Um, what radio would this be?Originally Posted by RoyGBiv
Um, what radio would this be?
Last edited by RJ; 02-16-2022 at 09:59 AM.
@RJ I'll pile on with the link Chris posted. I used HamStudy.org for my Tech, General and Extra.
With zero electrical background I got the tech in about three weeks. Being a retired EE you'll have no issues with the material.
Good luck, see you on the air.
Cheapo Baofeng UV-5R.... I have a base station setup in my office with a roof-mounted antenna, but, Wife isn't familiar with using it.
Our RACES folks have solid, nearby repeaters that a Baofeng can receive from clearly, even in bad weather...
As you learn more about your local ARES/RACES infrastructure (if any), you can figure out what works in your AO. You might be able to google <city name> ARES or RACES and find your local group web presence. If they have a website, that would be a good starting point.
example: https://fortworthraces.org/
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." - Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Constitution, Draft 1, 1776
Thanks again.
I did find our local group, here:
https://srqares.org/
There's a CERT liason page listed there. I'll follow up with my local group; maybe I can ask a question at this Saturday's final training session (apparently we get to put out a diesel-in-a-waste-can fire for reals. PASS and all that, heh).
Also, there's apparently a newer/better/more expensive (figures) Baofeng, a BF-F8HP:
https://www.amazon.com/BaoFeng-BF-F8...p_ob_title_wld
Better?
I've got an account on the Hamstudy page, and starting to go through the self study. Most of the 'trons questions I can handle, basic antenna / component / EW theory I'm good with. The things I don't know are FCC policy, and quirks of the way the FCC words some things, looks like. But yeah so far so good.
Awesome. You've got a big advantage with your background. The FCC policy dribble is just wrote memorization, followed by a healthy flush of all but the regs / rules after you pass the test.
Congrats man, you're halfway there.
What @2xAGM114 said.
Also, while I wouldn't advocate stopping with this, the entire testing pool is published, you can merely memorize the answers without learning anything and pass the exam. That'll help you get by on the stuff that isn't useful so you can focus on the meat of the exam. You'll find out even memorizing answers will result in some learning too.
Chris
Very nice that they post up a list of frequencies you can load into your radio... https://srqares.org/frequencies/
Looks like they post it as a PDF, but, easy enough (usually) to copy/paste into Excel and manipulate into a format that you can push to your radio. When you get ready to do that, quote this post and I'll send some suggestions.
You can locate your local repeaters on that page as well, and check to see what clarity of signal you get in various weather conditions. Helpful to have a friend with a radio to talk with live, or just listen in during a weather event and see whether your Rx quality remains good.
When you order your first radio, be sure to order a compatible USB cable so you can program the radio from your computer.
Free software, works well. https://chirp.danplanet.com/projects/chirp/wiki/Home
Having 8 watts of Tx (transmit) power doesn't help you to Rx any more clearly..... Also, and this is likely overkill on my part, I'd prefer to have the lowest amount of power, just enough to get the job done, transmitting next to my brain. Even with a 5w handheld I use an external speaker/mic. AMAZON.
If you get good Rx/Tx with your local repeaters using 5w, more power is optional.
Several iterations of Baofengs have quite decent antennas. Check the reviews. I've also patched in a magnetic mount antenna to my handheld and had great success with that as well... If you find that a handheld doesn't receive your repeater well during weather, you could look at aftermarket antenna choices.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." - Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Constitution, Draft 1, 1776
Thanks, I got this one to play with RX only on 70cm/2m bands:
BAOFENG BF-F8HP (UV-5R 3rd Gen)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MAULSOK...p_mob_ap_share
It’s very compact. I did order a USB for it.
On the Ham License front, I’m making my way through Hamstudy at the Technician level at about 30 minutes a day pace with the flash cards. Going to take a few practice tests then look for a test site near me.
Appreciate the info, for sure.
@RJ
If testing in person isn't convenient, you may consider the virtual testing online option. HamStudy.org has a list of clubs which offer this. You can get signed up for a session usually just a few days out for $10 - $20. Setup is intuitive and the VEs (Volunteer Examiners) are friendly and helpful. I used this for the last two tests to great effect/affect.
Making progress on hamstudy; I'm showing 100% complete through the Technician question bank and an aptitude score of 81%. We have a few hams in our local emergency team so I will get with them on test site options.
I noticed Morse isn't required any more, but being a nerd, I downloaded a Morse chart and am going to start memorizing it for fun (and maybe CW use down the road).
The radio is working out pretty well. I am in 100% listen only, obviously, not being licensed yet. I setup the CHIRP software this morning, as it was fairly straightforward, and uploaded/downloaded a few frequency set *.CSV files to/from the radio. The one right now I have loaded is all the 2m/70cm stations near me (34275) within 25 miles.
I ordered a spare 2100 mAh battery to have on hand, a longer Nagoya NA-771 antenna to try, and a hand-held mic. Cheaper than ammo lol.
I did have a question; relative to carry. The radio came with a belt clip, which is fine. What I was wondering, since I'll be part of a CERT team which presumably will have/use these types of radios or similar, are there any good options you'd suggest for this? In this weekend's training class I took, the firefighters that came to give us a demo all had VHF/UHF radios on this over-the-shoulder strap/harness, with a hand held mic clipped on their chest. The radio sat on their hip in a carrier. I've looked on Amazon and can't quite locate something equivalent (might be missing it) for civilian use. I'll keep trying and post back if I find something.
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