Ham Radio Network

Denob,

Not sure if this info is elsewhere on the site, but would you like to walk us through what it took to get to where you are now license wise.

Well, first you need to find a course. Most ham clubs will have one. They last about 20 lessons, usually once a week for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Then you need to take the exam. The club you take the course from will usually do it as part of the course.
A pass is 70%. A mark of 80% or higher is a pass with honors and gives you access to the HF frequencies, with a power restriction of 250 watts.
You could also find resources on the internet to study and take the exam at Industry Canada for $20.00.

Thanks D,

I did some looking around at the gov site. Test does not look too daunting, provided you pay attention during the course. Have they dropped the 5 wpm code requirement? That would be the sticking point for me.

S

Yes, there is no longer a morse requirement.
The 5WPM is now a separate qualification.
The only reason I see to pass the morse test would be to become an examiner.
I could put together some materials for you if you are interested.

Is this still in the works?

I've always had an interest in Ham Radio. A few years ago I bought all the study materials and they bored me to sleep so I never took the test, but I would be more then willing to start buying the equiptment and attempt another shot at the study materials if this Network is possible.

Sure, this is still in the works...we just need more hams so we can figure it out.
I would suggest getting certified first though, this will help guide you in your choice of equipment.

I don't have a ham radio or license.

I have is a CB radio in my car.
Not sure if any of these type of CB radios would help in any way if there were
a bunch of preppers with them situated around .

And what about if other people without a license, were to at least buy
a proper radio just to listen to the other preppers ? What radio would we need ?
Is there something from Amazon . ca

Hello: This is a topic my spouse and I have been talkng about recently, and after reading some of the comments posted here, it may not be as expensive as I would have thought. have just looked on line and determined that we will both be able to take the course once we move to Manitoba. . Glad to hear there is no more morse code required though. lol

Don't make the mistake of thinking the course and exam are easy. There is a lot of information to absorb and a lot of it's technical. I found the Amateur Radio Exam Generator from Industry Canada to be extremely helpful :

http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/eng/h_sf05378.html

For those that are worried that their address can be exposed with the call sign, you can email Industry canada to have that information removed from their website. Your name will still show up though so you'd have to address that.

I only have a Baofeng UV5R but if you have anything similar and would like to talk I'm available in Calgary area

All the best

I have been looking at repeaters lately and found an interesting one that covers eastern Ontario and Western Quebec.
It is the VE2RM repeater on Mont Rigaud...about half way between Ottawa and Montreal.
With a simple to build outdoor antenna and a Baofeng HT, I can hit this one just fine from about 65km away, as the crow flies.
Anyone in the region should try to see if they can get it...
147.000 negative offset, no codes.
OH ya, the reason I like this one is that it has backup power...just not sure how long it can last, but at least it is not only on grid power.
If anyone else can hit it, maybe we can start a net.
Opsec would be considered!

I just started my ham course last night. 3 hrs a week (ugh) but it looks interesting anyways. I am already seeeing the dichotomy that ICRCC mentions re: getting as many countries & call signs vs prepper anonymity 🙂

I just started my ham course last night. 3 hrs a week (ugh) but it looks interesting anyways. I am already seeeing the dichotomy that ICRCC mentions re: getting as many countries & call signs vs prepper anonymity 🙂

Remember...when you get your call sign, go to the Industry Canada website and hide as much personal info as possible. You should be able to hide everything but your name and level (Basic, Basic with Honors, Advanced). This will help with OPSEC.
Also keep in mind that a prepper has different reasons for getting a licence than the average ham. Preppers aren't out there trying to make as many contacts as possible.
Also, we have met face to face and have begun the process of earning each others' trust...making the fact that your name will appear in a database a non issue.
Not to mention the fact that I'm not going to travel 3 hours in a SHTF scenario to get your stuff!
Once you have your licence, perhaps we can do some tests to see if we can communicate over a repeater.
If we can get that going, I have some ideas about using a repeater for a regular net, and maybe raising some funds to help that club get some renewable power going to keep it active in extended power failures.

Thanks Denob. I take the exam in Dec...

And I am not worried about you coming for my stuff 😉

SOOOO...drumroll...I am now licensed with Basic privileges, so good for VHF/UHF (above 30 MHz). I missed the Honors by 1%. It was NOT an easy exam, at least for someone with zero background in electronics. At least the astrophysics course I took in university helped with the propagation part haha 🙂

Anyways, I am not set up yet, still battling this season's fun flu H3N2, but over the next month I should be getting set up. I have the Baofeng handheld, and a friend is helping me set up some other gear & to listen in on the lower frequencies. I will likely challenge the exam again in a few months to get the Honors for the lower freqs. One of my priorities is to lurk on the local nets to see which ones (if any) discuss prepper issues or emergency response, what kind of reach I can get, and also which repeaters have backup power in the Ottawa valley area.