OffRoaderX Posted October 19, 2023 Report Share Posted October 19, 2023 If you have ever been told lies or heard myths about radios that you would like to see tested, please post it in this thread. Good/common ones will be featured on the interwebz largest and most beloved GMRS Related YouTube channel. Some examples that have already been debunked are: If you transmit on any radio, for any length of time without an antenna, your radio will vaporize If you coil your coax you will get a high SWR and your radio will vaporize If your SWR is higher than 1.x:1, nobody will hear you...and your radio will vaporize Ghost antennas do not work and are nothing more than a dummy load Any radio not costing $300+ and not made in 'Merica or Japan is "junk" If you press the PTT button without a license the FCC will fine you or put you in jail "Sad Hams" do not exist Feel free to keep this thread going as long as necessary. I will not rest until all myths/lies have either been debunked or proven true. RayP, Sshannon and WRXB215 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WRXB215 Posted October 19, 2023 Report Share Posted October 19, 2023 Kind of hard, you've already debunked all the ones I can think of. RayP 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UncleYoda Posted October 19, 2023 Report Share Posted October 19, 2023 I definitely have the feeling that I shouldn't post anything here, as in being serious, but... Myth (GMRS): Fixed stations are based stations when using repeater. Truth: those two are separate things and you can't just claim to be whatever you want at different times. Myth (HAM): Can't discuss religion and politics on air. Myth (HAM): You aren't violating the regs by using a UV-5R or other HAM radio for GMRS. Myth (HAM): HAMs are nice, helpful people and will even give a newbie all the gear you need to get started. Myth (HAM): Nets are useful. Myth (any handheld radio): you can talk for 50 miles from your La-Z-Boy chair. I may think of more later; they're probably lots more for HAM than GMRS. RayP 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WRUU653 Posted October 19, 2023 Report Share Posted October 19, 2023 Myth: Hams are the only ones that can be considered sad... catbrigade 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcspaz Posted October 19, 2023 Report Share Posted October 19, 2023 This may actually cause damage... but, how about transmitting on high power too close to another radio will break the other radio's receiver. My radio has the pre-amp enabled. A buddy of mine started talking to me while stopped at a light. Our antennas were less than 2 feet apart. My receiver had an epic melt-down after just a few seconds. Everything i received after that sounded like it was under water and on fire at the same time. After power cycling the radio a few times and leaving it off for a few hours, if seems to have fully recovered. Depending on the radios used... I may be willing to fund this experiment. AdmiralCochrane, WRUU653, RayP and 2 others 3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borage257 Posted October 19, 2023 Report Share Posted October 19, 2023 Will transmitting using tv coax hurt my radio or my fars? OffRoaderX 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sshannon Posted October 19, 2023 Report Share Posted October 19, 2023 5 minutes ago, Borage257 said: Will transmitting using tv coax hurt my radio or my fars? Is the other end still connected to the tv? WRUU653, Blaise, AdmiralCochrane and 5 others 1 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WRYZ926 Posted October 19, 2023 Report Share Posted October 19, 2023 19 minutes ago, marcspaz said: Dude... you crossed the line from dickhead to watch list, telling Randy he should kill himself. Very not cool bro. That is definitely crossing the line. On subject. I like seeing different tests being done. I for one would like to see just how much damage transmitting on high power with no antenna will actually do to a radio. marcspaz 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OffRoaderX Posted October 20, 2023 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2023 2 hours ago, WRYZ926 said: On subject. I like seeing different tests being done. I for one would like to see just how much damage transmitting on high power with no antenna will actually do to a radio. Done that one! With a 5W handheld and 50W mobile! (spoiler: after several minutes of TXing, nothing happened to either other than getting hot) WRYZ926, marcspaz and RayP 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WRYZ926 Posted October 20, 2023 Report Share Posted October 20, 2023 @OffRoaderX I kind of figured nothing really bad would happen other than things heating up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WRQC527 Posted October 20, 2023 Report Share Posted October 20, 2023 6 hours ago, WRYZ926 said: how much damage transmitting on high power with no antenna will actually do to a radio. This is one of the few "myths" that is actually mentioned in the user manual for every radio I've ever bought, from 4-watt CBs to handhelds to 100-watt multi-band HF radios. I don't think it's a myth, I think it's rolling the dice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcspaz Posted October 20, 2023 Report Share Posted October 20, 2023 1 minute ago, WRQC527 said: This is one of the few "myths" that is actually mentioned in the user manual for every radio I've ever bought, from 4-watt CBs to handhelds to 100-watt multi-band HF radios. I don't think it's a myth, I think it's rolling the dice. Like anything else in life, in moderation is fine, but in excess you go blind. Sshannon, WRUU653 and hfd376 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WRUU653 Posted October 20, 2023 Report Share Posted October 20, 2023 9 hours ago, marcspaz said: Like anything else in life, in moderation is fine, but in excess you go blind. I'm not blind but I do need glasses. WRHS218, RayP and marcspaz 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
back4more70 Posted October 20, 2023 Report Share Posted October 20, 2023 22 hours ago, OffRoaderX said: If you have ever been told lies or heard myths about radios that you would like to see tested, please post it in this thread. (Myth) HAMs rag chewing about their medical conditions, daily prescriptions and doctor visits is quite valuable information and does wonders for advancing the hobby. RayP and WRQC527 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcspaz Posted October 20, 2023 Report Share Posted October 20, 2023 8 minutes ago, back4more70 said: (Myth) HAMs rag chewing about their medical conditions, daily prescriptions and doctor visits is quite valuable information and does wonders for advancing the hobby. There was someone who used to be on this forum who was local to me. He complained about this type of conversation happening on the repeaters, here on this site. So, a few of us who know him would get on the repeater everyday for over a week, at a time we knew he was on, and would talk about nothing but our medical conditions, prescription costs, what we had for lunch and where we were meeting for dinner. LoL back4more70, AdmiralCochrane, Sshannon and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WRQC527 Posted October 20, 2023 Report Share Posted October 20, 2023 42 minutes ago, back4more70 said: HAMs rag chewing about their medical conditions, One of my fellow repeater owners regaled us one day with a tale of his oozing wound. I about projectile-vomited in the few seconds between when he said that and the time I was able to find the power button on the radio. RayP and back4more70 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sshannon Posted October 20, 2023 Report Share Posted October 20, 2023 13 hours ago, WRYZ926 said: @OffRoaderX I kind of figured nothing really bad would happen other than things heating up. It really depends on the ability of the final output transistors to dissipate power. It’s wrong to say that every radio will blow its finals immediately if operated without an antenna, but it’s also wrong to believe that every radio is capable of operating without an antenna. WRQC527, AdmiralCochrane, WRYZ926 and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OffRoaderX Posted October 20, 2023 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2023 2 minutes ago, Sshannon said: It’s wrong to say that every radio will blow its finals immediately But that is exactly what all the online "experts" keep telling us. Sshannon 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sshannon Posted October 20, 2023 Report Share Posted October 20, 2023 3 minutes ago, OffRoaderX said: But that is exactly what all the online "experts" keep telling us. Yeah, it’s like bad parents trying to scare their kids into a pattern of behavior, or bad government trying to control its citizens opinions with a “big lie.” WRXB215 and OffRoaderX 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blaise Posted October 20, 2023 Report Share Posted October 20, 2023 1 minute ago, Sshannon said: it’s like bad parents trying to scare their kids into a pattern of behavior Krampus is coming... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sshannon Posted October 20, 2023 Report Share Posted October 20, 2023 4 minutes ago, Blaise said: Krampus is coming... Now I have to google “Krampus.” Got it: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krampus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blaise Posted October 20, 2023 Report Share Posted October 20, 2023 1 hour ago, Sshannon said: Got it You're welcome... Sshannon 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sshannon Posted October 20, 2023 Report Share Posted October 20, 2023 21 hours ago, Borage257 said: Will transmitting using tv coax hurt my radio or my fars? A serious answer: No. You won’t be able to get a perfect 1.0:1 SWR, but you should be able to get to 1.5:1. WRXB215 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axorlov Posted October 21, 2023 Report Share Posted October 21, 2023 My posts get yanked, and my sage, wise and humorous (is it a dry humor? other kind of humor?) input is now pre-moderated. So I have to be polite, civil, boring, to the point and nice. 13 hours ago, OffRoaderX said: But that is exactly what all the online "experts" keep telling us. The statement above is a deliberate and blatant lie. No one ever said anything close to that. If anyone wants to prove me wrong, the Search button is working and there is more than 10 years of history on this forum, go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsneezy Posted October 21, 2023 Report Share Posted October 21, 2023 (edited) 16 hours ago, axorlov said: The statement above is a deliberate and blatant lie. No one ever said anything close to that. Except they have. I couldn't tell you how many times I was on CB in the 90's hearing guys saying "I'll pull up next to him with my 1000 watt linear amp, key the mic, and blow his radio" every time a couple guys would start bickering over something stupid. It's not something brand new. Edited October 21, 2023 by jsneezy Trimmed quote Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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