Ravi, I would have suggested the even less expensive unlicensed CB HTs that are
available most everywhere and need no license at all. I really no nothing
about the Baofengs but it is all antenna and power. The Kenwood which was much
more expensive will not hit a repeater from the boonies, and I have a $50
antenna that adds some range, but not nearly enough. I live about 15 miles
from a repeater and I cannot use the repeater without an outdoor antenna above
my roof. Willis 'Cookie' Cooke,TDXS Contest Chairman K5EWJ & Trustee N5BPS
From: Ravi Ratnala via BVARC <[email protected]>
To: BRAZOS VALLEY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, March 5, 2015 4:42 PM
Subject: Re: [BVARC] Knowledge / Opinions about Digital / D-Star / C4FM
(System Fusion)?
Thanks Glenn, Michael, Cookie - excellent information, and excellentpoints, all!
I totally agree about the shortcomings of rubber duckies on HTs. Thefolks I
bushwhack, etc. with, we all use HTs to keep in touch, so it'sall about
simplex. My Baofengs have served that function perfectly todate - and at ~$40
each, they're almost disposable. Even so, mine havebeen dropped, dumped in
mud, and exposed to rain, and so far they'reall still going.
Probably the best thing I can say about the Chinese radios though, isthat they
got me back into ham radio after about a 35-year hiatus. Iwas first licensed
as a 5-wpm CW Novice when I was in 4th grade. Radiokind of faded away from me
after that, largely due to a lack of bothgear and hams who were interested in
talking to a kid.
Anyway, before my buddies and I started using 2m HTs for recreationalcomm, we
used FRS radios. Well, I was shopping for some "better"radios on Amazon one
day, and stumbled across the Baofengs. Recallingthe days when I was a kid,
struggling to figure out how to afford /build my own radios, I was astonished
that one could get on the air soeasily.
One week later, I took my Tech and General exams, and I've been backever since.
Even better still, the cheap radios helped me convince a number of mybuddies -
who had ZERO interest in ham radio before - to get licensed. (I'm still working
on my XYL . . . .)
Most of those folks haven't moved on to better radios, learning aboutantennas,
HF, etc. like I have - but a couple have. Regardless, in myopinion, anything
that gets more people involved in our hobby - oreven aware of it - is good for
all of us.
73,
KF5YHP
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WILLIS COOKE via BVARC wrote:
Ravi, I don't think there isany HT of any brand that will do what you want. I
have a Kenwood TH-F6and it certainly will not. I am definitely not a Yaesu
guy, but Iwould prefer any Japanese transceiver to one from China. I
wouldrecommend that you not plan on any rubber duck to repeatercommunication
over 10 to 15 miles unless you plan to climb a repeatertower with it. I have a
dual band mobile Kenwood in my vehicle and onfrequent trips to Oklahoma I
seldom make contact outside themetroplexes of Houston and Dallas. I would not
plan on anycommunications while off-roading, back country, backpacking,
ormountaineering except with people in your party who will stay withinone mile
of you. I sometimes use my HT for communications within onemile while at MSWE
or a convention, but I seldom find them useful. They would probably be useful
at Dayton, but I have not seen them beuseful at Ham Com in Dallas, and the
Houston hamfests are small enoughthat most use eyeball QSOs. Sorry, but I
can't give you anyencouragement at all. I have never seen APRS, a build in TNC
or C4FMbe useful for anything but in selling transceivers. I have only been
aham for 59 years, but In that time the only time that ham radio wasuseful for
local communication was around 1975 when there were no cellphones or GPS.
Willis 'Cookie' Cooke, BVARC MSWE Chairman, 2014 &2015 TDXS Contest Chairman
K5EWJ& Trustee N5BPS
From: Ravi Ratnala via BVARC<[email protected]>
To: BRAZOS VALLEYAMATEUR RADIO CLUB <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, March5, 2015 2:17 PM
Subject: [BVARC]Knowledge / Opinions about Digital / D-Star / C4FM (System
Fusion)?
Friends,
Ok, I'll go ahead and open the ol' can-o-worms: The radio I'm buyinghappens to
be a Yaesu FT1DR.
The main reason for the purchase is that I want a new V/U dual-band HTthat will
be rugged enough for EMCOMM work, as well as the off-roading,backcountry
backpacking, and mountaineering I do.
I was considering the VX-6R and VX-8R before I found the FT1DR. Themain
reasons I chose the latter over the others are the facts that ithas a built-in
GPS, does APRS natively, and has a built-in TNC for data(if I ever decide to
wander down that trail). In other words, I'd buythis radio even if it didn't
operate C4FM (digital voice).
In the interest of disclosure, I do tend to be a Yaesu guy,but I'm never a
blind ambassador to any brand name. I also count anIcom, an Alinco, and
several Baofengs among my gear, and I recommendeda Kenwood TH-F6A to a friend
recently.
Now, here comes the VHS v. Beta part:
1) What's the general feeling out there with regard to the digitalvoice modes
like D-Star and System Fusion (love / hate / too early /never be standardized /
all stink / etc)?
2) With regard to System Fusion, how many of you actually have thecapability,
or plan to at some point?
3) Does anyone know whether / how many System Fusion repeaters thereare
currently in the greater Houston area? Or of any plans to deploy?
I'm just trying to get a general feel for how useful that particularfeature is
likely to be. And to stir up a hornet's nest, of course. ;-)
All opinions / rants / flames welcome.
73,
KF5YHP
--
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div.yiv0400941884Section1 {}#yiv0400941884 RaviP. Ratnala
CEO IndexSolutions, Inc.
Two Allen Center
1200 Smith Street, 16th Floor
Houston, TX 77002
(877) INDEX-99
www.indexsolutions.com
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