Is anyone else thinking about going back to old school tactics of the ham radio. With the build up of fediverse, Meta, flock, Alphabet and now LG tv’s now spying on us in our own homes, getting a ham license and building one of these from scratch would not only gain some different kind of knowledge, but maybe if internet/cellular networks were to fail or get “taken over” there would be a backup system of communication. The old string and can trick only works with your neighbors. I know there is some serious ramifications if you don’t get licensed and tap into ham radio frequencies, and it doesn’t take much to get one… I don’t know if ‘tuning that dial” is dying out. But we may need to. Maybe it’s a dooms-day prepper kinda thing for me to say, and I don’t consider myself one at all since I only have 3 rolls of toilet paper in my house albeit I am a Costco member. I’m just curious if anyone else that is pulling away from the fediverse is also thinking about learning the Ham radio Trade also?
12 Comments
eleijeep@piefed.social · 18 pts · 1d
What's going on with the Fediverse that makes you put it in a list with these companies?
Is this concern trolling?
"Joined 8 hours ago" seems like a strange move for someone who is "pulling away from the fediverse."
BottleBoardBakon@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 1d
The fediverse was made as a decentralized alternative to all those companies they listed 🤣
floquant@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 11 pts · 1d
There's a whole new technological niche born in the space between the modern internet and old school AM/FM radio. AX.25, meshtastic, meshcore, reticulum, just to name a few. You are absolutely not alone in wanting to build a resilient, grassroots communication network that relies on good old radio waves from and to your antenna rather than 8 layers of "providers", and people have built cool new things to bring some "modernity" to the same basic principles
beliquititious@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 1 pts · 1d
The mesh stuff looks so interesting. I wish I had the money to experiment with it, but like 3d printing, fpv racing, and Arduinos before it, I'm too broke and too much of an antisocial loner to really participate.
floquant@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 2 pts · 22h
Meshtastic/core is the cheapest hobby listed here by far, you can get a Heltec on AliExpress for like 20$ and it has no running costs. You also don't need to be social, you can just lurk and help expand the network by being a repeater station :)
farmgineer@nord.pub · 4 pts · 1d
I'm a licensed HAM. I basically never touch the stuff at the moment. I want to get a good HF radio, but it's so expensive and I might also be losing my job.
If you are in the US, do not use it unlicensed unless you want a visit from the FCC and I think federal charges.
NOPper@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 2 pts · 1d
To just get in the air if you can't borrow one, look into QRP radios. They're under 10W, but thats enough to go thousands of miles in good conditions with even a halfway tuned antenna. You can get kits for under $40 if you dont mind soldering, and not much more if you want assembled.
Listening alone is fun, and you do not need any license for that!
CameronDev@programming.dev · 1 pts · 1d
!amateur_radio@lemmy.radio
Plenty of people do are still doing ham radio.
There isnt much risk being unlicenced, enforcement seems sporadic and unreliable.I own a bunch of handheld radios that ideally I should have a licence for, but for road trips it hardly matters.But at the same time, getting licenced isnt expensive or difficult, so you may as well just do it. The only reason I haven't is that I don't want to waste a bunch of Sundays going to a class to listen to year 10 electronics.
667@lemmy.radio · 9 pts · 1d
This is awful advice considering how utterly simple it is to get licensed.
Speaking for US licensees, one only needs to memorize the question bank (legal and encouraged) and take the exam.
It can be done remotely. I did all of mine remotely, and have never set foot in any club or classroom.
Operating without a license will quickly become apparent to any experienced operator. Do not do this.
If one thinks the airways are dead, please check this spectral image of 20m I snapped a couple of years ago: https://lemmy.radio/post/3735300
CameronDev@programming.dev · 1 pts · 1d
I agree in general, but not every country has a simple and easy licencing system. And if your just acquiring radios for shit-hits-the-fan scenarios, rather than regular use, expending the effort for a licence doesnt make sense to me.
In Aus, its a multiday in person class, with exams at fixed times during the year. And I've seen the course work, its mindnumbingly easy, it should be an online multiple choice. I would do it in a heartbeat if it were online.
NOPper@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 3 pts · 1d
Maybe an unpopular opinion and I'm sure you don't agree but even if you're only looking at radio for some weird apocalyptic situation, the knowledge you need to be licensed is there to teach you standards and best practices that will only improve your odds of successful communication without stepping on other people trying to do the same. Its not (all) some bureaucratic bullshit there just to make a buck or let The Man control you. You said it yourself, its easy. Just do it and know you can actually check the box without screwing up someone else's message or screaming into frequencies nobody is listening on anyway. Its a test to make sure you're a responsible member of a community.
CameronDev@programming.dev · 1 pts · 1d
I agree thats how it should be, but the licencing here in Aus doesnt line up with that.
The knowledge involved in the actual licencing isnt actually that useful for actually operating the radio. It was mostly tailored to designing radios from the ground up, and it was basically late highschool electronics.
The knowledge you need to operate the radios properly is all available online.
In my case, I am using handheld radios on the CB bands. I have limited the power correctly, but because they are capable of more power than allowed, that makes them require a licence, even when used in normal CB bands. It doesnt make sense for me to waste multiple Sundays to get a licence I am not actually going to take advantage of.
So here in Aus, it is just beaurocratic bullshit. And like I said, if it were online, I'd do it in a heartbeat.