[Kenwood mobile and power supply]

Basic noob here.

 

I've got my eye on a Kenwood TM-281A to use either mobile or base, but mostly base. So I have a question not covered in the sales stuff: What kind of power plug does this thing come with out of the box? Cigarette lighter plug? Bare ends so you have to figger this stuff out on your own?

 

And when looking at mobile to base use power units (which I know I'd need to run household AC) but I haven't seen any outlet or anything to plug the mobile unit into.

 

If you think this is bad and laughable, you shoulda been there when I nearly chopped off my leg with a socket and ratchet..

 

[Somewhat bummed]

I'm currently studying for a Tech license, since there is a Ham club on the island that I've been in contact with about joining and participating., and they do nets. I just figured that in the meantime GMRS would be a good stopgap. I certainly don't regret getting my radio and license, but it would be a lot more interesting if there was more activity on the band, abd we do have a repeater here. Still, I keep it on scan just in case.

FCC database search for the Virgin Islands shows only 15 active licensed GMRS users. I didn’t drill down to see who was located where however. If they are spread out over multiple islands your chance of contacting one on the air likely isn’t very high. The chance of contacting someone using a cheap FRS radio, simplex only since they don’t have repeater functions, might be higher. I would also suggest you look at getting at least your Ham Tech class license. That will increase the opportunity of contacting somebody during an emergency. About a third of the group of GMRS users on my local repeater are also licensed Hams.

[The thing I hate. Manuals.]

I got my BTech BF-F8HP yesterday. And really, I only need it to do 3 basic simple things right off ight now: 1) Let me program in a single frequency on Band A Channel Mode so I can go right there, and maybe Band B for another channel I want to save, and 2) Let me scan between X Frequency and Y frequency (I figured that one out).

 

Yeesh. This radio is way more complicated than t needs to be.

[Somewhat bummed]

I received my BTech BF-F8HP, along with a Nagoya UT-72 external NMO-mount antenna. Inwas slightly bummed to scan a range of frequncies to hear ... crickets, even with thesquelch set at 2. To be more precise, I'm roughly 1,000 feet above the lowlands here. Our island is 13 miles long and 4 miles wide.

 

I work in the lowlands on the other side of the mountain, so I took my radio with me and got the same crickets even on my local repreater. A burst of static here and there, but that's it.

 

So ... I'm sure my radio works. I'm just figuring either I need a 50w mobile unit with a power supply to use also as a base station, or I'm the only guy on this island with a GMRS radio.

 

Or am I missing something?

 

Scott

WRJX210

[Crazy question -- the future]

How many storey the house/apartment you're living? 

2 stories, and the building is a good 10-30 feet below street level, in mountaneous terrain.

[You just got your GMRS license, now you want your own repeater?]

I've noticed that, too. It just seems to me that it makes more sense to find a repeater nearby. And if there ain't one nearby, well then tough turds or try to find local traffic on your radio's own power and go from there. Personally, to me, making your own repeater station is a major PITA if you're not knee-deep into this hobby with deep-ish pockets.

 

Just my $.02.

 

Scott

WRJX210

[Another noob antenna question]

My BTech BF-F8HP handheld arriived this evening. I odered a Nagoya 72 antenna with an NMO mount for the car. BUT -- I found that the Nagoya coax was long enough to let me string a connection our the door to the patio.  It's no beacon in the night, but I'm up in the mountains and 19" will get me somewhere.

[Another noob antenna question]

I have good luck with my Ed Fong antenna and he's really polite when answering questions from new folks--I know, i've asked some of the dumbest ones he's probably heard. I use his pvc encased version. Part of the money he collects goes to the graduate students tuning the antenna for you and they use the cash to help pursue their educational goals....beats the heck out of it disappearing offshore to a big corporation. And berkinet's right, the frequency GMRS is at doesn't lend itself to skipping great distances like the lower ham frequencies and CB when conditions are right. Take a look at the repeater section here, though, and the odds are good you can bounce your signal through a repeater, even through others if they are mutually connected for enviable clarity at awesome distance. I sure hope that doesn't negatively affect your decision to go and stay on the air, though, and wish you best of luck. Please let us (or at least me) know how it's working. 

Heck no, it hasn't affected byndecision to go on-air. Anguy doesn't spend $70 for nuthin'. I wanted to find out what possibilities are out there for handhelds getting maximum distance theu good antenna choices related to GMRS. Back when I was doing SSB, skip was always fun;  alot if it is VHF and we're primarily (from what I gather) UHF so I get it.

 

For me, getting involved in GMRS was mainly for local communications on this island especially during Caribbean hurricane season, and even tho I'll have a handheld, I'd like my best shot to the other side of the island -- and it all starts with your antenna. Yes, there's a repeater here, so there's that, but I'd like a raw leg up if the repreater ever goes down, cuz there ain't no 'lecric (sometimes for 1-3 months) after a Category 5 hurricane.

 

Thanks for the discussion, everyone.

[Crazy question -- the future]

Yes, it would be nice if there was an attic, but there isn't and my walls are concrete. So I'll just have another thing to look out for when my lease is up.  I didn't think Bluetooth-ish thoughts would fly, but thanks everyone for chiming jn.

[Another noob antenna question]

I'll be taking delivery in a few days of a handheld BF-F8HP for GMRS communication on this island and maybe goofing around when skip conditions are right. So, question: Is there a 6 or 7-foot omnidirectional antenna matched to my handheld that I can attach to the wooden railing right outside my door and then can take down at the end of the day?

 

Regards,

Scott

WRJX210

[Crazy question -- the future]

I'm a GMRS noob just getting back into amateur radio from SSB heydays, which means I'm a technical boob. So here's a theoretical question: Would it ever be possible for Bluetooth-like connections between radio and antenna, replacing coax cable? What would be the downsides?

 

I thought if this because I'm a renter and there's no possible way in my building to run coax to any sort of external antenna oarge or small. Compounding the problem is my windows all have diamond-mesh screenings since this is hurricane country, so my only option seems to be to sit outside on my patio or in my car.

 

Perhaps there's a technical whiz among us who can weigh on whether this could ever be possible.