Cheap Comms - Baofeng Radios

[Justin]

Would these radios be a good buy for someone who doesn't know anything about radio or HAM, but is interested in getting the license?

Also, I assume you can use these to talk to people using other brands of radio, as long as they're on the same band?

[Mtneer]

Would these radios be a good buy for someone who doesn't know anything about radio or HAM, but is interested in getting the license?

Also, I assume you can use these to talk to people using other brands of radio, as long as they're on the same band?

Absolutely. Much more versatile than the standard cheapies sold at big box stores (FRS and GMRS). These are cheap (for now), will work with most other radios and will work when cell phones don't in SHTF. In rural areas, you can also monitor sheriff/fire bands but they're shutting that down on the Front Range with the switch to encrypted digital.

For emergency purposes, you don't need a license so that's purely optional unless you're using them a lot. The challenge is getting them set up properly with all the right frequencies (easier now with software) and learning some basics...then trying to re-remember everything a year or three later.

Eventually you should upgrade antennas (multiple options) and get all the other accessories for boosting broadcast power and power sources. But that can happen later as you learn more. The deadline for getting the cheap, decent handheld radios is coming soon.

[Grant H.]

My sincerest apologies for not having the write up finished yet. I have had a few unexpected tasks thrown at me at work, and have been buried... I will get this up as quickly as possible.

Anyone ever tried the Radioddity GA-5S radio? I've got a UV5RA, was thinking of picking up a second, and saw that one. Looks a higher powered Baefeng clone.

I haven't but I have a radioddity truck radio on the way, so I will have an idea of what I think of something from them. Overall internet reaction seems positive to their private labeled radios.

Will this Chirrp program work with my Yaesu FT-50R with the MARS/CAP mod? I programmed it manually ages ago and suspect a lot has changed. Would be nice to update without the brainhurt. I'll pick up a couple Baefengs too.

Per this, yes. I haven't programmed mine with Chirp yet.

https://chirp.danplanet.com/projects/chirp/wiki/Home

I have considered getting something like this for my RZR for comms when riding. Should I just get the handheld?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/QYT-KT-8900...S/142247329890

I have one of these on the way for a repeater build and I can give you my thoughts once I get it (supposed to be delivered 7/15).

These truck radios, with the higher TX power and a good whip (the one I linked comes with a whip antenna) will cover a LOT more distance than a handheld.

As a non radio person, would these with updated antenna work for talking between say Longmont and Westminster off repeaters or whatever? Dad has his ham licence and some equipment. Figured these might be fun for him to play with as a gift and possibly get setup to call each other with.

With repeaters? Yep. Direct? Likely not. I can hit the BARC repeater at NCAR from the basement of my house in SE Longmont, but that's a very nice set of antennas, filters, and radios (been there when I was in BARC Jr, and got to "help" tune a new filter that was installed).

I was taught to usually figure 1 watt per mile of communications without using repeaters. (Line of site, no obstacles) If mountain top to mountain top, you can get some distance. Bigger and better antennas help.

That's a pretty good rule of thumb, but it is conservative, as evidenced by my ability to hit and use the BARC repeater at NCAR from my house. Google earth says that is 14 miles. This is with my uv-5r+ and either the 8" or 15" Nagoya/Radioddity antennas.

The 2 meter Ham band is better (140MHz) with terrain and obstacles, because it will bend and push through better than the 400MHz of the 70cm Ham band and the FRS band. The FRS/GMRS/70cm band is WAYYY better than the modern 900MHz digital radios used by LE/FD/EMS, unless you have a trunked repeater setup like they do. Handheld to handheld will blow in the 900MHz band.

Basically, the lower the frequency, the better it will perform over distance. Think about FM radio stations (80-100MHz) vs AM radio stations (.5-1.7MHz). AM covers so much more ground, because it has a frequency that is so much lower. AM and FM stations are generally pretty similar in output power.

For real radio.

I'm sure not getting 10 miles from the cheap illegal chinese linear amp I have on my CB. ;-)

Make sure your radio output is in line with the expected input of the amp. If you are over/under driving the amp, it won't be happy, and won't play nice.

Would these radios be a good buy for someone who doesn't know anything about radio or HAM, but is interested in getting the license?

Also, I assume you can use these to talk to people using other brands of radio, as long as they're on the same band?

Yes, and yes. The only caveat to talking to other radios is that some FRS radios can run "security" to make your conversations private, so if others are using that, you can't hear what they are saying, just noise.

[brutal]

Make sure your radio output is in line with the expected input of the amp. If you are over/under driving the amp, it won't be happy, and won't play nice.

It's actually working OK and is one of 3 or 4 low power amps I picked up cheap many many years ago off ebay for the travel crew. All theirs have rolled over and died, mine lives on. I do have an SWR meter and have the antenna tuned well, so I expect that helps keep it from frying.

Now my dilemma is thanks to you, I ordered a DB25 truck radio. I hate to ditch my CB because a few of us still run them, but am not looking forward to running another cable or affixing another antenna mount to my truck.

[thedave1164]

It's actually working OK and is one of 3 or 4 low power amps I picked up cheap many many years ago off ebay for the travel crew. All theirs have rolled over and died, mine lives on. I do have an SWR meter and have the antenna tuned well, so I expect that helps keep it from frying.

Now my dilemma is thanks to you, I ordered a DB25 truck radio. I hate to ditch my CB because a few of us still run them, but am not looking forward to running another cable or affixing another antenna mount to my truck.

You might be able to reuse your cable and mount, post some pics of the connector for the radio end and the connector at the mount end

[brutal]

You might be able to reuse your cable and mount, post some pics of the connector for the radio end and the connector at the mount end

It's a PL259 on the radio end and a ring mount on the antenna side.

[Grant H.]

It's a PL259 on the radio end and a ring mount on the antenna side.

That's what I get for not reading the next page before responding...

When you say "ring mount" does it look like this?

That is a standard NMO mount, and MANY vehicle antennas for lots of different bands can be had for that mount (very, very common). You can also get them built into a magnetic mount that has a cable attached, so it is removable.

[brutal]

That's what I get for not reading the next page before responding...

When you say "ring mount" does it look like this?

That is a standard NMO mount, and MANY vehicle antennas for lots of different bands can be had for that mount (very, very common). You can also get them built into a magnetic mount that has a cable attached, so it is removable.

More like this:



Of course, I ordered the radio with an antenna (7900D), and it has a PL259 base.

[Grant H.]

It's actually working OK and is one of 3 or 4 low power amps I picked up cheap many many years ago off ebay for the travel crew. All theirs have rolled over and died, mine lives on. I do have an SWR meter and have the antenna tuned well, so I expect that helps keep it from frying.

Now my dilemma is thanks to you, I ordered a DB25 truck radio. I hate to ditch my CB because a few of us still run them, but am not looking forward to running another cable or affixing another antenna mount to my truck.

I have been described, by friends that I hang out with, as the "crack dealer that gives out the first rock free..." specifically referring to my firearms and technology hobbies that get expensive...

Yes, having your antenna tuned will significantly help with protecting the life of your amp.

I also agree with Dave, you may be able to re-use your cable run and antenna mount. I have all kinds of RF adapters in my pile of random parts. Most CB's use PL-259 connectors and I have some adapters for that to N.