kidphc

Tell me if you find a suitable amp.. since that .09 watts of output make it pretty difficult. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

I haven't had to. But regularly follow AARL wilderness protocols when out in the woods. Especially, around George Washington National Park in Wva. Dad lives close by and if you aren't right by a town, you often don't have cell service. Really wish all radios followed NEMEA standards for GPS data. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

Depending on where in Florida, you are going to have good to incredible GMRS repeater service. Personally, I would be looking at no less then a dual bander with dual recieve radios. The 578 like the 878 are a dual recieve but only have one true transmitter. Which may effect how you would use it. I haven't seen away to unlock the 1000g to do anything but recieve on 2m. Although the amateur version of the radio, I have seen a software/firmware hack opening up the GMRS frequencies. The second problem becomes the antenna, since most dual band/triband radios do a crappy job of trying to do both GMRS and 2m. One of the two has crappy performance, although sometimes JUST acceptable. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

Which service are you going to use more? Not that I cadone it, but it is much easier to open GMRS frequencies then the other way around on most radios. Ie CAP modding a ham radio. Especially, if you are positive you are going to get your ticket again. It's about a 1000x (times) easier now a days since the cw requirement is gone now. Hell might as well get your general. 578 will be great if you are going to get into DMR. They have new model comming out that is essentially a 578 brick where you can option out the blue tooth mic. Personally, running a FTM400XDR and a Motorola XTL 5000 (UHF). The XTL5K, is going to be replaced with a Harris 100m. So I can retain Gmrs/p25 capabilities on one radio and 2m/70cm with aprs on the other radio. The only real things the Harris brings over the XTL, is VHF and 700/800. The low band VHF amplifier is impossible to find, so that will be receive only. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

141.3 traditionally was the REACT tone which kinda became the travel tone. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

I should add, I generally use the output tones in my area. Otherwise, I would be hearing all the kids, lawnscaping companies Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

You can do either. If you are in an heavily used area or have multiple repeaters on the same frequency. Then I would suggest using the output tone. Even then always open squelch (or use monitor) to verify input frequency is not in use, before transmitting. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

Oh.. yea I agree. Listen to aprs frequency in a dense area. What I was referring to was the amount of data that can be sent. Especially, something like FT. Damn symbols rate caps, lol Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

Don't know what it is. But a one second date burst is quite small. Maybe 1/2 of a standard aprs beacon without additional text? Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

Kinda tough. Data burst can't be longer then one second. "3) Digital data transmissions must not exceed one second in duration." Can't have more then one data transmission inside of 30 seconds. "(4) Digital data transmissions must not be sent more frequently than one digital data transmission within a thirty-second period," Data transmissions have to be manually activated. The devices can not store and forward packet modes for data. Sounds like they don't want you to. Realistically, speaking even an aprs packet is 2.5 seconds long. Ft's' being streams and automated (well kinda), looks like verbiage was put in to stop exactly that kinda of thought. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

Any antenna even a no groundplane antenna, hate that wording. Will perform better with a ground plane. So depends. Grounding is for static electricity build up from the antenna and coax. I have antennas in the attic but due to dust blowing over the coax I put arrestor in. For a tremprory install not a necessity but nice. Be aware of this when off roading to a dry dusty area though, especially as winds pick up. No need to fry a radio. Then even an grounding spike would be nice. With that being said a lot of hams on sota/pota (summit/parks on the air) don't even ground. Personally, for your type of setup. Especially, for solo hill type of excursions. I would build a tape measure yagi ( even though about tv rabbit year yagis, to be multi frequency resonant). Guess it depends on how the mast is secured and what it is. Betcha you it's a harbor freight flag pole, recommend all the time as permanent or portable mast, can't beat the $50 cost. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

What you say is empirical. Unfortunately, a lot of factors come into play. The theory is just a start. Antenna theory isn't magical, it's physics. So no super bending the laws to get magical more "farz" from similar designs. We give up some here for more there. Unfortunately, advertising from the companies selling us stuff obfuscates a lot of the truth, and the internet adds more. Same thing with the gear we use. X vs y company. How much it cost vs quality. Does it make a difference? Yes/no. Hard to explain or quantify even in person. Glad you are testing with things and coming up with your own answers. Knowledge is king. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

I get it. Other designs have similar issues. But let's be truthful here, we aren't going to be talking skip zones often with uhf. For me almost the same guys on 2m or 70cm ssb. Well minus some tropo. Yagis are another example.. Sadly, they have a crap ton take off angle. Tons of the energy is lost up high and into the ground So much so I was trying to design a workable cubic or quad-cubic antenna, by design they are flatter and tighter in radiation angles. But since a discone, is considered an omni-directional antenna, it is basically a sphere. So yes, 1/3 of the radiation is up top, is in an undesirable angle. So is up to the lower 1/3. Basically, don't sweat it too much Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

From what I get. The pattern is close to omni directional radiation pattern like. They will be varying lobe gain values, small fingers. They harder thing to figure out is gain values for a particular frequency. Reading it is between 1.2-2.3 dbi or so. The gain problem is only a problem if you are a ham might cause some pain doing the rf exposure studies, that we are required to do now. Which i know really affects hf users more than vhf/uhf/shf/ehf. Also for these frequencies I not sure take of angle is going to matter especially with an omni directional pattern. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

You can transmit on discones. Especially, if the swr is acceptable in the transmit range. They are really optimized for recieve. So mileage would vary. The transmit radiation pattern are often not very good because of this. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

Exactly as Wrxb215 said. Basically, since the cone is narrower then the omni directional antenna's pattern, you can steer the yagi in the direction you want to hear. Effectively nullify any RF interference (ham call it qrm) or noise, well at least lowering the level. If you radio fox hunt generally a yagi, even low gain ones are helpful in pointing you in the direction. They are often coupled with attenuators, you will often see the guys flipping the yagi on the side to attenuate it further. Opposite to the suspects polizaration. To make reception weaker and isolate to a finer degree heading. Yagis generally have a higher gain level than their vertical/horizontal counterparts due to the squishing of the pattern. You generally switch from length of the antenna space to the swing space a yagi needs. Plus you can stack yagis onto arrays, Which will increase their gain levels. So comes down to do you need spray gun (coverage) or an ultra fine pinstriping paint brush (detailed control). Each have their pros and cons. Just an fyi: the amateur (hams) that are into eme and moon bounce (considered weak signal due to the distance). Use stacked arrays with high gain levels and 1500 or so watts of power. To get as much signal to where they want it instead of scattering it around them. Same with the guys that work satellite. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

We have an owner out here, he has about 6 heavily used repeaters. Equipment for way more. 1. He has the resources. Ie. Equipment, knowledge and the network of people (for repeater sites locations) 2. It's a hobby for him Originally it was set up for the Red Cross, as the primary user. He has it open for everyone licensed although it isn't published. We all acknowledge, should the Red Cross need them, we give way. Some people do it so they can. Some people do it because they feel they are helping the community. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

I like to think of antennas like and adjustable flashlight. Omni kinda like a donut from the side 3d wise. It would be like having the open without a shroud like a latern. As you you increase gain. The beam becomes flatter and flatter into a disk. When you speak of yagis you have put the shroud on and focusing a beam. A beam that shoots more light out the front but spits some out the rear. Hence why yagis have a front to back ratio for gain. There is a technical expectation, and some design that focus more forward? But I am skipping that. All antennas create lobes so generally, they measure the strongest lobes. The attached with the donut is omni directional. The phallic looking graph is the yagi. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

Forgot about slot antennas. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

Very good antennas. Ed is a professor, he explains alot of the theories in YouTube videos. Keep in mind follow the directions closely. He has accounted for the pvc tubing, which is a bit specific. Personally, 90% of complaints of the antenna come from using the wrong pvc. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

You raised your hand. Because that is the only way to change some absurd laws. My birdhouse random wire hf bird perch antenna and slim jim in electrical tracking inside the house salute you. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

You could paint and hide, base antenna, or slim Jim's in trees. If you are a bit from the road or have trees that kinda hide you roof line. You could use a slim mobile antenna, and a groundplane nmo base mount to the eaves of your house. Me I am using a combo of a ham 2m/70cm antenna in the attic and a mag mount on my ac. I do have home brew gmrs yagi and 2m/70cm yagis that will go in the attic. Whenever I get my lazy butt around to it. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

Have you tried to reach out to amateur clubs locally? Texas seams to have a healthy group of nice amateur radio operators. They probably have spare repeater hardware, duplexers, cabling and sites that can be used. As well as the know how. As well as some funding. Most of amateurs are willing to talk to anyone about radio, irregardless of the service. I say most, because well no matter what hobby there are always the aholes. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

Nope, no way to get it out of range. The filtering is awesome.. but it's too tight. The guys that took it apart said it wasn't worth it. They guys I was with, is where his conversation came from. They said they might be able to hack the software, but it would probably damage something in the radio very shortly. After spending 5 minutes with them talking I gave up. Of course, what do these guys care. They are running around with full apx setups in their trucks. One of them a volunteer fd, setup his personal f350 like a command radio truck. Shit you not.. looked like 30k in radio gear alone. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

It's only good for really listening. The harris low band amplifiers are terribly expensive and incredibly difficult to find. One of the group of friends I have about 6 of the radios. They also have several vhf lowband commercial repeaters. They are intrigued by setting a lowband network from Shenadoh up to New York. They have been trying to figure a way to get an amplifier to work. Btw.. Most of them are local FD, some at the Homeland Defense regional level. So if they an find it they would of. Primary problem, is the output for vhf low is a ridiculously low . 9mw.. which means it needs to be amped up to 1-2 watts at least to work with any other amplifier. But eww on an amplifier to feed another amplifier. Secondarily, no low band vhf public systems minus a handful of municipal pd stations around here. Frequency range is only 33-48 MHz. Outside of ham and cb, so unless you have a commercial license for the band, then useless. Good news is band is emptying out so you can apply for one easily. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk