Ham Radio is incredibly diverse, and different people get different things out of it.
Many people get a basic license and use a handheld radio to talk to people in their area through a "repeater" (basically a big range extender) on VHF/UHF frequencies (~140MHz or ~440MHz) - that'll give you several miles of range to chat with locals.
You can go further and get a mobile or home base station with a fancy antenna to get more range, while still essentially doing the same thing.
A lot of people have fun with "DXing" (distance communications). There are a few different approaches to DXing. Most people set up a home or mobile base station with a big (but can be very cheap, just a wire) antenna for use on lower frequency bands ("HF"; from a couple MHz to a couple dozen), which can have much higher range than VHF/UHF. There are some people that use atmospheric conditions to get higher range on VHF/UHF though.
Some others connect their radio (handheld or base station) to their computer to set up long range computer networks.
There are endless other uses, but a common thread is that they're quite technical and it's very personality driven. If you're a computer enthusiast, you might enjoy mesh networks, AX.25 (networking protocol), or FT-8 (extremely durable protocol for low power long range DXing). If you like building things, building your own radios and antennae can be fun. And if you just like talking to similarly nerdy people, you can grab a handheld and get chatting.
I personally am looking to get into DXing with FT-8 soon - I want to put together a mobile setup that runs completely offline. FT-8 requires a synchronized clock (within 1s accuracy) so I want to get a laptop set up with GPS time. Then, I've gotta find a radio I can rig up to the laptop, probably at a hamfest flea market. The ultimate result of that is that I'll be able to communicate directly with other hams on the other side of the globe (ideally!) from a laptop in my car.
In the Internet age, ham radio isn't really all that practical. It's fun to tinker with though!
I've setup quite a light mobile FT-8 setup in case you are interested.
I'm using the FT8CN Android app and a truSDX radio. USB cable from the radio into my phone powers the radio as well as sends/receives the audio.
For antenna I'm just using a hamstick on the roof.
This only puts out about half a watt but I was getting out about 2500-3000km away. You could then have an alternative power source like a battery to get around 5 watts.
I hadn't heard of the truSDX - I'll probably pick one up! Seems like the cheapest new HF radio with computer control out there, sounds perfect for getting started. I would assume I can connect it to a 12V socket in my car for full power.
Many people get a basic license and use a handheld radio to talk to people in their area through a "repeater" (basically a big range extender) on VHF/UHF frequencies (~140MHz or ~440MHz) - that'll give you several miles of range to chat with locals.
You can go further and get a mobile or home base station with a fancy antenna to get more range, while still essentially doing the same thing.
A lot of people have fun with "DXing" (distance communications). There are a few different approaches to DXing. Most people set up a home or mobile base station with a big (but can be very cheap, just a wire) antenna for use on lower frequency bands ("HF"; from a couple MHz to a couple dozen), which can have much higher range than VHF/UHF. There are some people that use atmospheric conditions to get higher range on VHF/UHF though.
Some others connect their radio (handheld or base station) to their computer to set up long range computer networks.
There are endless other uses, but a common thread is that they're quite technical and it's very personality driven. If you're a computer enthusiast, you might enjoy mesh networks, AX.25 (networking protocol), or FT-8 (extremely durable protocol for low power long range DXing). If you like building things, building your own radios and antennae can be fun. And if you just like talking to similarly nerdy people, you can grab a handheld and get chatting.
I personally am looking to get into DXing with FT-8 soon - I want to put together a mobile setup that runs completely offline. FT-8 requires a synchronized clock (within 1s accuracy) so I want to get a laptop set up with GPS time. Then, I've gotta find a radio I can rig up to the laptop, probably at a hamfest flea market. The ultimate result of that is that I'll be able to communicate directly with other hams on the other side of the globe (ideally!) from a laptop in my car.
In the Internet age, ham radio isn't really all that practical. It's fun to tinker with though!