What is amazing about amateur radio is you never know who you will talk to.
I live in Williams, Arizona. We have a Western Intertie Network (WIN) system repeater maintained by Bryan – W7BNW. He fixed the repeater after a massive snow storm knocked it out early in the season. It has been up for about two-week.
Today he got the down link radio connected and the system was complete. We can now talk to people through the western States and, at times, around the world. It is a very interesting coincidence that Bryan got the system working today.
About 2:31 AM GMT (7:31 Arizona Time), I heard a call from Richard VK6VRO in Western Australia (10:30 AM his time). I had to call him when he mentioned that he was from Bunbury, Australia.
You see, his city is a part of my history.
When I was in the Navy, I was on the Spruance Class Destroyer USS Oldendorf DD-972. I was on the crew that commissioned the ship. Our first overseas cruise we spent nearly half in Australia. Our very first stop in Australia was Bunbury on August 15, 1980. In fact, we were the second ship to moor at the new pier the city just built—the first United States Navy ship. It brought back great memories of a visit with some of the greatest friends in the world. When we left it seemed like the whole town shut down to come and see us off.
Bear in mind I spoke with him through a UHF repeater on a Baofeng BF-F9 V2+ radio which I purchased from FOSCAM for about $70.
Throughout the day I heard a couple of stations in Canada and I have talked with people in Canada, England, Spain and other States before the tragic loss of the repeater months ago.
A basic Technician license gives you access to the very high frequencies (VHF) from 144 to 148-MHz and Ultra-High Frequencies (UHF) from 420 to 450-MHz. You also have access to other frequencies in this range and above. But the frequencies I described are usually what people refer to when they speak of VHF and UHF. Most repeaters operate in this range.
As you can see, with a Technician license, you might be very surprised who you will speak with.
CORRECTION: Jud’s proper call sign is N6GYF. I had two letters in incorrect order. That is corrected. – 9/3/2018
WIN Repeater 449.75 Tone 123 – Currently not connected to WIN system.
Bill Williams Mountain Radio Club Repeater 146.78 Tone 91.5 –
WILLIAMS — In January a strong snow storm knocked out the antennas for the repeaters on Bill Williams mountain. The two main repeaters are the UHF Western Intertie Network system and the VHF repeater operated by the Bill Williams Mountain Radio club.
The road to Bill Williams mountain is poorly maintained. The snow and ice after a major storm make it impassable. It only became usable recently.
Starting last Friday crews worked through the weekend to get the repeaters back on line.
Bryan W7BNW and his wife worked to restore the antennas for the WIN system repeater. He is currently working on the uplink radio so that Hams from Arizona can connect to the network that mostly covers California.
Bill Williams Mountain from Benham Trail.
Jud N6GYF traveled from California to repair the antenna for the standalone Bill Williams Mountain Radio Club repeater on 146.780. This repeater allows Hams from Flagstaff, to Prescott to Seligman to communicate.
These crews are amateur radio volunteers and we appreciate their efforts.
FLAGSTAFF — The Coconino Amateur Radio Club of Flagstaff is currently holding classes for the technician class license. The classes are free and open to anyone of any age. The classes are held every Saturday from 8 am to 12 pm. They are held at the North Country Health Care facility at 2920 N 4th Street in Flagstaff.
The technician class license is the first FCC license a person can obtain to operate amateur radio equipment. You must get 26 questions correct on a 35 question examination. The examination fee is $15 and the next test is on April 16. Although anyone can come to the exam and classes, the Coconino Amateur Radio Club requests that you go to their web site and let them know that you are coming so they can provide enough material.
If you pass the examination for a Technician license, you can take the test for the General Class license. This allows you access to more frequencies and privileges. If you pass that exam, you can try for the top license; Amateur Extra. If you fail any exam along the way, you will be required to pay another $15 to retake the examination.
Many people prevent themselves from becoming Amateur Radio, or HAM, operators for many reasons. One is, perhaps, the “mystery” that surrounds the hobby. Another is the requirement to do Morse Code. A third is probably that the equipment is so expensive.
It may surprise you to learn that as a former technician in the Navy, I was even confused about the aura that seems to surround the hobby. The electronics was not much of a problem to understand, but the different bands and where I would be allowed to operate was confusing even for me. That quickly dissipated when I finally decided to sit down and study for the license. There are three licenses the FCC grants for amateur radio; Technician Class, General Class and Amateur Extra. To obtain the first two licenses, you must pass an examination of by answering 26 of 35 questions correctly. For Amateur Extra you have to pass an exam of 50 questions with 74%. Do you really need the Amateur Extra though? I will explain presently.
The second reason is Morse Code. You no longer have to pass a test for Morse Code, or CW as it is called in Amateur Radio.
The last is probably the most likely excuse for not getting into Amateur Radio. A high frequency transmitter can run into the thousands of dollars. An antenna can cost as high as $600 if you do not want to build it yourself. If you decide to build yourself, you will have to have access to an antenna analyzer. You will have to get an SWR meter which can run about $250 depending on what you want. And you will have to learn to fight HOAs to put up antennas or towers and on-and-on.
There are, however, several ways you can enjoy Amateur Radio without spending a nickel (except, of course, for the fee to take the test and the fee for any classes you decide to take or books you want to read). There are online services that allow you to communicate with other Ham operators. Two of these I review require an amateur radio license. The others do not. I have not used all of the services, so you will have to consult their web sites for requirements. They all require a sign up.
I do not want to get too technical for this article, but some are based on a Ham project called Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP) and some are Voice Over the Internet Protocol (VOIP). The difference is that IRLP actually connects to amateur radio repeaters and radios and therefore you need a license. Services, such as Skype, use VOIP which is strictly over the Internet and therefore require no license. Continue reading So you want to be an Amateur Radio operator→
WILLIAMS — A few ham radio licensees in Williams are trying to re-establish the Bill Williams Mountain Radio Group. They are looking for former members who would like to re-establish the group as well as anyone who would like to obtain and amateur radio license.
Glen Davis, who recently obtained an amateur radio license, is one of those making the attempt. He tried to contact some of the former members through the web site, but received no response.
“A strong amateur radio group is important,” Davis explained. “It gives the opportunity for new amateur radio operators to learn from experienced operators. Most people do not know that a person of any age that can past the test can get a license.”
Summary of Part 1: I purchase a BTECH UV-2501 and Nagoya UT-72 antenna in hopes of creating an emergency field radio. I had to wait for a power source for a full test. I chose the UV-2501 for the price and claimed power output. I do not have the proper test equipment to test the claims, but other reviews say the claims are pretty accurate. I should note that I should have posted Part 1 of this article some time ago.
One of the goals of Amateur radio is to provide communications in an emergency. As a new amateur operator, I would like to be able to assist in that goal. Before I sign up for ARES or SKYWARN, however, I would like to have something substantial to offer. Thus my emergency radio project was conceived.
My project consists of the UV-2501 and Nagoya UT-72 antenna combination. I will first explore the antenna problem.
The UT-72 is designed to work with the UV-2501 and other Baofeng radios. They do seem to help extend the range of the Baofeng hand held radios, such as the UV-5r and UV-82. I was, however, disappointed in the performance with the UV-2501. It works, but from the signal reports I received, the antenna that a friend provided to me when I first started in Ham radio works better. I have been researching home brew antennas that I can mount on my roof for extended range.
The radio, itself, is quite nice. It is designed to operate as a mobile and does quite well. It is designed to plug into the cigarette lighter. It is quite compact and can fit anywhere in a vehicle. But it does have some problems.
1. Programming through the manual is easy. I am used to using the CHIRP programming software to program my handhelds, however. The problem with the UV-2501 is that you must manually set the transmit (Tx) and received (Rx) frequencies individually to connect with repeaters. Therefore a little mathematical skill is required. With the CHIRP software, you simply enter the offset and + or -. With the UV-2501 you must know the repeater offset and add or subtract, respectively, the offset from the repeater receive frequency to enter the repeater transmit frequency. In other words, if the repeater base frequency is 147.140 with a negative offset of 6 KHz—which is about standard—your Tx frequency would be 146.540. With a positive offset the Tx frequency would be 147.740. I know that sounds confusing, but it is not calculus and even I figured it out quite readily.
2. CHIRP does not work with the UV-2501. So if you choose to try to program it via computer, you have to use the software provided by Baofeng. The software is not as easy as CHIRP and many people abandon the software provided by Baofeng in favor of CHIRP.
While waiting for a power source, I plugged the UV-2501 into the car. I was able to figure out the programming easily enough and the unit works well. One thing you can do with this unit that you cannot do with Baofeng hand helds is enter a name for the channel.
I initially planned to experiment with programming and operating the UV-2501 using the 13.8-volt Radio Shack power supply. A consultation with Baofeng Tech indicated that would be sufficient. The problem is that is not a portable power supply and this project is for a portable emergency radio.
Click to enlargeWhile shopping in Walmart, I found what I thought would be the answer. I spotted a Stanley FATMAX JUMPiT jump starter for about $60. A little less than the Radio Shack power supply. It had a plug-in for a cigarette lighter adapter. When I got it home, I found an isolation transformer and a cord to connect the cigarette lighter to the FATMAX to recharge the unit. While reading through the manual, I found that you could plug in an appliance, but it had a maximum limit of 5 amps.
I decided to try it. It was not an uneducated decision. After all, the FATMAX is designed to do just this. I plugged it in and it worked just fine. I ran the unit for about two hours on a test run and both the power source and the radio held up fine.
Now I have a radio and power source that I suspect can last three- to four-hours in an emergency. It has enough range to get most repeaters in my area. I suspect that using the higher power UV5001 would drain the power source quicker, as well. If I have a car available, I can recharge the power source as I drive. I am looking into other power solutions, such as solar.
My next step will be to test the unit in the field. The idea is to have the radio and power supply in a backpack. The backpack will also contain an extra hand held, or two. It will also contain food for three days and some first aid equipment. It will also contain a tent and sleeping bag. This would allow me to set up for emergencies, such as a lost person in the woods, or for special events around the area.
The next step is to set up the pack and put it to work. I’ll have to use the antennas I have until I can build a new one.
I have ordered from Baofeng Tech on several occasions. Their technical support group is quick to respond via email and they have always helped. They are answering my tech questions on the UV2501 as I write this article.
I purchased this radio for a specific purpose. My hope is to make an emergency field radio. I want to use it as a base unit, as well. I am experimenting with portable power supplies to test the unit. I am trying to put the money together to get a unit with HF as well as UHF/VHF.
I purchased the Nagoya UT-72 mobile antenna with the UV2501. I hope to design a better antenna in the future. The antenna is important, but the UT-72 should serve my test purposes. I used it with good success with my Baofeng hand helds.
I also had to order a new PC04 programming cable because the programming for the Baofeng handhelds have a different connection. I highly recommend getting the appropriate programming cable for whatever Baofeng you purchase because it makes things easier. You should be aware, however, that the CHIRP program does not currently support the BTech UV2501 or UV5001. You will have to download the program from the Baofeng web site.
John Miklor has reviewed both the UV2051 and UV5001. He gives both good reviews.
There are only a few Amazon reviews from users. One stated, “Microphone feels really cheap (in the bad way).” Otherwise the user gives it a good review. One stated that he had problems with the CTCSS function.
As for the microphone and the unit, it feels pretty solid. At this point in the article, I have not plugged it in and tested it. The microphone feels good to me, but bear in mind that I am a rookie Ham operator so I haven’t used a lot of mobile or base equipment.
One thing I did find out is that fuse holder on the power plug says that a 5A/250W fuse is called for. Baofeng provides a 7A/250W fuse. I contacted technical support and they said that it was an engineering change because the UV5001 can sometimes provide up to 60-Watts of power; 10-watts over the advertised rating. Of course my goal is to create an emergency pack that works. Not to drive the unit to its limits. I might do that later when I have spares to play with.
In the next article I will continue with the other equipment required for the project.
FLAGSTAFF — Got a chance to go to Flagstaff today. After fighting car trouble, I made it to Flagstaff and wound up getting a close-up view of the Mount Elden repeaters. I’m surprised they are operating.
I did have a problem connecting with the 980 repeater. I thought, perhaps, that the repeater was down again. KF7QPG, Ted in Seligman, assured me the repeater was working, but I simply could not connect. It turns out that you have to have the correct duplex programmed in to make the repeater. Somehow my program file was changed. Now it is set correctly and I should be able to connect with the repeater.
When I got home I heard the SKYWARN net on the 980 repeater so it is, indeed, still working.It was a beautiful drive to Flagstaff with the sun shining and the snow on the sides of the freeway. The freeways were clear. There was a soft fog as the heat of the sun turned the snow to steam.
In Williams over a few days we received 27″ of snow. This is an image which shows why the Bill Williams Repeater is still silent. Ditto the WIN system repeater. These images were taken by my friend Steve who lives in the area.
Williams has probably received as much snow as last year and the winter is just getting started. This is great for the water situation in Williams and the surrounding areas. But it reeks havoc on electronic equipment and antennas. It can be aggravating when your favorite repeater does not work. We must remember however that amateur radio is a volunteer hobby and volunteers keep our repeaters going. Safety is important.
Fortunately in our area we have the Mount Elden repeaters we can reach in Flagstaff. With the appropriate power you can probably reach the repeater on Mingus.Continue reading Bill Williams in January→
Here is what Williams looked like yesterday. We received about 10″ of snow. That means that the snow on Bill Williams Mountain is thick and it is not likely that the Bill Williams repeater will be up any time soon. The last estimate is spring.
The sun did peek out for a bit, yesterday, and the sun is up this morning. The snow we picked up yesterday was the amount predicted for today. So we might get only small amounts today and tomorrow is supposed to be sunny. This will melt off some of the snow.
Still, safety in amateur radio is paramount. It does not do to go through all of the trouble to get a license only to get electrocuted or fall from a tower. Even at home, safety should be your concern. Make sure that you read, and heed, all safety instructions for equipment that you purchase. Some may be over the top, but…. Well, you know that old adage.
WILLIAMS — A few ham radio licensees in Williams are trying to re-establish the Bill Williams Mountain Radio Group. They are looking for former members who would like to re-establish the group as well as anyone who would like to obtain and amateur radio license.
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