|
Get the license...and drag your husband along to get his as well! The Technician Class test is 35 questions out of a pool of 350, and the entire question pool is publicly available online in free practice exam web sites to learn like old-school flash cards.
The Technician license will cover you for all VHF/UHF stuff, including using any ham repeaters in the area (see repeaterbook.com) to extend your range on those portables. The exam itself has many questions that are basic common sense, and it is possible to pass without answering a single math question correctly. Heck, 12-year-olds pass the Technician, General, and Amateur Extra exams all the time.
Once you and your husband have the licenses, download CHIRP (free) and program those Baofeng UV5-R's for the ham repeaters in your area.
I have a General license, and use it primarily for sending weather station data via APRS packet radio. I also occasionally tinker with DMR digital radio, which will let you talk to the world through linked repeaters or home hotspots.
Thanks for reminding me that I need to install my AnyTone 578 DMR mobile radio into my i3 while the weather is bearable.....
__________________
Currently BMW-less.  |