tcp2525

I know this is going to sound like a really dumb question, but since this program has an "export" function I'm assuming it also has a way to import this data as well? I see no options to import CSV data. Am I overlooking something or is there a convoluted way to import. I'm hoping someone with more experience using Vertex software has a solution as it's easier to do all my editing in Excel and import. Thanks.

Just want to give you guys an update. I had time to go through the radio and did confirm it was a bad ceramic filter. I ordered new filters and just changed them today. It doesn't get any better than this, a $3.00 fix and 30 minutes to rip the radio down and hit it with the desoldering station. All working great and the recieve is hot. Thanks, guys, for all your help as it is much appreciated.

EME on GMRS will be a fun challenge with only 50w. Gonna have to build one hell.of an antenna array.

Wow, I can see the spot you are in and I hope you got it sorted and found a reliable source for these batteries. I'm surprised what exorbitant prices Grainger charges they didn't do due diligence and confirmed they were authentic OEM batteries and not knockoffs.

Thanks. I am going to take a break from it till the weekend when hopefully I should have more time. These look like well built radios so I want to get them in peak performance.

Ok, now since I have both radios receiving I have a new issue. Radio #1 has really poor reception when receiving our local repeater while radio #2 is much better. I've never played with these Vertex before and am wondering if it's a hardware issue or do I need to align it? This is all wide band for GMRS, not narrow.

I think I solved it by a roundabout way. These are new in the box radios and the first one I went to program I downloaded from the radio so I can have a virgin file and saved it. I'm now thinking I didn't get a virgin. I did the same with radio #2 and saved it in a safe place and programmed that radio and it worked perfectly. I went and programmed the first radio and it's working. So, now I'm happier than a tick on a hound dog. Thanks everyone for all your help as I was getting beaten into the ground. I always find the stupidest problems!!!?

Thanks. I'll go through that and see what I can do. What's really odd is I enabled "Off Hook Signalling" and it does intermittently receive. I am playing around with the squelch setting, but not having much luck.

Thanks guys!!!

First off, I did all the research and thought I should be able to fool the software (CE59 V4.01 USA) by backdating to 2010 as was mentioned here. The software did accept W5 and I was able to upload it to the radio just fine. It would transmit as it should, but it will not receive at all. I found if I go back in the software and select N both receive and transmit work as it should. I just can't get this to wide band. Radio has Firmware V1.85. I found a copy of (CE59 V2.24w) which supposed to be export software and loaded that and it did the same as above whether I back dated or used the current date. I'm not sure if this is pilot error and I'm overlooking something stupid or is there something in the radio's firmware preventing wide band? I know the radio is designed for narrow band due to FCC rules, but from what I've read people have been successful at using this radio on the ham bands or GMRS. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Baltimore Aircol makes the best towers for GMRS repeaters, even better than Rohn.

The real question here is why the hell would anyone buy from Graingers, even with a commercial account as they are so overpriced that it is cost prohibitive to do so. Like I always tell the Grainger salesman that crawls around our facility is that I can't afford to buy from you even with our discount. Better prices elsewhere. As for the batteries, glad they are taking them back.

You got it. That's why I use VMware on my Windows and Linux machines. Like you said, I can use one image on many machines. Plus, having the benefit of taking a snapshot before installing new software protects me in case I get a Chinese parasite. Just roll back to the snapshot and I'm back up in a few seconds. It's getting to the point that not using VMs for business is counterproductive.

I got rid of all my Hikvision cameras back in 2010 due to security risks. All my systems from then forward has always been Bosch. Great hardware and I don't have to worry about Chinese parasites finding their way in. As for radios, I only use a VM with all my programming software, no matter the brand. WM stays off until programming is needed and shut down when completed. Way too much crap in all this software.

I've used a matching loop like what you find on the Cushcraft Ringo antennas with excellent results on every 5/8 wave I built. Extremely easy to build and tune.

Same here. I use mine as a base with the antenna on the side of my tower fed with Andrews Heliax and it does remarkable well. Best $99 I spent. Oh, mine only puts out 16 watts on 467 and the full 20 on 462, which is normal for this radio.

I'm partial to the ASP705K, which has good gain and really holds up well. I like the fiberglass radome as it protects the antenna from the elements unlike the folded dipoles on the 404/408. Both antennas are good, just how much money do you want to spend.

Your antenna isn't tuned for the VHF weather band and comes in better when you open up the ground, that's normal. As for your other problem, I'm not sure. I'd have to be there to go over it and see what's going on.

I didn't take your post as dissing Bird at all. I agree that ALL equipment has some degree of inaccuracies and accept that. Of course, one can meet a point of diminishing returns on any piece of test equipment. I don't need a $20K piece of equipment for doing what I am doing. Just saying the Bird is a great economical choice for the average hobbyist, especially considering the money I wasted on two Daiwa meters.

True, but but you get what you pay for. I have two Daiwa meters and they are pure crap. I always thought Daiwa was a great brand, but the wattmeter movement burned out on the 901 so I either have to find a replacement meter from a scrapped one or just throw it away. The 801 had a diode crap out, which was an easy fix and then I spent some time recalibrating it. All of these are known and documented problems. I'm sticking with Bird since they have been around since the 50s and kept a tried and true design.

Best to go with a Bird meter if you can find one at a good deal. Right now I got five of them.

Thanks. I did download EZNEC when he announced it was going to be free. I still have to learn the program and get comfortable before cutting any metal. It's going to be a great learning experience for sure.

Thanks for the excellent explanation. This project is something I never done before and I love experimenting. Sure, I could have used RG11 as I have a bunch of Belden cable, but I've done that so many times it's boring. My goal is to use the POTS philosophy and build a highly reliable and indestructible divider that will resist weather for decades. Now, if I had a machine shop or access to one I could custom build everything, but this would go against POTS and wouldn't help other readers duplicate my work should they want to make one. At the end of the day I gained a lot of knowledge, which is very important to me. Now I got to build two yagi antennas.

Stacking two yagi antennas that will eventually go on the tower.

Thanks. Here's the link to the page I used. https://www.qsl.net/dk7zb/Stacking/splitter.htm And here's the software. Software seems pretty good. http://www.hp.woodshot.com/