Im about to get my techs license but few questions

[robertwbob]

Im eyeing a new old stock radioshack htx 212. Its about 25 miles to nearest repeater. I see several chicomm junk radios cheep but low power.
Im thinkin the htx 212 will hit repeater with good antenna and be simple.
My other choice but few and far between is kenwood tm 271a.
Kenwood radios were in oilfield trucks that i drove.they took a beating and lasted.
Open to suggestions and good mobil antenna too

 

[JamesPrine]

https://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/2354

 

[JASII]

Knowing what I know now, if I were buying a mobile transceiver, I would get a dual-band, 2 meters and 70 cm, and determine which digital mode I wanted to go with. There are a few, but APCO P25 and NXDN doesn't have large numbers in the amateur radio community. It appears as if there is a Death Star repeater in Joplin. I would probably look long and hard at the Icom D-4100A and ID-5100A mobiles.

Another thing worth considering is getting a dual band HT, in whichever digital mode you like, and getting a hot-pot. It actually turns out to be a fairly inexpensive way to go.

Another way to gather some experience, after you get your technician license, is to use some of the smartphone apps. Many people already have a smartphone. Add Echolink, Peanut and Teamspeak. Echolink will be analog repeaters, etc. Peanut will be digital access.

None of the Kenwood amateur radio mobiles have ham digital modes. However, their tri-band Kenwood TH-D74A does have D-Star. I am not sure if the addition of 220 would really be all that worthwhile in your case, however.

And, in the interest of full disclosure, I am a DMR guy. You do have a number of DMR repeaters listed around your state. Getting an inexpensive digital hot-spot and a DMR HT would be a lot of fun.

Missouri Directory

Missouri Digital Group

Missouri Directory

Jasper Co ARES

Amateur Radio Emergency Services of Jasper County, Missouri

jasperares.org

 

[ladn]

Decent radio for it's day, but that was a long time ago. Consider a modern, single or dual band mobile from any one of the big three brands (Yaesu, Kenwood or Icom). Also factor in the cost of programming software and cable.

As for antennas, you didn't say what kind of vehicle you have. In general:

1. Use an NMO mount. Larsen, PcTel, Laird. NOT BROWNING!
2. The "through the roof" 3/4" hole version is best, but there's also a magnetic mount version (with slightly decreased performance) and a variety of 3/4" hole brackets.
3. Larsen NMO 2/70 for a dual band gain antenna, NMO 150 for a VHF only gain antenna or a Larsen, Laird or PcTel 1/4 whip unity gain.

 

[robertwbob]

Antenna is going on my 1991 ddodge ram 150 standard cab ,no hole boring mag mount will have to do, fiberglass camper shell on bed.
I got several friends who dont have digital,listen to theem daily on my radioshach pro 94 and 95 scanners,the repeater i listen to daily and the skywarn and aries also,skywarn is from springfield mo too.

 

[AK9R]

Antenna is going on my 1991 ddodge ram 150 standard cab ,no hole boring mag mount will have to do...

Why compromise your antenna's performance with an sub-optimal mounting method?

Your vehicle is 28 years old. Drilling a hole in the roof for an antenna mount is not going to impact the value of the vehicle. Also, NMO mounts are the industry standard for public safety and public works vehicles. They are very reliable and don't leak when properly installed.

 

[jaspence]

Find a radio club, get involved and have the experienced people help you. An HT will not get the range you need, and digital adds another level of complexity in programming. While digital, especially DMR, is popular, the majority of repeaters are still analog. You should be able to find a decent used dual band radio online (try eham.com classifieds) or at a hamfest.

 

[robertwbob]

Why compromise your antenna's performance with an sub-optimal mounting method?

Your vehicle is 28 years old. Drilling a hole in the roof for an antenna mount is not going to impact the value of the vehicle. Also, NMO mounts are the industry standard for public safety and public works vehicles. They are very reliable and don't leak when properly installed.

this truck is only got 32000 miles show quality. Im not cutting it for any reason

 

[KC5AKB]

Be aware a mag mount might scratch the paint . As others have said look around go talk with the folks at the local ARES bunch and club for antenna and radio ideas look at what they use and ask why likes and dislikes .Then form your own opinion as to what you want to try.
There is lots of good info on this site.

 

[robertwbob]

Be aware a mag mount might scratch the paint . As others have said look around go talk with the folks at the local ARES bunch and club for antenna and radio ideas look at what they use and ask why likes and dislikes .Then form your own opinion as to what you want to try.
There is lots of good info on this site.

thank you

 

[rapidcharger]

Im eyeing a new old stock radioshack htx 212. Its about 25 miles to nearest repeater. I see several chicomm junk radios cheep but low power.
Im thinkin the htx 212 will hit repeater with good antenna and be simple.
My other choice but few and far between is kenwood tm 271a.
Kenwood radios were in oilfield trucks that i drove.they took a beating and lasted.
Open to suggestions and good mobil antenna too

The kenwood radios in the oilfield trucks are from the commercial "land mobile" product line and while they may look similar, they are not comparable in quality with the kenwood amateur product line. I've owned 2 or 3 of those 271a's and they okay. They do NOT last forever. If you want a radio that lasts forever buy one of the commercial kenwoods. The 271a is made in China.

How much time do you spend in your truck anyway? Why don't you just set up in the shack and then not have to have everyone telling you to drill holes if you don't want to?

Good luck on your exam and welcome to the hobby.

 

[W5lz]

Power isn't as important as the antenna, so a typical HT, depending on terrain, has enough power to hit repeaters at a fair distance. Not with the supplied rubberduck, but with some other 'external' antenna. Probably nothing wrong with an old Radio Shack radio but they don't usually have the required options the repeater systems require now. What do your friends use?

 

[danesgs]

Best all round choice to fill your needs and not break the bank is as stated a HT. Get a UV82HP at 8 watts and a mag mount for the truck. You can use it mobile and also in the backyard or another antenna for the house to hook it to also. Cost is around 60.00 and they are very sturdy and is easy to manually program. At 8 watts you will hit most if not all repeaters mobile within about a 25 mile radius depending on other factors. I you want a mobile rig go with the Anytone 778UV dual bander at 25 watts. Super compact and will fit about anywhere. Its also has a very bright display and good specs, great mic, etcetera.

Everyone has different ideas as to the best bang for the buck. Start out spending low and work your way up, not the other way round. You will be less disappointed if things don't quite work out. Older used radios have different issues hiding sometimes, previous user was a smoker, dirt and solder connections due to age and climate etc. Buy new and at least you have a warranty.

 

[rapidcharger]

Please don't do what danesgs just suggested.

Few things are more loathed around here than someone with horrible baofeng audio and a weak noisy signal. Don't waste money on a portable if what you really need is a mobile or base station and you have a limited budget. Whether 8 watts will get you into a repeater 25 miles away depends on many factors. And there's no sense in spending $60 on a piece of baofeng when you can buy something like a Motorola XTS 5000 with P25 on the second hand market for around the same thing.

 

[krokus]

this truck is only got 32000 miles show quality. Im not cutting it for any reason

That is your choice, obviously, but there are a couple other options, even if they are sub-optimal. An on-glass mount could be used, or a stake hole mount.

 

[robertwbob]

That is your choice, obviously, but there are a couple other options, even if they are sub-optimal. An on-glass mount could be used, or a stake hole mount.

it has a camper shell.think im going to use a nmo fender mount

 

[MTS2000des]

it has a camper shell.think im going to use a nmo fender mount

The one caveat to NMO fender mounts on the front fenders is the proximity to the engine compartment. On VHF and lower, RFI from engine components like spark plugs/distributors/alternators/etc may introduce a ton of RFI on your receive. I'd see what your noise floor is with a mag mount placed in the same area, turn the engine on and drive around while listening to various carriers (of different RSSI indications) to get an "ear" on what your receive quality is.

 

[Firekite]

it has a camper shell.

You have a camper shell on a show truck?

The only antenna mount that won’t require any drilling is a mag mount, and that will scratch up your paint as it grinds dust into it. The NMO mount has been running beautifully for people for decades. Drill one single hole in the roof and do it right the first time.

 

[robertwbob]

You have a camper shell on a show truck?

The only antenna mount that won’t require any drilling is a mag mount, and that will scratch up your paint as it grinds dust into it. The NMO mount has been running beautifully for people for decades. Drill one single hole in the roof and do it right the first time.

the shell is built to match silloette of the pickup painted to match. And no matter what no hole drilling.
If i decide im not happy with ham i can get rid of it and not see a plug where i drilled a hole and think why did i do that.

 

[rapidcharger]

the shell is built to match silloette of the pickup painted to match. And no matter what no hole drilling.
If i decide im not happy with ham i can get rid of it and not see a plug where i drilled a hole and think why did i do that.

I have been a ham for many years and I have never had to drill a hole. I completely understand your position and don't let people talk you into drilling a hole if you don't want to. Having just taken a vehicle to several different appraisers, I don't recall seeing any of them inspect the roof for holes but that said, drilling a hole is 100% unnecessary to participate in the hobby and once again I would suggest considering how much time you are really going to spend in your vehicle and also consider that your enjoyment of the hobby and performance of your station will be improved in a fixed base setup rather than a mobile setup. In fact, I tend to not respond to mobile stations on the air because their signals are usually marginal or they soon will be and for reasons that have nothing to do with their antenna.