HAM Radio [& The Horror of it All]

  • Thread starter Thread starter Flasherly
  • Start date Start date
F

Flasherly

Got this like $40US Baofeng UV-5RA-plus, 2-Band HAM (one band is like
down around 140 for freq, other starts around 400), months ago and now
just it getting up and working. More like programming it via USB
serial-reported COM3/4 cable/chipped-device with CHIRP open-source
radio software.

Got it to work (updated VB routines and lots of finagling/hacking on
an older XP/SP1). Total newb, so I've tons of radio terms, features
on this radio for a reason to learn them.

Dumb 1st question. In a big metropolitan area, tons of people,
sophisticated trunking systems and government voice encoding and
stuff.

Though, all I want to use it for is a scanner. Get some "repeaters"
in and working, hear some noise other than prerecorded computer
generated Nation Weather Services programming.

So far I'm not having much luck...it's like an episode from "The
Walking Dead." That normal? When's all the traffic supposed to be
happening?

Beginning to wonder whether a CB would have served better.
 
Flasherly said:
Got this like $40US Baofeng UV-5RA-plus, 2-Band HAM (one band is like
down around 140 for freq, other starts around 400), months ago and now
just it getting up and working. More like programming it via USB
serial-reported COM3/4 cable/chipped-device with CHIRP open-source
radio software.

Got it to work (updated VB routines and lots of finagling/hacking on
an older XP/SP1). Total newb, so I've tons of radio terms, features
on this radio for a reason to learn them.

Dumb 1st question. In a big metropolitan area, tons of people,
sophisticated trunking systems and government voice encoding and
stuff.

Though, all I want to use it for is a scanner. Get some "repeaters"
in and working, hear some noise other than prerecorded computer
generated Nation Weather Services programming.

So far I'm not having much luck...it's like an episode from "The
Walking Dead." That normal? When's all the traffic supposed to be
happening?

Beginning to wonder whether a CB would have served better.
Click to expand...

Look up the band plan for your area, then see if the scanner is scanning
the right area. Amateurs can only obtain licenses for limited bands.

http://barrowhamradio.org/images/articles/Amateur_BandPlan.pdf

You can also wait for night-fall, and see if skip brings in more
stations for you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_propagation

The antenna on a hand-held will likely be more effective at
the higher frequencies. Just a guess.

Paul
 
Look up the band plan for your area, then see if the scanner is scanning
the right area. Amateurs can only obtain licenses for limited bands.

http://barrowhamradio.org/images/articles/Amateur_BandPlan.pdf

You can also wait for night-fall, and see if skip brings in more
stations for you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_propagation

The antenna on a hand-held will likely be more effective at
the higher frequencies. Just a guess.
Click to expand...

I read that too on the antenna, looked around and went ahead with an
extra, better one. Do whatever you want with it, legally w/out a
license, until not just listening or illegally pushing the TRX button.
General forum talk is 35-60 miles reception range with this unit -
depending, to include severely limited, on conditions.

Find what local frequencies I can, I guess, and start studying how to
correctly enter/store their parameters. Then try the scan part. Not
sure about that higher freq, second band. I know I've got something
either on power lines behind me or interference nearby -- got a
shortwave that's effectively useless because of it, although I don't
hear its "signature churn" on this HAM thing so far. The local
government weather station comes in nice, just kind of strange see how
limited repeaters or general frequencies listed available locally
(it'll hold 128 channels), then plugging them in and not hearing
anything. So far.
 
Flasherly said:
I read that too on the antenna, looked around and went ahead with an
extra, better one. Do whatever you want with it, legally w/out a
license, until not just listening or illegally pushing the TRX button.
General forum talk is 35-60 miles reception range with this unit -
depending, to include severely limited, on conditions.

Find what local frequencies I can, I guess, and start studying how to
correctly enter/store their parameters. Then try the scan part. Not
sure about that higher freq, second band. I know I've got something
either on power lines behind me or interference nearby -- got a
shortwave that's effectively useless because of it, although I don't
hear its "signature churn" on this HAM thing so far. The local
government weather station comes in nice, just kind of strange see how
limited repeaters or general frequencies listed available locally
(it'll hold 128 channels), then plugging them in and not hearing
anything. So far.
Click to expand...

Doesn't the unit have a channel scan mode ?

Connecting an oddball antenna is OK, as long as you don't
key the mike. You want the antenna impedance to match the
impedance of the radio, before pumping power into the
antenna. For receive, a mismatch would be an efficiency issue,
but wouldn't damage anything.

For example, if I had your radio right now, I could hook it
up to the TV antenna I built (good for UHF and VHF combined).
It uses a balun, and has close to 75 ohms impedance looking
into the balun (actual impedance varies with frequency). Which
would be a rough match for a 75 ohm radio. Some antenna configurations
are 300 ohms, and air line or ladder line can be as high as
450 ohms differential. And you don't have to build an
antenna, to figure out the impedance. Software like 4NEC2
can be used to simulate antenna performance, and tell you
all sorts of things about it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numerical_Electromagnetics_Code

http://www.qsl.net/4nec2/ (used to verify my antenna)

My antenna is five feet high, five feet wide, and more
than 18 inches deep. And has a gain of 15dBi. And the beamwidth
is kinda narrow, so you have to point it at the signal source
on the horizon. The actual antenna performance, did not
match the simulation (there is gain at the top of the UHF
band that should not be there).

This is what hams use. The tower (elevation), is more than
half the battle. Elevation helps a lot.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yagi_antenna

Paul
 
Doesn't the unit have a channel scan mode ?
Click to expand...
Who knows. I'm not sure if he's using "ham" in a generic sense, or
if it's actually labelled as such.

I've never heard of the company, so clearly it's one of those cheap
Chinese imports that are now starting to come over.

If it's more like a commerical handheld, which happens to cover the ham
frequencies, it may require programming. Oddly, that is in part to ensure
the commercial stuff isn't used in the wrong place, all kinds of knobs
means someone might just start using a ham frequency "because it was
empty". So you'd need a computer, and a cable, and the programming
software.

There is less and less one can receive. The "public service" stuff moving
higher in frequency, or to trunked systems which mean you really don't get
anything from just tuning the frequencies. And since most transmissions
are short, no matter what the service, that doesn't leave much for
listening.

He seems to get the 162.XXX MHz weather stations, so the thing seems to
work. I'd argue that the weather stations are some of the most consistent
VHF transmissions, I was going to say other than broadcast, but the
weather stations are broadcasting, albeit in the VHF marine band. A busy
repeater may be on quite a bit, but one has to find one first.

Michael
 
There is less and less one can receive. The "public service" stuff
moving higher in frequency, or to trunked systems which mean you really
don't get anything from just tuning the frequencies.
Click to expand...

Our local PD went with digital a few years back, and then last year
encrypted everything, including the dispatch line. Apparently they
will give out an encryption code to "major news organizations", but the
rest of us are SOL. Bastards.

Jon
 
Our local PD went with digital a few years back, and then last year
encrypted everything, including the dispatch line. Apparently they
will give out an encryption code to "major news organizations", but the
rest of us are SOL. Bastards.
Click to expand...


I used work on one, a trunked system that went into effect probably
10, 15 years ago. They sent me over to the Dept. of The P.D. for the
cop-shop dispatcher's trunked orientation put on by the Radio Shop or
a industry rep, where I dutifully took notes and looked the part.
Reminded me of airplaine transmissions I worked with in Electronic
Warfare, although I mostly stayed out of the shop and did
installation, tests and debriefed operators retuning from sorties.

Give me a microphone, though, and watch out. I love talking to
towers, waking people up in the middle of the night, for collating
interesting information from interesting people into the "thick of
it." Takes a special person to come out of deep sleep and move
immediately into full-bore mode. Not saying I could do it, but I sure
admire and like working with them.

I was thinking of the repeater, too, what Michael said, that there
should be some cross-city, transpositional relay chitchat traffic
going on. It's a commercial-grade unit, all that stuff he also
mentions, only not well regarded for commerce-grade by all in terms of
usage [aside a unit costing 10-times more].

The $40US Baofeng UV-5RA+, I'm guesstimating I got a dedicated antenna
and USB cable, I've heard of going in lots off Ebay on occasion for
$25. Part of the reason for their ill-reception is the Chinese
government actually subsidized their manufacture, in order to go up
against capitalism and the commercial market of Japanese units likely
to be typically placed for America's communications infrastructure.

Just a softspot. I did the exact same thing with a shortwave unit
from China that set me back $50US, when it's counterparts out of
RatShack, say a Grundig, might run four times more the price.
Arguably, although I wouldn't, the WWW is setting back a role of
individuals and means of radio transmission at their disposal to
communicate between others with a similar inkling.
 
At Sun, 20 Apr 2014 12:58:05 -0400, Flasherly rearranged some electrons to
write:
Our local PD went with digital a few years back, and then last year
encrypted everything, including the dispatch line. Apparently they
will give out an encryption code to "major news organizations", but the
rest of us are SOL. Bastards.
Click to expand...


I used work on one, a trunked system that went into effect probably 10,
15 years ago. They sent me over to the Dept. of The P.D. for the
cop-shop dispatcher's trunked orientation put on by the Radio Shop or a
industry rep, where I dutifully took notes and looked the part. Reminded
me of airplaine transmissions I worked with in Electronic Warfare,
although I mostly stayed out of the shop and did installation, tests and
debriefed operators retuning from sorties.

Give me a microphone, though, and watch out. I love talking to towers,
waking people up in the middle of the night, for collating interesting
information from interesting people into the "thick of it." Takes a
special person to come out of deep sleep and move immediately into
full-bore mode. Not saying I could do it, but I sure admire and like
working with them.

I was thinking of the repeater, too, what Michael said, that there
should be some cross-city, transpositional relay chitchat traffic going
on. It's a commercial-grade unit, all that stuff he also mentions, only
not well regarded for commerce-grade by all in terms of usage [aside a
unit costing 10-times more].

The $40US Baofeng UV-5RA+, I'm guesstimating I got a dedicated antenna
and USB cable, I've heard of going in lots off Ebay on occasion for $25.
Part of the reason for their ill-reception is the Chinese government
actually subsidized their manufacture, in order to go up against
capitalism and the commercial market of Japanese units likely to be
typically placed for America's communications infrastructure.

Just a softspot. I did the exact same thing with a shortwave unit from
China that set me back $50US, when it's counterparts out of RatShack,
say a Grundig, might run four times more the price. Arguably, although I
wouldn't, the WWW is setting back a role of individuals and means of
radio transmission at their disposal to communicate between others with
a similar inkling.
Click to expand...


The radio you have is a dual band (2 meters and 70 cm). The antenna that
comes with it is not that good for general coverage (and not that good
for 2m and 70 cm either). It's also not good for general purpose
scanning, as it does not have a general coverage receiver. And, it only
receives analog AM and FM... most public service agencies have gone to
digital systems, so if you bought it just to scan public service
frequencies, you're going to be disappointed.

Please do not press the TX button if you are unlicensed. The FCC takes
unlicensed transmissions seriously.

It is actually quite easy to obtain an amateur radio license; in the US
you take a 35 question exam to get the lowest level license. No Morse
code test is required as it used to be.

You can find amateur radio repeaters in your area by searching several
web sites, here is one of many:

http://www.repeaterbook.com/

Repeaters have an input frequency (the frequency it listens on) and an
output frequency (the frequency YOU listen on). For the 2m band, they
are typically separated by 0.6 MHz. If the repeater is listed as
"145.150 -" it means that the repeater output frequency is 145.150, and
the "-" indicates the input frequency is 0.6 MHz down (144.550). The
radio programming software will indicate this split as "duplex" plus or
minus. The difference between the two frequencies is called the "offset".

For the 70cm band, the offset is typically 5 MHz, either + or -.

Although, without a license, you will not be able to have any
conversations, only listen.

The Bao Feng software is not very friendly, and you have to use the right
version depending on the firmware version of the radio you have.
This website may help you:
http://www.miklor.com/


Signed,
A licensed amateur radio operator
 
Hey, Dave.
The radio you have is a dual band (2 meters and 70 cm). The antenna that
comes with it is not that good for general coverage (and not that good
for 2m and 70 cm either). It's also not good for general purpose
scanning, as it does not have a general coverage receiver. And, it only
receives analog AM and FM... most public service agencies have gone to
digital systems, so if you bought it just to scan public service
frequencies, you're going to be disappointed.
Click to expand...

Nope, no expectations for Public Services or a general trend into
aggregated trunked systems;- perhaps a few stray privately-owned,
maintained utilities, and such.
Please do not press the TX button if you are unlicensed. The FCC takes
unlicensed transmissions seriously.
Click to expand...

Yes, that is the general consensus of HAM operators, despite and not a
substantial regard from rampant Amazon reviewers;- Ignore them is the
indicated course in response from a licensed being addressed by a
rogue operator.
It is actually quite easy to obtain an amateur radio license; in the US
you take a 35 question exam to get the lowest level license. No Morse
code test is required as it used to be.
Click to expand...

Most excellent. I'd heard it wasn't like yesteryear, that testing
restrictions were relaxed. Thanks for the specifics for further
qualification.
You can find amateur radio repeaters in your area by searching several
web sites, here is one of many:

http://www.repeaterbook.com/

Repeaters have an input frequency (the frequency it listens on) and an
output frequency (the frequency YOU listen on). For the 2m band, they
are typically separated by 0.6 MHz. If the repeater is listed as
"145.150 -" it means that the repeater output frequency is 145.150, and
the "-" indicates the input frequency is 0.6 MHz down (144.550). The
radio programming software will indicate this split as "duplex" plus or
minus. The difference between the two frequencies is called the "offset".
Click to expand...

Excellent again. I'd already run into that, the offsets, just (hadn't
really sunken in or) haven't quite gotten around to importing a
locally pertinent CVS file of local activity into CHIRP, which I was
pleasantly surprised to connect to and establish a serial/USB
interface to the Baofeng's ROM routines. Well enough to use the
software interface to "program in" a weather station, (past some MS VB
updates, thankfully).
For the 70cm band, the offset is typically 5 MHz, either + or -.
Click to expand...

Noted. As in as opposed to .6MHz offset delineator indicated on the
prior bandwidth.
Although, without a license, you will not be able to have any
conversations, only listen.
Click to expand...

I'm all ears.
The Bao Feng software is not very friendly, and you have to use the right
version depending on the firmware version of the radio you have.
This website may help you:
http://www.miklor.com/
Click to expand...

But of course. I'm well enough familiar with Chinglish to have at
least found and immediately adopted CHIRP;- Mildor, I'll save, of
course, along with your post in the odds&ends section, a directory
where I'm collecting useful information.
Signed,
A licensed amateur radio operator
Click to expand...

Hey you. Appreciate your taking the time to point out a few
discrepancies, the sites and offsets, notably.

How about this replacement antenna, if you don't mind. (I'll look it
up off that initial order.) Think it'll make much difference, or am
short-stroking and better off looking to utilize a mast (as Paul
mentioned) if I want to seriously consider any/much else
reception-wise while inside my house?

Anyway here it is...(please "pull," backspace the line below into one
line for a valid link, keeping all characters intact. Sorry this
Usenet reader craps when posting out more than an allotted characters
per line to the server.)

http://www.amazon.com
/gp/product/B008P7YX4Y
/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

A big 10-4 & thanks again -
-Flash
 
At Mon, 21 Apr 2014 11:08:45 -0400, Flasherly rearranged some electrons to
write:
Hey, Dave.


Nope, no expectations for Public Services or a general trend into
aggregated trunked systems;- perhaps a few stray privately-owned,
maintained utilities, and such.


Yes, that is the general consensus of HAM operators, despite and not a
substantial regard from rampant Amazon reviewers;- Ignore them is the
indicated course in response from a licensed being addressed by a rogue
operator.


Most excellent. I'd heard it wasn't like yesteryear, that testing
restrictions were relaxed. Thanks for the specifics for further
qualification.


Excellent again. I'd already run into that, the offsets, just (hadn't
really sunken in or) haven't quite gotten around to importing a locally
pertinent CVS file of local activity into CHIRP, which I was pleasantly
surprised to connect to and establish a serial/USB interface to the
Baofeng's ROM routines. Well enough to use the software interface to
"program in" a weather station, (past some MS VB updates, thankfully).


Noted. As in as opposed to .6MHz offset delineator indicated on the
prior bandwidth.


I'm all ears.


But of course. I'm well enough familiar with Chinglish to have at least
found and immediately adopted CHIRP;- Mildor, I'll save, of course,
along with your post in the odds&ends section, a directory where I'm
collecting useful information.


Hey you. Appreciate your taking the time to point out a few
discrepancies, the sites and offsets, notably.

How about this replacement antenna, if you don't mind. (I'll look it up
off that initial order.) Think it'll make much difference, or am
short-stroking and better off looking to utilize a mast (as Paul
mentioned) if I want to seriously consider any/much else reception-wise
while inside my house?

Anyway here it is...(please "pull," backspace the line below into one
line for a valid link, keeping all characters intact. Sorry this Usenet
reader craps when posting out more than an allotted characters per line
to the server.)

http://www.amazon.com /gp/product/B008P7YX4Y
/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

A big 10-4 & thanks again -
-Flash
Click to expand...

FYI... amateur operators do not use 10 codes. We reserve those for
our unlicensed 11 meter "friends". :)

That antenna is likely to not be much better than the one that came with
the radio. You might consider something along these lines:

http://www.amazon.com/NAGOYA-NA-771-Antenna-BAOFENG-KG-UVD1P/dp/B00BY3XN7E

If you get serious about it, you will find a lot of good information here:

http://www.arrl.org/getting-licensed

The question pools for all of the exams (along with the answers) are
freely obtainable on the web. Out of several hundred questions, your
examiners will give you 35 questions, in about 10 different topic areas.

Like any hobby, it is what you make of it. I particularly enjoy the
technical aspect of it, learning about radio propagation and
electronics. Many of us enjoy having the ability to serve when disaster
strikes; hams are usually the first ones called upon (after the
emergency responders) to make sure communications are in place when
everything else is off line. In the event of a zombie apocalypse (and
other lesser disaster events) we'll be able to get messages back and
forth across the country and the world.

Others enjoy the social and fellowship aspect of it. Like any socially
oriented activity, there is always the occasional dufus, but most hams
are good people. There are ham clubs all over, you can use this to find
a club in your area:

http://www.arrl.org/find-a-club
 
FYI... amateur operators do not use 10 codes. We reserve those for
our unlicensed 11 meter "friends". :)

That antenna is likely to not be much better than the one that came with
the radio. You might consider something along these lines:

http://www.amazon.com/NAGOYA-NA-771-Antenna-BAOFENG-KG-UVD1P/dp/B00BY3XN7E
Click to expand...


Yep, I can see where it's physically bigger and built for quality.
Better reviewed, also, than from my selection prior for a higher-gain
substitute ... looks like I didn't go deep enough.

A quick read of reviews for the NAGOYA I ran across a cross-mention to
this one ...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008Y2SPE4/ref=cm_cr_asin_lnk#Ask

There's a higher confidence factor to interpolate off the number of
reviews (twice by sheer weight of 251 samples). Plus two whambam
factors: a) it fits, whereas the Nagoya has a gap (my prior addon as
the gap, too, if you look at the base attachment screw), and b) one
and only one provider outlet (for Amazon), flatrate, no shipping
added, no Nagoya counterfeit issues, a "few" reviewers mention, (I
start from the bottom dissatisfied and work my way up), from several
outlet/provider choices, added shipping and Amazon's $35min purchase
surtax "system" to the Nagoya (it's mainland China order if matched by
dollar to the ExpertPower®.)

Anyway - thanks for the clearer focus on issues surrounding
antennas... what do you think, offhand, of the ExpertPower®?

I've had to use 10 codes at work to keep the traffic abbreviated over
a collective pool of 400, 500 listeners. By law, if I'm not mistaken,
or FCC requirements. Once upon a time ago, though I liked it better.
Hell, we all liked it better, least those who remembered and weren't
hired on after on the cell-phone provisions offerings, similar to
trunked systems taking over for subscription plans on grouped
communications. I just liked it more than some since where the group
I worked within -- sometimes three shifts a week, 24/7 -- if someone
called in they signed us for base headquarters. My callsign was:
"Don't mess with him, he knows your boss and everyone else's." :)
 
At Tue, 22 Apr 2014 08:04:59 -0400, Flasherly rearranged some electrons to
write:
B00BY3XN7E


Yep, I can see where it's physically bigger and built for quality.
Better reviewed, also, than from my selection prior for a higher-gain
substitute ... looks like I didn't go deep enough.

A quick read of reviews for the NAGOYA I ran across a cross-mention to
this one ...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008Y2SPE4/ref=cm_cr_asin_lnk#Ask

There's a higher confidence factor to interpolate off the number of
reviews (twice by sheer weight of 251 samples). Plus two whambam
factors: a) it fits, whereas the Nagoya has a gap (my prior addon as the
gap, too, if you look at the base attachment screw), and b) one and only
one provider outlet (for Amazon), flatrate, no shipping added, no Nagoya
counterfeit issues, a "few" reviewers mention, (I start from the bottom
dissatisfied and work my way up), from several outlet/provider choices,
added shipping and Amazon's $35min purchase surtax "system" to the
Nagoya (it's mainland China order if matched by dollar to the
ExpertPower®.)

Anyway - thanks for the clearer focus on issues surrounding antennas...
what do you think, offhand, of the ExpertPower®?

I've had to use 10 codes at work to keep the traffic abbreviated over a
collective pool of 400, 500 listeners. By law, if I'm not mistaken,
or FCC requirements. Once upon a time ago, though I liked it better.
Hell, we all liked it better, least those who remembered and weren't
hired on after on the cell-phone provisions offerings, similar to
trunked systems taking over for subscription plans on grouped
communications. I just liked it more than some since where the group I
worked within -- sometimes three shifts a week, 24/7 -- if someone
called in they signed us for base headquarters. My callsign was: "Don't
mess with him, he knows your boss and everyone else's." :)
Click to expand...

Both the Nagoya and the Expert Power antennas are likely to be good
choices. Most likely they are made in the same Chinese factory. :)
I have a Nagoya NA-771 antenna that I have used for several years with no
issues. I got it from a dealer in Hong Kong, "409shop.com". I have
bought other things including a radio from them as well. Generally
cheaper, and no shipping cost. If you can wait for a couple of weeks to
get it by HK post. No complaints from me on them. Of course if Amazon
carries it, you get the weight of that company behind you (hopefully) if
something goes wrong.
 
Both the Nagoya and the Expert Power antennas are likely to be good
choices. Most likely they are made in the same Chinese factory. :)
I have a Nagoya NA-771 antenna that I have used for several years with no
issues. I got it from a dealer in Hong Kong, "409shop.com". I have
bought other things including a radio from them as well. Generally
cheaper, and no shipping cost. If you can wait for a couple of weeks to
get it by HK post. No complaints from me on them. Of course if Amazon
carries it, you get the weight of that company behind you (hopefully) if
something goes wrong.
Click to expand...

OK. I'll add in another, probably the EP.

Holy cow, did you see that dualband
Harvest antenna at 409shop.com...
http://www.409shop.com/409shop_product.php?id=107515

$51 bucks! Some antenna, about twice as physically long as the
Nagoya/ExpertPro, I guess. But they've got that shop has them all --
56 brands of different models on a single 2-meter band alone, and over
a thousand on duals or multi-bands. I didn't know the Chinese were
HAM nuts or that the market is that varied.

Have to bookmark 409, fer sure.

Even shortwaves, though not mine (or can't find/search it)...
http://www.amazon.com/Kaito-KA1102-Shortewave-Radio-Silver/dp/B00065X51U

http://www.kaitousa.com/KA1102.htm

http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/4045

409 offers, which I've seen/heard of the brand
http://www.409shop.com/409shop_product.php?id=112222

Got my Kaito for $50 so it's went up a little (also has SSB, which I
wanted). One nifty SW radio, except for the interference where I'm
at. (I'd love to hear it from an elevated position somewhere from
Quietsville, out in the country. Heh - may as well add a night sky
telescope to that.)

Well, appreciate the insight on the antenna, Dave, a potential problem
with what I have and am hearing so far. Sure can't beat those prices
for a stronger/longer replacement. I'll add it for a shot next time I
fire up that CHIRP software to try and import in and fill up those 128
slots of EPROM station memory.
 
At Wed, 23 Apr 2014 08:54:35 -0400, Flasherly rearranged some electrons to
write:
OK. I'll add in another, probably the EP.

Holy cow, did you see that dualband Harvest antenna at 409shop.com...
http://www.409shop.com/409shop_product.php?id=107515

$51 bucks! Some antenna, about twice as physically long as the
Nagoya/ExpertPro, I guess. But they've got that shop has them all -- 56
brands of different models on a single 2-meter band alone, and over a
thousand on duals or multi-bands. I didn't know the Chinese were HAM
nuts or that the market is that varied.

Have to bookmark 409, fer sure.

Even shortwaves, though not mine (or can't find/search it)...
http://www.amazon.com/Kaito-KA1102-Shortewave-Radio-Silver/dp/B00065X51U

http://www.kaitousa.com/KA1102.htm

http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/4045

409 offers, which I've seen/heard of the brand
http://www.409shop.com/409shop_product.php?id=112222

Got my Kaito for $50 so it's went up a little (also has SSB, which I
wanted). One nifty SW radio, except for the interference where I'm at.
(I'd love to hear it from an elevated position somewhere from
Quietsville, out in the country. Heh - may as well add a night sky
telescope to that.)

Well, appreciate the insight on the antenna, Dave, a potential problem
with what I have and am hearing so far. Sure can't beat those prices for
a stronger/longer replacement. I'll add it for a shot next time I fire
up that CHIRP software to try and import in and fill up those 128 slots
of EPROM station memory.
Click to expand...

Good luck, and I hope you consider getting your ham ticket. It is a lot
of fun, and can be useful at times.

d.
 
Good luck, and I hope you consider getting your ham ticket. It is a lot
of fun, and can be useful at times.
Click to expand...

100 answers for remembering the 35 questions. Can't beat that! I'll
see how this new antenna works out.
 
Yes I recommend Ham radio. Lots of fun working DX. Conditions aren't that good at the moment but still fun on VHF etc.
 
Flasherly said:
100 answers for remembering the 35 questions. Can't beat that! I'll
see how this new antenna works out.
Click to expand...
In Australia the Ham test is just multiple choice questions. Back wen I sat the exam we had to pass morse code as well at 10 words per minute. A lot harder back then.
 
Are there any ham radio or CBer's out there that are still into the hobby? It seems like the internet has kinda killed the hobby a little.
 
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