On April 18th, I will be taking the test to get my Technician Class HAM radio license. This is something I have been meaning to do for quite some time but honestly? I got so wrapped up with getting my equipment, two Baofeng UV5 radios, to work that I lost site of the goal.
To prepare for my test, I have been studying Dan Romanchik’s free guide “The Non-Nonsense Technician Class License Study Guide†which is all good. But still niggling me was the sense of failure at setting up my HAM radios. The crazy thing is this: the license should come first because during the process of learning about amateur radio, comprehensive and understanding the gear becomes a whole lot easier.
Long story short, during on of our weekly SKYPE conference calls, I asked my friend George Ure (ham radio call sign AC7X) to help Shelly (aka the Survival Husband) and I to set up our 2-meter Baofeng ham radios which had been sitting on the shelf gathering dust. Just to be clear, it is not that I don’t think we don’t have the smarts to do the project; it’s just there weren’t any simple, easy-to-follow guides that would let us get the job done in minimum time, with minimum fuss.
So I asked George to contribute to the effort so that more preppers would have an easy-to-follow resource. Here is part 1 of How to Set Up a Ham Radio.
Setting up a New 2-Meter Ham Radio
Probably the one thing that overwhelms people when they take up any new pursuit is it seems like there are so darn many details to the project. The reality is that the difficulty is not in the details, but understanding that each of the “details†actually belongs to a certain recipe.
So whenever I am teaching people a new skill, I ask them to pretend that it’s very much like cooking. There may be multiple “courses†to a meal, and in each “course†there may be a couple of “recipes†that must come together in order to make for a really delicious outcome.
Gaye and I know this intrinsically because of our computer backgrounds. But the process is identical: If you don’t have a Windows User Experience Index of 7.4, how do you get there, right? Or, how do you learn ham radio?
In each case, we need to “break the meal†down into courses to be served, and from there, we can move on to the individual recipes. Like putting together a gourmet meal, get the order of the courses wrong and people will look at you funny. Like some French, who insist on eating desert first.
When you’re dealing with technical subjects, the “order of events†(courses) is the key part.
So let’s pretend we just stepped up to the dining room table and have our “meal†set up before us.
What will the courses be?
First Course: Get to know the Radio and accessories.
Second Course: Determine how you want the radios to work.
Third Course: Gather the information you need in order to program the radio(s).
Fourth Course: Install computer software to handle the programming.
Fifth Course: Transfer the computer software into the radio.
Sixth Course: Test the radio to ensure that it is working correctly and as desired.
Seventh Course: Deploy the radio to a trained operator.
Eighth Course: Obtain a paper back-up.
Ninth Course: Make sure radios are always ready for use.
It all sounds simple, does it not? We’re going to have a “Nine Course Meal†of radio prepping and when we’re done, it will be simply delicious.
At the end of this “mealâ€, we ought to be very full and satisfied. We will have a working ham radio, which will be recharging periodically, and it should be a ready tool should emergencies arise, or you just feel like chatting with some friends on a local ham repeater.
How to Set Up a Ham Radio – Before We Get Started
There is one thing to keep in mind. Ham radio is full of mouth-watering great meals. There are local emergency communications (which we’re setting up radios for in this series). But there are other full-course meals involving High Frequency communications where low power advocates (like me) like to see how many countries around the world we can “work†in Morse Code. Morse Code isn’t required for a ham license anymore, but that’s another meal, in and of itself.
Then there are the digital modes. I enjoy doing slow-scan television – sending pictures to Europe or wherever, as another full meal by itself. The “courses†in that one include digital photography, Photo-shopping, transmitter techniques, as well as “normal†HF radio practices.
This entry-level course is one meal, but there are hundreds. There’s a ham station onboard the International Space Station, and “working†Japan using nothing more than a handheld VHF radio and a handheld small beam (directional) antenna, is a whole “next meal†for some.
HAM Radio Setup Recipe #1
Get to know the radio by lining up all the pieces you think you will need. I’ll open the Backdoor Survival radio package and show you what they’ve got:
Let’s run through what’s what; refer to the numbers above.
1. These are the boxes with the radio in them. Not only the simple radios themselves, but also the charger to plug into the wall and associated drop-in charger, a short “rubber ducky†[flexible] antenna, and an instrument manual that only makes perfect sense if you’re an engineer or advanced ham operator.
I’ve been messing about with ham radios for years and until this manual landed in my lap, I have never learned that “PONMGS†referred to the radio’s “power-on message.â€Â Different radio manufacturers use different abbreviations.
The reason is simple:Â Different manufacturers vary in their approach to their LCD display space and use.
You know. Just like in computer software on a desktop used to have “executable†or simply “programs†they’ve been morphing into Apps. The process (which I not-so-jokingly call “jargonizationâ€) goes on around us all the time.
In these radios made by Baofeng, PONMGS means the power on message that is referred to by other manufacturers (like Kenwood, for example) as “Power ON†[message].
2. This pouch contains a mini CD. Many people don’t have experience with them, but they are fairly simple. When you open a CD you should notice (on a compatible drive) that there’s a small sunken area the size of the mini CD. You’ll drop it in there, label up and install the software when we get to that part of the meal.
3. These are two larger antennas than the stock units that are supplied. The reason we recommend them is simple: Up to a point, the longer the antenna, the more gain (thus longer distances) you’ll be able to communicate over.
The optional antennas should transmit (as well as receive) much better than the mini antenna provided. But don’t get rid of the mini-antenna because there are many times when a smaller antenna is just what you want.
If you’re a husband and wife (or t’other way around) and you want to keep in touch using a simplex frequency while in a shopping mall, small antennas are discrete. Or, if you’re directing traffic at an emergency shelter..I can think of lots of places when smaller antennas are great.
But, if you’re trying to hit a repeater, and you’re 20-miles away from it, the longer antenna may be better.
Unfortunately, there are no hard and fast rules in ham radio. Things generally work this way, or that, but there are so many variables that it’s the ideal hobby for nob twisters. I don’t know about you, but I get really bored with gardening. It’s easy to rototill and get a crop going. Weeding? Hate it. Drove me to hydroponics.
I specifically LOVE ham radio because there’s always another thing to try. Gardening? Soil, fertilizer, moisture levels…all important, and delicious when you have the patience, but a radio radio or weeding? Come on! What kind of choice is that?
4. This is an optional speaker/microphone. These are marvelous when you’re outdoors hiking and such. The radio can stay out of the weather and just the speaker/mic gets exposed to the elements.
Fire chiefs and other first responders use them, too: Radio on the belt. Speaker/mic on the label of the turnout coat. Fire scenes are noisy, so being able to clip the speaker close to your ear is a plus in noisy environments or when stealth is desired.
I’m not a fan of throat mics. If you’re going for “ultimate stealth†learn Morse and you can reduce your sound “footprint†to minimum, or use a digital keyboarding mode. Oops…a whole other series of meals, there, lol.
Now that you are familiar with Gaye’s gear, let us move on to Recipe #2.
HAM Radio Setup Recipe #2
Our next recipe sounds dirt simple: Remove the radio from the packaging. Plug the power cord into the charger.
When this is done, the charger base LED should be green.
Next, drop the radio itself into the charger. As you do this, notice that there are electrical contacts on the back of the radio that will line up with (and make contact) with the charger contacts.
When you’ve done this right, the red LED in the middle of the charging base should turn red.
Now you can go have a cup of coffee (or tea) since it’s a good idea to make sure the radio is well-charged before you do any serious programming work.
Low batteries shouldn’t make a big difference, but why take chances? Beside, we have a ton of work to do getting ready for the programming, so charging for a few hours is possible.
HAM Radio Setup Recipe #3
See how easy this “recipe†way of learning is? Me chef. You cook.
Our next “Ingredient†for our adventure in programming the radio is to understand that the radio comes with a set of specifications that will govern what we can put into it.
On any radio there should be a specifications page and sure enough, the Baofeng UV-5R has the specs we want on Page 17:
Now we have a list of decisions to make and maybe doing this in a spreadsheet will make sense, if you’re comfortable doing that.
Here’s the problem:
Backdoor Survival’s HQ is in/near/around the San Juan Islands of Washington State. They are in a hugely busy radio channel area. So we need to put some thought – lots of it – into figuring out how to set up an idea Survivalist radio.
The process now is to “go shopping†for basic band information. The federal government’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration has a detailed chart available online here which will let you zoom-in on what’s in that 136 to 174 MHz VHF range what’s our primary interest.
This seems like a trivial thing, but it’s not!
Let’s look at some of the threats in that area that could be monitored on radio, shall we?
Maritime threats: There’s a frequency list over here used by the Coast Guard. This is where vessel traffic movements, emergency marine search and rescue and so on takes place. We would want some clues from here, but which ones? Vessel Traffic System and Marine Calling Channel 16 would be good. You can figure out if you want VTS traffic by consulting the local NOAA Marine charts.
Let’s pick VTS5, VTS11, and VTS14 as pertinent.
In your spreadsheet, to make things easier down the road, you may wish to use column headings like this:
The general approach here is (you got it!) another recipe.
HAM Radio Setup Recipe #4
You may want to group your radio spreadsheet into different priorities. and then assign channel numbers AFTER you have figured out what you want to load into the radio.
For the Backdoor Survival radios, we will use 6 groups as follows:
1. Ham radio channels. We will load an assortment of ham radio simplex as well and repeaters. Remember, repeaters have super range, but with a small antenna, down low, just remember if you can not “see†the antenna (or the top of the mountain it’s on) your radio can’t either. Elevation counts as this is line of sight communications.
2. NOAA Weather Channels: These seven channels are universal and should be loaded on every radio.
3. Tactical Coms: This is where you’ll put the local law enforcement folks if they are using non-trunking radio systems. Ambulance companies, volunteer groups. And don’t forget that since these radios operate and receive up 480 MHz, you can include all or at least the FRS (Family Radio Service) Channels, as in an emergency those may be useful.
4. News Channels: This is where backgrounders (like Coast Guard Channels) might go.
5. Commercial FM channels. No point having a radio with FM radio coverage if you don’t put a few channels in it for enjoyment or news and information.l
6. Traveling Channels. If Gaye & Survival Hubby come to visit us, they will find the local repeater up the street preprogrammed, Along with some other channels like few in Seattle.
128 channels seems like a lot of elbow room. But just loading up all the Marine, FRS, and NOAA channels eats up 50 channels.
To find scanner frequencies of the law enforcement and utilities, there’s nothing like the Radio Reference Database at www.radioreference.com to get you started.
Takeaway and First Lessons
Somewhere in our discussion, I hope it will dawn on you that this “learning the recipes†approach to tackling a new skill is a good one.
Notice how it is working out for us here:
- We can use the radio until it’s charged and programmed.
- We can’t program the radio until we have our shopping list of frequencies and services,
- We can’t organize the channels until we have a grouping strategy.
- And we can’t program anything outside the radio’s operating range and capabilities.
That’s how complex learning works, in today’s world: Just like fixing that latest damn bug with your computer is a breeze…it’s ONLY a breeze once you find the right recipe.
In our next part, we’ll load up the spreadsheet data into the programming software and then program the radio.
The front end stuff is actually as hard, or harder, than the rest of what lays ahead.
The Final Word
As soon as I get George a list of our favorite local (FM) radio stations, he’ll finish up the programming and we’ll be on to our next “course†or project. He’s also sending me a data file on CD.
Something he happened to mention is that since this is a time-consuming process, a shortcut is to go to a few local ham radio club meetings and buy a radio that someone already has done all the work programming.
Another suggestion he made is to take someone else’s hard work (hours laboring over making this choice and that) and do something that is called “cloning†a radio. Hams do it generously and often. And if as part of attending a ham club meeting, you offer to share use of your work and programming cable, pretty soon you’ll be what the ham radio types call and “old-timer†or an “Elmer†– someone who can pass on the secrets of outstanding communications!
For additional reading including a general understanding of the basics, see this earlier article, The Basics of HAM Radio and also Shortwave Radios for Preppers.
Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!
Gaye
If you enjoyed this article, consider voting for Backdoor Survival daily at Top Prepper Websites! In addition, SUBSCRIBE to email updates and receive a free, downloadable copy of my e-book The Emergency Food Buyer’s Guide.
Bargain Bin: Below you will find links to the items related to today’s article.
BaoFeng UV5R Dual-Band Two-Way Radio: I own two of these. Something to keep in mind that if you are just planning to listen, you do not need a license. Still, it is a good idea because it will make understanding the technical aspects of HAM radio a whole lot easier. Price alert! As of this writing, the price of the BaoFeng UV-5R is only $29.84
Special Note: BaoFeng and Pofung radios are one and the same. Newer units are branded with “Pofungâ€. Here is the Pofung UV-5R.
The No-Nonsense, Technician Class License Study Guide: Dan Romanchik’s guide is available for free – you can read it online or download it and save it to your computer. For $7.99, you can also purchase a version for the Kindle: The No-Nonsense Technician Class License Study Guide for Tests starting July 1, 2014 .
Baofeng BF-S112 Two Way Radio Speaker
ARRL Repeater Directory 2014/2015 Pocket Size
Ham Radio For Dummies
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shop the Emergency Essentials Monthly Specials
I am very excited to let you know that Emergency Essentials is having a huge Mountain House sale during the month of March. Many of their products will be 50% off! One of them is Mountain House Chicken Alfredo which is only $17.99 for a #10 can. That is a remarkable deal.
Mountain House Entree & Veggies Combo – $99.99 – 40% off
Another favorite for March is the Cinnamon Fuji Apple Slices at the fantastic price of $13.49 a can. These are Mountain House – the best out there – and at 50% off no less.
Visit the Emergency Essentials website for the best prices on Mountain House during the month of March!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Need something from Amazon (and who doesn’t)? I earn a small commission from purchases made when you begin your Amazon shopping experience here. You still get great Amazon service and the price is the same, no matter what.
Amazon has a feature called Shop Amazon – Most Wished For Items. This is an easy tool for finding products that people are ‘wishing†for and in this way you know what the top products are. All you need to do is select the category from the left hand side of the screen.
The Amazon Top Most Wished For and Best Selling Outdoor Items
Emergency Preparedness Items from Amazon.com
Shop Amazon Tactical – Great Selection of Optics, Knives, Cases, Equipment
Amazon Gift Cards
Help support Backdoor Survival. Purchases earn a small commission and for that I thank you!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Coming Soon – 100% Free!
How to Set-Up and Master Ham Radio Without Going Crazy, Part 1 by Gaye Levy first appeared on Backdoor Survival.
How to Set-Up and Master Ham Radio Without Going Crazy, Part 1
http://bit.ly/1EurK0V
#preppers
No comments:
Post a Comment