Posted on 06/18/2014 8:41:24 PM PDT by publius321
That's why I got my license. And now you can get a cheap Chinese UHF transceiver for $40, so cost shouldn't be a problem.
Free Republic needs a HSMM-MESH network ;)
You have a web link to a transceiver that cheap?
I know that it means you're not wearing it. I'll be over in a minute, lol
Lol....have enjoyed the heck out of watching “Turn”.
We’ll have to come up with something...might as well be that ;)
Thanks for the boost in my self esteem today.
I can cook, sew, know first aid, have guns and knife skills, fish, and can do most home repairs...
I never looked at that part of my preparation before. I think first of food, water and shelter.
It's very easy to get a ham license now. There are two good books out there for the entry level tech license. The ARRL book is for those who want a bit more depth. The Gordon West book is for those that want to know the answers to the questions.
The tech test consists of 35 multiple choice questions. They are drawn from a pool of around 300 questions (all are published with the correct answers). Passing is 26 correct. Tests are given by hams who are certified as examiners. In Maine (not exactly densely populated) you can find at least one test session a month within easy driving distance. Cost for the exam (and license) is $15 and the license is good for 10 years and is renewable.
Excellent on-line tests are also available at qrz.com. I've helped several people get their first licenses so far this year and expect to have over a dozen by year's end. One woman I know with no technical knowledge just got her license with about 2 week's of study. Got one wrong on the test.
Most of the people I know who have gotten licenses recently did it for emergency communications purposes. (SHTF or the general issue of addressing communications outages due to storms and the like).
We have one of those Emergency radios but do they still sell CB radios or some equivalent? Maybe I’ll pick one up.
The most “mature” comms group that I know of is AmRRON. The comms plan integrates the personal services (CB, MURS, FRS, GMRS) with ham. The network is fairly extensive.
BookMark
The same thing I did before they were invented.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0097252UK is a BaoFeng UV-5R. Amazon has others in the $35 range. I don't know how good it is, but it is cheap.
Trying to fit my licensing study in between College, work, being a dad, etc. Not easy but then again, anything worthwhile will take effort.
I don’t know your age but I’ll guess you are at least ballpark 40 or up. Simply because many people in the younger bracket never learned this stuff. And if you are younger, Good on ya! ;)
Not to invent some fantasy mountain man thing, but being born and raised the Adirondacks, all those things were just normal. As they were pretty much everywhere pre 90s. Hell I’m a dude and I can sew and even crochet a line or two. (and I look FABulous doing it ;)
We knew how to use tools because we built things. We knew how to fix engines because they broke. We didn’t have access to big box stores and 24/7 internet shopping. It didn’t exist. Our school had an auto shop/metal shop/wood shop and a home ec class. They don’t have that today.
I was always a truck/4x4 guy and it rubbed off on my daughter. She has had to help guys she works with today change tires. Some don’t know where to find the jack or how to work it. BTW, she’s in the military. that does not bode well.
What I am getting at is that for us (am I really gonna say this at 48?) ‘older Americans’ we don’t think about this stuff because it is normal to us. Of course we can sew that tear. of course we can jump a tractor. Of course we know where to hook a chain on a stuck vehicle. Of course we can fix a busted pipe. Of course we can replace a window. Of course we can catch dinner at the pond with a hook and a line. Some of us don’t even need that.
We grew up doing most of that if not all of it and know how, even if we never had to. But today, none of that is common knowledge. Many do not know how or want to know how because there is youtube (which could show them how but they dont watch those areas), i phones and video games. Not a priority for them.
And it isn’t because it was intentionally not taught to them. Because a reliant person is a controllable person.
Now you know why they closed the shop classes. It wasn’t a budget issue.
In the kingdom of the blind, the one eyed man is king.
I think I’ll use that phrase - I like it.
Bump!
Oops Edit...It -—IS-— because it was intentionally not taught to them
Its old but it will always be true.
Yep.
There's a commercial for some Angie's List type operation where
one can find contractors and such where this 30-ish lady says
she needs light fixtures and ceiling fans installed and "Who's going to do that?"
I can help but wonder what sort of inept defectives she must have in her life.
Norm, you crack me up. All true, of course. Self reliance is an essential building block for liberty.
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