Ham Radio People Metro ATL

[Wheeler]

My primary interest is not DX. I know that VHF and UHF are primarily line of sight. I don't live on a mountain top - more of a hole - so I assume that VLF and UHF are off the table when repeaters are down, and I am trying to reach someone 10, 20, 30, 50 or 100 miles away. I would think that HF ground wave or NVIS would be the only choices.

If you’re in a hole then NVIS is really your only option however, the best thing to do is to set up your station and work with it. Figure out what you need to do to hit those specific distances as regularly and reliably as possible. A dipole is relatively inexpensive in the grand scheme of antennas and with a little bit of ingenuity can be set up to raise and lower as well as to rotate in order to place your signal where your target station can hear it.

 

[Leveraction44]

I was thinking about getting a license for GMRS and picking up a handheld. After looking into it, I can see where they have a niche.

Some advantages: (1) No need to take a test to get a license. (2) Cheap hand helds (3) Ease of use with discrete channels (4) One license can cover many people in your family

I think they would shine in a setting like at a hunting camp where several of your group could be talked into getting a license and a radio. The more expensive ones with a full 5 watts of transmit power would be useful for relatively short distance communications.

Cons: I think the big negative is the relatively few operating repeaters for them. It looks like only a handful of repeaters in the state. There are almost 500 ham repeaters in the state. I base this on the website RepeaterBook.com - Repeaterbook.com - Home

For my needs, I don't really see GMRS having a place.

 

[Leveraction44]

I don't have a single friend or family member who has a ham radio.

Are y'all in the same boat?

I don't think that I would enjoy contesting.

I am not real thrilled about talking with someone that I don't know even if it is a DX thousands of miles away.

Can I take a standard UHF handheld or mobile and hit a repeater and get a patch-through for a phone call to a land line or cell phone?

 

[Leveraction44]

I would like to do the EME and satellite at least once for the bragging rights around my friends.

 

[Old_School]

I was thinking about getting a license for GMRS and picking up a handheld. After looking into it, I can see where they have a niche.

Some advantages: (1) No need to take a test to get a license. (2) Cheap hand helds (3) Ease of use with discrete channels (4) One license can cover many people in your family

I think they would shine in a setting like at a hunting camp where several of your group could be talked into getting a license and a radio. The more expensive ones with a full 5 watts of transmit power would be useful for relatively short distance communications.

Cons: I think the big negative is the relatively few operating repeaters for them. It looks like only a handful of repeaters in the state. There are almost 500 ham repeaters in the state. I base this on the website RepeaterBook.com - Repeaterbook.com - Home

For my needs, I don't really see GMRS having a place.

Repeaterbook is good, but not all-inclusive. North GA GMRS organization has a set of linked repeaters across north & central GA. Might be an option for you.

For more info, go to: https://nggmrs.org/

 

[Leveraction44]

I looked at that. Nothing around me. And if my memory serves me, it often doesn't, several of those repeaters are private and has a cost to use.

 

[Old_School]

I looked at that. Nothing around me. And if my memory serves me, it often doesn't, several of those repeaters are private and has a cost to use.

Me either, but I can hit that repeater near Dawsonville with a 2 watt handheld here in Buford. It covers a lot of N. GA. Just trying to give you some options for your family/friends that might not want to pass their ham ticket.

 

[Leveraction44]

Can I take a standard ham UHF handheld or mobile and hit a repeater and get a patch-through for a phone call to a land line or cell phone?

 

[Wheeler]

Can I take a standard ham UHF handheld or mobile and hit a repeater and get a patch-through for a phone call to a land line or cell phone?

No.

Not in the manner you're thinking of at least. You can run quite a bit of stuff through APRS all over the world but still need a licensed operator on the other end.

At best you can get a message to another operator who can then relay your message to whomever you're trying to call.

 

[Leveraction44]

No.

Not in the manner you're thinking of at least. You can run quite a bit of stuff through APRS all over the world but still need a licensed operator on the other end.

At best you can get a message to another operator who can then relay your message to whomever you're trying to call.

Thanks