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.
Help a guy out that's probably over thinking this and is ready to part with a little bit of his cash and order a couple of radios!
Buy once, cry once.
No one ever went wrong with quality.
Why do you need two?
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 went ahead and pulled the trigger on the Quansheng HT.
😂, 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.
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?
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In the past 20-25 years, this tradition has faded away and been replaced by a strong individual-driven streak, which usually is a good thing, but as you have found, not always.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."
Mult meter, Clamp on current meter, Soldering iron.What electronics equipment do you have, besides the radio(s)? Any test equipment? Coax cable and connectors? Soldering gear?
Im not big on this guy but he explains the menu in a baofeng, the menu in the quansheng is basically the same.
Another good link, thank you!Radio reference is another website where you can find public safety frequencies.
Thanks, this is very helpful.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.
o.
"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" ???
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.
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
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 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.
@Cucamonga did have you figured out anything with the radios?
just keep in mind that the relationship between HAMS and the FCC is not nearly as toxic as between that and gun owners and the ATF.
True, but the FCC isn't actively looking and showing up armed with SWAT backup.just keep in mind that the relationship between HAMS and the FCC is not nearly as toxic as between that and gun owners and the ATF.
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.Yes. In the former, the FCC does zip.
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.
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.
I’d suggest you try the Mt. Mitchell repeater @ 145.19 with -600 offset. Also Caesars Head repeater @146.61 also -600 offset and see if they work for you.When I poked my head into this rabbit hole, I never would have guessed there would be so many burrows to explore, I just get into one subject then stumble across another. I also decided to buy my GMRS license and am learning and playing around with that. I'm not changing the ham license destination, just adding GMRS as part of the journey.
To answer the question, with the HT, I'm able to monitor two ham repeaters. From inside the house, 442.85 Rich Mountain, Brevard, NC. Outside the house adds 146.61 Greenville, SC Caesars Head, *224.24 Hendersonville, NC but very inconsistent signal.
Thanks for the tip about the Blue Ridge Amateur Club, I had stumbled across them and kept the contact info.
The doublet antenna for HF. I can Invision having a long wire antenna someday, although nothing a bug as the link you forwarded. I'm looking at VHF/UHF antennas now.
*Added 224.4 Hendersonville.
I think he is running the HT indoors, and even with the upgraded antenna .... often iffy.I’d suggest you try the Mt. Mitchell repeater @ 145.19 with -600 offset. Also Caesars Head repeater @146.61 also -600 offset and see if they work for you
I remember getting my ticket and having my kenwood. It had an amazing receiver. I put up a home brew HF antenna and AJ4TF tested it out for me. With the HT I lucked up a Chinese Rap station and a news of he world propaganda station in my back yard.It's a lot more interesting once you get a license, anyway.