Hi, my name is Jason, callsign KC5HWB, and I've created this channel to talk about everything that is new in Ham Radio. I review new radios, new products and new modes for the modern ham operator.
I have been a licensed ham radio operator since 1994 and I enjoy teaching others about the hobby and showing how fun it can be.
A few years ago, the FCC quit sending printed copies of the ham radio licenses....I asked.....you have to have a computer, a printer, etcetera and print one off.... I guess it's a "paper reduction act", or something.....yet, like you said license applications are on multitude sheets of paper. de KI0MX, S.E. Iowa.
It seems to me without having both radios to compare that the UV-25 and the new UV 5RM are pretty much internally the same except for the NOAA stations which you can program your self anyway. They both have 10 watts. I have the UV5RM and its pretty good...
If I remember correctly, the CB Band Lost their FCC protections, back in the early 1980's, and that Even a cop can Confiscate a CB, BUT Cannot touch a Ham Radio.🤔{licensed for 32Years}.. Also as the fines go, Yes they are strictly Enforced, as back in the Mid 1990's, there were a few Illegal operators caught{Greater Cincinnati Area}, 1 received a $50,000 fine and 5 years in prison, another 1 Received a $10,000 fine and was not allowed to OWN anything that could transmit wireless{Included a Remote Phones}, there were 3-4 more, but not getting into those..
Aren't the harmonics supposed to be measured as X-dB down from the fundamental, vs. just measuring their absolute power? IE, subtract the levels of the peaks to find if in compliance?
The FCC would be the only agency that could search your ham radios. Even then, they need a warrant. Any rule that affects a constitutional right would be subject to strict scrutiny.
You know what? Looking at all the Flex 8000 specs and 100w output an Apache Labs G2 SDR which has 1500w output as standard at sub $6,000 USD is looking really good. It has more capability and runs on Thetis which is regularly updated FREE of charge.
I just looked that up and the Apache Labs G2 SDR shows to be 1000w, not 1500w. Still more than 100w, true. SmartSDR is updated for free also and I find it easier to use than the 1 time that I tried Thetis. It looks cleaner also. I don't think either radio is a bad choice.
This is actually pretty simple. Having the license is a privledge... Just like a drivers license. You can certainly refuse to let the FCC come in and inspect your station.. They can't force themselves in.. But they can certainly take your license away if you don't cooperate.. Because privledges can be taken. 🤷
Hello. If you claim to be a U.S. citizen, you become a 14th Amendment person. By doing so, you give up all rights as a slave of the Corporation. As a U.S. citizen, your only right is to live in Washington D.C. See 28USC and UCC9
The problem with Flexradio is the after-sales service, it's horrible. I bought a radio on May 6th and to this day they haven't sent it or even informed the date.
I got this radio to go into my “poop and laughter” collection. Sits right next to my AR-152. In testing mine it put out 16w on a full battery and 11w on almost dead. It is dirty tho. Even when charging. I can’t charge this around any radio I’m using as it produces so much RI I have to charge it on the other side of the house. I have used it maybe 3 times in total and is basically a conversation piece sitting on my wall of radios. It’s basically a 5RM with a bigger battery, case, and speaker. Even programs using the 5RM file on chirp.
There's still no getting away from the poor performing direct conversion on receive because of the chips these Chinese radios use. My ex-wife was trying to get back with me so she bought me two identical Baofeng UV-5Rs from Amazon (8 watt versions). I programmed them with the same memories that I have in my VX-6R and new Kenwood TH-D75, excluding the 220 on the Baofengs because they wouldn't do 220. I put them all in scan mode, scanning those 70cm and 2m frequencies of all the simplex channels used in my area and about 70 repeaters (most Utah and southern Idaho repeaters). The two real radios beat the Baofengs badly. The Baofengs would constantly stop on memory channels from household interference that the two good radios rejected. They got interferred with by LED lighting, Wifi, Bluetooth, switching power supplies and also they overloaded more easily from strong broadcast AM and FM. Not to even mention the intermod. But oops, I mentioned it anyway. The only way the two Baofengs could scan reliably was if I went somewhere in a parking lot far as I could get from common interference. My Yaesu is double conversion for VHF and UHF and my Kenwood is double conversion on band 1 and triple for band 2. My two Baofengs are relegated and set aside only for emergency use if I absolutely have to use them. I'd resort to my old Radio Shack HTX-202 before I'd even turn on my Baofengs. I consider them mere toys. I'd rather have my new Kenwood TH-D75 cut in half and unusable than 50 of those cheapos. It would still be worth more!!
I would love the ACMA (Australian equivalent of the FCC) to knock on my door. I would gladly show them my amateur radio station and how horrendous HF is in my area. The QRM from external sources is insane. My biggest complaint is the S9+ noise generated by the National Broadband Network VDSL2+ internet used in my city. I used to love weak signal operating on 30m and it's now impossible due to the RF noise.
It's disappointing to see Baofeng continuing to sell radios with illegally high spurious emissions. It's even sadder to see hams keep buying them. That 293 MHz second harmonic is in a military aircraft band. One day, the FCC will force the amateur service into using type-accepted radios. We'll have ourselves to blame.
All the Tri-band (220MHz) have bad hi harmonic Leakage....Outrageous hi level Harmonics "Sneak" thru the 220 MHz tuning circuit & reach Antenna connector.....
This is also disingenuous because they are selling these as doomsday devices which is not true, because as soon as “it hits the fan” the first thing that will happen is the cell networks will go down, making them $400 paperweights.
Funny to see a huge radio.. I mean Cell phones were small.. now the phones are like mini ipods.. Ham Hts coolness is small... now maybe a trend is comming back.. and we will see Bricks comming back with crazy battery life.. since no more Ni-cad.. it will be Li-ion, prolly have a recive time of 2 Months.. LOL
You know instead of throwing that radio up in the air and letting it come down and bust it you could have get that radio to somebody that maybe to use it when the grid goes down . just a thought to patch along
Baofeng needs to work on that 20ft drop test and five minutes in a puddle of water. People would buy a tough radio. Not saying it has to be tank proof. And Baofeng could use the money to clean up those frequency bands. Baofeng is coming around.
I grabbed a UV-25 almost a month ago, best $50 Canadian I have spent on something radio related 😎 Mine is the temporary mobile radio in the truck I just got, hanging from the air vent with a piece of wire through it with the belt clip hanging on it. The radio just feels real whether it is or not LOL.
Nice but i gave up on Fengs. My newest cheap HT is a Retevis RA 89. IP68 and works far better on duplex. Feng 68, also IP rated, worked as well as tin cans and string on VHF marine bands. Retevis works well. Thanks and 73 KF0NNQ.
