:smiley_shrug:
I ordered a signal mirror on AliExpress as a test to see about giving them as prizes. I got it in the mail today. Imagine. if you will, being lost at sea or the backwoods, dehydrated, sun-baked, and slightly delirious, when you hear an aircraft overhead. You grab your signal mirror and, reading the instructions on the back you decide to go with the first line and strangle yourself instead of trying to understand the instructions:
IMG20230622165224.jpg
I kept reading "foresight" as "foreskin". And that's without the benefit of dehydration/delirium.
I would think remaving an alight-point on the round of foreskin would quite painful, but that's just me ...
I was generally fine until 5. Now I'm trying to figure out if I'm having a brain fart or a stroke or if the last bit of 5 ("and alight-point remave to the round of foresight") is just in a language I don't speak.
I have been meaning to get an actual signal mirror, though.
Quote from: Anianna on June 22, 2023, 08:27:19 PMI was generally fine until 5. Now I'm trying to figure out if I'm having a brain fart or a stroke or if the last bit of 5 ("and alight-point remave to the round of foresight") is just in a language I don't speak.
I have been meaning to get an actual signal mirror, though.
For the price that I paid ($3.34), it's not a bad signal mirror, but it's gone up since then. LINK (https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256802984429377.html?spm=a2g0o.detail.1000060.1.145e68fb1GGOZ4&gps-id=pcDetailBottomMoreThisSeller&scm=1007.13339.291025.0&scm_id=1007.13339.291025.0&scm-url=1007.13339.291025.0&pvid=b445b25b-4293-4723-ab35-303d193b98cc&_t=gps-id%3ApcDetailBottomMoreThisSeller%2Cscm-url%3A1007.13339.291025.0%2Cpvid%3Ab445b25b-4293-4723-ab35-303d193b98cc%2Ctpp_buckets%3A668%232846%238112%231997&pdp_npi=3%40dis%21USD%213.8%211.79%21%21%21%21%21%402103247116874868737423858ebdf9%2112000024475902920%21rec%21US%214183842382&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa)
Oh. Another Chat Thread on one of my obsessive interests.
I won't be wasting any time on here, I'm sure. :icon_crazy:
I ran the ARRL Inter. DX Contest, SSB: 0000Z, Mar 2 to 2400Z, Mar 3 QRP (5 Watts) and operated about 20 of the 48 hours.
175 contacts in 61 different countries/geographic areas. (The UK is one country, but Hams treat England, Scotland, Wales, Nothern Ireland and the Isle of Man as separate areas for contacts. This happens on a number of different places.)
I couldn't get Asia or the Middle East, but covered most of South America, Europe (to Ukraine), a good portion of the Caribbean and a few contacts in Africa. 10M (28MHz) and 15M (21MHz) were the big contact makers, but 20M (14MHz) was good as well. 20M was jam packed and running only 5W there were few opportunities to make contacts. I made a handful of contacts on 40M (7MHz) but it was also clogged and not a great band for international contact with only 5W. I didn't even try 160M (1.8MHz) or 80M (3.8MHz).
My antenna set-up was 3 vertical ground plane antennas: 40M/15M (you can tune both bands on 1 antenna), 20M and 10M. All were wire antennas attached to fiberglass telescoping poles. The radio was an Elecraft KX3.
So the other day I picked up a pair of TIDradio H3-Ham HTs. I felt I got a good deal on them 2 with extras for $75. I did have one DOA battery pack, probably overly discharged sitting on a shelf somewhere, but TIDradio customer service is sending a replacement so not a huge concern.
Then the TIDradio H8 caught my eye. The clear version was interesting but then I saw one in lime green and, BAM, it was ordered. It showed up today and it didn't take long to realize I'd made an oopsie... this was the GMRS version. But, these radios, and the H3, have a small secret, you can power switch configurations during power up with just some key presses. You can even completely unlock the radio.
Press and hold the PTT + # and turn it on to switch to Ham mode
Press and hold the PTT + 0 for GMRS
Press and hold the PTT + * to unlock all the bands
So, with a few keypresses I quickly made my lime green GMRS radio into a lime green Ham radio. Next came programming the thing, which is my least favorite radio activity. These radios do allow for programming via Bluetooth though, either from your phone or from another radio, which is pretty handy when you can't find any of the six usable programming cables that you own and you don't want to wait to get the one you just ordered from AliExpress or the one from Amazon that's going to take a week. (ask me how I know)(of course, I found two of the cables after ripping my desk and office apart)
If you install their app on your phone and setup an account on their server you can easily save configurations for any of the three modes, ready to be reloaded if you switch modes. There's also a web version as well.
I've been doing some tinkering with the forum profiles. If you have a ham callsign or GMRS callsign you can now enter them into your forum profile and the system will display an antenna icon (ham) or HT icon (GMRS) in your profile info. Hovering a cursor over either will display the callsign.
Seldom used thread but anyways.
So the move is coming up, Ms and I were talking an i thought " hey want walkie talkies for the trip." we will each have a vehicle, on interstates and highways. Pretty close together, but ya know someone going to have to get between us.
No time to take HAM course and get licensed, maybe a GRMS since it's just a form and money right? I will be shopping on Amazon so my question is what radio's do y'all think would work best? I would like simple operation , pick a channel/sub channel leave it there, and just push to talk. If a plug in car charger is available for it great, also if it has a umm " CB " type of mic available for it great. I would just clip the radio to something and have the mic on me or like the sun visor.
GMRS could be a good option. Some models will charge from USB, so you can use that to charge while in use if not prohibited by the manufacturer. If you really want to get fancy you can run an external car antenna for the hand held radio too. It is $35 for the license for 10 years and you can both use the same license because it applies to all immediate family. External CB-style mics are often available too.
Quote from: Rednex on November 13, 2024, 02:47:14 PMSeldom used thread but anyways.
So the move is coming up, Ms and I were talking an i thought " hey want walkie talkies for the trip." we will each have a vehicle, on interstates and highways. Pretty close together, but ya know someone going to have to get between us.
Hey Airball
I was on Amazon and saw these They any good?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0D7S9CJ1W/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A21D4HV7MUNGCJ&psc=1
Those don't look bad, although I don't have any direct experience with them. They seem to fit the bill for what you want and they price is not bad. They should also be fairly easy to set up since you can just both tune to the same channel. But if you want to get fancy down the road they can be programmed with GMRS repeaters and such.
For comparison, these are what I started with when I got my GMRS license:
https://www.amazon.com/BAOFENG-Weather-Receiver-Rechargeable-Headsets/dp/B0B3DRG9GC
Quote from: Rednex on November 13, 2024, 03:03:55 PMHey Airball
I was on Amazon and saw these They any good?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0D7S9CJ1W/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A21D4HV7MUNGCJ&psc=1
I have one of those GM21 sets in dark green. Seems to work well and I have no complaints.
Me again
So for the BAOFENG GM21 I kinda picked stuff out , i ain't had a CB in any of my trucks in a long time so this is kinda what i was used to. If y'all got any ideas on something better, thats cheap but quick let me know. I just googled what works with this.
The radios
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0D7S9CJ1W/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A21D4HV7MUNGCJ&psc=1
Magnet mount antenna
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08HNGVJY9/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=A2R5GYOJGKN5P7&psc=1
Hand mic
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09QGNGG7D/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?smid=A39FQA149TJD8E&psc=1
Quote from: Rednex on November 14, 2024, 05:30:04 AMMe again
So for the BAOFENG GM21 I kinda picked stuff out , i ain't had a CB in any of my trucks in a long time so this is kinda what i was used to. If y'all got any ideas on something better, thats cheap but quick let me know. I just googled what works with this.
The radios
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0D7S9CJ1W/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A21D4HV7MUNGCJ&psc=1
Magnet mount antenna
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08HNGVJY9/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=A2R5GYOJGKN5P7&psc=1
Hand mic
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09QGNGG7D/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?smid=A39FQA149TJD8E&psc=1
Those'll do. FYI though, every one of that style antenna I've ever owned has had the magnet come loose at some point in its lifespan and had to have it reglued.
Okay, the new phone that I bought myself just is not working out... It's too much of a beast, an electronic dumbell. I can get an upper body workout just trying to read texts on it. And it's difficult to hold. I mean really difficult. The power button is on the right side, and it's also a fingerprint reader. The slightest touch on it and the screen you were reading changes to something else, and holding a phone that big, that smooth and slippery without grabbing the sides is a futile dream.
I'm a bit of a dunce on coms and can't even effectively get my Meshtastic gadgets functioning (I'll try again later). What is the general opinion of those more knowledgeable than I regarding POClink ultrarange dual mode walkie talkies?
https://poclink.com/
If I understand correctly, they work on the 4G LTE network for range, but also work as peer-to-peer walkie talkies when the LTE network isn't available, but I'm not clear what the range is in peer-to-peer mode in which you can set up private communications similar to Meshtastic.
I'm also not clear if I am understanding them correctly. They are currently running an offer that preorders for their latest model won't incur recurring network charges, but they will be charging annual subscription fees on future orders.
Is this something I should even be interested in?
Quote from: Anianna on October 26, 2025, 07:11:25 PMI'm a bit of a dunce on coms and can't even effectively get my Meshtastic gadgets functioning (I'll try again later). What is the general opinion of those more knowledgeable than I regarding POClink ultrarange dual mode walkie talkies?
https://poclink.com/
If I understand correctly, they work on the 4G LTE network for range, but also work as peer-to-peer walkie talkies when the LTE network isn't available, but I'm not clear what the range is in peer-to-peer mode in which you can set up private communications similar to Meshtastic.
I'm also not clear if I am understanding them correctly. They are currently running an offer that preorders for their latest model won't incur recurring network charges, but they will be charging annual subscription fees on future orders.
Is this something I should even be interested in?
I would recommend against them, but then I have better options open to me. As for those units themselves, I've not seen specs on power levels, but I suspect that in peer-to-peer, they're simply FRS radios, given the lack of a license and the non-removable antenna. As such, range is going to be pretty limited, maybe as much as 2-3 miles in ideal conditions, but 1/2 mile of less is more realistic in our kinds of environ ment, less in cities.
Something to also consider is that the 4G LTE network is very dependent on the internet and will likely be very overloaded in any crisis. And long-term, expect to see the 4G network start to be phased out. We've already killed off 2G, 3G is on its last legs, and 6G is just over the horizon (currently being tested in some markets). Telecomms do not like keeping old equipment sucking up resources when the greater profits come from newer tech.
With my kids moving away, some to the other side of the state, is there anything decent that doesn't require us all to get a license that can act as a backup for cell service when cell service becomes unreliable?
Quote from: NT2C on October 26, 2025, 07:31:41 PMQuote from: Anianna on October 26, 2025, 07:11:25 PMI'm a bit of a dunce on coms and can't even effectively get my Meshtastic gadgets functioning (I'll try again later). What is the general opinion of those more knowledgeable than I regarding POClink ultrarange dual mode walkie talkies?
https://poclink.com/
If I understand correctly, they work on the 4G LTE network for range, but also work as peer-to-peer walkie talkies when the LTE network isn't available, but I'm not clear what the range is in peer-to-peer mode in which you can set up private communications similar to Meshtastic.
I'm also not clear if I am understanding them correctly. They are currently running an offer that preorders for their latest model won't incur recurring network charges, but they will be charging annual subscription fees on future orders.
Is this something I should even be interested in?
I would recommend against them, but then I have better options open to me. As for those units themselves, I've not seen specs on power levels, but I suspect that in peer-to-peer, they're simply FRS radios, given the lack of a license and the non-removable antenna. As such, range is going to be pretty limited, maybe as much as 2-3 miles in ideal conditions, but 1/2 mile of less is more realistic in our kinds of environ ment, less in cities.
Something to also consider is that the 4G LTE network is very dependent on the internet and will likely be very overloaded in any crisis. And long-term, expect to see the 4G network start to be phased out. We've already killed off 2G, 3G is on its last legs, and 6G is just over the horizon (currently being tested in some markets). Telecomms do not like keeping old equipment sucking up resources when the greater profits come from newer tech.
This ^^^
And these are also $165-200/each (depending on how many you buy), so not exactly a bargain. There are a ton of these on the market from lots of different companies. Just look up "PTT LTE walkie talkie" and you'll find all sorts of listings. If you're just wanting the group walkie talkie functionality, you can get smartphone apps that will do that for free.
Quote from: Anianna on October 26, 2025, 07:40:19 PMWith my kids moving away, some to the other side of the state, is there anything decent that doesn't require us all to get a license that can act as a backup for cell service when cell service becomes unreliable?
No. Nothing short of a private hardline.
Just in case anyone here has an old Starlink setup in storage that they haven't used lately, better dig it out and install the updates, or else it will end up bricked: https://www.pcmag.com/news/spacex-bricking-select-starlink-dishes-on-nov-17-how-to-protect-yours