******** The Official amateur radio thread ********

I just ordered a Quansheng UV-K5(8) I've heard some good things about this radio... I will try the new firmware mod to open it up for RX. The build quality is said to be good.

I would also like to use the 2 meter band again, I used to be quite active on there but a lot of trouble makers from the CB started playing havoc and they would target me often so that along with not being allowed any outside antennas I pretty much threw in the towel after that but I'm back after 7 years. I have always renewed my license with ofcom so it doesn't lapse even though I never planned to operate the ham bands, I've always renewed my license knowing at some point I would return.

I'm pretty much limited to what I can operate. I do have a magloop and a HF set but the magloop isn't likely to work that well indoors if at all for TX, too many obstructions and metal in walls and ceiling. I might just set it up tomorrow anyway and have a listen.
 
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I've noticed the old Motorola MTS2000 handhelds have become scarce on ebay, one selling for 130 pounds... Jesus.

I've got about 30 of them, most are already set up and programmed. I do recall a few of them I wasn't able to get programmed, they either used different programming software or there was a problem. I'll be clearing out a huge cupboard tomorrow so all my radio gear is coming out and I'll be sorting through it all. I don't need 30 MTS2000 handhelds so I'll chuck them on ebay. I'll hang on to two of them. I've got lots of GP300 handhelds as well 16 channel expanded but I may have to try fire up a long dead laptop to recover the 16 channel programming software for the GP300 radios.
 
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I've been going through all my old handhelds, I've been sorting out all the old Motorola GP300 radios... they are nice clean looking solid radios I have 15 of them, a mixture of UHF & VHF. I love these old radios all batteries are good apart from one that leaked. 14 good batteries and 15 radios all working although I need some new antennas for them and I've got to re-program quite a few of them because on some they were programmed with repeater channels that are no longer active.

What I'm going to do this time is just make up some code plugs... Two channels for repeaters and the rest simplex that way I'm not wasting channels. They only have 16 channels. Some of these radios were also used in the army cadets so there are a couple that still need re-programming to Ham frequencies.

I bought myself some ex-army surplus metal boxes to store my PMR Handhelds in.
 
I can't get excited about handbags, I've had a few over the years but they inevitably get chucked in a drawer where they lie undisturbed for years. Much like ratchet screwdrivers. Every now and then, I see a new model which I think will be worth a look, buy it, use it twice and then sell it.

I've got a couple of baofengs which I can't charge and an Icom something or other analogue one which I bought last year.
 
Feek said:
I can't get excited about handbags, I've had a few over the years but they inevitably get chucked in a drawer where they lie undisturbed for years. Much like ratchet screwdrivers. Every now and then, I see a new model which I think will be worth a look, buy it, use it twice and then sell it.

I've got a couple of baofengs which I can't charge and an Icom something or other analogue one which I bought last year.
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I hear ya. I got some old military boxes to put my radios in.

It would help if there were people on them because they get boring after a while then put in a drawer and forgotten about because there is very little to no traffic, just radio silence most of the time. Even air band seems to be dead today.
 
I don't suppose anybody knows if the Baofeng 1701B is capable of scanning DMR frequencies as in those that aren't programmed into the radio?

I know the AnyTone 878 has a scan feature where it tells you not only the frequency, but the color code, talk group & slot that the DMR transmission is on...

I need something that scans DMR
 
The problem with cheap radios are the Baofeng pirates, you can now get DMR Boafengs for around 50 pounds which means more DMR pirates. 2/70 has been destroyed that Hams don't really go on those bands anymore so now the pirates have nobody to wind up so they'll go on to DMR providing they have the intelligence to program a DMR channel.

I don't actually mind pirates but its what they do when they start targeting hams, using there call signs, making recordings them re-transmitting them, keying people out among other things and getting people into trouble. I think the days of VHF/UHF might be doomed but then again 6 meters and 4 meters FM is pretty dead.
 
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Feek said:
I can't get excited about handbags, I've had a few over the years but they inevitably get chucked in a drawer where they lie undisturbed for years. Much like ratchet screwdrivers. Every now and then, I see a new model which I think will be worth a look, buy it, use it twice and then sell it.

I've got a couple of baofengs which I can't charge and an Icom something or other analogue one which I bought last year.
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Are they decent to get into the hobby though?
 
Retro6 said:
The problem with cheap radios are the Baofeng pirates, you can now get DMR Boafengs for around 50 pounds which means more DMR pirates. 2/70 has been destroyed that Hams don't really go on those bands anymore so now the pirates have nobody to wind up so they'll go on to DMR providing they have the intelligence to program a DMR channel.

I don't actually mind pirates but its what they do when they start targeting hams, using there call signs, making recordings them re-transmitting them, keying people out among other things and getting people into trouble. I think the days of VHF/UHF might be doomed but then again 6 meters and 4 meters FM is pretty dead.
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oh Jeez, I guess every hobby has its bad eggs :(

I don't have any plans to be a pirate or any form of troll. it genuinely seems like a good skill/hobby to get involved with.
 
Retro6 said:
The problem with cheap radios are the Baofeng pirates, you can now get DMR Boafengs for around 50 pounds which means more DMR pirates. 2/70 has been destroyed that Hams don't really go on those bands anymore so now the pirates have nobody to wind up so they'll go on to DMR providing they have the intelligence to program a DMR channel.

I don't actually mind pirates but its what they do when they start targeting hams, using there call signs, making recordings them re-transmitting them, keying people out among other things and getting people into trouble. I think the days of VHF/UHF might be doomed but then again 6 meters and 4 meters FM is pretty dead.
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I don't know where you are but we don't have any issue with pirates on VHF/UHF here at all and never really have done. Back in the day, NL and SL weren't nice places to be sometimes but even then, it wasn't too bad generally. DMR is different, apart from having the knowledge to set up those stupid code plugs, don't you have to register to use it?

People have been saying VHF and UHF are doomed since I got my ticket, back in the early 80s. I agree, there's nowhere near as much activity now as there was but we said the same in the 80s, the 90s, the 00s, etc etc. VHF SSB is doing fine, there's a lot more to life than your local 2m or 70cms repeater.

Chrisc said:
I don't have any plans to be a pirate or any form of troll. it genuinely seems like a good skill/hobby to get involved with.
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It is. The Foundation licence is a good introduction, take a look at the Essex Ham training site. Unfortunately, there's not much incentive to go above Foundation apart from being able to run more power but if you want to learn, there is so much out there. I've been playing wireless for over 40 years and I'm still learning.

Chrisc said:
Are they decent to get into the hobby though?
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They'll get you on your local repeater, that's all they're good for really. You can't do much else with a Baofeng.
 
Feek said:
I don't know where you are but we don't have any issue with pirates on VHF/UHF here at all and never really have done. Back in the day, NL and SL weren't nice places to be sometimes but even then, it wasn't too bad generally. DMR is different, apart from having the knowledge to set up those stupid code plugs, don't you have to register to use it?

People have been saying VHF and UHF are doomed since I got my ticket, back in the early 80s. I agree, there's nowhere near as much activity now as there was but we said the same in the 80s, the 90s, the 00s, etc etc. VHF SSB is doing fine, there's a lot more to life than your local 2m or 70cms repeater.


It is. The Foundation licence is a good introduction, take a look at the Essex Ham training site. Unfortunately, there's not much incentive to go above Foundation apart from being able to run more power but if you want to learn, there is so much out there. I've been playing wireless for over 40 years and I'm still learning.


They'll get you on your local repeater, that's all they're good for really. You can't do much else with a Baofeng.
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Much appreciated, I'm looking forward to getting started.

Cheers for the link also
 
Feek said:
I don't know where you are but we don't have any issue with pirates on VHF/UHF here at all and never really have done. Back in the day, NL and SL weren't nice places to be sometimes but even then, it wasn't too bad generally. DMR is different, apart from having the knowledge to set up those stupid code plugs, don't you have to register to use it?

People have been saying VHF and UHF are doomed since I got my ticket, back in the early 80s. I agree, there's nowhere near as much activity now as there was but we said the same in the 80s, the 90s, the 00s, etc etc. VHF SSB is doing fine, there's a lot more to life than your local 2m or 70cms repeater.


It is. The Foundation licence is a good introduction, take a look at the Essex Ham training site. Unfortunately, there's not much incentive to go above Foundation apart from being able to run more power but if you want to learn, there is so much out there. I've been playing wireless for over 40 years and I'm still learning.


They'll get you on your local repeater, that's all they're good for really. You can't do much else with a Baofeng.
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I had it on 2 meters simplex FM I got trolled on there for a while. I'm based in London there plenty of them in this neck of the woods. SSB would be a safe place away from them :cry:
 
I got another Motorola GP300 in unknown condition. I took the battery off and on the back somebody had written "Boat Band" on it which made me chuckle. Its a VHF model, I put it on a dummy load and put a working battery on it and sure enough it works, transmits and receives, its got the Port of London programed in one of the channels 156.700 MHz I listened to that for a while but I'll be putting this radio onto 2 Meters once I can locate the 16 channel programming software. I've already got my list set out on what I'm going to be putting into this radio.
 
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I think I will do this for all 16 channel VHF PMR radios.

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One thing I've always wondered whether it is possible to operate 80 meters with an indoor antenna, an easy to make 80 meter antenna... I think the first tool I would need is an Antenna analyzer...

I do have a mag loop but it just about works on 40 meters, perfect on 30 & 20 meters but doesn't quite do 40 to well. HF is pretty hopeless where I live because without any outdoor antennas allowed there really isn't a whole lot I can do. Too much metal in the walls and ceiling for the mag loop to get my signal out.

I may just be stuck to local short range stuff for at home. I can always do portable HF with my QRP stuff. It would be nice to have some kind of home station tho.
 
I think the only way to make something for 80 meters would be the mag loop antenna route because I can't see any other way how it would work.

Magnetic loop antennas aren't bad and can be great solutions when options are very limited. They also cut out noise and there is a lot of noise on 80 meters... so another reason to use a mag loop.

An 80 meter mag loop doesn't have to be huge, you can make a smaller loop but instead of having the one outer loop you'd need about 3 smaller outer loops. I will definitely need a decent analyzer if I'm going to build this and a decent variable capacitor.
 
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