[Open Thread] What Radio "Facts", Myths, or Lies Would You Like To See Tested?

[OffRoaderX]

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.

[WRXB215]

Kind of hard, you've already debunked all the ones I can think of. 

[UncleYoda]

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.

[WRUU653]

Myth: Hams are the only ones that can be considered sad...

[marcspaz]

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. 

[Borage257]

Will transmitting using tv coax hurt my radio or my fars?

[SteveShannon]

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?

[WRYZ926]

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.

[OffRoaderX]

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]

@OffRoaderX I kind of figured nothing really bad would happen other than things heating up.

[WRQC527]

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. 

[marcspaz]

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.

[WRUU653]

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. 

[back4more70]

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.

[marcspaz]

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

[WRQC527]

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. 

[SteveShannon]

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. 

[OffRoaderX]

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.

[SteveShannon]

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.”

[Blaise]

1 minute ago, Sshannon said:

it’s like bad parents trying to scare their kids into a pattern of behavior

Krampus is coming...

[SteveShannon]

4 minutes ago, Blaise said:

Krampus is coming...

Now I have to google “Krampus.”

Got it: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krampus

[Blaise]

1 hour ago, Sshannon said:

Got it

You're welcome...

 

[SteveShannon]

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. 

[axorlov]

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!

[jsneezy]

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
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