Gary and Sandi say:(with regard to the ham license)
To which Byron replies:
I'd be happy to be your resource on this topic if any of you wish.
And, I can up the ante on this for you folks if ya like. That less-than-seven-buck license is for a lifetime.
No "classes" required: every bit of the information you need (that is to say, ALL the questions and ALL the answers) are printed and readily available in any number of books on the market.
Better yet: No Morse code required
Better yet: It gives you literally MILLIONS of frequencies to use
Better yet: Voice and data are only two of just over eighty modes of communications that you're allowed to use.
For me personally, it's not as much of a "telephone replacement" as it is for a life-long hobby of experimentation, fun, and camaradarie (sp?) with folks I've met all over the world .
In my '99 Bambi, I have things set up to experiment with reflections of my amateur radio signals off of meteor trails. As crazy as it sounds, there are over 12 BILLION meteor trails every day, and ... well... it's a hoot.
More info at: HTTP://members.aol.com/LuckKY1T/Airstream/index.htm
Happy Airstreaming (meteor) trails!
Byron Hurder, KY1T
DesMoines IA, London Mills IL and Airstreaming points between