Amateur (Ham) Radio BS and Callsign Thread!

Detachable face and student budget are usually mutually exclusive.

When you speak of aviation band, are you referring to 108 - 137 MHz?

 

Yikes, not what I wanted to hear 118-137 MHz is aviation frequency range

 

Most modified ham gear probably will not work for you, unless maybe if you modify an all mode transceiver, like the shack-in-the-box like the Yaesu 857D.

The reason is that the Airband uses amplitude modulation for voice communications. Most of the transmitters in VHF Ham rigs use FM mode.

 

I see....Sounds like I would be able to only listen then.

 

Yup. I have a Kenwood TM-V71A and I can listen to them. My rig has wide reception: 118-524MHz, 800-1300MHz*

Sometimes its fun to scan around and see what's on the air.

 

Still though, the detachable face for cheap cost seems hard to find

 

If you are on a college budget, I'd go start out with a cheap baofeng HT to test the waters. If you know you want to further pursue ham radio, I'd find a mobile you'd like. And there ya have it, you have an HT and mobile rig. If you decide you don't want to put time into it, oh well, you paid $25 for a HT.

Also, I would recommend looking on QRZ.com or eham.net to look at radio reviews and more abundant in depth material about anything ham radio.

 

Thanks for the tips!

 

http://www.avmap.us/products/terr/geosat_6_aprs-664/introduction

I'm looking into pairing the 710 with this. I know Crom is all set but if other were curious this is apparently a great setup

 

When I was in flight school we had a separate HT that only worked on aviation freqs. There was no regulation as a radio card is no longer needed to fly. Remember what ARROW in pre-flight. They have a very limited range though, but with that, I don't think they're very expensive.

 

I want one that can do both normal ham frequencies as well as aviation frequencies, which seems hard to find because of what was mentioned before.

If I got a handheld radio, could I run it to an antenna mounted on my truck to get better range?

 

N5MUD who posts on ExPo as 1911, reported having one here. Haven't seen him post in over a year...

I think @Chipskip also had an Avmap GPS at one time as well.

 

I do have an Avmap G6 APRS and they are taking feature requests for the G7 do out soon, prototype might be at Daytona. I have mine connected to a D72a HT. I will upgrade to a 710GA someday, but that is a long way off.

 

I have an HT with an external antenna on my truck, but that is radio dependent

 

What model radio do you have?

 

He has an FT-60

Adding an external antenna will increase your range, but you are still limited to 5w from the HT. You could add an amp to boost the signal, but then you are getting pretty close to the price of a mobile rig. HTs are good for in city near repeaters and on the trail with a convoy. They have decent signal LOS and can reach several miles, without obstacles.

 

If you want to go with a nice HT and not a cheap baofeng, yaesu ft60 all day. It will RX AM frequencies, just no transmit.

 

Thanks for the tips, guys. Is it a common practice to add an external antenna onna truck for a handheld? I feel like that would make it real easy to then get a mobile unit later on if I want to.

 

Stepping stones. Yes, spending the money on a decent antenna, cable, and HT now and then later upgrading to a mobile rig is a very common practice. It's what I did, it's what @llibrm is doing right now.

 

Awesome, and will any of these handhelds be able to Rx the aviation bands?