Will a ham radio work in the mountains?

UHF/VHF radios are complex and to legally use them, one must complete a ham radio license test (approximately $15 and can be taken at Whatcom County Search & Rescue). They can be used in emergencies high in the mountains, but do not work well in valleys.

Do radios work in mountains?

Remember, radio frequencies work on line of sight, and mountains can completely block radio signals. The range can be great between mountaintop to mountaintop, but will be quite limited valley to valley.

What radio works best in the mountains?

Do 2 way radios work in the mountains?

Two-way radios will work in the mountains, but with less range than you'd have in flat terrain. The range you get depends on the antenna and wattage of your radio.

Do ham radios work anywhere?

People use ham radio to talk across town, around the world, or even into space, all without the Internet or cell phones. It's fun, social, educational, and can be a lifeline during times of need. You can set up a ham radio station anywhere!

Using Your Ham Radio In a Backcountry Emergency - Part 1

Can you talk across the country with a ham radio?

The Ham was honed for a very long time. And today, we have high-tech Amateur Radios such as our phones and television, sending signals from the ground to the ionosphere and even to the moon. Basically, you can connect with anyone, anywhere in the world.

What happens if you use a ham radio without a license?

Federal law generally prohibits radio broadcasts without a license issued by the FCC. Anyone found operating a radio station without FCC authorization can be subject to a variety of enforcement actions, including seizure of equipment, fines and other civil and criminal penalties.

What is the longest range two way radio?

1. Motorola T470 2-Way Radios. The T470 is a powerful option from Motorola; it boasts an up to a 35-mile range, and it has 22 channels and 121 privacy codes to more easily stay in touch with your party.

Can walkie-talkies go through hills?

Obstacles such as trees will lower radio range while obstacles such as mountains can be expected to completely block transmission. So even though forested areas do attenuate the signal, in these regions you should expect your range to be limited far more by the hills blocking your signal than the trees absorbing it.

Can I use a marine radio on land?

Marine Radios & Licenses. Marine radios can be obtained, but it is illegal to use them for personal use or on land. Only the Coast Guard or water vessel owners that meet specific criteria are granted a special license that allows them to own and use these radios.

What type of radio waves work best over varied terrain?

City units may transmit on UHF radio waves because they penetrate concrete and steel well and are less susceptible to interference. Rural and suburban units may use a lower band frequency- VHF- because those waves travel farther and better over varied terrain.

Are Rocky talkies worth it?

The performance of the Rocky Talkies are excellent. The company says they have tested the units successfully at distances over 25 miles (with clear sight lines). For technical climbing, you'll probably never need more than a rope-length of operational range, so that's way more than sufficient.

What does GMRS stand for?

The General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) is a licensed radio service that uses channels around 462 MHz and 467 MHz. The most common use of GMRS channels is for short-distance, two-way voice communications using hand-held radios, mobile radios and repeater systems.

Do mountains block radio waves?

Mountains can both block radio coverage to only a few hundred metres but can also give extreme coverage from radios operating at high elevation where line-of-sight is miles.

Can radio waves go through mountains?

Mountain peaks thus act as a secondary source of radio waves; unexpectedly, radio waves are reradiated from the peaks into various directions by the anomalous diffraction and scattering, and the reradiated wave can propagate beyond the line of sight over mountains to reach distant locations.

Is VHF or UHF better for mountains?

The UHF Band which is 450-470MHz is less able to deal with the mountainous terrain than either of the VHF bands. Signals are more line-of-sight than in the VHF High Band, so coverage into mountainous terrain is more difficult and needs more tower sites to get the coverage.

What is the range of ham radio?

Average ranges between two average base station radios: Ham: 18 miles. CB: 14 miles. MURS: 10 miles.

How far do police radios reach?

Commercial radios like FRS/GMRS are advertised to have up to 30-40-mile range. The higher the wattage of your radio is will give you a boost in range respectively. Police radios operate in a 700/800 MHz UHF band. This gives them a considerable amount of range which is pretty good in urban areas.

HOW FAR CAN military walkie-talkies reach?

The maximum range for a walkie-talkie is usually around 5 miles, but some designs can go all the way to 36 miles. However, this range differs greatly depending on your surroundings, and the maximum distance listed usually refers to when the devices are transmitting between two high points.

What radios do mountain rescue use?

VHF provides an independent, robust, well-proven network, which is ideally suited for use in remote, mountainous areas and can be deployed anywhere; a key part of the toolkit for individual rescue teams. VHF is preferable to a system which relies on a network of fixed base stations, like mobile phones or Airwave.

How far can a 5 watt radio transmit?

The 5 watt radio can reach up to 12 miles or more. Some handheld radios have 6 watts which can reach up to 20 miles in the right conditions.

Can you use a ham radio as a walkie-talkie?

And the answer to that is: Yes, you can. Ham radios have various handheld models, popularly known as handy-talkies in the Ham radio community. These devices allow Ham radios to double as walkie-talkies and enable you to communicate with other Hams even when you are on the go.

Can a ham radio talk to a CB radio?

Can a Ham Radio Talk to a CB Radio? The short and quick answer to whether you can talk to CB radio with your ham radio is: Yes, you can. CB radios operate in the HF range on the 11m band. Ham radios can communicate in the HF range on the 10m and 12m band, both of which are pretty close to the citizen's band.

How hard is the ham radio test?

The Technician and General License exams each have 35 questions, and the Amateur Extra has 50. In order to pass the each test, you must get at least a 74%. For Technician and General, this means you must get 26 questions right out of the 35 questions.

What frequency can I transmit on without a license?

Almost all GMRS radios also support FRS frequencies, which can be used without a license. Channels 8-14 on a typical 22 channel consumer radio reserved exclusively for FRS. These channels can be used license-free, but are limited to a half watt of transmit power and will have limited range.