Who in Bear Nation can effectively field radio(ham/cb/gmrs/DMR/apps/etc, ad nauseam) questions? I'm just starting out in ham myself (studying for technician and general license). I think it would benefit us all in our preparedness to get closer to being on the same page for comms.
Discussion
Hey all, I'm in the market for 3 two-way radios for me and my tribe. I'm hoping to find something that will cover a 12 mile distance in flat suburbia. I'd like rechargeable batteries and docks. I'm looking to spend $200ish. What are you all rocking?
JS Badger, I have a like minded question. While at one point in my life I was a Field Radio Operator, I used PRC 77, and SINCGARS and various FM and AM radio systems. I am currently using Motorola in the civilian world (not ideal by any stretch of the imagination). They worked great on very short range with little or now structural interference. Looking on getting my ham technician and general license.
@TyMoore @KD9PREPPER and myself could all be tapped for this.
@Patriotic Trucker Hats off to you. Ive been reading your posts and am learning/relearning a lot. Thank you for sharing with us. Also there is nothing better than saying "fire for effect" and have a whole gun line of 155's unleash only to hear the momentary silents before the sound of impact.
@Big Squirrel artillery KING OF BATTLE FOLLOW ME
I am a Gerneral Class ham radio operator (KF6AAL.) I have operated on HF with an old Atlas 210x radio that was my grandfathers, and made a wonderful contact from Eureka California to a farm in Ogden Utah. I was using an Outbacker antenna on 3.955MHz and about 95W rf power. Ironically the operator I was conversing with was also using an Atlas 210x, so he made me an honorary member of his club (FarmNet.) I own a Baofeng UV5R+ and am looking to expand my commo equipment to include more multi band multimode equipment (Yaesu 857 radio.)
@TyMoore, i wish i had my grandfather's equipment. I just picked up a UV-82HP(looking on how to lock out the tx till i get my ticket). I had thought on getting a tri band model but heard 220 isn't used as much. Might pick one up just for that reason. Is the Yaesu that much better, other than the case integrity?
@JS Badger Yaesu, Icom, Kenwood... They all have advantages and disadvantages. Generally speaking though, a radio will treat you as you treat it. If you're tossing it around on concrete and banging it on the table trying to get it to work again, it won't last. But if it's dropped from the hip into some wet dirt probably won't phase it much. Most of my equipment is 810-Mil-Spec.
Mobile and handhelds are designed for vibrations, accidental drops etcetera. Radios for sheltered environment like the FT-736 not so much.
@Patriotic Trucker I concur. One of the interesting little pieces of kit I own is a Yaesu FT817 this is a self contained all mode all band HF-UHF radio. It is capable of communicating on all ham bands from 160-10m, 6m, 2m, 440Mhz and can transmit a maximum of 5W rf. It can run on 10AA batteries or can use an external battery pack or power supply (12-13.6Vdc). I plan on using a small supercap and a 5W solar panel at some point. No batteries!. I use an LDG Z817 Autotuner which allows me to throw a random length wire in a tree if I want. On a mountain, 100 feet of thin copper wire can make contacts with CW (Morse code) over thousands of miles.
What does this all mean? I can pack up up the complete radio, antenna, tuner and power system in a bundle that weighs less than 5 lbs, hike up a mountain an establish some kind of comms. While still being able to carry a standard patrol loadout. At some point I want to use my little Raspberry pi3 computer and my Radio interface to establish full digital communications over that same distance to pass things like emails or instant messages...It's crazy the amount of comms that can be carried by one person!
I have to ask gang, what do you all think of the features of the BAOFENG UV-5R 8W High Power 3800 MAH Long Battery Dual Band Intercom? I've heard you can monitor on it, what do they mean? Just listening to it? Is it like a scanner of sorts?
@Jonathan Wilfred Michelin I'm not sure what they mean by the term "intercom". Unless it's something akin to the old Nextel PTT cellphone walkie talkies?? Anyway one of the weakest links for these class of radios is unfortunately the difficulty of programming them without a computer running CHiRP and or cloning radio to radio. Just my opinion based on reviews.
@Patriotic Trucker ok thank-you, and I copied the radio title from a website, I apologize, they had intercom haha
@Jonathan Wilfred Michelin as I told others, personal equipment doesn't need to be the same equipment. If you're running a UV-5R on 146.535Mhz with a DCS code 023 and I'm using a Yeasu FT-207 on 146.535 Mhz with the same DCS, we're in business. If you're running a CB and I'm still on that Yeasu there's a bit of a problem.
@JS Badger I could field those in answer to your original question
@Patriotic Trucker, i agree and thank you. It looks like quite a few of you just might be the forums elmers.😉
I am not sure what you guy's are looking for. I am a general class licensed been around since about 1988. I have a fare amount of experience and old school knowledge under my belt. Have had lot of radios towers equipment antennas ect, not to brag I was very serious into hobby for years. I run hot and cold now. I have been exposed different modes in ham radio even ham TV called ATV and is even now digital.
Go check out the ARRL.com gold mine and the back bone of ham radio. (The best place to learn is the club you are being tested at) most are very willing to teah and it is not a cheap hobby if you get hooked I did. If I can be of help will try. 73's Mike
@Mike Ault, any information or guidance is very much appreciated. As soon as i get my ticket, i hope to xatch y'all on the air.
@JS Badger don't cram! Study for up to an hour or less. Let the information absorb. Take as many practice exams as you possibly can. HAM PREP is an app I'm using along with a book, highlighters and a note book.
@Patriotic Trucker oh im not cramming. I enjoy reading and understood electrical theory when i was a kid. Im taking my time with it. Almost considering my Extra in the same sitting, but ya know...baby steps
The math for General isn't too bad, some algebra and basic algebra manipulations. Some basic knowledge of electronics. Basic knowledge of waves. Electrical safety. When you need to seek a permit from FAA if your tower is going to be too high...that sort of thing. Anybody studying for their ticket, I am happy to field questions. I've had my General for almost a year now, so I consider myself a "Novice General!"
@TyMoore there's absolutely no such thing as a tower too high ... Real Communications starts at 200' LOL
Yeah, but I'm tired of replacing them after an overpass scrapes them off the back of my truck! :)
@TyMoore lol sounds like ya need one of them dar mobile crank up towers with da outriggers and the tilting base der hey. And maybe from the top of the mast we can find that darned gone thirty point buck
Hey guys n gals, I was wondering can anyone suggest to me a decent hand held comms device that I could purchase?
My area is alot of hills, lakes and basically Tundra areas, im mind boggled looking at options haha, I was looking at radios and all shiny haha I'm as bad as a crow
These are tough questions to answer. What do you want to achieve with the radio. What are it's most important features, water resistance, price point so you can replace it in an event of dropping in the lake, range, battery drain, ease of use??
A multi-use and popular radio is the Beofang UV series. You can often compare Beofang against other brands and honestly find many of the same features at different prices
@Patriotic Trucker I've looked at them and honestly I'm not sure on them, but I'd like to get the distance I could out of them, and a eavesdropping and weather would be good, other than that I'm not sure what I need, just durable and distance I guess, all I've had was a Kenwood mobile base unit with frequencies programed in, I went the opposite way when I heard of trouble
Here's been my experience, an inexpensive radio often feels like a toy walkie talkies but when you hold a commercial radio like a police officers Motorola you know it can/will take a lot of abuse.
A Beofang with a good antenna from atop The hills will cover a lot more ground than the same radio down on the lake (and definitely more than from the bottom of the lake). FRS radios can't use upgraded antennas, that's a VERY important feature on radios, the better antenna the better performance period. GMRS radios require a paid license and offer more power 5watt handhelds. And often cover the FRS frequencies though at the same power output of 500mW or 1/2 watt. MURS radios can't talk to FRS/GMRS radios but require no license and allow 5watts but limited to only 5 channels. CB radios are limited to 40 channels, 4 watts, but can offer USB/LSB modes and 12w in those modes plus upgradable antennas and ionisphereic propagation. Ham radio require a license, testing, but offer frequencies from 2MHz all the way up to 2GHz and beyond with power limits ranging from 100w to 1,500watts.
Ok thanks, I was looking at a radio on YouTube a Yaesu FT-817 it's like a mobile with a battery so it's mobile lol, but I'd like a hand held, I have used the Motorola CP-200 vhf radios, they feel good but 450 a radio, not my price range haha
@Jonathan Wilfred Michelin Just out of curiosity, are you a licensed ham? If you aren't you might also consider getting a GMRS mobile radio like the Midland Micromobile MXT115 mobile radio. It's 15W rf, mounts in a vehicle (or pack with a small lead acid or lithium ion battery.) You file for a license from the FCC, pay $70 for 5 years of use, then everybody in your family can use it. Good way to start now while you study up to become a licensed Ham. Just a thought for you.
@TyMoore I am not licensed, but am working to get my Canadian one lol, and I'll have to look into the Midland, I was looking at a few base units for my truck for a mobile base so to speak
Ok cool. So you're aware of things! It's look for something 810 milspec for vibration, temp testing, water resistance etc, definitely something with dual band capabilities and upgrade the antenna, just make sure it's designed for dual band use. A 144/440 or similar. Would love to hear what you go with.
I use a Yaesu ft-270R single band and a telescopic 5/8 wave antenna
Ok thanks, in looking at the Yaesu line now, how do you find the prices? I honestly cannot find anything in Canada haha, I'll look up your radio for a idea.
@Jonathan Wilfred Michelin easier to look up model number or a few retailers like gigaparts.com or ham radio outlet, normally lists prices.
I would like to take just a moment to reiterate that "Privacy Codes" on FRS and GMRS (and even MURS) are not private at all. The word "privacy" implies "secure" but anyone with that kind of radio or even a scanner can listen in on it. Only encrypted communications are "secure" and even then, only maybe...
My father told me, never say anything over the air you didn't want your neighbors to hear... This applied to the cordless phone.
@Patriotic Trucker (laughing!) Yes, my dad used to say the same thing. Don't ever do your banking with a cordless phone, especially the old 1980's garbage ones that operated on 29Mhz with a telescoping antenna that literally anyone within 3/4 mile with a Bearcat scanner could listen too! (so much for comsec!)
@TyMoore you're not lying there. My bedroom was on the second floor. I could "hear" for a distance, mostly to the south due to the window but as a young kid I found it interesting to figure out who's phone I was listening to. Then I discovered directional antennas and the local ham club had a fun game, fox hunts. 73
(shameless plug) if you want to read up on why "privacy codes" are not Private at all, I have a post in the Communications board titled Radio SOP: PL Tone Squelch and DCS Squelch
@JS Badger How is your studying coming along for your license? I am also studying for my Technical now and thought I could breeze through it because of my prior experience. I'm a hands on sort of learner and if I cannot touch the equipment, I have to do more external research. So I am taking my time but learning a decent amount every day. But man is it fun learning/relearning how to utilize and create your own radio system. I can see where the information I needed for the Technical License is just a tip of the ice burg. As I found out Technical license for the most part is all about communication on a local level for my intended purpose. I need to get my General license to "unlock" both knowledge wise and the legalities to communicate on a national level. As you said "The rabbit whole". So I thank everyone for posting their knowledge on this forum. It keeps up at night thinking about what I can do to cause positive effects on others in a disaster/SHTF scenario.
@Big Squirrel don't underestimate the power of knowledge. Yes technician class is limited to 50Mhz+ (VHF/UHF) and beyond, but there's great fun to be had either assembling your desired station or building one from scratch.
Six meters 50-54Mhz is a fascinating area to "play" around with and capable of doing much more than the typical handheld devices we're well versed in. Such as working meteor skatter, Aurora, and sparatic E propagation or tropospheric ducting to achieve long distances. Learning how to effectively communicate over longer distance by concentration of RF power into a more narrow bandwidth (think about a garden hose with your thumb slightly over the end of the hose), example would be 146.520 FM simplex might not reach the station as well as 144.205 USB simplex. FM carries a lot of information with a modulated carrier wave plus both sidebands, AM on CB has this as well. But what if we cut one of the sidebands out and suppress the carrier on the transmitter side, and reintroduce the carrier and missing sideband on the receiver side?? That's how SSB works. The transmitter only has to transmit either the upper or the lower sideband information and can send that "lighter" load further.
Morse Code is even better at going the distance because it is a continuous wave. Hence the reason Morse code is refered to as CW, it's a carrier that is either on or off. Technically Morse code was one of the first digital modes of Communications, 10101 on off on off dah dah dit dit dit, dit dit dit dah dah.
@Patriotic Trucker The fun thing about ham radio is there are lots of modes one can use to get messages out if needed. A key hear is to learn about them and what you will need to effectively use a particular mode on the equipment you have and that those you need to communicate with also have similar capabilities. Guys there are some very interesting ways to communicate without having to pick up a microphone. Don't limit your knowledge.
@ozarkgeek I completely agree. As one person however pointed out to me, some comm people are ready for for the final thesis for their PhD in Advanced Wireless Communications degree while others are trying to fully understand what the difference is between frequencies and channels.
I watch a lot of YouTube, KM4ACK is putting out great vids on Digital on Raspberry Pies
We own a tower in Northern California. My apologies I am not knowledgeable on how to use it, my boyfriend took over business after his father passed away. If we can help with questions or operators near needing to use it just let me know. He hasn't joined site yet I can have him use mine til he sets profile up.