tweiss3
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Posts posted by tweiss3
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The Kenwood TK radios above do have Part 95 certification. They aren't terribly large, and in fact, they are what I give the kids for most activities (ski, field day, etc.)
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Yes, I used a NanoVNA H3 to tune duplexers. I did bypass the internal screen and use my computer with the NanoVNA-APP and increased the number of data points (and took my time). Afterwards, I took the whole repeater over to a friend who had real equipment, and ended up not changing a thing. The real challenge is to go slow, take your time and move in small increments. Also, make sure you have the correct jumpers, adapters and dummy loads before starting.
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From my friend:
The RF room shielding of an MRI is between 90 and 100 db.
For a MRI scanner any RF in the 400 Mhz range the field strength would
be in the 10 Tesla range this is way above the frequencys MRI uses 21
to160 Mhz .5 to 4 Tesla (41 Mhz per Tesla).
Don't think it's a MRI Scanner. -
15 minutes ago, Sshannon said:
No RF should be able to be heard through the shell. According to the article I linked, RF should be shielded to 100 dB, but according to the OP, something recognizable as RFI matching the sound of the MR scanner is being received 3/4 mile away. Just for curiosity’s sake, can you ask the gentleman if that sounds right?
Emailed, I'll let you know what he says. Hopefully he responds quickly. If not, I'll nudge him on my way home.
I wonder if there could be an issue with the transformer feeding the machine.
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7 minutes ago, Sshannon said:
Another thought. I wonder if the communication system in the MRI uses an FRS radio on that frequency and you were simply hearing it.
No. I know a gentlemen that did the construction of the MRI rooms and the maximum outside RF levels that were allowed inside the room is extremely low. FRS shouldn't be able to be heard through the shell.
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Many of the commercial radios have a jumper you can change to filter the bottom end out or not which may be needed for data. An example, Vertex Standard VX2500, out of the DB9 connector on the back:
Normal is to filter everything 300 Hz and below out, but for packet, you need to open it up.
- gortex2, Radioguy7268 and Sshannon
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No, I have not. There is supposedly a pigtail for the portables, still waiting on part number and cost. I may start playing with this.
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Truth. You can spend an entire cars value on a side by side without blinking.
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31 minutes ago, Lscott said:
Another question can those radios be setup for an auto ID using CW? Just about every radio with builtin cross band repeat I know about has the same problem. No way to do an auto ID. The NX HT's I have include a CW ID function, but it's not automatic. You have to assign it to a function key then press it to send.
I have the same option for NXDN. Have to assign a key. Nothing automatic.
34 minutes ago, Lscott said:I looked at the P25 radios I have, TK-5220/5320, and they don't have this feature.
Not available for P25 or DMR on these either.
When I saw this feature in NXDN, I asked a few guys on the commercial side. Most of the time, all traffic goes through a repeater, which takes care of the ID. The rules say, even for itinerant licenses, without repeater infrastructure, have to ID regularly. It is permitted that a mobile or base can do this ID for the entire fleet. I did ask how those running 50 HTs, or running analog, handled this requirement, as I never saw a CW ID feature in any other radio. The response was a shrug. I assume everyone ignores it and doesn't comply.
But it does bring up the question, in amateur radio, even if the repeater IDs, your digital signal doesn't ID (except with aliases) without being decoded, so how are we considered compliant by using voice identification over a digital mode?
32 minutes ago, Lscott said:I don't think I've notice that. Next time I get around to playing with the XPR's I'll look for it.
It is the button right next to write. I've used it once, but not sure if there are other hangups.
33 minutes ago, Lscott said:Anyway that's cool you can do cross band and cross mode repeat. Do you know if the audio is sent in digital format between the two radio decks or is it analog? I'm assuming it is.
I believe this is pure analog audio out the back. The box between the two is just isolation transformers and a solenoid to turn the connection on and off.
The NX-5k comes with a "Mobile Relay Station" built in, that does not require a DB25 cable, but you have to pick the zone/channel in the programming and it can't be changed without a reflash. This is an alternative option, and it works for other radios as well: https://albertaradiosupply.com/collections/kern/products/linking-cable-for-kenwood-tk7180-nx700-nx5000-radios-crossband-operation
45 minutes ago, Lscott said:On a different topic how much has this setup cost you so far?
I don't want to tally it up, and you don't want to know. Just the entitlements the way I wanted it is more than my GMRS repeater. But for a radio system that should last near forever, and the level of interoperability I have in a small simple package, its probably worth it in the end.
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17 hours ago, Lscott said:
I've played a tiny bit with Motorola's RM just to see what it does. It was automatically installed along with CPS 16. I only have a few radios so the extra work isn't worth it for me. I just have to save the code plugs by radio serial number.
I've though about using the Depot software to change the SN on the radios to be the same. Then I don't need to track the code plugs by SN. I'm not using anything that's specific to a radio that's enabled using an entitlement key, I believe, so that might work for me saving the tracking by SN hassle.
I did bugger up one of the XPR6580's I have. Somebody had used V2 on it. I saved the tune data for the radio to a file. Then used the Depot tool to force a downgrade in firmware which also eliminated the trunking crap. At this point I had nothing to lose. Apparently you have to get rid of the trunking stuff to use the in-memory edit software hack with CPS 16 to get the radio on the 33cm band. I tried to reload the tune data and found out there is a difference in the number of parameters so it refused to load. WTF!! Boo-hiss.
Now Motorola in their infinite wisdom uses the auto tune feature, in their test gear, to setup some of the parameters in the radios. The tune utility won't let you manually adjust those specific ones. Anyway I used the Depot tool to change the serial number to match the good XPR6580 I have. I saved the tune data from the good radio and wrote it to the buggered up one. Yeah some stuff very likely is not optimally set but at lest I have a radio that sort of works I can beat around and try stuff out on.
This is why I sort of stick with the older Kenwood stuff.
You can use the clone button, instead of write to send the codeplug to the other radios.
On an interesting note, my Alberta Radio Supply linking cable came in. Now I can do crossband repeat from any channel to any channel in the radio with the push of a button on the front panel. It even works UHF P25 to VHF NXDN, and sounds identical to analog to analog. Nice and simple setup, just connect it to the DB25 on the back of each radio, and set the pin programming.
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Stainless steel zip ties or coax hangers.
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Kenwood's D1N allows you to copy from the zone and paste into excel, and back into the software.
Also, apparently Mototrbo CPS 2.0 just added export/import features.
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@LscottI have not played with data over digital. I have sent messages, but that's simple. I was toying with the idea getting a RSM cable and building a TNC interface. You may have just pushed me to move that way quicker.
My winlink node uses SoundModem by UZ7HO. I also have used Drats before, but I didn't get very far. I will have to look into that again. I need to go send an email now.
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The way I see it, DMR in amateur radio isn't going away, and it isn't going to be unified, so I do what I can to make the best of it.
When I travel south, I use the NCPRN system, which is not internet linked, has a fixed set of talkgroups, and works wonderfully (all the backbone is Motorola only).
For repeaters around here, I did spend a day looking up each in the state and seeing which talkgroups are on it. I only put the Local, the few Ohio Statewide and Echo in my radios. I do keep North America and WorldWide for the few local repeaters. I typically don't like dealing with those insane groups, but I have used it at 2:30 am when I had to make an emergency run to the pharmacy, and it helped keep me awake and alert.
We do have one Megalink that is used locally that cross links YSF, DMR and D-Star. I talk on that some too, but usually only DMR into it, though I have used YSF and D-Star to connect.
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There is a point in the software it is stuck with narrowband. There was another piece of software called Wideband Recovery Tool that you can use to "reset" the repeater, but you then have to roll back to an older version of the software that allows wideband.
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10 minutes ago, Lscott said:
Here is a question I haven't seen talked about.
On many of the commercial grade digital radios they can be operated in analog only, digital only, or in mix mode. The later would have the radio programmed to receive in either analog or digital on a given frequency while automatically detecting which mode is in use and demodulating the signal as necessary. The transmit mode is usually set for either analog or digital exclusively.
I don't have any of my radios programmed for mix mode. Other than monitoring a frequency for activity has anyone else found it beneficial?
Yes, I have. There are a handful of repeaters that do Analog/P25 or Analog/NXDN. For these radios, I put 2 versions in the radio, both are dual mode RX, but the first is strapped Digital transmit, the second is strapped analog transmit (then only 1 is included in the zone scan).
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9 minutes ago, gortex2 said:
I think what @BoxCar meant were none of the major ham manufacturers ie: icom, kenwood, Yaesu. All went different directions with digital. I may be wrong but thats the way I read it.
In the LMR world your right Kenwood, Motorola are both compatible with each other as long as we stay away from specific features.
Ok, got it.
Yes, in the amateur market, Kenwood went with Icom for D-Star, Yaesu made their own YSF, and some of the CCRs tried to copy DMR. I'm still not convinced they meet the DMR standard, or use the correct AMBE+2 codec.
On the commercial side, in terms of use on amateur radio, P25 is compatible with P25 across the board, NXDN is compatible with NXDN across the board as is DMR.
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43 minutes ago, BoxCar said:
Perhaps if the major manufacturers had DMR radios the CCR market wouldn't have as deep an inroad into the ham market. Each has their own digital scheme and they are incompatible with the others. The CCRs provide hams with equipment that works across brands and, once it's configured, works well enough. Yes, they could buy public safety grade radios but they lack the flexibility to connect with a multitude of available DMR repeaters.
This statement is confusing and possibly incorrect. For ham use, all the manufacturers that offer DMR conventional (not trunking) are compatible with each other. Ham takes many things out of the picture that are not necessarily compatible (encryption, RAS, etc.). But for conventional DMR in the clear, Motorola, Hytera, Kenwood, etc. are all directly compatible.
As for the CCRs, I would say they are the ones that are truly incompatible. The don't offer some of the beneficial features DMR offers. I have even asked many of them if they could/would implement conventional roaming (offered by any public safety manufacturer) and was told it's not a thing, and no, they won't even look into it.
Is there something I am missing in your statement above?
Are GMRS repeaters required to identify every 15 minutes?
in FCC Rules Discussion
Posted
Mine is set with no tone on the ID, so you should never hear it, but it is compliant.