HAM Radio- Okay ELMER where is the easy button on these radios?

[.40isthenew.45]

I want to think I am not the only one who wants HAM radio to be easy. I am not "one of those guys" who just goes out and buys the radio and to heck with getting licensed. About two and a half years ago, I downloaded the test questions for the Technician test. I studied them well enough to pass the test and got my license.

Then I bought a cheap handheld, dowloaded CHIRP and "programmed" the local repeaters. And....... I have talked to exactly one person, one time since then.

I know there are guys who really get into the theory, and complexities, but that's just not me. I want to be able to talk to other people, practice enough that I don't loose the skill, and be able to talk/help if the need arises, i.e. Fire/blizzard/search and rescue I might even consider joining the local ARES or RACES groups

In hopes that it was just the handheld making it not as much fun/not as useful as I though it would be, I asked Mrs. Clause for a mobile radio this year. She didn't read the whole list and I got the radio with no antenna or programming cable. As I started looking for an antenna, the frustration level crept back up.

DOES IT REALLY HAVE TO BE THIS HARD?

Shouldn't there be a checklist somewhere that says if you have radio A, use antenna B. And oh by the way, here is the contact number for you local club, that speaks english not radio, and will help you get set up without judging you or the equipment you bought?

We help guys with hi-points learn to shoot, before we counsel them about what to buy next time don't we?

Okay for those of you still reading thanks for your patience.
What I need help with specifically is selecting an antenna, preferably magnetic mount to go on my van and work with the Btech UV-25x4 I got for Christmas. I would also welcome suggestions on repeaters/setup if you have any.

Thanks in advance.

[asmo]

RECOMMENDED Accessories
Pair the UV-25X4 with the Nagoya UT-72 Magnetic Mount Antenna for easy installation with the UHF antenna connectors.

[CS1983]

Have you been in contact with the local club(s) in COS?

I know ChadAmberg (user here) is into HAM and is in COS. Might send him a PM. I'm sure he would be happy to either assist if able or point you in the right direction.

[Martinjmpr]

You're preaching to the choir here. IMO the main reason ham radio is not more popular is because the radios themselves are so complex and non-intuitive to use.

Lots of folks on the 4x4 boards where I hang out b!tch and moan about the quality of CB comms (which really suck) but they still use CB. Why? Because CB is easy to use, and it's universal. There's no choosing between duplex/simplex, using the VFO to choose frequency, CTCSS codes, etc etc. All that stuff is great for ham "hobbyists" but for those of us who just want to talk, it's a barrier to entry.

To put it another way, I have enough hobbies already, I don't need another hobby, what I need is a radio to talk to other vehicles when I'm off road. And while CB is a terrible system, it is easy to use and universal so until someone comes up with something better, we either (a) live with the limitations of CB or (b) roll up our sleeves and try to figure out our overly-complex 2m or 440cm VHF/UHF Ham radios.

I wish there was an easy answer but there's not. As to the question "does it really have to be this hard?" the answer is "no, it doesn't but at this time there's just not enough demand for an easy-to-use ham radio to justify any manufacturer making one."

Over on the http://www.expeditionportal message boards there has been some talk of moving the GMRS. GMRS does require a license (I think it's $70 for 10 years) but there is no test. Like CB - an UNLIKE the ham bands - GMRS is "channelized" which makes it very easy to use. GMRS also allows mobile radios i.e. mounted in a vehicle and connected to the vehicle's power system and using an external antenna, as opposed to Family Radio Service or FRS, which can only be used on a hand-held radio with a fixed antenna attached. I think GMRS mobile radios can be up to 25 watts ERP while FRS is limited to 1 or 2 watts. GMRS radios are in the UHF band and offer pretty clear FM transmission and reception and there are even GMRS repeaters that can extend the line-of-sight for longer communications.

The obvious down side to GMRS is that there just aren't that many people using them right now and any communications system is only good if there's someone on the other end to receive.

So I know that doesn't really help, except to let you know you're not the only one in this position.

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

Shouldn't there be a checklist somewhere that says if you have radio A, use antenna B. And oh by the way, here is the contact number for you local club, that speaks english not radio, and will help you get set up without judging you or the equipment you bought?

We help guys with hi-points learn to shoot, before we council them about what to buy next time don't we?

Interesting, and completely valid point.
Most hobbies have “entry level” stuff. Your “maybe I won’t get too into” purchases that will allow you to test, shoot (exposures or projectiles), get out on the water or the road, and then move up and on. Ham does seem to be “grow into stuff” which few grow into.

I know only the most basic functions of my Icom HT, and I have no idea when my license is up for another renewal.

[.40isthenew.45]

First of all, thanks to those of you who have responded so far.

I am actually in Pueblo, but have checked the web pages of the clubs down here (maybe I need to give them more of a shot). I just updated the location in my profile, this was a good reminder to do so.

I was in Denver for the afternoon and stopped by a ham radio shop while I was there. I am not as impressed as I wanted to be, and just about any google search for ham radio in denver will tell you which shop on Iliff I was at.

The first question they asked after I told them I was looking for a mag mount mobile antenna was "Which radio do you have?" Which is of course a very reasonable question to get the right frequency(s) and connector. When I told them, you could tell they were disappointed, and had to look it up. Perhaps it was just that I didn't buy from them. They pointed me to an antenna and went to see if they had a programming cable for the radio as well. They didn't (they don't carry my brand so I'm not really surprised). I talked to them a little more about antennas and what made one better than the other, and whether or not I would need to do any tuning after purchase. The short answer (and that is about all I got) was "longer is better" and "they all come tuned from the factory". Which pretty well sums it up, but I still felt like I had to pull that out of them. I then asked if they had a longer antenna than the one they recommended initially. It turns out they did, and it was only about $6 more than the first one. So I feel like I at least got a little information and a better antenna than I would have if Mrs. Clause had read the whole list and gotten the Amazon frequently bought together antenna I put on the list.

I knew I would pay a little more for the antenna from an actual store and didn't mind supporting the semi-local business and paying some for the expertise and advice also. It turns out, my $38 dollar antenna is also available on Amazon for only $21, but I feel like I at least learned a little.

For those of you who may still be in search of an antenna, I got the Tram Model 11861 which I just verified will indeed screw into the back of my radio. It is 37 inches long instead of the 19.5" that has also been recommended. Twice as long must be twice as good right?

When I get the programming cable, I am going to hope that CHIRP lets me cut and paste the settings I used for the handheld to the new mobile. I am not 100% sure I have the handheld set up exactly right either but at least it seems to work for the most part.

I am still open to suggestions and if any of you have a radio and want to try talking over one of the 2m repeaters up and down the front range, drop me a pm and we can figure out when to try.

One other thing from the store, which reinforces why I don't post my call sign here. As I was checking out he asked "What's your call?" After I asked him to repeat the question and he explained what he was looking for, I told him I would have to look it up. He did it for me, which gave him my name and address on file with the FCC. Anyone can look up the information in the FCC database at http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsS...rchAmateur.jsp

[ChadAmberg]

Which mobile radio did you end up getting?

Probably a 2m/70cm dual band rig? Something with a UHF antenna jack, I'd get http://www.diamondantenna.net/mr77.html.

If you want a lip mount over magnetic, I ran http://www.cometantenna.com/amateur-...nts-with-coax/ the CP-5NMO mount, and then I added a dual band antenna that was the height I wanted. Worked great for me for years.

You will have much better results with the mobile than the handheld. Let me know if you have any questions about getting it mounted.

[.40isthenew.45]

Thanks, I got a Btech UV-25x4 and already had the BF-F8HP handheld. I just ordered the programming cable, and will probably get everything hooked up this weekend. I am going to try and keep it as mobile as possible, so cigarette lighter plug and the mag mount should let me move it around pretty easily. I may use the hard mount and some thumbscrews to secure it in the van and just let it ride in the passenger seat in the other vehicles on the rare occasion it winds up in one of them.

The first one you recommended was also the first recommendation from the unnamed shop.

[gnihcraes]

Welcome to ham radio!

I want to say that the BTech Baofeng radios are not the easiest to understand or program (my experience) And CHIRP software isn't the greatest either. So, don't let it get you down and out of ham radio. I'm not saying that you should go buy anything different, just that other radios are usually easier than BTech Baofeng. (strange logic and key functions on those radios!)

The unmentioned shop you stopped at, will have different types of folks working there. Some more helpful than others. Much like some gun shops I can think of.

As for CB Radio and off roading, there are some mobile/handheld options that utilize the FRS/GMRS which are channelized. https://www.ruggedradios.com

Post up questions and I'm sure a couple of us will do our best to help.

[Martinjmpr]

As for CB Radio and off roading, there are some mobile/handheld options that utilize the FRS/GMRS which are channelized. https://www.ruggedradios.com

Rugged Radios? I've heard some not-too-good things about them, personally I'd avoid them.

The $35 BaoFeng's are tempting but I decided I'd rather get a used version of a more expensive radio than a new version of a cheap radio (to translate this into gun terms, wouldn't you rather have a used Glock or Springfield than a brand new Lorcin or Hi-Point? )

I had made up my mind to finally get "serious" about ham last year, that was about a week before the wife decided we needed to move to a new house, and of course that sucked up all my available time and energy. Now that we're settled into the new house I'll again try to get my radios working. I have a Yaesu FT-50 dual band HT that I bought used in 2011 when I got my tech license (I had previously been a Tech+ but that license expired in 2004. Tech + no longer exists as a license class since they got rid of the novice license.) I also have a Kenwood mobile 2m that was in my old 4runner for a while - if I get ambitious I'll put it in my Suburban.

As for ham radio enthusiasts, in my (admittedly limited) experience, they are usually enthusiastic about helping you up until the point that they realize you aren't "into" radios and have zero interest in getting into "the hobby" and you just need to use the damn thing. The hams that have been most helpful to me are the ones for whom radio is an adjunct to another hobby, not a hobby in and of itself (for example, more and more 4 wheel drive and off road enthusiasts are getting into ham as it offers much better communications options than CB.)