As you can probably see, my last articles were basically around the May time period. I can only say that leash laws are getting a little rough.
I have been doing my normal reporting, but I have not dropped out of amateur radio. I have been working on several projects associated with that hobby. I participated in an event, decided to become ARES certified, worked on a proposal to form an emergency communication system in my community and bought some new equipment.
I will cover all of this in upcoming articles. Particularly new equipment.
Now you might think that I get to test the latest BaoFeng equipment because I’m such a widely-read reviewer. You may think that because I review a lot of BaoFeng equipment. I wish that were true, but not so. The reason is mainly cost. BaoFeng is within my retirement budget.
I have been an amateur radio operator for over a year, now. Made a lot of friends and a few enemies. I’d just like to say to you all, stop calling me Kid.
Today I had my first experience as a volunteer examiner with the Coconino Amateur Radio Club in Flagstaff, Arizona. It turned out to be Friday the 13th part 2.
It started out quite pleasant. As I traveled east toward Flagstaff on I-40, I contacted Ken (KF7DUR). I found out that he was one of the other experienced volunteer examiners also heading into Flagstaff on I-17. I took the first exit in Flagstaff to Milton Avenue.
I heard Joe (W7LUX) and Ken discussing a traffic situation at the Butler exit. A truck hauling a trailer apparently jack-knifed. It was probable that they would not make it exactly at the time the exam would take place. I arrived at the Flagstaff Public Library and radioed that I would let anyone who was looking lost find their way.
It wasn’t long before I realized that I was lost. I was at the main branch when the test was being held on the east side of Flagstaff at the Fourth Street branch. By the time I found my way, the other examiners were all there.
Other than that, the test went well and I congratulate those new Amateur Radio operator (Or soon to be as soon as they appear in the FCC data base) who passed the examination.
I received a lot of good information. I still have my two Certificate of Successful Completion of Examinations for my Technician examination and my upgrade to Extra. Ken was one of the examiners on my Technician exam. I failed the General at that exam, so I guess I can blame him. Beside the fact that I wasn’t ready at all for the General.
I got a chance to learn about the paperwork and how it is organized and where all the dotted i’s and crossed t’s go. I learned of ways to help people with special needs take the examination if they cannot make it to the site. Volunteer examiners go through great lengths to help anyone get their license. Classes, special tests and so-forth. Of course they still have to comply with all of the Volunteer Exam Coordinator (VEC) requirements.
It was a good experience and I look forward to assisting with the next exam at the ARA Hamfest July 22 -24 in Williams.
The rest of Friday the 13th Part II went downhill from there.
For the last couple of months I have been testing the BTECH UV-2501 by Baofeng as a possible transportable emergency radio. The project is coming along and I have conducted some tests. I have used it as a mobile as it was intended. I use it as a base, but because of my particular location it does not perform well. This is primarily because I have yet to set up an antenna in a good location. I am working on that. Continue reading The BTech UV2501 project: Part 3→
EDUCATION — I have been working at learning Morse code as the next step on my road to being a successful Ham operator. The main problem is one of money. Yet while I am waiting for the proper equipment to CQ CW (call for any station using Morse code), I am learning the code.
It is true that there are computer programs that perform all manner of digital codes available—including CW. You need a computer to communciate using the other digital codes, but using one for CW is cheating. Unless, of course, it is an emergency situation requiring quicker communications. Like John Henry, however, there are probably some coders who might even beat the computer.
I am not an expert, mind you. I am just starting to learn. There are some interesting things that I noticed that I will share. Your personal CW learning experience might be much different.
I suspect that everyone has at least heard of Morse code. I am not going to get into frequencies and transmit restrictions, at this point, because I am still learning the technical points. You probably know that Morse code is a series of dots and dashes representing letters, numbers and punctuation. Coders usually use the words di for dots and dah for dashes. This is rhythmically representing the dots and dashes. For example the letter A is represented by a dot and a dash, (or .-). In code we would say di-dah.
What I have found helpful in my study is to correlate certain of the coded letters. For example .- represents A and -. represents the letter N. They are reversed and spell the word AN.
That is a simple one. Two other Morse code combinations that are similar are ..-. for F and .-.. for the letter L. Perhaps the word FLy might help to remember.
Q and Y is another combination—Q being – -.- and -.- – being Y. That one still confuses me, a bit, but I am getting better. The only thing I can think of to remember this is mind your Q’s and Y’s. That is taken from the old saying mind your P’s and Q’s.
When I refer to Morse code, or CW, I am referring to what is called International Morse Code in common use in amateur radio today. I understand that it is different than the code that Samuel Morse actually developed. Samuel Morse, when developing the code, was clever in designing it. He knew, for example, that the most common letter in the English language was the letter E. Therefore he used a simple di (.) to represent it. T, also being common, became dah (-). Studying the manner in which the code developed might also help you learn it. There are many videos and articles on the subject on something called the Internet.
There are a couple of good apps for your so-called “smart phone” or tablet that might help. I will be doing articles on two of these in the near future. This site also offers some videos that might help you sort things out and there are several sites online that offer Morse code training. I will try to link to resources that might be useful to you in your endeavor to learn Morse code. I am working on getting some QRP (Ham lingo for low power equipment) to transmit Morse code. As I learn, I will pass it on.
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.
I finished the Volunteer Examiner course and sent it off during the holiday season. It seemed the next logical step after receiving my Amateur Extra license.
I am now certified to assist in conducting license examinations. Like many things in Ham radio, though, you actually have to do before you actually understand all of those questions you answered.
When a Ham operator receives a General license, they can become certified to administer license examinations. Remember, however, they can only administer the examination for the Technician license. As an amateur extra, I am certified to administer examinations for all class of licenses. That is, I and two other amateur extra licensees with the same certification.
When you receive your General or Amateur Extra license, you too can become certified as a Volunteer Examiner. But why?
Administering examinations consists of collecting the $15, filling out paper, grading examinations and telling the hopefuls whether they pass or fail. Seems like a lot of work for no pay.
If your objective in amateur radio is to get to talk on your Baofeng, this program probably is not for you. It will take up your free time on weekends. It is just one way that you can give back to your community and ham radio. There are certainly any number of other ways you can help. Getting involved in SKYWARN, Races or other emergency communications efforts, for example. They all require training, as well.
I actually got started by trying to find out what all of those questions about the Volunteer Examination Coordinator was about. During the course of that investigation, I found the course and simply completed the open-book review. It was pretty easy compared with months of studying for my license.
It was a snowy day today when Ted, KF7QPG, and I went to Flagstaff for the December examination. As you may know, I received my Technician class license in October. I passed both examinations for the General and Amateur Extra license.
The examination was administered by the Coconino County Radio Club of Flagstaff. I thank them for their service to the community.
Unfortunately I don’t have the budget to get the equipment to try what I want. Which is just about everything to do with Amateur radio.
The one thing I can do is to get some kits that I have seen on the Internet for SSB transceivers and CW equipment. Over the next few articles I will try to get more into the technical aspects of the amateur world. I hope I can help get more people interested in getting a license.
As you can probably see, my last articles were basically around the May time period. I can only say that leash laws are getting a little rough.
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