Amateur (Ham) Radio BS and Callsign Thread!

Looking at that Mobilinkd thing - looks pretty cool .... But I'm on an iPhone....

With that though wouldn't you no longer need the 100dr and be better with a dual receive radio?

 

The Yaesu 100dr and the 400xdr both have the APRS modem built in. No need for and external TNC. If the need for a true dual rx/tx radio is there go with the 400xdr. If you go with the Kenwood, it is a great radio don't get me wrong, you still need to get a TNC for APRS use and you are right up in the price range of the 400xdr.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CPNED9yaN-k" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

400xdr is a really nice radio. Nothing wrong with that radio at all.
For those new to the hobby or haven't experienced the joy of a dual band radio.
Dual receive is means you can dual RECEIVE. If both VFOs are tuned to 2 meters, and you transmit on 1 side, the receive on the other side is cutoff. If your VFOs are tuned to different bands this is not the case. And of course you can only transmit on 1 band at a time, you can't teansmit and 2 bands simultaneously.

 

So..... back in 2009 the Sheriff's Department where I work offered free license testing for officers who have studied and wanted to get their license. On a whim on I decided to go take the test with no real knowledge of anything to do with amature radio. I ace'd the test and had an interest getting into it, but never pursued any farther than that.

Where should I start for a truck radio? Something not too expensive, but something that can get me going.

Thanks guys!

KF7EVU

 

If you just want 2 meters checkout the Yaesu Ft-2900R, Kenwood TM-271a. Alinco and Icom also mmake 2 meter mobile radios but I've never liked Alinco. I had an Icom 2100h a few years back, I liked it a lot and I hope whomever stold it out of my car liked it too. The 2300h is the current model Icom makes for 2 meters but I have not tried it out.

If you want 2 meter/70cm dual band Yaesu FT-8900r, Kenwood Tm-v71a are great radios. The Yasesu FTM-400xdr is a Cadillac of Dual band radios.
The 8900r is a quad band radio that replaced th FT-8800r dual band radio which is discontinued, but a lot of them still on the market. With the 8900r you get 6 meters and 10 meters but those bands leave a lot to be desired in FM mode.
There also some other radios referred to as Asian Imports or they are rebranded under different names. They cost a lot less than some of the radios I mentioned. A few folks will tell you that they are better than the rest. Without going into too much detail I will tell you from my experience on operating a few,
1) Sub par audio quality on Tx and Rx
2) Lacking features of the other radios
3) High rate of DOA
4) don't last very long ( display burns out, squelch stays open, stops working altogether)
5) Not easy to program without connecting to computer and sometimes that doesn't work to well.
6) Handhelds come with a very poor stock antenna

 

I second what Jim says. I have a couple of the cheap import handhelds that are OK but I would add to the list that the transmit can be a bit wider than it should and they are usually a ginormous pain in the butt to program. This tends to be a deterrent to newer hams as they think that all radios are this way. The mainline radios (Kenwood, Yaesu, ICOM, and Alinco) are usually MUCH easier to program.

 

What are you all running antenna wise? I was thinking of drilling roof of truck for an NMO mount but still undecided on Antenna.

Turns out a guy I have known for a few years from Fly Fishing is a big HAM guy and has this (Also how I realized he was a HAM guy)
http://www.hiqantennas.com/

 

Have not posted in here in a a long time.

I see the FTM100DR mentioned in several posts.

I've owned the radio since May 24, 2016, modded it when it was two days old! I also own the Kenwood TM-V71a since 2013.

I'll briefly compare the two.

TM-V71A radio is dated, but is an excellent, flexible, well mannered tool for the job. Dual receive, tone decode, reverse function, programmable profiles, overall easier to use, own and operate. The mic is much more friendlier with large easy to press buttons.

The FTM100DR radio has a nice big super bright screen, but no auto dim feature for night operation, has a GPS receiver, can pulse GPS location out the data port for input to something, like a computer, or location aware radio scanner. It has an integrated APRS modem. It can pulse out APRS data packets, or waypoints, to be plotted on a computer with software like UI-VEW32 (super dated!).

The Yaesu mic (vertex std) sucked and had to be modded right out the gate, post mod it is okay, but the biggest gripe I have with it is the microscopic numeric buttons... Why so small?

The analog audio on the Yaesu sounds extremely clean, very impressed with that. I've listened to the Yaesu digital audio in data/audio mode and it sounds slightly robotic, better than the iCOM digital stuff though. Never got a chance to try full digital voice.

One drawback to using the data port on the radio while pulsing data out the data port, is that it produces a slight audible noise in the speaker. Reported to Yaesu tech support, said not surprised / did not care.

I've had the Yaesu remote head "lock up" while quickly traveling through some menus during operation. Searching around found one report in a review on one of the ham sites.

Reported issue to Yaesu tech support, they could not care less, demoralized tech support in California told me everything must go through Japan for anything to happen as far as fixes/enhancements. Yaesu has released one FW update since I've owned the radio, sadly, they decline to list what they are changing in the radio, instead just list one generic statement "Improved and optimized", which is complete B.S. Tell us what you're fixing!

Yaesu comes from Japan, and I think they come from a different place. A paranoid place, perhaps. In order for firmware updates to happen, you have to move dip switches on the radio body, and the remote head. This seems like an unnecessary burden to me. The Kenwood radio doesn't care, and if you connect the serial cable, you can flash it, but that's somewhat moot since radio has not seen update since 2011!

For those of you considering FTM100DR for APRS, it works great for that! But because single receive, consider ONLY using it for that purpose, and use a different radio for voice. Dual watch and APRS don't mix well. Dual watch works fine for monitoring two diff voice feqs though.

I have tried to figure out a way to have the FTM100DR in APRS mode send data to my 10.1" Android tablet for plotting on APRSDroid. I have not succeeded and gave up early last year. The reason is because the radio has a serial interface. There are Bluetooth to serial adapters, but they are EXPENSIVE and UNRELIABLE, and I'm not 100% it will work.

I have been successful in having the radio pulse data out to laptop computer running UIVIEW32, and it is neat, it does work, but i'll be honest, not gonna drive a round with a laptop computer. Don't wanna buy a windows tablet either, seen that work somewhere...

The other radio features I previously mentioned: tone decode, reverse

Tone decode is big in my book. I travel to remote places, and with the Kenwood, I can hear a transmitting station and tell the radio to search for the subaudible tone. It finds it if there is one, quickly store it and if simplex I can talk to that group, or use it on the repeater input and get in on remote system without having to consult a directory. It's nice! I've decoded a few GMRS repeaters this way.

The reverse function on Kenwood is nice too, good for listening on repeater input to see if a transmitting station is within simplex range. Works great!

Neither of those features are present on the Yaesu. For good measure, I requested them over a year ago.

One other limitation with the Yaesu is that it does not support different types of sub audible tones on repeater input / output. It's either all CTCSS or DCS, you can't mix and match while stored in a memory. I've never ran into a system like that, but if I did the Yaesu wont work. Kenwood is flexible and would work in that scenario.

The Kenwood TM-V71a has done everything I have ever asked of it, I've explored all of its features, Including remote operation using HT, cross band repeat, etc. The only limitation on that radio is the morse ID while full cross band repeating. If activated the feature will TX morse ID on both sides of the radio! So if you want to cross band repeat that big bad repater network into your home or whaterver, forget using the ID feature, you'll just annoy the repeater users. I talked to Kenwood suport about that numerous times. Asked to have update/control. There is a work around if morse ID is absolutely required but it's complicated, and involves cross band repeating one way only.

At Kenwood all radio feature requests enhancements have to go through the marketing department. SO your requests are basically DOA, hey at least they tell you.

One of the most useful features on TM-V71a that it supports "programmable memories"--Five of them. It's a stupid name for the feature. They should have called it "Profiles" because that's what they are. I have one profile for day OPs, and one for night OPs, Another for GMRS monitoring, Air band, etc. Push a button and change modes! Nice!

EDIT: Physical data connections for programming or data ops, Kendwood = 6-min minidin, a standard! Yaesu = 10-pin minidin-proprietary

In summary I realize that the radios are really apples and oranges, just wanted to share my opinion and experience.

Bottom line IMO, is TM-V71A is a much more flexible tool when it comes to two-way radio hobby.

Feel free to rip my post apart, or not, IDGAF just trying to help.

 

Wow! That is exactly the review I was looking for. Thank you.

From your review sounds like the V71 is the way to go for mostly radio usage, and then set it up with an external APRS/GPS program if you want it... or just bump up to the 710

Its too bad the 100DR isnt dual band... I really dont want a touch screen like the 400

Time to start pinching pennies....

 

@Crom

Are you familiar with or have any experiences with the Mobilnkd BlueTooth TNC and their supporting APP? The way I see it as I'm trying to finally put APRS into my junk. Is that the User Interface from the APP when paired with my GPS enabled Tablet will be more intuitive and will make it easier to use what APRS has to offer. I think the ultimate combo would be the 100DR or the V71 paired with the Mobilnkd TNC.

 

I have been running a roof mounted antenna since mid 2009 with zero problems with either a 19" 1/4 wave or a 49" 5/8 wave antenna depending on the terrain or region.

antenna mount and style that's needed:

$24 Browning WSPBR1015 Enclosed Nmo 3/4 Hole Mount,Black

https://www.amazon.com/Browning-WSP...UTF8&qid=1486770497&sr=1-2&keywords=nmo+mount

1/4 wave antenna

$28 Larsen - 450-470 MHz NMO 1/4 Wave Antenna

https://www.amazon.com/Larsen-450-4...86770457&sr=1-3-fkmr0&keywords=144mz+1/4+wave

5/8 wave antenna

$53 Larsen 144-174 MHz NMO Field Tunable Antenna - Chrome

https://www.amazon.com/Larsen-144-174-Field-Tunable-Antenna/dp/B007JSDJZO

 

I have dual band radio and run Larsen NMO 2/70b. It's 1/2ƛ on 2M and 5/8ƛ x2 on 440. Outstanding antenna!

Anything Pulse/Larsen is going to be great quality.

welcome. yeah, you got it.

There is a path using TM-V71A + Mobilinkd + APRSDroid + data cable, see over here

I have not found a way to do it with the FTM100DR and Android tablet without a serial to Bluetooth adapter. I will look at this again to see if I've overlooked something, but for now I don't see a way.

I do occasionally use APRSDroid using internet, and it works very well.

 

may need one of these for the bluetooth

http://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-011613

 

Thanks for looking out.

That piece of hardware is for handsfree operation of radio, like a headset. While it is Bluetooth, it's limited in what can do unfortunately. It would have been bitchin if it could do more, yaesu would have to redesign, I think.

I'm thinking I need a Bluetooth to serial adapter, which supports SPP.

https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/bluetooth-basics/bluetooth-profiles

Example

http://www.usconverters.com/serial-bluetooth-adapter

 

looking for input and discussion on radio frequencies to monitor while inside Death Valley
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/death-valley-radio-frequencies.474906/

 

Okay looked at the ftm100DR again with purpose of integrating with APRSDroid.

The radio ships with a data cable that yaesu provides in the box. It's a proprietary 10-pin mini-din to USB! A Windows computer recognizes the cable as a serial port because the cable has in integrated USB to serial controller. Cable not helpful for Android tablet, I will note that USB to micro USB cables exist, but that doesn't mean it going to work.

So going the old school serial route...

Yaesu does make a 10-mini din to db9 serial cable for $50

Yaesu part number Ct-165

That combined with a rs232 serial to Bluetooth device $70

https://www.iogear.com/product/GBC232A

Should work.

So as you can see, kind of expensive; a kludge

 

https://store.mobilinkd.com/collections/tnc-cables/products/minidin-6-tnc-connector


https://store.mobilinkd.com/collections/tnc-cables

 

This seems like something fun, Search and Rescue Training with the 4x4ham.com peeps March 11th. Freemont Peak, Ca.

http://www.4x4ham.com/showthread.php?8720-Search-and-Rescue-Drill

https://www.meetup.com/LandOps/events/236835543/

 

Hey all!

K7DNS here checking in. I just got my Yaesu FT-7900 installed recently and am enjoying the Seattle chatter... Any other ham's in the Seattle area on here?

 

@Crom

I bet you would find the cable combo that you need here.
http://www.ebay.com/usr/hammadeparts