Amateur (Ham) Radio BS and Callsign Thread!

The truck is essentially stock. I do have the @mattgecko LED bed lights, but those aren't on when driving. I'm using the kenwood v71a. If it weren't so stinking hot outside, I would go sit in the truck and play with it, but there is no way I'm sitting there with no AC right now.

 

Tried diagnosing it this morning, with the truck off, I still get the RFI. I took a video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v22KcaTRgno

 

I would post this in a HAM forum. That looks like it could be the Radio. Do you need the key on to turn the radio on? If not I don't see how you could be getting that kind of RFI from the truck, with nothing on. Have you tried it away from your house? Maybe something local.

 

I also have the TM-V71a, 3rd gen OR with premium tech package, and I'm able to run the VFO scan just fine. With the truck off, seems like there's no way that could be interfering so it must be something near you or the radio itself.

 

does this only happen when you parked somewhere specific? or everywhere you go?
Does it still happen when truck is on and transmission is shifted into drive?
Is there any time this gets worse or better?

 

Did you add any always-on accessories? Swap the dome lights out for LED? Any electrical changes/additions at all?

 

Finally got my call sign
KM6LDS

 

congrats on the new license. Have you got on the radio yet?

 

Not yet

Working on.my set up

Need a good mobile

 

I have

$40 Baofeng UV-5R Ham Radio Long Range Handheld UV5R Dual Band 3800mAh Rechargeable Two Way Radio Walkie Talkies for Adults with Earpiece,Speaker Mic and Programming Cable Full Kit (Black-1Pack)

Baofeng UV-5R and want to program some good channels for the south cal area

Say Inland Empire, Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego Counties, which is where I usually roam around.

Is there a site I can download those in a way that I can simply upload to my hand held?

I am looking for a way to not have to program each one manually on the laptop or the unit itself.

I know that I as I use this radio, up grade equipment and license, I will add and delete some...

 

Get an FTDI Programming cable and use your laptop and the Free program CHIRP to program it. If you become a member of Repeater Book it allows you to export from your State/County the repeaters in your area. You then import that data to CHIRP which programs your radio. You could always ask for assistance from a local HAM club too. Or seek out your local CERT organization and ask there. I just gave a Familiarization Class last Thursday on using the UV-82(HP) and the UV5R radios. We had a file load of (107) channels we programmed into everyone's radio so all are on the same page radio wise if they are ever needed in an real disaster.

EDIT: I looked up on Repeater Book and there are (28) active VHF 2 meter repeaters in Orange county. You can export the list in a .csv format that CHIRP will import. Once you get all the repeaters you want in your list on CHIRP, save it as a .csv file and as a CHIRP .img file for use later.

 

USB Charging cable for the Charger Base, now we have a way to charge our batteries other than 120 volts AC.

$13 BTECH USB Smart Charger (9-10.8V) Transformer Cable for BaoFeng, BTECH BF-F8HP, UV-82HP, UV-5R, UV-5X3 (CH-5, CH-8, etc. Charger Base Compatible)

https://www.amazon.com/USB-Transfor...X3+(CH-5,+CH-8,+etc.+charger+base+compatible)

FTDI Programming cable

$23 BTECH PC03 FTDI Universal Plug & Play USB Programming Cable, Baofeng, Kenwood Radios - Compatible with UV-5R, BF-F8HP, GMRS-V2, UV-82HP & More - Easy Setup, No Driver Needed

https://www.amazon.com/Authentic-Ge...d=1497755527&sr=1-1&keywords=UV-82+FTDI+cable

CHIRP Free programming Software

http://chirp.danplanet.com/projects/chirp/wiki/Home

 

Like a lot of things that go wrong it was my fault. I figured that it would be good to get the WX notifications while I'm on the road. Turns out that they radio monitors the WX for severe alerts by constantly switching between the ham bands and the wx bands to check things out. I turned off the WX alerts and it behaves like it should. Thanks for all the suggestions though. I'm really happy with the setup, I still have to find a way to bolt down the radio under the seat and also trim the coax to length, but I'm really happy with the performance. To those that have double cabs, how did you screw the radio to the floor without damaging the ductwork? Do I have to pull the seat and peel up the carpet?

 

My plan was to hard mount it to the underside of the seat but I ended up using some heavy duty 3m Velcro on the bracket and just stuck it to the floor. Hasn't moved since

 

Would something like this work?

 

I've got some of that laying around, maybe I'll give that a shot. My concern isn't that it will move around day to day, more that it will in some way become a 3 pound missile if I'm in an accident. Though I will say that I had to work some serious reverse jenga to get the thing in there in the first place.

 

Being new to HAM I would not have guessed that. Thanks for reporting back and glad you are fixed.

 

Yea I thought of that... hasn't moved in a few weeks including some spirited driving. Takes quite a bit of force to move. Had to get it positioned just right so that the seat and its hardware wouldn't hit it when moved. I guess it could come loose in a wreck, but it would still have to get out from under the seat... it also means that the power wire and head wire dont have to be extra long to allow for movement.

Currently I have the mic cable coming out of the radio body and resting in the useless can cupholder.... I want to eventually re route and put a connection in one of the empty switch spots.

Ill try and grab some photos for you.

 

Here are some photos

This one the seat is all the way back... When it's matched about even if just behind the driver seat the adjustment bar hides the radio and coax.



Here is from the back with the seat all the way forward



Mic



What I used to hold it to the carpet




Not perfect but it works...

 

Have the cable for programing, and joined the Repeater book..................

with me running around in multiple counties, I am going to have to add some from each, then monitor, and adjust since no one on here seems to want to chime into what everyone actually uses.