tweiss3

You are right. I guess I'm more annoyed that you have to leave the VFO B on the screen, which is pointless. On the FTM400, you can't turn off the B band, but it will do dual receive. Every other HF radio that has dual VFO literally doesn't show the B band unless you are using it for split (817, 450D, 705, 7300).

No problem Marc, It was a good exercise in really understanding the radio. RR has no response to my question. The groups.io didn't have any solution, but suggested I reach out to RT Systems. RT Systems went back and forth with me a few times. It turns out the memory structure was designed to only allow a single offset for 6 meters and a single offset for 10 meters (probably to save memory size). There isn't anything they can change in their program that would allow multiple offsets for 6 meter repeater memories. My solution is to put a TX and RX memory next to each other, and if I need that repeater, just jog back and forth between the memories. Not ideal, but better than messing with VFO or other buttons and hitting the wrong one ruining the memories. I do find it annoying that you can't dual receive on both A and B at the same time.

Mars mod took all of 30 seconds, but did not open the quick split range. Firmware is current Main V01-10, DSP V02-05, LCD V01-01 I also emailed RT Systems to see if they could update the software. This is the only radio I have that doesn't allow typing in the transmit frequency, and I have RT Systems for almost every ham radio I own.

Interesting. Do you see a range wider than 20kHz in the menu? I don't have an opposition to doing the mars mod, though I don't need it for out of band, if it changes the quick offset. What firmware version do you have? I need to check what I have in the radio as well. You are right. I knew that, just didn't type it correctly in my frustration.

Getting back into it, I can't get it to work with quick, not enough range. Quick split is in kHz, I need 240kHz: Even 0.5Mhz isn't going to work, since quicksplit is 20kHz (0.2MHz). Crap. I need to work through putting a memory into VFO, then swapping it to B.

I ran into a crap storm today with the kids (quick onset sickness), so I didn't get to try much. I found the quickshift setting. How to turn it on quickly is what I need to try. I just need a few free hours

I'm not seeing like 7 different shifts. The 705/7300 don't care what the shift is, you program it per memory. I need to probably swap this for my 7300 and actually play around with it on the air to figure out how best to program this.

@marcspaz let me know when you start messing with it again. I did put my question in the groups.io, so maybe I'm overthinking something.

I'm assuming it is a VX-4000 LB(B). I just looked, I only have CE49, and the low band manual doesn't say what the alignment program is other than high should be 70 and low should be 30.

So I need to have 2 memories saved, and push RX to the B band and TX stays on the A band? I vaguely remember something similar on my 817, but it has been a while.

Let me know. RT Systems software greys out transmit frequency and wants you to set via offset direction and frequency, but if you change the offset frequency, it changes all the memories.

Anyone deal with programming memories with an odd split? There is one 6m repeater that is +600kHz, but all the others are +1MHz.

I get redundancy, but I would rather have a car charger for my portable than another radio in the glove box that I need to maintain the battery on. The portable I carry is the redundant, the mobile is primary.

And the IC-9700 can't even receive GMRS, its filters are too tight it has a hard stop at 450MHz.

I don't have the radio listed, but I do have a Larsen NMO150/450/857 antenna that covers all of VHF high, UHF and the 700/800 band. It is connected to a radio that does all those bands in one. I don't scan airband, but it's not much outside the VHF LMR band. Attached is the SWR scan of mine attic mounted:

Family use mostly. I have had a few conversations with neighborhood watch at my old house, but everyone there was also a ham (they only used GMRS to include the whole neighborhood).

Bioenno (LiFePO4 batteries) provides two quick charts with run times: Normal Duty Cycle (80% RX, 20% TX) Field Day Duty Cycle (50% RX, 50% TX) Using 50/50 for a 50W radio, you are looking at something like a 60AH battery to get 48 hours. If you turn the radio down to 10W, and cut your duty cycle to hourly or every 2 hour check ins, you can get away with much less battery.

@Sshannon I'm not too concerned with running digital modes while mobile. I did buy used, and it does come with a DigiRig, not sure how to set the cables up so they are accessible though. That is a spring problem. I've used RTSystems for most all of my ham rigs (9700, 7300, 705, DJ-G7, TH-D74, VX-7, FT450D, FT3D) and its a nice simple way to program things, and copy/paste memories. Yaesu radios tend to have great nearby rejection and great filter sets. I would expect the 891 to be the same. @marcspaz Already started. Unfortunately it is 1 slot short to allow for 10m FM in scan. Excited to get this in my hands and get it installed.

To avoid taking over the other thread (more than we already did), I know a few have this radio @marcspaz @Sshannon. Mine is going to be mobile in the car, using my Little Tarheel II and the Tunematic (891 pigtail is on the way) for 6m-80m. That being said, any tricks/tips on programming and use? I picked up RTSystems for it to get it programmed more easily. I still have to look into the memory groups thing again.

I wouldn't worry about the connector. If you really are concerned, then don't disconnect the cable from the antenna. You have to coil the cable anyways when the pole is collapsed, keep it attached. You are correct, you can use a base style antenna as well.

https://www.arcantenna.com/products/laird-mbcn-nmo-to-nfemale-antenna-adapter-ground-plane-radials-vhf-uhf Mounts to the pole no problems, then use any mobile antenna you want; quarter wave, half wave, 5/8's, all will work well.

It is emitted along the entire radiating element. Look at the average location, which would be the middle. Ideally you want the base as close to meeting the elevation of the roof line, then you won't get any shadowing from the body of the truck. FYI, when modeling antennas for range over topography, you use the base of the antenna, if that gives you any indication on how important it is to get the entire antenna above the car body.

There was a thread where the jeep owner mounted the antenna over the spare tire on a plate. Personally, I would prefer a 1/2 wave in a similar location (perhaps the base could be nearer the roof line) over the front bumper mounts. My understanding is that the AUS version of CB is UHF, and I can't explain why they all mount in that location other than "it's always how we did it". Keeping the coax out of the engine bay and away from other electronics, and putting the antenna as high as possible, with as much ground plane as possible would be my priorities.

If my wife asks, I'm blaming @marcspaz for the 891 showing up on my doorstep.

Each connector adds approximately 0.1db of loss. Other than the fact that at 50' you already have 4.4db of loss (64%) in power and sensitivity, the connector not a concern.