Amateur Radio (HAM), Trail Coms, and Navigation Resources

[MountNGoat]

Crossband repeat is a touchy subject in the HAM world. There has been a lot of debate about if it is or isn't legal.

I have found it useful when I got to camp early and wanted to hike. I set up my cross band radio with whatever frequency the group was using then cross banded to my HT. The thing to watch is not to interfere with local repeaters or commonly used frequencies on the repeated (HT in this example) side.

That's pretty much how I use it as well, at camp and away from the truck, talk through the truck on the HT. I set up the HT frequency on UHF with a tone so that it wont open and transmit as cross band without it.

 

[WILLD420]

Since we are constantly talking about radios at the meetings. For the person who wants to monitor the frequencies without talking on them, what's the best radio to get that is hand-held and under $100?

 

[Tony_Farson]

Since we are constantly talking about radios at the meetings. For the person who wants to monitor the frequencies without talking on them, what's the best radio to get that is hand-held and under $100?

Our frequencies when we are on the trail? If so then either of these will be just fine...

BAOFENG UV-5R Two Way Radio Dual Band 136-174/400-480Mhz Walkie Talkie 1800mAh Li-ion Battery​

BAOFENG BF-F8HP (UV-5R 3rd Gen) 8-Watt Dual Band Two-Way Radio (136-174MHz VHF & 400-520MHz UHF) Includes Full Kit with Large Battery​

I have the UV-5R III (top link) that runs at 5W. It does just fine. You can adapt them to use a 1/4 or 1/2 length whip and get decent range if you want, but just the handheld is enough to communicate in a trail run.

 

[rusty_tlc]

I second what Tony said.
If you don't mind installing a Mobil unit I have an older Icom IC25h I'll make you a stellar deal on. It's old but has a 45W output and will bring stations a lot further away with even modest antenna.

RigPix Database - Icom - IC-25H

When I say stellar I mean it will cost you some gas to come pick it up.
If you don't take it I'll put it up for grabs to the next club member that claims it

 

[rusty_tlc]

I second what Tony said.
If you don't mind installing a Mobil unit I have an older Icom IC25h I'll make you a stellar deal on. It's old but has a 45W output and will bring stations a lot further away with even modest antenna.

RigPix Database - Icom - IC-25H

When I say stellar I mean it will cost you some gas to come pick it up.
If you don't take it I'll put it up for grabs to the next club member that claims it

I was just looking at the specs for this radio and think it would make someone a great starter rig because it's very simple.

 

[Tony_Farson]

I second what Tony said.
If you don't mind installing a Mobil unit I have an older Icom IC25h I'll make you a stellar deal on. It's old but has a 45W output and will bring stations a lot further away with even modest antenna.

RigPix Database - Icom - IC-25H

When I say stellar I mean it will cost you some gas to come pick it up.
If you don't take it I'll put it up for grabs to the next club member that claims it

If he doesn't take it (and no one else claims it) I will. I have two more vehicles I want to get setup with radios!

 

[gregnash]

I second/third the Baofeng. Get the computer cable adapter to make things easy on yourself for programming.
I think I was talking with Dan about his setup with the handheld and he had it clipped to the pocket on the back of the drivers seat with a handheld mic adapted, 1/2 whip the ran out the side window and was stuck on the roof then had one of the extended battery packs that allows you to plug and charge that was plugged into the center console cig/A/C power. I was thinking of doing that same with my setup eventually.

 

[rusty_tlc]

I second/third the Baofeng. Get the computer cable adapter to make things easy on yourself for programming.
I think I was talking with Dan about his setup with the handheld and he had it clipped to the pocket on the back of the drivers seat with a handheld mic adapted, 1/2 whip the ran out the side window and was stuck on the roof then had one of the extended battery packs that allows you to plug and charge that was plugged into the center console cig/A/C power. I was thinking of doing that same with my setup eventually.

I have run that set up with my VX-7R. I have a speaker/mic for that. I do something like that when hiking, radio in side pocket of pack with the speaker mic cliped to a shoulder strap. Overall it's a good thing to have a HT of some kind IMHO. I've used mine when traveling in rentals or riding along with a Non-ham friend.

 

[rusty_tlc]

If he doesn't take it (and no one else claims it) I will. I have two more vehicles I want to get setup with radios!

I'll let you make the call om how long we should leave it available. AFAIC it's yours if Will doesn't take it.

 

[WILLD420]

I'll be at the meeting tomorrow. Otherwise, lete know when to pick it up.

 

[rusty_tlc]

I'll be at the meeting tomorrow. Otherwise, lete know when to pick it up.

We'll get it to you sometime this weekend.

 

[MountNGoat]

So something to consider as far as frequencies and handhelds. On the trip I just completed my son's mobile unit crapped out on him so I gave him my 2m Yaesu HT, with no external antenna. Range and voice quality was horrible when used inside the vehicle. I switched him over to my dual band Yaesu HT and we went to 70 cm. What a difference!! He could be miles from me, around corners in the mesas, and we could still talk when he used it from inside the vehicle with no external antenna. The higher frequency just was not impacted by the vehicle skin when transmitting from inside the vehicle. So, the point? Since many (most?) of us with mobiles have dual band units, and the inexpensive Baofeng's can be had in dual band, perhaps a 70 cm club frequency could be a thing to further reduce the cost of entry (don't need to buy and external mag mount antenna) for people. Just a thought.

On another note, one in our party was running an inexpensive 2M HT with a mag mount and it talked much better than I had expected. It was a very useful combo.

 

[rusty_tlc]

Adding a mag mount antenna to an HT will get you a lot of bang for the buck.

2M is literally 2M (over 6') wavelength, I can get away with 2M HT in my open top FJ40 because nothing restricts the waves. In a wagon the body acts like a shield, some energy escapes through the windows but not as much as in my FJ40. 70cm is around 28" which can sneak through a windshield or window much easier.

Another factor is the antenna, because of the shorter wavelength the whip antenna on a HT can be closer to 1/4 wave (~7") without using physics magic.

In any case a good antenna is the key. In most cases a crappy radio with a great antenna is probably better than a great radio with a crappy antenna.

I am a huge fan of Larsen antennas with Comet running a close second. IMHO be ware of pretty much anything you find on Amazon.

 

[DesertLake]

I keep trying to find a use for repeaters, but I just don't find myself in areas with repeater coverage and without cell coverage so I never use them enough to consider myself trained. This map shows the closest repeaters to the areas I'll be hunting this year, roughly between Denio and Quinn River Crossing. The nearest is about 80 miles.

I just spent a weekend communicating with 2 other trucks on Midland all in one CBs with various mag mount antennas. Terrible. This group is not HAM, so I've ordered a Rugged GMRS 45W mobile and the other guys are either getting that or the 25W atv version. Not thrilled to be running 2 bulky radios, and yeah I know about the CAP mod on the Yaesu but don't feel like messing with it.

 

[Tony_Farson]

I keep trying to find a use for repeaters, but I just don't find myself in areas with repeater coverage and without cell coverage so I never use them enough to consider myself trained. This map shows the closest repeaters to the areas I'll be hunting this year, roughly between Denio and Quinn River Crossing. The nearest is about 80 miles.
View attachment 2729821
I just spent a weekend communicating with 2 other trucks on Midland all in one CBs with various mag mount antennas. Terrible. This group is not HAM, so I've ordered a Rugged GMRS 45W mobile and the other guys are either getting that or the 25W atv version. Not thrilled to be running 2 bulky radios, and yeah I know about the CAP mod on the Yaesu but don't feel like messing with it.

Maybe we can talk about sponsoring a Repeater on the reservation one of these days. Would be nice to extend coverage to the NW region and perhaps link it with one of the other repeaters too. The one in Nixon (147.030) Links to the repeaters on Mt. Rose and Peavine.

 

[rusty_tlc]

Maybe we can talk about sponsoring a Repeater on the reservation one of these days. Would be nice to extend coverage to the NW region and perhaps link it with one of the other repeaters too. The one in Nixon (147.030) Links to the repeaters on Mt. Rose and Peavine.

The SNARS repeater network covers a lot of NW Nevada.

https://snars.org/repeaters/analog/

A repeater is a huge responsibility.

 

[reklund5]

For anyone in need, I now have the cable to program the Rugged Radios V3 handheld. Glad to help anyone who may need assistance.

 

[DesertLake]

My buddy and I each picked up a Rugged GMR45. Mine worked flawlessly this weekend. His let the magic smoke out 5 minutes after we powered it up. For real - smoke came out of the plugs in the back.

 

[DesertLake]

We've been working with the GMR25 a little bit, the transmitted audio is very tinny and hard to understand. Not sure if it's the mic or the radio. My GMR45 sounds great, good speaker and good mic. My buddy has another GMR45 on the way, hopefully this one doesn't smoke.

 

[1967fj40nv]

I am repurposing this thread as general HAM/NAV resource for the group.

Here's Some Gear We Recommend
Everyone has their preference on brand and setup options. This small list is meant as a "getting started" list for folks who haven't yet found their ideal setup. Scroll through the entire thread to see other member's setups and recommendations.

Items #1 are standalone and no additional things are needed to start using them.

OR

Pick anything from items 2 or 3. Then choose the antenna that matches the radio features (single band or dual band). Finally choose the appropriate connector (NMO or PL-259) from item 7 to complete your radio kit.

1. Entry Level dual band radio (handheld): BAOFENG BF-F8HP (8 Watt) or Baofeng UV-5R (5 Watt). We recommend either one of these radios even if you do not (yet) have your ham license. You cannot transmit (except in emergencies) but you can listen to the trail boss and other members of the group so you know what's going on.
2. Single band (2M - the main band the club uses) radio (mobile): YAESU FT-2980R (100 Watts!). Several of us have this radio. It is extremely well built and used in Baja and other competitive applications for its ruggedness and power. Pay the extra money for the "MARS Mod" which will allow you to hear emergency and government band traffic.
3. Dual band (2M and 70cm): YAESU FTM-300DR (50 Watts) or YAESU FTM-400XDR (50 Watts). These are advanced radios capable of dual band transmit and receive on 2M and 70cm as well as digital radio. They also have GPS and APRS capabilities, and the 400 is capable of free sms send/receive capabilities via satellite. 70cm is handy because several areas in the region have repeaters in this part of the spectrum. Both of these radios have remote heads/control panels with hideaway bodies for more versatile mounting options in vehicles with limited space. Pay the extra money for the "MARS Mod" which will allow you to hear emergency and government band traffic.
4. Single Band Antennas for 2M mobile: COMET-NCG SBB-25 (1/2 length 57-inches with PL-259 connector) or COMET-NCG SBB-25NMO (1/2 length 57-inches with NMO connector). I use the SBB-25 on my 80 Series connected to my FT-2980R transceiver and I love the combo! These are two-piece antennas with a folding feature that will allow you to collapse the antenna when not in use or going through low hanging branches.
5. Dual band (2M/70cm) 1/4 length (18-inches) antenna: COMET-NCG SBB-2 or COMET-NCG SBB-2NMO. Same features as item 4 but will support dual band radios like item 3 above.
6. Dual band (2M/70cm) 1/2 length (42-inches) antenna: COMET-NCG CSB-750A. This is a larger antenna with a PL-259 connector.
7. Connectors: You need to match the mount to the connector type of your antenna (PL-259 or NMO) and you choose your mount based on the location you choose on your vehicle. The taller/higher the better for good transmit/receive. However, you have to balance your mounting location with the ability to clear obstacles on the trail or setup you antenna with a spring or fold over feature. I would either go with a longer 1/2 length antenna and mount it lower to allow for the whip to compensate for obstacles or get a 1/4 with a spring mount and mount it higher. There a bumper mounts (like mine in the pic below), trunk/hatch mounts, lip mounts, luggage rack, magnetic (I don't recommend for offroad) and bolt thru sheet metal mounts. This really comes down to preference and what your antenna needs. NMO is probably more versatile but I have never used one. This is a good universal lip mount NMO connector with cable and radio connector. This would work with any of the NMO antennas listed above and with any of the radios in items 2 and 3. I used a bulkhead mount PL-259 to mount my antenna to the bumper of my 80. Note the option on that page for a PL-259 lip mount as well. You can use that if you choose a PL-259 antenna.

This is very good idea, I have had my license for years, The use of repeaters is superior to CB, and have used this for emergencies to help airlift people to hospitals.
I can answer questions if need help.