Amateur (Ham) Radio BS and Callsign Thread!

I just recently got my HAM license. Took both the tech and general in one go and passed! I spent about 1 month studying for it. I haven’t had the chance to go to any of my local HAM clubs.


I’m a complete noob to the HAM world. The only equipment I have so far is a

$19 BaoFeng UV-5R VHF/UHF Dual Band Radio 144-148MHz 420-450MHz Transceiver

BaoFeng UV-5R with the Nagoya

$21 NA-771 15.6" Whip VHF/UHF (144/430Mhz) Antenna SMA-Female for BTECH and BaoFeng Radios

NA-771 antenna. I want to install a mobile station in my 3rd gen but have no idea where to start. I’ve been going through many of the threads on this forum, but I still feel like I do not have a good grasp of the knowledge to make my own setup.


I want to see if anyone can point me in the direction of finding a good mobile radio. I’m the type that is buy once, cry once. I have already decided that I will mount the antenna at the rear of the bed driver side using a Rago mount. My main use will be more in the event of an emergency where I will try to contact family members 50+ miles away.


I also wanted to monitor public safety but to my knowledge, most of SoCal PD’s (San Bernardino Co, Orange Co. and Los Angeles Co.) have all gone to the P25 trunking system and are encrypted. Not too sure if it is worth the cost to purchase a scanner since it will mainly be inactive.


Thank you guys for your time!

KN6DZB

 

What all bands are you wanting to be mobile with? If just 2/70 then I really like my icom2730. 50 miles is asking a lot of an antenna with limited/no ground plane.

 

I am currently doing the same thing in my 3rd gen Getting an Icom IC-7000 from a club member, because it's no longer produced, and it's capable of 2M sideband for A.R.E.S. Before that I was looking at the Yaesu FT-891 because of it's small size and 100W HF only all modes. Other radios have a large radio unit or the head unit is ridiculous. I already have the Yaesu FTM-400 for VHF/UHF with APRS.

The Rago mount is not sturdy enough for a HF antenna. It will wiggle around and break under the weight of a simple HamStick. Anything larger than a 4ft Firestick CB antenna is too much. Either go with HamSticks for each band you wish to use, or a screwdriver antenna that can adjust manually or with a tuner. Im looking at the Little Tarheel HP weighing 2lbs, and a Breedlove stakehole mount under the edge of my Softopper.

When you come up with a solution for your install please feel free to post it. This is just what I'm currently looking at.

 

I have mine mounted on a power tilt mount...makes it easy for garage...full writeup in build thread...shown semi retracted.

 

Is your family licensed? You won't be able to talk to them unless they are also licensed. You definitely won't make 50 miles on VHF/UHF simplex. You might cover that distance with repeaters, I don't know what repeater coverage is like in your area. If you want to talk with unlicensed family, you might consider GMRS. If there is a GMRS repeater in your area with coverage that meets your needs.

You can cover 50 miles with NVIS relatively reliably. That's going to be on 80m band which is damn difficult (not impossible) to be effective while mobile. Requires your family to be general class or higher though.

Most people start with a 2m/70cm mobile. I recommend the TM-V71A or the TM-D710G if your budget permits. Even if you never use APRS, the larger screen of the TM-D710G displays more information, that makes it easier to use then the TM-V71A. The FTM-400 is probably a decent option if you're interested in Yaesu Fusion mode.

I'd consider a drilled NMO mount on the cab. Dual band 1/4 wave are often lower then the factory FM stereo antenna tip. The ground plane of the cab roof will give better performance.

My second gen was a simple install. Power tap was easy from the main power at the fuse box under the hood. I cut the grommet near the e-brake pedal to pass the main power wire into the cab. I used a fuse tap on the cigarette lighter power fuse in the cab to trigger an automotive relay, so the radio powers up and down with the key. DC ground the RF deck as close as possible to it's mount location. I mounted the deck behind the passenger seat of my DCLB.

Two way radios make terrible scanners. If you enjoy listening, get a scanner dedicated to that task. Even if police is encrypted, it's still interesting to listen to fire and other services. If your local services are conventional, a basic inexpensive scanner will do well. If you want to monitor trunking, I recommend the Uniden SDS100 or SDS200.

Ham is not an acronym. Don't use all upper. Welcome to the hobby, it's lots of fun!

 

I forgot to check that out at the meet. Drats

 

Man I wish I went with the D710. Live and learn. Not disappointed wih my tm-v71a at all though

 

have questions about mobile amateur radio OPs

http://www.k0bg.com/

 

So.

Whats everyone's thoughts on the Ic-705...


Was going to get a 7100 for a mobile/portable. But I might drag my toes now.

 

Hard pass on the 705.

How do you mount it in a car?
QRP = nope.

 

No more difficult than any other mobile hf rig. Just use a ram mount most likely.

 

My family is unlicensed, I would probably only broadcast to let them know that I'm okay. Once I get up and running, I will do some practice run so they get used to having a radio ear, but I pound it into them that it is strictly for listening only. I'm constantly on the road so I figured it would be a peace of mind for them. I'm in SoCal, so I know there are a few good working repeaters in the area. I just have to figure out which ones I can utilize. I've been seeing a lot of people using APRS, but I have to do some more research to see if it would be something I would use.

I really would prefer to not drill into the cab if there is alternative way. I understand that its the best location and will give me the best signal, but I'm not comfortable drilling the roof. Plus I also have a moon roof that I use quite often. I think Meso Customs made a 3rd gen 3rd brake light that had the option of adding a NMO mount.

Thanks for correcting me! I'm really excited to get into this. I've been wanting to get my ham licenses for since college, so I'm glad I finally pulled the trigger and got licensed.

I will definitely let everyone know what I end up going with. I think I may wait until Black Friday to see if I score a good deal. Hopefully by then, I would have finished all my research and figure out which route I want to go. I think I may be sticking to 2M/70CM. I would love to run HF but it sounds like more work than I can bite. I have a Diamondback cover, so I dont think I can use the Breedlove stakehole mount.

Thank you. I will definitely take a read at this.

 

Yeah. I know. Everyone hates nitpickers.... But broadcasting is prohibited on amateur frequencies unless it's an emergency, per 97.113.

Just text them....

Edit: or send your traffic in CW as code practice :^)

 

I find it interesting, I don't think I want one though. I think using the Icom portable battery was a huge fail. Especially given Icom's track record with standby current draw. That battery will be more worthless then the OEM battery in the FT-817. The IC-705 is too heavy for the trail, and I'd be afraid to throw it in my pack with that big screen anyways. It's twice as big as the KX3. Same height and width, but double the depth. I currently have an IC-7000 and an IC-7300. I've run both from a bioenno battery, and I can dial either one back to 10w if I need to conserve power. I'm not sure this rig has enough of an advantage over either of those. The only advantage is that it can go in a backpack, but I'd be afraid to put it in one.

It's too big for the trail, and probably too power hungry for extensive battery operations. It might end up being a miss on the market. I think it will come down to amp draw and the final price. If they release a companion 100w PA, and the combination cost is around $1,500-ish, it might be a compelling option to the IC-7300 as a base rig that you could also carry.

I've wanted to buy a KX2 for a while, and the release of this IC-705 has not changed that desire.

 

This is technically an illegal use of the amateur radio allocation. It's a two way service with other licensed amateurs. You should really consider a GMRS license, as I think that fits your mission well. Keep working with amateur radio license as well. I know lots of people that have both licenses. You can use your amateur radio license to learn about radio, and use that knowledge to create an effective communication plan with your family on GMRS.

I know lots of people are afraid to drill that NMO. You have a legit concern with the moon roof. If you think you can clear the moon roof mechanisms, then let me put all other concerns at rest. A drilled NMO is absolutely the best possible mounting solution. It's much less damage then a mag mount. The coax is already in the cab, no need to sneak it in through doors or grommets. I have never seen one leak. NEVER. I sold my last three cars with drilled NMO's that were filled with a replacement rubber plug. Buyers never batted an eye or even asked a question about them. They assumed it was OEM, or a satellite antenna or something. If you don't want to use a rubber plug, throw a shark fin on it or something.

I'm not sure the Meso brakelight NMO is a great solution, sinces it's plastic. That's my concern. With it at the aft edge of the cab, you're losing ground plane to the rear. This assumes that you end up with a good electrical connection to the body when you're done.

Think of it this way. The Toyota engineers were all sitting around thinking about the best way to mount the satellite antenna, and look what they came up with. They drilled a hole in the roof and installed the shark fin. Don't fight the engineers at Toyota, and do it right! lol

 

I wouldn't say "Technically illegal". Its not illegal to listen to ham radio traffic when not licensed (Slim_Shadowz family). Lots of people suggest getting a radio and listening while learning or before taking your exams. But still not illegal for them to listen in or have a radio on.

Its also not illegal to broadcast updates or random traffic (Slim_Shadowz letting his family know everything is A-O-K) without the intent of responding to anyone else on that channel. You are not required to respond to anyone.

If you want a great way for your family to track you and your updates look into ARPS and transmit GPS data then give them the information to track you. You can have that running in your vehicle any time its on and they can track you moving around and stuff.

Edit: Also I am not advocating he do the one way transmits, especially not on a repeater. You would tie it up for people legitimately communicating with each other. Simplex would be the only thing I would do this type of one way updates on but then you are limited on range.

 

Might be pretty hard to make voice contacts on HF with a QRP rig. Digital modes would be good though. Be good on VHf for hill-toping though. Could also add a amp and make it a full power rig.

Oh and hard pass for me.


Another edit. Also be good for CW.

 

So glad you're learning cw with me Murph. Haha

 

Uhhhh yeah. About that.

 

I’m looking at full power to get my voice out. Lol