Trail communications for club (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter caz
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
If anyone needs a radio programmed at CMCC, I'll have my laptop and Baofeng cable with me. I plan to be at Twin Grove all week. I also have cables for Kenwood units.
It really doesn't take long to push the file to a radio. There are several different versions of Baofeng firmware out there, but it's a pretty simple procedure to make them all work.
It really doesn't take long to push the file to a radio. There are several different versions of Baofeng firmware out there, but it's a pretty simple procedure to make them all work.
Just about at the point where I'm ready to install comms. What was the final decision on things? Should I get a CB or a radio?
LINK to radio -http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007H4VT7A?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=od_aui_detailpages00
LINK to radio -http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007H4VT7A?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=od_aui_detailpages00
CB!Those Baofeng units are fine for Rausch Creek, etc, but leave a lot to be desired if you are a few miles apart. Some of us used them in Utah earlier this month. With any distance between us, they left a lot to be desired. The guys that had mobile units installed in their trucks were clear as day. I almost threw my handheld out the window at one point...
The second half of the trip, we used the club radios, and they worked very well.
I have one of these on the shelf awaiting install.
Last edited:
Dirty Koala
SILVER Star
I run the same radio in my truck Yaesu FT-2900R. With a good antenna you can really reach out there...on high setting it pumps out 75 watts...I had it set on low most of the trip and clarity was very good....except when Mitch was talking/sucking on his mic.
fireball
SILVER Star
Morgan, is your radio GMRS compatible? A lot of the guys in Vermont use these units and are having really good luck with them:
Midland MicroMobile® MXT400
Midland MicroMobile® MXT400
Dirty Koala
SILVER Star
The 2900 doesnt receive or transmit up in the GMRS range (400mhz range).
If you get a handheld Ham like a baeofeng, it helps a lot if you have an external antenna. I was impressed with the range when used outside the truck, and surprised at how bad it was when used inside. The metal body absorbs a lot of the energy from the Ham
fireball
SILVER Star
Morgan, do you know of a unit that does both GMRS and Ham? I would like to put one radio that does it all into the truck!
After the fiasco with the handheld Hams in Utah, I'm committed to making sure we have the right gear.
The club radios worked really well, but showed their limitation on the open road at longer ranges.
After the fiasco with the handheld Hams in Utah, I'm committed to making sure we have the right gear.
The club radios worked really well, but showed their limitation on the open road at longer ranges.
The little Chinacom Baofengs will TX/RX on 2M, 70cm, GMRS, and FRS. It's not legal to use them for GMRS and FRS according to FCC guidelines.
As far as TX distance goes, it all comes down to the antenna, antenna placement and cable. Yes, the mobile units from Yaesu and Kenwood will put out gobs of TX power, but if your antenna isn't up to the task, you just won't get out.
fireball
SILVER Star
Will one antenna transmit and receive over all of those frequencies?
Is there a nicer permanent mount unit that will better connect to an antenna?
Sorry, I am admittedly ignorant when it comes to this stuff and would rather someone just tell me exactly what to buy/do!
Is there a nicer permanent mount unit that will better connect to an antenna?
Sorry, I am admittedly ignorant when it comes to this stuff and would rather someone just tell me exactly what to buy/do!
Slacker! You can have all the right gear but if you don't know how to use it you will be sol like we were at fall crawl when we realized the capital city guys and I had different chirp files.
I know lots of folks like the Yaesu units, but I'm a Kenwood fan. The Yaesu mic always felt like a little toy in my hand, but that's just personal preference. All of the entry level 2M only mobile units are within a few dollars of each other. They will not do FRS/GMRS. The dual band units (2M and 440cm) can do FRS/GMRS, but some are RX only depending on the radio. Again, FCC regulations.
I like the Diamond K400SNMO hatch mounts for a wagon. It is not the optimal location for TX (center of the roof is best), but it is practical for a truck that goes in the woods. I have several antennae depending on the amount of trees. For east coast wheeling I leave my Comet SBB-1NMO rubber duck shortie on. It can really take some abuse.
If I'm out on the road or out west in Moab, I use a Diamond NR770HBNMO. This one can really get out well, but will bend if you knock it into a tree.
Again, this is personal preference. Just like tires. They all do the same thing in the end. Some just do it better in certain situations.
Last edited:
My name is Andy and I'm a slacker too. Since we at keystone have a bunch of the walkie talkies is there a channel they can be operated on that will match a ham frequency?
Also dose anyone feel that a unified set of frequency's used by Gotham, Keystone, and Cap City would be worth while to create a single Chirp file for? I don't see a problem given the distance our clubs are separated by running the same frequency's. I just was thinking it could simplify things when we get together.
Also dose anyone feel that a unified set of frequency's used by Gotham, Keystone, and Cap City would be worth while to create a single Chirp file for? I don't see a problem given the distance our clubs are separated by running the same frequency's. I just was thinking it could simplify things when we get together.
Andy, I can send you my chirp file it has the CLCC channels, and the NOAA channels for PA and VA (it’s the same channel).
I spent a decent amount of time making sure that the CMCC band plan freqs were not interfering with any local repeaters, so I know that set is clean. If you want to use it, then by all means do so.
That's 16 simplex freqs plus the GCLC management freq which should be plenty to play with.
Or have someone in one of the clubs pick a freq. It's easy enough to spin the dial.
By "walkie talkie" I assume you mean GMRS. If so, folks will need a dual band ham radio to get up into those frequencies. Not everyone has one of those due to the cost.
