Baofeng UV-5R, Ham Radio, What can I listen in on in OKC?

[Beautiful Mulberry]

5 Watts on GMRS Range in my neighborhood = 1 to 1.5 miles. Wife Indoors, me in my car. Simple handheld Midland GXT1000VP, yup, read the hype.

Why not get a long range walkie talkie? They can reach miles.

 

[okierider]

So what’s the point in the license if they do not pursue it? Same with cb. I didn’t even know you had to have a license for cb.
Seems like the government really worried about long ago and not so much now. How many ppl has actually prosecuted or in trouble for actually using the radios?
These are genuine questions I have.
Seems drivers license are more regulated than ham license.

No license for CB.... license for ham opens up a lot of uses , DMR and Satellite links to name a couple.

 

[Beautiful Mulberry]

I haven’t been active in radio communications in years, but yes. The licenses were encouraged. I think mainly for registration purposes so that the government would know who was saying anything they didn’t like.

Back in my teens and twenties (years ago) I was active in CB. There was always talk of FCC driving around with tracking equipment issuing citations for people without licenses.

Then there were the tales of people using linear boosters and overriding several channels because their output signal was WAY beyond legal limits that were followed closely with stories of huge fines and seizures of equipment.

Can local law enforcement actually arrest?
If not that out them in a bad situation.
Sounds like a threat. How many times has the actual FCC prosecuted anyone in the last 10 years?
Sounds like something could get into, it just sounds like their is a lot of control or government babies that love to tell on others. I may be wrong but this is what I hear you and others saying.

 

[okierider]

Why not get a long range walkie talkie? They can reach miles.

We can sit here and bat this back and forth all day.... I enjoy the hobby.... you don't see the sense in it .... Different strokes my friend. But I will say this, miles and miles with a hand held is hype. With a hand held and DMR I can talk around the world , just a high power hand held....... couple miles, more on flat terrain or one radio on a hill shooting down to someone.... They are line of sight,.

 

[Beautiful Mulberry]

No license for CB.... license for ham opens up a lot of uses , DMR and Satellite links to name a couple.

How is ham connected to satellite?
One can easily buy a gps system from bass pro and send communications through email or txt and download all kinds of maps.
Same with the app I have on my phone. Works without cellular signal.

 

[Beautiful Mulberry]

We can sit here and bat this back and forth all day.... I enjoy the hobby.... you don't see the sense in it .... Different strokes my friend. But I will say this, miles and miles with a hand held is hype. With a hand held and DMR I can talk around the world , just a high power hand held....... couple miles, more on flat terrain or one radio on a hill shooting down to someone.... They are line of sight,.

It’s not batting back and forth. It’s genuine questions.

 

[okierider]

How is ham connected to satellite?
One can easily buy a gps system from bass pro and send communications through email or txt and download all kinds of maps.
Same with the app I have on my phone. Works without cellular signal.

Can you talk to the astronauts with your cell or GPS???

 

[TANSTAAFL]

Why not get a long range walkie talkie? They can reach miles.

Was supposed to be a high powered walkie talkie, impulse amazon purchase. In the woods, on the water or if conditions are right I may get much more range. They go up to 5 Watts. Also the Squelch may have been turned up way to high. But that's watt (pun intended) is keeping me interested. They say you can get 36 miles, oh well. The GTX's can tie into GMRS repeaters as well.

CB's are different though, typically their vehicle mounted, with much larger Antenna's.

 

[Beautiful Mulberry]

Was supposed to be a high powered walkie talkie, impulse amazon purchase. In the woods, on the water or if conditions are right I may get much more range. They go up to 5 Watts. Also the Squelch may have been turned up way to high. But that's watt (pun intended) is keeping me interested. They say you can get 36 miles, oh well. The GTX's can tie into GMRS repeaters as well.

CB's are different though, typically their vehicle mounted, with much larger Antenna's.

Makes sense. Iv read on the baofeng uv5r that you can put a larger antenna on them to stretch them out.

 

[okierider]

Not me, but this is cool.