KAF6045
-
Posts
773 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
6
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Gallery
Classifieds
Posts posted by KAF6045
-
-
6 hours ago, Lscott said:
I think Kenwood got it right with including 2M, 1.25M and 70cm in one radio. However I would have preferred DMR over D_Star in the new TH-D75A. Being most new radios are DSP designs, including the CODECS, offering two different firmware options for the radio would make it appealing to a wider customer base. They have the technology to do it, on the commercial side at least. For example the NX-1000 series offer either FM with NXDN, or FM with DMR depending on which firmware is loaded into the radio.
I suspect 95% of the D75A is a direct borrow from the D74A, especially the firmware. Hardware modifications hopefully improve the battery life. I have FOUR batteries for my D74 that I cycle through -- granted, I'm mainly using it /in/ the house near a DV-Mega/Pi-Star hotspot that is on a rather busy reflector, so the radio never really goes idle; when it would be idle the hotspot is likely running a DMR talkgroup which the D74 has to keep sampling to see if it is decodable. Easily go through two batteries in <12 hours.
Kenwood is the only competition Icom has in the D-Star world, and the D74 easily beats the recent Icom 52 model for features (I think it holds many more D-Star repeater definitions for the "find nearest" operation; has true packet APRS and a KISS-mode TNC vs Icom only supporting DPRS embedded in D-Star data packets.).
-
7 hours ago, pcradio said:
You are correct, I'm trying to avoid using two different radios. I was just pointing out that the argument that a certified GMRS radio can not support a Ham configuration when I can in fact buy one legally that does! Forum
If I want my full 2m/70cm capability, I'd already have to carry two HTs -- both have shared analog capability but one supports D-STAR, and the other supports DMR (I am NOT adding a YSF HT to the mix). GMRS is a third HT, and MURS makes number four. There is also the old 11m/CB HT to consider
-
Oddly, while Kenwood's discontinued F6A and D74A manage "full" power on 2m, 1.25m, and 70cm, Kenwood never incorporated 6m into the mix (the F6A /receive/ however was 100kHz [3000m or 3km] to 1.3GHz, less cell phone band)
Yeasu's VX8-DR is really a 6m, 2m, 70cm unit with 1.25m shoehorned into it -- but at flea power.
-
18 minutes ago, pcradio said:
Yeah, that is an interesting radio. It means that I can, as a dual licensed individual, switch the radio around to the service I want to use. That's what I've been asking for.
The DB20-G wipes the channel memory when one changes the frequency range control. Are you prepared to field reprogram all the channels every time you switch service? Granted, that is a mobile unit, not an HT. (Note: The frequency range can be changed using some boot-up button sequence, not just via computer code-plug editor, so field programming is a possibility)
(unfortunately, the drop down is being cut-off by the pop-up window size, so the "US GMRS" entry is not showing -- it sits between European PMR version [explicitly states "version"] and Australian UHF FM CB)
That's what the wide-open option covers. The (previous clip) 420-450/144-148 is US 70cm/2m amateur band only mode.
-
On 7/2/2023 at 3:32 AM, Bushwacker said:
I am a trucker I run a a stryker 477hpc2 converted to 11meter. Fm is dead . Not a sole on it. Mabe in large city's but for the trucking community they stay on AM .
A possible second justification for staying on AM would be the reason aircraft use AM. Since there is no equivalent of FM capture effect, a weak emergency call could be heard as background to whatever conversation is taking place (though the idiots running illegal amplifiers and spending 5 minutes just announcing themselves in order to snag a 30 second response from somebody else would never notice).
-
18 hours ago, WRXN668 said:
I was talking about amateur radio with a coworker and another coworker mentioned these classes of license, turns out he has one. Basically his is for maritime operations predominantly as he was living in a port city at the time he was in trade school. It's a perpetual license so never expires even if he hasn't used it. Ostensibly it's for things like ship-to-ship, ship-to-shore, that sort.
At least in US waters a license is not needed for small craft (personal/pleasure) to use VHF maritime radios. Beyond that, it is the SHIP which gets a station license https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-divisions/mobility-division/maritime-mobile/ship-radio-stations/ship-radio-stations and a /restricted/ radiotelephone operator /permit/ needed for if one travels to foreign ports.
The GROL (general radiotelephone operator license, often paired with a radar endorsement) is mostly used to maintain/certify that a maritime radio (or other radio service) is properly installed/grounded/etc.
-
1 hour ago, Sshannon said:
It’s confusing because they limit handhelds on interstitial frequencies but on the main frequencies handhelds are treated like all other mobiles.
The limitation for HTs is by RF Exposure/SAR/MPE -- units that start going over 5W begin to encroach on the unsafe exposure limits. That's a totally different set of regulations and applies to all services, not just GMRS.
At 465MHz, the MPE (in power density) is 1.55mW/cm^2 averaged over 6 minutes (that's for controlled areas, for general population/uncontrolled it is 0.31 averaged over 30 minutes). If the distance between a person and any part of the antenna is less than 4.3 inches (at 440MHz) then the complicated computations need to be performed -- so a belt-worn HT with speaker/mic likely needs to be evaluated. Hand held, well... don't press the unit against your head
There is a presumption that HT manufacturers have performed the tests/computations (as it is rather difficult for end users to embed sensors under the skin, etc.) and that the devices are at power levels that meet the above limits.
-
On 6/27/2023 at 3:04 PM, Guest QuiltinMom said:
These are Midland GXT1050G model radios with 50 channels. So will they just automatically grab a repeater if there is one near? I can't confirm, but believe they are 5 watts.
The 1050 series derive from pre-2017 "mixed FRS/GMRS" radios. Under the 2017 reorganization they qualify as GMRS only because they have H/M/L power settings and H exceeds the 2W FRS limit*. They are, in all other aspects, FRS radios with narrowband FM channels. Ignore the "50 channels" nonsense -- anything past #22 is a locked-in frequency/tone combination specific to Midland which just duplicates what one can set up by hand using the first 22 channels and looking up the desired tone code.
* I also have a set of pre-2017 Motorola "bubble-pack" that are now GMRS -- power is only 2W BUT these have the ability to operate with repeaters.
-
Third thing to check is if it is vehicle noise.
Is it present when the engine is off (or more -- if you have radio wired direct to battery [given this is a 40W radio -- DO NOT wire to cigarette lighter socket], shut the vehicle completely down)?
Does it vary with road/engine speed?
Also check wide/narrow-band on the channel.
-
28 minutes ago, WRXN668 said:
GMRS reminds me of two historical licenses, the old amateur radio novice license, and the original citizen's band license. The point of these licenses were to let
Historically, GMRS is the descendant of the old Class A Citizen's Radio Service. CB is the descendant of the Class D Citizen's Radio Service. This is reflected in the pre-2017 rewrite of the regulations: GMRS was Part 95 Subpart A (subpart A is now an overall set of regulations for all Part 95 and GMRS is subpart E), CB was (and still is) Part 95 Subpart D.
Back in ancient days, even CB was focused on /family/ use under a family license -- some channels could only be used for intra-license communications, a limited number were available for inter-license communications (9/emergency, 11, for example). At least CB had 23 channels (at that time) -- and regulations permitted traffic up to 150 miles (NVIS propagation, short skip). GMRS only had 8 main frequencies -- but a licensee had to pick two of them when applying for a license and could not use the other six.
-
On 6/21/2023 at 1:27 AM, wayoverthere said:
ULS appears to be back up and running
(6/20/23, 10:27pm PDT)
https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/searchLicense.jsp
edit: slow response times, some timeouts, some error messages. did a little searching for some of the posters above, but no more joy to report.
Apparently the batch submittal process is still in a flaky state -- ARRL sent a notice that VECs will be asked to submit small batches on some schedule to avoid overloading the system.
- wayoverthere and WRUU653
-
2
-
4 hours ago, WRUU653 said:
It loads on the page when you use an iPad but it’s not there when you use a computer.
Have you tried flushing your browser cache?
-
On 6/13/2023 at 10:27 AM, Flameout said:
Would using the mic input of the FR4000 work for this. I think it would be pin 1 to pin 7 (mic), pin 2 to 1, 3 to 4, 7 to 6 and not sure of 8 and 11
Best I can interpret, Microphone 6 should be IDOM 11. I believe IDOM 7 is something like carrier-operated-relay (something that turns might be used to turn the Tx radio on/off as a power saving feature when the Rx radio does not have a signal -- or controls the timing start of the IDOM). If the IDOM expects to relay the Rx to Tx then IDOM 8 comes from the Rx radio, and its signal will be sent out on IDOM 11.
-
20 hours ago, Lscott said:
So how does my remote control Bluetooth speaker mic fit into the picture? It seems technology is a step or two ahead of the law and it hasn’t even gone into effect yet!
Lack of a cable connection to the actual radio along with the presence of a significant display on the unit would likely put it on the wrong side. The former as holding it will look a lot like a cell-phone to any outsider (police), and the latter serving as the "distraction factor". Anything where one is likely to be looking away from the windshield&instruments.
From other sections of the bill (emphasis mine)
Quote(3) Subsections (1) and (2) do not apply to any of the following situations:
...
(c) The use of a global positioning or navigation feature of a mobile electronic device if information is not entered by hand into the global positioning or navigation system feature of the mobile electronic device.
(d) The use of a mobile electronic device in a voice-operated or hands-free mode if the operator of the motor vehicle does not use the operator’s hands to operate the device, except for either of the following:
(i) Using a single button press, tap, or swipe to activate or deactivate a feature or function of the mobile electronic device or to select a telephone number or name.
(ii) Using a mobile electronic device that is integrated into a motor vehicle and utilizes the user interfaces that are permanently installed into the motor vehicle.
(e) The use of a mobile electronic device used for the sole purpose of continuously recording or broadcasting video inside or outside of a motor vehicle.
(f) The use of a mobile electronic device that is placed in a mount and used in any manner as described in subdivisions (a) to (e).(d)(ii) appears to cover devices that can be (bluetooth) linked to the vehicle dash/display unit such that one only interacts with the vehicle, not the device itself.
(e)... dashcams
(f) with (d)(i) -- suction cup mount on lower windshield, with device in hands-free operation other than maybe needing a touch to, say, answer an incoming voice call.
They'd have had fits with my first dual-band mobile rig. Transceiver mounted in trunk. NO dash-mounted control head -- ALL controls were tiny buttons on a T-shaped speaker-mike, along with a narrow LCD display. (I don't know of anyone who paid for the optional "front panel"). https://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/fm_txvrs/C5718DA.html From before Standard Radio became part of Vertex-Standard (which got entangled with Yaesu, before splitting again and maybe getting sucked up by Motorola).
-
9 hours ago, WRPF281 said:
We need more clarification on this new law that goes into effect June 30,2023. Is the term distracted driving mean and including the use of mobile microphone use in a moving vehicle? Will all radio operators be required to use headsets now? I asked a County sheriff this same question and his response was as follows. It will be up to the officer who gives the tick and the traffic court judge, to decide if it is within such parameter's of the law.
https://www.bridgedetroit.com/hands-free-distracted-driving-law-takes-effect-june-30-in-michigan/
QuoteEmergency calls, cell phone mounts and Bluetooth-connected dashboard screens for mapping trips and changing tunes are exempt, as are electronic medical devices like insulin pumps, two-way radios and CB radios.
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2023-2024/publicact/pdf/2023-PA-0041.pdf
Quote(12) As used in this section:
(a) “Hold” means to physically support with any part of the hands, arms, or shoulders.
(b) “Mobile electronic device” means an electronic device that is not permanently installed in a motor vehicle, including, but not limited to, a device capable of text messaging, voice communication, entertainment, navigation, accessing the internet, or producing email. Mobile electronic device does not include either of the following:
(i) A radio designed for the Citizens Band Service or the Amateur Radio Service of the Federal Communications Commission or a commercial 2-way radio communications device or equipment permanently installed in a motor vehicle.
(ii) A medical device that is designed to be worn, including, but not limited to, an insulin pump.
(c) “Operate” means to drive or assume physical control of a motor vehicle on a public way, street, road, or highway, including operation while temporarily stationary because of traffic, road conditions, a traffic light, or a stop sign. Operate does not include a motor vehicle that is lawfully parked.
(d) “Social networking site” means any web-based service that allows individuals to construct a profile within a founded system and communicate with other users of the site for social or amusement purposes.Note that a strict reading of (12)(b)(i) would not permit using an HT from within the vehicle (my interpretation is that "permanently installed" applies to ALL the "or"ed items (CB, Amateur, commercial, and whatever "equipment" includes)... So no MURS/FRS rigs (since none are available in vehicle mount units). I'm going to be generous and let GMRS fall into the "commercial 2-way" category -- carry a printed copy of your license (I doubt most police could tell the difference between Part 95 and Part 90 licenses
, though they may differentiate Amateur from non-Amateur).
The main criteria is that one is using a PTT/microphone system where the primary controls are just channel up/down, volume -- and said controls are mounted within reach and position that one does not have to take their eyes from the road or shift around in their seat. IE; as distracting as the speedometer and light-switch controls.
-
6 hours ago, Adamdaj said:
Yep, those days are long gone. Those old 11m Walkie talkies had a larger footprint then the 49mhz radios that Fisher Price or Ty Co Electronics put out. Beside the squelch circuit in most of those transceivers didn't work. You always heard the static when no one was talking. I had several of those CB handhelds of the years and always picked RF noise from Over Head Catenary near the PRR Northeast Corridor at Holmesburg Junction. Yep, my friend Jimmy and I would hang out at Holmesburg Junction and stay in tough with the CB. Jimmy would go to one end of Holmes Interlocking and I would hang out at the Tower.
The "kiddie" walkie-talkies used a super-regenerative receiver, ie; a positive feedback design -- no real squelch circuit.
The "pro" CB HTs did have a squelch, but being an AM signal (in which the modulation basically varies the signal strength) don't have a sharp cut-off.
-
On 6/5/2023 at 10:41 AM, kidphc said:
Yes lscott. Those are additional benefits.
Another one is most large retailers have cheap frs radios on the shelf. Alot of the are gmrs capable.
Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk
As of the 2017 reorganization those radios are EITHER FRS or GMRS.
FRS has always shared the interstitial frequencies from GMRS, though originally at just 0.5W. After making the mistake of allowing "mixed" FRS/GMRS (for which no one bothered with the "license required" for channels x/y/z) the FCC redefined them as "fixed antenna, <2W on 1-7/15-22 [no repeater], 0.5W on 8-14, narrowband" is an FRS radio (all criteria apply), "interchangeable antenna, up to 5W on 1-7, up to 50W on 15-22 (repeater optional), 0.5W narrowband on 8-14, wideband on 1-7/15-22" is a GMRS unit (essentially any of the criteria that differs from FRS makes it GMRS).
-
17 hours ago, Adamdaj said:
Yep, I guess the FCC didn't really have to list every relation category. I just didn't want to assume the FCC excluded Cousins, unless it's the four-legged relatives. LOL
Thanks!
73 to All
So far as I interpret it, cousins are NOT included. The "spread" is more diamond shaped than hourglass shaped.
Grandparents
Parents and their siblings (aunts/uncles to licensee)
Licensee and spouse/siblings
Children and nieces/nephews (ie; children of licensee's siblings)
Grandchildren(As I recall, "cousins" derive from the siblings of the grandparents")
Also recall that the licensee is the one responsible for the proper behavior of the users. If one of those family members lives too far away for reasonable monitoring, I wouldn't allow them to use the call-sign. So... the nieces living 60-100 miles south of me -- NO. The nieces visiting my brother (down the block, at most half a mile) -- YES.
-
22 hours ago, Sshannon said:
2) Any individual who holds an individual license may allow his or her immediate family members to operate his or her GMRS station or stations. Immediate family members are the licensee's spouse, children, grandchildren, stepchildren, parents, grandparents, stepparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and in-laws.
Essentially +/- two generations from the license holder.
And that is a great expansion over the regulation from the early/mid 90s... Which had the additional clause of having to be living in the same residence as the license holder (we're back to the large family farm situation again).
-
4 minutes ago, intermod said:
With regard to business spectrum, it had been difficult to find a clear channel pair in the metro areas. One previous poster noted that there should be quite a bit of VHF and UHF spectrum available as many businesses have moved to other bands and cellular, POC, etc. I have not dug around for a few years so this might be possible.
Unlikely -- it seems any time a chunk of band becomes vacant the cell phone services bid for the spectrum to run more streaming video to distracted drivers...
-
On 5/29/2023 at 4:10 PM, intermod said:
But from a really practical perspective, once the FCC permitted repeaters in GMRS, simplex users were no longer granted protection from repeater interference in any case. They effectively became secondary, so they must accept interference or move to another channel (or use CTCSS for nuisance interference like DMR or analog).
Pardon? "once the FCC permitted repeaters..."
Repeaters have always been a part of GMRS (and precursor Class A Citizens Radio Service [Citizens Band used to be Class D Citizens Radio Service). And users only had access to TWO of the "main channels". The 7 intersitial channels are lower power (5W... HT level) simplex channels positioned between the main channels (there is just enough gap between channel (25kHz) and bandwidth (20kHz authorized, 16kHz deviation standard)) that the filters in the radios can "tune out" any actual overlapping traffic (cf: FM capture effect).
Many of the old repeaters were provided by companies (when GMRS allowed business licenses) and used controllers that could handle multiple CTCSS assignments -- so the company could configure different tones to different groups of users, including providing a tone just for (paid/approved) private users (GMRS equipment wasn't that common, and with only two main channels on the license one couldn't randomly search for repeaters). Granted -- protocol pretty much mandated that one use MONitor before touching the PTT to ensure that a different (higher priority group -- like the business itself) wasn't active on the channel.
-
16 hours ago, back4more70 said:
Not to mention that folks are paying handsomely for cell phone service, and I don't believe that cell infrastructure is government-sponsored. Encrypt away, customers!
The physical structures are not government -- but all cellphone providers operate under government licenses and regulations. (NOTE: the protocols used by cell companies are international standards, not FCC).
Also take into account that governments promulgate the impression that cellular service is as secure as plain old wired telephone systems (effectively point-to-point after the switches have routed the connection) and minimize the concept that cell phones ARE just two-way radios. The first approach the FCC took was to require scanning radios to automatically block out cell phone frequencies (government agencies are able to obtain high-end models without the blocks). Adding encryption protocols to the data stream is a natural step above that to prevent intercepts.
-
On 5/27/2023 at 12:34 PM, Guest Is Anyone Out Here said:
I paid good money for this Wouxum KG-UV9GX and put this thing on SCAN. There is nothing out here. It came with a boatload of programed frequencies and again there is nothing. I've tried the GMRS 20T and the GMRS r20T and it's as if the world is vacant and everyone is dead. I have scanned ch 1 - ch 30 and again,nothing. I've even tried the CAAL channel GNRS 15C and again, nothing. I've even turned on scan on ch 15 - 22 and again nothing. I've turn the SQL all the way down in hopes to hear something, again, nothing. Very disappointed and wish I would not have spent the money on this. I think the CB world and a good Cobra 142GTL with special channels USB / LSB and a digital freq counter was a heck of a lot better. This may be good for people who live in the big cities but it surely is no good for anyone who lives in the country unless they have a business or family member who want to have this versa a cell phone. Hope someday to hear someone talking but for now it's just scanning in the charger and quite as a mouse.
- There is no need to scan 23-30 -- the output of the repeater channels are the same frequencies as 15-22; just make sure there are no TONES specified for the channels you are scanning (if a Rx tone is defined, you will only hear traffic if the transmitter sends the same tone).
- Confusingly, you state channels 1-30 in one spot, but also mention "20T" and "r20T" -- I don't know what the "T" represents, unless it means there is a tone defined; "r20" is usually the same thing as channel 28, radios tend to use EITHER 23-30 OR R15-R22 -- the repeater counterpart to simplex channel 20.
- Per the FCC regulations: (emphasis is mine). The GMRS service was /never/ considered to be a general "talk-to-anyone" chit-chat service -- it was meant for stuff like large family farms wherein one might have a base/repeater set-up at the farm house, and family members in the fields would carry HTs or maybe a tractor mounted mobile. In those days, one's license was good for ONLY two of the main/repeater frequencies (so good luck finding someone else using the same frequencies on their license) and the seven GMRS 5W interstitials. Heck, even the CB service, before the 70s, only allowed for license<>license calls on a limited number of frequencies, the rest were meant for calls between family members sharing the license.
Quote§ 95.1703 Definitions, GMRS.
General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS). A mobile two-way voice communication service, with limited data applications, for facilitating activities of individual licensees and their family members, including, but not limited to, voluntary provision of assistance to the public during emergencies and natural disasters.
- FYI: USB/LSB are not "special channels" -- they are modulation schemes using the same channels as regular AM. AM modulates/transmits both sidebands, where Single Sideband suppresses one, putting the power into the other sideband (and using half the overall bandwidth).
-
I'm not familiar with anyone who "pays bad money" for stuff -- except counterfeiters However, this sounds more like a case of not paying to research the GMRS service before buying equipment.
ADDENDUM (2023/05/31): I may sound a bit harsh above. Saturday was a bad day for me with side-effects from chemotherapy (chemo is on Tuesdays, but the side-effects seem to peak Friday/Saturday). I'm not retracting anything since all the bullet points are still valid -- and not worth trying to adjust phrasing after half a week of viewing.
-
On 5/24/2023 at 9:36 PM, Guest whitetaco.sg said:
I am looking at the Midland - MXT575 Micromobile GMRS radio for off-roading, I however do not want a magnet mount antenna. my thought is to use a ditch light bracket as an antenna mount....... I can find all of the pieces to make what I want to do, the information I'm looking for is, does the coax length have a critical length requirement. E.G. citizens band has a formula to calculate coax length + antenna length = proper SWR
Proper coax is length neutral (it is 50ohm at the transmitter, and it is 50ohm at the antenna) -- that CB suggestion is just masking a problem by adjusting the coax so that the /nodes/ in the standing wave don't appear at the point of measurement. The SWR is still mismatched.
https://www.ad5gg.com/2017/06/11/coaxial-cable-length-does-not-change-swr/
Heck -- even ignoring standing wave nodes, if you use a long enough coax and measure at the transmitter you will achieve a perfect SWR... You won't be reaching anyone, but you will have a perfect SWR. SWR is based on the power sent to the antenna, and the power reflected from that antenna. With a very long coax, you have power losses in the coax itself, all the power sent/reflected could be lost as resistive heating of the coax so there is no measurable reflected power, but also no power going out the antenna.
The ideal is to measure SWR AT THE ANTENNA (or at least close enough that your body and measuring tools don't interfere with the feedpoint match). Of course, if the antenna has a permanently affixed cable you'd have to either learn to splice connectors into the cable or do the measurement from the end of the provided cable.
(6/20/23, 10:27pm PDT)
New Wouxun KG-Q10H Quad Band Amateur HT
in Amateur Radio (Ham)
Posted
Also, with the dropping of their ancient 2m-only FM HT, the D75A will be Kenwood's ONLY HT model available.
{I also need to retract my thought the D74 had more D-Star repeater memories -- manuals show 1500 for D74, 2500 for ID52... Might be that the D74 was much easier to control the import function or edit in a spreadsheet to get just areas of potential interest. And the KISS-mode TNC was a downgrade from their first radio with a TNC -- that one could be operated using just a terminal program on a computer to toggle CONV and CMD modes}