Repeaters ( Ham) locations and coverage maps

[Paul]

My PMR set of two cost £6 in the market.
As for receiving ham transmissions? I don't think the expense is justified.

Hams will graduate to the 40 fixed EURO CB frequencies eventually anyway because the world has a lot more CB'ers than hams. Besides it's easier in the long run.
Why do I think that?

Hams use all sorts of frequencies, all sorts of modulation, all sorts of gear.
They can dial up any frequency and apart from a few known calling frequencies use whatever they want. That's fine. Away they go. Bacon on bacon.

The rest of the Europe won't bother pratting round.
Europe has CB based on the US channeling i.e. CEPT. Hell the US still use CB. So effectively that's the whole of the northern hemisphere potentially on 40 channels. Easy

That means that Europe will probably settle on the internationally recognized calling channels of 9 for emergencies and 19 for contact. 2 channels.
Two main modes. FM / AM. Who cares what they use, a flick of a mode switch and voices appear.

Now what's easier?
Setting your ham set to cope with CEPT channels and talk to the US, Europe and us lovely chappies or pratting round via VHF/UHF repeaters and all that associated crap.

Whats easily available, easy to setup, and idiot proof? CB gear.
I rest my case.

Cheers Pal