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SteveShannon

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  1. Like
    SteveShannon got a reaction from AdmiralCochrane in Base Station 50w recommendations with USB-C charge   
    Look, connecting your radio to any 12 volt source is unlikely to damage the radio, but connecting a 50 watt radio to a source that can is fused for 10 amps might fry the fuse.  Not all 50 watt radios require more than 10 amps.  Some are more efficient than others and get by with about 9 amps, others use as much as 11 amps. 
    As far as that “jump pack” I don’t know anything about it.   
  2. Like
    SteveShannon got a reaction from WRUU653 in Base Station 50w recommendations with USB-C charge   
    Personally I bought a Radioddity DB20G. It came with a cigarette lighter plug. I inserted Anderson PowerPoles into the power cord because I wanted them but in my pickup I simply use the cigarette lighter socket and plug. It’s a 20 watt radio but it does everything I need.  It would make an ideal camp radio. 
  3. Like
    SteveShannon got a reaction from WRUE951 in Base Station 50w recommendations with USB-C charge   
    Look, connecting your radio to any 12 volt source is unlikely to damage the radio, but connecting a 50 watt radio to a source that can is fused for 10 amps might fry the fuse.  Not all 50 watt radios require more than 10 amps.  Some are more efficient than others and get by with about 9 amps, others use as much as 11 amps. 
    As far as that “jump pack” I don’t know anything about it.   
  4. Like
    SteveShannon got a reaction from WRUU653 in Base Station 50w recommendations with USB-C charge   
    That’s really an expensive, inefficient, and possibly inadequate solution. First, it’s fuse limited to 10 amps DC at 12 volts, so it possibly won’t work for some 50 watt radios. Of course you could use it to power your radio by plugging a switch mode power supply into the AC outlet but then you’re accepting the inefficiency of the inverter to produce 120 volts AC and also the inefficiency of the switch mode power supply. So you lose several percent of the energy in the battery. 
    Just get a decent LiFePo4 battery and put it in a plastic ammo box. Or buy a ready made one that isn’t designed around a 10 amp fuse. 
  5. Like
    SteveShannon reacted to WRYZ926 in Base Station 50w recommendations with USB-C charge   
    And that right there is the reason I will never suggest using a cigarette lighter/accessory port to power a 50 watt radio. 
  6. Like
    SteveShannon reacted to OffRoaderX in Base Station 50w recommendations with USB-C charge   
    A friend of mine tried using his KG-1000G plugged into the lighter-hole in his car and the plug melted and caught on fire.. Not sure why a fuse didnt blow first... Melted plastic napalm got on his had and gave him a severe burn when he yanked-it out in a panic, but the radio was fine...   
  7. Like
    SteveShannon got a reaction from bkmorse in Base Station 50w recommendations with USB-C charge   
    Personally I bought a Radioddity DB20G. It came with a cigarette lighter plug. I inserted Anderson PowerPoles into the power cord because I wanted them but in my pickup I simply use the cigarette lighter socket and plug. It’s a 20 watt radio but it does everything I need.  It would make an ideal camp radio. 
  8. Like
    SteveShannon got a reaction from WRUU653 in Base Station 50w recommendations with USB-C charge   
    Look, connecting your radio to any 12 volt source is unlikely to damage the radio, but connecting a 50 watt radio to a source that can is fused for 10 amps might fry the fuse.  Not all 50 watt radios require more than 10 amps.  Some are more efficient than others and get by with about 9 amps, others use as much as 11 amps. 
    As far as that “jump pack” I don’t know anything about it.   
  9. Haha
    SteveShannon got a reaction from FishinGary in Voting notification   
    And certainly not in social media, the bastion of genteel behavior, patience, and selflessness. 
  10. Like
    SteveShannon got a reaction from kirk5056 in LoRa and GMRS?   
    I absolutely agree about double checking the legality. Internet has little to do with this though. The fcc simply included internet because it is an example of “any other network.”  Originally the prohibition was against connecting to the phone network. 
     
    “GMRS stations cannot be interconnected with the public switched telephone network or any other network for the purpose of carrying GMRS communications, but these networks can be used for remote control of repeater stations.”*
     
    *The above is the FCC’s interpretation, not the actual regulations
    @Blaise, arguing it’s a mesh, not a network, probably wouldn’t make a great first impression on the FCC. It’s funny though. 😁
  11. Like
    SteveShannon reacted to MarkInTampa in Btech GMRS 50V2 backlight   
    It is, or at least the backlight timer is! Menu setting 8 (labeled ABR - don't know why) is the Display Backlight Timer. If set to 0 backlight is off. Setting are 0-50 seconds, make sure this setting is not at 0.
  12. Like
    SteveShannon reacted to WRYZ926 in Base Station 50w recommendations with USB-C charge   
    Most 50 watt radios state a 10-15 amp draw on high power per manufacturer specifications. Even if the radio only draws 9 or 10 amps on high power, why take the chance with running it on a 10 amp circuit. 
    One of two things can go wrong in that scenario. Either the fuses will blow all of the time or they might now blow in time to save the wires from melting. Why take the chance. Plus cigarette lighter/accessory ports are not the most reliable power source compared to using a more secure wire connection.
    I won't even run a 20 watt radio on a cigarette lighter/accessory port. I've had the radios temporarily loose power when I hit a bump while driving. Yes we have a lot of poorly paved roads and lots of gravel roads in my area.
  13. Haha
    SteveShannon reacted to Blaise in LoRa and GMRS?   
    Well, as long as we keep in mind that Meshtastic is a mesh technology, not a network technology, I'm sure it will be fine... 😇
  14. Like
    SteveShannon got a reaction from bkmorse in Base Station 50w recommendations with USB-C charge   
    Look, connecting your radio to any 12 volt source is unlikely to damage the radio, but connecting a 50 watt radio to a source that can is fused for 10 amps might fry the fuse.  Not all 50 watt radios require more than 10 amps.  Some are more efficient than others and get by with about 9 amps, others use as much as 11 amps. 
    As far as that “jump pack” I don’t know anything about it.   
  15. Like
    SteveShannon reacted to WRYZ926 in Base Station 50w recommendations with USB-C charge   
    Pretty much every single 50 watt GMRS or amateur radio is going to pull between 10 and 15 amps on transmit when set to high power. Read the specifications in the manual that came with your radio to be sure.
    I personally would not want to be pulling a 10 amp draw all of the time on a 10 amp fuse/circuit. 
  16. Like
    SteveShannon got a reaction from dosw in Voting notification   
    The only person well enough known to be upvoted or downvoted just because of “who they are” is Randy, and for the most part I don’t think many (if any) people have downvoted him because of that.

    SoCalGMRS gets downvoted because of how he treats others, not because of who he is. If he stopped treating others that way the downvotes would quickly cease. 
    It’s that simple. 
  17. Thanks
    SteveShannon reacted to WRUE951 in Btech GMRS 50V2 backlight   
    isn't the display light intensity programable on that raido?
  18. Like
    SteveShannon got a reaction from kirk5056 in LoRa and GMRS?   
    I believe that would not be permitted by the FCC’s interpretation of the regulations. 
  19. Like
    SteveShannon reacted to WRUU653 in Voting notification   
    Other than the one negative person whom we all know which as @SteveShannon mentioned is not because of who they are but rather the stuff they say I don’t see down voting based on who someone is. Could it happen? Sure but someone would just up vote them back. It’s just a means to elevate the best technical answer. I do prefer reading things in chronological order though as it’s easier for context and it would be nice if you could make that a default setting. 
  20. Haha
    SteveShannon reacted to OffRoaderX in Air Raid   
    I met her in 1971 and she gave me a dehydrated lizard.
    (yes, seriously.. they were selling trinkets like dried snakes, lizards, scorpions, etc..)
  21. Like
    SteveShannon got a reaction from WRUU653 in Voting notification   
    The only person well enough known to be upvoted or downvoted just because of “who they are” is Randy, and for the most part I don’t think many (if any) people have downvoted him because of that.

    SoCalGMRS gets downvoted because of how he treats others, not because of who he is. If he stopped treating others that way the downvotes would quickly cease. 
    It’s that simple. 
  22. Like
    SteveShannon got a reaction from WRUU653 in Voting notification   
    And secret upvotes as well. 😁
  23. Sad
    SteveShannon got a reaction from OffRoaderX in Voting notification   
    The only person well enough known to be upvoted or downvoted just because of “who they are” is Randy, and for the most part I don’t think many (if any) people have downvoted him because of that.

    SoCalGMRS gets downvoted because of how he treats others, not because of who he is. If he stopped treating others that way the downvotes would quickly cease. 
    It’s that simple. 
  24. Sad
    SteveShannon got a reaction from Paul357 in Well that was a surprise   
    I have a wonderful wife and I honestly wouldn’t want to dwell on life without her beside me. When I went back to college at 32, she worked two jobs to take care of me and our kids without ever complaining. Now that she’s in a wheelchair with MS she still never complains. I know that not everyone is so fortunate but I’m delighted for @LeoG. It appears he has a good one. 
  25. Like
    SteveShannon got a reaction from WRYZ926 in Voting notification   
    The only person well enough known to be upvoted or downvoted just because of “who they are” is Randy, and for the most part I don’t think many (if any) people have downvoted him because of that.

    SoCalGMRS gets downvoted because of how he treats others, not because of who he is. If he stopped treating others that way the downvotes would quickly cease. 
    It’s that simple. 
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