Welcome to the forum Stew... as you are finding out, there is a never-ending supply of new things to learn about communications.  There is no shortage of opportunities to spend your money either... it sounds like you are getting off to the right start by focusing on your immediate needs first.  If you have thought out a plan of attack it is easier to resist those shiny ads - sorta.

Wally

I think it's best to not think of these things in an either-or sense... these are not mutually exclusive concepts.  All of these modes and methods are just tools in a toolbox that can be used in specific situations.  They all have advantages and drawbacks, and I think it's important to understand the pros and cons so reasonable choices can be made.  More capability means more flexibility.

Wally

Ray is correct with his definitions, but I don't necessarily see them as mutually exclusive.  EmComm - as Ray has defined it - varies widely depending on how local agencies look at volunteers.  Major cities or metropolitan areas may shuffle volunteers off to the side to keep them out of the way of the "professionals".  Smaller jurisdictions have fewer resources on the payroll and are more likely to integrate volunteers into official response plans.

I live in a county that has a fairly large land area but a relatively small county-wide total population of around 100,000 people.  County government openly states they depend on volunteers to get things done in emergencies, and they treat us well.  I have been a county volunteer for several years now and that effort has paid off with a much better understanding of how things work around here.  It never hurts when senior law enforcement officials recognize you as one of the "good guys".  The training hasn't been a bad thing either.

But, someone living in a different area will find a different atmosphere surrounding volunteer EmComm work - some areas will welcome volunteers and treat them right while others will send good people running away screaming.  However, finding out which kind of area you live in is part of the situational awareness we all ought to be practicing.  Knowing how your local government is going to react to emergencies is an important part of your personal preps.

Wally

Thanks, the spreadsheet is interesting.  You can plug in the current time and it flags the stations that are supposed to be currently broadcasting.  Also, joining their Yahoo group provides a daily digest of SWL activity.

Thanks,
Wally

Quote from: Geek on April 28, 2013, 08:40:52 PMActually my HT seems to cover the frequencies, but the rubber duck antenna wasn't picking up much.

The ringer there is your HT receives the right frequencies, but it doesn't transmit on them.  I don't remember which model Yaesu HT you have (and I don't have one myself), but I believe they all transmit only on a combination of  VHF and UHF bands - typically 2 meters and 70 cm (440 MHz) with maybe 6 meters, 1.25 meters (220 MHz) and 1.2 GHz thrown in on some models.  So you can listen to the right frequencies, but the radio won't transmit there.

Wally

Quote from: Geek on April 28, 2013, 02:14:14 PM4) Move on to digital modes and establish working radio email.  This requires a radio modem and software.

5) Obtain equipment for a base station consisting of a stronger 2M radio and an HF radio, models and bands  to be determined later.

You may already realize this, but just to make sure, if somebody is running a VHF gateway in your area you will be able to send email via two meters.  But - in your hurricane scenario, that 2 meter gateway probably won't be available (at least that's the assumption).  Then you need to go to email over HF, which your HT won't do.  So getting going on two meter packet email is a good first step, but it might not work when you really need it.  For that you need HF, where you can hit gateway stations several states away if need be.  Both are viable scenarios - email over VHF and email over HF - but they require different equipment and different software.  Neither is particularly difficult, just different.

Wally

Hey Andy, great to see you here.  I'm back to re-learning code; I'm way overdue for getting it done.  This forum has provided some incentive to get started again, so hopefully it will happen soon.

Welcome to the forum...
Wally

Quote from: Geek on April 27, 2013, 05:39:08 PMAnyone care to recommend an antenna for my Yaesu HT that covers 3-30MHz?

Go to Ebay and find an adapter that goes from whatever your antenna connector is (I don't have one so I don't know) to something like a BNC connector.  Then make yourself a wire antenna maybe 20 or 30 or 50 or however many feet long that you can easily deal with.  This will only cost you a few dollars and will give you reception of shortwave.  Length isn't critical because you aren't going to transmit on it and you aren't going for a specific frequency.

Wally

Geek, I would encourage you to consider your two-way communications needs as just begun, not complete.  The problem with all this is it requires practice and repetition to learn what it is all about.  Comms isn't something where you can pick up a few radios, stick them in a box and check an item off your preps list.  When the time comes that you need those preps, you need to know how to use them without fumbling around for cheat sheets and trying to remember how things work.

As far as shortwave goes - like everything else in radio - there are multiple aspects involved.  One is commercial broadcast... there are many, many stations around the world that broadcast on short wave.  Many of these are government run stations, like the BBC, Voice of Russia, China Radio International and many others.  They mostly broadcast in AM mode just like your local AM radio stations, only on shortwave frequencies.  They are an excellent source of news, but national biases come into play just like with US news sources.

There are also a lot of ham radio allocations in the shortwave bands.  Many special purpose nets are organized when there is a disaster or other need.  There is a regular Hurricane Net that activates whenever there is a hurricane threatening the US.  That net provides up to the minute reports on storm conditions.

A good communications receiver that accepts an external antenna and covers the AM broadcast band will pull in regional stations well outside of your hurricane impact area at night. 

A touch of radio nostalgia: when I was a young teenager all of the local radio stations that played that new Rock and Roll music in the Tampa Bay area of Florida went off the air at sundown per FCC rules.  The few stations that remained on the air at night didn't play music that young teenagers at the time wanted to listen to.  So, routinely we would tune the old vacuum tube car radios (well, they weren't that old at the time) to out of state high powered "Clear Channel" radio stations.  We could reliably receive WLAC in Nashville and sometimes could get WCKY in Cincinnati among others.  My point is... with a decent receiver and the hurricane-enforced quiet of no electrical noise you would be amazed at what you can receive.  But you will never know these things unless you spend a little time and poke around the bands and do a little experimenting.  You don't need to make a career out of it, but most people have a little down time where they can practice these skills.

And, yes... I am that old.  I really enjoyed seeing Buddy Holly along with Bill Haley and a few others in concert.

Wally

There is, but it isn't cheap.  $17.50 with free shipping from Hong Kong at:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1x-BAOFENG-BATTERY-CASE-FOR-6x-SIZE-AA-BATTERY-21-71-FOR-BAOFENG-WACCOM-UV5R-/150992953704?pt=US_Radio_Comm_Device_Batteries_Chargers&hash=item2327e1a168
It accepts 6 AA 1.2v rechargeable but 1.5v  Alkaline requires a dummy battery (included) and 5 batteries.

Also note it is for the UV-5R and won't work with the UV-5RA because of the different case shape - the 5RA is more rounded.  It also adds length to the overall package, like the extra capacity cases.

I haven't used one and I don't think I have bought anything from this vendor.

Wally

Can I tag along here and ask what are your best sources of frequencies and broadcast schedules?  I was looking at the NASWA site last night and it isn't clear they are still active... most of their website is very dated.
http://www.naswa.net/

Thanks,
Wally

Good to see you here Richard.  It's nice to see a forum where QRP/CW and Pactor can co-exist peacefully.

Wally

Figure on getting the General class license for sure.  Technician gives you access to the VHF/UHF bands but these are line of sight unless repeated.  The General class adds the HF (High Frequency - shortwave) bands which can be used to contact other stations around the world.  It isn't a difficult test and can be taken the same time you pass the Technician test.

Wally

Quote from: Geek on April 21, 2013, 09:01:40 PMthere seems to be a push to sell me a "custom" call sign, which I gather is somewhat like a vanity plate on a car.  Is there any advantage to one of these?

To add to RadioRay's response, a ham "Vanity" call can be useful if you aren't attached to your issued call.  My first call as a Technician was hard for me to say because of the specific tongue-twister combination of letters.  After putting up with it for awhile I got disgusted enough to get a Vanity call using my initials... I figured I could remember those. When I moved from California to Washington I switched from a district 6 call to a district 7 call to celebrate.  After I made Extra I was lucky enough to get a district 7 2x1 call with my initials... I figure I'll keep that one.

So, yes... it can be nice to get a Vanity call if you can find one that you like better than your issued call.  Just don't wait until you have used your old call so long that nobody will know who you are if you change.

Wally

Quote from: Geek on April 20, 2013, 09:27:35 PMI confess I don't understand why this works, but I am sold on the fact it does.

Geek, the reason it works is actually pretty simple - the ducky is only half an antenna.  Handhelds rely on capacitive coupling from the radio's body to your hand to provide the "counterpoise", or missing antenna ground, which only sorta works.  Adding a rat tail forms a dipole antenna between the rat tail and the ducky, which greatly improves performance.  It is the same principle as using an HF vertical with and without ground radials.

Wally