Signal length of Ham Radios
Most ham radios are designed to reach over long distances. Some expensive models can also cover countries and travel overseas. For such setups, you need to have enough space for antennas and a properly maintained radio station. You can also upgrade your radio so that it can even send signals to outer space. However, most standard Ham radios in the market give you a decent 5-20 miles of range. These are the cheaper ones and are meant for people who are just starting with their radio setups.
Ham Radio Reach
There are two different models when it comes to Ham radios. UHF and VHF. UHF stands for Ultra High Frequency and VHF stands for Very High Frequency. The main difference between these are the pricing and the signal range. The length for UHF devices is in the range of 300 MHz to 3 GHz while the length for VHF devices is 40-400Mhz.
VHF devices can cover long distances, however fail to perform well when there are a lot of barriers present like buildings. UHF devices on the other hand do not travel far but can come in useful in places where there are a lot of buildings and obstacles, like in big cities. This answers the question as to how far can a ham radio reach.
But What exactly are Ham radios
The term Ham refers to someone who has just started using radios. This means that ham radios are targeted at amateurs or beginners who have just started out using such a device. Ham radios are a popular hobby among people and radio enthusiasts.
These radios can be used to talk across cities, all over the world, and even into space. All this can be achieved without needing cell phones or the internet. Using Ham radios can be a fun, educational, and social hobby. It can also serve as an emergency means of communication in certain adverse situations.
How to use Ham Radios
To use a Ham radio, you need to have a license provided by the FCC. You will be examined on your radio operation skills and a theory part. You will also be assigned a call sign which you will use to identify yourself.
There are currently more than 3 million operators of amateur radio worldwide and a staggering 700,000 operators who are licensed in the United States alone. This is because Ham radios make for a very social and engaging activity. There are also various radio clubs and societies which enable people to handle and use Ham radios effectively.
You can also set these devices up anywhere you want. They are extremely portable and you can turn just about any area into your own mini radio station. Most people set up their radio stations in their basements and garages where there is no obstruction to their antennas.
