I could see laying out the money for a nice rig for your car. Especially if that’s where you use it the most.,
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I bought an FTM-100DR for the CC and it’s been great. I really enjoy hitting the repeaters while driving. Even traffic isn’t as unpleasant. I’m toying with adding a CB Radio when I return to Canada. Last time I tried CB, it was full of morons masturbating on the air (sometimes literally) but I have to admit its usefulness in an emergency.
Nice radio and a big 10-4 on the masturbators, lol.
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By the way, are you able to set up an HF antenna where you live?
No. HOA restrictions. I have a Cushcraft R-5 dismantled in the garage right now that served me well before I moved here. I’m thinking get the little qrp rig with a long wire.
Then the included tuner in that rig you posted becomes totally necessary. I’m better understanding your choice now.
Right. Then at least I’m on the air and relatively sleuth.
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Now you have me curious about going to higher frequency voice. Your radio is relatively inexpensive. I would like to see how you have it mounted in your car. Do you use bluetooth? Here I need hands free driving. I am curious.
I’m in Colombia but I’ll try to remember to post actual photos when I’m back in Canada. For now, here’s a stock photo I found online. As you can see the head unit is detachable and I have it mounted on the center console where it’s easily viewable but not distracting, especially at night. The main black box is under the driver’s seat. The mic is mounted on the side of the center console. I had to drill two holes in the center console but neither is big and a 30 cent plug from any electronics store can fill them without looking ugly if I remove the radio.
I don’t use bluetooth as it’s legal to use hand mics on permanently mounted radios where I live. I know people who use it, however. The challenge is the PTT, of course. There are some bluetooth PTT setups out there but I’ve never tried one.
Did you have it installed or do it yourself? I assume it’s still a viable radio. what kind of antenna?
I installed it myself. It was easy. Really not worth hiring someone, especially since I have such strong opinions about where and how I want things done in my car. And yes, it was still viable after I installed it. lol.
I just have a cheap Tram magmount antenna. I didn’t want anything too tall and obnoxious looking. I park underground so a full wavelength 2m antenna is out of the question as it wouldn’t clear the garage roof. That said, since I’m using it mainly for repeaters, the magmount is fine.
Do you park the magmount on the roof? I also need to learn the ins and outs of repeater operation. I am totally new to this.
I put the magmount on the trunk lid, very close to the backlight (I don’t know if you Americans call it a backlight…the rear window). This let me run the wire very neatly through the trunk opening with only maybe an inch of wire showing. I didn’t have to drill a hole in the trunk that way. It works great.
Repeaters are great. They listen on one frequency and then re-blast whatever they received out again in realtime on another frequency at high power. They’re also usually located in highly visible locations (mountain tops in Vancouver, skyscraper roofs in other cities) so the end result is that most people can reach the repeater, and thereby can communicate with each other even though normal simplex would have been impossible.
There are several nets (which is just a little social radio gathering) on most repeaters where people check in and make friends online. I really enjoy it. As you mentioned earlier, radio comes with an idiot filter since you have to pass a pretty difficult test to use one. I’ve met some good friends through radio.
I’m getting more interested. See your msg. I sent. Time for cards. 73
Ok, will check pms. Here is an image of a VW CC I found online. I just drew in yellow where my magmount antenna is.
Edit: Just for the record, my car isn’t lowered and all tricked out like this one. This one is a bit too obnoxious looking for my tastes.
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After talking about handheld radios I think I have decided on a Yaesu FT-60R. Still bouncing around a bit though.
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I know hand helds. Some functions seem to be able to be locked. But what I do notice is when you are a group of private users if you broadcast in close proximity to another user sometimes you will hear your broadcast on that users radio and sometimes not.
Say you have users A B C and D. I was trying to note a pattern. A and B are not next to each other. If C broadcasts both hear the transmission as well as D. If A and B are next to each other and C transmits both A and B hear it but only in A’s radio. If D responds then the transmission is heard on B’s radio but not on A’s.
Maybe it is just the battery contacts. No supervisor settings etc.
Vertex
Vertex radios are generally commercial band, although everything you wrote also applies to the ham bands that Will and I use or even the public bands like CB, GMRS and FRS. Things get very random when radios are in close physical proximity.
Yeah they are pretty tough with drops an even being thrown at hitting a concrete floor.
I don’t have a glossary of terms so I don’t know what any of that means and I don’t think I can learn. All I know too well is the frequencies and how they resonate in my head. Apparently I won’t abandon that grasp of understanding for yours.