You know how sometimes in a show or a movie there is a character that has a "radio friend" that they talk to? Yeah that's what I want to do.
But I do not know how to so I came to ask you! Cheap, preferably.
Out of curiosity, I found this app on IzzyOnDroid, (which gave me the idea in the first place) Codec2Talkie that seems to be what I'm looking for but I'm unsure due to my ignorance.
A radio modem seems to be required as the app description dictates. I can find one somewhere no issue. But is this the correct approach? Is there a better way that I don't know of?
Yeah, ham radio. If I was doing it all over again, I'd go for the most basic SSB radio I can find that plugs in to a computer sound card - that should in theory be able to do anything reasonable. You'll also need feed lines, an amp and a large-ish antenna, which is where things get a bit more technical hardware-wise, especially if you're in an apartment or have something like an HOA, but it nothing you can't figure out.
And yes, a licence. So far I've found the requirements pretty reasonable in my jurisdiction, they relate to not frying yourself or your equipment, and how not to be a menace to other people sharing the radio bands. You used to need to learn Morse code fluently enough to pass a practical test, but most places have gotten rid of that.
To go along with all the people mentioning the need for a license for ham radio: there is a study app with literally all the questions that might be on the test and it's all multiple choice. Just keep answering the questions till you remember enough of em.
There are at least three legal ways to do this. CB radio, ISM frequencies and amateur radio. I say legal because the radio spectrum is heavily regulated because every transmitter affects everyone else to more or lesser extent.
You can buy CB or ISM band radios and get started.
Amateur radio is a better option in my opinion. There are many more frequencies to experiment with, people who can help and people to talk to.
Amateur licensing is different in each country, but an introductory licence is often no more than a weekend course and exam. I know of nine year olds who have done this. It's not hard. No Morse code required either.
With such a licence in hand you can use things like JS8Call, CODEC2, Olivia, WSPR and hundreds of other protocols to communicate using just a radio and a computer.
Disclaimer: I'm a licensed amateur in Australia and have been since 2010. I hold an introductory licence, here it's called a Foundation licence, and have been having an absolute blast with all that I can do.
If you have specific questions, don't hesitate to ask.
Does it have to be audio? A meshtastic radio like what you get from https://www.lilygo.cc/collections/lora-or-gps will pair to a smartphone app (or browser app) and let you text with people who also have a meshtastic radio nearby. If you're in a reasonably dense area there may be several people chatting.
If you're in the US, take a look through this website.
https://www.arrl.org/home
And specifically this link for licensing info.
https://www.arrl.org/getting-licensed
You can start listening with a cheap Baofeng walkie talkie and a spectrum analyzer like the TinySA, if you want to transmit you will need an amateur radio license. Or depending on your jurisdiction you can start using open frequencies WO the need of a license.
