(Part 3) Top products from r/amateurradio

I'm going to focus on AM broadcasting in my reply. I'm not going to go into the whole groundwave/skywave thing, since others are going to address that. But, this could serve to be a very interesting introduction to AM DXing.

AM broadcast stations, during the day, operate differently than they do at night.

https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/am-stations-at-night

TL;DR, Many AM broadcast stations DROP their power significantly at nighttime or cease operations, so they don't interfere with other AM broadcasters.

So, an AM station like WABC out of NYC broadcasts at 50kw daytime and nighttime.
WABC-AM

HOWEVER, same city, WNYC (public radio) transmits at 10kw during the day, but at 1kw at night.
WNYC-AM

Now, for the cool part... I went to college in Indiana. During the night, I could hear 770 WABC out of NYC. So, I could listen to Yankee games. So, that leads me to...

Something really fun to do at night is AM DXing, especially during winter. You don't need much. A "solid" sort of portable AM radio, like a portable SW receiver that has a ferrite core. A passive AM antenna.

You don't even connect the antenna to the radio. You just put the two of them next to each other, and you just tune the antenna to create nulls in different directions to pull-out AM stations that you want to hear.

Anyway, here is a URL to get you started in AM DXing if I have piqued your interest: http://www.amdxing.com/

FRS is legal for business, its basically a 'citizens band' and can be used by anyone for anything as long as they obey the legal limits of frequency and power etc.

HOWEVER, if you use it then, you can't get mad when kids in their backyard are interrupting your radios and you hear them come out of your speakers when talking to customers. They have just as much right on that frequency as anyone else so keep that in mind.

But, if you want really cheap and for just in-building use then FRS or GMRS is probably fine. Lots of businesses use them ok. Make sure you get some that have PL/privacy codes, that can help quite a bit. FRS/GMRS radios would probably be much more likely to work if you were using them in an area where there is not much in the way of housing such as a business district or downtown etc.

The Motorola MS350R/MT350R's are pretty much the best radios available these days if you go the FRS/GMRS route.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004PGM9PO
https://www.amazon.com/Motorola-MT350R-FRS-Weatherproof-Two-Way/dp/B0072LAAA0
https://www.amazon.com/Motorola-MR350R-35-Mile-22-Channel-Two-Way/dp/B001UE6MJ8

They also support hand-mics, ear mic's and other accessories which might be handy in a work environment like you describe.

I don't think there are any decent dual-band mobiles in your price range. The closest I know of is the AnyTone 5888UV for around $250 that also does GMRS frequencies.

http://www.amazon.com/AnyTone-Transceiver-AT-5888UV-Amateur-Radio/dp/B00B1F7IEE

What might work and be in your budget is a better antenna for your HT and a mic. This could be a better HT antenna (also search for "tiger tail") or a mobile antenna. You're going to have problems getting a good ground-plane on your bike, so a 1/2 wave mobile antenna may work best.

It's often better to fix a transmitting problem with a better antenna versus more power because a better antenna also helps your receiving.

What's your budget? :-)


For starters I'm a big fan of the btech units. I recommend a dual band or a tri band unit. I've been using this and it's quite good:


https://www.amazon.com/BTECH-UV-25X4-Tri-Band-Mobile-Radio/dp/B06XCDWT6V/

They're not bad for $130.


However, make sure you:

• get a triband or dualband antenna! I have a Comet dual-band vertical antenna on my roof for 2m/70cm FM operation.
  
• get a decent 13.8v power supply for home! I picked up the analog meter version of this a couple years ago and run almost everyone on my desk from it: https://www.amazon.com/TekPower-TP30SWV-Digital-Switching-Supply/dp/B00L2K263Q/ . It's $140 but it's well worth the money.
  
  • but obviously i only transmit from one at a time, purely to not burn out the power supply.
    
• get good coax! For VHF/UHF you wanna get LMR-400 to minimise loss over longer distance coax runs.
  
• get a SWR meter that'll do VHF/UHF as the output amplifier will overheat and burn out if you run it into a badly matched antenna. I er, burnt out the dual band version of the above when I got my technician ticket - I was used to more spendy radios that have mismatch protection (ie, reduce output power) but this radio doesn't.
  
• get the PC programming cable for it.
  
  Once you get more familiar with the radio-y bits you can look at the kenwood, yaesu, icom, alinco, etc VHF/UHF units. There are some very nice ones but you want to know what you're doing so you don't make them unhappy. It's better to learn that on a $130 radio.

Sounds like an HT would be a good first addition.

• Baofeng UB-82 - Dual band HT, great for local communication, repeater access, etc etc. You can also monitor other public service frequencies/weather band. $37.50
  
• Handheld mic for the Baofeng - Nice if you keep it on your desk in a charger, or if the radio is clipped to a bag or something, you can still access the mic (it's also a speaker). $6.37
  
• USB Programming Cable - Easily program memory channels with your computer. $20.46
  
• Upgraded antenna for the HT - This one is pretty big, plenty on Amazon of various size which will vary in performance, but anything should be better than the stock antenna. $16.99
  
  Well that's $81.32. Remaining could be spent on an extra battery, a power cable for the car etc etc.

The Anytone mobile rigs are really good for the price, and supported by CHIRP for programming.

https://www.amazon.com/AnyTone-Transceiver-AT-5888UV-Amateur-Radio/dp/B00B1F7IEE/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1542630873&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=anytone+at-5888uv&psc=1

And the tri-band version if you have a 220 repeater in the area.

https://www.amazon.com/AT-5888UV-III-Tri-Band-136-174Mhz-400-490Mhz/dp/B07DZKH6G3/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1542630913&sr=8-3&keywords=anytone+at-5888uv+iii

I have the dual band AT-5888U and I love it, it is my favorite mobile rig for the price, full featured and easy to use and program. Comes with the programming cable and a mount for the remote head.

Hello from across the strait! Victoria here.

No worries, here are the parts I used:

Fuse Box
[Switches (available in other colours, look at the similar items)] (https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01APBAQSE/)
12V Lighter Ports
Voltmeter
Inverter
Battery Charger (external)

I snagged the last battery charger they had in stock for $50, looks like the price available now is significantly higher. I'd recommend shopping around. Everything else is a basic part, and of course could be easily replaced. Just make sure your switches are rated for the amperage you're going to draw from them, and that the fuses are rated the same or less than the load you put on.


Best of luck, and don't forget to post your build when you're done!

> We like to hike and he's mentioned bring the radio along.

For hiking how about a Mobilinkd APRS modem that bridges his (android only) phone and his radio. Combine this with a Comet SMA-24J/Diamond SRJ77CA/Signalstuff Signalstick (SMA Female option).

> He has a fairly long commute and may like a the car connector.

Get a BNC-SMA female adapter and replace my previous antenna suggestions with the BNC model (Comet BNC-24J/Diamond RH77CA/Signalstuff Signalstick (BNC option)) for compatibility and a Tram 1185 plus UV-82 compatible battery eliminator and handmic. Everyone here more or less recommends a drilling a hole in your car for an NMO mount; its tidier, waterproof and won't damage the paint compared to having a big magnet stuck to your roof, but I realize that isn't an option for a lot of people.

Edit: I typically recommend stuff based on Universal-Radio.com's prices simply because I can navigate their website easily, but there is also hamradio.com which often has slightly better prices at the cost of being a nightmare to navigate.

Since you mentioned talking with local hams while riding a bike:

Baofeng UV-5r

External mic

This antenna mounted to a metal plate on a rear bike rack, or this antenna and you can just strap the radio to a back pack or your belt.

And you'll need a programming cable.
Use Chirp to program in all of the local repeaters as well as the 2m calling frequency and any other freqs you might want to use.

I didn't do the math, but that's well under $100 (probably around $50 in fact). You can also use the mag mount antenna on your car for mobile ops, I've been doing this for a while, and it works great, but I am finally upgrading to a real mobile with a more proper mobile whip.

Not sure if you are wanting help with homebrew antennas, or help setting up commercial antennas...but if it's homebrew:

Start simple. You'll need a cordless drill and a hacksaw.

Look at your closest Home Depot or Lowes, and check it out for antenna building materials. Gauge 12 or 10 solid electrical wire? Perfect for temporary UHF dipoles or quarter wave groundplane antennas. Flat bar aluminum 1/4"x1/8"? Good for permanent VHF/UHF antennas.

Plastic HDPE cutting boards? It's not a cutting board, it's substrate for mounting antennas, just cut-to-size with a hacksaw.

You will need SMA-BNC adapters for your Baofeng, some ferrite cores (material 61 for VHF, 43 for HF) for chokes and current baluns.

Get an assortment of small machine screws at varying lengths for mounting the radiators and radials.

For 2m and UHF, get a cheap tripod from Amazon as a starting mount for experimenting.

https://www.amazon.ca/AmazonBasics-60-Inch-Lightweight-Tripod-Bag/dp/B005KP473Q/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=tripod&qid=1564085987&s=gateway&sr=8-3

Get small U-bolts for mounting the antenna to a pole or to the tripod. If you don't want to go too high, some PVC water pipe (sturdy 600PSI, not 200) will work as a semi-permanent pole.

You'll need an SWR meter:

https://www.amazon.ca/Signstek-Professional-Standing-Wave-Meter-Testing/dp/B00GNVJ8IU/ref=pd_sbs_504_11?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00GNVJ8IU&pd_rd_r=7cc9688c-285e-4f7e-8dc1-65e94cc1f1e7&pd_rd_w=tIvyt&pd_rd_wg=KaphE&pf_rd_p=5dcda75b-8643-4da3-9bb1-5c0233790500&pf_rd_r=B74WZVNRQY8XFYZ505AE&psc=1&refRID=B74WZVNRQY8XFYZ505AE

And if you want to do HF, an antenna analyzer (shockingly, these cheap chinese MR100 copies usually work ok):

https://www.amazon.ca/Digital-Shortwave-Antenna-Analyzer-Transparent/dp/B07NRXP85M/ref=sr_1_7?crid=12ERBWHIRZNIU&keywords=antenna+analyzer&qid=1564087191&s=gateway&sprefix=antenna+an%2Celectronics%2C195&sr=8-7

The most common cable is RG58. It's not ideal for UHF, but it'll do, it's flexible, and is easily crimped.

https://www.amazon.ca/Amphenol-CO-058BNCX200-012-Black-Coaxial-Cable/dp/B00O070EQO/ref=pd_sbs_23_3/144-3394476-5564231?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00O070EQO&pd_rd_r=5bbbd7a4-9094-48c1-9d14-b06629b85e12&pd_rd_w=JH7VS&pd_rd_wg=NxPFW&pf_rd_p=5dcda75b-8643-4da3-9bb1-5c0233790500&pf_rd_r=MQJGSGEZ577KF8KSYEGV&psc=1&refRID=MQJGSGEZ577KF8KSYEGV

And here are some other links that should give you ideas:

https://rsgb.org/main/get-started-in-amateur-radio/antennas/your-first-antenna-the-half-wave-dipole/

https://m0ukd.com/calculators/quarter-wave-ground-plane-antenna-calculator/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J-pole_antenna

https://palomar-engineers.com/tech-support/tech-topics/best-hf-end-fed-antenna

https://www.w8ji.com/end-fed_1_2_wave_matching_system_end%20feed.htm

http://www.hbphoto.com/Radio/Baluns_101.pdf

https://www.qsl.net/dk7zb/Baluns/current_balun.htm

Hey, 15 year old USA high school student here, i'm prepped and ready to go and i'm getting my technician class license this saturday, and i'm looking to buy my own radio now. Unfortunately my budget's pretty small (a little over 200$) and i've got about 0 knowledge about what to look for in a good radio.

I don't need too much, as the nearest IRLP node is about 25 miles away and that's all i'll really need. I was considering copying my best friend's setup, which gets him well to the node and the local countryside, which is a Wouxun KG-UV8D and one of these antennas

However, i was wondering if for the money there's a much better option (In either radio or antenna), or if i should save up for something with more power behind it. Portability is a big concern for me, so i do quite like the idea of handhelds, but i've heard a lot of people say they don't perform well in any way by themselves.

Get a BF-F9 V2+. There's a lot you can do with it. Get another antenna and a bigger battery for it. You now have a really versatile analog HT. You can reliably hit repeaters 15-ish miles away with it, depending on terrain, and in narrowband mode, probably a bit more. It has a DTMF keypad (DTMF = touch-tone phone keypad), so you can do some fun things with repeaters that have internet links and other little oddities. Get a programming cable and CHIRP, and you can do lots of fun and convenient things like program all your local repeaters and simplex calling freqs into it, and train it to swear.

Get a 12-volt power kit, a headset, and a mag-mount antenna, and now you have a halfway-respectable mobile rig. With that antenna, you'd be VERY surprised how far that little radio can reach out. I've talked to repeaters 25 miles away with my little BF-F9 and a mag-mount, and had no complaints about sound quality.

The point is, don't go crazy with expensive-ass kit right now (cue bot appearance in 3... 2... 1...). You're still very new to the hobby (I'm at the point where I'm kinda new), and you don't quite know what you like. I didn't think I'd care very much for longwave DXing and all that, and for the most part, the idea of having a "shack" doesn't appeal all that much to me, but I'm getting more and more interested in mobile HF. Just noodle around, talk to people, go to field days, etc.

"Easy Digi" sound card interface, a USB soundcard, and some cables should get you pretty far. There are some variants of the Easy Digi kit that are assembled and include specific connectors.

• http://www.ebay.com/itm/EASY-DIGI-Sound-Card-Interface-PSK-RTTY-SSTV-NBEMS-JT-65-PCB-KIT-/222365408864?hash=item33c602de60:m:mIM6OajlhJ_uammVK5bZI_w
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-External-Adapter-Windows-AU-MMSA/dp/B00IRVQ0F8

A hamstick dipole mount, Some ham stick antennas and an extendable painters pole from the local hardware store would give you a pop up antenna you could stick out of a window or off a balcony and hide away when not in use. Check out HRO's used section, ebay and any local ham festivals for a radio. I know these aren't the cheapest options but it's the best I can think of.

Please use clean amazon links, or else reddit flags the message. Thanks.

https://www.amazon.com/BESTEK-300W-Power-Inverter-Adapter/dp/B004MDXS0U/

Yes, if he also gets the BNC adapter, I ended up getting the adapters for my Nagoya. much easier to change to another antenna like http://www.amazon.com/Original-Hypario-Antenna-baofeng-Sma-Female/dp/B00DTQ4A6M?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00 with this http://www.amazon.com/2pcs-coaxial-coax-adapter-female/dp/B00CVQK466?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s02 and this http://www.amazon.com/Valley-SMA-Male-BNC-Adapter/dp/B00AWELKJE?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01

Yes. MFJ makes a thing to make it easy https://www.amazon.com/MFJ-347-HAMSTICK-DIPOLE-MOUNT-HAMSTICKS/dp/B00KGHZ2FU . Others have said efficiency drops as you fall in frequency below 14MHz; this is a function of the mobile whip's relatively short length.

http://smile.amazon.com/FT-100-Version-Chipset-Supports-Windows/dp/B0035DV1ZM/ref=lh_ni_t?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1UZH0Q8MMO1YX

I bought this one last year. Works best on slower speeds, ie 4800. I put a few toroids on the cable and its good to go. It works on windows 7.

I bought the SRH77CA, which has the SMA connector that scanner uses. I have the BCD436HP, and it's a nice scanner.

The antenna also works better than the rubber ducky on my Yaesu FT-70D as well, since it's tuned for 2m and 70 cm.

Congrats on the license!

HRO has the FT-60R on sale right now for $135.

Afterward:

I'd consider an antenna upgrade (like a Diamond SRH77CA, $23, at some point shortly thereafter.

The programming cable (Amazon, $24) is a nice-to-have. Grab that, download a copy of CHiRP (free) and Bob's your uncle. There's a pile of quick-start sheets floating around that can get you manually programming it in a hurry, too. It's not terribly difficult but doesn't feel particularly intuitive to me, a fairly green ham as well.

Are there particular models that this would apply to?

From a comment on Hacker News:

> The trouble is this thing: "BaoFeng BF-F8HP (UV-5R 3rd Gen) 8-Watt Dual Band Two-Way Radio (136-174Mhz VHF & 400-520Mhz UHF) Includes Full Kit"[1] This cheap radio is sold as a "ham radio", and requires a ham license. Large numbers of non-hams are using it in the GMRS service at higher power levels than allowed. It's popular with "preppers", even though it's not very rugged, is complicated to use, tends not to put out as much power as claimed, and the battery tends to come loose.[2] The FCC's concern is that it allows 8 watt blithering over a wide range of frequencies by people with no clue how to use it properly. There are GMRS radios made for hunters which are much more suitable for wilderness use - waterproof and easy to use.[3]
>
> [1] https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MAULSOK
>
> [2] https://offgridsurvival.com/baofenguv5rv2review/
>
> [3] https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004PGM9PO/

• https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18098689
  
  Should I be ordering a bunch from Amazon to stockpile them? :)
  

> Motorola MS350R'S, they come in a 2 pack with a base station charger for about $100 U.S.

Amazon has them for $67 and change... OP you need to be buying these, they are only a couple bucks more and way way easier to use. We do NOT!!! recommend you buy the BF-888s unless you plan to study for and earn your amateur radio license. Which admittedly does open up a lot of other cool things to do besides talking to your buddy on road trips, but I'm sticking to basics for now in this reply.

These guys? http://www.amazon.com/Push-PL-259-Adapter-Female-Connect/dp/B00K0SXUBS

Looks like giant RCA plugs. FB. Thanks.

For your LCD monitors consider a small inverter like those from Bestek. I've used a number of these https://www.amazon.com/BESTEK-300W-Power-Inverter-Adapter/dp/B004MDXS0U/ref=sxin_2_osp20-8ec118f9_cov?ascsubtag=8ec118f9-82ab-4bea-a00e-5ed637af8fed&creativeASIN=B004MDXS0U&cv_ct_id=amzn1.osp.8ec118f9-82ab-4bea-a00e-5ed637af8fed&cv_ct_pg=search&cv_ct_wn=osp-search&keywords=inverter&linkCode=oas&pd_rd_i=B004MDXS0U&pd_rd_r=a0c0d2ba-43ae-414d-b6ac-2e8318eda3d9&pd_rd_w=50VOU&pd_rd_wg=Z4FQz&pf_rd_p=c501273b-119a-4fc9-ad78-eda5006b0be9&pf_rd_r=CX849SWNEE2R4KHGN9X5&qid=1563882908&s=gateway&tag=bestcont06-20 . I haven't noticed any RFI on 40, 20, or 17 meters or on 2, 4, 6, 8, or 12 MHz marine or marine VHF. Lop off the cigarette power plug and hardwire or use PowerPoles. The cig plug is only good for 6A continuous. Bloody awful things. The Bestek has a metal case good for shielding and grounding. They make higher output units also and most also have USB power ports. On the little 300W one the USB ports are always hot while the outlets are switched on and off with the toggle switch.

You can also find very robust LCD monitors that run directly from 12VDC. I use daylight (full sun) water resistant units for glass wheelhouses on boats. You can pay a lot less for 12VDC units targeted at the RV market.

Regardless, I would put ferrite beads on the power leads on general principals.

73 es sail fast de dave KO4MI

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GNVJ8IU/

This is probably the most popular one I've seen. Seems to work well enough.

DX Engineering has good gift card options. They have tons of little things too.

I'd also suggest a first radio - I'd shoot for a Yaesu FT-60R

Does he like kit building or electronics? Tons of cheap options there, as well as tools - who doesn't love tools?

I totally get what you're saying! I am a Systems Engineer and I would never tell an organization to purchase sub standard hardware. So touche, sir. I agree that with this radio, I'm getting the experience I paid for. However, I wanted to get started right away. Once I took apart the radio, and saw the internals I have to admit it's not like a Kenwood or Motorola. Also, thoughts on this one?

​

https://www.amazon.com/Yaesu-FT-60R-Handheld-Amateur-Transceiver/dp/B00Q1UYR1G

> slide-on PL-259

Also amazon, once someone kicked my brain into gear, thanks!

Yessss! I have finally decided on my things that I am going to get (when I will get these I will explain in a bit).

Radio - Baofeng UV-B6

Programming Cable - [Programming Cable for Baofeng UV-5R and UV-3R+ with Driver CD] (http://www.amazon.com/Programming-Cable-Baofeng-UV-5R-Driver/dp/B008RZJHJU/ref=pd_bxgy_e_text_y)

Speaker/Mic - [Pofung BF-S112 Speaker mic] (http://www.amazon.com/Pofung-BF-S112-Two-Radio-Speaker/dp/B008RZ0EQ0/ref=pd_bxgy_e_text_z)

Antenna - [Diamond Rh-770] (http://www.amazon.com/Diamond-Rh-770-144mhz-Antenna-Walkie-talkie/dp/B00GBWBAKU/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top)

Now, if my calculations are correct, all of this adds up to $47.20 (right now), and I do not have the moola for this right now, believe me. My Mom did hint at a possible Christmas present opportunity, so I am definitely not spending the money on this. I will send my Mom these links very soon.

Edit: Formatting

Edit 2: Never mind about that one thing... *click*

Bon Appetit! : LINK

ETA: A CAT control cable is helpful, too.

ETAA: $25 USB CAT from Amazon

I have that sticker on my car. It's in the style of those 26.0 marathon stickers. Black text on a white oval.

Hasn't worked yet. :(

It's like this: https://smile.amazon.com/CafePress-146-52-Meters-Calling-Sticker/dp/B00OOGHMX4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523989063&sr=8-1&keywords=146.52

Then this will be a great way to get into soldering. It's simple because you're only soldering some wires to each other. Here's the cable on Amazon

Now, with the FT-891, yellow goes to line in on your computer. Brown comes from line out. So, you take a 2.5mm to 2.5mm cable (like to plug your phone headset audio into the computer or where ever). You cut it in half. Both of the blacks get soldered to the shield of those halves. Then, you solder the yellow wire to one half and the brown wire to the other half. That's all there is to it.

(these)[http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CVQK466/] are a bit better on many HTs because they actually sit down totally flush against the radio housing which gives them more structural stability.

For the cat interface, you can buy one of these, ready-made cables:

https://www.amazon.com/Valley-Enterprises-FT-100-FT-817-FT-857/dp/B0041LNISK

As for the easy digi connections, you'll need a PS2 style connector, and wire the AF out and AF in pins per the manual to a mono 1/8" audio connector.

Get these:

https://www.amazon.com/Valley-Enterprises-FT-100-FT-817-FT-857/dp/B0041LNISK

https://www.amazon.com/Yaesu-Original-CT-39A-Packet-Interface/dp/B0042AGVRA

Add mono or stereo connectors to the CT39 cable ends, dress them up nice.

Then, get one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/UGREEN-External-Headphone-Microphone-Desktops/dp/B01N905VOY

And, then rock and roll with your 2 USB cable connection to get up and running.

>would a ferrite loop work at all inside a 22 gauge steel box,

Not well at all, no.

>is there a standard port I could add to the cabinet to suport an external removable AM antenna,

Use whatever connector you have lying around that's easy to work with. It doesn't matter very much. 1/8" audio jacks would be good. You could probably repurpose an antenna for a Countycomm GP-5.

Or maybe something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Eton-NGAN200-Grundig-Indoor-Antenna/dp/B001PNNXGO

Okay, hrm.

Nope, not knockoffs. They're the real deal. Cheap, only FM, and if you break it you get another one.

Check out the anytone for just under 300 dollars if you're going new. Only does VHF/UHF, so if you're asking for HF let me know instead.

http://www.amazon.com/AnyTone-Transceiver-AT-5888UV-Amateur-Radio/dp/B00B1F7IEE

It's the 12 AMP. Still weak AF and needs to be traded out for a better supply. I commend you on your ability to find the weakest link. I'm thinking I'm going to switch to this one

https://www.amazon.com/Eton-NGAN200-Grundig-Indoor-Antenna/dp/B001PNNXGO
For low power, these RX mag loops work nicely for transmitting. I use one when demonstrating radio to young'ins at the museum.

I would agree, but for about $50 you can also get the UV-5R (what was shown in the video was a UV-3R, I believe)

http://www.amazon.com/BAOFENG-Professional-Transceiver-Frequency-Protable/dp/B008IYCQSO/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1344027574&sr=8-4&keywords=uv-5r

Ordered it from cafe press via amazon
CafePress 146.52 Ham Radio 2 Meters Calling Sticker Oval - 3x5 White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OOGHMX4/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_M-iLub0JX6BR2

As others have said, do not buy from there.

If you do want that radio still after what others have said, get it here:

http://www.amazon.com/BaoFeng-UV-5R-65-108-Dual-Band-Radio/dp/B008IYCQSO/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1405266991&sr=1-2&keywords=uv-5r

Is this a bad price? I need the HT before Friday

https://www.amazon.com/Yaesu-FT-60R-Handheld-Amateur-Transceiver/dp/B00Q1UYR1G

47.99 on Amazon.

Here.

https://www.amazon.com/TekPower-TP30SWV-Digital-Switching-Supply/dp/B00L2K263Q

There is also a modified Yaesu USB CT-62 cable you should research.
http://www.amazon.com/FT-100-Version-Chipset-Supports-Windows/dp/B0035DV1ZM

EDIT... link

I had a similar situation when I leased my Honda Fit.

The Anytone AT-5888UV that I wanted came with a detachable head. I had to get the remote mount separately though.

I got a gooseneck mount. You loosen the bolt of the passenger seat, and tighten that down on the gooseneck mount.

I attached the faceplate to the remote mount. I did drill a couple holes in the flat plate that came with the remote mount so I had holes that lined up with the gooseneck mount clip. I used a normal cat5 computer cable to connect the faceplate to the actual radio.

The radio pretty much just went under the passenger seat. I meant to fasten it with velcro or cable ties, but it pretty much stayed put on its own since it was connected to all the other cables.

I used a magnet mount antenna on top of the roof. I was always paranoid that it would damage the paint, but I found that each time I took it off to get it washed that I couldn't tell where it had been.

To get power to the radio, I got a tap fuse that fit the fusebox underneath the steering wheel on the driver side. I got the fuse from a local auto parts store, so the one I have might be different than the one I linked, but it looks very similar. For ground, I just loosened a bolt near the fusebox and got an o-ring connector for the ground wire.

I wanted a convenient place for the speakermic to live. I ended up putting some velcro on the back of it, and some velcro on top of the radio faceplate. I had a very large velcro target on the radio so I could easily holster the speakermic without looking.

The audio was a bit weak on the speakermic, so I ended up getting an external speaker as well. I had that just sit in the center console.

All the cables in question pretty much stayed out of the way once I tucked them in at the edge of the carpet. The car I had was a stickshift, and the radio could be positioned in such a way that I could use the shifter no problem without encroaching on the space of the person in the passenger seat.

I don't know that I have any pictures of the setup in the car. I am hoping to sell this car soon so I've recently taken it all down. There's absolutely no evidence that there was a radio in place ever. The tap fuse just pops out, the two bolts needed to be loosened and re-tightened, and the magmount left no marks. All the wires came out no problem, and the car is still as good as new.

A data cable connected to a USB sound card (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0042AGVRA), and a CAT cable connected to a USB port (http://www.amazon.com/Ft-450-Ft-2000-Ft0450at-Ft-2000d-Interface/dp/B00GLM85NK).

This is apparently, an isolated version of the solution above:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-PC-linker-Adapter-for-YAESU-FT-817-FT-857-897-ICOM-IC-2720-2820-CAT-CW-/171769188892

Which, you'll still need the USB sound card for. Not sure how well the M5 Link device works, but I'll let you know in a few days when it arrives.

I dont know why you dont want your radio to have distress beacon/emergency frequency capabilities, that is a very standard feature most FRS radios will have.


I can assure you the Motorola MS350R is plenty heavy-duty enough for your needs, it is also waterproof and comes in camouflage or yellow. They're even on sale on Amazon right now.


http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-MS350R-35-Mile-Talkabout-Waterproof/dp/B004PGM9PO

Ok so get this. . .

I just got this SWR meter in the mail (was expecting it later this week) along with a short LMR400 jumper that I had ordered. Hooked both up between the radio and the RG-59/U feedline and as far as I can tell, the SWR is 1.2?

Even more confused now. What do you think?

i'd have to look, but i got my cable for the ft60 from amazon and dont think i paid 20 bucks for it. that said, after buying an FTM400XDR and trying to program it with yaesus shit software, i will never regret giving money to RT.

you can find the cable cheap enough on amazon, but dont be shy about giving RT Systems your money. They have got their shit together.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002YU59K0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You're (very) probably right. I was looking at this one on amazon and figured I could possibly build one myself. When I say 'build it myself' I really mean 'do such a horrible job one of my coworkers will take pity on me and make it better'.

I bought this cable for my FT-100D and it works FB in Windows 7/10.

For contesting, I use N1MM+.

For general DX, I use DXLabs.

For digi, i use a mix of fldigi, mmtty, mmsstv, wsjt-x, and digipan. It depends on what I'm doing, what program I use.

Crap! You probably need the SRH77CA. The one I posted is a BNC connection. You need a SMA connection. Sorry about the bad info there!