I would think any MBITR pouch woukd work for that. Few different types out there.

I'm still using a TT mag pouch for mine, I feel the need to protect it more than an open top pouch would. Can still reach under flap and control volume, etc.

I've got a few mag pouches that 'will work' but they're a little big. The MBITR is bigger and the keypad is in a different spot so pouches made for it aren't going to work quite as well

I found a pouch on eBay that looks like a good design but is probably n'airsoft junk

https://www.ebay.com/itm/O-P-S-UR-TACTICAL-FG-XTS-FP-RADIO-POUCH-FOR-MOTOROLA-XTS3000-5000-IN-A-TACS-FG/251736909835?hash=item3a9cb0680b:g:SWwAAOSw7ThUeWat



I'm thinking of making something like the ebay model but with a kydex outer shell. The belt clip would attach the radio to the kydex and both would fold out like the ebay design to see the display and use the keypad. The weird part is dealing with the connector on the side if I want to run through a PTT to my comtacs. The rest of the radio is skinny but there's a big fat spot at the top where the connector is

ETA- Oh eBay....

Commander II mic can control most important functions, from a speaker/mic. channel/zone/volume, and a port for an earpiece. With channel announcement, you don't need to look at the radio.

Yeah, didn't take that into account.

That pouch looks okay, might last, who knows, your Kydex idea is interesting.

EXAM SESSION

08/11/2020
Sponsor: Radio Club Of Tacoma
Date: Aug 11 2020
Time: 7:00 PM (No Walk-ins / Call ahead)
Contact: John C. Clarke
(253) 948-6297
Email: ac7ww@rainierconnect.com
VEC: ARRL/VEC
Location: Radio Club Of Tacoma Clubhouse
1249 S Washington St
Reservations only!!!
Tacoma WA 98405-2060

From last night's Board Meeting ... another Renton Boeing parking lot VE session will occur this month on August 15, 2020. As with previous month's sessions, pre-registrations are required. Interested - send an email to [Scott, ag7t@arrl.net](mailto:ag7t@arrl.net) requesting to be registered -- deadline for this month's registration is Aug 14.

Bad ass! That's where I did mine. John Clarke is a nice guy.

I made one of those emergency dipole out of coax, and it works. Pretty cool.

Woukd this one be a good, higher gain antenna?

https://www.google.com/amp/s/vk1nam.wor ... tenna/amp/

A dipole has 2.4db over an isotropic radiator, so it has 2.4dbi. A dipole is also is a standard of measurement, in terms of db, called dbd, so a Dipole has 0dbd, because it IS a dipole, but 2.4dbi, because it's comparing to an isotropic radiator.

A dipole is a dipole. A dipole is 1/2 wavelength, and generally doesn't rely on a groundplane, like a 1/4 wave does.

When built properly, all dipoles will have roughly the same characteristics.

Agreed, John is a very nice guy

SIGINT:

Been watching the Portland skirmishes.

5 seconds of audio gleaned me some valuable info.

Some of the protesters are using FRS radios.

More than one protester is using a UHF DMR capable radio...

I'm more than 2 hours away, but can now narrow down a search to a roughly 20 Mhz chunk of spectrum, instead of a chunk of spectrum that's 10x that size, significantly speeding up the search, and making the interception that much easier.

This is the stuff you learn, in time... This is also the stuff that people will be using to find out what frequencies you're using, and why secure communications (encryption) is important. Even if they find the freq. you're operating on, they can't hear anything anyway.

So you're sayin' my next radio should be DMR?

No. DMR isn't secure, generally speaking. I can monitor it as if it was analog.

There are AES encrypted DMR radios but $$$$$

Sorry I'm losing track of what we've covered here!

Technical: if you mount a half wave vertical antenna, does adding a ground plane help or hurt it?

Obviously a 1/4 wave is aided by it. I made a coax dipole like in the vid, pretty cool, and it does work! I can hit a couple repeaters with it I normally can't.

I have a longer antenna, 1/2 wave length. Just wondering if it's better alone, or with a ground pland.

1/2 wave antenna generally does not require a ground plane, however, providing a ground plane, will help.

This applies to baseload half waves, like the kind that you would put on an Nmo mount.

You can't really use a ground plane with a dipole.