Hartwell Hollers:

How does a neophite who can barely wire a light fixture get into Ham radio?
Any books I can read etc.? How much do I have to spend?

I have serious difficulty with light fixtures as well, so fear not. It's fun to point folks to the applicable books, cuz there's a huge number of REALLY excellent ones. If you have NO clue as to what you want to do, then by all means go to www.arrl.org and get the ARRL Operating Manual.

The reason for that is because, very thankfully, the Amateur Radio Service lets the RVer in on an enormous amount of fun. Doug made the point yesterday (which I typically utterly fail to mention) that the lifelong camaraderie that you get as part of the deal (for free, like everything else in ham radio)
is just too astounding to even begin to describe. I tend to focus on all the stuff you can do, but ham radio also allows for a generous amount of things to FEEL within yourself. For further info on that point, just ask me about my having licensed 306 nine year olds, or having used the Amateur Radio
Service to open up windows to the world for dozens and dozens of SEVERELY handicapped
folks who previously couldn't communicate at ALL.

Once you get the Operating Manual, and ask questions here about the specific license you need to do whatever it is that you deem to be the most fun (tough choice!), THEN get the books to study from.

To recap: Certain fun things in amateur radio = specific license class = specific books to study from.

True, I didn't answer your question about prices. Can't DO that until I know what interests you. You might find it giggle-icious to exchange television signals (of you and your RV radio shack!) with a new-found friend in Vladivostock or Osaka, whereas another person would rather bounce signals
off of the billions of meteorites that burn up in our atmosphere each day. Whatever floats your, um, RV!

Best regards,

Byron Hurder, KY1T