8nannyfoe
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Posts posted by 8nannyfoe
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I have a Midland MicroMobile 105 and as owners of this radio know, it has a unique power cord that plugs into the back of the radio. Its a small plastic adapter that has connects the positive and negative cords to the radio. I have searched around on Amazon and Google and can not find the radio side adapter for this radio. Not the cord itself, but the radio side. I would assume its called the female side? Anyway, does anyone know where I could source this part?
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I got several solar panels new from the company linked below. I also purchased a few used ones at Ham Radio flea markets. I would recommend something in the range of 20 to 50 watts for the panel.This should be sufficient to keep a small handheld radio or a mobile radio running with the right sized battery pack and solar plane size.
https://www.renogy.com/solar-panels/rigid-solar-panels/
I also have several of the MPPT charge controllers from this company. I have several of the GV-5 models. One for a lead acid type when there is nothing else available and several for LFP battery packs.
https://sunforgellc.com/gv-10/
I wouldn't recommend the use of any kind of lead acid battery unless you want the cheapest portable battery solution. I've wrecked enough gel-cell and AGM types. They have to be kept on a trickle charger when left sitting around for more than a few weeks. If you don't the batteries self discharge quickly and the plates will sulfate. Once the plates are sulfated the battery is finished.
I recommend going with a LFP, Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4), batteries. They hold a charge for months, some even for a year or more, and don 't get ruined if they sit around only partially charged. The only caveat is the cost . I got a couple of the battery packs from the company at the link below. One was the 6 amp hour BLF-12045W and the 40 amp hour BLF-1240A. Don't forget to get the wall changers for these batteries. The above charge controllers I got were the models designed for LFP batteries, NOT lead acid or LiPO's.
https://www.bioennopower.com/collections/12v-series-lifepo4-batteries
I also have a 12 volt to 120 volt AC pure sine wave inverter for the rare case where I need 120 volts. I picked up a 300 watt unit which I have set up to work with the 40 amp hour battery.
https://gpelectric.com/products/300-watt-pure-sine-wave-inverter/
Now a few words of caution about connecting solar panels to batteries. A few people skip the charge controller and wire the solar panel direct to the battery, through a blocking diode. While that will work in an emergency with lead acid types DON'T try this with LFP battery packs!
Just about every LFP battery pack contains a battery protection module. The module will disconnect the internal battery cells from the external terminals in the case of a short circuit, over discharge resulting in a dangerous low voltage or when the battery pack reaches max cell voltage on charge. The last one is the killer. A so-called 12 volt panel is really 20 to 23 volts when open circuited. So when the battery reaches the max safe voltage the protection module will disconnect the internal battery pack so it effectively open circuits the solar panel, which promptly jumps way up in voltage. Most mobile equipment can't handle anything higher than 15 to 16 volts without damage.
Sorry, I left out I already have a completed solar powered setup. My GMRS setup will be installed there in a couple months and Im looking to know if there will be noise on GMRS specific setups/frequency. I think you are giving example how to set up a solar powered system because you didn't have noise? The way I worded my question is confusing I guess because in my initial question, I was asking if you HAD noise describe you setup. Bad wording on my part and am just trying to clear up if you did or didnt have noise with your GMRS setup. Thanks
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Usually there is no way to know if there will be noise until you set everything up the first time. Likewise, noise can be caused by several sources both within your set-up, or from outside sources like transformers, capacitors, or high voltage power lines, and they don't even need to be connected to your set-up to cause those noises.
Best bet before spending money to chase a hidden phantom you don't yet know you have is to try the set-up. If you have noise, try moving the set-up to another location (including the antenna) If you have the same noise in both locations, it'll likely be within your unit. There are filters for the power going to the radio, those would be a good start to see if that resolves your issue, (usually it will at least when operating off vehicle power.)
I see you have both the GMRS and a HAM call sign. Was your advise for a GMRS specific system or a ham setup that you had experience with? The reason I'm asking is I think some of the upper end ham equipment is super sensitive on HF? I may be totally wrong on that point, but I believe the guy in the youtube video I watched was on HF. GMRS frequencies may not have the same sort of noise from solar equipment? And just for reference, what is the device called that filters power going to the radio? Even model names you had success with? My cabin is off grid and solar powered with a pure sine wave inverter. I won't be there for a couple months and am planning ahead because the delivery service up there takes forever and is quite a PIA.
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I recently saw a video on Youtube where the person is a firm believer that solar power causes noise in his ham radio operations. It was awhile back and I don't recall the specific frequency he was operating at nor can I remember if his solar powered set up was strickly DC or a DC to AC inverter (either modified or pure sine wave) At any rate, I am interesting in setting something up solar powered and am looking for GMRS user experience. If you had noise, please let me know the type of solar set up you had going on during your tests (DC setup mention with PWM or MPPT please), OOORR AC inverter and also please mention if it was modified sine wave or pure sine wave). Thanks in advance!
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You likely wont be the last to do this mistake. This forum truly is a great resource!! If it hasn't been done yet, maybe even let BTWR know their is a solution or at least let them know how to direct their customers to a solution. I can appreciate they don't want to get involved in distributing non OEM software but it would really help BTWR save some face if they could offer a solution.
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I use a hybrid PL "system" to quiet a bunch of unwanted chatter, especially at campgrounds. Use a channel as your "hailing" channel with your radios set to this hailing channel (simplex). On this channel use a rare DTS PL code. The only time anyone breaks that squelch you know exactly who it is saying "hello". The other person quickly acknowledges they are on the air, by replying, "jump to alt" Both parties know to go one channel down where no PL is set on that channel. Once you are familiar with your area and channel usage you will find the correct channel setup that works. This way we know we are not stepping all over someone else's convo during your convo because we can hear if there is another convo going on. I tried the squelch/monitor thing in the beginning but it was somewhat inconvenient. For some, they prefer not to listen to squelch while monitoring to see if someone is on the channel or continually holding down the monitor button.
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Over the last few weeks I have been doing some range experiments with my GMRS radios to get a feel for what I can expect under different conditions.
All my tests have involved use of a pair of Wouxun KG-805g 5 watt HT.
I have done:
1. HT to HT (both with rubber ducks).
2. HT to HT (one with rubber duck, one with Midland MXTA26 on car)
3. HT to HT (one with rubber duck, one with Midland MXTA26 on house roof on the back of the metal trash can serving as a ground plane)
4. HT to HT (one hooked up to a Comet 712EFC 9dBi at 25’ AFG and one hooked up to Midland MXTA26 on car.
5. HT to HT (one hooked up to a Comet 712EFC 9dBi at 41’ AFG and one hooked up to Midland MXTA26 on car.
All tests are conducted with one unit at home, the other unit mobile.
Every combination results in perfect communications out to 1/2 mile. Beyond that static gradually creeps in at various rates and with increasing usable distance with each.
Configuration 5 has been my best performer thus far which was expected but, to my surprise, it was still only a solid performer at 1 mile and then only moderately usable at 2.3 miles in multiple directions.
My Comet was jury-rigged as high as I can get it without purchase of a tower or mast. I must admit, at 41’ I was expecting much more solid usable coverage.
I live in an semi-rural area southeast of Cininnati and the terrain is a mixture of dense full-grown trees, fields, businesses and homes. Land is mostly-flat to mildly rolling.
My current objectives are solid reliable simplex coverage from home to HT out 3 + miles (much more would really be sweet); communication with home via a mobile system in the car from about 10-12 miles out; and hit the repeaters on the northern side of Cincy from the home so I an participate in various GMRS nets and local chats using a radio and not a phone app.
OK, so there you have some backfill.
So, given the modest distance I have achieved around my home, I am hesitant to go the expense of mast and guy system to get my antenna up to 56’ feet (the highest I believe I can achieve with my Comet and guyed mast alone) since the antenna will still not clear the trees, and the HT will still be near ground level. Thoughts? Experience? Advice?
I am wondering if others live in similar conditions and have experienced better results?
Also, although I can break squelch on the nearest repeaters (about 20 miles North) with the HT there really is no usable audio in to speak of. Repeater frequently drops halfway through while I am giving my call sign. WIth the HT and Comet there is enough signal to get me in but with inconsistent quality for good useful communications. I have to repeat messages regularly. I imagine (but don’t know for certain) that a 40-50W rig in the home would ultimately solve that.
Michael
WRSH965
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
HI Mike. I live in Florida which is basically flat. I have similar range experience as you (17.6 miles from repeater). My HT (5w) can hit the repeater, but it is mostly unusable. BUT, my 50w Wouxon blasts through all the cinder blocks, shingles, and terracotta roofing around here that is slowing down my 5w HT from reaching the repeater and I have NO PROBLEMS holding a clear convo on the Wouxon (with it's antenna being only 6' off the ground!!!).
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I live about 17 miles from a repeater. I believe this repeater serves my area and requested access. I was granted permission to use same. I was supplied a quick response and the PL = XYZ. I am new to GMRS and have never talked on a repeater. I entered the supplied PL under the encode and decode line in my programing software. This repeater also has an audio AGC enabling all users to sound the same. The tower has an expected range of 15mi on an HT / 25mi on a mobile. Sitting in my home, on my 5w HT I get the same experience as I do on my 50 watt mobile when interacting with the repeater. When I release the key, I hear a static sound response for about 2/3 seconds. This response is the same sound and duration whether from my 5w HT or my 50 watt mobile. It doesn't matter if I click the mike key for a second or talk for about 30 seconds. Same static response that occurs AFTER I let go of the key. I even tried monitoring channel 20 and it gets the same response as well. Just looking for feedback on what I'm doing wrong.
Follow up: So the HT/mobile desense issue....was not the issue. The problem was no one was on the radio last night when I tried. Both are able to make the 17 plus mile trip to the repeater. The static sounding "tail" is exactly what I was hearing from both the HT/mobile units. From the testing I did, I learned several additional things. I am shocked and impressed with the range this Wouxon 805 has! Repeaters are game changers. And lastly this forum is an invaluable info source. Thanks for all the input!
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All repeaters that I have interacted with, GMRS and amateur repeater alike, all continue transmitting for a short time after someone who has connected to it has stopped transmitting. Some hang for a second or less, others may hang up to 5 seconds. So, if your radio is correctly configured, and the repeater opens up because it heard you, you will hear the repeater transmitting without audio for a brief time after you un-key That hang time is the most common way I know to get a sense of whether you got in or not. Alway give your callsign when doing even a simple test like this.
Now, there is more to know. Just because you may have caused the repeater to open up, it does not mean that your signal is strong enough to be usable. Case in point. I have a number of repeaters in my area. I am on the fringe for all of them when I am on my HT. Some days I can get in with enough audio to hold a conversation, on other days my signal is sufficient to open the repeater but audio is so low as to be just noise.
Also, if you have two radios, say your HT and your mobile, and you operate one in close proximity to the other, the receiving radio may not pickup the signal from the repeater because you’re transmitting radio is overloading it. You may have to separate the radios by some distance for one of your radios to hear the other when communicating via the repeater. When you experience this, this is what is referred to as ‘desense’.
I advocate driving close to the repeater for testing and then driving back to your home to see how things go along the way.
So far, I have not identified anything yet that you may be doing wrong, but perhaps my information above will be enlightening. What are you expecting that you are not experiencing?
Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM
Hi Michael, So I will experiment with the "desense" issue today. Never heard of that before. I've used plenty of radios in simplex and that was never an issue before so I didn't know it would happen with a repeater. Also I have never heard of a "tail" . That explains the equal (volume and duration) static sound "report" I got from the repeater regardless of which radio I was using. Apparently both are able to open the repeater. Hopefully, desense is keeping them from communicating and it not be a worse problem.....ie....out of range. Big thing, its NOT the AGC feature somehow canceling me out.
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I live about 17 miles from a repeater. I believe this repeater serves my area and requested access. I was granted permission to use same. I was supplied a quick response and the PL = XYZ. I am new to GMRS and have never talked on a repeater. I entered the supplied PL under the encode and decode line in my programing software. This repeater also has an audio AGC enabling all users to sound the same. The tower has an expected range of 15mi on an HT / 25mi on a mobile. Sitting in my home, on my 5w HT I get the same experience as I do on my 50 watt mobile when interacting with the repeater. When I release the key, I hear a static sound response for about 2/3 seconds. This response is the same sound and duration whether from my 5w HT or my 50 watt mobile. It doesn't matter if I click the mike key for a second or talk for about 30 seconds. Same static response that occurs AFTER I let go of the key. I even tried monitoring channel 20 and it gets the same response as well. Just looking for feedback on what I'm doing wrong.
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If all radios involved in communication used complementary companding circuits it can have the effect of improving the signal to noise ratio of your audio. However, if both sides of the communication chain not using it communications may not sound as good to you or to others.
If you have every heard the term ‘Dolby’ or ‘DBX’ with regards to audio recording noise reduction, both of these were variants of ‘companding’ circuitry/algorithms. Both squashed the dynamic range on the input side and expanded it to normal dynamic range on the output side in an attempt to decrease the effect the noise native in the audio recording medium.
I would advise not to use it unless the only people you are communicating are equipped with compatible companders and you have little or no need to talk with anyone else.
I searched the keyword "companding" on this forum and it had nothing about the topic. These two responses are a perfect explanation. thanks guys!
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Compander = Compression & Expander. The idea of a Noise Blanker - at least as I understand how it was implemented in Low Band radios by Motorola - was a secondary receive circuit slightly off-set in frequency, and that would be used to compare desired signal vs. undesired noise (Figuring that most lower frequency "noise" would be wideband in nature, while the desired signal would be on-frequency).
In Compandering, Audio is compressed upon transmit, and expanded upon receive. This allows for a potentially better "envelope" of audio response to be compressed into a given amount of bandwidth. However, it requires more manipulation of the audio components of human voice. You give up a bit of audio purity when using Compandering. Better or worse is often up to the ears of the people using the system (and in my experience, how often the people using the system are pressing the outer edges of coverage/range).
There's already a ton written about this type of stuff out there on the internet, so the best way I could describe it is to say that if you're only concerned about quality of audio within your own fleet - give it a try & see how it works on your radios and in your system. If you like it, certainly use it for your system.
However, most GMRS radio systems and user groups aren't running Compandering, so your radios would sound "odd" sending out compressed audio to another radio that wasn't set to receive (and expand) the compressed audio.
This is a perfect explanation. Summed it all up! Thank you.
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From what I can gather the compander is for reducing noise. The manual states its useful for long distance communications. What is the benefit of having it off? Don't we always want less noise short or long range? Its almost like that should be an automatic built in feature but yet it gives us the option to turn in on in the Wouxon kg1000.
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Very new to GMRS.....or really any type of radio. (Messed with CBs 30 years ago) So I have purchased a complete (mobile, base, and HT) system for my GMRS needs. That need is, off grid comms in upstate NY that has little to no cell phone coverage in many spots near the city I live. The radios I was using were Midland mobiles and a pair of Motorolas. I bought a Laird fiberglass GMRS specifically tuned antenna because at the time, I saw no need for an antenna used for dual band.
So I now have the new Wouxon k1000 as my base station and as many know it receives multiple bands. From what I know, antennas are the name of the game in radio comms. So far, in messing around with the radio, I have not heard any traffic on the other bands and I suspect its my Laird GMRS tuned antenna?
I know the 2m band will have plenty of traffic and that may be interesting to listen to. I have no clue what the other frequency have to offer in terms of listening value. So the question is do I need a separate antenna to hear each of these other bands? Is there a multi band antenna I can use that will give me the same quality signal as my GMRS specific tuned Laird? I was recommended the Tram dual band base antenna and opted for the Laird instead as it is tuned specific for GMRS frequency. Its great and I have an SWR of 1.0. BUT I'm not sure now if that was a good purchase given my new radio purchase and the band options it brings to the table. Should I move forward with a bunch of antennas or is the traffic so minimal that it wont be worth doing? (I hear that the 220 band is dead in most areas in the US for example)
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What @Radioguy7268 said ++
Well that seals the deal. 1/4 wave it is! Thanks everyone for chiming in!
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Just stumbled across the following link which shows probable distances for a variety of different conditions.
http://hflink.com/hfpack/radiorange/
Not sure how they came to these numbers, but it sure looks interesting.
Michael
WRSH965
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
From my experience / location, I have a guess how they came up with these numbers. They set their squelch on 9!
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I had big gains going from a 1/⁴ to 1/2. Looking at fold over super gainers now. You have to note that a puck antenna if it doesn't clear a roof rack, is going to be a poor performer.
You never said on what type of car this would be going on.. I would think a ⁵/8 on a hatch mount would work better.
Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
Hmm....so the hatch mount would mount near the bumper (lower) portion of the hatch? Would be pretty low and have alot of "null area" blocked by the body of the car? I actually like this idea though if it would outperform the 1/4 wave or Phantom. Yes, the puck style has many bad reviews so I never considered them.
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Jeeps are not friendly when installing antenna's but my JK ran UHF "phantom" style antenna under the hard top for years. On my JT I used the A Pillar light mount from Mopar and stuck a 1/4 wave there. On the JK we have a hard top all winter. IT still works for what I need.
HEY!! I just posted about this very question! Which performs better for you? The 1/4 wave or the phantom?
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How's about a fold over or a cap. You put the antenna when you have the car. Take it off when she has it?
Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
Interesting. A fold over will outperform both of the options I gave? Never thought of that, but honestly, I don't think she would want that anyway, just more of a data point I'm interested in. The cap is not gonna be something I would do as I dont want to be climbing on the roof that often. Open to other options also!! keep em coming!
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So, I finally got approval to drill a hole for a hard mount antenna. ONE small caveat to the deal. It must be covert as possible. My wife said theres no way I will be installing the Midland 6db antenna on top of the car. (something about a remote control looking car bla bla blah...LOL). So I found the tiny 1/4 wave antenna and a phantom antenna. The wife said that one will look like I left a soda can on the roof but still says its ok. SO, which one is better? I will be pushing 50watts on my new Wouxon
. The main reason I ask is I read a comment that someone said the phantom antennas are glorified dummy loads!! Yowza! I don't want that! But its claims 3db gain? Could I get some real world range examples and feedback on both the phantom antenna and the 1/4 wave stubby please. (to give an idea of my local terrain, I am flat here in Florida and live in a fairly populated SW Florida area with plenty of cinderblock single story homes. My current antenna is the tiny stock antenna that came with my Midland 105. I get an average of about 2 miles RX/TX to another identical rig. 4 miles to my "home base" set up with a Laird antenna.
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Good Morning.
Honestly, I do not believe you would able to tell the difference in range between the two models, assuming both are properly installed and working correctly and both are mounted at the same elevation.
Something you should know is that VHF and UHF frequencies are what are called ‘line of sight’ frequencies. This means that if two antennas operating on these frequencies can see one another, odds are great the radios connected to them can communicate with one another, even with minimum power. But in reality every tree, plant, tower, building, pole, hill or hump you put between the two antennas reduces effective range.
To determine your theoretical best case scenario you start by calculating the radio horizon distance for the two radios that you wish to communicate with one another. Below are some links for you to play with. These calculators assume the earth is a perfectly smooth sphere. As you will see, the higher the Tx and Rx antennas are, the greater the theoretical distance. For two antennas located at 6’ each, the maximum theoretical distance is a mere 6 miles. For the case where one antenna is 35’ and the other is 6’, the maximum theoretical is 11 miles. Both antennas at 35’ and the maximum increases to 16 miles. But since the earth is not smooth (has hills and valleys) and has natural and man-made obstacles (trees and buildings) range is nearly always dramatically reduced. In far fewer cases it goes way up (consider radios on two different mountain tops).
You may ask what is the radio horizon. The radio horizon is the point at which (in any horizontal direction) the radio wave is blocked by the surface of the earth. It is nearly the same as your eyes. Go out on a boat on smooth ocean waters. If your eyes are at 6’ above the water, the horizon you see is only a mere 3 miles away. The higher you are above the earth surface, the further away the horizon is that you see. It is the presence of this blocking horizon that prevents the signal from traveling further around the earth.
https://www.qsl.net/w4sat/horizon.htm
https://www.everythingrf.com/rf-calculators/line-of-sight-calculator
https://www.southwestantennas.com/calculator/line-of-sight
Hope this helps.
Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM
Thank you for this! Very informative! You just made this forum great!!
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If you are saying that the stock antenna that came with the MX105 is a 6dBi antenna, I believe that to be in error. At best, it may be 2dBi. The short little midland antenna does need a ground plan, where as some others can benefit from one, but do not need them to achieve acceptable performance.
Midland does make a 6dBi version. I own one and find that it does quite well. Even mounted on top of a metal trashcan lid. I believe the Laird antenna you reference is similar.
Height is King in GMRS. Get the antenna well above the tree line and you could find yourself achieving simplex distances of 20-50 miles and more. As the antenna elevation drops so too will your usable range. With an elevation of 4-6 off the ground your usable simplex distance could be down to 1/2 - 2 miles or so depending upon the obstacles between the transmitting and receiving antennas.
I recently did some testing with a local ham and GMRS’r. I had a high-gain antenna at 56’ (still below tree tops) and could not communicate 8 miles to another location were we testing. Only thing significant between the two antennas was loads and loads of trees (no hills or tall buildings). Using same antenna, radio and power (5 watts) we reached a good 50 miles going a different direction where fewer trees and other obstacles existed between the antennas.
Never under estimate the importance of height when it comes to GMRS distance.
Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM
Yes, I was referring to Midlands GMRS 6db antenna and not the tiny magnet one that came with the MTX105. I chucked that immediately LOL. So let me ask you this since you had both. Do you think raising the Midland antenna up equally as high as I would raise the Laird (35' peek of roofline), they would perform comparably as they performed at ground level? Or would the Laird somehow begin outperforming the Midland antenna for some reason? Techy question I suppose, but it would be great to know because I would prefer the Midland, as its appearance is not as bold.
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This Laird antenna does not need ground plane. Do I read correctly that it is now mounted at the height of 30 inches from the ground? Mount it high on a mast, the higher the better. 10-20-30', and do experiment again.
Yes, lol....you are correct. So the old Midland antenna was also mounted in the same spot/height as well. They basically performed equal with a slight edge to the Laird. (couple hundred yards talk advantage) On this basis, if I raised them both equally, am I to assume they will perform equally (basically) or does the curve of improvement lean more favorably to the Laird as the height increases? Honestly, if they perform equal at the low height I'm suspecting they will perform equal on top of a mast? I actually would prefer the tiny profile of the Midland. The Midland did not have a ground plane either BTW in my test of the Midland 6db gain antenna.
Midland power cord
in General Discussion
Posted
Thank you! I couldn't find it...KUDOS!!