So, I COULD (not saying I'm sold on this, it's not that cheap) get a mobile Ham radio, and a handheld. I could use it, say, if the wife was going to go to a birth in a storm and I thought cell service might drop off.
With the mobile IN THE CONDO I could set up an antennae in the attic (I have access, and work on peoples lights and ceiling fans up there, no one is going to complain, period) or even pop a hole outside and run a small antennae outside. Either way, no big deal.
That would give me an antennae at 40+ feet. To start with.
Go with a 20 watt mobile radio for a base that I could move between the truck and condo.
Then at least a 5 watt handheld with the antennae at 6 feet.
I need to reach out 30 to 40 miles both ways. If wife is outside a hundred miles at a birth (it happens) or out with the Amish (again far away) maybe no comms would work, or we would have to depend on a repeater, correct?
Understanding we would both need to be on the same frequency, and the handheld is not going to be good for ragchewing.
Where I camp, there is a big ass hill about 2 miles from camp, directly between me and the condo, total distance about 30 miles.
Do I need to climb that hill?? Not a math calculation, just "in my experience". I think I would have to. If I did I would for sure have line of sight to the condo, its a big hill, and the condo is on the right side of town, no other big building in the way.
If it is more complicated than this, put up an antennae at home base, have such and such range at so and so wattage, and get on a hill with the handheld... It has to be that simple, really.
I don't want to buy the setup just to experiment. Gotta be a site where you could plug in models, and numbers, and get a rough guess.
Anyhow, any Ham guys want to talk to a former Aviation Electronics Tech (A school includes radio comms, I should be a shoe in to take the technician test one would think) who knows about 10 minutes worth of stuff he just pulled off three websites, feel free.
School Me!
With the mobile IN THE CONDO I could set up an antennae in the attic (I have access, and work on peoples lights and ceiling fans up there, no one is going to complain, period) or even pop a hole outside and run a small antennae outside. Either way, no big deal.
That would give me an antennae at 40+ feet. To start with.
Go with a 20 watt mobile radio for a base that I could move between the truck and condo.
Then at least a 5 watt handheld with the antennae at 6 feet.
I need to reach out 30 to 40 miles both ways. If wife is outside a hundred miles at a birth (it happens) or out with the Amish (again far away) maybe no comms would work, or we would have to depend on a repeater, correct?
Understanding we would both need to be on the same frequency, and the handheld is not going to be good for ragchewing.
Where I camp, there is a big ass hill about 2 miles from camp, directly between me and the condo, total distance about 30 miles.
Do I need to climb that hill?? Not a math calculation, just "in my experience". I think I would have to. If I did I would for sure have line of sight to the condo, its a big hill, and the condo is on the right side of town, no other big building in the way.
If it is more complicated than this, put up an antennae at home base, have such and such range at so and so wattage, and get on a hill with the handheld... It has to be that simple, really.
I don't want to buy the setup just to experiment. Gotta be a site where you could plug in models, and numbers, and get a rough guess.
Anyhow, any Ham guys want to talk to a former Aviation Electronics Tech (A school includes radio comms, I should be a shoe in to take the technician test one would think) who knows about 10 minutes worth of stuff he just pulled off three websites, feel free.
School Me!
