Amateur (Ham) Radio BS and Callsign Thread!

My Ed Fong antennas have typically come with a swr graph. Did you keep the packing material? Also, Ed is very helpful, when I had a question he asked for my number and called me back to explain the answer.

 

all of my Baofeng/Wouxun HTs always had receive problems with aftermarket antennas. Was never impressed with them... always ended up giving the HTs away and ended with one of the 3. Kenwood, Yaesu, Icom.

 

Anyone have a suggestion for a low pro antenna on 2m and 75cm that I can use around town and then when I’m out and not under heavy foliage put my longer antenna on?

Also I know I’ll be sacrificing range but this would primarily be used during simplex transmit where I’m within line of sight of someone. If we separate and go on our own trail or scout ahead id put my 48” back on

 

The more googling I do, the more this seems to be a known issue. I just gotta get a base radio asap.

 

I've already talked to Ed on the phone about a mounting question I had, super helpful. He didn't include any SWR info in the package, but it is on the website. I don't think his antenna is the issue, I'm betting its the cheap radio.

 

I know when I took the course, one night we had the "Baofeng talk" ... They definitely aren't well respected.

 

Yeah I don't think I'd hook mine up to anything other than a Nagoya antenna

 

Only thing ive kept of the China HTs was my Signal Stick Antenna. https://signalstuff.com/

 

Imagine that

Buys a cheap radio


Finds out no one respected said cheap radio.......

Full disclosure
I have one
Use it for the field sonic I drop it, get it wet or lose it......not as painful.

 

Hey all.
Call sign: KB1GOK

Have had my Tech for a long time (late 90s) but still a noob. Have a FT-70D HT, looking to install a dual band mobile. Not sure what radio (maybe

$346 IC-2730a Dual Band VHF/UHF 50W Mobile Radio

IC-2730a) or antenna/antenna mount. Really not keen on a hole in the roof of a brand new truck, and have a Bakflip MX4 tonneau cover which makes a bed stiffener mount a no go. Like the idea of the Victory 4x4 hood mount, which I guess would be okay, if I keep the TX wattage down. Open to ideas.

 

I think if I was to not drill a hole in the roof of my new Tacoma (which I gladly did), I would have put some polyester tape down then put a mag mount in the middle of my roof. The tape won't get dirt under it and scratch like a mag mount will.

 

They work well if you don't have high expectations. With a Nagoya whip on top, they do quite well for shorter range comms even with terrain in the way, and the ability to operate on HAM for trail use with other 4x4 hams and also desert race frequencies (VHF Biz band) make it a handy asset to have in the truck.

Works well for me as a stand alone APRS transciever as well paired with my tablet running APRSDroid.

 

Ah you're braver then I (at least right now ). Have a sunroof too, so would have to figure out hole placement if I went that way. /shudder

 

This is the internet, someone has almost always done it before you.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/clean-vhf-cb-radio-installs.415584/page-61#post-20685971

 

Looks good. Thanks for that, like the SBB-1 also.

 

Every time it would look like I would be able to devote some time to studying for the test, my work schedule would change. I finally decided I would wait the few months until I retired and then start studying. Well retirement came around and so did the time to study. I was ready to take the test a couple months ago and everything got shutdown on me. So while waiting to have everything open back up I decided to go ahead and get my radio installed. So for the past couple weeks I've had the radio installed and I've been using it as a scanner. I checked again tonight and it looks like some test sites are back up and running so now I've got to get busy studying again.

Thought I would go ahead and leave these here. . .

 

Nice. Good luck with the test

 

I am now KJ7LVZ/AG

 

Just passed my test...I took it in the VE's backyard...social distancing, masks, and all.

Starting off with a dual band DMR HT and an OpenSpot3. Then going from there with a mobile.