Old Thread: Radio thread? Radio thread. >post 'em >discuss 'em
>§ 95.591 Sales of FRS combination radios prohibited.
>Effective September 30, 2019, no person shall sell or offer for sale hand-held portable radio equipment capable of operating under this subpart (FRS) and under any other licensed or licensed-by-rule radio services in this chapter (devices may be authorized under this subpart with part 15 unlicensed equipment authorizations).
For newfag radio dummy anons, Variable is referring to internet linking. This is the process by which a repeater, and/or hotspot acts as a node or internet gateway. Your radio signal is received by the repeater, piped through the internet, and comes out somewhere in Yokosuka, even though you’re in Kenosha, WI.
Looks like a solid choice for dual band dmr ht for a noob. A poster said it has terrible reception in the previous thread? Is this a fact, or is that user referring to an issue that can be corrected/mininized with an aftermarket antenna?
Jaxon Campbell
It’s more a function of the radio’s receiver. Direct conversion receivers generally speaking, are cheaper, and not as good at rejecting unwanted signals as a superheterodyne receiver. Most of the cheaper, sub-$100USD Chinese radios are going to have a direct conversion receiver. That being said, it comes with the territory, when dealing with any radio you have to compromise somewhere. The Ailunce, for all intents, appear to be good radios for the money.
alright /krg/, I read through the last thread and I want to be told what to buy. I'm looking for at least 4 radios that I can use to communicate for up to a mile away that are light and will work with my peltor comtac 3's so I can use my same setup I use for the Army. I've been looking at that 5 pack of uv5rs with the ear pieces for like 100 bucks but I don't know shit about comms past the issued stuff. What should I set my boogaloo squad up with?
Hope you have a 25 year old computer and the software to program it.
Blake Lopez
All I need is a computer with windows XP, the RIB, and cable. But it’s easier just pay some guy $30 to do it for me.
Christopher Taylor
I still have an old Gateway windows 98 laptop running, stripped down with an new HD just with DOS to keep my small fleet of early 90's Moto radios going. As long as you're capable with programming them, the ASTRO models can do a lot.
Noah Fisher
Learn one time pad and monkeynet and every radio is encrypted.
Easton Flores
This. 386 Masterrace Checking In.
Cooper Walker
Not him but I'm interested and a complete novice
Would you give me a quick rundown on these?
Brandon Stewart
Old-school form of Cryptography. Basically using a 10x10 grid to obfuscate the contents of a message by using an X and Y coordinate on the grid to send information.
>”Echo 1 this is Red Viper 6, Actual, over.” >”Message AS FOLLOWS” >”07,62,49,71,84,22” >”Red Viper 6, Actual Out.”
Hunter Garcia
OOOHHHHHHH! Derp
I did a quick DDG search and was unable to put two and two together about how it worked with radios, damn im retarded
Nathaniel Morgan
The side benefit to a BREVMAT is that it shortens transmit time, mitigating some of the threat of direction finding. If you combine a BREVMAT with a digital mode, your transmit times will be ridiculously short. Team a BREVMAT up with a digital mode, and a Yagi, and you’ve just achieved LPI/LPD.
Digital is a mode of operation. You won’t need ears on for doing a digital burst. The radio will be connected to some sort of mobile device, like a tablet or laptop, or, if it’s a digital radio, it will have a means for generating a text message natively. Contrary to popular opinion, even Cheap BoomChang radios can be connected to a PC.
Are there any decent commercial beam antennas for V/U?
Daniel Taylor
Mounted base station or something more portable?
Arrow has a 2m/440 Yagi designed to be broken down and used handheld for satellite work. For portable ground based use it could be used at elevation or on a short mast you could rotate by hand to point.
Aaron Mitchell
Roger that. Yeah, ideally I would like Something more compact, but that’ll work. Thanks fren
Luke Gray
No he doesnt i dl DosBox to make Keys and my radio's version of Astro 25
Cooper Barnes
We've used this with laptops to send/receive text reports via HT during public service events on a separate freq from what we were using for voice traffic.
Yup, that was pretty much it - except I was using my Kenwood TH-D72A with it's built-in TNC and didn't have to use an external sound card like that pic. Other folks were using those however.
Camden Hernandez
is there a guide for this kind of stuff? text over UHF or VHF.
This focuses on HF bands, but operating on VHF/UHF handhelds is the same principle. So long as you have a sound card interface like the signal link and the appropriate cable to connect it to your radio.
>get radio >connect to computer via USB soundcard interface, natively if Radio supports it, or through a USB Signalink >fire up digital mode software of choice >send texts, HTML forms, images via SSTV, etc.
Basically, the software and computer act as the modem, and the radio acts as the cable between your house and user’s house.
If you really want your mind blown, you can also send e-mail over Ham Radio.
Someone make a pastebin. This shit is definitely important enough for not only a general thread, but also a pastebin
Joshua Lopez
Aw shit, exactly what I was looking for. I'm doing some cursory research on some amateur radio, and I have a friend selling some unused VHF Motorola XTS 5000 radios because the fire dept got some new ones. It looks like a cool radio, but it seems bad for a beginner. Does anyone have experience with these guys? I understand that you need a Motorola account and have to buy their software. Is this OK for amateurs, or are they only supposed to be programmed for departments?
Evan Cooper
I bought the 8w baofeng, a programming cable, and a pouch. So... what do I do now? Software for programming, what I should actually be programming into it for general utility? Also none of my friends want to buy a ccr and larp with me so how do I get practice? I kind of feel dumb for buying this now because I'm pretty overwhelmed
Robert Ortiz
OP/Fag/Breadbaker here. Recommend me a good pastebin to use. I used to use ghostbin before it got shoah’d.
The XTS-5000s are great radios. Programming can be a challenge without access to the CPS (Customer Programming Software).
Go to repeaterbook and radioreference and find all the amateur/commercial/public safety frequencies in use in your area. Get your license and once your buddies see what you can do, they’ll want in on that shit. A buddy and me got ours in 2014, and then ALL our buddies went out and got licensed after they saw our l33t tRiCks.
Hoshnasi on YT has an entire series dedicated to beginner radio. It’s a great resource if you’re just getting into this.
What will this law change for Joe Sixpack? No more cheap Baofengs?
Isaac Fisher
My Yaesu VX-6 is driving me nuts. I don’t know how to program frequencies in it - the manual doesn’t make a lot of sense. Does anyone have a dumbed down manual they used to program this radio?
Cooper King
Passed my tech exam, got a 33/35. Attempted the General but only got 20 right ha. Not bad for zero studying on those questions. Now I just want a max power HF CW setup so I can learn the code and make contacts globally. Anyone have recommendations on cheap but quality antenna/tx/key?
I might get a Baochang DM-1701 Any1 have this DMR radio?
Cooper Myers
>Programming can be a challenge without access to the CPS (Customer Programming Software) So I take it this is proprietary software FROM Motorola? Google doesn't hit on a ton of stuff, but it looks like I can make a Motorola account and buy/subscribe? Will the customer service reps not want to help an amateur, in lieu of a professional with a department?
Thomas Howard
They will give you no breaks. I would look into a pirate copy of the CPS, if you can find one. Some eBay sellers offer programming services, for reasonable prices, which is another option. They’re fantastic radios, but there’s some hurdles to overcome with pressing any Land Mobile Radios into ham service.
I think I could work with that. So as a total amateur who found a radio that I like, I pretty much just need to >get the radio >get programming software >program in frequencies Right? As a mook with no license, I'll stick to amateur frequencies, I've gathered. What would those be? Just anything that looks interesting, and is available to me before I'm licensed?
Hunter Bell
If you’re a
>nolicense
MURS frequencies are the only thing available for you to use on VHF.
Robert Miller
I know, with GMRS radios being banned I figure now is a good time to learn. In the meantime between getting my radio and getting my license though, I imagine I'd just do a lot of learning with the CPS software. Found it on a torrent but there's like 20 different Motorola softwares, so I grabbed all 10 gigs. Will it be labeled obviously or no?
So assume this is something I was looking at - this is programmed 100% by the CPS, if I'm interpreting its Flash correctly? There is NO FPP on this radio? Or it's a given, and they don't mention it?
what are some other frs/gmrs radios that are not baofags?
Nathaniel Cox
Baofeng's are not actually FRS/GMRS radios and are in fact illegal to use on those frequencies, but can be used as such as long as you keep em on low power and don't do anything to attract extra attention to yourself, anybody listening won't be able to tell the difference.
To answer your question, basically any radio you can find in the camping section of Target/Walmart/etc.
I’m sure YouTube will be an invaluable resource but as long as I have humans to ask, will this antenna work on ft-60? And is there a way to key CW on the yaesu or do i need a trad TX (Non-handheld)?
>FPP VHF XTS-5000s are pretty rare Ah I see. Just from googling the term "FPP XTS5000" it looks like some amateurs at some point had a few XTS 5000s with FPP, depending on which flashcode was loaded? Or something. But this was info from posts that are like 10 years old now. Is it not as simple as buying an XTS 5000 and asking the seller to load in a flashcode with the appropriate features? Or there's more to it? Seems like a useful feature ond would one especially if you're traveling, hiking, camping, etc.
Sorry for a double reply, but just to confirm, sellers with listings like this are misinformed, correct? I assume so, since decoding this flashcode didn't bring back the relevant information (Q52/Q53).
Ryan Roberts
The same principles apply, yes. You would just need to cut the antenna to the length of the band you’re working on. The formula is 468 divided by the frequency in megahertz = Length of Antenna. So, for instance, for a 144MHz Antenna you would have a 3.25’ Antenna.
So, with professional/commercial (Land Mobile) radios, they’re typically only programmed by the licensed radio tech supporting that agency. Because the end-users are unlicensed, they’re operating under that agency’s blanket license; however, they are not authorized, under law, to modify the radio’s operation via FPP. Because of this, Land Mobile radios are typically configured so the end-users are locked out of a lot of features, and the radios are only edited by the licensed tech on-staff or a contractor. Any changes that need to take place, are configured by that technician. What happens is an unlock code *can* be pushed to the radio via the programming software to allow it to open up for Front-Panel Programming, analog operation, etc. Once that occurs, the CPS isn’t required to modify settings and functions within the radio.
Gotcha, so it might not be a fruitless endeavor to check out some listings that mention they've gone ahead and pushed the proper codes to the radio. It looks cheap enough so I might go ahead and grab one or two of these guys, labeled appropriately, and play around a bit before getting licensed before September.
Owen Wilson
Beofengs are notoriously hard to program. The best choices to get started would be: Yaesu FT-60r Kenwood TH D72A Wouxun kg uv8d
Jackson Foster
so i found the NOAA freq for the area I'm in, and that's cool, but that seems to be about it. i have the tech license so i guess i could transmit on the F8HP, but what's the point? do i gotta find someone to talk to to start having fun? guess i should buy a spare radio, and find a friend...
Levi Fisher
Dude. Go to www.repeaterbook.com, find your local repeaters and start throwing your call out there.
they do, but i'v used mine quite well for larpsoft
James Ross
If you’re receiving a courtesy tone from the repeater when you’re throwing your call out there, it means you’re getting through. If you’re getting through, monitor for activity and jump in when you hear some action.
I was searching the name of the radio in your picture while I was searching for the ones you mentioned, and hit on these. Are they worth it, or is it more "military grade" stuff?
You’d be hard pressed to find a more ruggedized radio short of the black market, and several thousand dollars. In terms of whiz-Bang features, it’s absent those, but what it does have is native integration with any and all .mil hardware, including antennas, mics, headsets, PTTs, and batteries.
That's my one qualifier for new HTs. I just put a few channels into a new Baofeng via FPP and it's such a pain. I can add 100 relevant channels in about 10 minutes via CHIRP, wish it were standard.
Gavin Lopez
Correct, I have seen a remote PTT adapter for the TRI model on E-bay and other web stores. I have no use for that, just gonna get the regular PTT thingy that most people use.
There are other companies online that make the connectors for the side connector that just terminate into open wires, for you to make your own stuff. That's a bit above my paygrade. I'll just wait for more goodies to come out.
And, yes, I'll report back if the TCA programming cable works on a TRI radio and CHIRP.
I chose the TRI because it'll do 10w and recieve on civilian aircraft AM as well. I really wanted the TRI AN/PRC-152H. It'll also send/receive on 25-30mhz as well(C.B. Radio), but $200.00 more for a weak C.B. as well, I had to pass.
Also wanted the fake GPS back shell, had plans for my own altitude/GPS homebrew. Just can't find anyone doing those anymore.
Watch lots of YouTube videos then buy an easy to program a mature HAM radio like a Yaesu or Kenwood
Henry Watson
My understanding is that the TRI model is not currently computer programmable. This feature, along with the mysterious 3 band model with 10 meter capability are in the "coming-soon" limbo from TRI for a while now.
The TCA one has a programming cable and software available for it, but it does not work with CHIRP.
Chase Brown
Any channels you'd recommend? Thanks
Levi James
>And, yes, I'll report back if the TCA programming cable works on a TRI radio and CHIRP. >I chose the TRI because it'll do 10w and recieve on civilian aircraft AM as well. I really wanted the TRI AN/PRC-152H. It'll also send/receive on 25-30mhz as well(C.B. Radio), but $200.00 more for a weak C.B. as well, I had to pass.
I've never seen or heard of someone with on of the TRI 152 models that do the 10 meter band, it seems to be vaporware. Even if it did, if it does that band in FM modulation, that's not the same as the CB band in the US, which is AM modulated. Basically, 10M on FM would be limited to very small usage in the US, some hams use the top part of the 10M band for FM voice on simplex and repeaters, but they are few and far between.
And the TCA programming cable and software do not work with the TRI models.
Noah Robinson
Check the SWR of your set up and pick whatever you are the lowest at
Jacob Morgan
Easiest way, as someone who just got over the mountain of info. Organized by order of how you should do stuff >google and get your tech license Insulates you against people who will refuse to help someone breaking a law >buy a Baofeng, either UV5R (although I recommend the F8HP, identical but stronger and newer) or UV82-HP (identical to F8HP but might look cooler to you) MAKE SURE you get the programming cable with your order >while order is shipping: download CHIRP Google can help you with this, it programs your new radio >go here and copy stuff: radiofreeq.wordpress.com/2013/11/05/program-your-vhf-uhf-transceivers-for-disaster-preparedness-with-frs-gmrs-pmr-murs-business-weather-marine-ham-channel-frequencies/ I included the relevant info in their infograph, but go here, copy the table (DL link is broke), make an excel spreadsheet, save as [.csv], and now it'll work in CHIRP >hook radio to computer, open chirp, follow on screen prompts, load your [.csv] file into CHIRP, and onto your radio There's a lot to unpack in that last step but if you've ever modded a game you'll get it. There's also Youtube. >what this gets you: A handheld radio that can go up to 7w (don't exceed 5w without a license) and has the FRS, GMRS, Maritime, and NOAA stations programmed and named in channel mode. You can then get on/scan the applicable stations and look for activity near you, or use it with a buddy (assuming you can transmit legally). If anyone wants to add to this, that would be great, as I personally have just left "retarded" territory and am slowly meandering through "might know something" territory.