Amateur Radio Class and Test

[iAm22lr]

Interested in having a backup communications and I am looking to get into Amateur Radio. It's all new to me. Anyone know of a local class that also includes the testing? I dont mind driving but prefer something in the Atlanta or north of Atlanta area.

 

[eightnsand]

No Thanks, over. GLWSinglesideband

 

[the_great_white]

There's some useful info in this thread and I wasn't sure what to cherry pick for you

2-way or CB Radio

I wanna hear it I want to as well. Was looking at their kit for my SxS Building the suspense - I like your style, @ccw! Ask and ye shall receive! The core of my issue with Rugged Radios is their incredibly misleading marketing when it comes to the radios. Their mounts and such I haven't...

www.fordtremor.com

 

[longslide10]

Interested in having a backup communications and I am looking to get into Amateur Radio. It's all new to me. Anyone know of a local class that also includes the testing? I dont mind driving but prefer something in the Atlanta or north of Atlanta area.

Contact your local club. https://www.wx4car.org/ (If I'm not mistaken.) I know Jasper has an active club. 73

 

[longslide10]

Not HAM radio but might be more like what you are looking for. (And no classes or tests.)

North Georgia GMRS Network

A family communication network

nggmrs.org

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[6Bones]

Next Club Meeting​

January 14, 2023 at 10 AM EST at the WG Long Senior Center, Woodstock, GA

 

[iAm22lr]

Thank you all for the information.

 

[Georgia Terrapin]

Interested in having a backup communications and I am looking to get into Amateur Radio. It's all new to me. Anyone know of a local class that also includes the testing? I dont mind driving but prefer something in the Atlanta or north of Atlanta area.

I just saw your post, but if you're still interested try Ham Test Online. It's cheap, has all the info, and tracks your progress. If you train exactly as they say, you will pass. I used it to pass the General and Extra exams. Morse Code might be fun, but you will not be tested on it.

Since you're in Canton, the Cherokee Amateur Radio Society is right nearby in Canton. Someone already suggested it. They conduct testing at their meetings, and I think they teach the classes regularly, and test right there in Canton. You might consider attending a meeting to ask your questions, and see how they might help.

The GMRS idea is great, too. I do both for different reasons.

The difference: ham radio is an experimental radio system with lots of opportunities to suit your interests. Antennae, long-range radio, local emergency service, etc. Some just use it like a walkie-talkie system.

General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) is for local commo, but there's no test. You pay an FCC license fee of maybe $75 per year (or two?) and it covers your whole family. You still have to follow certain rules. The North Georgia GMRS has linked repeaters so you can communicate all over Georgia and certain other portions of the Southeast. You have to join to use the repeaters, I believe (because it's costly to maintain the system).

Family Radio Service (FRS) is an option. You can buy FRS radios off the shelf at local stores. No license, no test, but very low power so it's for very close commo only. GMRS and ham allow 5 times the transmit power of FRS, and ham lets you use antennae that will help you transmit and receive over much greater distances.

Good luck!

 

[mountainmoped]

Gmrs is now $30 and the license is good for 10 years.

 

[Leveraction44]

Interested in having a backup communications and I am looking to get into Amateur Radio. It's all new to me. Anyone know of a local class that also includes the testing? I dont mind driving but prefer something in the Atlanta or north of Atlanta area.

Even if a person decided a transceiver would be worthwhile, there are a lot of options to choose from.

A person needs to decide:

1) Primary use - do you need to contact your better half in a big box store or do you want to DX with a stranger thousands of miles away?

2) Cost restraints - a person could get a couple of family walkie talkies for under $35 total or could pay $10,000 for a top tier HF base station.

3) Do you need to have something that is easy to transport?

4) Are you willing to get a license?

5) Antenna restraints - I am sure your HOA would love to see a radio tower in your back yard.

What am I missing? I have been trying to solve this puzzle for my personal needs but have yet to do so.

Under the Primary use category - I am not sure that I would be interested in Ham as a hobby. I find a lot of it very interesting like bouncing a radio wave off the moon or using the northern lights to assist in communications or using a satellite to assist in a communications.

I think SHTF would be my primary reason to have one. But a SHTF event that lasts only a week or two may not need a transceiver. I have several radio receivers for news.

I guess where I see them fitting my personal need would be an extended grid down event. After a few days most all repeater would be down. So VHF and UHF may be fairly limiting as to distance. That is where most mobile and handheld units operate. Of course a mobile will generally have much more power output than a handheld.

Maybe a mobile located in the house would be possibility.

OR maybe an HF base would be the ticket.

But I don't want to spend $$$$$$ on something that I may never use.

Oh well, no decision yet.

You should read the entire thread that the above came from.