Amateur (ham) radio, VHF/UHF, portable operating, backcountry adventure and technical stuff
I keep getting asked about the Baofeng radios. Usually, it’s a new ham asking “hey, should I buy the Baofeng?” Even though I own several of them and make good use of them, I have been a little reluctant to recommend them as a first radio. I put together my thoughts on these radios plus a few tips to help Continue reading Hey, Should I Buy the Baofeng Radio?
The various models of Baofeng handheld transceivers keep popping up everywhere. At prices less than $50, radio amateurs (including veterans and newbies) are scarfing up these radios. See my postings or check out PD0AC’s blog for more information. Also very frequently, the new owner of such a radio finds that they cannot figure out how to program it. Of course, Continue reading Solving the Baofeng Cable Problem
In the Winter 2013 issue of CQ VHF magazine, I wrote about some of the VHF/UHF handheld radios available from China. In that article, I reported on the measured performance of a few of the Wouxun and Baofeng transceivers. One of the Baofeng UV-5R radios that I tested showed harmonic distortion that was a bit high on the 2 Meter Continue reading Checking Out A Baofeng UV-5RA
I happened upon this posting from Hans PD0AC about the Baofeng UV-B5 handheld transceiver. Hans has written a number of useful reviews on the El Cheapo Radios from China, so when he wrote “The Baofeng UV-B5 is close to perfect”, it caught my attention. I have a couple of the other radios from China that I blogged about here and Continue reading Yet Another HT From China (Baofeng UV-B5)
Lately, I’ve encountered many people who apparently believe their radio is a Talisman. What is a Talisman, you say? Talisman – An object marked with magical signs and believed to confer on its bearer supernatural powers or protection. These people purchase some kind of two-way radio and have it stored away in their desk or closet, believing that having it Continue reading The Talisman Radio
News Flash: I found a cheap economical VHF/UHF handheld that I really like. The TIDRADIO TD-H3 is getting a lot of attention from YouTube reviewers. You can think of this as an improved Baofeng UV-5R, with a few key features that grabbed my attention: Improved Look and Feel: This radio looks like a quality product, much improved over the plastic Continue reading TD-H3 VHF/UHF Radio
From time to time, the question is raised about using radio equipment in multiple radio services. One common example is a licensed radio amateur that wants one radio to cover the Family Radio Service (FRS), General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS), and the 2m/70cm ham bands. Some people also want the Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS)…or maybe even marine VHF or aircraft Continue reading One Radio To Rule Them All (Ham, GMRS, FRS, MURS)?
A perpetual ham radio question is always which antenna is best? I have several different antennas and antenna configurations for working VHF SOTA and decided to do some comparisons. To test out some of our 2m SOTA antennas, Joyce/K0JJW and I went to Eagle Rock (W0C/SP-113) with an elevation of 9710 feet. I did the radio operating while Joyce collected Continue reading VHF SOTA Antenna Tests
Closing out 2020, here are the top five blog posts at k0nr.com during the year. Some people may see this as a lazy way of creating one more blog post for the year without much work. This is definitely true. I hope you enjoy it anyway. Leading the list is this blog post…a perennial favorite that seems to make the Continue reading Top Five K0NR Blog Posts for 2020
Once again, I was asked by a new ham “which handheld transceiver should I get?” This is a frequent and valid question that comes up. Often the question gets framed as “Baofeng or something better?” I say “something better.” I am not writing to bash Baofeng radios or the people that use them. The radios are an incredible value on Continue reading Choosing A First Handheld Radio
On some SOTA summits that are established radio sites, there can be significant RFI on 2 meters. I recently wrote about that here: RFI on SOTA Summits. There have also been discussions from time to time among VHF SOTA activators on which handheld transceiver (HT) has the most robust receiver for use in high RF environments. (Hint: a Baofeng is Continue reading Which HT For High RF SOTA?
One thing to watch out for when doing SOTA activations is the presence of strong Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) on some peaks. The typical scenario is that the summit is also an established radio site with transmitters that interfere with your ham radio operations. I use the VHF/UHF bands for SOTA, so I am writing from that perspective. My impression Continue reading RFI on SOTA Summits
We recently completed a Technician License class that produced a herd of new ham radio licensees. This always leads to a discussion of what radio should I get? Often, this is centered on the idea of getting a handheld VHF/UHF radio to get started. That is a good first move. However, for many new hams it is worth looking ahead Continue reading Your First (and Second) Ham Transceiver
The Baofeng UV-5R established a new price point for an entry-level handheld transceiver and quickly became the “easy choice” for a newly licensed Technician. It is a very impressive piece of technology for the money (about $30). However, it is well known that the UV-5R struggles to meet the FCC Part 97 emission requirements. The ARRL lab has published the Continue reading What About the Yaesu FT-4XR?
A Handheld Transceiver (HT) is a convenient, compact all-in-one wireless device for FM operating on the VHF/UHF bands. HTs are sometimes referred to as a Shack On The Belt. There’s a lot to like about a transceiver that has wide frequency range, built-in antenna and power source. The attractiveness of these devices coupled with a distinct lack of self-control on Continue reading Handheld Transceiver Accumulation Syndrome
Closing out 2018, here are the top five blog posts at k0nr.com during the year. Apparently these posts are “evergreen content” because they were all written years ago, well before 2018. With the exception of the Baofeng cable article, they were all on the top five list last year. Happy New Year and 73 from Bob/K0NR
In my previous blog post, I listed four barriers to getting on HF: antenna restrictions radio frequency interference (RFI) cost the fiddle factor. Fiddle Factor really represents how multiple issues can come together to dramatically increase the complexity of an HF installation. Now I’d like to propose some ways of dealing with these barriers. Antenna Restrictions A lot has been Continue reading Getting On HF: Some Remedies
We’ve had a steady stream of new licensees come into our radio club driven mostly by our highly-successful Technician license class. Many of these licensees have gone on to get their General license so they can have fun on the HF bands. I’ve given advice and aid to a variety of people as they get their HF station set up Continue reading Getting on HF: The Fiddle Factor
Amateur adoption of Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) continues to increase, with a number of new innovations playing out. It was way back in 2012 when I wrote this article about DMR for CQ VHF Magazine: TRBO Hits the Amateur Bands. A few years ago, I picked up some used MOTOTRBO gear to use on our local DMR repeater system (MOTOTRBO Continue reading DMR Hotspot from SharkRF
As we approach the end of the year, it is fun to look back to see which blog posts were read the most. It turns out these five blog postings were written in previous years but they are the ones that got the most hits in 2016. The most read post on k0nr.com was Choose Your 2m Frequency Wisely, an Continue reading Top Five K0NR Blog Posts For 2016