Ok, I need a way to talk by radio between two points (home and work) that are 30 miles away from each other, in mostly urban/suburban territory. They need to be portable either by hand or a unit I can install in my car. CB won't get it because range. I'm looking at either a ham setup or SSB. My Jeep CB has SSB capability but I'm not finding good info on range or whether you need a license for that. This is for basically disaster preparedness for my family. If there are any amateur radio enthusiasts who can guide me in the right direction, I'd be most appreciative.
Thanks!
Chris
As stated, no license for CB (The "SSB" you refer to is also CB).Hasn't been a CB license issued since the late 70's. When CB was popular, there was an organization that did Emergency communication drills, but for the most part they have disbanded. The problem with mobile CB is that it is only good locally for 5-10 miles at most, and if skip comes in, even less.
FRS/GRMS is an option. Using GMRS Frequencies requires a license and last one I got was $70. It is good for the Family, not just you. And there are Repeaters run by private clubs, though most bubble pack radios will not be able to use repeaters. Use of FRS radios is license free, but you aren't going to talk much further than down 2 city blocks.
Amateur Radio is another option: There are active Weather spotter networks, and AREAS (Emergency Communication) organizations all over the world.
Communication is not limited to one band or 2 modes. There are voice modes, digital modes (Including good old Morse code). There are a number of bands to choose from from just below the AM Band up to the Microwave range. Privileges are allotted by License Type. Even the starter license (Technician) offers a host of communication options.
As Sulfer noted, Operators on
Both ends must be licensed. If you have Scouts in the brood, it's worth a merit badge
If you are interested, I recommend getting started here >>>
http://www.arrl.org/licensing-education-training
FWIW, I use my Baofeng UV5R while biking to work. When I link though the local repeater (which is about 5 air miles from the bike path), I can easily talk 30 miles. It's all about antenna, propagation, and Mode. For example: On the 7mhz band, I can easily communicate over hundreds of miles on less than a watt using Morse Code.
If you want to do a Home/Base Operation on VHF or UHF, you're either looking at using a Repeater...
Or using higher power radios; At home, a tower with a really decent antenna. And on the Mobile end, a higher power radio and a really decent 5/8 wave antenna.
Depending on the level of preparedness that you want to achieve, I wouldn't put all my eggs in one basket. Having a FRS/GMRS radio has saved more than a few hikers, CB has it's merits on the road, and Amateur Radio has it's own pluses (along with being a good hobby).
And keep a smart phone around. They are little miracles! We used one to call the Sheriff to ask for a Tow off the local lake when the motor went kaput (big boat).
If you have any Amateur Radio Q's feel free to send me a PM.