Slick Rock July 8th, 9th, 10th!! (Dates changed!)

Best quotes of the weekend...

Jeepers behind us at the staircase "Man, you only see this shit on YouTube"

On phone with my wife on drive home when I told her there was some breakage, but none from me "You weren't bring a pussy were you?!?"

When Nick was telling ranger they should impound a rig so they can drive the trail "that one has expired tags" (pointing to Nicks rig)

 

Regarding those little hand-held ham radios ...

I've been a CB guy for 20 years, and its always worked very well to
communicate with the other (nearby) rigs in a group of wheelers.
Distance and hills are a problem, though.

So this intrigues me, and I have some dumb questions:
Do you need a ham license to operate one of those?
Do they transmit/receive for longer distances?
Do they communicate directly to local radios without a repeater?
Are they basically like a walkie-talkie, but with selectable frequencies?

 

Thay are Ham. so that should answer all those ?s

 

Do you need a ham license to operate one of those? Yes, but a lot of us use them with out. The license is very easy to get.
Do they transmit/receive for longer distances? yes, they transmit with a lot more power.
Do they communicate directly to local radios without a repeater? Yes
Are they basically like a walkie-talkie, but with selectable frequencies? Yes but better.

One way to think about ham vs CB is Ham is like FM radio where CB is like AM radio.

 

What sucks about CBs is that no matter how well your setup is, you are only as good as the worst setup.
The little radios operate in a frequency range that requires a ham license to operate. In comparison to CBs, The frequencies at which they operate allow for short antennas and are less suseptible to the environment around them.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/ham-cram-study-exam-session-july-16th-fremont.439010/

 

I just put this up -

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/gold-lakes-mountain-biking-wheeling-july-29-30-31st.440704/

 

I will put a ham post up soon with my cheap setup. Nick mentioned we should do a meet for install for those that liked my front speaker yaesu 3100 2 meter onboard. Will throw all the info on getting licensed also, few options. I honestly feel that as long as someone is, and we are using the overland channel. There shouldn't be any issues from the ham police.

 

Wow, nice pics Jeremy! Going to steal a bunch later tonight.

 

I lol'd at this because CBs actually do use AM mode to send their signals whereas UHF and VHF amateur radios use FM. Ironically though, frequency bandwidth is identical between UHF and VHF so there's no noticeable quality difference but UHF has so many more channels over VHF, but VHF is more common due to older equipment available and slightly better propagation over longer distances and more commonly higher power outputs.

Another thing that's great with higher power output is that you can actually bounce off stuff. For example if the Monolith Builders left one of those things on top of a mountain, you could bounce off of it and get a transmission to someone without LOS(line of sight)

 

While technically illegal to be broadcasting without a station ID, fox hunters (the term for people who chase down rogue transmitting stations) generally only go after people who are blatantly f'ing things up for licensed users on established repeater channels or causing disruptive interference for others. The main concern is that if repeater Nets that are reserved for use by ARES/RACES are disrupted during times of emergency.

But yea, out in the backcountry it's difficult, if at all possible, to enforce since the transmitters are mobile. It's also very unlikely anyone is listening in if I am broadcasting full power in the middle of a valley. However, this changes if I'm on top of a peak where my 50W can hit over 150 miles away.

Lesson here is, don't be a dick on the top of the mountain.

 

You can always transmit on a walkie talkie frequency, but you'll still violate the power output limit for those frequencies.

 

Actually, UHF and VHF are not the same, for our usage we get more milage out of the lower band VHF, UHF is more useful in urban areas and within buildings. 2 meter gave me crystal clear communication from Alpine Lake to the staircase this weekend, that is a pretty nice distance. but that is because it is diffracting over it and not trying to penetrate or go around. While I am sure 70cm may have also performed very well (not sure if it would have handled the distances needed for the done broken axles), you are now talking about more expensive setups and possibly the need for some mobile cross-band repeater units. Everyone here just using it for wilderness coms will be more than happy with a cheaper 2 meter setup. Personally I turn it off once I am no longer in a caravan and don't plan on using it at home because I have a very nice cell phone.

 

I think Mike is a "fox hunter"

And I used to use the Baofengs as illegal FRS, but its hard to use once someone has a mobile ham. The baofengs are pretty easy to setup for FRS once you watch the youtube video.

 

Who lost a driveshaft? Ouch.

 

Only shit that interferes with FAA frequencies. Other than that, IJDGAF.

 

Still goinna call you the fox hunter now.

 

On a recent trip with @CalTacoma09 and @tyfoon11 , we used a PMRS frequency for which I am the license holder (have a GMRS license, too). Programmed a set of channels on the BaoFengs with DCS (Digital-Coded Squelch) for blessedly noise-free and essentially private comms over a very respectable distance. With the programming cable and CHIRP software, it is super easy to set up. Happy to help anyone who'd like their radio programmed. This is the basic set of frequencies I dropped into their radios.

 

This is pretty much how mine was set up except I have a bunch of repeaters in Baja.

This reminds me...I got start a trip thread for Tacomaworld Baja 2016 for November.