur radio nor do I seek out situations to do so.

Happy Thursday!

 

Probably grid-tie installations without any provision for operation when the grid is down, as many are, and the owners didn’t understand them.

 

^Ahhhh... no battery banks, got it.

 

Our local authorities are equipped just fine, until internet goes down or the tower gets blown over. We work together when needed. Not putting up walls between us as some may do.

I only ask about HF because your log shows VHF/UHF only.

I bring up AMSAT because that just proves the point of belittling and bitching without making changes.

The OP was talking about his opinion and experience on the best HTs. Somehow he was called a prepper and then we got on the tangent of any ham that helps or operates during an emergency must be a prepper and is just getting in the way of the "professional"

I do not care how you do ham radio. But to degrade someone on how they are doing it is BS.

To expand on another comment you made..... how long from the time you got your initial ticket, did it take for you to get your General?

 

Very well said! At least his responses are providing some chuckles and comic relief (mostly because he thinks he's making valid points...).

He chose to comment on here and now doesn't like that others disagree with his views so he resorts to belittling...disappointing from a ham. But still comical!

 

It is nothing new. SOS, different day with a different topic.