gman1971
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Posts posted by gman1971
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20 minutes ago, PACNWComms said:
I could do that if you want to ship to the west coast. That is if they are equivalent to XPR-4xxx/5xxx/e mobiles. I have TDMA Trbo Autotune. Might be a bit pricey on shipping though right now. My newest Vertex are a handful of VX-3200's analog only, back when Motorola first bought the company. My 3920 does seem to clean up some of the Sunny Comm XPR4550's people buy in this area. (I like the XPR4550 over the XPR5550e as people get into the menu and mess things up on the XPR5550e. Great radio, but too easy for end users to change settings and then get lost in the menu tree.)
Shipping shouldn't be too bad.
The EVX-5300/5400 are not the equivalent of the XPR radios, they are DMR digital, but their own line designed in Japan... The alignment doesn't have anything specifically for digital AFAIK, but they are tuned/aligned using CE142 and not a separate tuner program.
I think Vertex didn't have anything DMR when Moto purchased them, so Moto rebadged the 6550 as the VXD-720, the 4550 as the VXD-7200 and the XPR8400 as the EVX-R70.
G.
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7 minutes ago, WROZ250 said:
Love It!
That was one of the statements radio sales people used to suggest coverage expectations back in the 1960-1980s, in the days before coverage prediction software, "100W , 100ft, 100 miles"! And as you say, (depending on terrain) that was generally a true statement for VHF (high and low).
Well, remember this tower in question is 230 feet higher than a 100 foot @ 100 watt on VHF... and for UHF height is pretty much the most important factor if long range is desired...
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Correct, but I am also looking for tuning two of my EVX-5300 radios, they need a full alignment and I don't have the means to do that.
G.
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As tittle reads. I don't have a fancy AeroFlex to do some of the MotoTRBO alignment stuff, so was wondering if anyone here could.
Thanks in advance.
G.
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One of my mobile antennas SWR is ~1.6, I am able to talk to base simplex 18+ miles. Listening to more experienced radio operators seems that in the old days anything above -10 dB return loss was considered good to go.
G.
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Lower loss will require a larger duplexer. Most same size duplexers have about the same loss, in theory, that is
The Fumei at 1.5dB sounds about right for a small mobile duplexer.
I think the Fumei will be okay for now. (yes I said that!) 1.5 dB loss is not really much loss at all.
If more range is desired, raising the antenna 10 feet would have more profound impact in range than swapping duplexer.
G.
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37 minutes ago, Lscott said:
I’ll bet Motorola paid to have their radios “seen” on TV. No real difference than seeing a clear unobstructed view of band names on various products in movies. Just another form of paid advertising.
Still interesting the fact they allowed that tho...
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8 hours ago, gortex2 said:
Appears same as the TRAM 1481 and most likely made by the same china company. Most of the multi piece trams fall apart after a few years. Basically a hoppy antenna. Mine last 2 months in NY before it snapped in the wind. Since them I only use commercial LMR antennas made by reputable companies.
Few years is more like few months. They develop water ingestion and the foam inside soaks water so things corrode real fast.
Verticals tend to shoot out with a vertical takeoff angle, so it will reach very far, but up on the clouds... instead of a gigantic (and usually ineffective) antenna, I would get this for UHF:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/133927735178?epid=1941709490&hash=item1f2eb70f8a:g:yowAAOSwIytgUyhQ
G.
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Well, 130 miles on UHF using 50W coming from an antenna placed 330 feet seems doable, depending on terrain of course. I've read in many instances that 100w placed 100 feet in VHF will reach ~100 miles... so... triple the height will reach a lot further.
G.
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13 hours ago, generalpain said:
Not to discourage you, but most GMRS users get their licenses only to talk to specific family and friends, or for a specific activity (like off-roading). Most aren't listening for, nor will they respond to, people they don't know. It isn't personal; that's just not what they got their radios for.
You can try it, and you might make a few contacts. I just want to set your expectations.
Sometimes is not that they ignore your calls, but because they have set some PL tones, your call won't even open their squelch.
- Sshannon, AdmiralCochrane and H8SPVMT
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The feeling is certainly mutual, Lets go @MichaelLAX !
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Just now, Lscott said:
If the chip is failing nothing is going to fix it except a replacement. I'm just suspecting that's the problem, a few failing bits, because he said he can program other channels with the same setup and they work.
You are right, bummer...
G.
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@MichaelLAX Getting the "pejorative terms" out now... uh oh... seems like you are getting angry, is the headache really getting that strong? Take some Tylenol, bud. It helps!
Whatever you think or want my words to mean is just that: YOUR opinion. Adding parenthesis to my quote doesn't change the fact that you made it up, but that is to be expected coming from someone who thinks they are a "legend in their own mind" in the forum.
So, you don't like to use pejorative terms? Well, the solution is real simple: I don't reply by quoting your posts with the intention of getting into a pointless argument, and you do the same. Or better yet: we stay the heck away from each others posts...
How bout that? Do you think you can do that? I certainly can.
G.
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5 hours ago, Lscott said:
You might be unlucky to have a memory chip in the radio that has partially failed, a few bad bits in some memory locations. If that's the case don't be surprised if you later notice some other things don't work right.
Couldn't the OP just reflash the radio with a fresh firmware copy? Saving the tuning partition first before dumping new fw on the radio, if the bits are failing maybe the flash can fix it?
G.
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@MichaelLAX Did repeating the same thing over and over made you feel any smarter today? or did it give you a headache instead? or is it just listening to yourself all the time what gives you headache? oh, must be the details.
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Looks good. I like Sirio antennas, they are very very well made. I have a 2-bay WD-140-N dipole, soon to be a 4-bay setup. Best antenna I've owned to date.
G.
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This is another reason why I try to tell everyone in this forum to not buy CCRs...
G.
- gortex2 and PACNWComms
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On 2/6/2022 at 3:03 PM, jdomer222 said:
I have gathered all kinds of information thus far, but one thing I am having a very hard time figuring out is how I can make a tall base station antenna mast. The city I live in allows 70ft amateur radio antennas without a special permit, and I think every foot of that would be beneficial for my local terrain. I intend to align it with the peak of my roof (25ft) resting on the concrete patio below. The first 25 ft will be held to the house with probably 3 brackets. Above that I plan to send 2 guy lines anchors to the opposite corners of the roof, and 2 more line anchors down to the ground below. I think the guys will be spaced about every 10 ft (probably 4 points on the mast for the roughly 35 ft of mast above the roof level - then a 9 ft antenna at the top).
Can I use chain link fence top rail for this and drill and but and bolt each joint? The only thing I have seen so far is a telescoping mast that reaches about 44 ft, or a 50ft fiberglass one that hits 50 ft. I cannot find any construction information for a mast this tall.
Thank you in advance for your help.
35 feet mast can be done with x3 10 foot galvanized water pipe in 1 1/2, 1 1/4 and 1 inch + a 5 feet section with a coupler atop the last 10 feet 1 inch pipe.
Leave about 1 feet of each tube inserted on the larger diameter, like a telescopic antenna, and drill two holes to hold them tight. Don't use a large single bolt, if you do you won't be able to run the cable inside the pipe.
G.
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Just now, jdomer222 said:
Please excuse my ignorance, but is there a reason other than value for these radio recommendations? I have a kg-1000g in a vehicle that I like some of the features of...and I considered potentially using one as a base station radio because I couldn't find info on any 110v gmrs radios. Are all of the options going to pretty much be repurposed 12vdc mobile units for gmrs?
Thanks again for all of the help. I don't know anyone personally who is knowledgeable about radios, and though I've learned a fair amount just researching, I still feel like I know so little that I don't even know the right questions to ask yet!
Yes, commercial radios have much better front end than CCR radios. On a vehicle its probably "barely acceptable" to run CCR stuff, since cars usually only have a 1/4 wave vertical that is max, 6 or so feet over the ground, not sticking out 50-60 feet up in the air being hammered by all the RF coming from all these megawatt radio transmitters in every giant RF firebreathing 1400 foot towers from 40+ miles away... Those towers and their megawatt transmitters will wreak havoc on radios with no front or little front end filtering.
If the EVX radios are of any indication, I believe the VX-4702 will be a good radio for base duty, it won't desense too bad, or intermod distortion galore to smithereens like even the AT-578 does... with a NOAA station...
Based on my VHF measurements, and adding for the 10 dB extra attenuation per equal distance, my estimation is that if done right, 50W UHF GMRS with a 4-bay folded diple placed at 50-60 feet, will probably yield a good 20-25 miles simplex range, provided the radio has an effective sensitivity measured in uV, and not measured in Kilovolts, like most CCR stuff is.
G.
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@jdomer222 Yes, the UHF DB-404 is much smaller antenna than a 2-bay VHF dipole, which I was able to raise just fine on a mast. The 404 I don't think its that heavy. Make sure you guy it, tho; a non-guyed 35 foot pole up in the air, with a 4-bay dipole atop will not take much wind... You could also run the cable inside the pole using two 90 degree ends, and T couplers on the pole, which is what I've done. So the cable is not visible except for where it mates to the antenna phasing harness.
G.
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5 hours ago, jdomer222 said:
I'm pretty new at all of this. Are UHF radios legal (within the rules) to transmit on GMRS channels? I was under the impression that it had to be an actual GMRS radio.
Sorry this has turned into a "help a newb set up a base station" thread instead of just an antenna mast thread, but I really appreciate all of the suggestions.
I think for the mast I will plan on installing on top of the roof instead so the mast doesn't have to be as tall, and I am considering either this antenna https://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=191_193_258_976_250_1096&products_id=8031 or the shorter 5 dbd version for half the price. If I am calculating correctly either version at that height would get at least a -3db signal at about 300 ft from the house.
If you are going to sink 400+ bucks on an antenna, get a commscope DB-404. Get this:
https://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=4267
Don't waste your money on ANY verticals, they all suck for simplex because they are all cloud warmers, as the main lobe fires upwards with a takeoff angle and not towards horizon like half wave dipole arrays do. People will say that EZNEC says X Y Z, but then always verify with reality, sometimes those antenna modeling programs are not as accurate as real life is. I've measured RSSI strength in a Hustler G7, which the modeling curve shows almost horizontal radiation angle, its on VHF but its the same idea, its +6 dBd gain vertical antenna, but measured a whopping 18 dBm lower RSSI than a mere single half wave dipole with 1.85 dBd at the same 5 mile distance. So there you go, papers and equations can tell you whatever... real life usually disagrees, so measure everything in the real world too. If real life disagrees, means something is missing from those equations.
G.
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There you go, the VX-4207 sounds like the radio I'll start proposing for GMRS from now on... thanks @wayoverthere it goes right through the CCR crowd argument to buy CCR trash because of part certification scare stuff... music to my ears... and I own a lot of Vertex Standard stuff... its pretty good, in fact, my main base digital link uses a pair of EVX-5300 radios... so there you go.
Here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/234009379037?hash=item367c0bc0dd:g:Q20AAOSwXFhgnvHz Its a G7, but it will work just fine for GMRS. And at 100 bucks its cheaper than most CCR trash too... awesome! I might have to get me one...
Just avoid all these cheapies that claim to offer more "flexibility" in the sake of a piece of crap receiver... piece of crap receiver = range measured in tenths of a mile, as opposed to tens of miles...
IMO, if you are going to go through the trouble of putting up a 60 foot mast/tower, might as well get a decent radio to go along with it.
G.
Anyone willing to perform (for a fee, not free) alignment in a couple of radios?
in Miscellaneous Topics
Posted
@tweiss3
I have a cable for doing that already, but its not the MotoTRBO radios that need an alignment.
G.