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Ham experience (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter LandCruiserPhil
- Start date
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You might want to consider some way to hard-mount the HT, plus a external mic/speaker is a huge help.
https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/handheld-ham-radio-mount-how-i-did-mine.811000/
I have since upgraded... The old microphone was way too small and hard to hold, plus the speaker was too small. I now have THIS MIC/SPEAKER.
But... I bought a new FT-7900 and will be remote-mounting it this week. I need to drop the headliner in my Taco as I'm going to hard-mount a LMO type antenna mount where the satellite radio antenna is. Looking forward to 50 watts on 2 meters!
Although... I was able to hit a repeater in the San Tan mountains from 101/Scottsdale Rd on my 5 watt Yaesu HT with a 1/4 wave antenna on a mag mount. The guy I was talking to said it sounded just fine...
re_guderian
SILVER Star
Thanks, good info!
Saddletramp
GOLD Star
The best ham experience is at honey baked
Well, maybe. But the ham at Lucille's (order early) at Tempe Marketplace? Booyah.
murf
Lifer
Ham is the red headed step-cousin of the true patron of meat >
highjack over
highjack over
re_guderian
SILVER Star
Ham is the red headed step-cousin of the true patron of meat >
highjack over
re_guderian
SILVER Star
Up and running! I can at least listen to a repeater on Usery Pass from my house in Gilbert.
my vote goes for smoked bacon - Black Forest style
]
actually, we tuned into ham radio during today's drive to the Louisiana LandKrewesers meet - "no traffic" on any of the repeaters we hit on during the ride
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- Thread starter
- #30
Should not have a problem reaching Mount Ord and its a linked with a few other around the valley. The plus is then you have access to Autopatch. Use the guild at the beginning of the thread to setup your freq, tone and offset for Mt Ord and you are good to go for autopatch. Reminder Autopatch is an open line for anyone on the freq to monitor.
re_guderian
SILVER Star
A few notes and a few questions for the gurus...
Found a website for the Baofengs that has some really useful information, including an expanded user manual with helpful suggestions - written in English! Click on http://www.miklor.com/ and select the model you have. Has some programming cheat sheets, etc.
I'm also putting together a spreadsheet with common things I'll want, but probably never remember, alpha codes, AZ freq coordination plans, etc. etc.
Now, does anyone have a good plan or logic for storing repeaters/channels into memory? Other than just dumping them in, and somehow printing out a list of what you've got stored where? (e.g. weather stations in memory 60-65, FRS 80-81, common repeaters 1-10, etc...)
Been listening in on one of the emergency nets just to get the hang of it tonight. 146.86 W7ARA, Usery Pass.
Got my connector so I can hook up my mag-mount antenna tomorrow, we'll see what kind of range 8W can put out on the BaoFeng...
Found a website for the Baofengs that has some really useful information, including an expanded user manual with helpful suggestions - written in English! Click on http://www.miklor.com/ and select the model you have. Has some programming cheat sheets, etc.
I'm also putting together a spreadsheet with common things I'll want, but probably never remember, alpha codes, AZ freq coordination plans, etc. etc.
Now, does anyone have a good plan or logic for storing repeaters/channels into memory? Other than just dumping them in, and somehow printing out a list of what you've got stored where? (e.g. weather stations in memory 60-65, FRS 80-81, common repeaters 1-10, etc...)
Been listening in on one of the emergency nets just to get the hang of it tonight. 146.86 W7ARA, Usery Pass.
Got my connector so I can hook up my mag-mount antenna tomorrow, we'll see what kind of range 8W can put out on the BaoFeng...
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re_guderian
SILVER Star
I'm also having problems with the repeaterbook Android App figuring out where I am, in order to sort repeaters by distance. It also won't accept my input grid square. Anyone else using this app? It does store things locally, which is nice, no cell signal needed.
8W on a HT? Wow that's pretty good. Do you have to run a 12V adapter for that? I'm just imagining how long it will broadcast 8W on batteries. As for Repeaterbook, it works pretty good for me. You have location turned on I'm sure. Have you contacted the app maker? I have mine set for 2m and 70cm repeaters only. I'm running v 14.12.12 (you can find this on the "settings" page at the bottom).
8W on a DC adapter at 16.7V - then subtract out all the cable and connector losses and you are still down to a possible 2W at the perfectly matched antenna. AA Alkalines start at 4W, AA LiIon at 3.2W ... and so it goes. Where is my linear, anyway
ps: I don't have the specs and just fanning the watts flames 'cause I'm bored. Plus, I know my Yaesu makes mention of odd power issues with external Lithium batts ... risk of fire, damage, etc. So that's what I use in it.
ps: I don't have the specs and just fanning the watts flames 'cause I'm bored. Plus, I know my Yaesu makes mention of odd power issues with external Lithium batts ... risk of fire, damage, etc. So that's what I use in it.
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I use the factory battery pack or the factory 12V cig lighter adapter. I can hit the White Tanks repeater from the 101/FLW Blvd intersection. Works for me.
re_guderian
SILVER Star
I'm still messing around, have the HT in the car with the mag mount antenna (Tram 1185) today to see what comes in, and what I can talk to. The new BaoFeng's HT's have 1W, 5W, and 8W Tx settings. I'm guessing every little bit helps. I have the OEM battery, and also a 12V adapter. Have (obviously) not used long enough to know how long the battery will last talking at max output.
One of the basic tenants of amateur radio is to use the lowest possible power required to communicate.
Of course the difference between 5 and 8 watts is about 30 feet!
Get a good antenna for best results and get it high as you can.
One of the basic tenants of amateur radio is to use the lowest possible power required to communicate.
Of course the difference between 5 and 8 watts is about 30 feet!
Get a good antenna for best results and get it high as you can.
Another place to save power and increase range is minimize the cable and connector attenuation between said radio and said antenna. Small numbers add up to serious signal loss. Usually not too bad for Rx, but can easily halve Tx range. Adapters are notorious for being bad ideas in the RF world -- sometimes handy, but never close to what a properly designed cable interface.
These cable issues are why a hand held with stubby inside a car works as well as the same handheld with a 18" SMA-UHF adapter cable connected to a magnetic roof mount with an extra 15 or 25 feet of cheap RG58, especially when on the 70cm band.
re_guderian
SILVER Star
Well, I'll try both in my car and see what happens. It's a little unwieldy with the SRJ77CA on the radio as it's ~15" tall, but I can hit Usery Pass repeater and use autopatch to make a call just fine from home, which is about 14 miles. I can hit Mt Ord from home, which is about 45 miles as the crow flies, and can access the autopatch, but it drops the call almost immediately. Couldn't maintain a connection. Is that typical? (this is on high power with 8W).
- Thread starter
- #40
I have not had a problem with dropped calls. Most of my autopatch calls have been from Bartlett lake area and Seven Springs on my mobile unit 65 watt unit. Also no problem on the 4watt hand held with autopatch to Mt Ord from Sheeps Bridge.