tcp2525

Way too much work and totally unnecessary. Just use the snapshot feature and take regular snapshots and mouse click once to return to the clean version before you got infected. And get into the habit of taking a snapshot prior to installing software you downloaded from the net and you'll waste time again.

It's refreshing to actually see someone else on this forum taking advantage of VMs. I've been doing it for many years and it's the only way for general surfing as you do, but the main benefit is it's the best way organize and use all your radio programming software. If you're using some of that antique Motorola software that will only work on 32-bit you can load Widows 7 or Windows 10 VM and it just works. The best part of using VMs is when you are installing new software, you simply take a snapshop before you install it and if things go south, all you have to do is take one mouse click and you're back on the previous and clean version of the OS. For the people that want to experiment with VMs, you can download and legally use VMware for free as a personal user.

Come on folks, Oppenheimer didn't have this much difficulty building the atomic bomb. I wonder how he would have fared against a Chinese radio?

It sounds more of an issue of a defective mic element or broken wire going to the radio. As for an adjustable feature for gain, you really don't need one if the radio was calibrated correctly from the factory. I'm assuming you are hearing a carrier with no audio?

Thanks for the article, it's definitely an eye opener in some of the properties I took into consideration in a highly unscientific way. As an experimenter and hobbyist when it comes to building antennas, the two features I naturally and instinctively took into consideration is reflection and absorption of RF. I definitely want to get more in-depth in Ashby. My logic for using PVC is it is readily available, easy to work with and inexpensive. The real question from an RF perspective, does it have a negative impact on performance operating on the frequencies we use? I really haven't found any, especially measurable ones. Granted, there are better materials for structural and longevity, but will they perform any better electrically? Maybe, maybe not. I guess what I'm trying to say is any materials we have access to as hobbyists is going to have its positives and negatives that we have take into consideration for ourselves if the material is usable. From an academic and mission critical perspective where costs and availability are pretty much not a major issue all these properties must be considered.

Good points mentioned in that forum. I suspect the builder of the yagi suffered inconsistencies more from supporting the dipole in open air than he would from the PVC. I admit any material used for a radome can have impurities that can reflect RF back to the native antenna. We need pictures to see exactly what he was doing. Not enough info.

I suspect the radome material should not affect velocity factor as it's determined by the dielectric material in the coax if you're building a collinier. When I rebuild StationMasters I always tape it to the outside of the radome at intervals that keep it straight as possible. Antenna is mounted vertical on my test mast before measuring. If I have to make adjustments, I have to unmount it from the mast. As for the PVC getting discolored from UV, it depends. I have some Carlon PVC fittings that have been exposed to weather for 20+ years and haven't been affected. Compare that to some of the fittings I got from Home Depot that look like crap. It seems all PVC isn't created equal. One day I will have to try some schedule 80 CPVC.

I'm using schedule 80 PVC (gray) for a 70cm and a 1296 coax collinear that have been on the tower for over 5 years without issue or discoloration. I didn't notice any changes in resonance when I put the antenna inside the PVC. When I make an antenna I secure it to the outside of the radome and tune.

Use an antenna with a spring. My Midland MXTA26 for GMRS has one built in and the Larsen 2/70B has the optional spring. Going in low clearance parking garages is no longer an issue other than the noise of them scraping the concrete ceiling. This is on an F150. As for ghost antennas, if you have an insatiable craving to endure poor performance and generate heat, definitely use one. As he old hotrod saying goes, there's no replacement for displacement. Same with using the proper antenna compared to a compromised one.

I have to agree with you on this. Of course we would all love to have MIL spec radios that can withstand a .50 cal hit or an EMP burst from a nuclear strike, but we gotta be realistic and use what we can afford or given. Admittedly, I must say that these cheap Chinese radios will fill the bill for the volunteer to complete their task without difficulty. As for putting this person on the ignore list, I don't feel the need to block anyone I disagree with as it's not the adult thing to do when dealing with "difficult" people. I have always wondered how these people cope in the real world when they have to deal with people they disagree with. And really, if I put everyone on the ignore list in this forum that piled on a newbie there would be zero traffic. Just be helpful, don't jump to conclusions, and enjoy.

Here's some resources on YouTube that will get you started and have a better understanding. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=retevis+ra87+programming

Kudos to you for deploying a repeater. It's always nice to see a new one on the air even though I'm to far away to use it. Good luck on getting it finalized the way you want it.

Can you do it?

I can get into a repeater full quieting 25 miles away with just 100 milliwatts. Does that count?

Best to just try a few different brands, they are all about the same performance +/- a few unscientific perceived gain in performance and try them yourself as they are cheap enough. The one I'm using might be working great for me, but fail miserably in your circumstances. Just remember, all recommendations are subjective.

He definitely can. I seriously was thinking of doing the same for 1296, but a nice hunk of 1-1/4" Heliax put that to rest.

I can't believe that you guys aren't debating "ground loops" How did we forget that?

Come on guys, you know it's been proven both scientificly and from an engineering perspective that dealing with OEM NITs and aftermarket NITs 0.00001 ohm difference can mean the difference between life and death when it comes to the fine art of picking NITs. Just hook the ground up to whatever place gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling. Now I am going to use my time constructively and split a beer atom.

You might want to try running the power tune tool from scratch on that radio as there might be a slight out of tolerance component that isn't in the first radio. When in doubt, start fresh.

Are you using an external speaker? If so, unplug it and see if there's any change. It's just a long shot.

Great choice as you can't go wrong with RT Systems software. I have it for all my amateur radio equipment and never had any issues.

Forget about those radios and buy the most beloved and best sub $100 radio on the market, the Radioddity DB20G. A radio that the set the GMRS world on its backside by delivering high performance and reliability in a tiny package.

Never believe anyone that has a vested interest in selling you something without checking from a reputable source first.

If I understand this correctly, you are bringing the repeater up, but they can't hear you? If this is correct, you have an audio issue, not RF.

It's not worth the aggravation for a 50' tower when a good piece of, let me say it without laughing, Andrews Heliax will do the trick. If you are going to be doing this on a 500'+ tower it would make one think about it, but the maintenance logistics are terrible. Again, let me laugh while I say it again, Andrews Heliax. Proper tools and equipment trump fly-by-night installs..