tcp2525

I've been making phasing harnesses throughout the years, but never a power divider. I figured I'd give it a shot. Did all my calculations to get to where I needed to be with the materials that are over the counter. Finding the right combination of outer and inner pipes is the biggest challenge. My target was the high end of the GMRS band so that's where I did my calculations. Of course UHF being extremely critical of measurements a few thousandth of an inch either way can be a PITA. Testing it on the NanoVNA yields just barely a 1.4:1 at 467.650 MHz and under 1.2:1 at 444.175 MHz, my most used frequencies. Now I know what to look out for and compensate should I decide to build another. Anyway, here's the finished product. Everything all soldered and watertight waiting on a coat of battleship gray epoxy paint. Everything soldered waiting for the final top cap after testing. Two 50 ohm terminators for testing. Center conductor (11mm Brass Tube 1mm wall thickness) ready for installation. The 12 gauge copper center conductor is left intentionally long and will be much short once installed. N-connector soldered on other end. Brass tube with 8-32 threaded brass nut with rounded corners pressed in prior to solder.

Nice job!! Sometime the easiest solution is the most elusive.

Some of the Birds have a Forward/Reflected chart that can be adhered to the back for SWR. Nothing on the back of mine.

Going by memory I think Array Solutions used to make the kit, but I could be wrong. Personally, I'm sticking with my trusty old 43P with a couple slugs as it is simple and doesn't have all that electronic crap in it. Nothing more satisfying than watching the needle move a thousandth of an inch when you're aligning.

Sounds like a keeper to me. You got a great "feel good" meter that is capable of boosting your ego as well as the watts. Perfect for the 11 meter enthusiasts.

There's no such thing as a good quality RG58 cable no matter how short it is. RG400 with N connectors at a minimum.

I'm a Linux user, Manjaro, and I do all my programming via Windows 10 in a VM. Works great and no need to waste time dicking around with WINE.

I use the NMO2/70B dual band antennas on all my vehicles, including both motorcycles without issue. They just work great. That's the only antenna I will only use.

I'm betting if you select another operating mode the radio won't be part 95 compliant, at least till you put it back.

Mr. Chung is the Minister of Commerce in the HungLo province of China. Some of the world's finest counterfeit merchandise and stolen intellectual property emanate from there. Nothing leaves there until it is approved by him. Products from there have a higher degree of quality.

Mr. Chung made these options to pass type acceptance regulations. Same radio different labels. I really like my DB20.

Phasing harnesses are easy to make. Plenty of info on the web that gives all the formulas that are needed. You just have to get good quality 75 ohm cable and know its velocity factor. DX Engineering has some decent RG-11 for this. I used it for several stacked antenna projects without issue.

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I wouldn't want to even think about putting a scratch on that car, even places that will never be seen. Oh, when I said "cowl" in the other post I may not have used the right term. I was referring to that black area between the hood and windshield where the wipers reside. It would be fairly close to where an AM/FM antenna would be on most cars. Whatever you do just take your time and enjoy.

Nice!!! If I HAVE to put an antenna on that car I would fabricate a bracket that would bolt to the cowl underneath the front lid on the passenger side and use an NMO mount using existing bolts that are going into metal for grounding. That might be a problem as that care is most likely composite, but you can run a ground to the bracket if needed.. The mount can be sheet metal with the proper bends that would attach to the nearest bolts. Once fabricated I would have it dipped in black vinyl and add rubber bumpers for added safety to prevent any contact with painted surfaces or areas that can be seen. Run cable the traditional way through the firewall. The best thing about doing it this way is you can unscrew the antenna when not in use and put on an black NMO cap, which would blend in and nobody would even notice. That would be my approach, but I would need to see underneath the hood to make a template. Doing it this way is you can pull everything out in less than 20-minutes and restore the car back to original. No holes, no scratches. Using the NMO mount will give you a better choice of antennas, especially black ones. A black Larsen 1/4 wave antenna won't even be seen from a distance. Just be aware of the windshield wiper operation and factor that into you measurements. Here's a black 1/4 wave NMO. https://www.amazon.com/Laird-Technologies-450-470-Quarterwave-Antenna/dp/B0079555WM/ref=pd_lpo_1?pd_rd_i=B0079555WM&psc=1

Thanks.

It just couldn't make it to it's favorite tree!

Not sure why Kenwood discontinued them, but I do know they could no longer get a certain chip that affected either cross-band repeat or APRS, which I never cared about. Other than that I really have not heard anything all that negative about the radio other than people thinking it's outdated.

Yes, definitely discontinued. Check HRO's discontinued section and you will be shocked at what they are asking and the amazing part is they are selling like hotcakes. https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-008951

Here's what the antenna bracket looks like that I made for the red bike. It bolts underneath the top case and the RG400 feeds to the radio(s), and yes, the SWR is pretty damn good on both bikes and I have no issues transmitting 50w on either band.?

Here's what the old V71a looks like on the bike. Control head is on a custom made slide mount that electrically connects when inserted. PTT under left grip. Coiled microphone/speakers cable plug into the bike via waterproof RJ45 jack. Antenna is a Larsen NMO-2/70B Black antenna mounted on homemade and sealed half wave grounding mast with "N" connector on bottom. Antenna/mast assembly is easily removed via three set screws and the LMR240 cable is safely stored on the female "N" connector after unscrewing protective cap. All connections are waterproof. The above description is for the 2014 Goldwing Valkyrie. The red bike is a 2018 Goldwing Tour DCT. I do actively use my radios on both bikes every day when commuting or touring. The red bike has a different antenna mount so I can use it for a secondary radio or just AM/FM. That's all done with RG400 cable.

Speaking of the V71a, best dual band mobile rig on the market. I'm glad I have four of them as Kenwood discontinued that radio. One on each motorcycle, one in the car, and one spare. These radios are high performance and virtually indestructible. Wish Kenwood would make a comparable GMRS radio.

Gotta agree, the DB20 is a fantastic radio for the price. The software is horrible, but I'll live with as once programmed one will use it very infrequently afterwards. Definitely, Harry S. Chung did a great job designing this radio for such a bargain. I also use one for the base.

Damn, I'm slumming it as I use RG400 for all my interconnects. Sounds like you're using that fancy PE-P141 stuff?

Good enough for me. Send it back for a refund. Thanks for testing.