topofpalomar
Enthusiast
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Should I go dual or just 2m?
- Thread starter ebg18t
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Kuroi_Tora
Offroad Sith/Timelord
Inexpensive, good rigs!
Hi, im not an expert by any means but, you knew that was coming, here's my word on it. I run an xterra (The Tardis) with a 2m/70cm ham handheld with a magmount dual band antenna in the desert of El Paso/Southern Nm. It works GREAT for me. I get out to the repeaters easily and am nice and clean when others receive me. Im usually using a kenwood th-f6a with a speaker/mic. It's a bit pricey at a few hundred $$.
For another great set-up, i recommend that you look at (google and read your butt off also watch youtube videos) the Baofeng uv5r with a speaker/mic and magmount dual band antenna. I also have two uV5r's in yellow for my kid n i to use when out of the vehicles goofing around. Avoid the programming cable, its a pain. Total cost should be about $150.00 with speaker/mic, extended battery, and a GOOD antenna. Remember, ANTENNA, ANTENNA, ANTENNA. It'll do you more than just fine in a travelling group. And, in a group, we usually are simplex on ham.
Check out the links below and read the amazon reviews. I bought mine from newgate and they were great to work with. Or, you can google the antenna farm in Chico, MT which is where i got my kenwood and they did my mars/cap mod. Great support after the sale.
I like my set up because the xterra has little space, this requires no drilling, no wiring games to play, and i can make all of it disappear in parking garage/lots or questionable neighbourhoods. I also have a similar cb set up with the midland 75-822 and a firestick II on a magmount. It's all inexpensive, works great, is reliable, and can be hidden with no real effort. Hence, low risk for smash n grab theft. Window replacement is expen$ive.
Remember, some groups use ham and others cb or a mix of both. This keeps your entire co$t low and youre as functional as the high fallutin' expen$ive rigs. Distance(dx) can be done by using repeaters. I talk to folks in northern NM and southern CO daily on my ham through the megalink from el paso and las cruces. For me, the idea was, and is, to get on the air and not go broke doing it. I have a METRIC CRAPTON of ham gear that my father, a ham of +50 years, left behind when he went silent key (ham euphemism for died) and a note from him cautioning me not fall into the $$$ and time trap that is radio. So, i keep it as a hobby and i use what he left (except the handhelds, theyre all dead or ancient) and these handhelds in the Tardis. It works for me. Good luck, 73, and enjoy!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0091Z2XA0/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
http://uv5r.net/baofeng-uv-5r-programming/
Hi, im not an expert by any means but, you knew that was coming, here's my word on it. I run an xterra (The Tardis) with a 2m/70cm ham handheld with a magmount dual band antenna in the desert of El Paso/Southern Nm. It works GREAT for me. I get out to the repeaters easily and am nice and clean when others receive me. Im usually using a kenwood th-f6a with a speaker/mic. It's a bit pricey at a few hundred $$.
For another great set-up, i recommend that you look at (google and read your butt off also watch youtube videos) the Baofeng uv5r with a speaker/mic and magmount dual band antenna. I also have two uV5r's in yellow for my kid n i to use when out of the vehicles goofing around. Avoid the programming cable, its a pain. Total cost should be about $150.00 with speaker/mic, extended battery, and a GOOD antenna. Remember, ANTENNA, ANTENNA, ANTENNA. It'll do you more than just fine in a travelling group. And, in a group, we usually are simplex on ham.
Check out the links below and read the amazon reviews. I bought mine from newgate and they were great to work with. Or, you can google the antenna farm in Chico, MT which is where i got my kenwood and they did my mars/cap mod. Great support after the sale.
I like my set up because the xterra has little space, this requires no drilling, no wiring games to play, and i can make all of it disappear in parking garage/lots or questionable neighbourhoods. I also have a similar cb set up with the midland 75-822 and a firestick II on a magmount. It's all inexpensive, works great, is reliable, and can be hidden with no real effort. Hence, low risk for smash n grab theft. Window replacement is expen$ive.
Remember, some groups use ham and others cb or a mix of both. This keeps your entire co$t low and youre as functional as the high fallutin' expen$ive rigs. Distance(dx) can be done by using repeaters. I talk to folks in northern NM and southern CO daily on my ham through the megalink from el paso and las cruces. For me, the idea was, and is, to get on the air and not go broke doing it. I have a METRIC CRAPTON of ham gear that my father, a ham of +50 years, left behind when he went silent key (ham euphemism for died) and a note from him cautioning me not fall into the $$$ and time trap that is radio. So, i keep it as a hobby and i use what he left (except the handhelds, theyre all dead or ancient) and these handhelds in the Tardis. It works for me. Good luck, 73, and enjoy!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0091Z2XA0/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
http://uv5r.net/baofeng-uv-5r-programming/
Mtn Mike
Observer
There are lots of good points and good recommendations here. I'll add a few thoughts: First, you can probably see by now that you'll eventually "need" more than one radio. No one radio does everything. As you get more into the hobby, you'll get ideas on you're next purchase. Second, I would suggest getting a dual band if you can afford it. Otherwise get a two meter and you'll be able to communicate very successfully almost all of the time. There are virtually no areas with 70cm coverage that don't also have 2 meter coverage. (I'm not familiar with Rubicon...that's probably the one exception). Third, for a trail/mobile rig, I suggest a mobile radio vs. a hand held. A hand held should never be your only radio unless you need to operate portable (on foot or bicycle or something). I have four mobile radios and three HT's. In remote areas (and we have many in WA State), you're almost guaranteed to get out with a mobile radio. It's hit or miss with a handheld, even with an upgraded antenna. As it's been said before, the different between 50 watts, and 5 watts is quite significant. Also, the difference between a 1/4 wave, or 5/8 wave whip, vs. a rubber duck on an HT is significant. Mobile radios work much better. The only sacrifices are the size, power requirement, and lack of portability. Eventually you'll have both an HT and a mobile. But start with a mobile if you intend to use it in your vehicle.
my 2 cents.
KF7EHT
my 2 cents.
KF7EHT
Saratoga
Adventurer
I'd reccomend a dual bander for the simple reason that you could have 144mhz use for what you want 2m for and also 70cms, 440mhz, for local chat.
With our group we have 2m for the group chat among vehicles then 70cm handsets for walking the route or other such shorter distances.
I've used 2/70 for cross band repeat too, which has been helpful
But it's your choice. Don't forget to think about using APRS too
With our group we have 2m for the group chat among vehicles then 70cm handsets for walking the route or other such shorter distances.
I've used 2/70 for cross band repeat too, which has been helpful
But it's your choice. Don't forget to think about using APRS too 
AFSOC
Explorer
Don't forget to think about using APRS too
Is there anyone out there that routinly uses APRS with amateur radio in a practical application?
DaveInDenver
Middle Income Semi-Redneck
All the time, mostly to see when other hams are available and where they are sitting.
Some radios (like my FTM-350) can include the setting from the other side of the radio when they beacon, e.g. frequency, offset, tone. This shows up in your beacon when it pops up on aprs.fi or locally in station lists. You can also just include it in the message text, for example just saying 'Monitoring 146.520' or similar. In any case then when a buddy's beacon pops up you know where to go to call him rather than scrolling through memory locations blindly.
Also setup the serial port on the radio to talk to an old Nuvi 350 and the real time current locations of heard stations are inserted as waypoints and show up on the map. I can see who is around me and beaconing, sometimes see friends or other times make a random contact.
Emcomm and volunteer SAR people use APRS quite a bit, messaging and tactical locations.
spressomon
Expedition Leader
We have a group that can't always meet up for any one of our off-road forays at the same time for one reason or another (life!). So it sometimes involves a rig or three meeting up with the main group that is already in route typically in remote areas; sometimes in the middle of the night well past my bedtime
. Although not an insurmountable situation since we're all licensed ham operators and GPS users...APRS is on our near horizon as it would certainly aid and simplify in this application...which we seem to find ourselves in at least once or twice a year.
That would be my primary use for APRS beyond just the novelty/curious aspect.
Crom
Expo this, expo that, exp
I'd vote to get a dual band radio, and I'd get one with cross band repeat capabilities. I'm planning on the TM-V71A. However I'd skip the APRS functionality.
I think APRS has been in decline for some time now, it's also slow, and expensive IMO. I've heard of people using it for balloon chases, group land (tactical) navigation. I found this thread linked below to be very helpful when deciding if APRS was right for me. I agree with N0EQ's point of view.
Is APRS RF in decline?
I think APRS has been in decline for some time now, it's also slow, and expensive IMO. I've heard of people using it for balloon chases, group land (tactical) navigation. I found this thread linked below to be very helpful when deciding if APRS was right for me. I agree with N0EQ's point of view.
Is APRS RF in decline?
DaveInDenver
Middle Income Semi-Redneck
I forgot about balloons, up here the Edge of Space Sciences (http://www.eoss.org) uses it for their launches. Those are about once a month. Very useful for that, perfect application of the technology IMHO.
It's not in decline so much as it's never really been applied fully. It's fine if you don't find it useful, just about everything in ham radio is not the most slick, useful thing. Often the purpose of tinkering is just to tinker with stuff.
Maybe the main purpose for APRS never was found and now in light of HSMM-Mesh it never will. I dunno. But some hams do still use it. For 4x4 hams it can be quite handy.
It's not in decline so much as it's never really been applied fully. It's fine if you don't find it useful, just about everything in ham radio is not the most slick, useful thing. Often the purpose of tinkering is just to tinker with stuff.
Maybe the main purpose for APRS never was found and now in light of HSMM-Mesh it never will. I dunno. But some hams do still use it. For 4x4 hams it can be quite handy.
1911
Expedition Leader
Me too; it's almost always on if I'm driving the truck it's currently installed in (I switch one radio and GPS back and forth between two trucks). Like Dave said, mostly to find other hams and repeaters nearby, and to find how far I am from an I-gate and etc.
One time a 4WD ham friend from another state and I used our APRS rigs to navigate to each other in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado, when we realized that coincidentally we were both wheeling in the San Juans the same week. That was pretty cool, to meet face-to-face in the mountains someone I had previously only talked to on the radio.
Kuroi_Tora
Offroad Sith/Timelord
I use a yaesu vx8gr if I'm going someplace questionable with limited to no cell coverage so The Boss knows where I'm at so she can send in the cavalry if something goes wrong or if she just feels like watching my track on a long trip. Other than that... No, not really.
Old_School
New member
Mobile rig, for sure. You can get a good, solid used 2m rig (Icom, etc) for around $100-125. About 20 years ago, 440 was used a lot in the SE U.S. Not so much now, although there are still a lot of 440 repeaters that are still being maintained. For this reason, i dont find my dual-band that useful any more.
However, many dual-band rigs can be used for x-band repeat, which can be real handy out in the boonies. It could be parked at a high spot in the area when hiking and used as a portable repeater of sorts. Or as a means to reach the outside world using your handheld while hiking, etc.
Sent from my Verizon phone using Tapatalk
Jr_Explorer
Explorer
Here's a great resource: http://www.levinecentral.com/repeaters/google_mapping.php
In So Cal the frequencies are pretty much at saturation. We have a ton of 2m & 440 repeaters. Even quite a few 220 repeaters. I'm the type of person that wants access to whatever is around so dual band vs single 2m radio is a no brainer for me. I wish one of the radio manufacturers would make a new tri-band rig and I would snap that up in a heartbeat.
Edited to add: Looking at Nevada on that repeater website it looks like around Reno the 2m outnumbers the 440 by 2:1 easy. But if you look to the east a bit suddenly there are some spots with JUST 440 or a more equal ratio. So if you are out in the boonies that way I would think you'd want 440. The nice thing about Nevada is there are a total of 186 repeaters. You can program all of them into most modern radios! In CA we have 1,238 2m/440 repeaters! Good luck stuffing all of those in a radio's memory!
In So Cal the frequencies are pretty much at saturation. We have a ton of 2m & 440 repeaters. Even quite a few 220 repeaters. I'm the type of person that wants access to whatever is around so dual band vs single 2m radio is a no brainer for me. I wish one of the radio manufacturers would make a new tri-band rig and I would snap that up in a heartbeat.
Edited to add: Looking at Nevada on that repeater website it looks like around Reno the 2m outnumbers the 440 by 2:1 easy. But if you look to the east a bit suddenly there are some spots with JUST 440 or a more equal ratio. So if you are out in the boonies that way I would think you'd want 440. The nice thing about Nevada is there are a total of 186 repeaters. You can program all of them into most modern radios! In CA we have 1,238 2m/440 repeaters! Good luck stuffing all of those in a radio's memory!
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