So now that I have my call sign, who has stuff for sale?

[edin508]

Anyone have some equipment for sale? Or could possibly help me out by recommending some decent stuff. I am looking for something for home use, and a mobile set up. I have one portable which is nice, but want a bit more, you know what I mean.

 

[OLAK]

I bought a Kenwood TM- 281 that I put in my truck, am very happy with that. I have a Baofeng UV-5RA for portable and as a temp base station with a mag mount antenna outside on the ac, works fine for now. Plan on getting a Kenwood portable when I save enough cash.

You could use a TM-281 as base with power supply and upgrade when you get your general.

 

[edin508]

Thanks! I will look into that Kenwood. I am using a Beofeng BF-F8HP right now, and that is all I have. I was surprised that I was able to get on to my local repeater tonight and transmit during a NET for the first time from inside my home tonight. But it doesn't like to work well inside my truck at all, I need to get an external antenna in a bad way. So on my wish list is a mobile unit for my truck with antenna, and a base unit with some sort of outside antenna that doesn't look to ugly on the side of the house.

 

[ToddDubya]

http://www.eham.net/ is a pretty good resource. They have a classified section that seems to be pretty well used.

 

[n1oty]

As you know, I'm a big fan of 5/8 wave, 2-meter mobile antennas with a hole drilled in the center of the vehicle roof and an NMO mount. It works very well. If you want some real fun on 2-meters, pick up an NXDN radio manufactured by either Kenwood or Icom. There is solid, overlapping coverage over all of Connecticut, Rhode Island and the entire eastern half of Massachusetts. You can get brand new, commercial grade NXDN radios starting at $300. They will do the digital voice and regular analog FM too. Unlike D-Star, NXDN sounds realistic.

 

[drgrant]

As you know, I'm a big fan of 5/8 wave, 2-meter mobile antennas with a hole drilled in the center of the vehicle roof and an NMO mount. It works very well. If you want some real fun on 2-meters, pick up an NXDN radio manufactured by either Kenwood or Icom. There is solid, overlapping coverage over all of Connecticut, Rhode Island and the entire eastern half of Massachusetts. You can get brand new, commercial grade NXDN radios starting at $300. They will do the digital voice and regular analog FM too. Unlike D-Star, NXDN sounds realistic.

What the hell is NXDN? is that like P25 digital?

-Mike

 

[n1oty]

Same codec as Phase 2 P25 (AMBE +2) and DMR, FDMA modulation, C4FM in a true 6.25 khz bandwidth.

 

[edin508]

Thanks, I plan on getting a few bucks together and going over to the HRO in Salem NH to get some gear. It's just better if I get some idea of what I want to get before I go so they don't try and oversell me on something I'm not ready for yet. And the antenna thing is so overwhelming to me still, I could really use some help on that. Plus, I have 2 vehicles and home to set up.

 

[n1oty]

Thanks, I plan on getting a few bucks together and going over to the HRO in Salem NH to get some gear. It's just better if I get some idea of what I want to get before I go so they don't try and oversell me on something I'm not ready for yet. And the antenna thing is so overwhelming to me still, I could really use some help on that. Plus, I have 2 vehicles and home to set up.

Consider skipping dual band radios all together if you spend most of your time in eastern Mass. The Pave Paws radar has totally screwed up 440 around here. Kenwood makes a great 2-meter mobile analog ham radio. Pair something like that with a 2-meter, 5/8 wave antenna. Short money and solid performance.

 

[edin508]

Consider skipping dual band radios all together if you spend most of your time in eastern Mass. The Pave Paws radar has totally screwed up 440 around here. Kenwood makes a great 2-meter mobile analog ham radio. Pair something like that with a 2-meter, 5/8 wave antenna. Short money and solid performance.

Called HRO today and ordered this stuff. A Kenwood TM-281A radio, 5/8 NMO antenna kit (LARSEN NMO-150BK) for the truck and a mag mount antenna(MFJ-1728B) for the car with an adapter for my handheld. Also for now, I got another mag mount antenna for use at home with my handheld, not the best but it will work for now. With the rubber duck antenna I can hit the Walpole repeater quite clearly from my couch anyway, so this should help it go a little further out. Just need to find a piece of metal to stick it to outside for now.

 

[n1oty]

If you want to drill the roof in your truck for the best antenna option, come on down to Taunton some weekend. The guys from the radio shop have the proper bit for drilling a hole for NMO mount antennas. That's what I have on my truck.

 

[edin508]

If you want to drill the roof in your truck for the best antenna option, come on down to Taunton some weekend. The guys from the radio shop have the proper bit for drilling a hole for NMO mount antennas. That's what I have on my truck.

Send me some more info on this, I may take you up on that. My stuff is due in tomorrow, Thanks!!
Feel free to PM me.

 

[n1oty]

Send me some more info on this, I may take you up on that. My stuff is due in tomorrow, Thanks!!
Feel free to PM me.

Dave and Ken have the proper Motorola hole saw for cutting the vehicle roof. You pull down the headliner briefly, drill the hole, install the NMO mount, run the coax and put the headliner back in place. It's usually a painless install and is much more secure for your antenna as compared to a mag mount.

 

[edin508]

Thing is going to look sky high on the roof of my truck. How do I get in contact with them for a little help if needed?

 

[neum69]

As you know, I'm a big fan of 5/8 wave, 2-meter mobile antennas with a hole drilled in the center of the vehicle roof and an NMO mount. It works very well. If you want some real fun on 2-meters, pick up an NXDN radio manufactured by either Kenwood or Icom. There is solid, overlapping coverage over all of Connecticut, Rhode Island and the entire eastern half of Massachusetts. You can get brand new, commercial grade NXDN radios starting at $300. They will do the digital voice and regular analog FM too. Unlike D-Star, NXDN sounds realistic.

I assume you still have to stick to the HAM frequency allocations, even though NXDN covers a broader frequency range...?

does NXDN use a different network of repeaters?

 

[n1oty]

Thing is going to look sky high on the roof of my truck. How do I get in contact with them for a little help if needed?

You can connect with them through me. We'll trim that 5/8 wave antenna right into the middle of the ham band.

 

[n1oty]

I assume you still have to stick to the HAM frequency allocations, even though NXDN covers a broader frequency range...?

does NXDN use a different network of repeaters?

There is solid ham NXDN repeater coverage from western Connecticut through southeastern Mass, with many of those repeaters connected to the world wide network as well. I have another repeater in hand that will soon be going to a location in southern New Hampshire, extending the NXDN coverage to my north.

 

[edin508]

You can connect with them through me. We'll trim that 5/8 wave antenna right into the middle of the ham band.

Well let me know their schedule, some knowledgeable help would be appreciated. My stuff is in! Gotta work for a while tomorrow but I may try to get the radio installed after that.

 

[n1oty]

Well let me know their schedule, some knowledgeable help would be appreciated. My stuff is in! Gotta work for a while tomorrow but I may try to get the radio installed after that.

I'll talk to them today and try to set something up for next weekend. I'll PM you about it.

 

[edin508]

Thanks. But now I have to come up with a new plan. I tried the magnetic mount on my roof and there is no way I am going to go that route. I can't stand the look of it up there and it limits me to much, sometimes I need to park the truck in parking garages. I do have a hard cover over the bed of my truck, but it is fiberglass, so I need to come up with some sort of ground plane idea before I go that route. Not sure how I want to go about this now, but I know I need to come up with some other sort of idea for mounting the antenna.

 

[Fixxah]

Drill a hole in the bed cover and use a rubber grommet.

 

[edin508]

That is the easy part, I have no problem with that. The problem is that for the antenna to work properly it needs to have a decent size metal base for a ground plane. Thinking I may go this route anyway and see how it works as some of the antenna is still above the cab of my truck, crossing my fingers.
BTW Fixxah, I bought another Dodge, the old Daytona is gone now.

 

[n1oty]

Thanks. But now I have to come up with a new plan. I tried the magnetic mount on my roof and there is no way I am going to go that route. I can't stand the look of it up there and it limits me to much, sometimes I need to park the truck in parking garages. I do have a hard cover over the bed of my truck, but it is fiberglass, so I need to come up with some sort of ground plane idea before I go that route. Not sure how I want to go about this now, but I know I need to come up with some other sort of idea for mounting the antenna.

Fold-over mount??

 

[n1oty]

That is the easy part, I have no problem with that. The problem is that for the antenna to work properly it needs to have a decent size metal base for a ground plane. Thinking I may go this route anyway and see how it works as some of the antenna is still above the cab of my truck, crossing my fingers.
BTW Fixxah, I bought another Dodge, the old Daytona is gone now.

A thin metal disc at least 19 inches in diameter under the truck cover and affixed to the base of the NMO mount. Alternatively, affix a series of 19 inch long radials in the same position.

 

[cockpitbob]

A thin metal disc at least 19 inches in diameter under the truck cover and affixed to the base of the NMO mount. Alternatively, affix a series of 19 inch long radials in the same position.

Wouldn't that be radius? 38" in diameter?

 

[n1oty]

Most radials/counterpoises/ground planes work quite well at 1/4 wavelength or more. 1/4 wavelength at 2 meters is approximately 19 to 20 inches, depending on the exact frequency, hence my comment being "at least 19 inches". If he has the room to go bigger, then that will improve things even more.