experience with portable radios?

[Krazo]

Mountian communications

OK Keith and David you have convinced me that cel phones don’t hack it for mountain communications, especially when I’m out solo. Just ordered a Kenwood TH-F6A HT. Wow, what an interesting unit! Should arrive today. Now to key in all the repeater and forest service frequencies. David provided a nice web site for ham repeaters. What I need are other forest service etc frequencies that you fellows have in your HTs. I must say his HT has a few more bells and whistles then my Icon 2AT.

73,
Gary
W1CEK

 

[SAR-EMT40]

You have come a long way from your Icom 2AT grasshopper.

You are now carrying the radio that I carry for an HT out in the woods. Use this new power wisely my young friend.

The Kenwood radio replaced my trusty Yaesu FT-50 a year or so ago. Not only did I use these radios camping and hiking but I also used both of them as a scanner when I am doing emergency calls. Those are the best two VHF/UHF radios for hiking/camping as far as I am concerned. There are some other good ones but these two are the best with the Kenwood now taking over the top spot for me. I can enumerate the reasons in a seperate email so as to not bore the other if you want.

One more suggestion. Get a roll up wire j-pole with an sma connector and your kit should be complete. I can give you plans or companies if you need. The only other thing (besides having a paper list of local repeaters) is possibly having the battery case for AA batteries. But the lithium battery that comes from it last pretty long.

I will email you soon with the frequencies of local services that are out there.

73,
Keith
N1XTK

 

[Remix]

Yes, get the AA battery pack if you are going to rely on this for an emergency. Unless you want to spring for a spare lithium-$$$$

 

[SAR-EMT40]

Obviously, I agree with Remix. The battery case filled with NiMH batteries is the way to go, with this radio, instead of another litium battery.

Keith

 

[DougPaul]

The specs for the TH-F6A-HT claim a minimum of 5.5V required for batts and the AA pack is a 4 cell unit. OK with alkalines and lithiums, but might be a problem with NiMHes. (The manual only mentions alkalines.)

Unless anyone can quote actual experience, it might be worth checking out.

Doug

 

[SAR-EMT40]

I know that I have used NiMH in the pack without problems Doug. It is a good point though. I can't say how long they would last on high power transmit. I haven't done a lot of heavy transmitting with them. Usually, I carry the case with NiMH's as a backup with the lithium battery bearing the brunt of transmissions.

Keith

 

[DougPaul]

Also interesting to note the spec lower temp limits: -10C with Lion and -20C with alkalines.

IIRC, the most common Lion technology has better low temp performance than alkaline.

http://www.batteryuniversity.com/index.htm

Doug

 

[BrentD22]

How to use repeaters...

Either in the mountains or at home I would like to utilize the repeater networks. With my Motorola TALKABOUT T7400 2watt radio how would I get the repeaters to repeat my transmission?

I also am wondering how many miles avg. have people gotten out of similar radios (2 watt ect).

 

[DougPaul]

Either in the mountains or at home I would like to utilize the repeater networks. With my Motorola TALKABOUT T7400 2watt radio how would I get the repeaters to repeat my transmission?

I also am wondering how many miles avg. have people gotten out of similar radios (2 watt ect).

Repeaters are for Ham radios, frequently, 2M band walkie-talkies.

I believe the Talkabouts are FRS--not on Ham frequencies.

Doug

 

[BrentD22]

I believe the Talkabouts are FRS--not on Ham frequencies.

Doug

My TALKABOUT is has both modes FRS & GMRS.

 

[Warren]

There are repeaters for gmrs if I recall correctly. It's probably best to work this through google. That said the repeaters are privately operated and it's generally polite to have permission and a license if you're going to use them.

 

[DougPaul]

There are repeaters for gmrs if I recall correctly. It's probably best to work this through google. That said the repeaters are privately operated and it's generally polite to have permission and a license if you're going to use them.

FRS and GMRS radios generally transmit and receive on the same frequency. Makes repeaters impossible. (Repeaters require 2 frequencies--one for the uplink, another for the downlink.)

More than polite to have the license--it is federal law.

Doug

 

[Stan]

For what it's worth I did get to use my new long distance walkie talkies (never did need the GMRS frequencies but the capacity for extra power is comforting) on a few trips last summer and fall. The main uses were 1) to keep in touch with base camp i.e. wife back at the cabin, and 2) with the other half of our group when we split up. It came in very handy and wouldn't lead a group without it.

I would caution that, for the uninitiated, the choice of channels can be confusing. I keep the radios in plastic freezer bags to protect them from the always possible dunking or drenching that characterize some of my trips as well as from routine changes in humidity and weather. I write, in waterproof marker, on these freezer bags the channel to monitor and the backup channel. I also keep a copy of essential operating instructions in the bag.

As for repeaters, expanding cell phone coverage may make them unnecessary in locations that may now or recently been out of range. Depending on the seriousness and location of your venture, they could be invaluable. I think it is a judgement of each hiker and each group leader whether this is equipment and weight that is necessary.

 

[DougPaul]

When doing some trail maintenence on the Mass AT, my partner and I kept in contact via FRS and cell phone. FRS for short range, cell for longer. Couldn't always get through on either, but two were better than either alone.

Note: FRS (channels 1--14) vs GMRS (channels >14). Many of the walkie-talkies use the same power on both and the frequencies are similar. For these units, there is no advantage to GMRS (illegal without a liscense).

Doug

 

[BrentD22]

Note: FRS (channels 1--14) vs GMRS (channels >14). Many of the walkie-talkies use the same power on both and the frequencies are similar. For these units, there is no advantage to GMRS (illegal without a liscense).

Doug

my unit shows only .5 watts in frs mode or channel. in gmrs it trasmitts at 2 watts. Isn't that stronger?

PS - I already have a license.

 

[SAR-EMT40]

my unit shows only .5 watts in frs mode or channel. in gmrs it trasmitts at 2 watts. Isn't that stronger?

PS - I already have a license.

It's hard to know what model you have exactly but I don't believe any of them have duplex capablity which is what you need to use a repeater.

It has already been mentioned even if you have a license and have a radio capable of using a GMRS repeater, they are generally closed repeaters. The owners spend a lot of money to maintain them and they are generally not pleased with people using them without permission and they generally don't give permission. They may track you down, or it is easier to just turn them off. Maybe when you need it most. This can be done through control codes. Very simple. If you know the codes. Obvously, you won't.

Was just snowshoeing in the Dolly Copp area (Great weather on Wednesday) and absolutely no cell signal there. (I had my wife check her cell ) Take heart though, with my amateur radio the Mt. Washington repeater comes in full scale. That repeater can be used for free by anyone with an amateur license. It is owned and maintained for use by amateurs by the NH Office of Emergency management.

Sorry, had to throw that plug in.
Keith

 

[BrentD22]

with my amateur radio the Mt. Washington repeater comes in full scale. That repeater can be used for free by anyone with an amateur license. It is owned and maintained for use by amateurs by the NH Office of Emergency management.

Sorry, had to throw that plug in.
Keith

So I'm assuming my radio would not work with the Mt. Washington repeater, but I have to ask to be clear. Could I utilize that repeater with my radio? I don't believe it has duplex capibilities.

 

[SAR-EMT40]

So I'm assuming my radio would not work with the Mt. Washington repeater, but I have to ask to be clear. Could I utilize that repeater with my radio? I don't believe it has duplex capibilities.

It is unlikely that the radio you have will work with any GMRS or Amateur repeater. It has to have duplex capability. That radio you have won't work on the amatuer radio frequencies and even if it did, it would be illegal to transmit on those frequencies without an amateur license.

It is unlikely that with that radio you could even listen to those frequencies.

If you tell us the model number a lot more of the capabilities/limitations would be able to be understood.

Now, after saying that there is the possiblity of using a simplex repeater. They are painful to use but, I have set them up in emergencies in remote areas where standard duplex repeaters are not available. They are usable but not used very often on the amateur bands. On other bands they may be illegal. I am pretty sure they are illegal on the FRS bands and I don't know about their legality on the GMRS bands. These require considerable forethought so there has to be a good reason to use them. Generally speaking.

Regards,
Keith

 

[smitty77]

So I'm assuming my radio would not work with the Mt. Washington repeater, but I have to ask to be clear. Could I utilize that repeater with my radio? I don't believe it has duplex capibilities.

Just to sum it up:
In this discussion, the repeaters mentioned operate in the 144 mHz range. To access these repeaters requires a radio capable of transmitting in this frequency range (usually on separate Tx and Rx frequencies) and an amateur radio license. Most repeaters are set up by local ham radio clubs and their use is typically open to all amateurs.

There may be repeaters for use with FRS/GMRS radios, but they are "private" in that one would typically have to be a member of the group or organization that purchased, set up, and maintains the repeater equipment. This equipment is not cheap.

Amateur radio is a wonderful hobby, and the license is easier to get than ever before. A local ham radio club can point you in the right direction if you desire to go this route. I've been a ham since 1991, though inactive since I left college and my HT and mobile 2m rig died within a month of each other.

Smitty
KA1YTR

 

[Rick]

This thread piqued my interest. I have a couple of buddies who are HAM enthusiasts and always talking about this stuff, so I decided to contact my local HAM radio club in Lehigh Valley. I am going to their monthly meeting this week to check it out.
Thanks for the motivation!!
Rick