Amateur (Ham) Radio BS and Callsign Thread!

I don’t know if you can do that automatically. I know mine just sends the frequency as text when I’m on the repeater but I don’t know if it sends the rest as data and would tune everything if someone with another 710 selected the tune option.

 

So I played around with it some more and got it to work exactly as I wanted (showing frequency and tone/shift info automatically). You use status text 5 and leave it completely blank. Then you just have to turn the tx rate to anything other than off. I believe the different values determine how often the status text is included with your beacon. I went with 1/1. Thank you so much for your help!

 

Just got back from picking up the TM-V71A + a 770 and I can say with utmost certainty that this is an expensive hobby. But I'm excited to have an actual radio. Going to see about mounting it temporarily on Sunday.

 

Just beginning to look into ham. How efficient are magnetic roof-mounted antennas like this?: https://www.amazon.com/Tram-1185-Amateur-Dual-Band-Antenna/dp/B0045EQUBK

 

Mine works well for me. I haven't scientifically tested it with any meters or anything, just used it.
I've used it with a baofeng ht and now a tyt9800. RX and TX are both good.

 

I've used that antenna before and it worked really well.

 

Extremely. The mag mount vs thru the center of roof, the loss with mag mount is -0.02dB. In other words the loss is so small you'd have to probably own $5K in scientific equipment to even measure that accurately. I have that Tram in my collection, and it works awesome.

 

Great! Is yours the same height? It looks like the Tram on Amazon measures 23" tall.

 

Yeah I'd say Amazon listing for height is right.

 

I have the roof mounted version, it's a good working antenna for sure.

 

How did you make that work? With a blank status 5 selected and 1/1 transmit rate mine just transmits the plain frequency for the repeater programmed in VFO B.

 

There’s another menu option in the APRS menus, maybe called something like “QSY”? In that menu make sure all three suboptions are turned on. That’s all I can think of. Sorry I can’t give you the exact menu name or number right now, I’ve been drinking and I’m away from my truck too.

 

How would an antenna mounted at the hood like this compare to the mag mount on the roof? (Anyone know what this model might be?)

 

That looks a lot like the comet ss-680sb nmo antenna that I’m using. I have mine located in basically the same place as the photo too.

 

As an update to my response the other night, the menu I was talking about it menu 632 “QSY (FREQUENCY)”. Try turning all three of those sub options on. See attached screen shot for how my status looks on aprs.fi

 

Awesome, thanks.

 

Ok so complete Newb here and needing a HAM for dummies crash course. I am not looking at getting into this as complex as I see some of you are. I need some advice on decent radios that are not super expensive as well as the supporting hardware. I understand about the license and everything. I get really confused when I look at kenwood and yasaus and others websites and see radios that seem no more complex than a CB all the way to ones with crazy amounts of buttons and knobs. If someone could explain the differences in these etc. Thanks guys

 

$16 Technician Class 2014-18 FCC Element 2 Radio License Preparation

Gordon West Tech book. Used for $16 on Amazon. Study for about two weeks, and then take practice tests until you can average 90%. There are some free apps for doing that. Then find a testing date in your area.


The Boefang radio is a cheap and easy to use handheld radio to get you into it and communicate well.

 

I used a couple resources to study for my Tech license.
KB6NU's No Nonsense Tech Study Guide to study for the test. The information is current unless its changed since November.
and
hamexam.org as a practice exam. The questions are current unless they have changed since November.

Both are free. I did it for about an hour a night until I could comfortably pass the practice tests like @Chipskip said. Signed myself up for an exam session, studied the night before one last time and took my test.

 

These guides will work until June 2018. Found out today that they are changing the questions come June 2018.