Minimum Ham Radio hardware requirements

[Dixie Dude]

What are the minimum hardware requirements for getting into Ham radio?  Any idea of the cost of equipment?
I know of a local electronic store that has classes on getting your Ham radio liscense.  Haven't asked them yet.  I know the internet kind of took over with emails, etc.  But if the internet goes down, then Ham radio is all that is left for person to person communications.

[Ranger99]

a while back, i was gonna get one,
and they came out with the "no code"
license that waived the morse code
requirement and restricted the licensee
to certain frequencies. before i took the test,
f.r.s. and g.m.r.s. radios hit the market, and
i never completed the test. it may be way
different now, so check with a local ham club
and i'll bet they can fix you up. more than
likely they'll walk you through it to help get
you certified and up and running.

[Dixie Dude]

I think the FRS is the walkie talkie frequencies?  Aren't they.  What is the GMRS?  Can you explain the difference.  I know with the full Ham Radio you can access people around the world.  Do thy have set aside emergency frequencies?  I think with CB's there once was what, channel 7 was supposed to be for emergency only? 

[Ranger99]

f.r.s. and g.m.r.s. are like you say,
"souped up " walkie talkies.


frs - family radio service requires no licensing
and is a short range broadcast 2 + miles?
gmrs- general mobile radio service has the frs
 channels and additional channels that require a
license to broadcast on.
frs is limited to 1/2 a watt broadcasting and
gmrs is permitted up to 50 watts on the gmrs only
channels depending on the type of station.


you likely won't receive any world tranmissions
on these, i would guess depending on atmospheric
conditions, and you sure won't be transmitting any.


channel 9 was the cb emergency station.


most frs and gmrs unit are very low cost compared
to a ham transceiver. it's something more for short
range comms like a walkie talkie.

[Ranger99]

i'm thinking it's 462mhz or something close

[cabledad]

Ham radio is like shooting sports,you can spend all you want to. I saw a very small walky talky 2 meter and 440 meter for $65.Brand new made in china.Or you can buy one of these deskfull of transievers that does it all for lots of money. You need to find a local ham operator to show you whats around. I am 69 years old and I have been a ham since I was 14. Everbody is into something different.Good luck  Chuck K5PVP