Life

Sorry about no updates today. I'm up to my neck in stuff to do. If I find sometime, I'll update this evening.

Digital Radios and Preppers

I talked some about ham radio and prepping after reading "Patriots - Surviving the Coming Collapse," but did not think about the potential benefits of something like the Kirisun S780:

"Preppers usually like to have communications equipment prepared for possible times of disaster.In a WROL situation, where someone could loot you for all your preparations if they knew about them, I'm sure preppers would like to have encrypted communications, so that anyone with a scanner can't find out where they keep their food stores or secret stash of fuel. 

These Kirisun radios provide inherent security, in that not many people will have radios that use the same vocoder, and it is unlikely anyone around you will have one. This could be called "security through obscurity". That is even if you don't turn on the encryption. To a scanner listening in analog, these radios just sound like a load of noise. Now, if someone were to buy a radio the same as you, and program it up to the same frequency, they would be able to listen in to any unencrypted comms. That's where the encryption comes in handy. Switch over to an encrypted channel, and they will not be able to understand it at all. All you hear when listening to an encrypted channel on a radio without encryption, is a few funny digital noises."

Modular Radios

Looks like Nate isn't alone.

Kirisun S780: Undressed

People keep taking things apart - don't they know how risky this is?!?! And this is an expensive radio. (Well, I guess my Leixen VV-808 is expensive now, too.)

Via the S780 Yahoo Group - more pictures there.

Baofeng UV-B5: Flashlight Mod

You know I like opening radios up for no apparent reason. This UV-B5 was especially attractive to me - look two rotary encoders with that easily breakable blue plastic!

But that's not the point...

See, this enterprising soul has discovered that you can add a flashlight to the UV-B5:

"Just underneath where the rotary knob is the two holes for the flashlight L.E.D. on the UV-B6 model. 

Even though the circuit board is printed UV-B5; I assume that both radio's have the same circuit boards? 

It also look like the switching transistor for the L.E.D. next to it. I wonder if you put an led in here whether it would light up? If so maybe a backlight mod can be done as the button under the monitor IS wired in circuit (On the B5). I take it that the flashlight on the UV-B6 is either ON or OFF and doesn't flash? if so then this has given me food for thought!"

Then:

"Just temporarily put an L.E.D. in the holes and it works! So a mod can be done to have a UV-B5 with a flashlight!! All the components ARE already in circuit on the PCB."

Now some may ask "Why?" when you could get a UV-B6. To them I say, why not? Also, you could have both a flash light and knob for changing channels.

Via the UV-B5 Yahoo Group

AnyTone AT-398UV

On AliExpress, the AnyTone AT-398UV is available for $96 + $31 shipping.

Frequency Range:
(RX:) FM: 136-174MHZ + 400-480MHZ
(TX:) FM: 136-174MHZ + 400-480MHZ
FM Radio: 76-108MHZ

Function:
Working mode: UU, UV,V V, U,V
200 Channels+2 groups VFO
Output Power: 5W/0.5W
51 groups+1 group user defined CTCSS+1024 group DCS encode and decode.
DTMF encode and decode
2 Tone/5Tone encode and decode
Multi scan: VFO scan +channel Scan+ Priority scan
+CTCSS scan+DCS scan
VOX function(10 levels) multi-scrambler
Wide/narrow band
Squelch Tail Elimination




Accessories:
One charger
One Li-ion battery (1500mAh)
one rubber antenna
one user manual

AnyTone AT-3318UV

On AliExpress, the AnyTone AT-3318UV is available for $96 + $31 shipping.

Frequency Range:
(RX:) FM: 136-174MHZ + 400-480MHZ
(TX:) FM: 136-174MHZ + 400-480MHZ
FM Radio: 76-108MHZ

Function:
Working mode: UU, UV,V V, U,V
200 Channels+2 groups VFO
Output Power: 5W/0.5W
51 groups+1group user defined CTCSS+1024 group DCS encode and decode.
DTMF encode and decode
2 Tone/5Tone encode and decode
Multi scan: VFO scan +channel Scan+ Priority scan
+CTCSS scan+DCS scan
VOX function(10 levels) multi-scrambler
Wide/narrow band
Squelch Tail Elimination

Accessories:
One charger
One Li-ion battery (1500mAh)
one rubber antenna
one user manual 
One PC cable

Anytone AT-3318UV and AT-398UV

Anyone? I'm googling now.

bbrannan @brickolore Hey, you ever heard of an Anytone AT-3318UV or AT-398UV? Another with true dual band receive maybe. Mon, Jul 29 17:37:09 from web

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Name: Buddy Brannan

Location: Erie, PA

Web: http://t.co/G8WB608ghR

Bio: Cohost of Triple-Click Home and the Porkcast podcasts, ham radio op, SF fan, Seeing Eye dog user, & geek. http://t.co/opsNV48MVP http://t.co/PecedPG0Kg

Following: 947 Followers: 1265 Updates: 36068

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Chromecast Humor

Check out the model numbers on Chromecast and its charger.