wayoverthere
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Posts posted by wayoverthere
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2 hours ago, Kdcstks said:
Thanks I think it can only scan uhf freq outside of GMRS
https://www.manualslib.com/manual/3158987/Retevis-Ra87.html#menu_function_list
The "programmable vfo" line info seems to agree with this answer...400-480mhz (uhf) only.
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8 hours ago, Sshannon said:
Back to seriousness, @gortex2 is right. You don’t specify what kind of cable you have, but unless it’s pretty good cable 50 feet will cost you half of your power on transmit and half of your received signal in attenuation. The RT97 is built in such a way that it could be mounted on the tower right below your antenna.
To your original question, better antenna placement is almost always more effective than simply adding power. That’s not to say that power is meaningless, but doubling the height of an antenna will almost always do more than doubling your power and usually for less money.
Not to mention that antenna and cable improvements help both transmit and receive.
For illustration, I tested some unlabeled cable (15 or 17ft) that came with a Midland mirror mount. With 43 watts measured at the radio, it measured 23 watts at the antenna end. Switching to a 35 foot piece of abr400 (and all other factors the same), I now had 35 watts at the antenna.
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1 hour ago, WRZF693 said:
In case anyone is wondering I was able to do a google search and found a website that has a scanner.. I'm thinking it was something broadcasting.com or something like that.. If you do a search you'll find it and they had my area both police and fire and ambulance available, but it was about as exciting as watching paint dry.. Not hardly any traffic.. Someone locked themselves in a fence, two people unconscious needed an ambulance, etc.. Nothing really interesting, but I live in the Rural South of Indiana which is about like living in TN or something.. I love that part..
Broadcastify.com
I think most of the "scanner" apps get their audio feeds from there too.
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What about mounting off to the left in that view? Thinking 2 or 3 sections of top rail for the mast; it'll cost a little extra in coax, but I'd want to get it away from those utility lines, both for potential RFI and for drop hazard. That attic vent could be a nice spot for the coax to exit, though.
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TL/DR: minor gripes with how they report inventory, and shipping. no direct experience with their customer service, as I haven't needed to use it.
My only complaint with Radioddity relates to their website. I ordered a Xiegu G106 and DE-19 package deal, which they showed as having US stock, with 5-7 day shipping (iirc, on the shipping). However, it shipped from China instead, and according to the tracking took 3 or 4 days just to get dropped at the shipper. Total time was just over 2 weeks to actually receive it.
Partially my bad for cutting it close, but I was kind of hoping to participate in one of the contest weekends, but the radio didn't get here in time...I skipped ordering from Amazon because the price difference would have been over $100.
Aside from the G106, I also ordered a GD73 dmr radio from them awhile back. Got hit with a foreign transaction fee by my credit card on that one (didn't realize at that point they were international), then problems with DHL about delivering the radio (shipped to a PO box). also had a bear of a time setting up the radio, between not a ton of into for it, and me having zero idea with DMR codeplugs. That surprise foreign transaction fee put me off for a long time, but it looks like they've added paypal support between then and when i gave in on the G106.
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23 minutes ago, jas said:
And that's only because there might be the catch - Lincoln recommends that whatever is plugged in those power points should be disconnected when not in use. I think that's only because the connection is automatically turned off only by opening a door after the engine is turned off. I do it anyways though just in case. The battery costs like $800!!
I think you're probably in the ballpark on their reasoning. The console is a good way to hide wires, too, especially if the radio body is going to hide under a front seat.
For my truck, my modifications were dropping a relay in the path to one of the receptacles so it would shut off with the key (normally, both are hot at all times).
Given your Lincoln shuts off power after the delay, I'm thinking going as far as relay is unnecessary, but you could put a switch in line with hot side of the radio wiring to effectively "disconnect" it when you want to. The difficulty is where to put a switch, and insulating the back side of it, depending where you decide to hide it...still looking for ideas on that.
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7 hours ago, jas said:
I'm in the same boat as you at the moment. I drive a vehicle that is maybe far and away from the norm expected of most GMRS users. It's a 2019 Lincoln Nautilus Black Label - the top of the line trim for the model with all the options. I'll post pictures below. I'm using a Midland MXT275 and it's good on the road but not locally on repeaters.
When I'm driving I like simple that's what Midlands are. Too simple, but I've found shortcuts to make it work. Now I want an MXT575 because although I can touch my local repeater from my house I come in scratchy - it's 30-miiles or so away.
My problem is that this is an expensive vehicle and I'm not drilling a single hole in it - period. That's why the MXT275 ergonomics are perfect. It lives under my seat and I can take everything radio out a leave no trace. It plugs into one of the three cigarette lighter power sources. Now Midland wants me to connect directly to the battery for the MXT575. Not gonna happen.
My vehicle came with every electronic gizmo known to man. It uses a TON of electricity. In the cabin, in addition to USB plugs and wireless charger, I have 3 cigarette lighters power sources, each with it's own 20 amp fuse and a 150watt 110 inverter, all built in - to say nothing of the 750 watt built in stereo.
If they're indeed each fused for 20 amps, the receptacles should be able to handle the 575 no problem (50 watts is usually around 10-11amps draw on full power). From there, the weak point is likely a 12v plug. I would want to 'improve' inside the plug so that little spring inside isn't the sole current path. Alternately, if the back side of any of the three receptacles are easily accessed, perhaps tapping the wires behind the scenes would be an easy minimal impact option, depending on the connectors. My older truck is also a ford product, and used basic spades on the back of the 12v sockets, which made for easy modifications; I'm thinking in terms of a short bit of a Y harness between the existing wiring and the receptacle, to give the radio somewhere to plug in but keep the socket usable when it isn't radio time. if you can match connectors, it could easily be removed without a trace, too.
in terms of mounting, ProClips has a couple options that could work well for the mic/display; the high center mount might work well for the KG1000G remote head, though this side mount may be better suited for the midland.
just throwing out some ideas...hope it helps, but feel free to disregard if not.
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8 minutes ago, WRZE000 said:
Why is that specifically? Is it due to FCC rules.... or "it really won't work" ? (I do want to keep it legit and legal of course. Am just curious
FCC rules is the answer. Receiving almost anywhere you want is fine (the old analog cell bands being an exception), but transmit is the kicker.
For gmrs, the radio needs part 95e certification, which disallows the ability to transmit on any non-certified services (aka ham). Dual certified radios were a thing, but more common under old rules (when gmrs was under 95a); there are still a few older models floating around (mostly Kenwood and Motorola) certified for 90 (LMR/public safety) & 95a, but they'll be uhf only, and mostly require taking a gamble on used equipment.
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2 hours ago, nokones said:
I was going to mention the two Park Ridge repeaters but I dont see them listed anymore. I dont recall if they were private or not. The Park Ridge Repeaters are high elevated sites and may provide good portable coverage. The Bakersfield repeater also is permission required. If I remember correctly it took a long time for the repeater owner to respond with his approval and tone information.
Not that I ever expected the Auberry repeater to cover Delano, that site is no longer listed. It seems most of the sites up and down the Valley are becoming more private or require permission and no longer are listed as time goes on.
There's a couple listed near Auberry, but you have to have the "show stale repeaters" toggle turned on (this is the case for the Park Ridge machines as well, which are both listed as open.
Auberry 575 is listed as open, while Sierra 2 is listed as permission required. Both listings have the same frequency and tone, though, so I'm not sure if it changed hands and an old listing wasn't removed or what. I also found a new listing for the Joaquin Ridge machine with the "stale" option turned on.
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7 hours ago, wayoverthere said:
I'll have to look at what they're called, but TCARC has a couple on park ridge that may be in range
Park Ridge 700 is said to have the better range. Park Ridge 675 is the secondary machine.
There used to be one on Joaquin Ridge near Coalinga that was called Central1, which I've been able to reach from Tulare on a handheld, but I don't see it listed anymore. I think I saw something previously about it being a "legacy repeater" as the owner had passed away and that they were trying to put things in place to keep it running, but it looks like they were not successful.
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1 hour ago, WRYY282 said:
Can a 20 Amp peak, 16amp continuous power supply handle a 20 watt radio?
Power Supply
Astron RS-20M-AP Desktop 13.8VDC Linear Power Supply with Meters and Anderson Power Poles, 20A Peak, 16A Continuous https://a.co/d/5DZ8vIP
Radio https://www.buytwowayradios.com/wouxun-kg-xs20g.html
You have headroom to spare. (Time for another radio?
)
My 20 watt rated at779uv runs around 5A draw on high, and even my 45 and 50 watt radios (btech, vertex, icom) don't top 11A on high power. Haven't checked the idle draw for the anytone, but with 2 vertex single band vhf/uhf radios and a btech 50x1 all monitoring, my psu was only showing around 0.5A draw (yes, half an Amp).
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So...I still stand by the statement that RIch can best say what that section of the site will and will not accept in that box.
That said, I created a "Test" repeater listing to be able to poke at the settings (marked it offline, etc). Still not sure what kind of code it's using, but I did successfully create a link with the little "chain" icon (4th from the top right, in blue in the screenshot). typed in the text I wanted, highlighted it, hit the link button, and pasted in the url I wanted it to point to.
Seems to have worked:
Hope it's at least a little bit of help.
- Sshannon and neosmith20
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1 hour ago, WRYZ926 said:
That is the other main concern I have.
If you have some roof rack bars/rails, those may help with keeping the cable off the roof between the mount and tucking into the hatch.
That may bring it back to a lip mount being the best option. This comet has a short section of thin cable to help with squeezing past the seal, and limits the amount of cable available outside to rub. Closer to the hinge also limits how much you need loose to allow range of movement with the hatch, but may complicate routing while leaving a drip loop.
(I know...Always compromises somewhere)
Back to mag mounts, though, I've largely used Midland mag mounts,
have to check the brand on one other(edit: it's a Browning), along with a late 90's radio shack mag mount and cb antenna. Even with antennas up to 3 ft, comet 2x4sr or double 5/8 Browning, the only time I've had one come loose was when the whip directly and solidly hit something, like a good sized branch. Lots of light hits with no movement. I can't see something like a "hatpin" 1/4 wave having enough leverage to knock the mount loose, and is only 6" tall. On the hatch, you can likely get by with a 1/2 wave (which tend to be around 12-15" for 450-470 mhz) and still clear the garage. -
1 hour ago, WRQC527 said:
Although I don't like mag mounts as a long-term solution, I have used them, and to prevent scratching I've placed a cheap plastic (not glass) tablet screen protector on the roof.
I'll also suggest protecting the point where the cable turns the corner into the hatch. Been running mag mounts (1, 2 or 3) on my truck for the past 3 years or so, and you can see the "rub" where it turns to tuck in behind the door seal
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15 minutes ago, neosmith20 said:
is it just "at rich" or does he have a different(full) name on here?
@rdunajewski is the Rich in question.
And racking my brain in the meantime as to what it might accept.
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16 minutes ago, neosmith20 said:
Hey, I've been bashing my head trying to figure out how to add code into the "Repeater Details" part of the My Repeaters page.
I see other pages have a clickable title. in their "Repeater Details" e.g. (https://mygmrs.com/repeater/2695)
Like they have on their page, how the heck is that done?
Thanks!I don't have access to a repeater page to test, but have you tried html or bbcode? Iirc, bb code would be url=http://whatever within [], while html would be a href="http://url goes here" within <> brackets
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57 minutes ago, WRUZ229 said:
Another option, if there are “ditch light” brackets for the Escape (or maybe Explorer Sport?) you could mount an antenna on a ditch light bracket. Keeps it off the hood lip.Comet also makes a couple generic brackets that are basically an s bend, and use one of the fender bolts to hold the mount just above the fender. This is the shorter one, I believe there is a "tall" option also.
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12 minutes ago, redshadow16 said:
Broadnet GMRS Reapeter
It looks like they've moved to a club requiring dues, probably why they switched the channel to requiring a password (I got bumped out by that move too, btw). Their webpage seems to be offline, but they have a club page on the site, if you want to go that route:
https://forums.mygmrs.com/clubs/49-broadnet-gmrs-repeater-systems/
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If you're talking about needing a password to connect to a certain channel, identifying the channel may help with getting you pointed to the relevant contacts (or otherwise providing help).
I've definitely run into a couple that I hadn't been on in a bit and either needed a password, or had been bumped out of the "trusted" group.
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3 hours ago, jsneezy said:
If I had a laptop running windows, I would consider that an option, but the only laptop I run is Linux. It's a lot easier to take a radio to a desktop PC than the other way around.
i haven't tried with the radioddity software, but i've had success running other radio programming software in Wine (if you have that available).
Tri-Band Antenna for Baofeng UV-17R Pro GPS
in Amateur Radio (Ham)
Posted
I want to say I have the same one for my 2m/1.25m wouxun...have to double check in a few.