HAM RADIO

MARY AND I GOT OUR HAM RADIO LICENSE ABOUT A DOZEN YEARS AGO. AT THE TIME WE WERE UPGRADING FROM THE CB RADIOS WE USED WHILE TRAVELLING IN TWO VEHICALS, AND WE WANTED A WAY TO STAY IN CONTACT WITHOUT BUYING EXSPENSIVE CELL PHONES.

OVER THE YEARS WE FINALLY BOUGHT INEXSPENSIVE CELL PHONES AT WALMART AND TO THIS DAY WE EACH SPEND $15/MONTH FOR OUR CELLS.

AT ONE TIME WE EACH HAD A HAM RADIO AND A PAIR OF HANDHELD PORTABLES. THE EQUIPMENT EVENTUALLY ENDED UP IN A TUB IN THE BACK OF THE TRUCK AND DURING A PURGE ABOUT SIX YEARS AGO I BOXED THE TWO RADIOS UP AND SHIPPED THEM OFF TO A FELLOW BLOGGER IN KANSAS CITY TO DONATE TO A NEW HAM.

I KEPT THE HANDHELD RADIOS AND AFTER 5 YEARS ON THE LOWER DESERT THEY BARELY WORKED ON OUR TWO VEHICAL TRIP TO THE MOUNTAIN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

THIS LAST WINTER AMY AND ALAN TOOK A WEEK-END HAM CLASS THROUGH THE BOY SCOUTS AND WHEN AMY CAME TO VISIT IN FEBUARY I DUG OUT THE HANDHELDS IN CASE SHE WANTED TO PLAY WTIH THEM. I WAS EXPLAINING TO AMY THAT THEY NEEDED NEW EXSPENSIVE BATTERY PACKS. AMY TOLD ME THAT I COULD BUY BRAND NEW CHINESE BAOFENG HANDHELD RADIOS FROM AMAZON FOR ABOUT $35/EACH.

AFTER AMY WENT HOME I DID AN INTERNET SEARCH AND FOUND NEW BATTERY PACKS FOR MY RADIOS FOR ABOUT HALF THE PRICE I WAS EXSPECTING TO PAY AND ORDERED THEM. WHEN THE NEW BATTERIES CAME I FOUND MYSELF LISTENING AND USING THE RADIOS.

WHEN WE MOVED TO THE MOUNTAIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO I FOUND EVEN MORE HAM ACTIVITY HERE ON THE MOUNTAIN. IN FACT THERE ARE 11 REPEATERS LINKING ALL OF EASTERN ARIZONA AND SOUTHWESTERN NEW MEXICO. I RE-LOOKED AT THE BAOFENG RADIO ON AMAZON, WHICH ARE DUAL BAND. THEY COVER BOTH THE UHF AND VHF BANDS. I ORDERED ONE ALONG WITH A DIFFERENT ANTENNA SINCE I LIKE TO SIT ON THE PORCH TO LISTEN, AND BOTH MY PORCHES HAVE METAL ROOFS.

I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO A HAMFEST HELD IN SHOW LOW TO MEET SOME OF THE OPERATORS.