Garmin Fenix 5

It's CES time and DCRainmaker has the scoop on the latest watches from Garmin.

The mapping feature looks very cool, but I don't know how much I'd use it.

Baofeng UV-5R: 409Shop 10pcs Battery

Basically, $13 per radio to the US - if you need 10. 12/29 Correction: Reading is hard. Thanks to the correction in the comments - this is for the battery only. Doh.

FOB Price: US$99 for 10pcs x bafeng UV-5R 3800mah battery.https://t.co/4dDzQIjeS7... https://t.co/aCex5u3IsJ

— 409Shop Limited (@409Shop) December 22, 2016

Merry Christmas!

My usual...


And a new one...

Baofeng Tech APRS-K2

John reviews the Baofeng Tech APRS-K2 cable:

"BTECH APRS-K2 TRRS / APRS Cable is a simple way to start using APRS by using devices you already own. The BTECH APRS-K2 Cable will quickly connect your radio to APRS by using virtual TNC (app driven) on your tablet or device. The APRS-K2 cable is built with a custom circuit board that will automatically adjust the audio for clear packet transmissions with minimal adjustment; along with protecting your devices from strong over modulated signals."

So, take your radio, this cable, and an app on your tablet/phone and you are ready to go!

Harris Falcon III Clone

Some folks are giving him grief about the money he spent, but I think it's interesting to see what's out there.

Ham Radio Deluxe Follow-Up

Wow - this is crazy: reddit mega thread re: HRD blacklisting.

Connect Systems CS580 Review

Don at VA3XPR.net reviews the CS580:

"Overall, we are very happy with the Connect Systems CS580 and believe that it is a great value priced DMR radio that is likely to please most users, making it a winner within the ham radio community."

Click the link for all the details.

Ham Radio Deluxe on Slashdot.org

For all the wrong reasons...

Gandalf_the_Beardy quotes a report from The Register:The Register reports on the story of Jim Giercyk, an amateur radio enthusiast who had his copy of the popular Ham Radio Deluxe (HRD) software revoked after posting a negative review. Other radio hams have followed up with us regarding claims that this was not an isolated incident and others may have had their license keys blacklisted for being publicly critical of the company. And just to be clear: by blackballing keys, installed copies of the software stop working. Giercyk, a professional musician in South Carolina, U.S., says that after his dealings with HRD Software (which has since reinstated his software key) and the statement made by the developer's co-owner Dr Michael Carper, he takes issue with claims made by the company. Giercyk, aka N2SUB, told us on Tuesday: "The issue is not the refusal of service, the issue is that HRD disabled my software, and then offered to enable it in exchange for the removal of an online review of their product. It's extortion, not refusal of service." Giercyk also said that since he went public about his blacklisting last week, he has received messages from other users who have stories of their software keys being revoked by HRD without their knowledge for speaking up about having a bad support experience. A number of other readers pointed out a collection of bad reviews posted on hobbyist site eHam by customers who had their license keys blacklisted. HRD told us some of those users could have written their assessments after requesting a refund and deactivating their software, thus their licenses will appear revoked. Meanwhile, Reddit threads and follow-up discussions to Giercyk's catalyst forum post reveal similar stories of keys being revoked after critical comments about Ham Radio Deluxe have appeared online. Other sources allege some amateur radio forums have in the past deleted posts critical of HRD.

WB4GBI Repeater Traffic during Gatlinburg Wildfires

No surprise to hams - cell phone service was greatly limited during the disaster.

SharkRF OpensPOT Review

John reviews the SharkRF OpenSPOT:

"Hotspots were not developed to replace repeaters, but rather to supplement them. In areas where there is No repeater, a hotspot allows the user to connect directly to a digital network via the internet. In areas of Heavy repeater use, a hotspot allows the user to access the network without competing for an available time slot.  If your local repeater gives you access to a network such as DMR-MARC, an openSPOT can give access to networks such as Brandmeister. You will now have access to the best of both worlds."