Car to Car communications

$7 Baofeng BF-S112 Two Way Radio Speaker,Black, Auxiliary

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008...feng+uv-5r&dpPl=1&dpID=41xnKH09URL&ref=plSrch

Just search baofeng in Amazon and you’ll get a bunch of stuff and accessories.

 

Thanks! I got all the way to the cart at the Rugged sale... then managed to pull myself away. Probably better to spend today's money on Husky floorliners today. I hope I don't regret letting this HUGE sale pass though... like I did the Black Friday sales on Huskys.

 

Sorry guys, haven’t been checking into this all day. $117 is a hell of a deal for the link posted above. The antenna alone in this kit is normally $50 by itself. This is pretty much the setup I run, minus the direct 12v connection. This same antenna is what I mentioned earlier, called their ducky antenna. If you are going to use it as an in car radio then that’s the best way. You could also get a 2nd one if you wanted a battery setup you could use outside of the car, or just grab a battery/charger combo and swap it in when you need it.



Again, just to clear up. Baofengs are good radios and I own a couple, but after I bought the rugged, I would run a rugged simply because of the support and customer service they provide.

Based on this sale, I may be expanding into a com system with headsets for my jeep. Prices are cheap!!

 

Thanks buddie. Think I’ll pull the trigger on this setup!

 

@the_midwesterner are you still online? If I buy, I'm thinking about the Ruggen radio you posted, but with the magnetic antenna mount. I understand I don't have to keep the antenna attached full time, jut put it upon when I'm using it? Run the connection coax cable through an open window?

Any thoughts on this, anyone?

 

You’ll be fine. I would just run it through the door. Unless you plan to run the window open the whole time.

 

This is all personal preference bud. Just depends on what you are doing. I ALWAYS hard mount my antennas. Simply because the magnet ones may get stuck on top of sand/dust/silt and if it moved around while Offroad, it may kill your paint. Unless you are getting the hard mounted radio, I’d say you’ll be just fine with the ducky antenna, or the other more expensive one they have. About the only other reason to get the extension and a mag/hard mount antenna is if you plan on keeping the handheld in the truck full time.

 

Just to show you guys that I am not a baofeng hater, ha!

Pictured, from left to right:
- RM-25R going into my tundra
- 5 watt baofeng with Rugged ducky antenna
- HX400 with handheld mic. I used this in my jeep before I got the permanent car mount. Kind of a terrible radio from a programming perspective since it was mandatory to use a laptop, but otherwise a super stout radio quality wise. I’ve beat the shit out of this thing and it just keeps going.



Not pictured, which I also own:
- rugged radio blue handheld (rebranded baofeng) with ducky antenna. Can’t find it at the moment.
- RM-25R permanently mounted in my jeep

Overall, I’d say I’m pretty much set on radios. Just trying to learn more about HAM and the use for them.

 

I'm all for paying a little more for good customer service, but the $85 regular price that they list is out of control. The sale price might be worth if it you really like blue. If I was in the market for another handheld, I would go for either the red

$18 UV-5R Dual Band Two Way Radio (Black), 144-148MHz & 420-450MHz

UV-5R V2+ (red would be good for a loaner on the trails) or the

$63 BF-F8HP (UV-5R 3rd Gen) 8-Watt Dual Band Two-Way Radio (136-174MHz VHF & 400-520MHz UHF) Includes Full Kit with Large Battery

BF-F8HP (8 watts and a big battery).
If anyone is looking for a better antenna, check out Nagoya Antennas on Amazon. I have both the NA-717 and NA-810. It is always nice to have options.

 

Welp I pulled the trigger and bought the rugged trail kit while it was on sale. Their sale is gone and they are regular price now. I’m sure they will have sales on the next holiday for anyone that wants in. Thanks for everyone’s help!

 

To the guys w the technician license, what’s the best way for someone that wants to get it? Online? Links?

 

If you are willing to give up a Saturday, look for a local HAM club that is running a class. Otherwise, get the ARRL license manual, read through it and then use a flash card app to practice until you are getting 90% of the questions right. The nice thing is that it is a set pool of questions, so when you take the test, there is a good chance you will recognize the questions that you practiced with. In the Bay Area it should be easy to find a club that is administering tests just about any Saturday morning. If you practice enough it shouldn't take you more than 30 minutes from the time you arrive until the time you walk out with a passing score and slip of paper.
Check the earlier post from @smslavin he had some links that might help.

 

There are other sites but I will probably go to this one when they have something more local before DV
http://www.baears.com/

 

The actual test will have to be taken in person. Use the ARRL site to find a club local to you and ask about their testing schedule. You can also find a local HRO store and ask them. The test will probably be given by someone old enough to be your grandfather but those guys go back to morse code and the days of building radios by scratch. They’ve forgotten more than you and I will ever know. Worth it to get to know a few of them.

 

Lmk I’ll join you!

Thanks!

 

Ok what is the best if ease of setup is priority 1 that still works well

 

I'd go with Yaesu if I was going to spend around $120 http://www.randl.com/shop/catalog/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=104&products_id=73351 I've got one of their older FT-60Rs and it's been one of the best portables I've ever had.

 

Ditto, look here http://www.arrl.org/find-a-club

 

Well I ended up buying the baofeng uv_82 .....just got to figure out how to program

 

I use chirp to program.

 

Yep, like @dcsleeper408 said, CHIRP is the way to go for programming.
Check out http://www.miklor.com/UV82/

 

For those of us that don't even know what we don't know, what is this 'programming'? Asking b/c I bought a radio, set it using the buttons on the radio to a frequency someone knew worked where we were traveling, and off it went.

Please can one of you give a synopsis of what CHIRP does, or post a link to somewhere we can read about it?

 

10-4. Copy. I hear you, good buddy! Loud and clear. Over and out.












































Is this pretty much what it was like?

 

CHIRP is to program those frequencies you commonly use.
example:
147.xxx would be ch.1 on your radio
147.7xx would be ch.2 on your radio
and so forth.
CHIRP also gives you the option to program settings, save channel list

here a really long and fun video you can watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cUmyElf1MI&t=1534s

 

Tech video = fun. Haha!

Thanks for the info!

 

Check out the Zello app. You can do car to car or create a channel and do a broadcast to everyone on that channel

 

Zello app needs cellular data or wifi to work.

 

But I have reception in the mall!?