Tuesday, May 31, 2016

More Hams

More Extras and Techs than ever. More hams total than ever. General licenses high water mark was in December 2015.

Total Amateur Radio Station Licenses

Monday, May 30, 2016

Giant Meteor 2016

Baofeng BF-T1 and MINI-1

Baofeng BF-T1 and MINI-1 (400 to 420 MHz):

New Baofeng mini-one: two way radio and mobile car radio. It is mini simple economical and convenient .This item is suitable for short distance communication. It is very suitable for road trips.



Features:
    • Mini size /easy operation
    • Max 20 saving channels
    • Power output 15W
    • Dual standby
    • Dual call
    • Easy repeater access, twice communication range
    • Automatically synchronize vehicle and handheld radios
    • Offline communication or emergency call between vehicle radio and handheld radio
    • OUTPUT DC 5V,easy to access car EDR and mobile device



    Two Way Radio
    Brand nameBaofeng
    ModelBF-T1
    FrequencyUHF400-420MHz
    Output Power≤2W
    Memory Channel20
    Battery Voltage3.7V
    Battery Capacity1000mAh
    LCD DisplayYes
    VOX FunctionYes
    Time Out TimerYes
    ScanYes
    Squelch LevelYes
    FM RadioYes
    Built-in LED TorchYes
    Chinese and English Voice PromptYes
    Dual StandbyYes
    Dual CallYes
    Emergency Alarm FunctionYes
    Power Saving FunctionYes
    PC Software ProgrammableYes
    MonitorYes
    Wide/narrow band selectionYes
    Regularly RemindedYes
    Busy Channel LockoutYes
    Tail EliminationYes
    Weight102g(3.6oz)(Including battery and clip)
    Size10.5 x 5.5 x 2cm(4.13 x 2.17 x 0.79in)
    MINI Mobile car radio
    Brand nameBaofeng
    ModelMINI-1
    FrequencyUHF400-420MHz
    RF power output≤15W
    Memory Channel20
    DC in (cigarette lighter interface)DC-13.8V
    External dc power supply>2A
    DC out5V
    CTCSS/CDCSS function50CTCSS/104CDCSS
    Dual standbyYes
    Dual callYes
    Emergency alarm functionYes
    DC out (5V)Yes
    Relay connectorYes
    Connect earpiece/speaker micYes
    Connect mini-1 two way radioYes
    Weight370g(13.05oz)
    Size12.8 x 10 x 2.6cm(5.04 x 3.94 x 1.02in)
            



        Package Includes
        • 1 x MINI mobile radio
        • 1 x Antenna magnetic base and Coaxial cable
        • 1 x Mobile antenna
        • 1 x Mounting bracket
        • 1 x Cable (connect two way radio)
        • 1 x Speaker Mic
        • 1 x One pack of screw and accessories
        • 2 x Power line2 x MINI two way radio
        • 2 x Rechargeable battery
        • 2 x Earpieces
        • 2 x USB cable
        • 2 x Belt clip
        • 2 x Sling

        Via /r/amateurradio/

        Wednesday, May 25, 2016

        Drone vs. Spear

        Don't discount the old ways.

        Deputy Associate Chancellor of Academic Technology of the Committee on Strategic Dining Affairs

        A follow-up to my post yesterday about spending... university title generator. I think I should apply for Deputy Dean of the Committee on Athletic Technology.

        Tuesday, May 24, 2016

        Where the Money Goes

        I met a friend in DC a few years back. He worked for the Bureau of Land Management and was apologetically telling me his title as it was something like this:

        Wouxun KG-UV8E: Tri-band HT

        BuyTwoWayRadios has the Wouxun KG-UV8E tri-band HT:
        "The KG-UV8E is based on the very popular Wouxun KG-UV8D, the dual band portable handheld radio best known for its large color display, cross band repeat capability and true simultaneous two band reception, all at a very low price point. At the moment of its introduction in 2014, the KG-UV8D was an instant hit, and it is still the handheld of choice among many hams today.

        However, the 2 meter and 70cm bands are becoming crowded, and many hams are moving to the 1.25 meter band for some breathing room. The problem? There aren't a lot of 1.25 meter radios out there, and the ones that are available tend to swap the beloved 2 meter band for it. This means amateurs had to choose between a dual bander with either 1.25m VHF and UHF, or 2m VHF and UHF. If you used a handheld for both, you either had to carry two dual band radios, or give up a VHF band altogether.

        The solution? Wouxun created a portable handheld that includes all three. It's the KG-UV8E, and it's available now from Buy Two Way Radios!"
        In short:
        "The Wouxun KG-UV8E has all the same features of the KG-UV8D along with the feature upgrades of theKG-UV8D Plus. In fact, for all intents and purposes, it is a UV8D Plus, with the addition of one extra band for full transmit and receive on 1.25 meters from 222Mhz to 225Mhz."
        You can pick one up for $139.99.

        Full spec sheet is here (PDF).



        Monday, May 23, 2016

        Hytera RD965 - Tactical DMR Repeater Project

        Hytera RD965 - Tactical DMR Repeater Project:
        In testing UHF DMR in simplex mode, I found on typical terrain or on road convoys, the DMR radios gave us approx 2-3x the distance and had many fewer coverage holes in a given set of terrain. Another anecdote, from the basement of my house in Fort Collins, I can hit the Boulder area DMR-MARC repeater, using a HT, in DMR mode. This is pretty amazing considering the distance and stuff in the way. On analog UHF, I am lucky to hit the local Fort Collins (Horsetooth) repeater from the exact same position.

        Only problem, the DMR repeaters Kent deals with are fixed position enterprise-level units, and the "manpack" repeaters he builds are typically built around ultra low power VHF/UHF. So I did a bunch of research online and found the Hytera RD965 repeater. It's small, a little larger than an old Hayes Courier HST modem. The downside compared to the other manpack repeaters was going to be its power requirements. I said that I didn't mind if we needed to have more batteries or solar panels, so we just went ahead with the project.

        The idea is that we ID the best mountain-top position for the repeater to give maximal coverage of the event area, drive/hike it up there, and then leave it there for about to two weeks, until we're done with the site. The repeater is to run autonomously during that time.
        Click the link for the full details (including pics) of the solution.

        Hamvention Exhibit Hall in Pictures

        Pictures here.




        Israel’s New Terminator Bot: The DOGO

        It will be back:


        Via SaysUncle