Radtel RT-1000Pro

[surfacemount]

I know these are aimed at hams, but it won't take long for the GMRS, MURS, preppers, CB'ers and every other hobbyists to find out.

WE'RE HERE!.... er I mean, don't forget public safety who hotseat vehicles and who are on a budget, both fiscally and footprint. I would have killed for this thing as a civil air patrol comms tot...

I will now invoke the braintrust...

@bearcatrp @buddrousa @DualTachyon @EAFrizzle @RevEngOps @mmckenna


I will have me a harris multiband monkey model handheld one day, but not today. Maybe a VP series too. Not in the cards right now. I do need something super simple to toss in various vehicles and pull right back out at the end of shift. Is there something that will transcieve short distance AM CB, MURS, GMRS, Marine Band, AM Air Band, emergency beacons, and perhaps some Public Safety VHF/UHF and not have to have a carrying handle or a bank loan better than this unit?

Followup: the manual only says 'removable antenna' or 'antenna port'. What connectors are needed to put a set of mobile antennas on this device.

Thanks, and have a great weekend. I'll try to check back in a day or so.

 

[mmckenna]

I get that you -want- this. But does your agency actually -need- it?
I would love to talk to a chief that expects a member of their agency to supply their own radio that fills all these needs, willingly ignores FCC requirements, and knowingly balances the health and safety of their people on a cheap Chinese radio.

I mean, jeez, only thing they left out was talking on military frequencies and the space station...
I do the radio work for a small agency with a tight budget, but there's no way I'd let them do something like this. Grant funding is the answer, and talking with your state OES office about this might get you the correct tools.

Maybe a scanner will cover most of your actual needs, as some of that stuff you want isn't something you really need to transmit on. Seriously, so you actually need air band? Do you actually need to transmit on beacon frequencies? Does your agency actually rely on GMRS, MURS and CB to do their job?

Not trying to cause problems here, these are real questions I have. I know small agencies are tight on cash and expect what they do have to stretch pretty far, but this is verging on pretty ridiculous requirements. I wouldn't want any agency around me to put my safety in the hands of some random hobby radio site, a $100 radio trying to fill too many roles, and one guy trying to operate all those things without proper equipment. Some of this is more in line with a mobile command truck, not someone with a CCR hand held that brought in from home.

 

[buddrousa]

Operating aviation (airband) frequencies on the ground is highly regulated. You cannot casually use these frequencies without the proper Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Ground Station License. A pilot’s operating privileges only legally apply when transmitting from inside an aircraft.
Authorized Ground Uses and Frequencies

• Airport Utility & Control (121.6 - 121.925 MHz): Used by airport vehicles, fuel trucks, and line crews to coordinate taxi movements with Ground Control.
• Aviation Instruction (121.95 MHz): Used for ground instruction and flight school briefings.
• Multicom (122.9 MHz): Utilized at uncontrolled airports to direct essential activities and coordinate ground services.
• Search and Rescue (122.9 & 123.1 MHz): Emergency and ground coordination for SAR.

But you still have to be Licensed for Aviation.

 

[mmckenna]

Every single public safety type aircraft I've ever seen had some manner of LMR radio in it. Most states have LMR coordination channels that can be used, and any agency with aircraft should have the NIFOG frequencies in them, or their radio guy should be publicly shamed.

You cannot broadcast on beacon frequencies. That's pointless, the emergency beacons do not have receivers and their users wouldn't hear you. Plus, it's against -all- the rules.

No offense, but this is starting to have serious whacker vibes.

 

[surfacemount]

I don't want to talk on 'beacon frequencies'. I want to monitor them. We have enough plane and boat crashes, and people missing in the mountains. I do have a need, sort of, to monitor channel 9, and the gmrs thing, and potentially respond. It's more of an evaluation thing, to demonstrate whether or not it is actually useful.

No need to talk on mil frequencies, or satellite.

I am well aware of 'grant funding' and state poc for certain donation programs.

None of those apply here. Politics prevents us from already having these things.

MMcKenna, you're getting a little shrieky here. We were putting our own cb's in patrol cars in the late 80's way before gmrs or murs or anything else became popular, so it's not like this isn't a natural evolution of things. Not a single police agency here in east tennessee has ever paid for a cb as part of a base upfit; perhaps that's a cali thing?

I don't even know if people use those frequencies in an emergency, that's what I wanted to see. No need to invest a thousand dollars in a radio to find that out if this one will do it.

Far as air band, I already disclosed that I drive a drone. I concede all the public safety aircraft around here have state trunk talkgroups, and V/U radios. That doesn't include GA craft though, and I may want to hear them, and possibly interact with them. Nothing whackerish about any of that. And, I have had my aviation radio restricted radiotelephone permit since 1985, when I was a cadet comms officer for our local civil air patrol branch. Technically, it's not the aviator's license I need, but a multicom one, and that is a whole other discussion.

(shrugs) you guys are probably the ones voting for more taxes and gun control too, instead of being thankful for the amazing advances transceivers have made since the 80's, both in reach and in price.


Anyways, appreciate the preaching, but really doesn't answer my questions. And, I concede I have a little whacker, and a LOT of squirrel in me. Is what it is.

 

[EAFrizzle]

Is there something that will transcieve short distance AM CB, MURS, GMRS, Marine Band, AM Air Band, emergency beacons, and perhaps some Public Safety VHF/UHF and not have to have a carrying handle or a bank loan better than this unit?

Followup: the manual only says 'removable antenna' or 'antenna port'. What connectors are needed to put a set of mobile antennas on this device.

Followup first, you need SMA adapters and connectors for the radio, both male and female. You can use a solid adapter from your co-ax's connector to the radio's SMA, but that has a higher risk of damaging the radio. There are pigtail-style adapters, but they're often short (6"), and tend to fail for no apparent reason. I like to use the solid co-ax/SMA female adapters and then use 3' SMA jumpers in between. Buy extra of everything. They'll surprise you with some of the stress they take, then quit working simply because you looked at it. Nice thing about SMA stuff is that it's affordable to have plenty of spares. Be careful about strain relief and DO NOT put one of those 4-5' base-loaded telescopic whips on it. They're iffy on BNCs and way too many people crying with a broken radio. You'll look silly, too.


First question second, the RT-1000 is the first and only consumer radio that I've seen with those specs. For a receiver, they're a nice option in the budget segment. As a transceiver, I've had pretty good experience with them, but there are lots negative reports as well. I'm waiting to see reports on the AM performance of the transceiver, especially for the CB. It's only going to have one audio quality for AM transmit, and CB and CivAir are very different in that regard. Will that audio actually be workable on both segments? Not to mention the variance in power output that you get in these wide-spectrum models.

We're really getting Swiss-Army-Knife-itis in some of these radios lately. Tons of tools in a small package, but none of them quite do the job to a workman's standard. That aside, there's nothing else near that price for those specs. If it suits your needs, I think you'll enjoy it. I've been happy with all three of mine.

It's nice to have these all-in-one HTs, especially with a good shortwave receiver, but the 18 - 64 MHz transceiver band goes unused for me. It's just not good spectrum for handhelds. If I want to talk on CB, I'll just use a real CB. I might grab the 1000 around Christmas if reviews seem good, just wish it had 900 MHz.

 

[mmckenna]

I don't even know if people use those frequencies in an emergency, that's what I wanted to see. No need to invest a thousand dollars in a radio to find that out if this one will do it.

I get it, but none of this washes away the requirements for type acceptance and licensing. The idea that law enforcement is exempt from the rules doesn't sit well with most people, including me.

But, whatever, what happens over there doesn't impact me in any way. I just make sure our department has the right tools for the job. There's no way I'd jeopardize my licenses, integrity or job by ignoring rules simply because it was the easy and cheap solution. I expect other agencies to lead by example, not race to the bottom.

 

[MTS2000des]

I get it, but none of this washes away the requirements for type acceptance and licensing. The idea that law enforcement is exempt from the rules doesn't sit well with most people, including me.

This seems to be a fairly common attitude displayed by some LE folks, that they are somehow exempt from rules. That they are often given "professional courtesy" where others may look the other way or "not care". That is, until they do. Remember it's all good, until it isn't.

 

[buddrousa]

As a Firefighter Medic that was a LZ Officer very often I had my Fire Radio on our Fire Channel and had a Second Radio on 155.205 the Air to Ground Channel that our Medical Aircraft would talk to us on about the LZ and Patient update I had ZERO business being on the Aircraft Dispatch Channel nor did I have any Business being on Aviation Channels and I was functioning 100% in the line of duty and operating 100% legal.

 

[surfacemount]

"It's only treason if we lose"
- George Washington, probably

 

[surfacemount]

As a Firefighter Medic that was a LZ Officer very often I had my Fire Radio on our Fire Channel and had a Second Radio on 155.205 the Air to Ground Channel that our Medical Aircraft would talk to us on about the LZ and Patient update I had ZERO business being on the Aircraft Dispatch Channel nor did I have any Business being on Aviation Channels and I was functioning 100% in the line of duty and operating 100% legal.

that's great

how does that apply to flying a drone beyond visual line of sight over an incident scene and needing to coordinate with a low flying general aviation aircraft, especially a news helicopter or a cessna that is oblivious?

I still see vollies occasionally carrying baofengs. How have we gotten them the thousand dollar state portables they really do need?

I just make sure our department has the right tools for the job.

You do? You control the budget, too? That must be very nice. Where I have been, often there isn't budget for a lot of things we really did need. Like tires, brakes, holes in the floors of the cruisers, radio systems that worked.

This isn't that, and trying to say that a toy CB with some extra bands is somehow a... uh, horrendous terrible career ending life safety jeopardizing oh no is Handwringing, First Class.

Comms used to be the hallmark of experimentation and pushing the bleeding edge of technology. But I forget, we're on RR, so... carry on. Thank you all for your input.

 

[buddrousa]

So you are a Commercial Drone Pilot?
Operating aviation (airband) frequencies on the ground is highly regulated. You cannot casually use these frequencies without the proper Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Ground Station License. A pilot’s operating privileges only legally apply when transmitting from inside an aircraft.
Drone pilots in Tennessee and nationwide are legally allowed to listen to aviation frequencies (VHF air band) to monitor nearby manned aircraft traffic, but they are not permitted to transmit on these frequencies without a specific FCC ground station license.
As a Drone Pilot you are required to yield to all maned aircraft as they have the right of way as stated in the Drone Pilots License Rules and Regulations Handbook.
No, unauthorized drone pilots are strictly prohibited from flying over or near active emergency scenes. Doing so can ground life-saving helicopters, delay firefighting or medical operations, and result in fines exceeding $20,000.
Unauthorized drone operations are heavily restricted during emergency scenarios for several key reasons:
Endangering Responders: FAA Part 107 regulations (which govern commercial drone use) prohibit careless or reckless operation, including flying directly over people on the ground who are not directly participating in the flight operation.
Special Governmental Interest (SGI): Certified drone pilots who need to fly over an emergency (e.g., news media, search and rescue support) must obtain an emergency waiver known as an SGI through the FAA.
You also have to file a flight plan with the FAA to fly in these areas.
All of these questions were on my Drone Pilots License Test I passed.

 

[MTS2000des]

Lemme guess...we da po-po, we don't need no part 107. SMH.

 

[bearcatrp]

Isn’t the commercial drone pilot required to communicate with the closest tower to announce taking off? Still have my traxxas drone that I fly on my property periodically. The cost of getting a commercial license was beyond my budget when I looked into it about 8 years ago.

 

[mmckenna]

You do? You control the budget, too? That must be very nice.

We cooperate on items like this.
"We need xyz radio capability, can you get me a cost".
I work with multiple vendors to get cost of proper equipment, programming/cables, training, spares, accessories, LICENSING.
That goes into the budget for next year.
If money is available, radios get purchased and we go on from there.

It's not a difficult process and it happens all over the world every single day in large and small agencies. It's part of the normal process and it's now things get done.

As for licensing, FCC doesn't charge public safety agencies, any legit public safety agency would be exempt from licensing fees.

Comms used to be the hallmark of experimentation and pushing the bleeding edge of technology. But I forget, we're on RR, so... carry on. Thank you all for your input.

Amateur radio is where experimentation happens, not public safety. If you want a radio like this for a hobby/toy/amateur radio experimentation, then go for it. It doesn't belong in any sort of life safety application.

(shrugs) you guys are probably the ones voting for more taxes

Yes, because we like having public safety properly equipped to do their job, and not relying on toy radios or vehicles with missing floor pans. Most would absolutely question how our taxpayer dollars were being managed if local public safety agency behaved like this.

 

[mmckenna]

Thank you all for your input.

There are resources out there to help public safety agencies get the tools they need. Some of them are hard to find and not well known unless you work in the public safety radio field. We're offering help to get you what your agency needs. I've been through this. It's not a good place to be, but there are resources. Most small agencies don't have the staff to search these out. Hobby radio sites are not that resource.

Probably like a few others here, we'd be happy to assist you and your agency get some help, resources and guidance. There's a lot available and all it takes is asking the right people, but you are not going to find it on hobby radio websites.

 

[surfacemount]

So you are a Commercial Drone Pilot?
(snip)

Thank you for the very thorough post.

Lemme guess...we da po-po, we don't need no part 107. SMH.

While you are guessing that (which, is kind of true) how would a tethered drone change the calculus? Sorry you seem to have such a chip on your shoulder for a segment of end user you allege you support.

If money is available, radios get purchased and we go on from there.

'If'

I've been dealing with the no side of public safety if for a long, long time. The last Sheriff's Office I worked for literally turned down thousands of dollars in grant funding that I was writing for them. I stood in front of the county commission, and they said no. Also, here there is a lot of politics and rice bowl protection. Your place sounds amazing.

 

[MTS2000des]

While you are guessing that (which, is kind of true) how would a tethered drone change the calculus? Sorry you seem to have such a chip on your shoulder for a segment of end user you allege you support.

You tell me, what does part 107 say? Because the AHJ being the FAA is the only one I care about, and the only one that matters. As I said like a broken begging to be changed: it's all good, until it isn't.

Louis Rossman said it best: there is the easy way, then the easy to live with way.

You do you.

 

[surfacemount]

There are resources out there to help public safety agencies get the tools they need. Some of them are hard to find and not well known unless you work in the public safety radio field. We're offering help to get you what your agency needs. I've been through this. It's not a good place to be, but there are resources. Most small agencies don't have the staff to search these out. Hobby radio sites are not that resource.

Probably like a few others here, we'd be happy to assist you and your agency get some help, resources and guidance. There's a lot available and all it takes is asking the right people, but you are not going to find it on hobby radio websites.

Thank you. I felt that.

...I am fairly easy to figure out who I am, but I would prefer not, for every person wanting to help make this work, there will be five calling where I work and causing me unnecessary grief. Where I am I am not a radio tech, just a mere end user / subscriber.

We have all we are going to get. You have to remember, in Tennessee, many agencies could not / would not get on the state system until the nextel bribe help money came in. If I want something, like the ability to scan, or monitor things, it will be on my own until I can prove it is worthwhile and the negative publicity from not having is greater than... not having.

Probably doesn't make sense, but it is what it is.

I feel like I have hijacked this radio thread far enough. Again, thank you for all your concerns and input.

 

[surfacemount]

You tell me, what does part 107 say? Because the AHJ being the FAA is the only one I care about, and the only one that matters.

You gonna help me program my bootleg radio? What do I get out of being correct all the time? Again, your snark is appreciated.