What are
/r/HamRadio's
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The most popular Products mentioned in /r/HamRadio:
The most popular Services mentioned in /r/HamRadio:
Gqrx
HackADay
Hackster
SourceForge
Zoom
Sia
QUCS
Streema
Player FM
Autodesk Tinkercad
Debian
Microsoft Power BI
AbeBooks
The most popular Android Apps mentioned in /r/HamRadio:
Ham Test Prep
RepeaterBook
IZ2UUF Morse Koch CW
SDR Touch - Live offline radio
US Amateur Radio Band Plan
Robot36 - SSTV Image Decoder
EchoLink
Ham Radio Quiz: Trial Tests
ISS Detector Satellite Tracker
Dioptra™ - a camera tool
NCDXF Beacon
WiGLE WiFi Wardriving
SSTV Encoder
The most popular reviews in /r/HamRadio:
It's overload in the front end of your SDR. Those stations are NOT in the band. You will need a AM broadcast filter. Something like this: LINK
These are the kind you'll want. It sits much more flush with the radio. It's best profile wise to just purchase a new antenna with a BNC connector rather than use adapters, then you'll be in business.
Honestly a baofeng is a great starter radio. Mine works awesome in my area for hitting those 2m and 70cm repeaters. I have a few repeaters close by that I can hit and talk to my dad 50 miles away with no problems. If you do go the baefeng route, make sure you get a Nagoya whip antenna, you will get way better tx/rx out of it. I used the stock rubber duck for a while before I got my whip and was very surprised at how much it improved.
Some of the older guys despise the Chinese radios. My dad who’s been a ham most of his life makes fun of my baofeng, but it works and it’s cheap.
Edit: Amazon has a deal for a uv-5r with whip antenna, programming cable, and a few other extras for $37.99. You seriously can’t beet that for a starter radio.
Edit2: BaoFeng UV-5R VHF/UHF Dual Band Radio 136-174 400-480Mhz Transceiver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007UYKG4E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_BXfWAbPN95MYH
I finally broke down and got the OptiVisor. Amazing.
https://www.amazon.com/Donegan-OptiVisor-Headband-Magnifier-Magnification/dp/B0015IN8J6
(What this means is that I need reading glasses or bifocals. Crap.)
I had the same issue with my FTM-400 and aftermarket LED's that I installed in my Ford Escape. I used these to eliminate the hash.
eBoot 20 Pieces Clip-on Ferrite... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01E5E5IY4?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Maybe get him this book, which may give him ideas about how to rebuild his station and get back on the air:
Russian telegraph key http://www.morsex.com/ru/ (not modern, but cool)
RTL-SDR software receiver (and the SMA-to-UHF dongle Amazon suggests with it) https://www.amazon.com/RTL-SDR-Blog-RTL2832U-Software-Defined/dp/B0129EBDS2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1490153344&sr=8-1&keywords=rtlsdr+v3
A lot of hams poo-poo on them, but you can get a Baofeng HT for $24.
For example:
This is a first gen radio (3rd gen is $70), but I have this one and it performs as well as my Yaesu VX-5R, but it’s not as rugged. Of course the Yaesu was a lot more money.
As far as I know, it’s the cheapest ham radio you can buy right now, but it works.
Thank you!
I used this one, which was cheaper when I bought it. It was "sold by" Amazon at that time.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0791KB3TK
I looked at some steel breaker boxes but they really don't age or seal that well, in my experience.
The best speaker I've found for ham radio, mobile or fixed use, has been a Motorola mobile speaker such as this. You can usually find a bunch at hamfests for 5 or 10 bucks, or on ebay for 15 to 20 dollars. The speaker actually appears to be made by Midland, so if you want a brand new one, Amazon has them for about $30.00.
But, most any cheap computer speaker will work pretty well too. As for the SP35, that's just Icom trying to prove that a sucker's born everyday!
I use these:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GB4CQQ3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
add a small usb hub a cm108 audio card (have an easy digi between that the the radio) and usb to civ cable.
I don't care for hook mounts, rattles too much offroad. I use magnetic vent Mounts like THIS
You want an audio ducker. RDL makes one. So does Rolls. I wanna say the rolls is a model DU30B or DU3B maybe?? Either will work, be tiny, and cost less than $100, probably more like $75.
Pretty sure rolls stuff is on Amazon but I can't check at the moment.
Oops I was able to check. I was close. Rolls DU30b on Amazon. $80
This app for Android got me through my Tech... Ham Test Prep. It pulls and updates from the official pool questions. Not sure if it is available for Apple devices though...
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iversoft.ham.test.prep&hl=en
disclaimer: I am not affiliated with this app or its creator. Its just free and it worked for me.
I like the one below, it's free if you have prime. The book's goal is to pass the test, not to learn the technical intricacies. I haven't found a book that goes into the technical intricacies of radio.
"Technician Class 2018-2022: Pass Your Amateur Radio Technician Class Test - The Easy Way"
Music wire, also called piano wire, in rod form is ideal mechanically. It can be found at hobby stores, Amazon and others.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IISQZFO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&psc=1 or similar with a pipe to the inside. I put a copper plate inside for my lightning protection blocks easily takes LMR-400 up in a nice drip loop with ninety degree connectors. Looks like cable TV stuff to normal people.
Base of this knock off ABBREE:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07TYBX86D/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
If you get "direct bury" rated coax, you won't even have to dig up the lawn much at all.
All you'll really need to do, is cut a channel using something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Radius-Garden-25602-Pro-Lite-Ergonomic/dp/B016W5UPW4/
You might consider something like an ABBREE foldable antenna. Although the link below specifically mentions Baofeng, the antennas should be compatible with many other HTs.
https://www.amazon.com/ABBREE-SMA-Female-Foldable-Tactical-Antenna/dp/B07RRPC8VQ
I bought myself a new soldering iron last year. I use it for cables and audino projects all the time. The ts80 is what I purchased. The ts100 is popular but I picked up the ts80 because its usb c powered and with the right power bank it's completely portable. Makes field work lots easier.
Here's the iron I bought myself https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088LYLF8T/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_CBWOFb602BX73?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Here's the power bank I use that works. Beware, not all of them work with it. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082XC8BK7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_PFWOFbFAPB7Z7?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
The power bank isn't required, but it's nice because it makes the whole thing portable.
If I knew a ham / audino person this is the gift I would buy them.
I just went from Zero to Technician in just under a month. I ordered this book from amazon, read it and took some practice exams with this app. I contacted a local club and they scheduled an exam for last Friday. I gave them $14 and passed the test. Checked the FCC licensing database and found my call sign there this morning. NH2LK.
You can use that pinout and match it with one of these adapters and you have your cable
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D6LLX19/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_KUJLFbGG5GNGT
Just match tx from radio to rx from adapter and vice versa gnd with gnd and you are ready to go.
I've been using these adapters for hp 48g calculators for over a year no issue at all.
And also built my cable for my Baofeng it works great with CHIRP
Hope it helps.
Hi - I recently bought the exact same radio and had the exact same problem as you. It frustrated me for a few days until I figured something out... the UV5RV2+ does NOT cover all of the VHF ham bands. I'm guessing you're having problems anytime you try to input any frequency that starts with 144.? After going crazy and realizing that was the problem, buying a programming cable and trying to see if I could use CHIRP to expand the frequency limits, I finally noticed in the product listing on Amazon (I'm guessing you got yours from Amazon too), and actually says in small print "Covers 145-148 MHZ." (The VHF ham band is 144-148 MHZ.)
I hate to say this, but this is an absolute garbage radio and will give you nothing but problems because of this limitation. The original UV-5R's seem to be ok and cover the entire range, but THIS specific radio does not and from what I can tell, there doesn't appear to be a way to fix it. I have returned mine and am waiting for a refund. My recommendation would be to return it and get either an original UV-5R or similar radio, or to spend a bit more and pick up a used Icom, Kenwood, or Yaesu which will give you better performance overall. Nothing against Baofeng's in general... when they work, they work. I actually have a set of BTech GMRS handhelds (BTech seems to be the American distributor for Baofeng), and those are absolutely awesome... I love them.
If you want to stay with a lower price point, I might recommend upgrading at least to a BTech radio. This will give you 3 bands, and should give you no problems: https://www.amazon.com/BTECH-UV-5X3-Watt-Tri-Band-Radio/dp/B01J2W4JUI
I found out the same thing as you the hard way... the radio you have simply does not cover all the VHF/UHF ham frequencies. Good luck, and feel free to PM me if you have any questions!
I’m not referring to the radio USB port. I purchased a cord that has the large rectangular USB connection on one side and the regular barrel plug that goes into the charging port of the Kenwood.
It doesn’t say if it has step up capabilities or not. There aren’t any reviews or clarifications. And I know how weird the D74 is about charging.
radtel Baofeng UV-9R Plus 8Watts Walkie Talkie BF-UV9R Plus IP67 Waterproof Dual Band Ham Radio 8W https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R8PHHF3/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_999EFb2AZTQNB
This might be what your looking for? I just bought one i enjoy it
Ironically, most of the radios that show up there have a GMRS FCC ID, but are marketed as FRS because they're technically running on some of the same frequencies, and people don't understand or care that you need a GMRS license to use any radios that support GMRS features like higher power, removable antennas, or repeater frequencies.
I suggest these cheap FRS radios if you're going cheap.
It's honestly a pain in the butt to try to figure out which Midland radios are actually type certified for FRS because apparently they want consumers to be confused and use their GMRS radios illegally.
I prefer these radioddity FS-T1. They actually have an FCC certification. Maybe the extra $10 is too much, but I don't think so.
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07T5DSJGQ
FCC ID 2an62-fst1
I love having radios that charge via micro usb!
As for safety, they're probably fine. I mean, they might violate FCC specifications at many baofeng radios do (transmitting out of their licensed bands or emitting interference), and batteries can always overheat, but they're no less safe than any other baofeng radios.
Honestly, they've been selling these radios for years and the sky hasn't been falling. It might be time to allow detachable antennas for FRS radios and focus on cracking down on the interference being emitted rather than on pretending it's important to keep people playing airsoft from transmitting on GMRS bands with UV-5Rs (assuming they can get a handle on their harmonic emissions).
But until the FCC changes the rules, these radios are only licensed for business use by a business that has licensed frequencies that they program into these radios on receipt.
So it's not a safety issue, it's just risking that someone files an FCC complaint against you.
That would be petty and obnoxious, but they'd also have a point that you're breaking the law unless you're using these for business purposes on a licensed business frequency.
With the exception of charging, you likely won't burst into flames. You will be violating FCC regulations/law using these on the FRS Bands.
If you choose to break the law we can't stop you, theoretically you could get busted using this. Its highly unlikely but maybe some hunting warden will bust your balls if they dont like you.
If you wanted a legal alternative, here is a set of walkie talkies that will work. They are marginally more expensive.
I second the data cable—it makes programming so easy. You can even download different ya dare channels which you can listen to while your studying. The UV-5R is so annoying to program that I’ll break out the cable to add one freq. I use this data cable
6m is about as short as HF comes. That radio will reach a long way if you combine it with a good antenna. 40m combined with a digital mode should be able to reach your 1/4 of the globe with occasionally reaching out to longer contacts when the ionosphere cooperates. I don't have an 80m or larger antenna but I suspect 80m would also be able to reach out pretty far.
40m using the FT8 digital mode is always busy anywhere near evening, all night, and even a bit after morning. Then the traffic switches to 20m for the daytime, and there are almost always a 1/2dozen people on through out the day.
Build or buy one of these. I built my own, cost about the same, but my cost also included lots of adapters and 50ft of RG8-x coax to feed the antenna. https://www.amazon.com/MFJ-1778-G5RV-Antenna-80-10-Meters/dp/B005OEA88Q/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=80m+dipole&qid=1596479026&sr=8-4
I got a UV-5R and listened in for about a month while I got my licenses, then just upgraded to an Anytone 878. My thoughts: get a UV-5R like this one And this programming cable I know the cable is expensive but it’s the only one that works. You could even get an antenna like a 771 if you want. All in that’s about $45, and more than enough to get on the air. Use that to figure out if you like the hobby, then upgrade to an radio in the $200 range if you want. You almost definitely don’t need 8 Watts, and if you do you shouldn’t use a cheap Baofeng for it. With that said, I probably never would have gotten into this without my UV-5R so I think it’s one of the most important and best things to happen to Ham Radio
No. But you can get an RTL-SDR dongle for 42€ that receives everything from VHF to UHF, amateur, commercial, TV, you name it.
https://www.amazon.it/NooElec-NESDR-SMArt-Alluminio-antenne/dp/B01GDN1T4S
Try amazon smile to donate to charity automatically at no cost to you!
https://smile.amazon.com/RTL-SDR-Blog-RTL2832U-Software-Defined/dp/B011HVUEME/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=RTL-SDR+Blog&qid=1601409164&sr=8-3
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I would recommend reading Craig Buck K4IA books. Instead of giving you all of the possible answer it only gives you the correct ones which makes the answers stand out on the test, bit also includes all of this info while telling his story with ham radio. I used his technician book and I just bought his general class book. If you want more info, I'll put an Amazon link to it here --> Technician Class 2018-2022: Pass Your Amateur Radio Technician Class Test - The Easy Way (EasyWayHamBooks) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1985125641/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_bVSCEbB9WYDM8
I've been using IZ2UUF's Koch CW trainer at 20wpm (I think that's the default), but with some spacing after each string.
It's so hard, even for the first 3 letters. If I'm relaxed or my mind's fresh I do quite well, but other times it's just guesswork.
I think I'm aurally dyslexic or something because I can't tell the difference between a dot and a dash - I can recognise K much easier if it's after an M, because I recognise the "first letter" (i.e. the initial sound) is the same. If the only letters in a sequence are K and R it's much harder - as I say I do better if I'm well-rested and relaxed, and once I've listened to enough to get them sorted out in my head.
I learned using this app on my phone. Crammed for 12 hours and passed general. Also these these videos for my tech and general even though the general is out of date. Really easy to follow!
Just saw Canada, but leaving it here for anyone else in the US that might be looking
Yes, that is SSB transmission.
Do not worry, this can be corrected. You have some options. The HAM neighbor will want to help tackle this. no worries.
I think you could squash this with a Ferrite core. Loop the mic wire through it a few times. See the photo. Ask the neighbor if he might have one laying around.
A few of these should do the trick. Place them anywhere along the cable.
https://www.amazon.com/Roctee-Suppressor-Electronic-Ferrites-Diameter/dp/B07X8GN6C7
GA-510 is twice the power, comes with two batteries and the programming cable.
Twice the price and no spurious emissions!
Yes. You can cut it for a quarter wave on 2M (about 19 inches) and it will have a reasonable resonance on the 70cm band.
All antennas like this benefit from a ground plane (or grounded wires aka radials) at the feed point. More is better.
On 70cm, the angle of radiation will be high, and while this is technically gain (but, gain upwards at 30 degrees into the clouds, mind you), you will have better performance with a quarter-wave antenna actually cut for 70cm. In practice though, the resonance and high-angle are acceptable and much better than an HT in a house or inside a car. So it's not a bad idea at all and it will work.
Commercial dual-band antennas typically have an integrated trap or other interesting methods of getting the pattern to behave on both bands. I've never successfully built one of those myself. But I have used many 19" antennas on 2M and 70cm. It's no crime to be cheap and it works alright.
For about $35 you can get this antenna, which has gain on 70cm and unity gain on 2M. It's excellent and is worth the cash when you can. There are higher gain antennas and wider banded antennas, but this $35 one is just fine.
I've been using these with good results.
Thanks for that, what a gem of a find. Will probably build one for myself.
There's an eBay link on the QRZNow webpage but it's broken.
I found the plans for sale on Amazon though:
I've used this a fair bit. With the metal roof of my truck it got out really well with the 5 watts on my handheld.
Tram 1185 Amateur Dual-Band... https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0045EQUBK?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I like the Practical Antenna Handbook even better.
Low Profile Amateur Radio helped me a bit back in my apartment days. Is that the book you had in mind?
Also, OP, if you want that book, check your local library or something, first. I do not remember paying $50 USD for it, I want to say it was more like $15. No idea why the price is so wonky. There's an older version by a different ham available for free on Archive.org, if you want to give it a shot. I can't imagine the info is that different, since antennas haven't changed much in the last few decades.
>the need for an external sound card for things like FT-8 seem awkward.
Depending on what you are connecting it to; many computers and some cell phones and tablets already have an audio jack.
If you do need an external sound card, they can be quite small these days. I bought one of these specifically for portable operation. Then I built a cable to go from the TRRS jack to the Data port on the radio. All together, the whole audio system doesn't take up much more space than a typical USB cable.
That's all. I just don't want you to pass up one radio or another because you're thinking you'll need a separate soundcard box between them for audio.
As far as actually recommending one radio over the other, my biggest recommendation would be to find a local shop where you can actually poke and prod them. Looking at photos online doesn't really give you an indication of the actual user experience. I blindly bought an Icom a while back, and sold it after only a couple weeks of use because I hated the UX.
A few snap-on ferrite chokes on your speaker wires may be enough to eliminate your problem if you are uncomfortable approaching the neighbor.
They are like what you see on many factory laptop computer cables and other electronics. Available from Amazon. This is just the first one I pulled up:
If you are in the US and planning on getting your Tech license, most start with handheld dual-band 2m/70cm radio. Some say to avoid cheap Chinese sets and spend more to get a name-brand model, rather than one you will quickly outgrow. But, if you are bitten by the bug, you will quickly outgrow the limitations of Tech grade and want more options, relegating the 2m/70cm set to something you leave in the car to have something to do during your commute.
My recommendation would be to try for General class at the same time and you will have fewer limitations as to what hardware to start out with.
Maybe try this and monitor the repeaters in your area to get a feel for what is going on. If you don't like it, you're not out a lot of money. If you do like it, this set sill serve you well.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.dudetronics.droidstar&hl=en_US&gl=US
Always think it's funny people downvote anything thats not the idiotic hotspots around here.
Fair enough on the you built it going try using it. Though those guys could tune by sliding the slinky out and back?
Lifepo4's have what's called a C rating on their spec sheet C rating * AH = Max discharge amps steady state or they just state the max discharge rate like they did here https://www.amazon.com/LiFePO4-Battery-Miady-Rechargeable-Maintenance-Free/dp/B0B7MBRC69 Pretty much slight chem/build variation allows for higher rates, all but the most cheap of cheap will do more than 1C.
Yes and yes. Can not say I'm a fan of them but they are common and cheap, typically used in automotive and RV bits.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B091MM1HLY is a random quick search result for a panel mount with 10awg wire.
I find their resistance is pretty high they get quite warm under heavy loads and the typical rubbery phasic gets quite soft. This is why automotive moved to power poles for larger more continuous loads like a winch but it's commonly used for lighter duty stuff like maintenance chargers and the like.
You can run any type of coax with PL-259 connectors on it to your rig, then use one of these adapters to change it to BNC.
I have these to charge my scooter and have been well satisfied with them. Requires a good squeeze to connect, and a good pull to separate.
I learned from the book Transmitter Hunting. It's a little dated but still in print so I suspect nothing better is out there.
My recommendation is to make friends with a regular hunter. Offer to drive or navigate or whatever s/he would value and ask questions.
It helps to understand navigation. In the modern world, I expect that there are favored apps on tablets. I started with paper maps on a lap drafting board with parallel rules, protractor, and triangles. I used 3mm 4H lead to draw lines to make erasing easier. I'm sure those days are gone. Today, without guidance to the contrary, I'd use what I know: OpenCPN and Google Maps.
I think fox hunting is great fun and enjoyed it when I lived near an active club.
Thats an sma connector on the radio, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073JT98RR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 you might want to get this, it has a coax to sma bit in there aswell as a bunch of other adapters
500khz to 1.something ghz, plenty of software, and large sample rate.
they are both coax connectors. small one is SMA female SMA male to plug into it and the larger one is PL-259, sometimes called a "UHF" connector, which mates with SO-239.
The adapter you need is an "SO-239 to SMA Male". A pigtail like this, for example:
https://www.amazon.com/DHT-Electronics-Handheld-Antenna-Connectors/dp/B00COW5E3A/
Are you just trying to supply one computer with wifi, or supply your home network with an internet source?
If the former, all you need is a USB wifi card with SMA antenna connection and a yagi or similar directional antenna tuned for 2.4ghz
If the latter, the simplest way would be a "travel router" which has an external antenna jack that can be connected to a yagi/directional antenna (like this). Also people with RVs often do this in RV parks, you can try searching with RV in your search terms.
Choosing specific radios is its own special rabbithole. Everyone has their own opinions about what to buy. If you want to start with something cheaper, but is a good radio:
Anything more than that in terms of price is more about how it looks & certain features that you will likely never use.
You can also look at the Baofeng UV-5R that can transmit on both HAM & GMRS, but that will have a steeper learning curve.
A standard battery like this UPS-style Lead Acid battery can work just fine for +100W HF. I use a pair (not the same brand but similar) for my IC-718, one battery at a time. I run my IC-718 at 100-150 watts and I use the speech compressor, which increases the average power.
It is absolutely key that you build a low-loss cable with only one fuse in-line. And that fuse should be properly installed, not a poorly-crimped inline fuse holder from ebay. The cable should go from the radio to the battery. I have Anderson PowerPole SB50 connectors on all my radios for their low-insertion loss.
That particular size lead-acid battery is a good deal because it is quite common in computer UPS units and in home security systems. Because of that, there's a "mass market" effect and the price is a little lower. Buy a few of these, build yourself good cables, and be happy. You can carefully charge them using your home 12V supply (use a high power 1 ohm resistor in series if the battery is quite low), and you can charge them from a 12V vehicle supply too. I have actually used them to start my car once in a pinch. Not saying that's a good idea... but it did the trick.
If you want to spend more, of course AGM, LiFePo, etc, there are better technologies, but they cost considerably more. I run AGMs on my repeater because they are definitely better, and yet, you can still charge them using more or less standard technology (but at ~14V).
Radioddity GA-510 is a little more than the cheapest Baofengs, but has 10 watts and comes with two batteries and a programming cable. FCC compliant, it only transmits on legal frequencies, and has no spurious emissions.
So I had a similar issue at my work, I couldn’t scan all channels and so I found the frequencies and programmed a baofeng to be my listening radio at my desk.
I used an SDR and kerchunked my work radio near the software and determined the frequency from the waterfall.
The SDR I used was the RTL-SDR V3($40)
RTL-SDR Blog V3 R820T2 RTL2832U... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B011HVUEME?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I’m also able to use this to listen to HF stations.
If you’re in a classified area you need to remember that those baofengs are not Class 1 Div 2 and would therefore require a firewatch to operate in the classified area.
Something like this may work to find the frequency:
However, it is unlikely something with that radio which is typically so much better than any cheap Baofeng. My gut says something else is wrong apart from the radio. The fact that you don't know the frequency or how to program it indicates highly to me that this has more to do with not knowing what frequency this radio is on and therefore don't know who you can or cannot connect to. Just my thoughts... Before you down vote, remember I did answer your question though LOL
Here is Dave Casler showing how he solders pl259s. He pre-solders everything before he solders it all together.
I got a bigger 80 watt iron w/ a bigger tip to hold enough heat for this specifically (use a smaller digital iron for finer jobs).
I can access that site thru a VPN, but this should be what you need https://www.amazon.com/DHT-Electronics-coaxial-adapter-female/dp/B00CVQLDX4/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?crid=K77CKBT0ESMC&keywords=bnc+female+to+sma+male+male&qid=1657827654&sprefix=bnc+female+to+sma+malemale%2Caps%2C215&sr=8-4
I just did a bit of ham radio related digging with the prime day filter enabled. The only deal I saw was the following:
This Xiegu G90 is $399, usually slightly more: https://smile.amazon.com/Xiegu-Radio-Structure-Built-Antenna/dp/B08X6Z6KN2
> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09KC3JYC8?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
There are some images that aren't loading at the bottom of your qrz bio.
Everything below where you mention your sota rig doesn't load for me.
Baofeng makes a couple GMRS radios that use the Kenwood connector. They could be used on FRS channels only. About PMR, I don't know.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09NZBPW4R/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_6?smid=A39FQA149TJD8E&psc=1
The RepeaterBook App for Android (linked below) lists many local repeaters and their offsets, and their type, and their access tones by distance from your location. Very helpful App.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zbm2.repeaterbook
A nano VNA will only measure antennas and transmission lines (coax), it can't measure the output of a transmitter. You will need to get a watt meter to do that. Here's a real basic one that would probably get the job done to give you a rough idea, though I don't know how accurate it will be.
I have a Workman model 104 SWR/watt meter and would recommend avoiding that model, it isn't very good.
For clarification (as I can see where some confusion might arise), you can measure antenna SWR with both a VNA and an SWR/Power Meter, but you can't measure power with a VNA. The difference is that an SWR/Watt Meter needs an external transmitter (your transceiver and amplifier) while a VNA uses its own electronics as the transmitter. If you hook your amp or transceiver into your VNA and then transmit you will fry the VNA, and possibly your transceiver.
I've got just the answer for you:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008515U1U/
This kit has an excellent manual regarding how the radio works . The circuit board is laid out in a logical manner that follows the various circuits that make up a radio. It's a very well written manual. Now to add to all that check out this youtube vid series:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8Ny7XCyxio
The kind gentleman who did this video did a whole series of all aspects of building this kit and he goes into a lot of theory. This kit and the videos will get you going down the radio theory rabbit hole with no trouble at all!
I've built a number of Elenco kits and while their circuits are nothing fancy they are functional to be sure. You can branch off from there. Hope this helps!
> Are hf radios without built-in antenna tuners worth it?
Absolutely! And if you want one later on (and your transmit power is 100 watts or less), you can pick up something like this for around $100:
ATU-100 EXT Automatic Antenna Tuner
That's what I did. Even though I have reasonably resonant antennas for the bands I frequent, every once and a while I want to make a QSO on one that I don't. That antenna tuner makes it a snap.
Very cool. I went ahead and purchased this sprung diamond dual band antenna. If it doesn't perform well I'll give that stealth guy a try.
I've been running a Comet CA-2x4SRNMO on a 5.5" magnetic mount on the trunk of my Honda Civic for over 10 years.
The cable is routed via the back seat, with some weather strip foam around where the cable passes under the trunk.
Never had any issues with it, and have no doubt that it will hold at well over 100MPH (not that I've ever done it...) though I have no experience on rough dirt roads.
Might not be the cleanest, but the advantage is that I can easily remove/move it to another car, and I can move it from the trunk to the roof if I need the extra reach, which I only had to do once or twice (a roof mount will not clear my garage door)
I do not recall that I had to drill a hole through the firewall, probably routed through an existing hole to reach the battery.
Just a few years ago I found out that I have an additional fuse box inside the cabin, driver side footwell, and I've used an "add a circuit fuse tap" in an empty fuse slot to pull electricity for something else I needed.
It would have been much easier to do the same for the radio...
https://www.amazon.com/Profile-Circuit-Miniature-Piggy-Holder/dp/B08MKLK4SP/
The radio (without the head) fits perfectly in a cubby hole under the car AC controls, the head is on my dashboard attached with velcro, I glued two strong thin rare earth magnets on the passenger side where the center console meets the dashboard and the mic attaches to that.
I have a splitter for the audio, routing the audio into both the car Aux input and also into two small speakers mounted on the headrest posts right by my ears. this way I can monitor the ham radio while listening to the car's audio, but also can listen to the ham radio via the Aux input when needed.
K6AVI
The hot air wand is a godsend for heatshrinking
Very interesting, thanks. I bought those antennas for two radios from Amazon and wondered why it was listed as Authentic Genuine Nagoya NA-771 and "Certified Original Nagoya Antenna." Mine is authentic.
UV5Rs are OK but my buddy has one and he always sounds really quiet (yes it's in wideband mode) talking on his. When he switches to his Wouxun KG805g he sounds amazing. His UV5R works much better when he connects a commountain lapel mic
I'd go with a radioddity gm-30 over a Baofend if you want something at that price point. If you have a little more to spend, a Wouxun is better. I have a KG905 and it works really well to talk to a repeater 30 miles away while inside of my house.
I just edited the comment. If you're not comfortable blasting your city name to the world, I understand. Feel free to DM me.
Do you have the Repeater Book app? I used to add new repeaters and update old ones via this app, years ago.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zbm2.repeaterbook
There's also the ARRL Repeater Book but I've read some bad reviews. YMMV.
If you're in the middle of nowhere, are you familiar with the Wilderness Protocol? The Primary Freq is the National Simplex Calling Frequency, 146.52 MHz FM.
This is what I use for mine. It's fairly RF noisy so it's pointless to use the radio while its plugged in, but it works.
https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Charger-VXA-710-FT-60R-FT-270R/dp/B072JXRV8F
This is a great analog handheld that is inexpensive: https://www.amazon.com/Uniden-BC125AT-Alpha-Tagged-channels-Lightweight/dp/B00772MR0K/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=1WVMDUQL8D90&keywords=uniden+125&qid=1653751300&sprefix=uniden+125%2Caps%2C104&sr=8-1
Check https://www.radioreference.com/ to see if this will work for you.
Retevis makes a similar floating water proof FRS radio for about quite a bit less than the Motorola. It's what I bought for kayaking/fishing.
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B08GGYSK7N/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_2ST29AYPFE6HCR6B7K5R
I just had a look at the service manual. I see bulbs in there, labeled "DS2" and "DS3". "HRS-7219A". These are 3mm 12V incandescent bulbs, which were commonly used by icoms of this vintage. They burn out.
I just replaced these in my IC-820. I used "warm white" 3mm LED lamps, and coupled them with a resistor to work using the 7V to 11V input. The result looks pretty close to stock.
Here are the LEDs I ordered: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077X959CG
You'll have to judge fitment for the IC-229. The IC-820 had plenty of room to mount the LED and resistor.
Good luck.
I really like my TYT UV-88. It has been great starter radio for me. The only issue is I don’t think it has any IP rating. So don’t get it wet or dust in it. If you decide to get it; order you a better antenna along with it. Nagoya Antennas are good and not expensive.
It's a 14ah 12v lifepo4. Your can buy one of those for the 50 bucks cash your looking to spend on this "generator" and use the 100 buck gift card for something else.
https://www.amazon.com/HAILONG-2500-7000-Compatible-Trolling-Fishfinder/dp/B09MS3Q1HH for example rated for 25a continious discharge enough to run a 100w hf rig (30 minutes keydown or so about an hour for the 50w rig)
I really like the Gordon West books; 2019-2023 General Class https://www.amazon.com/dp/0945053932/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_T4YF0QK71BD44K3SAETR
I also used Anki to do spaced repetition of the current question sets. When I got stuck on a question, I’d look it up in the Gordon West book.
Headlamps are a poor choice for low light environments. You spend a huge amount of time shining lights in someones eyes (when they call you and you turn to look at them). I have a "one strike and you're out" policy - nuke my night adaptation and I confiscate.
Headlamps have their place for maintenance and repair (generators, radios) but come with the responsibility not to turn your head away from the task at hand. Ever.
I use these https://www.amazon.com/Flashlight-Pocket-Sized-Adjustable-Waterproof-Flashlights/dp/B071WK4R76 and their USB rechargeable equivalents.
It is a baefeng bf-f8hp with a 1m coax going from the radio to a 136-174/400-520mhz antenna. This is the antenna Bingfu Gooseneck CS Tactical Antenna Dual Band VHF UHF 136-174mhz 400-520mhz Ham Radio Antenna Compatible with Kenwood Baofeng UV-5R BF-F8HP UV-82 BF-888S UV-5X3 UV-9R Handheld Two Way Radio https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08DGZCF2B/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_NSZGNXYN6KN1CJTSASY1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 And this is what the mount looks like. KRYDEX MOLLE Tactical Radio Antenna Relocation Pouch Airsoft Military Radio Antenna Fixing Pouch Holder Carrier Utility Tool Bag https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07T2353GG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_B4CMH8MSBDMQNPRDV8ZP?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 The mount will attach to the back of the plate carrier.
You need an appropriate radio to go with your plate carrier.
Something like THIS maybe.
I don't think you'll get much more compact reliably than something like a MeanWell unit (https://www.amazon.com/MEAN-WELL-LRS-350-12-Single-Switchable/dp/B0109IMRPS), and switching supplies will always be more compact than a linear supply.
But obviously a linear supply will be less noisy than a switching one, though decent switching supplies have should appropriate filtering that should minimize any noise.
But everything is a series of tradeoffs, there is no perfect solution. The battery someone suggested also has some compelling features.
Like most folk, I'd recommend buy it from a reputable company for better reliability and QC, but even still there is no guarantee the unit won't fail.
I've seen some people use old Xbox 360 power bricks but they only go up to 203 watts so you might not be able to use a full 100 watts of power. In the past I've seen people use a server power supply but honestly if I were you I would just get a small switching power supply. I use a TP50SW at home for my FT-891 and FT-991a, it works really well for me. I've taken it on trips and used it for a couple POTA activations. I like that it has a cigarette adapter on the front which I know is kind of silly but it's nice to be able to charge my phone and iPad.
The radio is fine. What antenna? A rubber duck and body shielding will rapidly drive you mad. Yagi? Pseudo doppler?
See https://www.amazon.com/Transmitter-Hunting-Direction-Finding-Simplified/dp/0830627014/
I recommend this for a scanner. It can scan into different bands that the UV5R can't. Also that beofeng is extremely slow verses an actual scanner
I would recommend the prerelease of SDR++ and an android tablet. You can run it on a phone, but it's ported from a desktop program, so it's not the easiest to use on a small screen unless you have a stylus. The other program you can use is SDR Touch, but it's closed source, costs money, and doesn't have as many features. It's easier to use on a small screen though.
The android version of SDR++ has a more limited selection of supported hardware than the desktop version. An rtl-sdr is the cheapest and smallest supported device, but it will work with an airspy or hackrf as well.
The airspy and hackrf have more bandwidth than the rtl-sdr, but will need a higher end android device to make use of the additional bandwidth. I would avoid the hackrf since it doesn't have a very good RF front end and the transmit capability isn't needed.
Okay, well, like, could I use this?: https://www.amazon.com/Warmstor-Female-Adapter-Converter-Playing/dp/B073GZB6WM/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2C53YJ59ZGB2M&keywords=usb+female+to+3.5mm+jack+audio+adapter&qid=1650319218&sprefix=usb+female+to+%2Caps%2C232&sr=8-4 and put it in the headphone jack?