Need HAM radio for upcoming ROF trip. Need Ideas.

[vevans]

I am looking for suggestions of which HAM radio I should purchase for an upcoming ROF trip. I do not need to purchase a "high end" radio but on the other hand I do not want to purchase one that will be "technologically" be outdated before I get it installed.

Are dual mode radios worth the extra money?
Any advantages of digital over FM?
How many watts of power is sufficient for most situations?
Are some brands better and more reliable than others?
What is programming all about and how would I do it?
Should I look for a used unit? Do you have one to sell?
If you use a hand held radio and have an external antenna what do you do with the antenna cable while you are using the radio?

What else should I know?

Thanks for your ideas.

Vince


The final chapter of this thread;
I passed the license exam and have purchased a Yaesu FTM 7250 dual band radio and compatible antenna. Now just need to learn how to use them.

Thanks for all the good ideas and information.

Vince

 

[DaveInDenver]

I am looking for suggestions of which HAM radio I should purchase for an upcoming ROF trip. I do not need to purchase a "high end" radio but on the other hand I do not want to purchase one that will be "technologically" be outdated before I get it installed.

Do you have your ham license? In your other thread you mention just needing it for ROF trips. All your questions basically hinge on who you want to talk to and over what distances.

Are dual mode radios worth the extra money?

Do you really mean dual mode using FM and a digital or dual band meaning VHF and UHF? The answer is depends on who you intend to talk to. If you're just looking for ROF truck-to-truck then single band 2m FM is really all you need.

Any advantages of digital over FM?

No static whatsoever. Having some data embedded in the stream, such as location or call sign is nice. Mostly digital modes are about having zero static until you get drop out at which point there's no signal. They also use less bandwidth but in amateur radio we generally have enough spectrum to not need digital to fit channels in limited space like they do in commercial and public service bands.

So the main use for digital modes is making linking repeaters over the Internet easier. But that has been possible and still is using analog modes, so no, digital modes are not a requirement.

But if you do want a digital mode it further complicates the choice because you have to decide which one and that's a real can of worms. You don't need or want digital as your first radio.

How many watts of power is sufficient for most situations?

Enough to reach whoever you're talking to but no more than is necessary to prevent interference with stations you don't. You typically get 5 watts in handheld radios and this is sufficient for a few miles. A mobile radio with 50W will reach any radio out as far as line of sight will allow. Usually the limit is how high over ground your antenna is rather than power.

Are some brands better and more reliable than others?

Yes. Yaesu, Kenwood, Icom, Alinco, Motorola are well built, reliable and more expensive. Baofeng, TYT, Anytone are Chinese low(er) cost radios that can work but are generally throw away when they break. Which might be quick, might be a long time. The main thing I personally dislike about the Chinese radios is they are built super cheap and cause interference on the air, especially most (not all) of the digital radios. You get what you pay for and with radios it's not always obvious on your end that your radio sounds bad or is splattering on adjacent channels.

What is programming all about and how would I do it?

Most of us use software, either provided or sold by the manufacturer or a 3rd party such as RT Systems (commercial) or Chirp (free). With Chirp you still need to buy a cable most of the time, although sometimes they're included with the radio.

Should I look for a used unit? Do you have one to sell?

Used ham radios are a very effective way to save money. Most of the time they're lightly used.

If you use a hand held radio and have an external antenna what do you do with the antenna cable while you are using the radio?

An external antenna makes a very significant difference, so I would suggest doing so with a handheld. With a vehicle-mounted mobile it's essentially mandatory.

 

[Ace Brown]

I suggest you call or visit Ham Radio Outlet. They have a store in Phoenix area. Hands on with their expert help is the best way. My Yaseau has been great. The most basic model will suit your needs. The newer and fancier ones have stuff you will probably never use. I would not want a used radio unless HRO had one as they would test it thoroughly before selling. The hand held are good backup but not for primary use. They typically have 5 watts where a mobile might transmit at 75. Good for reaching out like Chuck Lock talking to us about 40 miles away.

There is a radio section on ExPo that is excellent. One post I saw is aimed at folks in your situation.

Ace


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[vevans]

I suggest you call or visit Ham Radio Outlet. They have a store in Phoenix area. Hands on with their expert help is the best way. My Yaseau has been great. The most basic model will suit your needs. The newer and fancier ones have stuff you will probably never use. I would not want a used radio unless HRO had one as they would test it thoroughly before selling. The hand held are good backup but not for primary use. They typically have 5 watts where a mobile might transmit at 75. Good for reaching out like Chuck Lock talking to us about 40 miles away.

There is a radio section on ExPo that is excellent. One post I saw is aimed at folks in your situation.

Ace


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I called HRO this morning. Their store is closed but I could order a radio and pick it up at their front door. I picked their brains over the phone a bit but it would be nice to have some hands on and touch things. Guess Maybe I should wait a bit.

Interesting answer from Dave in Denver about digital radios not best for a first radio. Is Dave from Denver the person that was not able to make the RR?

Vince

 

[alanymarce]

Are dual mode radios worth the extra money? - not in my view/
How many watts of power is sufficient for most situations? Ours is 5 W and has a range of 20-50 Km, whic is good for our needs. Anything more than that we use the satphone.
Are some brands better and more reliable than others? - I'm sure there are good and bad. WE have a GME XRS-330CTP and it's been fine.
Should I look for a used unit? Do you have one to sell? I'd buy new.
If you use a hand held radio and have an external antenna what do you do with the antenna cable while you are using the radio? We have the cable wired into the vehicle from the antenna, and have the connection block in the footwell, on the central tunnel, out of the way.

 

[Billoftt]

Well, there isn’t much that I can say that Dave didn’t. He did a great job.

I would add a recommendation to go to a local radio club and see if they are having a swap meet or a hamvention in the near future or just ask if anyone is selling anything. It is possible to pick up a good, used, name brand Kenwood or Yaesu single band 2m radio for $60-$80. At least in my market area.


Sent by electrons or some crap like that.

 

[craig333]

To add to what Dave said, do you think you'll want to use repeaters? If so an HT might not have enough power to reach the repeater.

Dual band is nice and sometimes more than nice. For instance, the Rubicon. Most of it is covered well by 2m but a section around Spider Lake uses a 440 repeater. Or being able to use your groups frequency and still monitor the calling freq or whatever the locals use.

Programming software depends on your usage. A handful of frequencies is feasible to program in manually. Once you get much past that you'll find its much easier and faster to a use a programmer.

Power is pretty standard at 50w for a mobile and thats adequate.

If you don't plan on getting licensed or won't get it in time then a baofeng or such would be fine just for listening.

 

[Ace Brown]

I called HRO this morning. Their store is closed but I could order a radio and pick it up at their front door. I picked their brains over the phone a bit but it would be nice to have some hands on and touch things. Guess Maybe I should wait a bit.

Interesting answer from Dave in Denver about digital radios not best for a first radio. Is Dave from Denver the person that was not able to make the RR?

Vince

Yes and he really knows electronics.


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[CaliMobber]

1. Get you Ham license 2. Do you want this permenantly in your vehicle and more powerful 35w+ or handheld and 5w output. That should narrow it down for you alot. If your going handheld for sure get VHF/UHF since its only a little more and opens alot of repeaters. Plus if you do the mars mod you can talk to family radios.

3. I prefer having a mobil unit in the car since its cleaner and higher power. The cost diffence from single to dual on mobils is alot more and should just be decided if its in your budget or not.


My favorite ham radio classifieds. Find some great deals https://swap.qth.com

 

[vevans]

Thank you very much for all the responses. I am studying for the Technicians test with radio purchase still being investigated.

Vince

 

[BigSwede]

For simple trail comms I recommend one of the 2-meter mil-spec ruggedized radios like a Yaesu 1900/2900 or Kenwood 281 or similar. No fan to draw in trail dust, and relatively simple to operate (by ham standards).

 

[Billoftt]

Or you can go full potato and get an Icom ID-5100A. After all, you aren’t REAL overland without one.

In all seriousness, go to a club swap meet in your area and see what is out there. Recently I knew a guy where I live that was selling a few of those Yaesu and Kenwood 2m single band radios referenced above for $60-$80 respectively.


Sent by electrons or some crap like that.

 

[dreadlocks]

Ive got a couple Kenwood 281's and they are fantastic radios.. especially for the 2nd hand price.

 

[Billoftt]

They are going for $137.95 on Ham Radio Outlet right now.

Ham Radio Outlet Product Details - Item Not found

We were unable to find a product matching that product id and/or description.

www.hamradio.com

When I see them used at swaps they go for around $80. Seems like a decent ROI.


Sent by electrons or some crap like that.

 

[dreadlocks]

sounds about right, dont think I paid more than $80 for either of em.. the discriminator is super easy to tap for an external TNC and they are super rugged w/great sensitivity..

I got one one in my server racks hooked up to a Diamond F22A on the roof, serving as an igate and it is RXing over 90 miles out.. picks up several hundred unique stations every month.. really pleased with its performance, its grabbing a ton of packets most other stations are failing to hear.

My other one is mounted in my camper trailer, no worries about dust or vibration taking it out.