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It is currently Thu Apr 18, 2024 4:06 am
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dogfish
Site Supporter
Location: McCleary Joined: Fri Mar 7, 2014 Posts: 2002
Real Name: Andy
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Looking for a ham radio. Nothing special, either a pair of the BaoFeng UV5r or the F8-HP. (Yes, I searched, didn't see my answer)
Is an 8 watt better than a 5 watt, and why? read one article that was pretty high
What other accessories should I get?
Mostly I'll be using these for hunting, but that makes for good practice. Some woody forested terrain. Some effectively desert terrain.
Don't want to spend a ton of money. $60-125 on radios, plus another $40-50 on accessories. I already have a Rino, and other forms of GPS, plus dedicated FRS radios. Mainly looking at the ability to communicate at longer distances in areas where my current FRS radios are having challenges.
Thanks in advance.
_________________ It ain't bragging if you can do it.
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Mon Mar 28, 2016 2:27 pm |
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oldkim
Site Supporter
Location: Maple Valley, WA Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2011 Posts: 9266
Real Name: Young
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If you have specific people you want to stay in touch with... GoTenna This is an option: https://www.gotenna.com/pages/how-it-works
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Mon Mar 28, 2016 2:54 pm |
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kf7mjf
Site Supporter
Location: Olympia Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2011 Posts: 16044
Real Name: Steve
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Antennas are more important than wattage. You can have an 8 watt radio with a shit antenna get smoked by a 5 watt with a good antenna. Put a good antenna on both and the 8 watt will of course have more reach. Understand that VHF is largely line of sight, and you'll be having problems with obstructed and uneven terrain and greatly cut the range of your signal down. If you just want hunting radios get a GMRS or FRS radio and call it good, unless you really want to get into ham radio or are already licensed. Short answer, just buy the 8 watt and a good antenna, because people get really, really, really worked up over those extra three watts, just because bigger seems better, and in the end, you'll save yourself hours of second guessing and having other people who went for "ZOMG TEH WATTS!" question your choice of the 5 watt. Me, personally? I'd go 5 watt, an upgraded antenna and carry a a dipole and adapter in my pack, but that's a whole 'nother can of worms. Get these three things, and you'll be good. http://amzn.to/1XZ8jZ8http://amzn.to/1XZ8mEhhttp://amzn.to/21PXrxFAdd a spare battery if you want http://amzn.to/1Ss41YE
_________________ "I won't insult your intelligence by suggesting that you really believe what you just said." - William Buckley, Jr.
"...steam, artillery and revolvers give to civilized man an irresistible power." -Perry Collins
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Mon Mar 28, 2016 2:58 pm |
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dogfish
Site Supporter
Location: McCleary Joined: Fri Mar 7, 2014 Posts: 2002
Real Name: Andy
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I saw the go-tenna. wasn't necessarily what I was looking for. I read about it, it essentially becomes a radio text device. Appreciate the idea though.
Thanks for the suggestion on the antenna upgrade, I forgot to ask about that. I might just go with the 5 watt radio and an upgraded antenna. For the most part I would want to be able to hit the Ephrata repeater from about 30 miles away. Fairly easy to get line of sight. Is that possible or am I just dreaming? I would be anywhere from 1,000 to 4,000 feet of elevation above that.
_________________ It ain't bragging if you can do it.
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Mon Mar 28, 2016 3:23 pm |
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kf7mjf
Site Supporter
Location: Olympia Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2011 Posts: 16044
Real Name: Steve
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If you've got line of sight to it, 5 watts and a good antenna is all you need.
_________________ "I won't insult your intelligence by suggesting that you really believe what you just said." - William Buckley, Jr.
"...steam, artillery and revolvers give to civilized man an irresistible power." -Perry Collins
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Mon Mar 28, 2016 3:24 pm |
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dogfish
Site Supporter
Location: McCleary Joined: Fri Mar 7, 2014 Posts: 2002
Real Name: Andy
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Most of the year they'll be sitting, but for two weeks a year they'll get used a bunch. Looks like there is a car charger option as well.
Appreciate the help.
_________________ It ain't bragging if you can do it.
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Mon Mar 28, 2016 3:54 pm |
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Soldier_Citizen
Site Supporter
Location: south 'merca Joined: Wed Jul 25, 2012 Posts: 9738
Real Name: Mike
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Be careful with those cables if your not a tech nerd... The chip that's in many of them are "counterfeit".... Or copy's... They don't work with the disk provided. After 2 hours of being pissed and about throwing my computer out the window I was able to find a program online that you download for chirp that will work so you can program those frequencies. Now, be aware there are some legality issues with using the baofengs on frs and gmrs, I believe the antenna for those frequencies are not allowed to be removable, the wattage is restricted(I believe it's actually less than 5 watts). If you can, I would get ham licensed, especially if you can get your hunting buddies to do the same, then you have a wider range of frequencies you can broadcast on, with less chance of cross talk and such
_________________"No Quarter, No Mercy" mash_man wrote: #gangbangerlivesmatter
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Mon Mar 28, 2016 5:00 pm |
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golddigger14s
Site Supporter
Location: Faxon, OK Joined: Sat Mar 19, 2011 Posts: 17818
Real Name: Chuck
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_________________ "The beauty of the Second Amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it." Thomas Jefferson "Evil often triumphs, but never conquers." Joseph Roux
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Mon Mar 28, 2016 9:35 pm |
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dreadi
Site Supporter / FFL Dealer
Location: Tacoma, Washington Joined: Fri Nov 21, 2014 Posts: 8351
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Soldier_Citizen wrote: Be careful with those cables if your not a tech nerd... The chip that's in many of them are "counterfeit".... Or copy's... They don't work with the disk provided. After 2 hours of being pissed and about throwing my computer out the window I was able to find a program online that you download for chirp that will work so you can program those frequencies. Now, be aware there are some legality issues with using the baofengs on frs and gmrs, I believe the antenna for those frequencies are not allowed to be removable, the wattage is restricted(I believe it's actually less than 5 watts). If you can, I would get ham licensed, especially if you can get your hunting buddies to do the same, then you have a wider range of frequencies you can broadcast on, with less chance of cross talk and such Actually it's not legal to use amateur radios on FRS and GMRS. Not legal at all.
_________________BLACK HAMMER ARMSBuy A Suppressor http://www.silencershop.com/blackhammerarmsType 7 Class 2 SOT NFA Dealer 1911 Pistolsmithing Firearm Refinishing GLOCK Certified Armorer CMMG Authorized Dealer NEMO Arms Authorized Dealer http://www.blackhammerarms.comhttp://www.facebook.com/blackhammerarmshttps://www.instagram.com/blackhammerarms/
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Mon Mar 28, 2016 10:00 pm |
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golddigger14s
Site Supporter
Location: Faxon, OK Joined: Sat Mar 19, 2011 Posts: 17818
Real Name: Chuck
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MURS freqs you can use without a license: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-Use_Radio_ServiceOnly one watt though.
_________________ "The beauty of the Second Amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it." Thomas Jefferson "Evil often triumphs, but never conquers." Joseph Roux
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Mon Mar 28, 2016 10:48 pm |
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dogfish
Site Supporter
Location: McCleary Joined: Fri Mar 7, 2014 Posts: 2002
Real Name: Andy
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I'll go the license route. Looks like a lot of folks are pretty uppity (not here) about that issue, but I'm not sure someone would come up and track me down in the woods if I didn't have one. If I had a base station at home, sure. At least that way I'll be covered and gain a little more knowledge so I can make the most out of the tool. Thanks for the info.
_________________ It ain't bragging if you can do it.
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Tue Mar 29, 2016 10:01 am |
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Soldier_Citizen
Site Supporter
Location: south 'merca Joined: Wed Jul 25, 2012 Posts: 9738
Real Name: Mike
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dogfish wrote: I'll go the license route. Looks like a lot of folks are pretty uppity (not here) about that issue, but I'm not sure someone would come up and track me down in the woods if I didn't have one. If I had a base station at home, sure. At least that way I'll be covered and gain a little more knowledge so I can make the most out of the tool. Thanks for the info. He's another fun thing about getting licensed, you can play on the repeaters, which will add a great amount of distance that you can cover, I can talk to one of my repeaters near where I do some hunting, and it can transmit to my base station at home which is about 70 miles as the crow flys, so my misses can hear me(I can check in and let her know we are alive and or coming home or staying... I'm trying to get her to get listened so she can communicate with me. Instead of just listening to a progress report.
_________________"No Quarter, No Mercy" mash_man wrote: #gangbangerlivesmatter
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Tue Mar 29, 2016 11:06 am |
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skey
Site Supporter
Location: Not Washington : ) Joined: Thu Aug 2, 2012 Posts: 2832
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dogfish wrote: I'll go the license route. Looks like a lot of folks are pretty uppity (not here) about that issue, but I'm not sure someone would come up and track me down in the woods if I didn't have one. If I had a base station at home, sure. At least that way I'll be covered and gain a little more knowledge so I can make the most out of the tool. Thanks for the info. All the folks at the Mike and Key group I did the class and test with were all pretty cool. Very Techno Ham, but helpful and appear to be looking to add to the herd. Some of the old guys do not have much patience for the new guys, but I know guys in guns that are exactly the same.
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Tue Mar 29, 2016 4:35 pm |
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dogfish
Site Supporter
Location: McCleary Joined: Fri Mar 7, 2014 Posts: 2002
Real Name: Andy
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Ordered a pair of the upgraded BaoFeng's, cords, charger for the car, spare battery, and a longer antenna. Also downloaded an app for studying. Goal is to get licensed up before hunting season. I'll test out the two antennas and see which is best.
I ran into an old Elks Club member about 20 years ago when I first joined. I think I was 40 years younger than all of them. He comes up to me after one meeting and told me I was too young to be an Elks Club member. My response was immediate, "Well sir, if the rest of the Elks Club members were as old and as rude as you, the Elks are doomed. How long have you been a member? Never mind, don't tell me. You were a new member once too. Were you welcomed the same way I was by you when you joined?" He apologized a few meetings later. Some old guys are grumpy shits.
Worst case, don't like it and sell it.
_________________ It ain't bragging if you can do it.
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Wed Mar 30, 2016 2:11 pm |
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dogfish
Site Supporter
Location: McCleary Joined: Fri Mar 7, 2014 Posts: 2002
Real Name: Andy
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Radios in hand.
Suggestions on apps for learning? Any other types of websites or information would be great.
_________________ It ain't bragging if you can do it.
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Wed Apr 06, 2016 1:20 pm |
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