COMS general

I will only bump just this once

>>28559178
What are you going to do with two HTs? Get your license, scrub.

hamexam.org

>>28559568
Also, it's fine if you want to use Chinese radios but for the love of Christ put a non-Chink antenna on them. You'll be surprised at the difference a Diamond makes.

>>28559568
Currently I am just using FRS/GMRS but I could always just scan with the Uv5r on repeaters

>>28559178
bowchang is a good, cheap, general purpose radio.

>>28559629
You need a license to use those frequencies too, technically. Local vhf repeaters is where dreams go to die, get a cheap shortwave receiver and listen to international traffic.

>>2855968
Even to just scan?

>>28559681
Wait a minute you don't need one for FRS. GMRS you do but I don't transmit on there

>>28559707
No to transmit.
>>28559718
Must be a recent change to FRS rules. You still can't transmit technically since your antenna is removable and your wattage too high.

>>28559730
The antenna issues yes. But I'm pretty sure anyone can transmit on FRS since like forever.

>>28559590
Nagoya 9 inch whip. Works pretty good. Much better than the stock 4 incher.

I've been toyin with getting my tech finally and stop pirating. All the references I've read want me to memorize all kinds of funky math n shit though.

>>28559758
It's been limited to .5W and non-removable antenna forever. There was overlap with GMRS licensing for a bit.

>>28559779
A Diamond antenna works even better since they're actually factory tuned and no counterfeits exist.

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Px888k master race!

I bet yours doesn't even talk.

>>28559779
Also don't memorize the math, learn the principles behind it. Then you never have to memorize anything except regulations.

Thought about buying a Bowchang too

Literally no reason for it.

But currently I got a UV5R, Extendo Clip Battery, Extendo Clip Antenna, and some other shit for it sitting in my Amazon cart for 2 day free prime shipping and I am drunk


Tell my why not to faggots

>>28559831
Because you'll be branded an Amazon Amateur and none of the old hams will ever accept you

>>28559831
you shouldn't because there isn't a reason not to

>>28559831
Because you could get a PRC-320.

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Question:

/k/ seems to have a hard-on for Baofeng comms. However, /k/ is also notorious for meme-approving shit (e.g. "fuck glocks VP9 all the way" ... "Norinco SKS is the best" and never mention Russian SKS ... ranking Hornady Critical Defense with HSTs and Gold Dots ... etc.).

With that in mind, why not Yaesu? It seems actual HAM people and civvy SAR folks typically choose Yaesu over Baofeng. I've been looking at getting either a VX-6R or a VX-8DR -- both seem much better than any comparable Baofeng handhelds.

>>28559942
The man with a passing interest is told to buy Baofeng over Yaesu (or Icom or Kenwood) is because a Baofeng is $30 vs $300. The money is well spent if you're a ham and there is a huge fucking difference in quality. Hams like Yaesus because they're among the best, tough, and have minimal proprietary bullshit.

>>28559779

> memorizing formulae

290 / wavelength.=~ freq (close enough to pick one of 4)

Know what bands and modes you're allowed.

Know how tests are administered

Know what happens if you fuck up.

Easy peasy mic button squeezy

>>28559868
>because Hams know what I am broadcasting on

>>28559884
I... Ok

>>28559868
No


May do this. May buy a set of Spyderco Kitchen knives instead

>>28559942

Baofeng is the Nugget of dual band HTs

I'd say HiPoint but people don't poke fun at you if you're carrying a Baofeng.

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>>28559779
nigga go for the tech and get yourself a decent mobile rig. I have a 75 watt 2 meter band radio in my truck and it's awesome. Always someone to talk to on the commutes and much looser regulations compared to gmrs. Then if you want, go onto your general license upgrade and talk around the world on the hf bands.
>>28559942
I own only yaesu radios and have had a very good experience with them. Only thing is that yaesu radios are very menu-driven. Kenwood and icom are not to be overlooked for quality equipment.

>my equipment a while ago. some has changed.

>>28559868
Aw man, who cares what others think? I've been a ham since I got out of the Army in the late '80s, one of the last groups that required Morse code to get licensed. I welcome anyone into the hobby. Do what makes you happy. Don't let the /k/eyboard /k/ommandos unduly influence you.

73s faggots....

>>28560031
Then again a programmable Crock pot and some new LED bulbs for my track lighting would be dank

Probably need a few more beers to see where my priorities lie

>>28560058
You were Novice Class?

>>28559942
Yaesu maks a good, sturdy prodct, but you're gonna pay more for it. I used to be a big Icom fan, but Yaesu surpassed them in terms of water resistance, dropability and ruggedness...that said, they're still not Motorolas...

>>28560092
ICOM makes some encrypted P25 compatible radios like the IC-F9011S for $1800 too. It's what the CIA was giving to rebels in Syria.

>>28560091
I took both the novice & technician (what later became known as "tech plus") exams the same day. So technically, I was never a novice. Or was I?

>>28560127
You old geezer......

>>28560125
>CIA
>Giving encryption to Syrian rebels.
I know Stingers happened, but that is some risky shit right there.

>>28560125
>using encrypted radios in the land of the free

Enjou ur bumfuccng

fCC meat is pretty large so if that's your thing by all means

>>28560069
i think you're right /k/omrade, have a few more

>>28560149
They could just be encryption capable, but then why even bother with he fancy radios? It's also probably a secure device like a credit card reader, so if you open it up you have to reprogram the encryption keys.

>>28560091
As soon as my received my license via snail mail, I got on the air (voice) using a novice call, followed by "temporary KT", until I received my tech (1x3) call, so I guess I was a novice.

>>28560144
Yes I am!

>>28560012
>>28560038
>>28560043
>>28560092

Thanks

>>28560164
Couldn't you just send encrypted data w/ packet radio?

>>28560395
You'd need software and hardware that isn't as easy to get as a Bingchong.

>>28560395
Sometimes the simplest methods are the most secure, like a one-time pad.

>>28560617
>You'd need software and hardware that isn't as easy to get as a Bingchong.
So a 1990s modem and a RJ11 and 1/8" adapter box (yes I know it isnt just straight wiring the two)

>>28560017
can't remember ANY o dat shit.

>>28561726
It was common in the 80s for hams to set up a very slow BBS with a modem and vhf radio. There's still an entire /8 block of IP addresses that is forever allocated to it. Rumor has it that you can still get one assigned if you can correctly answer the gatekeeper's 3 riddles.

>>28562103
>/8 block
i'm going to have to call bullshit here. cite which subnet or a RFC plz. There is no way they could allocate a class A subnet to such a idea, there is literally no justification.

>>28562167
At the very bottom:
> 044.rrr.rrr.rrr AMPRNET Amateur Radio Experiment Net [HM]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_assigned_/8_IPv4_address_blocks

>>28562103
>>28562167
holy shit I guess you are right. what a waste of a subnet
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMPRNet

>>28562195
i still cant belive this

>>28562167
>>28562195
Here's the official site, like all ham sites, it's stuck in the 90s

http://www.ampr.org/

>>28562212
This was a big deal when the internet was first being designed and the major users were government agencies and universities. This is how wireless internet first began.

>>28562242
God, now all I want to do is find active IPs and DoS them just because hams are such white knights that they deserve to have their hobby ruined. Something makes me think there is a large overlap between hams and fudds.

>>28562314
They're like 300baud

>>28562349
Thats why I said IPs and DoS rather than DDoS. I'm pretty sure I could take out everyone just from my shitty 5mbit upstream cable modem.

>>28562416
An outage like that could affect dozens.

>>28562462
I know, it would take me years to find out everyone who has an active IP because that subnet is so fuck huge and i'm sure there are plenty of intermittent outages because of weather and shit. What a waste of a subnet, that shit should be revoked and put up for auction.

Whats the go-to baofeng model now?
The UV5 is obviously the most popular, but its 2+ years old now, and theres like half a dozen variants of the UV5.

Heres a place that seems to have the best prices, assuming you're not gonna try to snipe one on ebay.
http://www.gearbest.com/baofeng-_gear/c_11270/price_range-4/

>>28562479
It probably should, but it never will. Lots of stuff in ham radio is antiquated and stupid, like Morse code tests up to 2007. The communication standard for packet radio, AX.25, which was last updated in 1985 is still standard in every Linux kernel.

It was supposed to be a hobby about pushing tech to the limit, but we're more like dinosaurs of the early digital age.

>>28562488
PROTIP: Most of the uv-5r variants are only cosmetically different and may not accept standard accessories like the extended battery. The Baofeng that advertises 8W is a lie.

>>28562557
AX.25 really doesn't have much of a reason to be updated. All it's ever used for amymore is APRS anyway.

Personally, I think packet radio is cool as fuck.

>>28562618
>packet radio is cool as fuck

Affirmative, APRS is cool as fuck too. Even if it's documentation is a bit shitty, you can see how it's creators envisioned it being like a tactical net where status updates were automatic and immediately view-able to anyone. Kind of like USMTF.

>>28562654
A tac-net independant of specialized military equipment? Sign me right the fuck up!

>>28562697
Have a look, it's mostly used to track the physical movements of cars, boats, and aircraft. It's also used for weather and climate updates, text messaging, and tracking high-altitude balloons. Provisions exist for marking emergency services and aid stations along with setting priority status for types of stations. It's a very advanced system.

aprs.is

>>28562752
Thanks! It seems that there's a significant number of stations near where I live.

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>>28562909
It's surprising popular. You can read the documentation at aprs.org, but be warned it sucks.

>>28562945
What exactly do people use it for (asside from reporting positions of balloons and such)? I see lots of weather and radio email hardware.

>>28562982
> The Automatic Packet Reporting System was designed to support rapid, reliable exchange of information for local, tactical real-time information, events or nets. The concept, which dates back to the mid 1980's, is that all relevant information is transmitted immediately to everyone in the net and every station captures that information for consistent and standard display to all participants. Information was refreshed redundantly but at a decaying rate so that old information was updated less frequently than new info. Since the primary objective is consistent exchange of information between everyone, APRS established standard formats not only for the transmission of POSITION, STATUS, MESSAGES, and QUERIES, it also establishes guidelines for display so that users of different systems will still see the same consistent information displayed in a consistent manner (independent of the particular display or maping system in use).

>APRS was never intended to be just a vehicle tracking system (GPS was added in the 1992 time frame when GPS became affordable).

Like all ham technology, your imagination is the limit. You could use it to keep track of your platoon or your sailboat. Search and rescue teams like the ability to share a real-time map with marked locations. APRS originally was completely separate from the internet, but was linked together years ago, making much of it's real-time information services redundant. It still exists separate from the internet, and will continue to function on RF even if the internet goes down.

>>28563098
>and will continue to function on RF even if the internet goes down

That's a thing I'm really interested in. It's such a shame I live in a location that is hostile to most forms of radio propagation. Just about the only thing stopping me from getting my Tech's.

>>28563146
If you have a view of the sky, cross-band tx/rx capability, and patience you can bounce your signal off a satellite or the ISS.

You can also bounce your signal off the moon and back to earth (EME) with the right equipment. Contacts made this way are extremely short (about a second) and are completely digital.

>>28563219
I've thought about satellite a lot and it's fascinating, but I actually like shooting the shit with people. Sat passes are fast and involve assloads of people trying to make contacts.

Aircraft reflection is a possability here, but it's even more fleeting than sat

>>28559629
It is illegal to transmit on FRS or GMRS with those HTs.

>>28565240
Technically it's illegal to transmit on FRS using a radio with removable antenna. No one really cares

Technician-class operator here.

Haven't used my baofeng in a wheelchair since I got my new truck. Work on getting my CB, scanner, and HAM (UV5R+) mounted somehow.

Will eventually replace HT with mobile unit and roof-mounted antenna.

>>28559942
>360$
>30$

I wonder why, you stupid faggot.

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>>28559568
>Ham License
>Giving your information to the goverment for anybody to look up.

Shiggy

>>28568577
>Giving your information to the goverment for anybody to look up.
>Not using a PO box and omitting your last name

>>28568577
the concept of a license given by a non-surveilling government is just to keep people safe and ensure people know what they are doing. its very bottom level. but when done by a serveilling government even inane information becomes dangerous

Is it a bad idea to do through the roof mounts on my tiny sport wagon?

I'll have my license in a week, I've had this shitty chingchong radio for a while and now I'm thinking about doing CB (for cops) and maybe a 10 meter or 2 meter mount (for conversation that isn't /b/ tier).

I've read magnet mounts are garbage but apparently through the roof stuff leaks? And if I want a proper ground plane for a CB or 10 meter vertical my roof needs to be 8 feet long in one direction, which it most certainly isn't?

>>28559178
New to ham and got a bao uv-5r

Any guides on how to use it legally without ham licenses?

>>28567879
yes there is a huge difference in quality, but you also pay for the yeasu name.

also the chinks subsidize their radio market to fuck with the japs

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>>28570420
Still unlawful, but if you don't act like an ass, you shouldn't have any problems.

>>28570420
The above graphic assumes you're in the U.S.

>>28563098
I've wanted to get into radio for a while and I think I just stumbled down the rabbit hole. I kinda want to see how far it goes.

>>28559942
I have a VX-8DR.

What I like about it:
>Built like a tank
>Small and light
>Loud speaker with good quality
>APRS functionality
>Fits nicely in my cell holster
>Easy enough to operate with gloves on
>Menus so easy that I accidentally figured out all the useful functions without reading the manual
Do read the manual please.
>Can receive more frequencies than my BF-F8+
>Loads of functions
>Reasonably accurate GPS
What I don't like:
>Batteries are pretty small and expensive for a yaesu brand one
>Stock antenna is SHIT, get a SRH77
>Reboots itself if you transmit while it's plugged in
>Expensive
>Channel names only show up in single band mode
>Expensive mic

>>28560092
What justifies the expense and the amount of bullshit of a motorola?

>>28571716
The high-end ones are rugged and will likely outlive you. That said, if you're not totally into radio, and don't want to/can't afford the radio & associated goodies (batteries, earpieces, etc.), and don't want to deal with the programming (proprietary $$ software & cables)' they're kind of a PITA. I've got several, but only because the place where I worked used them, which allowed me to uh, exchange accessories when they went bad or I flat out broke them. Motorola has cache, but you can easily blow your budget on that stuff alone. If you need a radio that's incredibly rugged, you don't mind the programming hassles & expense, and can afford it, it' the way to go. Let the nay-saying begin...

>>28571529
Read everything you can and never stop expanding your knowledge. This hobby is huge and anyone who is bored with it is boring.

>>28571716
Mil. spec shock, vibration, and moisture resistance. Encryption and P25. The biggest reason Motorolas cost so much is because government contracts will pay it. There is no serious competition on that level.

>>28571940

Hey, I don't know shit from apple butter about radio or the culture around it. But with the proper licensing, there really is a big group of people out there communicating?

>>28572907
Yeah there is. Just don't get stuck into thinking that local vhf traffic is all there is to radio. There is so much more.

>>28562488
You can get a Uv5r on Amazon for $20-25 free shipping

>>28571683
How is the battery life? I've thought about getting one but that's a lot of cash to drop you know. Any other radios like it you would look into?

So I just bought a Baofeng UV-5R. I'm looking at radioreference.com and a few other sites for getting started.

I have no license and really don't have a fucking clue where to get started other than Youtube videos and guides i've found online.

Is there a /k/ approved guide for noobs getting started? I bought my brother one with the hopes we would be able to keep in touch without phones, but learned it is illegal to transmit apparently, and white knight hamfags will potentially cause problems for us.

Woke up to this thread this morning so figured i'd start postan.

>>28578444
If you check out https://murdercube.com/radioconfig/ there are basic programming instructions, as well as some basic memories and user submitted memories.

Now in terms of legality, I will state this as to avoid the butthurt from previous threads, it is not legal to use your baofeng to talk on FRS/GMRS frequencies because of your 4 watt output and detachable antenna. However, practically, in my opinion and anyone else who isn't a twat, it is fine to use your baofeng on FRS/GMRS frequencies without a license.

>>28579336

Hey there fella.

>>28576900
Battery life is okay. I suggest a third party extended battery though.

>>28570083
Any police agency worth it's salt doesn't use CB for comms. Typically, they run 800mhz, with some legacy systems running on 400mhz.

Through the roof works fine as long as you cut the hole the proper size, use a rubber grommet, and fill the remaining gaps with silicone caulk or RTV.

If you're not too worried about range, you can get a window mount for pretty cheap. I used one on a CB and got about 20 miles of range with it.