@xSikes@fullsquare if you are technical minded you will probably love weak signal digital data modes. I've heard New Zealand FT8 with my HF antenna laying on the ground.
Budget $25 and an hour of your time. Buy a baofeng mini dual band 2m/440MHz (VHF/UHF) handheld on Amazon.
Go to Repeaterbook.com and learn to program in your local repeaters. Leave it on scan and listen for a few days but don't ttansmit (w/o a license).
Go from there. If talking to Europe and beyond (HF) through a wire in a tree intrigues you, get licensed, join your local club, and off to the races...
@xSikes @fullsquare if you are technical minded you will probably love weak signal digital data modes. I've heard New Zealand FT8 with my HF antenna laying on the ground.
Radio is amazing
@xSikes @fullsquare my unsolicited advice to any ham-curious:
Budget $25 and an hour of your time. Buy a baofeng mini dual band 2m/440MHz (VHF/UHF) handheld on Amazon.
Go to Repeaterbook.com and learn to program in your local repeaters. Leave it on scan and listen for a few days but don't ttansmit (w/o a license).
Go from there. If talking to Europe and beyond (HF) through a wire in a tree intrigues you, get licensed, join your local club, and off to the races...