The Battle at Bristol

Funny, this is the same view I have from my house in Knoxville...

For those wondering, this is the view from the top row of the end zone for Battle at Bristol 🍊🦃🏈🏁 pic.twitter.com/D2NsQlsbAD

— Darren Reese (@GSunDarrenReese) August 29, 2016

VolTAC

VolTAC (or yet another reason I need a TYT MD-380):

VolTAC is a talkgroup that was created in response to user request, and after carefully considering it we have determined it is a good idea and fits the theme of our network.
This is a local only, unlinked talkgroup and has been approved for usage on the Knoxville, Sevierville, Greeneville, and Kingsport repeaters.

The idea was born out of a discussion that happened on our Facebook group. Many of our users are UT Sports fans (including the Sysop that maintains this website!) and the idea was presented to have a "tactical" talkgroup for fans with DMR radios to use on gameday in or around the Knoxville area.

The current plan is to link the Knoxville and Sevierville repeaters together on scheduled home football games. This is to provide wide area coverage to fans in and around the area. The talkgroup is permissible to be used outside of gameday or other UT events, but please be mindful of system loading as this will be competing for resources on timeslot 1 like everything else.

During non UT events, local on timeslot 1 is still the best choice for local comms.

VolTAC - TG ID 865"

Baofeng at Neyland Stadium

Someone got on top of Neyland Stadium with a UV-5R.

County Comm Dual Band Roll Up Antenna, Government Pack

First a PSA: Be careful deploying the antenna. Based on the images, decapitation is a real risk.

Always interesting stuff over at County Comm... Dual Band Roll Up Antenna, Government Pack ($47.50)*:

The DBJ-2 was designed by Ed Fong for easy deployment in the field to aid in extended portable two-way radio coverage. This antenna is extremely popular with Fire, Rescue, ARES, RACES and Military Contractors. 

The DBJ-2 is true “Dual Band” antenna and is available in two models for either Ham or Fire/Commercial Frequencies.
Ham Model: 144-148 MHz and 440-450 MHz
Fire/Commercial Model: 152-157 MHz and 460-470 MHz 

The “Government Pack” comes in a Nylon Antenna Bag and includes the antenna of your choice, 25’ of parachute cord (http://www.countycomm.com/550parapac.html) a 6’ extension cable, and adapters to connect to various manufacturers of portable two-way radios (Motorola, Icom, Yaesu, Vertex, Kenwood, Wouxun, Baofeng, etc). This includes BNC, SMA (male), SMA (female) and BNC to PL259 . 

Technical Specifications: 

VHF: 1/2 wave radiating element
Maximum power: 50 watts
SWR: less than 1.5 to 1 over a 3 MHz bandwidth and less than 1.7 :1 over 4 MHz bandwidth.
Gain: 2.1 dBi
Impedance: 50 ohms 

UHF: 1/2 wave radiating element
Maximum power: 50 watts
SWR: less than 1.3 to 1 over a 6 MHz bandwidth and less than 1.5 :1 over 10 MHz bandwidth.
Gain: 2.1 dBi (6db gain over a 2 meter J pole used at 450 MHz)
Impedance: 50 ohms 

Package Size: 7.75 x 8.75
Weight: 10 Ounces

VolNet DMR and TYT MD-380

Putting the logo on the TYT MD-380 might be enough reason to buy one! Tennessee and ham radio for the win!

@travisgoodspeed Long overdue, but it finally happened for me, a BIG thank you for all the hard work done on this! pic.twitter.com/b02yTf3feY

— VolNET (@VolNET_TN) August 26, 2016

Ham Licenses

Ham licenses chart.

Up: Total, Extra, Technician
This is a high water mark for all three. I wonder if the introduction of the new Extra question pool prompted some people to make the move to Extra now. The trends are interesting to watch regardless.

Down: General, Advanced, Novice
No surprise that Advanced and Novice are going down since no new licenses are being issued for these classes. General licenses are expiring or being upgraded to Extra. We just aren't seeing the move from Technician to General to offset the other loses. The high water mark for General was December 2015, so not that long ago.

WLN KD-C1: Programming

Programming the WLN KD-C1:



Download the software at the 409Shop site.

WLN KD-C1: Unboxing Video

The WLN KD-C1 unboxed:

Computer Magic

computers are magic but they're harry potter magic, you gotta practice the magic words & study about em

— ☀️ Summertime Kim ☀️ (@datawitch000) August 14, 2016

iRadio CP-168: OPG Review

Cruise on over to the Otaku Patrol Group site for a review of the iRadio CP-168:

"I have a weakness for exotic, tiny radios. Usually because they’re inexpensive and unusual. The iRadio CP-168 definitely fits the description. 

This radio is approximately the size of a speaker microphone from other radios but still boasts a 2 W transmitter power. One feature that sets this apart from the usual entries in the Baofeng 666/777/888 or other small radios is the 128 channel memory capacity. 

One thing about this radio that catches the eye and tingles my geek nerve is the hidden display. Similar to the MotoTRBO SL300 radios, the iradio CP 168 uses LEDs that shine through the front of the case. Unless the display is in use, you would not even know that it is there."

 You can get them on Amazon ($53.80 for a pair) or individually at the 409Shop ($39.50 each).

WLN KD-C1: M3HHY Review

Lewis, M3HHY, reviews the WLN KD-C1:

"I tested out some repeaters and managed to open repeater 20 miles away from inside the house on that tiny antenna! The audio is loud and clear on both TX and RX too. All in all I'm really pleased with this radio, the slim design, white body and ease of use makes it a nice back pocket radio for monitoring and the odd QSO."

I am also a fan of the orange and white.

WLN KD-C1 at Amazon.

iRadio CP-168

The iRadio CP-168 is a mini UHF (400-470 MHz) 2W HT. You can get them on Amazon ($53.80 for a pair) or individually at the 409Shop ($39.50 each). The radio has a neat display (see images), 128 channels, and uses a USB mini connector for charging.

Baofeng UV-5X3: Miklor Review

And speaking of tri-band radios, John has his review of the UV-5X3 tri-bander (Amazon $64.89) up at his site:

"Although the case design is familiar, the radio inside is not. BTech has recently introduced the new UV-5X3 to the US Ham Radio market. This radio is a true tri-band transceiver with internal filters specifically configured for tri-band operation."

And he concludes:

"The UV-5X3 firmware has obviously been reworked to include:
- Tri-Band Support: VHF/1.25M/UHF
- D-ANI (Display incoming DTMF Tones)
- Synchronized Displays
- DTMF audio gain level adjustment
- Add / Remove Channels from Scanning list via keypad (LCD Dot Indication)
- On the Fly scanning by Frequency Range
- 4 Tone Burst options
- Remote Stun, Kill, Revive
- One watt audio output 

It appears that BTech has once again managed to stay one step ahead of the curve. With the 220 MHz ham band operation back on the rise in the US, this radio hit the market at the right time. Even if 220 isn't popular in your area, the additional new features still give it an edge over the traditional dual band series."

Baofeng Tech UV-2501+220 (Gen 3) Price Drop

The Baofeng Tech UV-2501+220 (generation 3) has been discounted about $10 - down to $128.86.

Via Miklor on the Baofeng Amateur Radio Network (BARN) Facebook page.

GlocalMe

I'm not traveling internationally much at all anymore, but the GlocalMe device/service would have been really handy.

2nd year we have brought a glocalme device to Europe. Fantastic/cheap way to have good data. Highly recommend. pic.twitter.com/u0E8wHFJnb

— Michael Arrington (@arrington) August 17, 2016

Garmin Vivosmart HR Deal

So I generally like my Garmin Vivosmart HR. I'm surprised that I don't look at the data (sleep and heart rate) as much as I thought I would. I really like the smart phone notifications.

But, if you are interested, this is a great deal. I paid $130 for mine, so this saves you $30.

The links above is for the non-GPS version. For a running/GPS solution, I must say I am extremely happy with my Garmin 235 GPS watch. It would be close to being my single device solution except I don't think it would be as comfortable to sleep in.

Baofeng Tech: UV-5X3 Tri-band HT

BaoFeng Tech has announced their new lasted HT... the UV-5X3 tri-bander (Amazon $64.89).
From the press release:

"First and foremost, the UV-5X3 was built by adding filtering and support for the 220MHz Amateur band. The original UV-5R was a 4-watt dual-band radio; while the UV-5X3 can now output 5-watts on VHF and 4-watts on both 1.25M and UHF. The UV-5X3 focused specifically on the amateur band frequencies of the 1.25M band during design. The UV-5X3 supports: 65-108MHz (RX only - FM Radio), 130-179.99MHz (RX/TX), 222-225.99MHz (RX/TX), and 400-520.99MHz (RX/TX)"

The announcement also talks about simplified scanning, the option to sync the display (channel name and frequency), CHIRP as the programming software, and more.

Wouxun KG-UV8D: BuyTwoWayRadios.com How-To's

BuyTwoWayRadios.com puts out some good docs...

How to program the Wouxun KG-UV8D

How to reset the Wouxun KG-UV8D to factory settings and English prompts

Fake Windows Update

Fake Windows Update is fantastic. Pick an OS and hit F11 to go full screen. It hides the mouse cursor and you can even press Enter for a BSOD.

Remember - only use your powers for good.

Via @bobgoyetche

New RTL-SDR Blog Dongle

RTL-SDR announces a new version of their dongle:

1) Improved ESD protection on the radio front end.
2) Longer SMA connector.
3) Improved front end circuit.
4) Added a software switchable 4.5v bias tee.
5) Added several access pads on the PCB.
6) Added a clock selector jumper.
7) Reduced noise with a modified PCB design.
8) Added an experimental HF direct sampling circuit, which is diplexed out from the SMA connector.
9) Antenna bases now come with a stronger magnet and a conductive copper sticker on the bottom.

You can buy one (with the antenna) at Amazon for $25. (Showing out of stock, but available on 8/19 so you can pre-order.)