VETCOMMS

Thanks for the help guys. What I don't understand is what WSBB said in regards to encryption working on the DM32 HT but not with other brands. I thought if an HT has AES256 encryption capabilities then the radios should communicate, regardless of brand, as long as the encryption key is identical. Help me understand that if you could, please (might take a few tries with me)? Also, I see videos of a guy in a face covering showing how to type in random characters in the programming software for a TYT ht to encrypt that radio. What I get confused about is that I see anyone can google AES256 key generator but once that spits out a key does one just copy and paste that random set of characters into the encryption field on the radio programming software for all the radios? And then where I get confused is sometimes I read that you need a key loader to do this, making me think it's not a simple copy and paste operation? Just trying to understand encryption better.

I saw a video made by some jeep guy that's on here about this DMR/analog radio and the dirty encryption word was mentioned. I'm not a GI Joe type but it got me to thinking, how would someone generate an AES256 key & then load it into a radio/ this radio? I understand this is for business/LMR use so my question is more for learning purposes. How does it all work?

Do i have to be a dealer or will they help the average joe?

Where is a good source for these radios? Do the same places provide the CPS that works with the radio?

Do any of you use an HT in your house with a mobile attached to a base antenna in your detached garage set on cross band repeat? I'm trying to think of a way to keep the antenna off my house yet still be able to access area repeaters or talk simplex. Will this work?

I see there's a section called, specialized mobile radio system in the 800-900 mhz band. Is this where I'm learning of a license holder (not sure if it's LMR license) providing digital radio service to subscribers that pay a fee to use their system repeater?

How is it to program for both analog and digital? Is the cps confusing? I've read you have to unlock it when you get it? Do you use the vehicle Bluetooth with it or that separate Bluetooth device and store the radio remotely?

I'm starting to find interest in this radio as it's DMR and analog tri band. Does anyone have this radio? Could it be used with an LMR license to transmit using AES256? Just hoping to learn from those with experience using this radio.

So I'm curious about the encryption part of this, specifially AES256. If using encryption on HTs would the repeater need to be encryption capable or does the encryption simply pass through the repeater so any DMR repeater would work, or does the repeater need to be AES256 capable? Does the encryption happen on the transmitting and receiving radios only?

I can always change out the bottom section with a shorter 7 foot section and see if the antenna performs just as well, i just thought the extra 3 feet would be a good thing. I like the idea of not guying the mast but it sounds dangerous and unwise not to do so. What, specifically do you use for guy wires? Do you anchor the wires to the edges of the roof near the gutters on the one side of the building and the roof peak on the opposite side of the building? I like the one guys idea of the telescoping mast that did well without guying. Will have to look into that.

Something like this? Or not sturdy enough https://servicefirstproducts.com/products/25-freedom-edition-telescoping-pole-black

I just put up a Laird Antenna on about 20 feet of chain link fence top rail (2 pieces). We had 27 mph winds today and i noticed a bit of sway in the upper pipe. Am I up too high above that upper bracket mounted to the building? I'd think ice & snow will make that sway worse. 20241121_122551.mp4

Question for those with Laird FG series antennas. It says not to block the drain holes on the bottom of the antenna near the connection. How do you wrap the coax/antenna connection when it's so close to the antenna? Just wrap right up to the base of the antenna? Originally I was going to wrap with waterproof tape up into the bottom of the antenna but that would block the drain holes. What do others do?

So many choices, thanks for the help! Now to get my waterproofing tapes for the connection at the antenna.

Thanks. I was looking at Gigaparts M&P but all I saw were PL-259 connections. Much appreciated!

So this is N- female on the antenna as well? If so I need coax with 2 N male ends right?

Am I correct that this is an N-type male connector on the repeater?

OK rookie question. I have this adapter on the back of my Vertex vxr-7000 repeater. I plan to get new coax, likely M&P ultraflex 10. Is it better to remove the adapter and have N connections on both ends of the coax to minimize loss or at 30 - 50 foot coax length will it matter?

I'm such a rookie. Figured out the problem. I didn't push the repeater button in on the Vertex so it was running in base mode. Putting out 33.8 watts with an SWR of 1.5 and transmit % of 95.98% on the temporary antenna. It's tuned for 462.625 and meter shows 462.623. Thanks for the help!

I think it's not transmitting because when I put my cheap Chinese swr meter in line and use my HT to tx to the repeater, the swr meter does not do anything. All zeros on the display. I have it on a little mag mount in the garage while I'm testing but it will be connected to a 6' omni when done. Not sure what you mean by subscriber.

Can someone please confirm I'm not doing something wrong. As you read at the beginning this repeater was doing a weird buzzing sound so I took it to a Motorola dealer and he tuned it on their Aeroflex service monitor. The tech said "it's running at 80 dbm which is really good." I don't know what that means. He said they found that the jumper running from the flat pack duplexer inside the repeater to the antenna connection on the outside of the repeater had a short in it. He said there was not much resistance but it had a "dead short." He said the repeater was putting out 28 watts after the duplexer. I got the repeater home, hooked it up, tried with with several different tones on tx and rx side, tried no courtesy blip, tried setting one channel with no tones on either TX or RX. I can hear my voice in the speaker on the repeater but it does not transmit. I hooked my SWR meter up to the coax and it is not transmitting. As I type this I'm thinking they didn't put the antenna connection on the back of the repeater on the part that is not hooked up to the duplexer. Seems like I did that when I first got this repeater. *edit* - I looked through the vent on the bottom of the repeater and the antenna is hooked up to the correct part of the duplexer. If it's not that, does anyone have any other ideas why it would receive and not transmit?

For sale 80 feet of Andrews Heliax LDF5 7/8" hardline. Thanks for the calculator and all the help. Much appreciated.

OK thanks. Now to switch gears and little. Some people think with such a short run that my hardline is overkill. Some people think LMR400 isn't good enough. What are your opinions on coax that is thinner and easier to work with for a gmrs repeater antenna that's only 30 feet up.

My understanding is that first layer is sticky side out which makes it easier to remove if/ when that time comes. The rubber tape would still be there along with another layer placed sticky side down, followed by UV resistant outdoor rated electrical tape to keep water out. It's something I saw years ago by a tower guy out west, Guerrillacomm is what we went by. Just continuing to learn from those more experienced than I.

Thx for that. What do most people use for jumpers at the antenna end to decrease drag/ weight on the antenna? Similarly what do people use at the end going to the repeater? Is 1/2" LDF4 heliax still to large/ cumbersome to use at the terminations? Should I go smaller? Are there conductor differences going from Heliax LDF5 to, say LMR400 or UG8X that could adversely affect performance? This is going on my garage, max 30 feet up to get to learn how to use hardline, install the N-type fittings from Pasternack on my Heliax LDF5 and how to install these jumpers to reduce coax size going into the building to the repeater and to attach to the antenna. The goal is to learn how to do this at my home first before I move the repeater to a higher location.