Ive had interest from time to time. CB can sometimes be interesting on long solo road trips, I get it that it’s not HAM, but the barriers to entry are lower too.
I never had much patience for Morse code, and the issue with the radios is thst the antennas become a big issue for doing long range communication. Setting something up even in the attic won’t be that great. So all of a sudden you need a long, elevated antenna, and it just becomes more and more of a challenge.
Are you aware of how far a 2m HAM actually transmits at ground level and practical output power?
In our local club we have two repeaters, one on VHF and one on UHF. Our ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) usually uses the VHF repeater for Emergency services and is used primarily for weather spotting. I have tracked four tornadoes so far and have never been out of range with Net Control, using my Icom-V8000 at 75 watts. My radius of storm tracking activities takes me across 5 counties with a radius of 50 miles.
For extended travels I use the simplex VHF calling frequency of 146.520 and have made many contacts from Wisconsin to Tenn.
I also carry an AM/SSB CB with me but CB for the most part is void of any activity these days.
My main ARS activity however is HF on the 80, 40, and 20 meter bands.
I started the hobby by SWLing when in grade school, then received my amateur Novice and Radio Telephone First Class with Radar Endorsement (commercial) licenses while in High School.
it is an interesting technical hobby with the advantage of meeting many new friends.
Addendum:
When the Derecho hit our area last August with straight line winds of 130 mph and 4 embedded tornadoes, we were one of the few comm links available for emergency services since most cell services were out for 3-5 days. We gave a local radio station a temporary transceiver so they could broadcast blocked roads, downed power lines, and medical needs, information provided by our on-site members.
