Why I Don't Have A Ham License & Why I Will Never Get An Amateur Radio License From The FCC
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- Опубліковано 4 жов 2024
- CONTENT WARNING! This video is satirical and humorous and should not be taken seriously. Those without a sense of humor should not attempt to view this video.
In this video I reveal the truth about why I don't have a an Amateur Radio Service license and why I will never get a Ham Radio license.
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#gmrs
Your a Fool , and a click bait shit disturber
*You're.. But yah, I am the fool.
@@TheNotaRubicon 🤣
Learn proper English, Brenda
I think you meant distributor....smh
Brenda/Karen, you are a goofy, stoned hooker.
I haven’t uncontrollably laughed out loud in a while but “If I wanted to talk to strangers I have the internet… and Grindr” did it for me. Thanks, Randy. 😂😂😂
I know right! 🤣
You should watch the one where he does the review on the btech gmrs pro ht, watch his phone when he shows the app for the radio! I thought the sad hams would turn happy if you know what i mean lmao!!
@@shakennotstirred32 see, the little things he puts in the videos, is what makes him superior.
SAME! I died when he mentioned grindr... And then i noticed the Peter Griffin pic was up there the whole time!
Randy is a comic genius!
😂😂 I am still laughing
As a kid I built radios, antennas and designed and built small transmitters. We played with short wave radios and 27Mcps (hz). Walkie talkies. At eleven I knew more than most hams know about radios today. A license isn't needed for knowledge, just a desire to learn. GMRS is perfect for family local communications.
27Mcps. Got your back bro.
It blows my mind that this conversation still needs to be had. The fcc regulations surrounding ham radio aren't even that stern about their own existence. They usually boil down to "you need a license for this.. unless it's an emergency... Or.. ya know.. just don't be a dick about it."
Also, the licensing framework isn't a rank structure. Passing this or that test doesn't make anyone more "qualified" for shit. It isn't a doctorate in quantum mechanics, it's open source information that isn't even terribly complicated. They teach the same material to Marine privates and they can't even read.
The people who think Randy isn't qualified to talk about any radio equipment on the planet without a HAM license are not qualified to watch this channel. (Though I hope they never go away. The comedy they bring is very needed in this day and age.)
I think he might have mis-posted when he said qualified or should have elaborated a little. The ham license also allows you to work on radios as a technican by the FCC. If you don't have a license then your not 'qualified' to work on the equipment. I'm a ham and gmrs and federal licensed. I'm also a private pilot. One thing I can tell everyone is just abide by the law. That goes for FCC, FAA, and whatever agency you may have to deal with in the future. And Randy's an American, he can do whatever he likes. Right Randy?
@@CCNeutson Qualified to work on HAM radios... its irrelevant to other radios.
@@CCNeutson I think I'd like to see the statute for the law that says I cannot "work on radios" unless I am a licensed ham .... "qualified" electronics repair, modification, etc is regulated through FCC licensure? Pretty sure that's a negative....If anything it's a basic knowledge, provided through amateur radio licensing, in an attempt to help keep some knucklehead from burning his hamshack / house down...
@@CCNeutson "... then your not 'qualified..." should be you're or you are.
I studied for the General exam and enjoyed the reading. Went in - passed the Tech, passed the General. I was offered to try the Extra for free - and passed that! Sad Hams in the VEC were flabbergasted at me. It was no big deal. Then I bought a radio and took it out on a hike and tried to make my Very First Contact on 6m AM (50 MHz). I was screamed at loudly and chastised by a Sad Ham for calling on the wrong frequency. Bad first experience. To the Miffed Sad Hams in the VEC: I was a Dual BS Chemistry/Physics Major. I also took Graduate Level coursework in Mathematics and worked as a Lab Rat in a Raman Spectroscopy Lab. I learned alot in College. Passing your Extra Exam was pretty easy for me. Sad that Sad Ham ran me off 6m on my first attempt at hailing a contact. I do PSK31 these days. I can't be yelled at on digital modes.
On Friday, February 23, 2007 the FCC removed Element 1 of the test sequence--Morse Code. The next day on Saturday morning, I took both the Tech and General exams. Passed both like you. I had better sense than to take the Extra that day and become a "no code Extra wonder." Took that a year later at another club and missed one. The sourpuss VE's would not look at the test and tell me what I missed--but I know it was the Smith Chart question. Guess this had something to do with 40 years of experience in electronic repair and associating with the classic "build it yourself" hams that were around me growing up. Over 15K contacts later, I had enough. BTW, I am good on QRZ... Today I like fixing the tube stuff. Screw the clubs and MAGA drunks on 75M.
You guys brag alot so when I went in for the first and only time I passed the Tech and General plus 13wpm code it was easy and I never use the radios except for once in a while packet.
"Sad Hams in the VEC were flabbergasted at me."
I have a doubt about the accuracy of your story. I'm a VE; had a woman come in and passed tech and general with perfect scores and dang near a perfect score on Extra. We were amazed and thrilled. I suppose "flabbergasted" might be a synonym for "amazed". Obviously she had studied for a long time and was very well prepared. One can wonder why suddenly get licensed; I have no idea.
I am a ham, and I agree with what you say. Just like cars, some people simply want to drive them while others like working on them as a hobby. One does not need to be a mechanic to simply drive a car.
I enjoy building my own radios, something I am permitted to do as a ham. Most people are quite happy to simply use a commercially produced radio without ever taking the cover off or tinkering with it.
Well not true because years ago I built many Heath Kit products,Metal detector, TV and it was a good one ! Oh yes a radio 📻 too ! Sorry to interest in Sad Hamming 🎉 Got my entire family on GMRS
"permitted to do"? HAHAHAHAHAHAH
I gave myself permission to play with radios.
I drive my car without a license.
@Simon_Rix I got a chuckle from that too. People that glorify having permission from govt daddy to enjoy life.
I come from a long line of ham radio operators. I am the first in that line to have only a gmrs license. I lost everything because of this. Lost inheritance. Lost respect from parents , aunts, uncles and even got a letter from a niece doing time in the gulag of Kvorskyoz. But I don’t care. I have Randy on my side and I will push forward and make many babies with women who also possess a gmrs license. I am on a mission. To make my bloodline pure with gmrs goodness once and for all.
Amen to that. My better half has tried hundreds of times to pass even the free online practice ham exam, and failed it. He went for his GMRS license, and got it in two days. He's sure glad that he no longer has to worry about all of the math, that he could never understand. I don't even understand the math, and I am a high school graduate. Also all of that ham lingo, or abbreviations they use is hard to remember as it is. If ham radio is a hobby for users, then why do you need to know all that math, theory, or all of that weird lingo? It makes no sense to why you need to know about satellite uplink or downlink stuff? Makes no sense at all to me. Or why do I need to know about signals bouncing of the ionosphere for? Way too much information for a license to know just to pick up an (HT) handy talkie, just to say hi to another person. Back then the only thing that you really had to learn was old morse code, and a little basic math. Now it's more math, theory, propagation, satellite knowledge, and all kinds of other stuff that's all Greek to me. Lol.
GMRS all the way for me!
Good one
😂❤the satire, bro!
Personally, I just like radios. CB, GMRS, HAM, Shortwave., and Scanner, and all have their purpose. I go to channels like this to learn about something that interests me. I am lucky to find channels on UA-cam that have someone willing to explain what they have learned. I usually can shift through channels that are basically trying to sell you something. It is always funny to me when people comment to the channel owner on what they should do yet they do not have a channel of their own. Thanks for taking the time to show folks what you have learned.
Got into shortwave in grade school mid 1960's. I was amazed that there were so many countries broadcasting 24/7. Strange languages and music, Thailand for 1. Star Roamer by Knight Kit, (Allied Radio). Still have it. Needs work! And I heard male and female voices, some with accents, reading strings of numbers repeatedly. Found out they were transmitting coded messages to their spies in other countries. Number stations. Can still hear some today.
Even though I will get my ham license someday, the two radios I run in my Jeep is a CB radio and a GMRS radio. They do everything I need them to do.
Me too
Ditto from me as well, except my daily driver is the Nissan Xterra 2004 purchased 2005, not a Jeep.
One of things I like most about your channel is that you are a sarcastic bastard, it's fucking brilliant! Keep up the good work.
Yes! I managed to figure this one out on my own! I have been thinking about radio based personal communications options for about a year now. And just today, the thought of unlicensed or minimal licensed possibilities occurred to me. I typed unlicensed radio communication into UA-cam and presto, your video was the first on the list. Thank you for taking the time and putting in the effort to make this content.
I absolutely love the way you operate, narrate and manage your channel. Incredibly entertaining. And incredibly informative as well. I bought a UV-5R about 6 months ago. I have few friends, none of whom have radios. Purchased solely for emergency purposes. You know, when SHTF. If I fall off a cliff and break my leg, I doubt that anyone will answer. But, hey, you never know. I don't even know what frequency to use, if that happens. I bought it after watching one of your videos. It was cheap and I'm kind of a tech geek, so why not. It may not help if I'm dying at the bottom of some ravine. But, I sleep better knowing that I have it. Great personality. You could have your own UA-cam channel. I'm being funny. Give the "Sad Hams" the finger for me, my friend. Being honest and down to earth is refreshing in these crazy times. I don't see that much anymore.
"I don't even know what frequency to use, if that happens."
The national simplex calling frequency is 146.52
a UV5R isnt enough, buy several to give to those you need to talk to if SHTF.
I would also recommend buying several TYT TH UV8000D or E, and activate their missing
Menu 11, cross band repeat. and learn to set them up on hill tops between yourself
and those you cant talk to direct, the most useful accessory for them is the
12v Battery adaptor, so you can connect it to a car battery
Load Ham Repeater frequencies for the area you are in, lists are online.
Hams are usually sympathetic to an emergency call.
Also In an emergency and only in an emergency, program in the VHF NOAA frequencies
and find out the local one for the area you are in, and Transmit calls for help on it.
Locals with NOAA receivers may hear your calls for help?
@@thomasmaughan4798 Thanks
@@phillipsmiley5930 Thanks for the info.
50 years ago, having an amateur radio license was something that you put on your resume because it showed prospective employers that you had a measure of discipline. That changed after the CB radio fad of the mid-70s, after which people often confused CB and ham radio.
Unless you want to work for Moonraker then maybe 😉
HAM LICENSE IS LIKE REGISTERING YOUR GUNS !
WHEN THE TIME COME THEY KNOW WHERE TO CONFISCATE THEM!
That’s ridiculous
I lost all my radios in a boating accident.
Don't you have to have a license for GMRS? (at least in the U.S.)
@@andrewmcconnell1691 Yes. But I'm told people do transmit without a GMRS license... 🏴☠
😵Paranoia strikes deep. Broohaha!😂
They way you “touch” your Baofang UV5R is absolutely hilarious! You know the sad hams hate your guts! 🤣 They should just not watch or comment but it’s like a traffic accident that they can’t just look away from. You’re one of my favorite YT channels! Break 19 for a radio check 📻📡🎙
Ham and gmrs operator here and I totally agree with you. To each their own brother. Each have their usefulness and it really depends on what you seem fit for your needs or hobby. Keep the vids coming.
Basically Randy, if you don't want to get a ham license, you don't have to. I'm licensed in both GMRS and Amateur Radio, and I absolutely agree with you.
I know I can listen to ham radio without a license, but don't I need a license to talk to people over ham bands (in a non-emergency situation)? If there's a way to talk over ham bands without a license, I'd like to hear about it. I don't have a ham license so I have stayed off of the transmit button even though I sometimes want to participate in the conversation.
@@kendavid2866 no one is going to know dude
@@cwilliams6884 You'd be surprised. There are a lot of bored retirees that fox hunt for fun.
Got-a love this guy.... You are the Archie Bunker of GMRS reviews..... Keep up the good work
A friend of mine introduced me to his ham radio club, they thought I had a license I said I don’t have one and was not interested in getting ham license, the room vibe changed like I was no longer welcome. Glad to see this post, I thought it was just me!
"I said I don’t have one and was not interested in getting ham license, the room vibe changed like I was no longer welcome"
Well, yes. Just look at the insults hurled on this channel toward ham radio operators. No man can serve two wireless service masters.
I seen a UA-cam channel that summed it all up on sad hams. They stated that the FCC can't do much, so it's the ham operator job to police the air ways. If you are not following the rules, they can triangulate your position and show up at your house and tell you to stop. I lost it. I wish I would have saved the video, It was on a guy explaining the ham rules to two other guys who were interested.
I got news for you. You, as a civilian, show up at my house to tell me I can't use a little 5w radio. It's not going well after that.
I think it was Groucho Marx who once said: "I would never be a member of a club that would have me as a member!"
Woody Allen 😊
One of the great advantages of modern life is choice
One of the great difficulties of modern life is choice
Some of us like to experiment within narrow parameters
It is a challenge to see exactly what you can do without
A HAM license.
Original object of my getting into GMRS/FRS
was to organize a Neighborhood Watch Radio group
Did you see the movie The Watch? well see it. I hope you're not "THAT" guy ...
Very valid points.
There is "No Reason" anyone needs to justify their personal choices to anyone except themselves (or a Judge), lol 😂!
I feel SO much better now that you've explained all this. Again. Whew. Thank Xenu for having you take the time to explain your position on this incredibly important and groundbreaking issue. Again.
Randy, I hope this makes you laugh. You, Randy, recruited me to ham radio and are my “Elmer” as ham’s say. I got my license on 12/7 thanks to your channel which exposed me to ham radio after learning so much about GMRS from you.
Hey congratulations
Congratulations. Follow your interests, ham, GMRS, both (as I have)... I rejoice that others share my interest in radio, however they express and explore it.
❤
Congrats man!
So Randy got Ham Points!!!! LOL!!!
Just saw this particular video. Hilarious! People who want to talk to others thousands of miles away are many times introverts. I know a Hammy radio ranger who does this very thing, hard to make an acquaintance with, don’t speak his language. Love to watch your videos.
Randy, as usual, makes a great point.
Ham radio is a big hobby. GMRS less so, but fits many people's needs. I'm licensed for each. To each their own. There is no "right" way to enjoy radio communications. There's room in the pool for everyone. Not everyone likes the deep end--or the shallow end. Just don't pee in it and make it miserable for us who are Happy HAMS or Happy GMRSers or Happy Whatevers. I'm looking at YOU Sad HAMs.
“Like a drunken Amway Salesman”…. Classic sir!
Never would have ever guessed till you made the grindr comment. Doesn't change what I think of you. You are helping people understand radio while doing so hysterically sarcastically! It is respectable how little f's you give.
I am from Germany and we don't have the GMRS option. So I have my ham radio license.
Ohh you do have a GMRS option... you just have to be sneaky :)
Thumbs up! Good on you. I'm a dual ham/gmrs ticket holder. As you already know and try to get all of the sad hams to understand, your use case doesn't require a ham ticket because it would require everyone in your group to get their ham ticket; GMRS/FRS and CB are perfect ffor your use case.
I enjoy your videos... keep 'em coming. You helped me decide on pulling the trigger on a mobile GMRS rig.
As a HAM I agree that GMRS is totally the way to go for off-roaders in groups. I wish they would let them make dual HAM/GMRS radios that don't require me to use cheap unlocked Chinese radios...
or allow more digital modes and speeds on GMRS so people could develop radios to work in conjunction with modern smart phones so people can just use smart phones on radio mesh networks, kind of like GoAntenna Pro but with people being encouraged to experiment
@@folkishappalachian6827 Yes please, to both of these. God forbid the FCC kick in my door, shoot my dog, tase my kids, and sprinkle a little crack around the joint because I might have keyed up on a non-type-accepted radio.
DMR repeaters on GMRS is also in my manifesto. If CB gets FM, we need a little hanky panky too.
@@folkishappalachian6827 I'm sure what you said here is important and thought provoking...but I don't have ANY idea what you were talking about.
Please don't take this as a slam. I really don't know what you were talking about.
@@folkishappalachian6827- What you’re suggesting sounds similar to what amateur radio is all about.
Never happen, imho.
I've had a HAM technician license for about 4 years and I don't have a freaking clue how they work.
You do you bro, and keep up the great work!!!
Kelly, it's fairy dust and unicorn horn extract. Trust me, I've just got my intermediate license and know these things.
I'm approaching 20 years of being licensed and I am a General Class Licensee. Yes, I still find myself lost with electronics. Radio does have areas where it seems to be intimidating. but that shouldn't stop you from asking questions or to have others show you how approach that area without pulling hair out.
@@alannorthdevonuk763 I wish I knew how they put the magic smoke in the radio at the factory... the radio stops working the moment I let the smoke out of it.
I'm against people getting a HAM license, even though I have one, because I'm opposed to licentious behavior.
ROFL!🤣🤣
"some people" just don't get it....I use my GMRS radios when my wife and I are out hiking for safety (she carries it). I have a ham license due to being part of our county (San Bernardino) emergency services and I always carry my HT. Two totally different uses. Like you my wife has no desire to get a ham license.
i got my license just so i could use the tactical flashlight on my uv5r, saved numerous lives...
This is pure gold. I can't even express how much I agree with you even tho I actually wanna be ham radio operator. It's amazing how ppl try project own life and desires on others ;)
You mean just like he does.
I have been into cb on and off since the 70s. I love the hobby and there are some awesome people out there. I have considered getting in to the ham thing many times. The one thing that holds me back is the attitude of the majority of ham operators. Some but not all sèm to think that for some reason the are way better than us lowly cb guys.
I may someday get my license if i have time but ,to each his own.
73s
514 Ontario Canada
Happy ham here and off-roader. I am proud to say you convinced me to get a GMRS license. I’d never thought of the GMRS/FRS simplicity. Love your videos.
Amateur Radio is a hobby and therefore attracts people that like this kind of thing. Every ham operator has probably a different motivation and finds his personal thing.
I had a break for 25+ years and found a niche that fits my interests: experimenting with technology in the outdoors and it's called Summits on the Air.
Have fun with whatever you do!
Your channel is priceless. Thank you.👍🏼
I have learned soooooooooooooooooo goddamn much in the last week from your videos. I was always interested in radio, i just figured it cost to much and very intimidating at first. I bought a set of nice gmrs radios with a bass pro gift card this recent Xmas, and I picked up a repeater and I about shit with excitement, at that moment i didnt know you needed a license to transmit. Then I heard about the uv5r, I bought one, and your videos were the first "how to" videos I found and bam. Withing 2 hours I knew how to work it and picked up an east coast repeater and it's been fucking cool. My assessment with the last few weeks, I think GMRS would be the best for recreational use, camping, hiking, etc, and ham is fun when I'm at the reloading bench or something, it's been cool and I'm sure I'll take the new hobby as far as I can, thank you sir!!!!!!!!!! Very very much. 🤘🤘
Happy Ham for 40 years and laughing my butt off. Randy nails it and his dry wit just bowls me over. One of the best YT channels in my subscription list. Ham vs GMRS is very similar to when friends of mine who like to pistol shoot with me run into Police Officers who, when asked about the different firearms they carry, respond with "it's just a tool I use in my job" and they only qualify with it annually and keep it clean. The term "business radio" kinda says it all. Big difference between the hobby of radio and using a radio to facilitate another hobby. And a license needed to study antenna tuning? LOL Come on Sad Hams!! Maybe if we had a Tinder for Hams app, no Sad Hams would have time to troll Randy's channel (though, I'm sure some of them just want others to enjoy the hobby as much as they do)---because old Hams don't stop having sex, they just change the frequency.
"old Hams don't stop having sex, they just change the frequency."
COL (Chuckle Out Loud)
That should be t shirt ....;^)
A t-shirt
Merry New Year, NotaRubicon! You’re the funniest, non-machinist, GMRS radio personality on teh Youtubs! Here’s to another hilarious and informative year!
You are without a doubt one of the most informative AND entertaining channels I follow. 👍🏼
Other benefit to GMRS: Nobody really gives a fuck if you don't have a GMRS license...
EXACTLY.
That depends on repeater owner if you use repeaters. No repeater no care. Repeater though if club owned and they charge a membership fee for wide coverage they will tell you to pay or run you off. Usually they will have a TX Digital tone inverted to get into the repeater different from the RX tone usually a CTCS version. So you pay or have to guess the input tone and program it in. They change it often and only tell paid members this input tone. . Others just want you to ask for permission and require a sign off call.
In the words of Mr. Rogers... I like you just the way you are 😉 don't care if you have a ham license or not. You can learn everything a ham knows without taking a test.
Love this attitude. Cool channel by the way, subscribed.
@@MerchantsOfMisery Join!
Amway religious cult almost finished my marriage, they wanted to go to church and so many hundreds of dollars spent monthly trying to build the business.
The more options is why I went with ham. It is overkill for my needs. Those people need to realize that some people do not need the overkill. If GMRS suffices, then there's zero need to get into ham.
When will “some people” realize that they are just “sad hams” and are so condescending that they are chasing people away from ham radio and right into GMRS?
Amen to that!
Screw those "some people" with their HAM radio license!!
Damn right!
The main reason I got my Ham License... Was working disasters like tornadoes, Storm Spotting and Emergency Communications Ham is the standard for such Communications. GMRS is for fun!
I have a Ham licence in UK, but I never use Ham bands again after experiencing them. I like Citizens band now that AM & SSB are legal in UK. I have a legal 12 watt set. I spend most afternoons chatting to North America. A better class of clientele in my opinion. I would only use Ham bands for emergency purposes.
You never cease to brighten my evening viewing !
I'm saddened that you wont become one of us, but we can respect it. With your knowledge you probably would pass the test easily, maybe one day you'll accidently get a ham license. Until then, keep making GMRS popular!
I think part of his point is some of "us" don't respect it. But I think that's just part of being a human. Some of us (humans) are pathetic shits all the time while the rest of us are just pathetic shits *some* of the time. I also think coming up with the derogatory term "sad ham" was a divisive move. What's the best way to get back at someone who has been condescending to you? Why, call them names, of course!
Soon we'll have the "sad ham" and "sad gummers" wars. Perfect.
Why do u guys recruit? I'm SO confused....
I love ham meetings, cookouts, search and rescues, feed the poor events, access to repeaters that interlink nationwide l, satellite links, and flea market events.
The test is challenging, but if none of the above interest you, so be it .
Someone who enjoys demonstrating an using radios no ham radio snobbery aside not all are like that but the majority are.Thanks for the entertaining an informative videos cheers from Canada
Having an Amateur Radio License isn't that big of a deal. Sure, you have more bands available, but just staying in touch with Family or Friends, GMRS or MURS are two best options. Then again, GMRS with repeaters give more distance than MURS. If I was in an area with no open repeaters, I would use MURS rather than FRS/GMRS simplex. VHF WAIVES would go strong in areas where UHF fails. Happy Holidays Randy!
Not really. GMRS being channelized let's way too many people hear you. I have a license but literally never use it because of that.
@@adlucem9845 I like the DMR color coding and time slots to limit who can jump in when friends and I use radios
@@adlucem9845 No matter what radio service you use, you're going to have everyone that has a scanner or transceiver will be able to monitor your transmissions. As far as using PL tone, forget it. PL tones or sub channels only prevent your group or family hearing others who using the channel.
@@adlucem9845 No I didn't that! I know GMRS is channelize. 16 individual frequencies, 8 receive and 8 transmit. Not including the FRS / GMRS shared channels. which are the 8 repeater outputs. The problem is, GMRS is advertised like a modern day CB radio, but it's wasn't intended to be to be exactly like CB. GMRS isn't really family, unless you run Farm or business that a normal business band license would be too much.
@@adlucem9845 This reply maybe long overdue, but I got a flash for you unless you're using a cell phone or somewhat like NEXTEL device. Conversations are always going to be heard even with subtones.
Dude, I just like it that you (a) recognize the moronic nature of sapiens. And (b) you speak "truth" in spite of all the morons who don't have appreciation of "facts".
In my very brief and limited experience using GMRS, mostly while on camping excursions with friends, I have come to discover your channel, and also how much people like you are needed to help newbies like myself feel more comfortable while using our radios for the purpose they were intended for. I know a few licensed ham operators and they all seem a little condescending towards folks like myself when we admit we use GMRS, even when it's explained our limited needs and interests.
I see Armature radio as the original social media, and as we have all been immersed into social media and all it's negative aspects via the internet, I can't help but see the glaring similarities by the so called sad hams, to me just the original social media Gestapo, like woke internet worriers of today. Also reminds me of the typical playground bullies of our day, who always had to control the tempo of activities. They took charge of how games were played, who was on the teams, and most of all who was to be excluded because they had no intension to follow the "rules".
I'm learning much from your videos Randy and whole heartedly appreciate your style of delivery. Kind of like the good guys of old time TV westerns, baiting the bad guys into exposing themselves. You are a master of teaching at the expense of the "players in black." Thanks for all you do. 👋👋👋
You are actually quite correct. Many Hams have even noted the "social media" negative aspects of the hobby... to the point that the most popular ham activity today is FT8. Contact, signal report exchange, then goodbye. No drama, just basic technology tinkering.
god bless zenuu for showing you the light i just purchased my gmrs and am leaning toward the midland 575
i was a cb geek in the 70s and 80s
and just got back into it
thanks for zenuu showing u the light
Ham radio has been one of the worst experience of my life. The club from whom I got licensed is an actual cult. They compelled me to join without my permission and then tried to say I'm an indentured servant. After telling the local prosecutor my suspicions the leader of the club threatened to murder my family and even battered the local prosecutor at field day event. Idk why he wasn't arrested for it
Threatened? Ohh, no. A fruitcup would do that with me only once.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 brilliant! As usual dude, you make my day a better experience!!! Thank you. You make learning GRMS fun!
I brought a HAM radio licence as it was a financially prudent option vs the prospect of customs confiscating the order of Baofengs at the border I was originally going to buy on Amazon as a prepper. It allowed me to buy the Baofengs locally too. Down our way they are so desperate for new HAM's to join there cult, they make the test so easy by giving you all the questions and answers and a 40/60 pass market, it is hard to fail it if you just read the questions a couple of times.
"it is hard to fail it if you just read the questions a couple of times."
Exactly. Technician isn't designed to be difficult. It is the entry level license and has very little, if any, "technical" questions.
Whaaat??? Where the fuck are you from???
If you have a good memory and testing a ham license is very easy to pass. Most hams are just appliance operators
I actually got both my gmrs license and my ham license thanks to you randy but what I have learned is I tend to enjoy gmrs way more I'm not a simplistic person by any means but how easy gmrs is to get your friends on and setup repeater work it's way easier especially for an offroad enthusiast
Amateur radio is not for everyone, nor does everyone care for it. Even some Amateur radio operators to this day have some regret over getting their license due to how other operators treat them. I enjoy your videos, keep it up!
Why would there be regret? You don't like it, just stop doing. You don't like the people you're hanging out with, stop hanging out with them. If you don't like playing by the rules of one game, find a different game. Life's too short to harbor regret for trying something then not liking it. Move on and try something else.
@@SansNeural
You edited that and still managed to miss the point like KumAllOnYa dodging the southern border. Wow.
Yeah, I am one of them. I am not a huge fan on Ham Radio with some. I refuse to upgrade my license to go play contesting on HF. Some days I think Ham Radio is some sort of secret society the way the attitudes fly when you don't conform.
The service/hobby is what you make it! For every clown that I've met on the bands, I've met a lot more nice folk. Though I will admit that there are still things that irk me about SOME of my fellow hams. But guess what? Nobody is forced to talk! If I don't like what I'm hearing, I just spin that VFO knob and take my buissness elsewhere! Problem solved!
Well said ! I’m a licensed ham operator because I wanted to be, however I do not tinker or work on radios, always like watching your videos.
I originally got just my GMRS license for all of the reasons you stated in this video. I just want to communicate on the trails and in the forests with the people in my group. However, I ended up getting a ham license anyway as well because that is more common around my part of the country, and is the license most of group has.
Bottom line is (for anyone), get what is useful to you.
Same here. I started with building crystal AM radios as a kid. Got into scanners, then CB, FRS, GMRS, Technician, General, currently studying for Extra... Went down that rabbit hole head first.
If you don't stop handling that UV-5R by the antenna, I'll... I'll... I'll snicker that some folks are having breathing problems as a result. Keep up the great work.
Josh is going to be disappointed. He thought he was starting to get you on the hook, both in that video on SOTA and the one on direction finding.
You’re damn right he is. 😂
From someone living in Europe, it's interesting to see that gmrs is capable of a lot for a buyable license. Here sadly the free bands are just cb and PMR and the pmr is limited to 0.5 watts, but it's cool to have one rx/tx pmr radio lying around. I even heard listening to some frequencies here is illegal, though since I just want to use it for short range communication, it is not a big deal. Anyways I appreciate your point and keep up the good work!
won't or can't, big difference
You've figured out my deep dark secret.
@@TheNotaRubicon 🤣 👍
I agree with that. My better half has tried hundreds of times to pass the very basics of getting his ham license, by going through the free online practice ham exam and failed. Why do you need to learn all of that math, how signals bouncing off the ionosphere, or satellite uplink and/or downlinks, or all of that lingo like CQ, or all of the other stuff that I didn't mention? Why do you need to know all that crazy stuff on how or why things work inside of a radio? I thought amateur radio was a hobby, where a person took a HT radio or mobile radio, and called another person by their call sign? I know that a person had to have a few basic electrical skills, but learning all of that other stuff I think has gone to far.
My better half filed for GMRS license, and got it in two days. So long for all that math, and all of the other stuff he didn't need to learn.
All of you guys can enjoy the ham, but we both love GMRS!
I have been a Ham for 30+ years and I couldnt care less if you are Ham or not
but even my 78 year old Mother has her Lic., I cant believe she can do it and you cant .....
never heard of it, is grinder something like tender for people without a lic.?
There is a big difference between "cant", and "not interested".. But it seems that "some people" have trouble comprehending that difference.
Grindr is a great app for your phone to find strangers that want to talk to you - You should try it, something tells me you'd love it.
@@TheNotaRubicon I have already said this but we are the Jehovah witness of the air waves. Recruiting is one of the objectives of Ham radio because there is a fear the FCC will sell under utilized spectrum. There is also a "the more the merrier" attitude with those of us that aren't sad Hams. You should give everyone a thrill and make some Ham contacts on field day. You likely know but you can make contacts under the supervision of a licensed Ham.
Oh look! A sticky! I love stickies!
@@TheNotaRubicon funny. Can't tell the difference between can't and not interested or between the purposes of ham and gmrs. That statement is an embarrassment to the amateur radio community.
Assume you still live in her basement.
So sad, what do you suppose lead to your inability to grasp simple concepts, perhaps a vitamin D shortage due to living in mom's basement.
Seek help, soon.
I have a HAM license. Your reasoning for not getting a license are very valid. Rarely do I run into another HAM offroad, but I do have many that use GMRS which I also have a license for. HAM gives you privileges that most will NEVER use so for most it is useless.
On a side note, HAMs tend to be an elitist bunch full of dbags.
A ham license allows the person I use any equipment for transmitting on ham bands where the other licenses the transmitter must be certified by the FCC for use (example part 95 certified for GMRS). The ham license does not have this certification requirement however it does have rules that the transmission itself is compliant. Those are the "rules" and these rules are only valid if they are enforced which in all honesty the FCC doesn't enforce them. Just FYI....
Dude.. Seriously? Did you even watch the F*ing video?!
Randy's right! Dude Seriously? I am a General Class Licensee and also a VE, but that doesn't give me the authority to push the Amateur Radio Service and Hobby down individuals' throats. You want to take an Amateur Radio exam, fine! You don't, fine! Beside an Amateur Radio License isn't really necessary for repairing equipment. Now testing equipment or actually using yes, a license is a must or having licensed individual present is require when testing the equipment.
@@TheNotaRubicon yes I did... My comment was intended to be info about the rules "say" but in the real world they don't exist because the are not enforced. How is that "sad ham"?
There are two kinds of people, those who like arbitrary rules invented by institutions,
and those who would prefer to live by their own rules, my guess is you belong to the former
@@TheNotaRubicon aggressive autism by Saddus Hammus..
Thanks this made me smile a lot. I am a noob and learning a lot. I worried at first I might irritate extraterrestrials who hear me. Then learned I don’t have the Fars for that with my radio unless they’re in my neighbors basement. Thanks to what I’ve learned from you, I can once again sleep at night.
Who cares
You watched the video after reading the title and the thumbnail, so, apparently you do.
I care.
The God chats on this channel care insatiable about our keen robot dude without a ham radio license!
*I* care
I don't care that you don't care that you really care because you posted that you don't care....but you care...
I just found your channel a week ago, and never fail to crack up at your sardonic commentary! As an aside, you resemble Mike Melnotte, the owner of 'Reuben the Bulldog' on UA-cam, but are the just one click saltier than he is. 😂 My wife and I almost expect to see a bulldog napping on the floor of your shack as you deliver your hilarious dialogue about "some people" and "experts". AWESOME. Your content about the radios is great and educational. I've made some purchases based on your evaluations of products. Have a good one!
Ok I get it ,you failed your test exam ,just keep trying bro the tech test is not that tuff to pass if you study more✌️
Excellent/textbook example of a sad-ham response. thank you.
oh and his alt account he made just to be a sad ham with
How does some one who studied the NATO phonetic alphabet not spell "tough" right? HAS to be a bait comment.
@@KumaThaBearout of curiosity, what gives you the impression that they studied the NATO phonetic alphabet? In my limited experience, hams make up phonetics on the fly, and I don’t think it’s part of the tests for ham radio.
@@dakotahbishop6308 the only question I think that had to do with it was something like the FCC encourages its use.
Xenu always appears before me when I'm laying on the couch eating Cheetos and NyQuil, but I still don't have a GMRS radio. I guess I'm still doing it wrong.
Making a contact with a person on the other side of the world on the HF bands isn't about "meeting strangers"..... It's about testing that what you have built is doing what you want it to do. Ham radio is about experimentation.
If you think the internet is a substitute for ham radio, then surely you know it can substitute GMRS too, right?
Why even do GMRS? Just use network radios, or zello, or literally anything else. Your points don't make any sense. When SHTF good luck getting any useful information from GMRS, since it's all just going to be traffic from your 30 mile radius. Meanwhile, you could get on your HF radio and contact a person from another location and get a better understanding of the situation.
None of your points are valid, they're all just COPE. Even if you didn't need your ham license, there's no point in not having one when you (seemingly) already know so much about radio.
Sir, did you even WATCH the video?
So, you know how things are going in China or Europe, but you don't have a clue what's happening on the other side of town or the next town over. Big F-ing Deal!!! GMRS is your best in local info, Ham tells ya things suck in Germany. What real help is that??? GMRS beats HAM again!!!
@@TheNotaRubicon they never do Randy.
Valid to him.
Did you even really pay attention to the video or just watch it itching to respond??🤣But seriously, if you have your HAM license to your own satisfaction WHY DO YOU GIVE A crap if people don't have one and don't want one?!
Love your channel!. I do have a Ham radio license (got a GMRS license too), but I totally get where you are coming from. The whole concept of use case seems to be lost on many people. If your use case is fully fulfilled by GMRS, CB, or what the hell, banging a large bloody bell, then that is all you need. And by the way, Xenu does award points for converting people to Ham Radio, so there's that. I would love to see a video on the commercial license you have and how you use it.
Started watching your videos when I bought my UV-5R. Then bought my GMRS radio and got my GMRS license. Later wanted more and got a ham license and more radios. Definitely sad hams out there, but not all of us. Still like your videos.
3:09 Killed me, totally unexpected with the calm voice.
I agree. Ham radio is obsolete unless I decide to move to remote Alaska or some isolated desert island where there is nothing else available for long distance communication. I still have CB for SHTF emergencies and a pair of FRS/GMRS walkietalkies for short range communications. See no need to upgrade to GMRS, never mind ham.
Great video as always. Gonna take my GMRS radios up skiing this weekend so I can keep in contact with the kids.
Having a ham license is only a practical need if you're going to build your own (transmitting) equipment, want to communicate on ham frequencies instead of GMRS/FRS frequencies, or want to transmit with more legal wattage than is allowed on GMRS/FRS. Other than that, no real point. Everything else is about pushing limits that others have already reached, and either sharing what you've learned or competing with others who think that's important. But as in everything tech, it's not just about hardware, it's about what it allows/helps you to do that you couldn't do before. People get over-excited about a lot of tech items for no good reason, it's not just hams. (Look at Apple fanboys, and don't even get me started about music tech fanboys, especially guitarists!) But in the end, one person's excitement and wanting to share it with anybody and everybody is simply another person's nightmare. To each their own.
As an active ham, I can tell you there's no deep-seated movement to hassle people into joining the ranks. Amateur radio, to me, already includes those who only use GMRS/FRS and even CB, because they're doing it for their own enjoyment (and probably not for profit), so like I said above, if you want access to other freqs and more power, feel free to add a ham license to your portfolio. If not, cool.
All great Cinematic Moments 3:12 are rooted in scenes where the artist perfectly captures deep feelings and fundamental truths with ingenuity, creativity and style.
Your commentary cracks me up. Okay... another type of "expert" to add to the collection ;) I was trained in radio-telephone technologies in the USAF (1979). After I got out I went to work for the phone company. I took the test and obtained my 1st Class Radiotelephone license granted by the FCC. (The test was all about vacuum tube transmitters) This was required at the time to even lay a hand on a microwave radio. However, I do not consider myself to be an expert. There is always something new to learn. I totally agree that one does not need a ham license to understand how radios operate, propagation, antennas, and the whole bit.
I am in my 60s now and have been programming software for decades. But I am starting to get re-interested in radio again as that is how I got my start. I used your page to work through the FCC licensing process for GMRS. (Your tax dollars at work!) Thanks for that. And, I will probably go for that technician license for ham too at some point. Why... something to do and it looks interesting.
Your videos are brilliant. Keep em coming regards, Denny in Ireland.
Having a ham license is no guarantee of knowledge since many pass the test only having memorized the answers and never studied the material.
I can honestly say that I don't need a GMRS license. Because I live in the UK and we don't have GMRS, unfortunately :(
Knowledge is free, not guaranteed.
Fun video, dude.
🤣💪 I had to come back and comment that, this is one of my favorites. I'm GMRS (licensed. LOL ) .... and I was thinking the same thing about it a long time ago.
I've gone back and forth about HAM, I'm about to do the test online but, then I come back and re-watch this one. ha ha ha ha.
And yes, the grinder comment, I was in tear laughing.
You are my new HERO !!!! I don't want the 'government ' having their hooks in me ANY more than NECESSARY
Drunken Amway salesman here.
Cool video. Love the channel and humor
New fave channel for my new rabbit hole of a hobby
I got in to Ham radio because it sounded fun and I wanted to. I got in to CB and GMRS because it sounded fun and I wanted to. I enjoy talking on the radio. Around my home, not many folks use CB or GMRS. So, to get my fix of talking on the radio, I use Ham. But I also use CB and GMRS when the time comes.