Off-Grid Radio Communications

This class provides a foundation to radio communications, from line-of-sight handhelds to over-the-horizon HF radio. Focus will be on compact, efficient, and portable operations out of a backpack or vehicle.

Learn what is needed to make contact throughout your neighborhood, neighboring states, neighboring countries, or even “across the pond” into Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Topics include:

• Licensing and when it is required
• Principles of radio propagation
• Handheld radios and their limits
• Repeaters
• HF radios and their requirements
• Required equipment
• Identifying radio signals
• Considerations for portable operations
• Battery types, performance, and specifications
• Calculating power consumption
• Battery charging and safety
• Practical exercises