I got it immediately. My teenage brother got it just as quickly. My mother, who couldn't turn a computer on if her life depended on it, read a few posts and webpages from major news organizations (and a couple articles in the local rag) and got it. My father, thinking us psychotic, didn't want to until he heard concerns from some new friends that used to work in a bank. They expressed what they saw from their upper management and administration/system maintenance folks and he gets it, albeit begrudgingly, now.

 

But...

 

We've all taken turns popping off ideas about how to stock up, prepare to bug out or dig in, yadda yadda yadda. But, what about communicating with other post-Y2K remnants of civilization once a decent percent of the populace dies off? After all, we all might have to get in touch with each other to pool into groups and help each other survive. Additionally, groups might need to develop trade relationships with each other to get stuff to places that need it in exchange for other stuff that other places need.

 

Most countries have some form of amateur radio service. The US' Federal Communications Commission will grant an Technician-class amateur radio license to anyone with $6.45 and the aptitude to pass a simple two-part 65-question exam that took me half an hour to pass and two days to study up for. My license will appear in the FCC database by the end of the week and once I have it I can transmit legally on a few dozen bands allocated for the purpose. Throw in a 5-word-per-minute Morse code test (and yes, Morse is easy to get 5 WPM proficiency at) and you gain privledges below 50 MHz. Poof, a few days' prep time, a few bucks, and a few tests in an afternoon and you're legal to transmit signals as far as halfway across the stinkin' planet.

 

If you want to see what kind of test you'd be in for, hit this URL:

Ham Exam

Be sure to check out the Novice and Technician question pools and practice exams that are applicable, as they have outdated ones there as well. If you can consistently beat 90% on the two practice exams, you're braindead if you don't pass the real deal.

 

Poof. Instant ability to bounce signals when nothing else can, as lots of ham gear runs on batteries and some of it could go solar REALLY easily.

 

 

Go for it.

 

OddOne, who's just waiting for the nod to Tx...

 

-- OddOne (mocklamer@geocities.com), January 12, 1999

Answers

Thanks, CB radio is also a good bet for local communications.

Basic walkie talkies are also gonna be very useful.

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), January 12, 1999.

Got power? Batteries? Transmitters EAT juice...

-- Anonymous99 (Anonymous99@anonymous.com), January 12, 1999.

A recent Home Power magazine (I think) had an article on a solar powered ham setup. I think I've got it around somewhere...

-- Shimrod (shimrod@lycosmail.com), January 12, 1999.

the Ham test is the only test I know of that we give you the theory book, and in the back of the book is the question pool for the test, with answers. Yep, if the question is gonna be asked, it's in the list at the back of teh book, with an answer.

C de N8NLL

-- Chuck, night driver (rienzoo@en.com), January 12, 1999.