Help with my situation

[HAMBACON]

I'm looking into HAM Radios for a communication system in the event satellite and phone does not work.

I would need to commiunicate up to 2500 miles. What band would be appropriate for this and what license do I need? Tech, General? What radios do you recommend?

I know it's spotty connecting but it's better than nothing. Basically I want to know what type of radio and band are most likely to work in that distance?

Thanks for your time!

[parabellum]

You'll want to go for your General Class license so you have privileges in the HF (1.8-30mhz) bands. Those are the ones that will propagate through the ionosphere.

40 meters is generally regarded as a reliable band for distance communications, but many factors including time of day, sunspots and weather can affect what the ideal band is to use. That being said, you'll want an HF transceiver that covers 160 through 10 meters. There's many makes and models to choose from. Like an older car, if you're inclined to make some repairs there's many older radios that can be had for a few hundred bucks or less. If budget is less an issue and you don't want to tinker, buy something new.

Your antenna system is going to be the single most critical factor. A $2000 radio is useless with a poor antenna. How much space do you have to setup an antenna?

Getting to know the equipment and how to use it is also critical, and that only comes with time, study and practice.


--K

[KM3F]

40 meter band in the evening and much of the night depending on where you are and want to get to.
40m in daytime is also subject to conditons from short several hundred miles to long conditions 1000 miles +/-
20 meters in the daytime and evening depending on propagation conditions.
Listen on these bands over an extended period to see what you hear.
On 40m the antenna should be up as high as you can get for low angle arrival and takeoff.
On 20M a dipole or beam up min of 50 feet to get the same low angles.
Here in eastern Pa. 40m is active into Aust. VK and ZL areas in late evening and well into early morning. That's about 15,000 miles short path.
20m is dependent on the propo conditions and can be open to nearly anywhere in the world at any given time.
Need min of General class and stay within that class lower band end limits.
Good luck.

[K7KBN]

We MIGHT be able to answer more specifically if we knew just where you're located.

[AE6ZW]

I think satellite communications are most reliable of all. it just cost more than HAM radio, HAM radio with HF, coverage are very spotty , and unpredictable, and often I have no one to talk to because band condition are bad. so, when emergency happen when condition are bad, it has no use.
I have heard most reliable HF communications are what it called Near Vertical Incidence Skywave, or NVIS http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near_Ve...idence_Skywave I have had some QSO using such technique, they are using 3.5MHz / 7MHz shortened dipole at 8 feet high. I heard it is good for about 300 miles.