Amateur (Ham) Radio BS and Callsign Thread!

Someone must have been kerchinking the repeater for a half-hour straight and everyone turned off their 2m radios. I've don't that.

But really, some places puzzle me with their large reach and no response repeaters.

 

I did start playing with C4FM(auto AMS) on my Yaesu and caught a couple people talking, it was cool to be able to see callsigns on the screen. Gonna play with it more around home.

If my trek is any indication of 2m/70cm... It's pretty dead out there.
I-40
Day 1: North Carolina->Arkansas
Day 2: Arkansas->Texas
Day 3: Texas->Colorado

I-70
Day 4: Colorado->Missouri
Day 5: Missouri->North Carolina

 

the 5100 is an older radio i think maybe 7 or 8 years old however... that being said. it is still an awesome radio to have!! i ended up purchasing the Yaesu FTM-300 and with the new firmware update it has been running flawlessly! i know more then several local HAMS that either have the 5100 as a base station or mobile rig. the touch screen is huge, not color but it is easy to see and finger the buttons. yes that just happened... 50 watt power. D-Star digital mode if that is what you want/need, and a form of APRS i believe. someone else will have to chime in because i am not well versed on the DPRS which is what ICOM 5100 offers. since this radio has been out for so long it is at a reasonable price. the only real downside i have heard is if the screen is left in a hot vehicle it can be hard to see.

 

Passed the test and upgraded to general on Saturday! Might even be able to slide some of my tax return to an HF radio...

 

Used hamstudy.org for my Tech, for my General I broke down and bought the ARRL book.

Played around with APRS on my FT3D again, got SMSGTE dialed in.

Wanting to start practicing CW again. QRP is calling my name

 

I pre-ordered the QCX Mini from QRP Labs. Looking forward to getting that built. I'll likely buy their QSX if/when it gets finished.

 

I love the FTM 400 DR - Do you know if it can be modded for FRS / GMRS?

 

Oh man that's sweet! I'm primarily looking to do SOTA. (Living in an apartment sucks for ham radio)

 

Lookup MARS mod

 

Yes it sure can. I moded my FTM-300 too. You would need to remove one transistor after taking the top of the radios main body off. Just Google sear "FTM-400 MARs/CAP Mod"

 

I urge you not to do this. There is a reason the radios are limited to the amateur allocation. Often the filters have roll off outside the specified frequency allocation. Getting outside the filter design can cause the PA final to work harder. It might get spurious, produce IM's, or it might even burn up.

On top of all that, it's illegal. We should be good stewards of our RF privileges.

 

If there is an emergency situation and a few spurious RF emissions are the only price to pay then I will gladly pay them. Just because the radio is capable of doing it doe not mean it is being done. All of my radios have the Mars/Cap mod and do you know how many times I have TX on GMRS or FRS??? ZERO.
You are correct we should all be respectful operators and not break the FCC rules. There is no rule that says you can not mod your radio. Just not allowed to transmit.

 

The best thing I've heard said about the Mars mod, which I believe also opens the Ftm-400 to transmit on aviation freqs as well, is if you can't do it then there's no way to accidentally do it.

Yes yes I know there's the "I am the safety" people.....

I've gone back and forth on it but I always have a baofeng with me as well.. If I want to transmit illegally with a non-accepted radio

 

i can understand unlocking a Unit, you will just burn up the radio if you transmit. SWR would not be ideal.... I wouldnt sacrifice a radio like that just to TX somewhere else. Get a freeband radio for that mess.

 

All of these radios are designed to TX in the channels that are opened by the mod. In other countries it is allowed just not US. This picture is a Yaesu document for the FTM-300. Note the strictly confidential lol.

 

I don't believe the MARS/CAP airband statement to be true. I know it gains access to MURS in the 150-151 MHz range, but can't definitively say how low it would go down in the VHF band.

 

Yea, I'm not 100% on that but figured I'd mention it as I'd imagine there's more risk involved transmitting there.

 

Yeah, regardless of capability, I'm not keying up on airband. That's a great way to have EVERY letter agency crawl up inside you with their shoes on.

 

Airband is AM anyway. Transmitting there will do you no good. Sure wish the FTM-400 would listen there though. My Kenwood does.

 

Also, if it's an emergency, cell phone doesn't work, and I can't self-rescue, I doubt I'll be able to reach a kid on a walkie talkie (FRS), and I could be wrong, but I think the HAM crowd has much better coverage than GMRS. I don't see the point. Getting an airband handheld for $200 and transmitting on guard would stir up a big hornet's next of airline traffic if you really need help. There are probably ten airliners that can hear you at any given moment no matter where you are. Like... free emergency repeaters.