AllenS wrote:I've considered getting my ham license a few times, but there is virtually no ham community here in Montana. There are a few repeaters that I've been listening to for almost a year, and I've never heard any conversation on any of them. That sort of took the wind out of my sails the last time I got interested in getting licensed.
CBs were really big here when I was in high school and college, before cell phones were affordable. I still keep a couple of inexpensive Unidens in both of our vehicles, and I have an old Cobra on the bench in the garage. I live a stones throw from I-90, and I hear conversations between truckers fairly regularly, but nothing like the old days when everyone was on there. Although when we had a lot of flooding two years ago, and communications were down all over town, channel 19 got awfully busy for a few weeks.
I did recently get a GMRS license, a couple of really nice Midland hand helds, and an MXT400 in the truck. That should keep the family talking over reasonable distances when we're out boondocking.
HF radio is a much more likely way to make a ham contact in the remote areas. VHF/UHF would be useful while on trails and caravaning with a group. In addition to the VHF unit and the occassional CB in the car, I will also have a 10 meter HF rig with me. My teardrop has a low-power (QRP) HF radio covering 10-160 meters. I have a pvc tube on the tongue to carry the antennas for 10-80.