Amateur Radios
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mikey's2010SR5
New member
Hardwired...
Handheld...
Handheld...
Bumbo
New member
Nice to see another ham.
Welcome to the party...
Yaesu FT-2900 "Drivers Radio"... big knobs, big screen, easy to read, simple.
Support Gear (for big trips) Includes solar, battery, inverter, hobby charger, and electrical tools like a DC clamp meter / multimeter.
Kenwood TM-V71a Dual Band, Dual VFO (Primary Use = Crassband Repeater and 70cm capability)
Yaesu VX-7R - my primary handheld and still to this date my favorite radio I have owned so far.
and a few others... bunch of Chinese cheapies, the same handheld as above, and a Yaesu single band VHF.
I also have a few VHF mobiles around the house... cant have enough radios. My radios probably give me some of the most piece of mind on off-road adventures and off-grid camps.
I almost always have reliable communications and learned what I needed though use. The reason I even made provision for the Kenwood was because I went to a place where I needed at least 25+ watts to get a good input into the repeater. I didn't like being tied to the car incase I got injured on a trail or when away from the truck. I wanted coms so Crossband turned out of be a really awesome feature.
I use the 0.05 watt setting (not a type-o) on my VX-7R and often get days worth of use on a single charge because of the in-car repeater.
Welcome to the party...
Yaesu FT-2900 "Drivers Radio"... big knobs, big screen, easy to read, simple.
Support Gear (for big trips) Includes solar, battery, inverter, hobby charger, and electrical tools like a DC clamp meter / multimeter.
Kenwood TM-V71a Dual Band, Dual VFO (Primary Use = Crassband Repeater and 70cm capability)
Yaesu VX-7R - my primary handheld and still to this date my favorite radio I have owned so far.
and a few others... bunch of Chinese cheapies, the same handheld as above, and a Yaesu single band VHF.
I also have a few VHF mobiles around the house... cant have enough radios. My radios probably give me some of the most piece of mind on off-road adventures and off-grid camps.
I almost always have reliable communications and learned what I needed though use. The reason I even made provision for the Kenwood was because I went to a place where I needed at least 25+ watts to get a good input into the repeater. I didn't like being tied to the car incase I got injured on a trail or when away from the truck. I wanted coms so Crossband turned out of be a really awesome feature.
I use the 0.05 watt setting (not a type-o) on my VX-7R and often get days worth of use on a single charge because of the in-car repeater.
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Bumbo
New member
I see you are in San Diego, go check out Ham Radio Outlet... I got almost all of my stuff from them. Good guys... its worth trying to support them.
They also carry Anderson Powerpole products there which turned out to be a really awesome thing.
mr1337357
New member
I was gonna go there this weekend to see what they have. Is there much benefit in getting a dual band over a 2M radio?
e60ral
Banned
it really just depends on your area and the groups you travel with
go buy a $20 baofeng and program in local repeaters with CHIRP (free software, cable is about $20) or by hand (tedious but possible) and see what repeaters are actually active, that's the best way to find out what you need. don't spend a lot on antenna adapters or plug-in battery packs, just start listening and learning and after you have played around with your cheap HT for a month or so then spend some money on a mobile rig after you know what features you want and use your HT as backup or secondary radio for when you leave the truck to go on a hike or something.
the cheap baofengs aren't great, and they do have some problems with spurious emissions, but its a really cheap way to decide if you like the hobby and decide what you want to do with the hobby before you spend real money on decent gear
for me, I'm running an Icom IC-2730A with NMO hood lip antenna mounts and I have a Baofeng UV-82 rattling around in the door pocket if needed
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MeefZah
New member
One major benefit is that a lot of dual bands offer a remote head. I'm not familiar with 2m radios that have remote heads - they probably exist, but I haven't handled one. Another benefit is thay you can monitor two different 2m channels at once without scanning, or in my case, I have one band set up for 2m and one band set up for public safety, and I can scan them simultaneously.
Mine is a Icom IC-2730A, about $250 (also shown in that pic is a Cobra 75 WXST CB).
I have a handheld Kenwood TH-K20 2m which is basically used for spotter to truck comms, about $130. No picture.
I dunno what your budget is, but for "a little more" than the Chinese stuff you can buy a name brand unit. Icom and Kenwood are not top of the line but they are both rugged and proven companies.
Yukon4Runner
New member
Here's my potential set-up that I'm looking for input on.
I will be at a base camp where I can mount an antenna on the roof of the structure...the surrounding landscape is not mountainous but certainly not flat...hills and valleys that have maybe 500' peaks compared to surrounding terrain.
Id like to communicate from the base camp to my 4Runner up to a distance of about 10 miles and them from the base camp or from the 4Runner to a handheld for a distance of up to 5 miles.
I'd go with a regular CB but I don't think it's gonna have the power. Cell phone signal is very low at base camp and virtually non-existent where the 4Runner would travel. I plan on installing a cell phone booster at the camp for communications with the outside world. The radio is primarily for emergency communication between base camp, 4Runner and portable radio. Communication with the outside HAM network of radios or monitoring channels is secondary.
I see there are plenty of options if money is no factor...I'm looking for recommendations that would take care of what I need on a budget.
Thanks.
I will be at a base camp where I can mount an antenna on the roof of the structure...the surrounding landscape is not mountainous but certainly not flat...hills and valleys that have maybe 500' peaks compared to surrounding terrain.
Id like to communicate from the base camp to my 4Runner up to a distance of about 10 miles and them from the base camp or from the 4Runner to a handheld for a distance of up to 5 miles.
I'd go with a regular CB but I don't think it's gonna have the power. Cell phone signal is very low at base camp and virtually non-existent where the 4Runner would travel. I plan on installing a cell phone booster at the camp for communications with the outside world. The radio is primarily for emergency communication between base camp, 4Runner and portable radio. Communication with the outside HAM network of radios or monitoring channels is secondary.
I see there are plenty of options if money is no factor...I'm looking for recommendations that would take care of what I need on a budget.
Thanks.
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KidVermicious
New member
Just got my tech. I bought a little Baofeng UV5R four watt HT. Can't hit a repeater twenty miles away with the stock antenna, not even outside the truck, and I've got a straight shot at it. I can hit a closer repeater about eight miles away no sweat, also a straight shot.
For what you're doing, [MENTION=131371]Yukon4Runner[/MENTION], eight watt HTs with upgraded antennas would be fine, they're about $50 each if you get the cheap chinese ones. As a bonus, lots of them can transmit on the GMRS and FRS frequencies, you can buy a single GMRS license that covers your entire family and just use those channels, without needing for everybody to get ham certified.
For what you're doing, [MENTION=131371]Yukon4Runner[/MENTION], eight watt HTs with upgraded antennas would be fine, they're about $50 each if you get the cheap chinese ones. As a bonus, lots of them can transmit on the GMRS and FRS frequencies, you can buy a single GMRS license that covers your entire family and just use those channels, without needing for everybody to get ham certified.
Bumbo
New member
If you can only have one, then yes, lots of benefit and a lot more valuable...
For one you actually have 70cm coverage... its just opens you up to more repeaters. I found after two overland trips not having it to be a mistake.
There were areas where I couldn't get into a 2 meter repeater, but there were plenty of 70cm stations to try but could not hit on on just 5 watts with an HT.
The other benefits, depends on the model, are a detachable face.
Note that Dual Band is not the same as Dual VFO. Personally its the dual VFO units that are very useful because its basically like having two radios in one.
You can monitor multiple stations, For example simplex and a repeater at the same time. In addition to that, you only find Crossband repeat in dual band , dual VFO radios.
Its turned into a must have feature as I explained above.
That said, I agree with the others... get an inexpensive handheld like a $20 UV-5R and a cable and just get on the air. It works but treat yourself to a nice radio or two as you progress.
I have cheap radios too, they have their place, but dont assume there isn't a quality difference between that and brands like Kenwood or Yaesu. I can tell the difference...
Bumbo
New member
Its so terrain dependent that its literally impossible to answer reliably...
I have hiked a mountain and talked to a repeater 120+ miles away on 2 watts, and I have also been deep in a canyon with 75 watts and no coms to another station on very low ground.
Point being, we have repeaters for a reason, and higher up you can put an antenna or base station, the better your chances are of coms.
Then you also have different bands like 2 meter, 70 cm, 6 meter, and they all propagate a bit differently... I find 70cm performance to be better in metro and building areas, and forest vs 2 meter in wide open desert...
That said, I use a combination of different things, to accomplish what I need but for the most part a 2 meter radio with a decent antenna setup generally takes me as far as I need to go for group coms.
When you have line of sight... you will be surprised what you can do with so little power...
Bumbo
New member
You can't legally use that radio for FRS / GMRS and MURS... its not type accepted equipment.
Each has their own restrictions regarding federal law and you are putting your licence at risk operating a station like that.
You might not care, but someone else might that wants to stay within the law.
Bumbo
New member
Get a programming cable and download Chirp (its free).
Home - CHIRP
Its pretty good as a generic programming software but I still use other stuff for both my Kenwood and Yaesu Radios.
Here is a good link for the Yaesu fan... also free
KC8UNJ - Jim Mitchell - Radio Programming Software
As far as the antenna is concerned... be careful with some of the stuff out there, like the clones and the Nagoya clones. Its hard to tell without an antenna analyzer but some of those things are not built right or well and can be worse than what it comes with.
If you want to use it in a car, get a mag mount.
mr1337357
New member
Well I work at a satellite communication firm so I can test everything in our lab, but I did get the antenna from Amazon so fingers crossed.
KidVermicious
New member
I know they're not type accepted for FRS, and I didn't suggest he use those frequencies. But I didn't see anything in the regulations that would indicate they weren't legal for GMRS, did I miss something? Near as I can tell, as long as he buys the GMRS "license" he's good to go.
Bumbo
New member
FCC Part 95 and Part 97...
Plenty of reading on the subject too... just google "gmrs on ham radio"
GMRS is a FCC Part 95 - Land Mobile
Ham is FCC Part 97
I dont remember all the details, but its well documented. Certain receivers are built in certain ways... land mobile / commercial style radios have less frequency bandwidth when compared to a Ham radio. Using non-type accepted equipment you can start bleeding into adjacent frequencies and cause interference.
Part 97 equipment has tuning and programming capability too... generally stuff that's used on Part 95 dont have that type of end user control... most of those radios are set, programmed by departments or manufactures for a specific use.
That said, you can use amature radio bands on Part 95...
It can be a really long winded subject, but bottom line, not type accepted on typical ham gear.
Part 97 Text
FCC Part95a - GMRS Rules and Regulations
FCC Turns Away Petition to Allow Hams to Operate Non-Certificated Transmitters on GMRS.
http://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-turns-...operate-non-certificated-transmitters-on-gmrs
Not that you cant find inexpensive or used type accepted equipment, like those old motorola black brick radios, its just in general Land Mobile radios are more expensive which is why you see many people wanting to flock to ham gear for a cheaper high end fix...
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n2advnture
New member
Yaesu FT-7900R mounted under the driver's seat with the faceplate separation kit and mic extender. Faceplate mounted in modified sunglass holder and mic mounted next to right driver's leg.
Comet antenna with hatch mount
Comet antenna with hatch mount
Yukon4Runner
New member
Thanks [MENTION=49649]KidVermicious[/MENTION] and [MENTION=144483]Bumbo[/MENTION] for your input.
I pulled up some topographical maps where my camp is located...clearly, my issue is not going to be the power of the radio in my 4Runner, base camp or my hand held..it's going to be line of sight.
I'm re-thinking my approach. There's a ridge not too far away...i put a 30ft tower on that with a battery/solar powered repeater and I can use the cheapest lowest power handhelds and I'd be in business. Looked up the local repeaters...my tower would have great line of sight giving me access to radios anywhere in the area.
Also found out about D-Star...looks like I might be able to get comms and data with the outside world to my remote camp through this network rather than the sketchy cell phone service.
I'm looking into cell phone boosters but it looks like I'm going to face the issue that the best location for the antenna is 1/2 mile from the camp...the less expensive cell phone boosters would not put out a signal anywhere near that distance. A cell phone booster with a larger area involves custom solutions that is beyond my budget.
There comes a point where if it gets too expensive, I'd just go with satellite phones and be done with it.
I pulled up some topographical maps where my camp is located...clearly, my issue is not going to be the power of the radio in my 4Runner, base camp or my hand held..it's going to be line of sight.
I'm re-thinking my approach. There's a ridge not too far away...i put a 30ft tower on that with a battery/solar powered repeater and I can use the cheapest lowest power handhelds and I'd be in business. Looked up the local repeaters...my tower would have great line of sight giving me access to radios anywhere in the area.
Also found out about D-Star...looks like I might be able to get comms and data with the outside world to my remote camp through this network rather than the sketchy cell phone service.
I'm looking into cell phone boosters but it looks like I'm going to face the issue that the best location for the antenna is 1/2 mile from the camp...the less expensive cell phone boosters would not put out a signal anywhere near that distance. A cell phone booster with a larger area involves custom solutions that is beyond my budget.
There comes a point where if it gets too expensive, I'd just go with satellite phones and be done with it.
Yaesu FT-7900R mounted under the driver's seat with the faceplate separation kit and mic extender. Faceplate mounted in modified sunglass holder and mic mounted next to right driver's leg.
Comet antenna with hatch mount
That is a NICE set up (clean, effective)!I'm assuming that's a Limited or TRD? The standard 2016 TE model doesn't have a sun glasses mount like that.
