Handheld ham radio law changing.

If you haven't heard the FCC is changing the laws, or maybe one could say tightening some policies towards the small handheld shortwave radios come Sept. 30th. This is mainly to target the cheap (affordable) handheld ham radios that have become very popular over the last 8 or 10 years. James Wesley Rawles even mentions this in his survival blog & advises to get a few before they're gone. Also, while you would need a license to broadcast on any of the ham or GMRS frequencies (unless an emergency), you can monitor without a license. Also due to the power they broadcast & the fact they have a detachable antenna, you technically can't broadcast on the FRS frequencies either (unless an emergency). However the likelihood of anything happening for doing so is remote at best. You can still monitor all of those frequencies legally & in case of emergencies, broadcast on any of them. Also for a GMRS license, there is no test to take, you just pay a fee, it's like $70 for 10 years iirc.
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https://survivalblog.com/baofeng-sales-ban-countdown-continues/

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I got one several years ago & just got a few more. They will no longer be able to advertise these radios, while they technically would still be able to sell them, they'd either have to change them all so they don't broadcast with the higher power settings on freq's that aren't supposed to broadcast that strongly and they'd have to get them tested & approved by the FCC, which would jack up the price of them. You can get some of the regular dual band 5watt models for around $25/ea & even a bit cheaper if you buy a pack of several. The tri-power (8, 5 & 1 watt) as well as the tri-band & digital models run a bit higher. Also if you are on a budget & want to get more than 1 or 2, hold off on buying any extra accessories & just get the radios as the accessories won't be affected by this, including spare batteries, antennas,etc.
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These are similar to the one I got several years ago, except mine isn't as rugged as these are supposed to be.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00YMN0SCG?tag=projectmana0a-20

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FT3LJ77?tag=projectmana0a-20
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These are the pair (Tri-power) I just bought, you can get them with the smaller batteries for $7 less, but for an extra $3.50/battery to upgrade it to the bigger battery, is worth it IMO.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074Z63YFM?tag=projectmana0a-20
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I'll probably also get a tri-band. All the ones I have seen only have a max power of 5 watts, many experienced hams I've talked to say they'd rather have the extra power vs. the extra band, as with most things, couched with YMMV. ,There's a few I'm looking at, but this is one example.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VD7P3X5?tag=projectmana0a-20
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There is a great thread on another forum on how to program them. If your radio isn't one that came with the programming cable, I got this one for under $4 shipped! It has worked great.

https://www.amazon.com/SODIAL-Programming-Cable-Baofeng-Driver/dp/B00SO2UUJW?tag=projectmana0a-20
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You can download a free program called "chirp" that makes programming a breeze.

https://chirp.danplanet.com/projects/chirp/wiki/Download
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Here are a few extra pages you might find useful.

https://radiofreeq.wordpress.com/2016/02/09/patriot-radio-channels/

https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/

https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/FRS/GMRS_combined_channel_chart

https://oneguyoneblog.com/2018/02/25/scanner-radio-pofung-baofeng-uv-5r-chirp/
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This is a site you can buy spare parts, accessories, etc. Normally I used to say for how cheap you can get them, you'd be better off buying a new one & keeping the old one for spare parts if one broke, but as they might start becoming harder to find, it might be good to have a source for spare parts.

http://www.409shop.com/409shop_shopcat.php?&usercat=3693
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I don't know if I could post the link to that thread in another forum, but I guess if anyone is interested, I could PM it to them. He does a real good job of walking you through step by step of how to program it & some other tips etc. It's got most of the links I posted & some other useful stuff too. If you plan on getting one or more, you've got about 7 weeks from today. (Monday - 12 Aug. 2019)

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I've always been curious about ham radios, but never took the time to explore them. Thanks for posting this. It will take some reading (of your links) to unpack/digest this.

Better add body armor to the list of things you might not be able to get soon.


Proposed Bill: FBI to Regulate Sale of Body Armor
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"If you thought government overreach and regulation couldn’t get any worse, you’re wrong. And that is always the case. This time they’re after your body armor… because an armorless citizen is easier to control?"

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Government is good at overreacting to a crisis. If the Dayton, OH mass shooter guy hadn't been wearing body armor, that proposed bill would never have been brought forth. Restricting liberty and the ability of people to defend themselves isn't the answer though. Hopefully the bill dies on the vine.

I have used the Baofeng handheld radios for years. They work fine. I like them.

My suggestion is to get the UV-5R, which is cheap and popular. Get a programming cable and use the "chirp" software to remove whatever frequencies it comes with, then program the ones you want. These might be Family Radio, GMRS, or frequencies that you are authorized to use. As noted, these radios are not approved (type accepted) for transmitting on those bands. But you can have them in case of emergency.

Amazon still has these radios and the price is good. Here is a single UV-5R for $22:

Here is a pack of two for $50, with two extra antennas:

That's good to know. I guess Baofeng had to jump through some hoops in the last few years.

I bought a bunch of UV-5R radios for everyone in the family. We got them programmed but have not really learned how to use them.

Avalon said:

I bought a bunch of UV-5R radios for everyone in the family. We got them programmed but have not really learned how to use them.

Click to expand...

Have to have a license to talk on them, but you can listen for free

Goldhedge said:

Have to have a license to talk on them, but you can listen for free

Click to expand...

The whole country or is it a state by state proposition?

The FCC, so national.

How To Get Your Ham Radio License in 3 Simple Steps
By Ham Radio Prep

• Basic Requirements
• Step 1: Choose the Level of License
• Technician License Course
• Step 2: Study For The Exam
• Step 3: Take Your Exam In-Person or Remote
• Congratulations, You've Earned Your License!

Bit like how amateur radio is regulated here.

Goldhedge said:

Have to have a license to talk on them, but you can listen for free

Click to expand...

They are really for emergency use. I will admit that I'm a little intimated by them. For a cheap radio it has a lot of settings. I think we all live too far apart to be able to communicate on them if phones and internet go down. I figured we could use them for local news and possibly others would help relay messages. I suppose actually trying it might be a good idea. Another thing I have let go is target shooting. Since ammo got so expensive I have not picked up any of my guns.

I have several of the Baofeng units one tri power and two of the UV-5R 's all programed the same with a little of all the bands.

Another interesting radio is the BF-888S. It is UHF only, lower transmit power, and has a fixed antenna. There are no buttons, just a knob to choose the channel. There is a voice for the channel number when turning the knob, which might be helpful if using it in the dark. These are priced under $15 (two pack) to $12 (ten pack).

Goldhedge said:

Have to have a license to talk on them, but you can listen for free

Click to expand...

Or just use like once a week or less. That makes them tough to track for a .gov that already considers half of the US voters as terrorists, so why disappoint ?

Avalon said:

They are really for emergency use. I will admit that I'm a little intimated by them. For a cheap radio it has a lot of settings. I think we all live too far apart to be able to communicate on them if phones and internet go down. I figured we could use them for local news and possibly others would help relay messages. I suppose actually trying it might be a good idea. Another thing I have let go is target shooting. Since ammo got so expensive I have not picked up any of my guns.

Click to expand...

@Avalon I'm with you. I'm a techie but radios are not my thing. I have a Baofeng radio but never use it. I too bought it for emergencies. In fact I plan only to listen in such situations unless it is warranted for me to transmit. At that point in time the FCC will be the least of my worries.

As for target shooting, grab a brick of .22LR ammo and get good with that. .22LR is lethal out to 400 yards if you can compensate for the drop. Most urban and suburban combat is 100 yards or less. All well within the .22LR's wheelhouse. No amount of body armor is going to protect the face/neck or the groin/femeral artery areas.

OldGarandDad said:

@Avalon I'm with you. I'm a techie but radios are not my thing. I have a Baofeng radio but never use it. I too bought it for emergencies. In fact I plan only to listen in such situations unless it is warranted for me to transmit. At that point in time the FCC will be the least of my worries.

As for target shooting, grab a brick of .22LR ammo and get good with that. .22LR is lethal out to 400 yards if you can compensate for the drop. Most urban and suburban combat is 100 yards or less. All well within the .22LR's wheelhouse. No amount of body armor is going to protect the face/neck or the groin/femeral artery areas.

Click to expand...

I have a nice assortment over here. A 22L is one of them. It is actually fun to shot in comparison to my shotguns. Ammo is cheap on 22L Good idea.

Avalon said:

They are really for emergency use. I will admit that I'm a little intimated by them. For a cheap radio it has a lot of settings. I think we all live too far apart to be able to communicate on them if phones and internet go down. I figured we could use them for local news and possibly others would help relay messages. I suppose actually trying it might be a good idea. Another thing I have let go is target shooting. Since ammo got so expensive I have not picked up any of my guns.

Click to expand...

Really good thread here on how to program them. Also lots of stuff on YT on tricks & stuff.

https://www.survivalistboards.com/t...-ctcss-codes-pl-tones-subchannels-etc.909148/


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Figured I post this as a bump. Just a little food for thought.

Three Types Of Radios You Need Right Now. Radio Readiness 101. How To keep Informed These Days.​

Jul 31, 2021
10:57

A bit of a departure from my normal content, but a video I felt I needed to make. These 3 types of radios can, and likely will help you during these uncertain times we find ourselves in.
Also check out my series on Emergency preparedness, and solar options for keeping these things powered during "Events".

Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@FarpointFarms/videos

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Strickly shortwave listening:

For any hams / radio enthusiasts that like looking through older mags.............