5 ms·

You can hit the space stations repeater with a $40 boafeng radio. Line of site baby!

beeskneecaps 5y ago
Love my UV5R! I put a telescopic, 1 meter antenna on mine and was able to hit a repeater on Mount Diablo from the Twin Peaks in SF ~42 miles away! PSA: we need more HAMs out there! Check out https://hamstudy.org https://hamstudy.org and get your license https://hamstudy.org/sessions/remote https://hamstudy.org/sessions/remote
- creeble 5y ago
  Let me add my favorite, https://hamexam.org https://hamexam.org
- throwaway48375 5y ago
  What antenna?
  - genewitch 5y ago
    just get a legitimate nagoya and call it good, if you want 100% portable and "not likely to break if you sneeze while using it".
    - int_19h 5y ago
      And if you want something that's often just as good, but you don't have to worry about breaking it, get a Signal Stick: https://www.eham.net/reviews/view-product?id=13357 https://www.eham.net/reviews/view-product?id=13357
  - beeskneecaps 5y ago
    RH 660s. I was skeptical at first, but it has really held up. I get really good signal reports and people always say they're surprised when I'm using a UV5R. I did drill the microphone port open a little wider by the way and I think that helped get some more gain/clarity as well. Note that the RH 660s is 27 centimeters collapsed (11 inches), and 1 meter fully extended. It is rigid so not one of the floppy antennas. Collapsed it can take abuse, but when extended, bending is a risk.
Zenst 5y ago
Yes though the issue with many boafend radios is that they get banned in countries due to the bleed over other frequencies with the harmonics that break the rules. Covered better here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0EdkdNqczk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0EdkdNqczk
- genewitch 5y ago
  Baofeng caught heat because their radios are "unlocked" and in the US you cannot sell a radio that can set arbitrary frequencies in the FRS or GMRS bands (i forget which and it's irrelevant) - that is, they can't have keypads for one thing. Another issue is the power, if your radio can transmit on those two bands it must use <=1000mW, and all of the baofengs claim at least 5W transmit. Yet another reason is FRS/GMRS radios (whichever) must have *fixed* antennas. The hash is just a reason for people to complain about them. As shipped from the factory, they're below the minimum hash levels required. Now, if you connect them to a cheap RF amplifier, you might run afoul of your license's rules about hashing up the harmonics. Personally i prefer quansheng, as their speakers are louder, but i've never had an issue with a baofeng, especially with an external speaker/mic/antenna. for posterity, i am extremely tired, and i welcome all elucidations and corrections, because i'm probably misremembering something, here.

Love my UV5R! I put a telescopic, 1 meter antenna on mine and was able to hit a repeater on Mount Diablo from the Twin Peaks in SF ~42 miles away! PSA: we need more HAMs out there! Check out https://hamstudy.org https://hamstudy.org and get your license https://hamstudy.org/sessions/remote https://hamstudy.org/sessions/remote

creeble 5y ago
Let me add my favorite, https://hamexam.org https://hamexam.org
throwaway48375 5y ago
What antenna?
- genewitch 5y ago
  just get a legitimate nagoya and call it good, if you want 100% portable and "not likely to break if you sneeze while using it".
  - int_19h 5y ago
    And if you want something that's often just as good, but you don't have to worry about breaking it, get a Signal Stick: https://www.eham.net/reviews/view-product?id=13357 https://www.eham.net/reviews/view-product?id=13357
- beeskneecaps 5y ago
  RH 660s. I was skeptical at first, but it has really held up. I get really good signal reports and people always say they're surprised when I'm using a UV5R. I did drill the microphone port open a little wider by the way and I think that helped get some more gain/clarity as well. Note that the RH 660s is 27 centimeters collapsed (11 inches), and 1 meter fully extended. It is rigid so not one of the floppy antennas. Collapsed it can take abuse, but when extended, bending is a risk.

Zenst 5y ago

Yes though the issue with many boafend radios is that they get banned in countries due to the bleed over other frequencies with the harmonics that break the rules. Covered better here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0EdkdNqczk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0EdkdNqczk

genewitch 5y ago
Baofeng caught heat because their radios are "unlocked" and in the US you cannot sell a radio that can set arbitrary frequencies in the FRS or GMRS bands (i forget which and it's irrelevant) - that is, they can't have keypads for one thing. Another issue is the power, if your radio can transmit on those two bands it must use <=1000mW, and all of the baofengs claim at least 5W transmit. Yet another reason is FRS/GMRS radios (whichever) must have *fixed* antennas. The hash is just a reason for people to complain about them. As shipped from the factory, they're below the minimum hash levels required. Now, if you connect them to a cheap RF amplifier, you might run afoul of your license's rules about hashing up the harmonics. Personally i prefer quansheng, as their speakers are louder, but i've never had an issue with a baofeng, especially with an external speaker/mic/antenna. for posterity, i am extremely tired, and i welcome all elucidations and corrections, because i'm probably misremembering something, here.