tweiss3
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Everything posted by tweiss3
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For that price one can buy 8+ commercial mobile radios that have Part 95 certification and better audio.
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AntennaFarm lists the 1480 at 8'4", which seems about right. If you are working with 3' right now, you could use the Larsen 2/70 (not SH) https://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=191_192_200_450_453&products_id=1712 and put it on a mobile to base adapter (https://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1289_1243&products_id=1649). On the plus, it would be a small black whip and very difficult to see.
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Mine is the Tram 1480, it is 8' tall. The 1481 is a 3 piece at 17' tall. I'm, not sure what you have for your current setup, but if you are looking for attic placement, you could likely find a dual band antenna in the 6' tall area, or utilize a mobile antenna on a NMO mount.
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Are you looking for base station antenna or mobile? Mobile: Larsen 2/70SH works well in both ham 2m&70cm as well as GMRS, of course being slightly out of band for GMRS, but quite workable. Larsen 150/450/758 works well in ham 2m&70cm as well as GMRS, but is better for GMRS, and a bit out of band for the ham stuff. I have both, but use the 2/70SH since I talk more on ham than GMRS. Base: I have a Tram two piece on my roof designed for ham. Once again, you will have to choose a compromise of one service over the other. It works well for GMRS, though it's not listed for GMRS. Typically, when you go HF or VHF low band (6m), you use an entirely separate antenna than your UHF/VHF antenna.
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I have a RF birdie from the dash in my wife's car. Not a problem with the mobiles, but a HT in the front seats is useless. Take the antenna off, and take the open SMA connector of the radio (with it on) and track around in your car, over the dash, etc......
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@WRKC935 This is also the argument (both GMRS/HAM/LMR) when one claims they want to put up a "high power repeater" or "add more power" to their repeater. The question is why? Thinking logically, at the same antenna elevation, 99.99% of your users are going to be 50W or less. It doesn't help if the repeater can get out 1000 miles your users can't use it. Most repeaters utilize good antennas (9-12db gain), and after you figure your cable losses, fittings, jumpers, duplexer, etc. you end up at a break even point, or a small amount of gain. Anything between 100W and 50W to the feedline ends up with a nearly identical in/out range and decent coverage, provided the antenna placement is decent. For GMRS, your primary concern is build something that the duty cycle won't burn up.
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There are a couple of ways to do it. The most expensive is cold shrink wrap, which is used in about 50% of the "professionals/commercial" installs at cell sites: https://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=627_656_660. At $50/each connection, its pricy. The LMR guys like to wrap the connection in multi-layers. First tape, then a waterproofing tape/butyl layer. This is less expensive, and many LMR guys like it because after 20 years, you can still take it off and the connectors look new. https://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=627_656_657&products_id=1956 Good Luck! This is just 1 of the many things that Nickle and dime your installs, but its important.
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Antenna farm is a good place to purchase. You will be sure its actually Times Microwave cable. Don't forget, you will need to weather proof the connection at the antenna after you hook up the coax.
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Turn to 144.39MHz and see if you would ever be able to get a word in. Now think you had out a handful of radios to family members and just let them go. -
Yea, you aren't going to find one new. One of them to track down is the Vertex Standard HX470s, you might get lucky and find one used. It did FRS (0.5W), MURS (2W) and VHF Marine.
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While it is a compromise antenna, it is still the best one available (that carries 4 bands, I use 220 a lot), and is enough for the 6m repeaters in the area (I use 2 regularly) and have been successful with simplex contacts while hiking the local parks network. It doesn't nearly meet my vertical dipole 19' above ground that is powered by my 7300, but it works well overall.
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Actually, it works quite well with the rubber duck on 6m, exactly like the 818/817 does. This is a good option, will work in GMRS/MURS frequencies without a modification, but it is a DMR radio, and I can't find anything on the water resistant rating.
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Look used. QRZ has tons of decent deals. There are 3 FT3DRs for sale a day with the new FT5DR on sale. I will amend my previous statement, you can get coordinates displayed, but it's not as nice as the D74 for GPS usage at all. To be honest, if you are just looking for coordinates, and not for using it within the radio (APRS) then you are better off with a standalone (hiking GPS or activity watch). Unless you are completely set on new with warranty, I do suggest looking used. Make your list of radios, check eHam and QRZ a few times a day, and grab the one you find the best deal on. I stopped hiking with the D74, while it may be water resistant, the antenna I have in it is huge and it's doesn't seem near as resilient as others. I do hike with my FT3DR and my VX7R, my current favorite being the VX7R for the inclusion of 220 and 6meters. Honestly, you list of possible radios is pretty large if you remove the GPS requirement, and many have full submersible ratings instead of just resistant.
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I missed that the D74 is IP54 water resistant. I do consider it the best radio overall for GPS/APRS/Packet and use it for 220 all the time, but it's battery life is atrocious. Also, performing the MARS/CAP mod on it to work in MURS & GMRS is significantly more difficult, and you can't get it new anymore. I do think it's durability is significantly less than other options, my keypad lost a key somehow, and I was still babying it.
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The FT3DR doesn't really she you the coordinates or gris square, the D74 does, but isn't "waterproof". Both do APRS adequately.
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I'm just interested in more information, there really isn't much out there at all. A buddy that works for the local power company mentioned he loves it cause you just toss it in there and still have coms car to car (they get stuck using talk around cause in many of their convoys get out of the state trunked systems range). I'm just trying to understand the option, its limitations and see if its worth looking into down the road.
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FT3DR, VX-7R & VX-8DR are IPX5, 3' submerged for 30 minutes. How much waterproof do you need?
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Modified, yes, it will meet all your requirements.
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I will say, you are going to have one heck of a time finding that, and its not going to be new. Keeping on that we all know this isn't going to be type accepted, the amateur radio market seems to be where you should look. The professional radios don't do both VHF/UHF in portable, though a handful do VHF or UHF with 700/800MHz. I have a FT3DR, and its a good option, battery life is pretty decent, and it has APRS built in, but you have to do the hardware modification to get GMRS & MURS. Yaesu VX-7R can do a software mod to get those, but it hasn't been in production for quite some time, and doesn't have GPS. I just picked one up not very long ago, and really really like the radio. VX-8GR had the GPS on top of VX-7R features, but I'm unsure about the software modifications.
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Transmitting in VFO/Frequency Mode - Possible?
tweiss3 replied to htims05's question in Technical Discussion
In order to keep the Part 95 certification, VFO transmit has to be disabled for anything other than the GMRS frequencies, my guess is its easier to disable VFO transmit all together, which appears what they did. -
To tag onto you Moto guys, anyone with any experience with the APX Vehicular dock? The one that turns the portable into a mobile with external antenna.
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CTCSS/DCS tones on different brands of radios
tweiss3 replied to Lambing's topic in General Discussion
The midlands are narrowband (11k vs wideband 20k), you need to turn the GM-30 to narrowband. -
Yea, I'm about 100 miles NE of his tower. I was only noting I found another DMR repeater on GMRS, separate from the ones he has found. This does bring up an interesting point. I did just see a post about an ID5100 that will pass P25 traffic through the cross-band repeat feature. Would any other normal repeater with CSQ pass DMR/NXDN or any other digital mode as well, if it just needs a carrier? There isn't anything significantly different than passing packet or any AFSK mode through a repeater.
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What are you looking for? Study materials? General discussion? Radio Reference has a pretty solid Amateur Radio section, and the one on this site at the bottom isn't too bad either.
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This is what I use https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BD6DRI6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 with these label cartridges https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074JZ6NWV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I label each HT behind the battery, and each battery gets numbered. Cables get it either on the plug, or right next to the plug on the cord, and wrapped in packing tape.
