Schults question...i.e. I know nothing

You can get a start with inexpensive handhelds, under 100 frns per. Throwing a wire over a tree limb is problematic, could be used for receiving, but transmitting on an unmatched random wire could very well destroy the transmitting end of the radio. Range, absent a repeater, well, that's an experiment you'll have to do after you get the sets. FWIW, my handheld has reached over 30 miles on the 5 watt max with good signal strength reported back, but that is over open air, no hills in the way, working a repeater.

Unless you set up a rig at home to go with the handhelds, there really isn't much reason for a "base" station, you could be heard farther than the handheld, since it could be higher powered, but the h/t couldn't necessarily respond. Now, for a "few dollars more" you can get a mobile/portable rig for the pickup which might enable a longer distance.

Others may be able to give you a bit more guidance, but 100 miles is a real stretch with handhelds. You will need something with a lot more snort to make it that far.

Get going on the ticket, they are nothing more than a license to learn. The study guides are available from Amazon for less than the ARRL wants. New, less than 30- bux. Used, less, but may not be the current editions. Remember, too, that both ends of the link have to be licensed, so you can study together.

@BTPost is the resident monkey expert on hamism. You might also go to Prepared Ham and read some of the forum. Some of that is pretty advanced, but you can get a taste.

 

Ok, MonkeyMan, Let see if we can get you some information here....

Distance between your City Home, and Farm... 100 Miles.... Terrain in between? Elevation at both ends and are there any Hills in between? The reason for these questions is, VHF coverage is to the Horizon, plus about 15% which is Called the Radio Horizon, with elevations on both ends, being Height of the Handheld Antenna. (6 Ft) For Vhf, this is about 35 miles. If the Ground Elevation on one end is higher (MountainTop) then it can be considerably farther, because the Radio Horizon is extended for a Mountain Top site, on that end. This is why Repeaters are generally found at High Elevation Points, so they have an extended Radio Horizon. Vhf Antennas are not generally chunks of wire, strung thru the trees, as VHF Frequencies (2 Meters - 144-148 Mhz) have a wavelength of 2 Meters, so a 1/4 wavelength for that band is about 18 inches. Raising the Antenna to a higher elevation is a GOOD Thing, HOWEVER it quickly becomes a case of "Diminishing Returns" as the length of coax gets past 100 Ft, as Coax Losses in Tx/Rx signals start getting higher, then that Added Radio Horizon, due to increased elevation. All the above, points out that Vhf is likely NOT, going to solve your Comms requirement, without a Repeater, in between. The same will be true, for any thought of CB Radios, for the same reasons. 27 Mhz is still to high a frequency, for the required Radio Horizon for your Comms PATH. When the CB Band, is open for Skip, you are more likely to be able to talk to a Trucker in Texas, before you could have Comms, with the Farm.

HF Ham Frequencies will certainly do the job, for that distance, IF the Operators, on each end, choose the appropriate Ham Band, for the Time of Day. HF Ham bands are spaced out along the HF Spectrum, so as to make such Comms, Trivial once the Setups are installed at each end of the link. HF Requires a more involved Antenna System, which usually means a Dipole, of at least 120 Ft in Length, up above Ground, about 30 Ft or so. HF also requires a more expensive Radio on each end, and either, a Manual Antenna Tuner, or a more expensive HF Radio with a Built-in Antenna Tuner. More expensive, like $400US for each end, plus the Dipole Antenna, and Power Supply.

Even the Ham General License (Required for HF Privileges) is not that hard to study up for, and Pass, these days. There are OnLine helps, and Study guides, available, and if 10 year olds can do it, even us "Old Fart Monkeys" can study up and pass them. Preparedham.com is a good place to find such information, as Ghrit has stated. If it were 'Me" I would study and take BOTH the Tech and General Tests at the same sitting. It doesn't cost any more, and if you pass the General Test you are set, but if you don't, you can still get your feet wet on Vhf, while you re-study up for the General Test. Look at this as a month of Study, as Prep Thing, that can save you skin down the Road, but is worth the effort as a Prep..... .... YMMV.....

 

If that is the case, then a Good 50-100 watt Vhf Radio, connected to a 11 element Beam Antenna, pointed at KC, and a duplicate setup, at the KC end, pointing back at the Farm, just might make it work, but it will be at, or near the limit of VHF coverage. Ships on the High Seas, with VHF Antennas at about 70 Ft, have Radio Horizons near 120 Miles, using 25 watt Radios. With that Setup on each end you would have reasonable Mobile coverage, to one end or the other, while transiting in between the two. If you decide to try this, then you want the BEST coax Cable you can afford. Beldon 9913 would be minimum... My sone spent two years in and around KC, and tells me it is flat as a Billiard Table, and that gives you at least a chance of making it on VHF. Keep us up with your plans....

 

Not looking too good on 2 meters at the work end, a beam antenna implies a fixed location. Fixed at the farm isn't too big a problem other than money to put up a tower. At the city end, I'm thinking a portable with a truck mounted antenna or portable tripod arrangement. Mm, this ain't gonna be inexpensive, but won't break the bank if you are careful. Mo' bettah a general license and look at 10 meters (on SSB which is OK for tech tickets) or longer wavelength with some power behind it. At 100 miles, that would fall into an easy range for an NVIS (near vertical incidence) antenna. You probably can't deploy an NVIS on the truck, but there are other choices that could work.

 

Most Repeaters are Grid Powered, with "some" Battery Backup for extended power outages. It is similar with Cellular Systems... Most Cellsites have Petroleum based Backup Power, that is minimum 24 Hours, and some are 48 Hours. Repeater Operators usually have contingency Plans should the Power go out for longer times, than that.
EMP is a Known Issue, for ALL Electronic things. The real question is, How far away is the EMP Detonation? How high above the Ground is the Detonation? What is the terrain between the burst and the Repeater? In your case, The Terrain is FLAT, so nothing is getting in the way of the EMP. The distance to Omaha, (Major Target) isn't that far. You can figure anyone launching an EMP device at the US will get the Detonation up high enough, to get good coverage. SO, Basically, You, Your Electronics, Your Car, the Repeaters, and anything NOT stored in EMP Proof containers, ARE TOAST. Sorry, but that seems to be the consensus, for your area.
So for SHTF Comms, i think besides Ham Radio, I would get some of the SECURE Phones, and put a few of those in EMP Proof Storage, for AFTER, and then use the HAM Stuff NOW, while it still works. I have enough Comm Gear in EMP Storage, to backup ALL my Main Units that are Online, now.

 

Any Comms home, is better than No Comms home, ALWAYS, even if you don't have SECURE Comms.... You might just want to look into MonkeyNet Technology, which can make even the most unSECURE Comms Link Message SECURE. When Momma deploys, like she is now, she has a Family Phrase PAD, on a Plasticized 8x11 inch Page , in her luggage, as well as the whole MonkeyNet Package on her PalmTop. This allows us to have SECURE Messaging, even if the Link is totally unSECURE, and it can be dealt with, using only a Pencil and Scrap Paper. Our Family Phrase PAD, has specific Phrases that only pertain to our Family, and this PAD is in the hands of all our Family Members, where ever they Live. If we still have Internet we can Encrypted files using GPG, or using the Family PAD, via Skype, or eMail. Momma and I use Skype to do Video Chats, when she is in a place with enough bandwidth to support that, or we can Message via Skype, with its internal Messaging app. On this deployment, she hasn't been in a place that allowed anything but the use of a borrowed computer. so we have been using MonkeyChat to communicate. I am logged in whenever I am awake, and she just need to have Web Access to get to MonkeyChat, and she logs in and we do our chatting. We had a nice half hour chat this morning, when she was in Johannesburg, SA. RF Comms isn't everything.... but it does work for us, as Momma is also a General Class Ham. ....

 

OK, then. I think we've arrived at the conclusion that handhelds will NOT make it without a repeater, and even then it's highly problematic. Also, with EMP, all bets are off, and with a power outage, reliability is questionable.

Alternatives:
-There are some linked repeater networks around that can retransmit from one repeater to another. How those work, I do not know, but they do exist. Worth looking into for your application.
-There are also satellite relays that can be used. I don't know how, and they probably require a bit more sophisticated equipment, say like a multi band mobile or portable unit, and almost certainly a general ticket.

All that by way of saying that the problem can be solved absent EMP, so don't give up just yet. Take it stepwise, get the ticket, get the handhelds, learn on them, work on the general ticket and take small bites. Just like all prepping, there ain't enough money to do it all at once, and there is no single solution to solve everyone's needs.

 

102" Whip will do ok, for 10, & 15 Meters but is to short, to give much signal on 20 & 40 Meters and WAY TO Short for 60, 80 and 160 Meters, even if you have a Tuner inLine.... I like the Kite, or Wx Ballon Antenna, for the Lower Bands Makes a small compact antenna in Storage, and you can get very Good Results on ALL HF Bands, with either... Kite Antenna takes wind and no Trees. Wx Ballon Antenna just works.

 

To help Mm a bit: A tuner is almost required to match an antenna to a rig unless the antenna is exactly tuned for the frequency to be used. These days, most rigs have a tuner on board, but they may not have the ability to tune a wide enough span to keep the radio at optimum power for transmitting. Receiving is not a problem, usually, tho a tuner will help a bit with rejection of slightly off freq incoming signals.

Now, for Mm's purposes 10, 12 and 15 meters might be the "right" bands. Very unlikely he would go to the low HF ranges at all for the purposes mentioned in the first post above. Of those, only 10 meters (and shorter) fits his (soon to be) tech ticket. I do not know of any single band radios for 10 meters, but would not be surprised if they exist. If so, that could well be the low cost option, and tuning (shortening) a 102 or 108 inch whip would be easy since they are too long for optimum at that band.

I have to add here that mounting a whip on a vehicle has to consider radiation patterns, it might be necessary to aim the pickup in the right direction ---. (Yes, I know this from meddling with CB a "while" back.)

 

Single Band Radios do Exist for 10 Meters... Usually they are converted CB Radios.... or Radios that were redesigned for 10 Meters.... using basic CB Radio Circuitry... .....

 

You guys know I'm a noob, tech since Nov '12. Still trying to learn enough to continue living the life on the air. Take most, if not all, of this as a learning exercise for me as well as help Mm get off the ground.

Lemme see if I can clarify some of what's floating around in my cranial cavity pudding.
-H/Ts won't do what Monkeyman wants as emcomm to talk to SHMBO when something goes out of round.
-I'm assuming tech ticket only (for now) general later rather than simultaneous tests.
-I'm as sensitive to costs as Mm is, maybe a bit moreso at times. I know he's limited that way as are we all to one extent or another. (Long time member, there's history.)
-Getting started is key, and h/ts will do for that. Cheap, too, and there's a bit of fun to be had on 2 meter nets. Also can be used to check in on the way home to see if there's a jug of milk to be bought on the way once in range.
-10 meter is the longest wavelength available to techs for transmitting. 6 meters might work for him, dunno, but it's less common AFAIK. Either way, transceivers should have enough snort to make the trip home from the city.
-NVIS makes sense to me, since there's no assurance Mm will be able to find a high spot for a whip to reach home line of sight. (Hiding in gullies comes to mind.) It'll take a bit of looking, but there might be an NVIS antenna that can be vehicle mounted. If there are plans out there for a home brew, I'd also like to see them.
+++++++++++++++
So, recommendations for Mm solicited, after getting the ticket(s) (SWMBO needs one, too) and a pair of h/ts (perhaps these - Amazon.com: New Baofeng UV 5RA Ham Two Way Radio 136-174/400-480 MHz Dual-Band DTMF CTCSS DCS FM 5W Amateur Radio UV-5R Transceiver - 2013 Latest Version with Enhanced Features: Car Electronics.) Keeping costs in mind, of course.
-A home station setup
-A mobile