Xiegu X5105

Some updates on the X5105 on HelloCQ via the Xiegu X108G & X5105 Facebook group:

1, X5105 much power?
The whole band maximum 5W, minimum 1W, 0.5W in continuous steps. 

2, X5105 which works in the band?
0.5 ~ 54MHz amateur band range. 

3, X5105 which mode?
CW / SSB / AM / NFM / DIG, support digital mode; 

4, X5105 screen how much?
About 3.2 inch grayscale display black and white screen; 

5, the volume X5105 how much?
About 160 * 100 * 42mm 

6, X5105 operating voltage range?
DC 8 ~ 15V 

7, X5105 SDR is it?
X5105 itself is the second superheterodyne structure, built ADSP processor to complete part of SDR functions. With subsequent XDT1 products that can achieve all SDR functionality.
X5105 is the front end of the machine 2-conversion analog receiver, the rear end of the demodulated signal into the DSP chip, digital filtering, digital noise reduction, digital NB processing. 

8, X5105's internal battery is in what form?
Is built-in battery, life time is about 6 to 8 hours; 

9, the material is what X5105 shell?
Sheet metal chassis. 

10, X5105 antenna interface What are the specifications?
BNC (Q9) Interface 

11, X5105 can do with the computer on-line?
Can be connected to a computer, send and receive a host of software control by the HRD.  

12, X5105 and XPA125, XDT1 how to connect?
A dedicated connection port, you can connect wires. Connection will be distribution, without having to purchase separately. 

13, X5105 can charge the internal battery it?
Yes, the machine has a charging circuit. 

14, X5105 can customize boot callsign it?
can. 

15, X5105 weigh?
About 0.6 kg. 

16, X5105 automatic key it?
There, you can manually key / auto key switch, adjustable rate; 

17, X5105 automatic call / Beacon feature? How Built-in filter performance?
Automatic call / beacon function.
5105 machine filter as follows:
a roofing filter, Japan KDS custom 15K Bandwidth
b crystal filters, co Valley secret SSB, CW filter
c AM filter, FM filters, some of the products ordered in Chengdu 

18, X5105 has approval code it? By inspection machine it?
It will apply for approval code, the whole index in line with requirements of the testing machine.

Here are some pictures from the HelloCQ thread.

Get Cable via Amazon

Is there anything you can't get from Amazon?

"Introducing the Amazon Cable Store, where you can shop for XFINITY internet, TV, and home phone services. We took all of XFINITY's best online offers, added Amazon exclusive promotions and a dedicated customer service experience from XFINITY, and let you place your order online in 3 simple steps."

Via Slashdot.org

Baofeng Tech Mobiles: CHIRP Support

The latest version of CHIRP now supports the Baofeng Tech mobiles (UV-2501+220, UV-2501, and UV-5001). I got to try out a beta version and had no problems with the basic functions.

Via Miklor on the BAOFENG AMATEUR RADIO NETWORK (B.A.R.N.) Facebook page

Stream DMR

Hose Line:

"Hose line is an online streaming platform for the HAM radio Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) Brandmeister network. The project is still under heavy development, so if you encounter bugs, please try again at a later stage."

Via @PD0ZRY

Ham Wars!

Someone needs to Periscope this!

I hereby challenge @michaelossmann to a mobility scooter joust with yagi antennas in Dayton, Ohio!

— Travis Goodspeed (@travisgoodspeed) March 18, 2016

Shi Ying SR-224

Ed updated his site with a note about the Shi Ying tri-band mobile ($335). I don't remember seeing this and I still wouldn't have if Gwen had not commented about it here.

First the usual overview:

Shi Ying SR-224
Manufactured by Anytone - Serviced in US
(with removable face)

Frequency Range:
Left Side RX/TX 136-174 MHz, 200-260 MHz, 400-490 MHz
Left Side RX Only AM: 108-134 MHz (Airband)
Right Side RX/TX 136-174 MHz, 400-490 MHz
Right Side RX Only AM: 108-134 MHz (Airband)

Functions:
Working Mode Full Duplex - UU, UV, VV
Repeater Mode* - UV, VU
Dual Receive Side A & Side B
Output Power 50 Watts VHF, 40 Watts UHF
25 Watts 220
Low Power Steps, 5/10/20w (5/10/15w on 220MHz)
Other Functions

758 Memory Channels / 10 Memory Groups
CTCSS / DCS / DTMF
2-Tone / 5-Tone encode and decode
Bandwidth: Narrow & Wide
Scrambler
Compander
Channel Steps: 2.5/5/6.25/10/12.5/15/20/25/50 kHz
ANI Function: DTMF/ANI, 5-Tone/ANI
DTMF Microphone
*Cross-band Repeat Mode:
144 <-----> 220 No
220 <-----> 440 Yes
144 <-----> 440 Yes

Certification for this radio will not be Part 90
(recent FCC rules make it impossible to obtain Part 90 certification for an analog radio)

And a picture:

And now for Ed's recent update:

"Update: March 2016. The final sample of this radio is being tested in the US and upon approval, factory production will begin by the end of March."

Baofeng Tech: UV-2501+220 Giveaway

Baofeng Tech is giving away a UV-2501+220 via their Facebook page. Details:

GIVEAWAY: We are giving away ONE FREE UV-2501+220 to one of our fans. (Worldwide Entry) 

ENTRY: Share and Comment on this Post 

WHEN: The winner will be notified by a comment reply and will be chosen on March 31, 2016 

PRIZE: The Tri-Band Mobile, the UV-2501+220

Tytera MD-9600: Digital Mobile

BuyTwoRadios.com announces the Tytera MD-9600 as a follow-up to the MD-380 HT:

"The MD-380 was a game changer, and turned Tytera into respected brand in the DMR marketplace almost overnight. 

Now they are about to do it again. Get ready for the Tytera MD-9600 Digital Mobile Radio! 

Yes, that's right, the long-awaited announcement is here. Tytera has introduced a new mobile two way radio capable of operation in both digital and analog modes. 

According to Tytera, the MD-3900 operates on 400-480MHz frequencies at up to 45 watts (UHF model) or 136-174MHz VHF at up to 50 watts (VHF model). As a DMR radio, It uses Time Division Multiple Access(TDMA) technology and is compatible with MotoTRBO Tier I and II."

No pricing yet, but expected release date is in May.

The product sheet can be found here (PDF).

(As a side note, I've probably not given the MD-380 as much attention as I should have.)

Baofeng Tech BF-F8HP and UV-82HP Promo

Baofeng Tech alerted me to a promo for BF-F8HP and UV-82HP that was posted on the Miklor site:

"Until the end of March 2016, by entering the promo code 82HPF8HP at Amazon checkout, the price of the Baofeng 82HP and F8HP will be reduced to $50."

BF-F8HP

UV-82HP

TSA Compliant

This is not the tool you are looking for...

My modified multitool made it through two airports today! It may help that I laser etched "TSA Compliant" on it. pic.twitter.com/eOXwCfzOsw

— John Edgar Park (@johnedgarpark) March 17, 2016

Via @travisgoodspeed

Ninja Training

I've been kicking around the idea of going for my Extra class license or maybe getting a technical cert related to work, but after seeing this ad (via Misfires And Light Strikes) I have committed to some Ninja training.

I hope it is even better than Diemon Dave's Ninja School.



It doesn't mention it, but practicing with the Ninja Glock would be a great bonus.



And I think Sun Tzu would agree that knowing the way of the Ninja could come in handy.

Baofeng Tech UV-2501+220: Programming from the Radio

Programming the Baofeng Tech UV-2501+220 without the software is a lot more time consuming, but definitely doable as this video demonstrates. If you plan on loading it up with lots channels, you'll want to use the software and get the FTDI USB Programming Cable.

Chapter 4 of the manual (PDF) has written instructions that walk you through the programming as well.

Baofeng Tech UV-2501+220: Programming from your PC

A how-to video for installing and programming your Baofeng Tech UV-2501+220. Grab the software here. You'll need a USB cable like the BTECH PC04 FTDI USB Programming Cable as well. (The process is the same for the Baofeng Tech UV-2501 and Baofeng Tech UV-5001 - simply download the appropriate software for those models.)

Some general comments about using programming software for radios:

If the you can't figure out which Comm Port the radio is using, go to the Device Manager in Windows. You can see which port is correct or if the cable isn't showing as installed properly. The latter is often the guess if you aren't using a genuine FTDI chip.

As a best practice, I always like to save a copy of the original configuration before I make any changes.

Knox Wars

"The ADDY Strikes Back" from Elastic Pictures on Vimeo.

128 GB Floppy Disk

Better than a Zip drive!

Morning Star: Book III of The Red Rising Trilogy

I'm killing two birds with one stone with this post.

First, you know I get rich (rich I tell you!) off the millions of dollars you spend using my Amazon links. Amazon announced a new feature where they provide an embed link for Kindle books, so I wanted to try it out. We'll see what it looks like below.

Secondly, I finished Morning Star: Book III of The Red Rising Trilogy. I'd give it four out of five stars. It was mostly satisfying as a conclusion to the series. I really, really enjoyed the first book - it was a (virtual) page turner. I think I may have gotten it for $0.99 at the time. (The first hit is free!) My hang-up is more of a general nature than specifically anything about this last book. I think I enjoy the stories where there are high stakes, but the scope is on a more personal level - not giant space battles or planets being destroyed. If you read the series, you'll know my favorite parts are while Darrow is at the Institute.

Baofeng Tech Programming Cable for Mobile Radios

I've been manually programming everything in to the UV-2501+220 and I plan on doing a short video tutorial of the process. However, I am really glad my BTECH PC04 FTDI USB Programming Cable arrived yesterday.

Lifetime Amatuer License Proposal

FCC Seeks Comments on Petition to Grant Lifetime Amateur Radio Licenses:

"The FCC is seeking comments on a Petition for Rule Making (RM 11760) that asks the FCC to grant lifetime Amateur Radio licenses. Mark F. Krotz, N7MK, of Mesa, Arizona, filed his request with the FCC last November. He wants the FCC to revise § 97.25 of its rules to indicate that Amateur Radio licenses are granted for the holder’s lifetime, instead of for the current 10 year term."

Monster Cable Modem

Comcast sent me a new cable modem (XB3) - something about needing it for improved service or new functionality. I thought the old one was big, but the new one (right) is huge.

I did a little before and after testing. No obvious change and I'm clearly not getting 2 Gbps.

Before:


After:



The new cable modem also has 802.11ac support - which is an improvement over my 802.11n ASUS router. I've flipped my TV and phone over to the AC wireless to test and I saw the expected speed improvements.

And, of course, the new cable modem is not configured for bridge mode. I had resigned myself to making another couple of calls, but I noticed the bridge mode button is actually available from the web console. I need to put my phone and TV back on my wireless router before I can test - bridge mode disables the Comcast wi-fi.

Just Keep Running

Which Type of Exercise Is Best for the Brain?

"Just why distance running was so much more potent at promoting neurogenesis than the other workouts is not clear, although Dr. Nokia and her colleagues speculate that distance running stimulates the release of a particular substance in the brain known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor that is known to regulate neurogenesis. The more miles an animal runs, the more B.D.N.F. it produces."

But skip the doughnuts.