The advantage of Ham Radio is it is a great communication source for your entire family,no matter where you are car, boat , home or while walking.
The cell phone is great but many of us live in areas where the cell towers do not give us optimum coverage.
Ham Radio can be kept as basic as you like or like any hobby taken to the limit.
Worldwide communication is enjoyable, imagine talking to a maritime mobile (sail boat ) off the coast of Madagascar on the Indian Ocean with just 10 watts of power.
Ham radio spreads all interests with RV enthusiasts using the hobby for routine communication and aeronautical mobiles ( airline pilots and private pilots) talking to you as you drive along in your car or enjoy your boat.
Through the use of FM Repeates handhelds are quite common and can give you reliable communication over hundreds even thousands of miles.
A local ham club will give you free assistance acquiring your license and are a wealth of free information and assistance.
If we were all Ham Operators we could have our own Bennington Net on a nightly, weekly schedule enjoying conversation the same as over phone but with a hundred at a time!
Best of all it is FUN FUN FUN
Some compare it to CB Radio but on a more reliable , upscale forum.
A Ham License is FREE and lasts 10 years.
Some enthusiasts have elaborate stations while others use modest equipment with the same results.
Here is a small inexpensive FM Transceiver which with some Linked Repeater Systems can give you worldwide communications
A great hobby that is used worldwide for emergency communications
If the grid is down Ham Radio is your only alternative.