HAM (amateur radio) info

[no2gates]

The Technician License is very easy to get as the code requirement was eliminated years ago. Baofeng radios are inexpensive on Amazon.

My wife got her technician license about 10 years ago, and she's like a "technology anti-Christ". If she can pass that test, anyone can.
Those Baofeng radios are the perfect radio to get started in ham radio. I've got 8 ham radios, and 2 of them are Baofengs, and they work very well.

 

[Tnhawk]

My wife got her technician license about 10 years ago, and she's like a "technology anti-Christ". If she can pass that test, anyone can.
Those Baofeng radios are the perfect radio to get started in ham radio. I've got 8 ham radios, and 2 of them are Baofengs, and they work very well.

I got a Tech. License over 11 years ago. It was soon followed by General and Extra licenses. Amateur radio can be addictive just as guns.

AK4SZ

 

[SA_Steve]

WA5... 1964 General
I'm old

 

[Grumps21]

The Technician License is very easy to get as the code requirement was eliminated years ago. Baofeng radios are inexpensive on Amazon.

I’m finding that both GMRS and HAM seems to be dominated by the Chinese brands on the handheld side. I’m seeing Baofeng had a good feedback rating from people who bought them

 

[gll]

I'm scheduled to take the Technician test on Feb. 12th...

I have a couple Baofeng radios I bought years ago thinking SHTF and no license needed, but it would be nice to actually learn how to use them well before that.

I gather the negative of the cheap radios is they are a radio on a single chip (soc?), while the more expensive radios are super heterodyne (more traditional build and better quality)?

GMRS seems the way to go, if local comm is what you need and everyone you want to comm with is either under your license, or wants to be licensed without the test hassle.

 

[Grumps21]

Amateur radio can be addictive just as guns.

AK4SZ

crap..... between the motorcycles and guns, I’m already spread too thin.

 

[Tnhawk]

I’m finding that both GMRS and HAM seems to be dominated by the Chinese brands on the handheld side. I’m seeing Baofeng had a good feedback rating from people who bought them

Baofeng costs about $30 and is made it China.
Yaesu and Kenwood are $200-300 and are made in Japan.
Each of these radios accomplish the same tasks,
Some are more durable than others and easier to program.
A spare battery for my Yaesu costs more than a Baofeng radio.

My Rock Island or Ruger do the same tasks as my Wilson Combat.

 

[Tnhawk]

crap..... between the motorcycles and guns, I’m already spread too thin.

After spending my income on necessities like guns, ammo, cars, radios, there's little let for bills.

 

[TheDan]

Yaesu and Kenwood are $200-300 and are made in Japan.

Dang, prices have gone up. I bought a FT-70d a couple years ago for $150. Looks like they are $275 now

I have several different Baofengs and clones, and they are the radios I use the most. When I'm talking to people they can't ever guess if I'm on a Baofeng or a Yaesu, but I can tell a difference on the receiving end. The Yaesu's receive quality is much better.

Another nice thing about the FT-70d specifically is it's digital mode. The digital audio quality is much better than FM, and it works over longer distances as the radio can still pickup and decode the signal right at the noise floor. I really wish there was a $30-$50 digital option as I could get more people into digital radio if there were.

I have a couple Baofeng radios I bought years ago thinking SHTF and no license needed

Just want to point out that the current production Baofengs aren't as good SHTF radios as the previous versions. The FCC came down on them and they were forced to lock transmit frequencies to 144-148/420-450Mhz. Previous versions were 136-174/400-520mhz. So no more capabilities for FRS/GRMS, MURS, Itinerant, Marine, etc... It's not something you can program out, either. It's locked in the firmware.

I just recently picked up one of these and confirmed they still have full transmit capabilities... https://amzn.to/3g0nbI7

It's not as nice as my favorite Baofeng clone, the GT-3TP, but it'll have to do as the new production GT-3TPs have been neutered as well.

 

[Charlie]

I've had my ham license for over 50 years and was very active many years ago, but moves, other money priorities, etc. have left me "silent" with no equipment. I really enjoyed the locals on the repeaters and the HF folks. I'd really like to get back on the air but receiving "mere existence)" funds from retirement slows that down quite a bit.
If things work out, I'll visit with some of you on the air sometime in the future!
N5ESJ

 

[TheDan]

I'd really like to get back on the air but receiving "mere existence)" funds from retirement slows that down quite a bit.

A $30 Baofeng is all it takes to hit a repeater near you. A 1/4 or 5/8 wave antenna could be made from scrap if you need some extra range.

 

[Charlie]

I have antennas "somewhere" in the garage. But could certainly make one easily that would work. I live on the top of a hill at well over 1900' elevation. I'll start looking for a radio! I've not been on the air for almost 30 yrs.

 

[lonestardiver]

crap..... between the motorcycles and guns, I’m already spread too thin.

Between motorcycles, guns, ham radio and photography I have to budget everything. It doesn’t always work…

 

[gll]

Just want to point out that the current production Baofengs aren't as good SHTF radios as the previous versions. The FCC came down on them and they were forced to lock transmit frequencies to 144-148/420-450Mhz. Previous versions were 136-174/400-520mhz. So no more capabilities for FRS/GRMS, MURS, Itinerant, Marine, etc... It's not something you can program out, either. It's locked in the firmware.

I just recently picked up one of these and confirmed they still have full transmit capabilities... https://amzn.to/3g0nbI7

It's not as nice as my favorite Baofeng clone, the GT-3TP, but it'll have to do as the new production GT-3TPs have been neutered as well.

Where the neutering seems to really have hit is on mobile units... The couple Baofeng UV-5r's and a Btech UV-5X3 I just bought aren't neutered.

That you have to have one 50W radio for GMRS and another for HAM that are really the same radio, but neutered differently, seems pretty stupid...

 

[TheDan]

The couple Baofeng UV-5r's and a Btech UV-5X3 I just bought aren't neutered.

Probably depends on where you get them, too. Buddy of mine got a pair of UV-5r off Amazon a couple months ago and they were gimped.

I bet if you order them fresh off the boat from Aliexpress they are fine

 

[lonestardiver]

Where the neutering seems to really have hit is on mobile units... The couple Baofeng UV-5r's and a Btech UV-5X3 I just bought aren't neutered.

That you have to have one 50W radio for GMRS and another for HAM that are really the same radio, but neutered differently, seems pretty stupid...

It’s all about type acceptance. GMRS has higher requirements than ham gear since it is a paid for license and is a specific radio service. New ham gear has to meet type acceptance for the band allocations as does GMRS. GMRS shares frequencies with FRS but FRS has its own rules. GMRS is closer to the 70cm ham radio band (440Mhz). in some cases a UHF transceiver chassis may work for both but depending on “jumpers” on the main board determine where it operates. Now if the jumper were removed or moved to a different setting doesn’t mean the radio works well. It may need to be re-aligned to work optimally or it may not transmit cleanly, have spurs and other poor harmonic issues.

They (FCC) don’t like to mix radio services in the same radio (ham, GMRS, public safety, etc.). The FCC doesn’t assign multiple type acceptances to a single radio.

 

[gll]

How to unlock a new Baofeng UV-5R (and others according to comments)...

 

[TheDan]

How to unlock a new Baofeng UV-5R (and others according to comments)...

Sweet! There was bound to be a work around at some point. It's not clear if that permanently unlocks it, or if you have to give it the three finger salute every time you turn it on? If you have to do it every-time, I think it's easier to just buy the ones that aren't locked. Especially for handing out to non-radio savvy friends.

 

[gll]

Sweet! There was bound to be a work around at some point. It's not clear if that permanently unlocks it, or if you have to give it the three finger salute every time you turn it on? If you have to do it every-time, I think it's easier to just buy the ones that aren't locked. Especially for handing out to non-radio savvy friends.

Yeah, I dunno for sure, cause I don't have a locked radio to test it on, but it seems like it does a factory reset which I would think to be permanent.

 

[gll]

I've only ever programmed my Baofeng radios using Chirp; thought it might be worth learning to save to memory channels on the keypad...

Am I correct that there is no way to give channels alphanumeric names from the keypad?