Ephraim wrote:
I'm less than a newbie. I have no radio or experience and am wondering what
the ins and outs are. The idea of conversing with people all over the
place sounds very interested.

Can someone give me some feedback on how it works, what kind of range there
is, general ideas about the $$ involved, and a few things I'm too ignorant
to ask? I know there is a broad range but I have to start somewhere.

I think what you're looking for is "amateur" or "ham" radio. The
suggestion to start at http://www.arrl.org is a good one. In theory
this newsgroup is for those listening to international broadcasts (and
not talking back) but there's a lot of overlap.

Amateur radio requires a license. I'm making the educated guess from
your post's headers that you're in the USA. Here, a license that allows
operation on the international HF frequencies requires passing a simple
written test and a 5wpm (VERY slow!) Morse Code exam. The Morse
requirement is likely to be deleted in the next two years (or sooner),
though there are real advantages to knowing Morse even if it's not
required by the government.

Already, you can obtain a "Technician Class" license without passing a
Morse exam. This allows operation on VHF and UHF frequencies. On these
frequencies communications throughout your metropolitan area are
possible; sporadic nationwide communications are possible on the 50MHz
band. (and potentially worldwide but you'll have to wait for an 11-year
atmospheric cycle to come around)

The licensing exams are given by local radio clubs, often at annual
hamfests. The arrl.org site has lists of local clubs and examination
schedules, as well as outlines of the written tests. There is no fee
payable to the FCC for a ham license, but there is a modest ($10 IIRC)
examination fee.

Range is potentially worldwide. That is somewhat dependent on
atmospheric conditions and the quality/size of antenna you're able to
install. Contacts throughout North America are very possible with
simple antennas, poor conditions, and low power.

A basic ham station consists of a "transciever", a power supply for that
transciever, a microphone (and Morse key?), an antenna, and "leadin"
cable to connect the antenna to the transciever. Good quality
transcievers can be purchased new for as little as about $700; used gear
is of course cheaper. A decent power supply will run about $150, or you
can use a car battery if you have a safe place to store it and a safe
way to charge it. A microphone is usually included with the
transceiver. A wire antenna can be home-made from parts available in
the wiring department of Home Depot for less than $50. You'll have to
get the leadin cable elsewhere though (probably the same place you buy a
transceiver), $50 should probably cover that too. So I'd say just shy
of $1,000 to get started with new gear.

You will need some space for the antenna. How much space determines how
many of the frequency bands available to hams you're able to efficiently
use. A 260-foot antenna may be necessary to use the very
lowest-frequency band available, while 20 feet is plenty for the highest
band. There are ways of getting on with something smaller (many hams
operate from their cars) though they're somewhat more expensive and less
efficient.
--
Doug Smith W9WI
Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66
http://www.w9wi.com