Amateur (Ham) Radio BS and Callsign Thread!

Don't feel bad. My understanding is the Kenwood models do the same thing. The radio blanks out the other receiver while it transmits the packets. At least that's what I've read... Someone can correct me or amend if they feel necessary...

Now onto the subject of digital modes.

One of the cool things about Amateur radio is that you can tinker and build whatever you want within limits. I don't know if we'll ever see homogenization of a digital standard between the big 3 vendors for digital mode. Even though I'm not a D-Star fan, I too agree that Yaesu, should have just gone D-Star to make interoperability work.

My position on the subject is that I hope analog lives forever. I don't care about digital and I have no desire to own a digital radio.

 

Well, i hate to say it, but i am helping analog survive a bit longer..

I am excited to say, i just ordered a Yaesu 7800R, with remote mount kit (and it looks like new) for $185. I know it is slightly older, but it had the price range, and does everything *I* want, so i a excited.

Now, the fun.. where the hell am i going to put this in my truck......

 

Digital voice has been used on HF for some time and in PS radios even longer. DCS is slow to decode and more often than not the repeaters are home built commercial radios (old and no DCS). The one I have running on Mt Cranmore in NH has a mechanical reed to decode the PL. It began its life in 1972 and I rebuilt it to be a repeater in 1996 so you use what you can to put stuff on the air it really has nothing to do with young hams it's all about the money frankly until the Chinese play by the rules they can keep that %@*#$@^ junk in China you do realize any one can buy one and program it for any freq they like? Yeasu graciously has donated a repeater a hand held and a mobile to our W1MWV ARC. As I am the one that takes care of this stuff on more than one mountain I am looking forward to a new modern radio with all the bells and whistles at a price the club can afford, a new Dstar repeater deck is about $1500. Digital is all or nothing it’s either there or it’s not just like a cell phone, with analog you can still pick out most of a poor reception issue with digital you can’t. Don’t get me wrong we have echolink on one of the repeaters and I am more than familiar with digital voice but at this point A they are expensive and B very few people have Dstar or Wires X radios it’s not for nothing Icom is giving clubs bargains and Yeasu is handing out radios. There will all ways be old analog repeaters probably more so here in the north east where the money does not flow as freely don’t forget us old guys gave the youngins repeaters in the first place and the basic design behind cell phones we are not the bottle neck. Both Yeasu and Icom repeaters will pass both digital and analog so some may not be able to fallow the digital conversations until they upgrade but will do fine in the mean time so there really is no reason not to put one on the air.

 

I need someone who is smarter than me to tell me if this product uses a switching power supply? I need a heavy duty +5V USB charging solution that is RF quiet. I'm considering the one linked below...

$10 DROK® DC-DC Buck Converter 12V/24V to 5V 5A/25W Step-Down Voltage Transformer Volt Regulator Power Supply Inverter Module Voltage Drop Transfer Board SR Waterproof for Car Auto Vehicle Motor etc

http://www.amazon.com/DROK-Waterproof-Converter-Regulator-Supply/dp/B00CE75K0W/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t

 

That is either a very compact switching supply or more likely just a voltage requlator chip on a heatsink. Do you know the output current rating? Kind of looks like 10 Amps. If it is just a regulator then the rest of the voltage is burned off as heat. So at 10Amps output and figuring 13VDC input, there has to be 80 watts of heat coming off the little bugger! give it lots of air. If you are only loading it a couple amps then it will be less of a heat hog.

 

Yeah 5 amp at 5 volts it's just a regulator probably nothing more that a 7805 with a heat sink. going the other way 5 to 12 volts is a more complex project and would require a switching supply.

 

So to answer your question Yes, that regulator should introduce no RF noise.

 

Thanks Tim, Bill.

 

Sub'd, possibly interested in getting my license.

 

Got for it - The Tech exam is cake, and will easily cover you for local / short DX communications (great for trips, hiking, etc). And if you like it, you can always get a higher license later.

 

Any recommended reading to get started in this?

Also, would like to keep this pretty inexpensive. Hiking and in the truck.

 

X2

 

Mobile 2m Kenwood TM-281A or Icom ic-v8000
Mobile 2/70 Kenwood TM-V71A
HT BaoFeng HT are cheap and great with an aftermarket antenna

 

Get a radio for your truck that is capable of crossband repeat. That way if you are away from your truck, you can use it as a "booster" to get out to a repeater or another simplex freq.

 

Anyone here from San Antonio Texas area?

 

What is this all about? I see that there is a call sign for the license plate. My cousin saw this in cali.

 

Gridsquare hopping.

 

What is grid square hopping?

 

Some hams in the VHF+ Circles activate gridsquares and mountiantop..

This guy's blog explains it pretty well.
http://kb5wia.blogspot.com/2011/08/cm79-grid-expedition.html

 

Ah.. had fun installing a new (to me) Yaesu 7800R.

I dont know why, but i really, really hate working with batteries. I just know there is enough amps there to kill me in a heartbeat, so it is always unnerving.

But, i did get it wired up (straight to the battery and chassis ground point), ran the power through the firewall port, and "installed" the radio under seat (it is strapped down for now, and i will see if i can actually bolt it down later). To help with audio, i took a speaker from my unused Logitech z5500 speaker system, got it plugged in, and i was off.

The face was mounted using a a sticky cell phone holder arm, and it works great. The hardest part of all this was programming it all by hand (the Yaesu is a GODSEND compared to my Baofeng...).

Its so damn nice having a real radio in my truck now.. love it.