If I were to sell my k5 or k6 I’d ask $10 bucks. Little less than half the new price. Look at the prices of the used big 3 ht’s on qrz.com, qth swap, or even eBay. They hold valueand you might as well buy new, baofengs usually get given away.
Baofeng Radio models
- Thread starter Cucamonga
- Start date
- Replies 71
- Views 1,216
Why do you need two?
OP
😂, for anything I am currently involved with and know I am committed to like handguns, that's why I buy Glocks 😎. But, for many that just want their first gun, they may buy an inferior brand just to try out the hobby. They don't know if they will keep shotting or just put the gun up and seldom if ever use it again.
The same analogy applies to radios.
OP
I thought they would come in handy monitoring traffic at air shows and car races, loan one to a buddy.
and if you don’t like it, you are only out a few bucks. If you mainly want to use it to listen it should serve you well. If the bug bites you you will know what features you want in the next one.
I understand this logic and it does make sense, in that context.
You would probably not be able to tell why the Kenwood TH-D75A is 'better' than the Quangsheng unless you first had a Quangsheng.
OP
I unboxed the Quansheng radios today, reviewed the manual and countless YouTube videos before I realized I don't know what the hell I am doing. The YouTubes I watched update the firmware, use software (Chirp) to set up the radio, give opinions and some test the radios using a spectrum analyzer. I haven't found any that give an in-depth radio manual set up and operation. My thought is I should learn manual set up before jumping in and updating firmware, and loading with Chirp, am I ass backward here? Can all manual functions be entered using Chirp?
It also hit me that I haven't a clue what frequences to monitor, I'm between Hendersonville and Brevard so I entered Asheville airport frequences, but AM was poor quality. So, the next question is what are the frequences that should be monitored and want are the more active frequences I can lesion in on?
It also hit me that I haven't a clue what frequences to monitor, I'm between Hendersonville and Brevard so I entered Asheville airport frequences, but AM was poor quality. So, the next question is what are the frequences that should be monitored and want are the more active frequences I can lesion in on?
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I just CHIRPED my Baofengs as well and getting ready to do the same to my Kenwood. Honestly if you want to hear activity on other than scheduled nets make sure you’ve got the Mt. Mitchell repeater programmed in. It’s at 6600’ and can reach most all this area. Also Bearwallow repeater, Caesars Head and Sassafras Mtn. Spivey Mtn in Asheville has some activity and I can listen but rarely get into the repeater. I have an ICOM 2300H I do most 2M radio stuff with but the Kenwood hits most of them as well depending on the antenna used and the foliage.
PS: Blue Ridge Amateur Radio Club in Hendersonville uses a repeater on Bearwallow Mtn, might want to hit them up.
PS: Blue Ridge Amateur Radio Club in Hendersonville uses a repeater on Bearwallow Mtn, might want to hit them up.
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Most folks getting started in amateur radio traditionally had an 'Elmer' in other words, a local more-experienced person they work with to learn the basics, hands-on.
In the past 20-25 years, this tradition has faded away and been replaced by a strong individual-driven streak, which usually is a good thing, but as you have found, not always.
Let me see if I can help a little, and, mind you, this is NO replacement for a real live Elmer.
First:
I need to know at least something about what you already know about narrow band VHF / UHF FM operation. I don't know if you know what a squelch control is, or, in fact, anything at all about you or your familiarity with radios in any way. For example, do you know about the difference between 'wide' and 'narrow' FM in this context? You radio likely has a setting for this parameter for each memory channel. Then, do you know about repeaters? For example, how their offsets work, and, how access control such as CTCSS tones are determined? Tell me what I do not have to tell you, so I can focus on what you don't know.
Second:
Do you know about web sites such as this one?
RepeaterBook.com: Quick Search for North Carolina Amateur Radio Repeaters
North Carolina amateur radio repeater database for ham repeaters.
www.repeaterbook.com
Third:
What are you using for an antenna, and, where are you trying to operate from? Such as, "I have only the antenna that came with the radio and I am trying to operate from the basement of my home in a deep valley."
What electronics equipment do you have, besides the radio(s)? Any test equipment? Coax cable and connectors? Soldering gear?
Do you even know what might be the active frequencies in your area?
Consider consulting: https://www.repeaterbook.com/repeaters/Display_SS.php?state_id=37&band=14
This might give you an idea of where to,listen assuming you’re in rage.
Consider consulting: https://www.repeaterbook.com/repeaters/Display_SS.php?state_id=37&band=14
This might give you an idea of where to,listen assuming you’re in rage.
OP
Just getting started so the assumption should be I know little to nothing and if I say I know something, it still should be questioned. I got the bug and bought a couple of low-end handheld UHF/VHF radios that I don't know anything about and don't have knowledge of VHF/UHF operation.
Squelch is adjustable and used to filter noise, so you don't have to hear static all the time. Problem is filtering to high also filters out reception of weak transmissions. I don't have any familiarity with FM radios, experience is with AM CB, 25+ years ago.
"Wide and narrow FM" Not familiar with this
"Repeaters" I know that a signal a transmitted to the repeater on one frequency, the repeater then retransmits on a different frequency and there is a frequency off set.
"CTCSS Tones" ???
Thanks for the link. I've only taken a quick look but will study further.
When purchasing the radio, I opted to also get a Nagoya NA-771, let's assume it is a copy, but it appears to receive better than the rubber duck.
I'm locater in Etowah, NC setting at 2200" about at the top of the hill in the mountains of WNC.
Mult meter, Clamp on current meter, Soldering iron.
Thanks for your help!
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OP
During the past week I've watched at least a of this guy's videos, I do enjoy his sense of humor. I see he also has a video of the top Baofeng settings.
OP
Another good link, thank you!
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Thanks, this is very helpful.
OK ... Here we go ... nine points to cover:
1) You do have a solid understanding of the squelch, so, that is a better place than most people start at. One of the main differences in radio performance is actually how the receiver squelch operates. The chinese radios typically have awful squelch systems, but, they do what you said they do.
2) You also appear to have a clear grasp of what a repeater does, also a big step ahead of many beginners.
3) Without getting too techie, FM (frequency modulation) says that for a given audio frequency and sound level, the actual frequency you are sending at ... moves.
How much it moves for any given level of sound you intend to transmit can be set such that one option is 'wider' in occupied bandwidth than another.
If my receiver is expecting a narrower signal and you show up with a wider one, you will seem 'louder' than normal. And, when you become more distant, your wide signal can fade away faster than the narrow one. Conversely, if I am expecting a 'wide' signal from you and you are sending 'narrow' your voice will sound faint in relative terms.
And, if people are in a crowded signal environment (many people on adjacent frequencies trying to talk) your wider signal can overlap theirs; again, trying to not be too technical here.
4) CTCSS ... best to read this first:
Continuous Tone-Coded Squelch System - The RadioReference Wiki
then watch this (yes, the video is made by a competitor to my employer, and, so what? it's well done):
You will need to have at least a basic command of this topic in order to operate (send and receive, with the appropriate license).
If you're only receiving, it sort of doesn't matter EXCEPT that you MAY be able to use CTCSS to make up for part of the awful squelch circuit I mentioned above. Don't concern yourself with this tech detail quite yet.
5) A word about transmitting:
On the family radio band and the GMRS band, and on the so-called VHF cross-country-itinerant channels, people often communicate with each other without a license and while illegal, no one says much about it. In general, there's no 'hobby' type operation. The radios are used to communicate, not to find out how radios work.
People who know each other use these radios to talk to each other, but not to call random strangers, on purpose, like you do as a ham operator.
On the ham bands, you purposefully use the radios as a learning aid and see what you can figure out to make them better, in some way. Communicating is a goal but not THE goal. And it's fraternal, inside of the only international legal framework that governs a hobby; no hams can communicate with you if you don't have a license, as amateur radio stations may by law communicate only with other amateur radio stations (the sole exception is in Title 47 CFR part 97.111 and this rule does not apply here).
As far as using ham band frequencies instead of family radio or GMRS frequencies .... really, that's not only illegal, but worse, it's disrespectful. It's kind of like going to someone else's nice neighborhood and littering. There are plenty of other places to go.
6) Regarding your antenna: you got an aftermarket rubber duck, a Japanese model or a chinese knockoff of it, to replace the factory rubber duck. It may be better and I hope it is, but it's also better than ... what? Set expectations accordingly. You are operating from indoors on VHF or UHF frequencies with a purposefully lossy antenna that has almost no aperture and you are not at the bottom of a valley, but, even at 2200 feet, your height above average terrain (the parameter that counts for VHF/UHF radio signals) may not be all that significant because you live where elevations may routinely exceed 2200 feet.
7) Indoor operation - irrespective of elevation - always attenuates radio signals, especially above 30 MHz. That is why people put antennas outdoors.
Best to read this:
Very high frequency - Wikipedia
to garner a better understanding of the nature of radio wave propagation at the frequencies in question (roughly 2 meters and 70 centimeter wavelengths). These characteristics will be unlike your experiences with CB (11 meter wavelength) frequencies.
8) Oh ... I am assuming you understand the relationship between frequency and wavelength.
You'll need to be quickly able to 'flip' between these terms.
Look here for the needed information:
Frequency to Wavelength Calculator - everything RF
www.everythingrf.com
You will also quickly learn with your new radios that you must have a firm idea of what radio services are on what frequency ranges on which bands and with what characteristics.
Otherwise, as @noway2 has very presciently noted elsewhere, disappointment may loom large.
This is why I and several others have recommended sources for finding out what signals on which frequencies may be available where you live. Note that the presence of a listing in such directories is no guarantee that there will be signals present, or, if they are present, that you'll be able to hear them exactly where you are.
9) And of course, someone has to be sending for you to hear anything.
Many, in fact most stations of all sorts, are rarely transmitting. That is why your radio has a scanning function. The problem with the scanning function is that setting it up can be tricky (what are the frequency steps used by the services you want to maybe catch? are they wide or narrow? have they all moved to trunking systems which makes them unavailable for you to hear? et cetera) and is often unproductive, anyway, because your receiving location is compromised by being indoors. But you'll want to know how it works nonetheless. Hopefully the manual for your radio has a clear explanation.
Wrap-up:
My immediate advice would be to tune in the NOAA weather frequency for your area, and then leave it on, and walk around with the radio (indoors, outdoors, in the car, in motion, while stationary, etc.) and listen to where the signal comes in strong, where it doesn't, and note what you're doing and where you are when you observe these phenomena. Then, find the transmitter location on Google Maps and get a sense of where it is in relation to where you are. This will yield a LOT of experiential knowledge of the overall concept.
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OP
Thanks, this is very helpful.
OK ... Here we go ... nine points to cover:
1) You do have a solid understanding of the squelch, so, that is a better place than most people start at. One of the main differences in radio performance is actually how the receiver squelch operates. The chinese radios typically have awful squelch systems, but, they do what you said they do.
2) You also appear to have a clear grasp of what a repeater does, also a big step ahead of many beginners.
3) Without getting too techie, FM (frequency modulation) says that for a given audio frequency and sound level, the actual frequency you are sending at ... moves.
How much it moves for any given level of sound you intend to transmit can be set such that one option is 'wider' in occupied bandwidth than another.
If my receiver is expecting a narrower signal and you show up with a wider one, you will seem 'louder' than normal. And, when you become more distant, your wide signal can fade away faster than the narrow one. Conversely, if I am expecting a 'wide' signal from you and you are sending 'narrow' your voice will sound faint in relative terms.
And, if people are in a crowded signal environment (many people on adjacent frequencies trying to talk) your wider signal can overlap theirs; again, trying to not be too technical here.
4) CTCSS ... best to read this first:
Continuous Tone-Coded Squelch System - The RadioReference Wiki
wiki.radioreference.com
then watch this (yes, the video is made by a competitor to my employer, and, so what? it's well done):
You will need to have at least a basic command of this topic in order to operate (send and receive, with the appropriate license).
If you're only receiving, it sort of doesn't matter EXCEPT that you MAY be able to use CTCSS to make up for part of the awful squelch circuit I mentioned above. Don't concern yourself with this tech detail quite yet.
5) A word about transmitting:
On the family radio band and the GMRS band, and on the so-called VHF cross-country-itinerant channels, people often communicate with each other without a license and while illegal, no one says much about it. In general, there's no 'hobby' type operation. The radios are used to communicate, not to find our how radios work. People who know each other use these radios to talk to each other, but not to call random strangers, on purpose, like you do as a ham operator.
On the ham bands, you purposefully use the radios as a learning aid and see what you can figure out to make them better, in some way. Communicating is a goal but not THE goal. And it's fraternal, inside of the only international legal framework that governs a hobby; no hams can communicate with you if you don't have a license, as amateur radio stations may by law communicate only with other amateur radio stations (the sole exception is in Title 47 CFR part 97.111 and this rule does not apply here).
As far as using ham band frequencies instead of family radio or GMRS frequencies .... really, that's not only illegal, but worse, it's disrespectful. It's kind of like going to someone else's nice neighborhood and littering. There are plenty of other places to go.
6) Regarding your antenna: you got an aftermarket rubber duck, a Japanese model or a chinese knockoff of it, to replace the factory rubber duck. It may be better and I hope it is, but it's also better than ... what? Set expectations accordingly. You are operating from indoors on VHF or UHF frequencies with a purposefully lossy antenna that has almost no aperture and you are not at the bottom of a valley, but, even at 2200 feet, your height above average terrain (the parameter that counts for VHF/UHF radio signals) may not be all that significant because you live where elevations may routinely exceed 2200 feet.
7) Indoor operation - irrespective of elevation - always attenuates radio signals, especially above 30 MHz. That is why people put antennas outdoors.
Best to read this:
Very high frequency - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
to garner a better understanding of the nature of radio wave propagation at the frequencies in question (roughly 2 meters and 70 centimeter wavelengths). These characteristics will be unlike your experiences with CB (11 meter wavelength) frequencies.
8) Oh ... I am assuming you understand the relationship between frequency and wavelength.
You'll need to be quickly able to 'flip' between these terms.
Look here for the needed information:
Frequency to Wavelength Calculator - everything RF
You will also quickly learn with your new radios that you must have a firm idea of what radio services are on what frequency ranges on which bands and with what characteristics.
Otherwise, as @noway2 has very presciently noted elsewhere, disappointment may loom large.
This is why I and several others have recommended sources for finding out what signals on which frequencies may be available where you live. Note that the presence of a listing in such directories is no guarantee that there will be signals present, or, if they are present, that you'll be able to hear them exactly where you are.
9) And of course, someone has to be sending for you to hear anything.
Many, in fact most stations of all sorts, are rarely transmitting. That is why your radio has a scanning function. The problem with the scanning function is that setting it up can be tricky (what are the frequency steps used by the services you want to maybe catch? are they wide or narrow? have they all moved to trunking systems which makes them unavailable for you to hear? et cetera) and is often unproductive, anyway, because your receiving location is compromised by being indoors. But you'll want to know how it works nonetheless. Hopefully the manual for your radio has a clear explanation.
Wrap-up:
My immediate advice would be to tune in the NOAA weather frequency for your area, and then leave it on, and walk around with the radio (indoors, outdoors, in the car, in motion, while stationary, etc.) and listen to where the signal comes in strong, where it doesn't, and note what you're doing and where you are when you observe these phenomenon. Then, find the transmitter location on Google Maps and get a sense of where it is in relation to where you are. This will yield a LOT of experiential knowledge of the overall concept.
I've been traveling the last 5 days so haven't done anything, will be back home this weekend and address the message from @mostly22lately but I have to admit, just reading his words made my head hurt so I'm going to need a couple of beers to ease the pain but will review and visit the links after I get home.
Just didn’t want to leave you hanging. That’s the thing, a lot of times people get overwhelmed by all of it. There is so much to learn before you even really get started. Some folks take info like mostly22lately gave you and make out like they are being a know it all or gatekeeping, that’s not the case, there is just so much to know. He gave a great overview of some of what you need to learn to be able to use your radios effectively, I couldn’t lay it out any better. It really is a very technical hobby, I’ve been licensed since 2017 and have just scratched the surface of what the hobby offers. Just remember if you get frustrated cut the thing off, set it down and come back to it later. I am also terrible at explaining things so if I confuse you, I am sorry. Also, most things in the radio world are not plug-n-play so expect it to be a learning journey. Learning is good for the brain no matter how old you are.
OP
Pertaining to post #58, @mostly22lately
3) Frequency modulation, I grasp what you told me, the audio level and sound frequency changes so I am going to go ahead and assume these changes are due to atmospheric changes that are constantly changing. I also assume that both communicating operators would on fly tune their radios making corrections. Easier done on a base station than a ht.
4) Good video. I'm now informed far more about STCSS and DCC than I ever thought I would be, and now realize I need to have some understanding of STCSS/DCC to set up the basic settings in my radio.
5) Exactly what frequences are "so-called VHF cross-country-itinerant channels"? Is this pertaining to GMRS only or do hams also have frequences?
6) Regarding antenna. I spent some time today outside walking around the back and sides of my house with my radio tuned to NOAA on Mt. Pisgah and am able to receive the signal, but it constantly fluctuates between zero and 6 bars, signal is never lost, same findings Inside the house and driving highway 64, one mile to Ingles. In the ingles parking lot, wide open space I consistently get a very strong signal.
I decided to send the drone up a take a pic, see below. My findings lead me to believe I may not quite be SOL, even with an external antenna, it would have to be mounted fairly high, interested in everyone's opinions.
8) "Oh ... I am assuming you understand the relationship between frequency and wavelength." Surely you jest! I'll be googling this.
By the way, I was granted a GMRS license, and am preparing to take the ham technician test by watching YouTube, Ham Radio Crash Course, so far have reviewed up to Sub-Element 5, and am taking practice tests at the hamstudy site.
The house east of my house sets on the highest point on the hill.
3) Frequency modulation, I grasp what you told me, the audio level and sound frequency changes so I am going to go ahead and assume these changes are due to atmospheric changes that are constantly changing. I also assume that both communicating operators would on fly tune their radios making corrections. Easier done on a base station than a ht.
4) Good video. I'm now informed far more about STCSS and DCC than I ever thought I would be, and now realize I need to have some understanding of STCSS/DCC to set up the basic settings in my radio.
5) Exactly what frequences are "so-called VHF cross-country-itinerant channels"? Is this pertaining to GMRS only or do hams also have frequences?
6) Regarding antenna. I spent some time today outside walking around the back and sides of my house with my radio tuned to NOAA on Mt. Pisgah and am able to receive the signal, but it constantly fluctuates between zero and 6 bars, signal is never lost, same findings Inside the house and driving highway 64, one mile to Ingles. In the ingles parking lot, wide open space I consistently get a very strong signal.
I decided to send the drone up a take a pic, see below. My findings lead me to believe I may not quite be SOL, even with an external antenna, it would have to be mounted fairly high, interested in everyone's opinions.
8) "Oh ... I am assuming you understand the relationship between frequency and wavelength." Surely you jest! I'll be googling this.
By the way, I was granted a GMRS license, and am preparing to take the ham technician test by watching YouTube, Ham Radio Crash Course, so far have reviewed up to Sub-Element 5, and am taking practice tests at the hamstudy site.
The house east of my house sets on the highest point on the hill.
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On the FM, it is the way your signal is modulated in the radio. Nothing to worry about changing or adjusting there. It is just the mode of operation. In the cb world, AM is the most common mode of modulating signals with Single Side Band or ssb, another mode available in some cb’s. FM is now legal on the cb band or 11 meters as us hams call it. I reference cb since you said you had some experience with that service before. So, if your radio is in FM mode the other radio you are talking to needs to be in FM also. On your radios, FM is the only option, so no need to worry with that, just set the frequency you want to talk on or listen to and you are good. Now there is wide and narrow FM, wide= 25khz wide signal, narrow= 12.5khz wide signal. Depending on what you are doing you may need one or the other. Most ham stuff is going to be wide and a lot of the public safety is narrow. Imagine the spectrum between this line [ ] and this one. You can fit twice as many 12.5khz narrow signals in that space as you can 25khz. Look at the gmrs frequency chart and you will see some frequencies listed as narrow and some are wide. Hope that helps. You can google or YouTube how the FM mode works to gain a better understanding of how your signal goes from your voice to the air.
The vhf itinerant frequencies are between 30mhz and 45mhz, no ham privileges there. You can get a business license to use them. The highway patrol used to use the vhf low band as it’s also referred to.
The GMRS service operates in the 462mhz area, with the repeater input frequencies in the 467mhz area. Anything from around 350mhz up a good ways is considered to be uhf.
VHF runs from about 30mhz up to 350mhz
Congrats on the GMRS license and study up on the technician material. By studying the ham material you will also gain knowledge on how GMRS works, as it is no different in the way everything works, just different in the rules and types of certified equipment for use on that service. 22 channels like cb has 40, and repeaters which share output frequencies with some simplex channels, vs being able to go to whatever frequency in the range that you have privileges in, as in ham radio.
The vhf itinerant frequencies are between 30mhz and 45mhz, no ham privileges there. You can get a business license to use them. The highway patrol used to use the vhf low band as it’s also referred to.
The GMRS service operates in the 462mhz area, with the repeater input frequencies in the 467mhz area. Anything from around 350mhz up a good ways is considered to be uhf.
VHF runs from about 30mhz up to 350mhz
Congrats on the GMRS license and study up on the technician material. By studying the ham material you will also gain knowledge on how GMRS works, as it is no different in the way everything works, just different in the rules and types of certified equipment for use on that service. 22 channels like cb has 40, and repeaters which share output frequencies with some simplex channels, vs being able to go to whatever frequency in the range that you have privileges in, as in ham radio.
I saw your pictures, nice neighborhood, I assume you have an HOA that precludes outdoor antennas, right?
Houses are very close together, which means you are subject to possibly hearing electronic interfering signals generated by yours and the neighbors' household items such as TV sets and washing machines and grow lamps for their 'garden' and who knows what else. In general, for frequencies above 2 meters, these noises dissipate.
to address questions raised:
FM and AM are just types of radio carrier modulation, used to add content to a radio carrier frequency, and are unrelated to atmospheric effects
SSB (single side band) is a type of AM
there are FM broadcast stations and AM broadcast stations, for example, so named due to the type of modulation used
there are MANY types of modulation
modulation is a topic you'll have to learn about, essentially a baseline awareness
Cross country itinerant frequencies ...
wiki.radioreference.com
these are not related directly to the channelized GMRS and FRS bands; see the chart on the website
ham radio does NOT use 'channels' at all and in fact it's bad practice to even suggest it; that said, there are frequency steps in common use on VHF and UHF, but they are not channels ... and while ham FM repeater frequencies are coordinated for effective regional re-use, no one 'owns' any frequency
There are band plans, gentleman's agreements that are to the radio spectrum much like zoning laws are to real estate. You don't put a tire factory next to a grade school (unless you're in Houston) and you don't put RTTY (radio teletype) adjacent to QRP CW (low power Morse code).
Frequency range naming convention:
Medium Frequency = MF = 300 kHz to 3 MHz (includes AM broadcast band and 160 meter ham band)
High Frequency = HF = 3 MHz to 30 MHz (includes international broadcast, overseas aviation, all the shortwave ham bands, and much more)
Very High Frequency = VHF = 30 MHz to 300 MHz (includes the 6, 2, and 1.25 meter ham bands, substantially all non-overseas air navigation and communications, lots of 2 way commercial services, the FM broadcast band, and some TV stations, just to name a few things)
Ultra High Frequency = UHF = 300 MHz to 3 GHz (includes the 70cm ham bands, fire, police, other 2 way, much of the cellular bands, GPS and many other satellites, more TV stations ...)
the reason for the boundaries is that, in the most general sense, frequencies of any given range have similar propagation characteristics, and the needs of certain types of communications largely determine what frequencies range(s) will be best used
all of this knowledge is quite similar to firearms knowledge ... you know when to use a #4 shot 12 gauge, versus a 22lr, versus a 44 Magnum, versus a 6.5 Creedmore ... you know when to use a snub nose revolver, versus a 5" 1911, versus a 20 gauge auto, versus an AR .... same concepts
Houses are very close together, which means you are subject to possibly hearing electronic interfering signals generated by yours and the neighbors' household items such as TV sets and washing machines and grow lamps for their 'garden' and who knows what else. In general, for frequencies above 2 meters, these noises dissipate.
to address questions raised:
FM and AM are just types of radio carrier modulation, used to add content to a radio carrier frequency, and are unrelated to atmospheric effects
SSB (single side band) is a type of AM
there are FM broadcast stations and AM broadcast stations, for example, so named due to the type of modulation used
there are MANY types of modulation
modulation is a topic you'll have to learn about, essentially a baseline awareness
Cross country itinerant frequencies ...
Common Itinerant and Business - The RadioReference Wiki
these are not related directly to the channelized GMRS and FRS bands; see the chart on the website
ham radio does NOT use 'channels' at all and in fact it's bad practice to even suggest it; that said, there are frequency steps in common use on VHF and UHF, but they are not channels ... and while ham FM repeater frequencies are coordinated for effective regional re-use, no one 'owns' any frequency
There are band plans, gentleman's agreements that are to the radio spectrum much like zoning laws are to real estate. You don't put a tire factory next to a grade school (unless you're in Houston) and you don't put RTTY (radio teletype) adjacent to QRP CW (low power Morse code).
Frequency range naming convention:
Medium Frequency = MF = 300 kHz to 3 MHz (includes AM broadcast band and 160 meter ham band)
High Frequency = HF = 3 MHz to 30 MHz (includes international broadcast, overseas aviation, all the shortwave ham bands, and much more)
Very High Frequency = VHF = 30 MHz to 300 MHz (includes the 6, 2, and 1.25 meter ham bands, substantially all non-overseas air navigation and communications, lots of 2 way commercial services, the FM broadcast band, and some TV stations, just to name a few things)
Ultra High Frequency = UHF = 300 MHz to 3 GHz (includes the 70cm ham bands, fire, police, other 2 way, much of the cellular bands, GPS and many other satellites, more TV stations ...)
the reason for the boundaries is that, in the most general sense, frequencies of any given range have similar propagation characteristics, and the needs of certain types of communications largely determine what frequencies range(s) will be best used
all of this knowledge is quite similar to firearms knowledge ... you know when to use a #4 shot 12 gauge, versus a 22lr, versus a 44 Magnum, versus a 6.5 Creedmore ... you know when to use a snub nose revolver, versus a 5" 1911, versus a 20 gauge auto, versus an AR .... same concepts
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True, but the FCC isn't actively looking and showing up armed with SWAT backup.
Not yet anyways...
Years ago, my work desk phone would ring at 1:30 on Thursdays and again 1/2 hour later. If you answered you got what sounded like a fax machine. We tried putting a fax machine on it to “answer” but it didn’t connect. This went on for months and obviously someone had some sort of program “war dialing” as they used to call it. I filled out a complaint on the FCC website and about six weeks later, got a letter from the FCC saying we’ve taken care of it and thank you for contacting us.
Amazingly, the calls stopped.
OP
I do live in a HOA, but since I can't find my copy of the covenants, I'll have to request a copy. During my internet searches I came across Ed Fong antennas, fairly inconspicuous, they even have a portable model to toss a line up a tree. Any opinions on the Ed Fong antennas and if they would be sufficient in my area based on the pic is post #62.
Ed has some nice designs. I have not spoken to him in years, since I stopped my once-frequent trips to the Bay Area.
It's hard to say what antenna you should put up unless I knew what your goal was for using the antenna.
>>Are you intending to access repeaters, and if so, which ones, and what direction and distance are they from you?
Can you hear them using just your existing handheld with the aftermarket antenna you got?
You might not need an outdoor antenna, or, you might need a BIG outdoor antenna! (No way for me to know which.)
Trees are notorious absorbers of RF at VHF and up. I have never been successful with VHF antennas in trees.
Then, there's the challenge of feedlines above 30 MHz: cost, weight, length, loss, versus height and gain advantage.
You have to do the math to see if the 'juice is worth the squeeze' as it's said.
>> Or ... do you have some other goal?
Those trees, to me, look like a great place to hang a remotely-tuned doublet.
Doublets, ladder line and automatic remote tuners | The Ladder Line
OP
Haha, I don't think that Doublet ladders you linked is going to work out for me. At home I would like to connect to a repeater, closest one appears to be Hendersonville, Bearwallow Mountain (East of me) appears to be about 10 miles away and did pick up some conversations but not very strong signal.
It's nice living within the trees but if you're a radio operator....
It's nice living within the trees but if you're a radio operator....
One way to look at what you can do with the hobby is to split the 'opportunities' into two large categories:
1) Infrastructure-dependent communications (using repeaters / satellites), and,
2) Non-infrastructure-dependent communications (direct connects between two or more stations, the 'traditional ham radio' that people often envision)
Each has attractive attributes, and, commensurate challenges.
For an example on (1), if there is a repeater that is pretty strong at your house, you let the repeater do all the 'work' and you can walk around with your new HT and talk to people that way.
If the repeater you want isn't too strong, you can put up a larger antenna and vastly increase the signal. But doing so means you are not walking around, since you have to be where the cable from that antenna is, to connect to your radio. And, either way, everyone you will be able to talk to must also be on that repeater (infrastructure).
For now, it sounds like you want to get a tech class license and use at least two repeaters from your house, as you have described.
That's a very popular thing to do, and, consequently there are many options available for you to make that happen.
I am guessing that one of the repeaters is 146.64 [CTCSS 91.5Hz]. Is that right? or maybe 145.19, way way up at Mt. Mitchell?
Next likely steps are:
a. get your license and then actually try to see what range you have with the gear you now own
b. do that, but prior, get a ham buddy to come over and experiment with you ahead of time, sort of getting a head start
To help make that happen, you are REALLY in luck, as one of the BEST ham radio clubs ANY where is in YOUR area!!
(no kidding, radioclub.org is their website URL)
The doublet I mentioned is for HF use in non-infrastructure-dependent communications. No repeaters. Your station would connect directly with others.
Depending on the frequency, time of day, and other variables, you could have range from hardly any at all to effectively everywhere in this hemisphere of the planet, or even further. For example, earlier today I was on 40 meter SSB and chatted with an older gent in Greenville NC. Later, on 20 meter SSB, I spoke with a fellow closer to my age, on the west side of the Isle of Wight in the English Channel. For both of those contacts, I was using 50 watts into a doublet much like the one in the article I sent, in trees, up about 30 feet. The other stations reported my signal was very clear and strong, easily able to carry on a conversation. My radio generates 5 watts, about what your handheld can make, and is from a kit I built in 1999. I boost this signal from 5 watts to 50 watts power with an amplifier I also built from a kit about 10 years ago.
1) Infrastructure-dependent communications (using repeaters / satellites), and,
2) Non-infrastructure-dependent communications (direct connects between two or more stations, the 'traditional ham radio' that people often envision)
Each has attractive attributes, and, commensurate challenges.
For an example on (1), if there is a repeater that is pretty strong at your house, you let the repeater do all the 'work' and you can walk around with your new HT and talk to people that way.
If the repeater you want isn't too strong, you can put up a larger antenna and vastly increase the signal. But doing so means you are not walking around, since you have to be where the cable from that antenna is, to connect to your radio. And, either way, everyone you will be able to talk to must also be on that repeater (infrastructure).
For now, it sounds like you want to get a tech class license and use at least two repeaters from your house, as you have described.
That's a very popular thing to do, and, consequently there are many options available for you to make that happen.
I am guessing that one of the repeaters is 146.64 [CTCSS 91.5Hz]. Is that right? or maybe 145.19, way way up at Mt. Mitchell?
Next likely steps are:
a. get your license and then actually try to see what range you have with the gear you now own
b. do that, but prior, get a ham buddy to come over and experiment with you ahead of time, sort of getting a head start
To help make that happen, you are REALLY in luck, as one of the BEST ham radio clubs ANY where is in YOUR area!!
(no kidding, radioclub.org is their website URL)
The doublet I mentioned is for HF use in non-infrastructure-dependent communications. No repeaters. Your station would connect directly with others.
Depending on the frequency, time of day, and other variables, you could have range from hardly any at all to effectively everywhere in this hemisphere of the planet, or even further. For example, earlier today I was on 40 meter SSB and chatted with an older gent in Greenville NC. Later, on 20 meter SSB, I spoke with a fellow closer to my age, on the west side of the Isle of Wight in the English Channel. For both of those contacts, I was using 50 watts into a doublet much like the one in the article I sent, in trees, up about 30 feet. The other stations reported my signal was very clear and strong, easily able to carry on a conversation. My radio generates 5 watts, about what your handheld can make, and is from a kit I built in 1999. I boost this signal from 5 watts to 50 watts power with an amplifier I also built from a kit about 10 years ago.
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