California extreme weather warning

[Barn Owl]

SAT phones are kinda making Hams obsolete

Oh, so very, very wrong. Whoever controls the sats controls you! I control my own radio and talk when, where and what I want. You all know me by now, it's that silly freedom/liberty thing I have. What a sight I am, you should see me trying to clutch my bible, gun, amateur radio, food supply.......etc, I need about ten arms! Hams are a lot like busnuts and it's community, extremely nice and helpful, resourceful, independent, and some of the best folks you could ever meet. Try to get some of that on a sat phone. There is Ham traffic out of Hati and they are busy beyond belief! "Satellite phone networks themselves are prone to congestion and cover a very large area with relatively few voice channels.(WIKI)" Not to mention very expensive and you still need someone one the other end with a phone! With amateur radio you can contact others with a radio or phone, and even email. Getting an amateur radio license has never been easier, and radios are inexpensive and plentiful. My wife and I are finally getting around to upgrading to an extra license and I am setting up a special area in my bus for the radios. Your Red Cross should be able to put you in contact with a club or someone who can help if anyone wants to become a Ham.

W3EYE

[JackConrad]

My grandfather had one of the early FCC licenses.  My brother recently petioned the FCC for my grandfathers call sign. He had to send copies of his and my mother birth certificates to confim that he was a direct decendent to get that call sign.  The neat thing is that my grandfathers call sign is still on the air W9BDN  Jack

[junkman42]

Cable, old age is making Me more obsolete than sat phones.  John L WB4CQT