Comm's

[bacpacker]

got the GMRS, 2 CB's for the vehicles and I just got my HAM license

only thing is I always thought HAM could work with CB freq's and was sorely mistaken

Congrats on the ham ticket. GMRS & CB have their place, but the ham bands and freq's give you so many more options.

Also, here is the linked I had promised for the study information I spoke of.
HAM RADIO - AMATEUR RADIO - HAM RADIO INFORMATION, LICENSE INFO!, PLANS - PROJECTS
On the left side of the home page is a section called license practice or something along those lines. The way this test is set up so that you can pick which level test you want to take and as you repeat the test it wil cycle thru all the test question out of the pool the real test are selected from. If you go thru them enough you will see all the questions. Once your consistantly scoring 80-85% your ready for the real thing.

[cwconnertx]

My biggest holes in communications is someone to talk to. I have CB, and I have GMRS handhelds for use around the home to communicate locally if someone happens to be working with me, but I have no real other need to communicate long range.

[alaska]

have 2 sets(4) of midland short range and 3 hand held cb's. 1 each for mama,the boy and mysself Havnt gotten base unit going yet or a cb for the jeep. Right now I have concentrated on close to home. I am thinking it will either be a short range patrol n the neighborhood or a check in with the house if one of us is away and something happens. Make sure the coast is clear kind of thing

I defintely need a longer range solution.

[bacpacker]

Alaska, what is the terrian like in your area, say out to 10 miles? I assume not many people around?

[alaska]

I live in a neighborhood on a hill. Trying to think how to describe. If you start at the bottom on the main drag in the town I live in, its half a mile up to my road that you turn on and then if you continue past its another .7 miles until the hill levels out. I don't know much about radios but if I am on my roof I have a fair line of sight downwards. any one above me would have the same so, I think that's good. I actually just tested the midlands last week. I was up the street a mile away and it was a lil static but we could understand each other on them. The whole area i am in is base on a hill. Anchorage for the most part is your basic flat ass city

Why do you ask?

[bacpacker]

Pretty good description. I was just thinking thru your next to last post.
Vhf and to a slightly less degree is line of sight for comm's. Not 100% but close. You being on the hill will help with that. You just won't make it to the back side of the hill much at all.
CB's are lower in freq., somewhere around 29 mhz. You still get some line of site but not as much as vuf/uhf.
Gmrs freqs are all on uhf. Ham has bands on both, plus hf for longer distance work.

[alaska]

uhhhh. now in engrish pwease??? lol

[alaska]

I basically need to get off my ass and look into the ham thing. My grandpa has always had one.
I am great learning hands on, but outta a book not so. gotta be a ham club around here that should help me.............wanders off..............

[bacpacker]

Was it trashed? I'm on my phone and fingers are fat.

[alaska]

lol no . Like I said I am a newb so you start spouting off frequencies and such and I get lost easier then a fat kid at Willy Wonka's.
It's All good