# Recommend me a HAM radio.



## NaeKid

I do have my licence, but, I haven't spent my money on a radio yet. I know, I know, but, seeing some of the prices locally for the radios, I am really having a hard time spending the cash.

I have recently started looking through eBay with the search-term of "ham radio handheld" and I am finding some interestings hits on that.

One of the first ones that show up is a radio with a manufacture-name of BaoFeng. From most of the reviews I found, it seems to be a decent radio and is considered to be "disposable" due to its very low price. The battery life on listen mode is reported as being good enough for days of listening. The downside of the radio is that I cannot locate a standard 12-volt charger for it - only chargers that plug into the wall. I would love to solar-charge this thing, or, be able to charge it up from a moving vehicle.

Now, some of the reports about the BaoFeng models state that the antenna sucks and it would be best to put on a better antenna or to use a magnetic-mount antenna on a vehicle. The reports also state that I would need an adapter to convert their standard to a more industry standard BNC-connector.

The part that really interests me is that the price-tag for a pair of these is around $50.



The next choice is Wouxun ... I will write what I found in my next message here (I am finished working for the day, so, I'll catch up after supper).


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## zimmy

*ham radio*

NaeKid, Are you sure the price is $50 for two units, or could it be that they are showing the front and back of the same unit.


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## biobacon

I was watching One that went down to $35. I was talking to some folks at field day Sat and they said our county CRT team uses and likes them. I was having a decent time Sat until some one told me the rig I was on cost $6000. I was floored.


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## LincTex

Some of the Chinese HT's are really good quality for the price in many cases. I, like you, wanted someone else to be the "guinea pig" of them first. I settled on several UV-5R's because they have good reviews and have a lot of support, including an active Yahoo! group, and several other informative websites.

Yes, I have never seen 12 volt chargers.... just "12 volt adapters" that go in place of the battery. I guess running off of a small SLA/AGM 12v battery wouldn't be the end of the world as long as I had several to swap while using and charging.

The BNC adapter is about $4-$5 and is money well spent!


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## DKRinAK

Consider the user interface - 
Can you _easily_ program a new channel?
Alter specific parameters without needing a PC? 
What aftermarket accy can be had for the radio?
How well does it hold up to - the cold, the wet and being dropped?

Recently, I was able to buy a nice VX170 (rugged, waterproof-ish and many accy still for sale) for $80 that also included shipping. Which is to say, a used H/T may be, in the long run, be the better deal.

And old saying - if you buy on price alone, you deserve to get rooked. (Dr. Deeming)

Good luck on your search.


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## LincTex

DKRinAK said:


> I was able to buy a nice Yaesu VX170 for $80 that also included shipping.


Although that is a good deal, the likelihood of repeating that deal relies on a great number of variances. The options available (for such used HT's at similar prices) to NaeKid in Alberta may not be the same for you here in the USA. Across-border shipping aside, if he is limited to what he can find used in his area, the field narrows considerably.


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## NaeKid

zimmy said:


> NaeKid, Are you sure the price is $50 for two units, or could it be that they are showing the front and back of the same unit.


Here is the search-link that I used ...

http://www.ebay.ca/sch/i.html?_trks...ld&_nkw=ham+radio+handheld&_sacat=0&_from=R40

Attached is a .pdf printout from the page .. on page two it shows two radios for $50 as a "Buy it now" price ... and the last few days I have done similar searches and found similar prices.

That is why I was really interested - some of the other handsets as a single are over $500 .. I can't justify that kind of cost!


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## cllowe

My first radio was a yaesu ft 60. Great ht and pretty user friendly. I put a 1/4 wave antenna on it ant I hit repeaters 35 miles away.


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## bunkerbob

NaeKid said:


> Here is the search-link that I used ...
> 
> http://www.ebay.ca/sch/i.html?_trks...ld&_nkw=ham+radio+handheld&_sacat=0&_from=R40
> 
> Attached is a .pdf printout from the page .. on page two it shows two radios for $50 as a "Buy it now" price ... and the last few days I have done similar searches and found similar prices.
> 
> That is why I was really interested - some of the other handsets as a single are over $500 .. I can't justify that kind of cost!


I may be wrong, but these look to be single band units, 70cm, most of these are dual band and have decent reviews on another website.
By the way I really like my FT-50 also.

BB


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## Dakine

my cities CERT team provided me with a Yaesu VX-170 I like it okay I guess... the price is right lol! 

Lots of CERT and beginners go with the ft 60 model because it's dual band 2m and 70cm

I bought a Diamond antennae for mine, and I'll keep that and give CERT back their rubber duck LOL! That antennae was only $25 and it made a remarkable difference immediately! and they are just right down the road from me, it was super cool going there.

When I buy my own, I am thinking about getting the VX-8DR it supports APRS, and it's 4 band capable and it's submersible! YAY!!! but it's spendy... and that makes me sad


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## Fn/Form

I've mentioned the HX370 before... I think it's the best bang for the buck bar none. True marine capable, legal for ham, simply clone radios with a cable, compatible with commercial accessories and comes with a cradle wall/12v charger and AA batt pack. Optional $100 voice inversion module for security. The programming cable is on eBy, software is available for asking.

The HX400 adds talk time and native voice inversion.

I prefer commercial-derived radios such as HX and VX series.

Yaesu and ICOM have decent hi power 2m single band vehicle mobiles for a decent price.


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## Dakine

Fn/Form said:


> I've mentioned the HX370 before... I think it's the best bang for the buck bar none. True marine capable, legal for ham, simply clone radios with a cable, compatible with commercial accessories and comes with a cradle wall/12v charger and AA batt pack. Optional $100 voice inversion module for security. The programming cable is on eBy, software is available for asking.
> 
> The HX400 adds talk time and native voice inversion.
> 
> I prefer commercial-derived radios such as HX and VX series.
> 
> Yaesu and ICOM have decent hi power 2m single band vehicle mobiles for a decent price.


Can you please provide a link to the Yaesu and ICOM models you're referring to? that will be a big NEXT purchase, it's high on the to-do list and I really like it when I get the windfall of other people's research!

Thank you very much!


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## Fn/Form

Both of these are rugged single banders.

I like the no-fan feature of the Yaesu FT-2900R, but if you intend to use at 75W all the time then get the Icom.

Icom IC-V8000 I have one of them that's at least 9yrs old, every day of it mounted in one of my trucks. It continues to work like a champ after several TX summers in a truck--including a few yeas ago when we were 100 days at 100 degrees or higher. The last 6yrs mounted between sun visors. The power connector/cable have been faded by the sun.

The fan is a bit noisy now, but with the A/C on in the truck during summer I can talk as long as I want. Fan still kicks on in winter with 75W.


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## Geek999

I am a relatively new HAM as well. I have a couple Yaesus and they seem to work well. I am still learning about antennas trying to get the best performance. The Baofengs have been discussed elsewhere and have a reputation for being hard to program without the software, but are considered to be attractive for the price and popular as something to drop into a Faraday cage.


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## dave_fuches

i'm kind of new at this and i'm interested in ham...the only radios i currently have are 4 rechargeable gmrs radios.

i understand that the baofengs that i've found readily available on amazon need software? can anyone tell me do the yaesu and the icom mentioned above require software?


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## Geek999

dave_fuches said:


> i'm kind of new at this and i'm interested in ham...the only radios i currently have are 4 rechargeable gmrs radios.
> 
> i understand that the baofengs that i've found readily available on amazon need software? can anyone tell me do the yaesu and the icom mentioned above require software?


You've just opened an old thread but you may find more of the information you want in this thread:

http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f5/true-30-mile-range-18711/


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## dave_fuches

ok thanks


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## NaeKid

So - I ended up getting a Baofeng model UV5RQ radio. It came with just one battery. My neighbor (also a HAM-guy) programmed it up for me with his USB-to-radio cable programmer thingy.

So, I figured that I would want to get a super-range antenna and started to search eBay. Found some options and then one really stood out. The seller was talking about BugOutBags and such in his advertisement, and, then he put up a YouTube video of how his antenna works.






All I understand from the video is that his antenna hits some repeaters from some serious distance away. Nice!!!

His store: http://myworld.ebay.ca/nelson_antennas?_trksid=p2047675.l2559


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## Geek999

Radio signals, particularly in the VHF frequencies, use line of sight, so for two radios to communicate you need line of sight. Unfortunately, the curvature of the earth will limit you to about 7 miles for someone standing in their yard trying to communicate with another similar individual. Hills and buildings can reduce your distance further. A repeater will generally be on a tower and as a result, you can communicate with a repeater much further away than you could directly to another individual on the ground. The repeater then forwards your signal to anybody with line of sight to the tower. Your other alternative is to get some height youself, which this fellow is achieving with his wire antenna.

Using a handheld, I have been able to easily receive repeaters up to 35 miles away. However, there is some dispute among preppers as to whether you should count on repeaters being available in an emergency. I happen to be in the area hit by Hurricane Sandy and most of the repeaters in the area remained up as HAM radio is often used as an emergency service. HAM radio is being adopted by the local CERT team as a part of their communications plan. The idea is to have enough HAMs that when teams go out, each team has a HAM as part of the team to communicate back to the Office of Emergency Management. So if your concern is typical natural disaster scenarios, most of your local repeaters should remain up most of the time. I would not count on the repeaters in a SHTF scenario.

If you get into HAM radio and want to communicate any distance, you will need to get into antennas. For VHF, a wire like this fellow is using is better than the rubber duck that comes with the radio. On the other hand he can't walk around until his communication is over. Frankly, I am surprised he isn't doing a bit better.

I have gone to a 6' tall Diamond brand antenna mounted on a collapsible fiberglass pole that can extend above the roof of the house. This isn't of much use if you are camping, but is fine for my location.

If you really want to get into technical HAM questions you might want to check out radiopreppers.com


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## labotomi

DKRinAK said:


> Consider the user interface -
> Can you _easily_ program a new channel?
> Alter specific parameters without needing a PC?
> What aftermarket accy can be had for the radio?
> How well does it hold up to - the cold, the wet and being dropped?
> 
> Recently, I was able to buy a nice VX170 (rugged, waterproof-ish and many accy still for sale) for $80 that also included shipping. Which is to say, a used H/T may be, in the long run, be the better deal.
> 
> And old saying - if you buy on price alone, you deserve to get rooked. (Dr. Deeming)


I have a couple of Baofeng UV-5RE units. I've never used the baofeng software because it's windows specific and I have a mac laptop. Chirp is a freeware program that is capable of programming most if not all the features available with the UV-5R series.

http://chirp.danplanet.com/projects/chirp/wiki/Home

I'll say it holds up to heat and physical abuse well. I haven't gotten it wet other than just a fine mist so I'm not giving an endorsement on that issue. Battery life is better than the Motorola HT1250 units and Vertex VX-427 and 454. The stock antenna isn't great but an aftermarket one can be had for under 10 bucks. There's quite a bit of aftermarket support though not as much as Motorola or Kenwood (which isn't surprising)


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## Fn/Form

For those ordering in the USA, the N9TAX Slim Jim roll-up antenna is the classic. It is sold by Joseph, N9TAX via his business:
http://www.2wayelectronix.com/

Joseph was very willing to work on some custom cable lengths for me.

I have a few Arrow Antennas. J-pole, 3-element yagi and 1/4 wave ground plane. Simple designs, and they work well.

I ordered a KU4AB SQ-144 back in August. Still not delivered, and no responses. I did some searching and found it's not an isolated incident. Grrrr. DO NOT ORDER from this schmuck.


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## Dakine

Naekid, you can do 12v charging if you use a couple of items. I bought these on eBay for roughly $10 total, free shipping and they both came from Hong Kong. You'll have to verify that the 12v connector to the radio is correct for your model but if it's not, there's likely one that is...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/130972660410?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281054901166?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

wait the first one I posted wont work for you, it's Yaesu. here's a comparable search for baofeng.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trk...c&_nkw=baofeng+car+charger&_sacat=0&_from=R40

I didnt see any that mentioned specifically the "Q" model you have, but that may not necessarily be a big deal at all, I'm sure there are support forums that know the facts, or possibly your neighbor may have the infoz...


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## NaeKid

I really like those battery eliminators in that link, and, I have found "super" battery packs that are about double the size of the normal pack.

I would like to get a hard-mount antenna that I can put onto my KLR and when I have my radio, pull the antenna wire clear of the bike and then use the antenna for further-reaching capabilities. When I am back on the bike again, the radio can hide inside my jacket (turned off) and the antenna can just sway in the wind.


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## Grimm

Sorry. That last sentence had me giggling like a school girl...


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## NaeKid

Grimm said:


> Sorry. That last sentence had me giggling like a school girl...


School-girl is good ... :laugh:


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## Grimm

NaeKid said:


> School-girl is good ... :laugh:


What is it with men and plaid skirts and knee socks..?!


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## Dakine

Grimm said:


> What is it with men and plaid skirts and knee socks..?!


mmmmmmmmmmm. I think I'll go get lunch and a beer at The Tilted Kilt this weekend! :2thumb:


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## NaeKid

Grimm said:


> What is it with men and plaid skirts and knee socks..?!


You should see me in a kilt .. :teehee:


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## Grimm

NaeKid said:


> You should see me in a kilt .. :teehee:


How do you pleat it? Peacock or farmer?


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## NaeKid

Grimm said:


> How do you pleat it? Peacock or farmer?


Kind of like this ...


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## Grimm

NaeKid said:


> Kind of like this ...


It that a utilakilt?

Ever pleated your own out of 5 yards of wool? I may have to dig out the Irish kilt I have in my costume storage and show you how its done!


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## Grimm

Red head in a kilt...

:factor10:

And you have to go regimental when you wear a kilt.


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## drgnhntr37

Grimm said:


> Red head in a kilt...
> 
> :factor10:
> 
> And you have to go regimental when you wear a kilt.


I believe in my part of the country it's called commando.


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## Grimm

drgnhntr37 said:


> I believe in my part of the country it's called commando.


Irish and Scots in the military aren't "commandos".


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## LincTex

Grimm said:


> What is it with men and plaid skirts and knee socks..?!


Yeah, seriously - - right?!?! What's the appeal anyway?


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## Grimm

LincTex said:


> Yeah, seriously - - right?!?! What's the appeal anyway?


You have it aaaaaaaaaaall wrong! THIS is hot!
:factor10:


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## LincTex

I always liked Hamish Campbell's character the best:


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## NaeKid

LincTex said:


> I always liked Hamish Campbell's character the best:


That is how I look in the winter-time! :rofl:


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## LincTex

NaeKid said:


> That is how I look in the winter-time! :rofl:


That is how I wish I looked 100% of the time!


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## Dakine

I'd rather be alive and stubborn than dead and more stubborn. (speaking only to that scenario in Braveheart) 

I dont want to look like that, but I think it will take about 2 winters to get there after this house of cards folds in on itself lol. 

are we done derailing this thread yet?


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## Grimm

Dakine said:


> are we done derailing this thread yet?


Nope. 

Though I'd love to see a picture of you as a wild man...


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## drgnhntr37

Grimm said:


> Irish and Scots in the military aren't "commandos".


Being Irish I know that. Commando means without undergarments.


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## Grimm

drgnhntr37 said:


> Being Irish I know that. Commando means without undergarments.


Yes, I know.

I use to do kilt checks at the ren faires... :teehee:


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## Tradecraft

Solid article: http://survivalskillcraft.blogspot.com/2013/08/your-first-ham-radio.html


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## AdmiralD7S

Tradecraft said:


> Solid article: http://survivalskillcraft.blogspot.com/2013/08/your-first-ham-radio.html


Tradecraft,

Noticed you're new, so thought I'd pass on a heads-up. Of the posts I've seen so far, you seem to be directing people away from PS to another (your own?) blog. Many folks here, myself included, prefer that you quote pertinent parts of articles rather than just kicking in a link. Food for thought...

That said, I do appreciate the info at the links I've seen.

Sent from my iPhone usi


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## Tradecraft

AdmiralD7S said:


> Tradecraft,
> 
> Noticed you're new, so thought I'd pass on a heads-up. Of the posts I've seen so far, you seem to be directing people away from PS to another (your own?) blog. Many folks here, myself included, prefer that you quote pertinent parts of articles rather than just kicking in a link. Food for thought...
> 
> That said, I do appreciate the info at the links I've seen.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone usi


I have to say that from the first post I have posted to this forum this group seems to be the most unfriendly suspicious group of people I have seen. It is actually becoming very pathetic. Everyone seems so critical. If there is a procedure to post in a forum please point me in that direction. As far as I know a forum is designed to share information. If I choose to use a link it is because the link says what needs to be said. If I have something to add I will. It is not my blog that I am linking to. It is simple a resource for other to use. If my posts are not useful to PS I will simply go elsewhere. There are plenty of options available and I am married to none!


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## AdmiralD7S

Sorry to hear that you're finding us unfriendly :/. I know that the average PS can appear more suspicious since this is predominantly a prepping site with elements of homesteading tossed in, but once folks have been around a while, they see that we're very friendly.

If I can offer a reason to quote add a link rather than just completely redirect: what if the other site is not maintained? It doesn't help the PS forums if the useful info isn't available. Remember that we do get plenty of new folks that use the search to see old discussions.

I'm hoping that you'll stick around since you do seem to have good info. I just recommend that you learn the local customs and become "one of us".


Sent from my iPhone usi


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## Geek999

I think preppers in general are a rather skeptical group, starting with skepticism that government will protect them from disasters. Toss in being called every name in the book, a need for a bit of OPSEC and the mix of trolls and salesmen that show up here and it takes a bit to get accepted by the portion of the group who don't vehemently disagree with what you have to say.

In other words, yes it is difficult to get started. If you haven't done so already, post an introduction that gives a sense of what your prepping background is and what you're interested in getting out of the site.


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## LincTex

Tradecraft said:


> I have to say that from the first post I have posted to this forum this group seems to be the most unfriendly suspicious group of people I have seen. It is actually becoming very pathetic.


You don't frequent many "survivalist" forums... do you?  :laugh:

The crowd here is extremely tame by comparison.


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## Tradecraft

LincTex said:


> You don't frequent many "survivalist" forums... do you?  :laugh:
> 
> The crowd here is extremely tame by comparison.


No, I don't use forums a lot and typically use them as a reference for specific bits of information. In my experience I find that those who spend a lot of time on forums and have "high post counts" are the ones who are rarely out there practicing the information that they readily provide to others. I rather trust the ones living it rather than just writing about it!


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## northernraider

Just looked at his blog, it looks like a cut n paste board for advertisers flogging gear and courses. BTW I find the guys on here very friendly and helpful.

FYI why buy a mere HAM rig when you can now have Ham, CB and PR ( FRS in Americanese) . The one below is rigged for the UK market but I'm sure they will be doing one for the US market.

Details and comment:

Model: Wouxun KG-UV950P

TX: 
26-29MHz, Ham and CB
50-53MHz, Ham and old mil and old private walkie talkies
136-174MHz, Ham, Marine
400-480MHz Ham, and PMR

RX: 
26-29MHz, as per TX
50-53MHz, , as per TX
65-108MHz, , as per TX
108-180MHz, Airband
320-349MHz, ???
400-480MHz, , as per TX
700-987MHz Mobile phones

Output Power selectable 50W/25W/10W/5W

1. Full Duplex Cross-band Repeater Full ham type repeater circuits, even allows repeating from ham to CB, CB to PMR etc.
2. Dual Display Monitor CB and Marine at same time for ex

3. Over 999 Memory Channels Not specced, but I bet these will be Alpha codeable, so user griendly name displays that you are looking for can replace frequencies. Eg <<CB UK Ch01>> instead of 27.xxxMhz


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## LincTex

Tradecraft said:


> In my experience I find that those who spend a lot of time on forums and have "high post counts" are the ones who are rarely out there practicing the information that they readily provide to others.


Sometimes...

I have multiple monitors on my work computer (big rectangular ones!!), and I CAN type fast... so I usually leave the PS open on a pane and dabble in between filling out other forms (and during breaks).

I very very seldom access Prepared Society from home, because I am "doing" the things I type about


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## northernraider

I write about things I have done, things I have found and things I am going to do, I don't come to forums to sell stuff or promote other commercial enterprise.


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## gatecrashser59

Tradecraft said:


> I have to say that from the first post I have posted to this forum this group seems to be the most unfriendly suspicious group of people I have seen. It is actually becoming very pathetic. Everyone seems so critical. If there is a procedure to post in a forum please point me in that direction. As far as I know a forum is designed to share information. If I choose to use a link it is because the link says what needs to be said. If I have something to add I will. It is not my blog that I am linking to. It is simple a resource for other to use. If my posts are not useful to PS I will simply go elsewhere. There are plenty of options available and I am married to none!


Please don't worry about the suspicious nature about the members, being prepared is not the most popular thing a person can do in this day and age.


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## sgtusmc98

Unrelated to the topic but the more I mess with my Baofeng uv5r+ the more it seems like a good survival hand held, besides the dual band I can use it as a scanner for my local police/ems, it has a flashlight and it picks up FM radio. Is it the best at any of that, probably not but it has at least four uses and for the price that's pretty good.


Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum


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## sgtusmc98

It could be a paper weight two for a map in wind so that would be five uses! 


Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum


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## bkt

Sorry to be late to the party, but you certainly can charge a battery for your UV-5R in the car. The high-capacity 3500mAH battery has a power port on it which works with this 12V charging cable.

Please note the hi-cap battery fits the UV-5R and not necessarily similar radios.


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## srtmedic

I currently run four Baofeng UV-5R's, one Baofeng BF-F8+, one Baofeng UV-82C, one Wouxun KG-UVD1P for handheld radios. This does not include my county emergency management issued radio which is a Wouxun KG-UV6D V2.

I also have a Blackbox VHF mobile (136-174), one Powerwerx DB-750X VHF/UHF mobile, one Icom IC-2100H. Plus I still have my very first ham radio that I ever bought way back in 1993 from Radio Shack. A HTX-202 and a Kenwood TH-78A I bought brand new at the Dayton Hamvention in 1994.

With all of the interoperability communications that we do up here, I no longer purchase ham frequency only radios. I need to have the ability to do public safety and ham on the same rig. 

The UV-5R's and the BF-F8+ are setup with prepper frequencies and other frequencies for our statewide group. Battery packs stay fully charged all the time and off of the radio. The UV-82C is programmed with both public safety agencies, and ham radio; the KG-UVD1P is just ham radio frequencies only and the KG-UV6D is both public safety agencies and ham radio.


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