Things all licensed amateurs often start with
- A 5 watt handheld radio
- A built-in battery
- An integrated antenna
- Paper & pencil for logging
The next upgrade is often
- A 50 watt mobile radio (wired to the vehicle's battery)
- A vehicle mounted antenna
- Paper and pencil for logging
As you join ARES and learn more, you tend to get
- A Windows laptop
- A VARA FM license
- A Winlink account & license
- An external sound card like the Digirig and the necessary cables
So you have all the stuff but why do we need it?
During times where no other communication is possible, radio works. This is because radio doesn't need any infrastructure*. Height is might when it comes to VHF/UHF communications. This technology is line of sight. If you can see it, the probability is high that you can reach it. You are not always by your vehicle, so if you don't have a portable kit, you might not be able to help as much. As Jeff KF0CTR learned while he was in East Tennessee after hurricane Hellene, a Manpack radio was life changing.
The Manpack
This is a YouTube video I like that describes the terminology well.