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Anyone asking thinks they can tell a difference. And if you compare two radios side by side maybe you can tell a difference. But the person 27 miles away hearing you through a repeater is mostly hearing their own confirmation bias. When I hear someone coming through all scratchy and thin sounding, I don't think "CCR", I think that person hasn't gotten their antenna up high, doesn't have good feedline, that sort of thing.

Okay, im just going to put it out there. If you speak louder into the microphone, we are not going to hear you better. Just stop. Thats not how this works. In fact, the louder you are, the worse the quality is. Again, it doesn't matter what radio you have nor what microphone you have, if we are having trouble hearing you due to a poor signal or some technical issue, yelling at the mic doesn't help. There are exactly 2 times when yelling at the mic is appropriate. One is when the ambient noise level is high and you are trying to make your voice more distinguishable from the background. The other is when you DON'T key up, but you are yelling at the dummy on the other end. In both cases, I recommend you put the mic down and come back to the radio when the issue subsides. I hear this everyday I'm on the radio (and no, it's not because I am the one yelling at the radio). That is why I mention it.

Three. When one is lazy and holds the microphone 3 feet away from their mouth.

However, (with great affection for my friend Marc) I also have experienced way too many people who don’t speak up when talking into the microphone. That’s equally problematic. So, speak up but don’t yell.

People talk about equipment choices, but that's not the only thing. Some new Hams are interested in using their new found ability to communicate in a volunteer capacity. A few guys I know like to work at various parades, marathons, take part in emergency training drills etc. In fact one buddy just took part in an "active shooter" training drill conducted at the major regional airport a couple of days ago. Others are involved with "SkyWarn", "Races" and "CERT" groups. https://www.weather.gov/skywarn/ https://www.usraces.org/ https://community.fema.gov/PreparednessConnect/s/article/Keeping-Lines-of-Communication-Open-CERT-Ham-Radio He's also a volunteer "first responder", plus uses his skills to build communication command vehicles used by local Ham clubs and some cities. I've seen a few of his projects he's worked on. Top notch work and VERY professionally done too.

That's a real problem. I've monitored security people at various malls where I go. I have to crank up the volume to hear anything, then the other party comes on the air and blows out my eardrums. People who are required to use radios for communications on the job should get trained on proper communication technique. I see ding-dongs with the radio on the belt and speaker-mic hanging over the shoulder. Then they look to the side opposite of where the speaker-mic is and press the PTT button and can't figure out why they get constant requests to repeat their last transmission because you can't hear them. Dah!

Here’s a photo a friend of mine took of the Spaghetti Nebula. She did some processing to make things more visible. I put the details beneath the image : SH2-240, The Spaghetti nebula The Spaghetti Nebula is a large supernova remnant. It is 3000 ly away, and spans roughly 160 ly. It is estimated to be about 40,000 years old. It is believed that the stellar explosion left behind a rapidly spinning neutron star known as pulsar PSR J0538+2817 in the nebula core, emitting a strong radio signal. WO Pleaides 68 ASI 2600MC DUO AM3 ASIAIR EAF Antlia ALP-T dual narrow band filter 132x 300 sec exposures 11 hour total integration Processed with Pixinsight and Affinity Photo

I just passed my TECH and am awaiting arrival of my sparkling new call sign. I can say that the best thing I am doing is being a part of REACT. Their mission gives me a sense of purpose and gets me out of the house once in a while. Plus the people in the group are wonderful and so helpful. Find a group like that John. One that gives you a reason to grab your radio with great people to support you.

As of tonight, I’ve been blessed to become an amateur amateur radio person. So, with all of y’all’s knowledge and expertise, what tips, suggestions, advice, dingleberries of wisdom do y’all have for new hams?

He doesn’t want more competition on Grindr. [emoji23]

I like yelling. That's what grumpy old men do.

I go to a local ACE Hardware and they have both SAE and metric set screws in stock. I then see what fits and use blue Loctite when installing.

Help me understand , please. You were able to hear voice transmissions on the db20g without an antenna, but once you connected the coax and antenna you no longer could hear voice transmissions (annd you made no other changes?) Go back to a configuration that works, even if that means listening without an antenna. Then change one thing at a time so you can eliminate distractors.

There won't be any noticeable loss with RG8X when using jumpers that are 6 foot or less in length. You are only looking at a 2% power loss at 28.300 MHz with a 6 foot RG8X coax which equates to a los of 2.2 watts. And the lower bands will have progressively less loss. And if you don't want to make them yourself then I will suggest looking at the Jet brand from R&L Electronics. I have several of their short jumper coax cables and they are good quality and at a good price.

100%. I don't know why it's not advertised (a lot of other radios will say "22 GMRS channels + 8 repeater channels + 8 (or however many) DIY channels". Which is just as annoying, but at least they say it up front. Not that I'm aware of. My KG-905Gs let you put whatever GRMS frequency you want in whatever memory slot you want, and the radios enforce the rules from there.

Here’s a video review from HRCC on the TYT (I like Josh’s videos). My first ham radio was a Baofeng GT-3WP. Cheap, waterproof, good for hiking and it works. I have the bug and my purchases continue to grow but I don’t regret my first cheap radio.

Take a look at Ram Mounts or Bullet Point Solutions.

I’m a proponent of starting with an inexpensive HT and get acquainted with the hobby. Lots of radios with different purposes to spend your money on out there. Take your time getting to know what interest you. Congratulations @GMRSJohn and @RevEric on passing your exams and getting your amateur radio license. 73’s

Handheld plus a spare battery at first, preferably inexpensive and simple. The Baofeng UV5R is a good one to learn the basics. Then, as you learn what appeals to you you can always get something else.

It really depends on what you want to do with your new-found ability to communicate with radios. A lot of us have base stations, handhelds, and mobile radios in our vehicles. Examine your possible use cases and you'll have a better idea of what to get. I use a base station when I'm running my weekly net on my repeater, I use my mobile radio every day in the car, and I use my HTs when we're out hiking. But not everyone needs all three of those capabilities.

Pro Tip: wear your walkie-talkie on your belt, because women find that sexy. Add a shoulder mic if you feel “tactical”. Don’t worry, we will be laughing because we’re jealous.

Why would you care what they say? Just tell them that its an iCom and they'll say it sounds great.

Sort of like those gang bangers you see in movies holding the pistol sides-ways. A character remarked to the gang banger how stupid it was since the ejected hot shell casing would hit them in the face.

There was no "BS" in that post. I answered the question. If the answer made you sad, that is a you problem.

Was that bs necessary? Thought this site has etiquette?

1. Set your radio to scan. Don't limit yourself to one channel. In my area, there's constant activity, and it's about 80% Spanish. 2. Expect nothing more than people using it for what I have shamelessly copied and pasted from the FCC website, which reads as follows: "mobile two-way voice communication, with limited data applications, for facilitating activities of individual licensees and their family members, including, but not limited to, voluntary provision of assistance to the public during emergencies and natural disasters". In a nutshell, it's generally people talking to people they already know, like the contacts in their phone. Contrary to what a lot of people want to believe it is or make it into, GMRS is not amateur radio.

That’s awesomeness!!

Be patient, learn, check in to a net, listen 10x more than you talk for a while. You'll get it.

@SteveShannon Wow! That friend of your does some amazing work.

Back to the title of the thread, one thing all new hams should know is to keep your handheld antenna vertical.

I’m an overachiever… most all my hobbies are expensive. Or.. they can be lol. I had a Celestron. Good… but I want to see deep space. Nebulae, star clusters, other planets. Etc.

I just ordered my first H3 (I have an H8 already), but those RockyTalkies look like they're Abbree AR-518s in a fancy housing.

First congratulations on getting your Tech license. Yes the TYT TH-UV88 is a pretty good radio for the price. I have the Explorer QRZ-1 that is nothing but a TH-UV88 with custom firmware that can't be unlocked. Check with QRZ to see if they still have their New Tech program where they sell the QRZ-1 at a discounted price. I think I paid $25 for mine a year ago. https://www.qrz.com/jumpstart I actually started out with a Baofeng GT-5R and a borrowed Icom IC-208H. I was using a mag mounted antenna in the vehicle with the GT-5R and had another mag mount antenna placed on a cookie sheet right outside the house. I'll echo what others have said. Start out simple and inexpensive until you decide exactly what you want in a radio. In hindsight I should have spend a little more and got an Icom IC-2730 first instead of the TYT TH-7800 for my base station. Nothing wrong with the TYT mobile radios but the Icom is better. I'll be a parrot again. Using a good antenna and good coax is as important as what radio to get. And you will want to get your antenna as high as you can. When it comes to coax, use LMR400 or equivalent for VHF/UHF. Avoid the cheap stuff on Amazon.

Congratulations on becoming a ham! Great job diving in to help with REACT!

Congratulations on becoming a ham! A home base would have more power, but one of the first things you’ll learn is that power is one of the least important aspects of a radio, especially on VHF and UHF. Power isn’t totally unimportant, but the range of a VHF or UHF radio is affected much less by power than a person might expect.

Hear hear! A person always needs a handheld radio to throw in the pocket of a coat. You can use a handheld radio with a mobile antenna or a base station antenna for many basic purposes. Beginning with just a base station or just a mobile station doesn’t allow the same flexibility.

I have a TYT UV-380 that I replaced the firmware with the firmware from the Open UV380 project. It works well as both an analog and DMR radio. Fit and finish seem to be good and one of my friends tells me it has the best sound reproduction of any of my handheld radios. I like it. I haven’t tried the TH-UV88, but the review that @WRUU653 provided will give you an idea.

It's been a while since I did any star gazing but I really enjoyed it. I only have a very cheap telescope and binos but it's still fun.

You and Wayoverthere have a good point.. getting my license is kind of like being a kid and your mom gives you $20 and turns you loose in a candy store. The buck wild starts itching…

Thanks for the recommendation! I’ve been looking at the TYT TH-UV88 Ham Radio Starter Kit on that buy 2 way radio website. Do you know anything about these radios?

I absolutely agree that support is crucial! And people you can learn from. There’s quite a few radio clubs within my vicinity. One has an emergency team that seems interesting. I’m sure I’m going to have to have my general license to join that. But it gives me a reason to learn and be proficient!

@nokones I'm starting to think you suffer from Baofeng Derangement Syndrome.

excellent synopsis. I look at antenna gains sort of like squeezing jello. You only have so much energy, so you can shape it (yagi/beam). Its all trade-offs. Depends on your unique situations/requirements. Best of luck.

What quality issue(s) are you perceiving there are with the Midland Radios? It is obvious that you have never own a Midland radio for you to make a such statement. I sure would like to hear what are those quality issues. I sense that you are obviously one of those $20 POS CCR kind of radio dork that enjoys all the limitations of those radios.

That frequency will be on channel Rp21 with a tone number 22. I’m not much more help than that as I don’t have this radio.

There is made in China and there is CHEAP made in China.

I’m glad to hear you say this. It has been my experience as well. I was thinking it odd that someone would do this when everyone around where I am has some inexpensive radios as well as their expensive ones and I don’t hear anyone giving grief over using them.

I like this approach. Kind of a Chevy Chase response. Q) what kind of radio you using? A) Motorola. Q) A Motorola? A) Icom. Q) wait, an Icom? A) Kenwood, it’s all I use. Nothing else, why would I? Q) huh? A) I like you Betty.

How does anyone know you have a Credence Clearwater Revival unless you tell them? Practice saying Motorola. You want an ECR? Expensive Chinese Radio, or do you want something not made in China? Wouxun is an ECR that’s pretty highly considered. It doesn’t sound any different than a UV5R though. My Garmin Rhino is made in Taiwan, which is the other Chinese government, but definitely not our communist foe. It’s very well built, but will not allow the antenna to be interchanged. It has the best screen of any radio I have.

Find/identify the correct repeater channel (NOT the regular channel). Find the transmit (TX) tone required to activate the repeater (MyGMRS is a good source) Do not worry about the receive (RX) tone for now as it is optional and will only confuckulate things Put your radio on the correct repeater channel mentioned in the first step Go into the menu and enter the TX tone mentioned in step 2 (note, you may have to read the manual for this part) Save the change you just made. Push the talk-trigger and enjoy the repeater