If you're interested in ham radio, there's no excuse to not get a license...

[Tallpine]

I think my daughter got the license, but she doesn't have a radio.

I'm wondering if our local emergency services radios are functionally the same as "ham" ?? (but different frequencies)

They're going to go digital pretty soon, and there should be a lot of surplus analog portable and mobile radios.

[KD5NRH]

I'm wondering if our local emergency services radios are functionally the same as "ham" ?? (but different frequencies)

It's fairly common; my Kenwood mobile is identical to the radio a friend had when he was working for a nearby county, except that mine cost half as much and has the ham faceplate. (which allows it to be programmed directly from the faceplate rather than using an external programming setup)  Pull two diodes off the board on his, pop my faceplate on it, and we were able to get him set up on the frequencies they'd reassigned before the overpaid programming guy got there.

[Tallpine]

It's fairly common; my Kenwood mobile is identical to the radio a friend had when he was working for a nearby county, except that mine cost half as much and has the ham faceplate. (which allows it to be programmed directly from the faceplate rather than using an external programming setup)  Pull two diodes off the board on his, pop my faceplate on it, and we were able to get him set up on the frequencies they'd reassigned before the overpaid programming guy got there.

Yep, that's what I have sitting in on the dining room table - a cute little Kenwood.

But after everything goes digital, we will all have to use the big boxy Bendix-Kings, and the Kenwood will be nothing but LOS walkie talkies (unless used for Ham).

Thanks for the Info 

[280plus]

What if you're just interested in ham? 

[S. Williamson]

Ham is delicious.   

If one were to go ahead and get their license, what sort of equipment costs are they looking at?

[280plus]

Sorry, I've been reading the word "ham" for three or so days now and I couldn't resist anymore. I just had to get it out of my system.   

[Brad Johnson]

I just had to get it out of my system.   

I you have ham you will eventually, by default, get it out of your system no matter what you do.

Brad

[sanglant]

i thought red meat stayed in the colon for eight thousand years? surely the hippies can't be wrong.

[280plus]

I you have ham you will eventually, by default, get it out of your system no matter what you do.

Brad

Hmmm, now that I think about it...See ya in a while... 

[mtnbkr]

If one were to go ahead and get their license, what sort of equipment costs are they looking at?

Depends on what you want to do.

$100-$10000+.

Seriously.

Chris

[280plus]

Sounds a lot like guns.

[mtnbkr]

Sounds a lot like guns.

Not far from it.

Chris

[KD5NRH]

Sounds a lot like guns.

You have guns in your colon?

[sanglant]

for when smart carry is just to conspicuous?

[Boomhauer]

If one were to go ahead and get their license, what sort of equipment costs are they looking at?

As mtnbkr said, $100-1000+.

The CHEAPEST way to get into ham is with a VHF mobile or handi-talki. I would go the mobile route simply because I like the additional power. I have examples of mobiles and handitalkis. They are not too bad on the cost range. But you only pretty much talk locally...

Getting into HF- that is, talking around the nation/world, is going to cost you a pretty penny more.

[KD5NRH]

Getting into HF- that is, talking around the nation/world, is going to cost you a pretty penny more.

Not necessarily; a good older HF multiband base station can be had for $300-400.  Either add a tuner for $100-300 more or pick your frequency ranges and make resonant antennas.  You wouldn't be the first guy with a spiderweb of wire antennas over the house for just that reason.

If you're really cheap, learn Morse, bust up an old TV and play on the colorburst frequency.

[mtnbkr]

Avenger, I said 10K+. :)

How would you spend 10k or more?  Buy a multi-kilobuck contesting rig, add a legal limit amp, a tuner, a multi-frequency beam antenna, tower, rotator, hardline coax, etc.

Or, you could build a CW only HF kit (couple hundred) and a resonant wire antenna for the band of your choice (several examples here: http://www.qrpkits.com/).

I'm somewhere in between.  I have a Yaesu 817 with a bunch of mods ($1k total for radio and mods).  When at home, I'm connected to a multiband vertical ($50 used, about $150 new) with about 35yds of LMR-400 coax (paid about $80 for the 50yd portion).  In the field, I use a homebuilt tuner ($50) with a wire antenna of some sort (let's say about $15-$20 worth of wire and connectors).

If you forgo the internal mods of the Yaesu 819, you can frequently get one used for as little as $450.  New, they're near $700.

Chris

[KD5NRH]

Or, you could build a CW only HF kit (couple hundred)

Geez, I need to start selling you random piles of parts.    CW QRP kits are best made from junk for free.  Maybe $20-30 worth of crystals if you don't want to build a VFO.  If you want an amp, that's still pretty easy from a well-stocked junk box.

[mtnbkr]

Geez, I need to start selling you random piles of parts.    CW QRP kits are best made from junk for free.  Maybe $20-30 worth of crystals if you don't want to build a VFO.  If you want an amp, that's still pretty easy from a well-stocked junk box.

I was quoting figures for folks who don't have a well stocked junk box or the skills to take a pile of random parts and make a functioning radio.  If you can do that, obviously your costs are going to be lower.

And yes, you can even find CW kits for very little, but I had some of the more feature-rich kits in mind when I wrote that.  I assume anyone who's new to the hobby would need more features to ease them into things.  A Tuna Tin CW Transceiver is probably not a good first radio.

Chris

[280plus]

You have guns in your colon?

Not that I'm aware of but I wouldn't mind crapping myself a nice Hamerli... 

[KD5NRH]

A Tuna Tin CW Transceiver is probably not a good first radio.

It's the perfect first radio; he'd have to go ahead and take all three tests at once, saving him about $28 in fees, and he'd have a really strong incentive to come up with a better radio 

[mtnbkr]

It's the perfect first radio; he'd have to go ahead and take all three tests at once, saving him about $28 in fees, and he'd have a really strong incentive to come up with a better radio 

Taking all three at once to save that $28 is the Ham Way (ie cheap SOBs).

Speaking of cheap hams, some of us in our club have proposed raising the YEARLY club fee from $10/year to $15 or $20 A YEAR!!  Would you believe some folks have complained and claimed they don't have the money?  We're talking less than a dollar a month increase at most.

Chris

[RocketMan]

Dear Lord, how I do miss Heathkit.  

[Brad Johnson]

Speaking of cheap hams, some of us in our club have proposed raising the YEARLY club fee from $10/year to $15 or $20 A YEAR!!  Would you believe some folks have complained and claimed they don't have the money?  We're talking less than a dollar a month increase at most.

Couple hundred dollars for a new amp, base unit, or high-gain stick?  Necessary expense.  A few bucks for toothpaste, soap, and deoderant?  Totally optional.

Brad

[mtnbkr]

Couple hundred dollars for a new amp, base unit, or high-gain stick?  Necessary expense.  A few bucks for toothpaste, soap, and deoderant?  Totally optional.

Brad

I gotta say we don't have any that fit *that* particular ham stereotype, but we sure do have a bunch who fit the cheap thrifty stereotype.

Chris