Amateur radio operators use many different antenna types, each designed for specific bands, space limits, and operating goals. Here’s a clear overview of the…
Interference in Amateur Radio refers to unwanted signals that disrupt radio communication. This interference can reduce signal clarity, make contacts difficult, or completely block…
Repeater-START is a multi-platform app designed for ham radio and radio-operator enthusiasts who need fast access to repeater information. The app provides a detailed…
Overview The Anytone AT-778UV is a dual-band VHF/UHF mobile transceiver designed for amateur radio operators. It operates on the 136–174 MHz (VHF) and 400–490…
The Yaesu FT-620 (and its updated version, the FT-620B) is a vintage amateur radio transceiver designed specifically for the 6-meter band (50–54 MHz). Produced in the 1970s, it offers…
The 2m band has always been an interesting one for me. It used to be swamped with pager interference, but it actually is a great band. Inversion allows your signal to travel long distances at times, especially on SSB.
This video is about the Yaesu FT-225R 2m all band radio. While the radio is huge, it is a beautiful radio any collector would love to have.
If you want to look at the manual, you can look at it here. I love these old manuals, where they state every component in them as well as circuit diagrams.
According to all reports, I sounded excellent on receive and I loved the sound from it on revive at my end also. You can plug in an external speaker, but I was happy with what it had.
Special thanks to Michael VK3CMC who let me use the radio so I could access the 2m SSB net.
The FT-225R
The two metre band probably should be used more than it is, but it is a good fun band.
Hopefully we can make contact with each other on that band one day!
If you enjoyed that, here is some more you may be interested in.
The Yaesu FT-620 (and its updated version, the FT-620B) is a vintage amateur radio transceiver designed specifically for the 6-meter band (50–54 MHz). Produced in the 1970s, it…
Overview The Anytone AT-778UV is a dual-band VHF/UHF mobile transceiver designed for amateur radio operators. It operates on the 136–174 MHz (VHF) and…
There are lots of duel band antennas available, but most required extra mounting brackets. These brackets often restrict you as to where you can mount the antenna on your car.
One of my first mobile antennas for the car was a magnet mount antenna. I used it on the family car before I even had a driver’s license. I could mount it right in the centre of the roof, giving me excellent reflection from the car.
It was also easy to remove when I wasn’t in the car, or if we had to park the car in a low garage.
The dual band antenna is easy to put together on the magnetic base, and heavy-duty cable with PL-259 connector.
It comes with a very strong magnetic base that measures 91mm /3.6’’ across. After using it on the car, I doubt any wind or speed will blow it off the car like my older smaller magnet base antennas.
Amateur radio operators use many different antenna types, each designed for specific bands, space limits, and operating goals. Here’s a clear overview of the most common ones and why hams choose…
A dipole antenna is a basic radio antenna made of two conductive elements fed at the center. It is typically a half-wavelength long and is widely used as a reference antenna…
Interference in Amateur Radio refers to unwanted signals that disrupt radio communication. This interference can reduce signal clarity, make contacts difficult, or completely block communication between amateur radio operators. Radio Frequency…
I’ve heard a lot about dipole antennas, and I’ve heard a lot about long wire antennas also. I would say I’ve seen more dipoles than long wire antennas. So why is…
Repeater-START is a multi-platform app designed for ham radio and radio-operator enthusiasts who need fast access to repeater information. The app provides a detailed repeater map as well as a distance-sorted…
What Is the 6m Band? The 6-meter band, spanning roughly 50–54 MHz, is a section of the VHF spectrum assigned to amateur radio operators. Its wavelength is six meters, and its…
Overview The Anytone AT-778UV is a dual-band VHF/UHF mobile transceiver designed for amateur radio operators. It operates on the 136–174 MHz (VHF) and 400–490 MHz (UHF) bands, offering reliable two-way communication…
160 meters band is known as the “Gentlemen’s band”. It is right next to the AM commercial band, known as medium wave. The 160-meter band is the radio frequencies between 1.8…
Yes, this popular girl name is actually an Amateur Radio term. Christian, DK8EW, put me onto Olivia after we chatted on VARA HF. I had heard about Olivia before, but he…
The Yaesu FT-620 (and its updated version, the FT-620B) is a vintage amateur radio transceiver designed specifically for the 6-meter band (50–54 MHz). Produced in the 1970s, it offers support for AM, CW, and SSB (USB/LSB) modes, making…
I came across something different, FreeDV. The name FreeDV insinuates it is free, but is it? What is it? And what does it do? They say it will be the new…
Key Assignment For some reason, not all the key assignment options are in the manual and after a bit of searching, I found no complete list. Hopefully this below helps you…
Everyone that has been into radio for a while will know the brand Kenwood. And most know Kenwood isn’t only into Amateur radio, they are bigger than that, and have been…
Today (20/06/25) I head Ron, VK3AHR, on the 7.100 40-meter net. I understand he ran this net for over 7 years, but hasn’t been able to for the last few weeks…
I’ve always wanted to take the radio with me while on holidays and I always do. However I’ve always been limited to 2m and 70cm including local repeaters and digital work.
Our family enjoy holidays all over Australia into some of the most remote places without water, power or any mobile signal. Sometimes this can last week’s at a time.
If your keen to learn more about our travels around Australia and learn more, please let me know.
Most of these remote locations means limited activity on 2m or 70cm as there are no repeaters for days!
Because of this remoteness, there are several outback radio networks we can join or listen to. They make quite interesting listening.
However, when on holidays, we amateurs don’t want to just listen, we want to be part of the action! And HF is the next best thing.
I’m currently on holiday in the Victorian high country, also known as “The Man from Snowy River” country. It is rugged, beautiful and high. So up here I can actually can receive several 2m and 70cm repeaters, but this is a good test for HF work.
High up on Mount Buffalo
With me, I brought a battery pack, that has a 12 volt lithium battery which we run our camping fridge off. I now run my HF gear off it!
I also brought my new QT-80 radio, which is small in size yet puts out 80 watts. I have placed a video below on this radio if you are not familiar with it.
I used a magnet mount antenna base as the car I was using is not mine. This mount sticks to the car like glue, but also comes off on demand so you can adjust the antenna as required.
I brought two antennas to test. The first one was the HF-008 antenna that covers more bands than the QT80. I have a video on both these below for you if you are not familiar with it.
I also brought the new CBL-561 HF antenna so I could compare the two antennas. This antenna can be used while mobile unlike the HF-008 antenna. I have another video for you to show you that antenna below:
Before leaving home, I went to the hardware store and bought two lengths of pipe with caps that could safely store each antenna. I could then almost throw them in the boot of the car and not be worried about them being damaged or caught on something as I pulled them out of the boot.
Hot Tip
The funny thing was, while on holidays, I forgot to bring a measuring tape to adjust the antenna. Fortunately one of my children had a ruler with them so I was able to mark measurements down the side of the tube with a sharpie.
I also wrote down next to the measurements the lengths Radioddity recommended and then as I tuned in the antenna myself with the lowest SWR, I marked the pipe to my best measurements which were very close to the same as Radioddity.
This Tip I am sure will be very useful going forward when I’m out in the Australian outback or somewhere that I have no ruler!
Results
Both antennas fitted the same magnetic base which made this setup work well.
On testing both antennas using the same frequency to the same long distance contact, I and they couldn’t tell the difference between us. I found both antennas easy to tune in and get the SWA right down before making any contacts.
I then tried again from the top of Mount Buffalo, one of our highest mountains and got the same results where both myself and the contacts I spoke to didn’t know I had even changed the antenna.
There are differences between the antennas though which may help you decide which antenna is right for you.
Compare Antennas
HF-008
This antenna covers a lot of HF bands, as covered in the video above. However it cannot be used while mobile, mainly due to the jumper cable. It is a great antenna and can be used with a radio that puts out a lot more watts than the small QT-80 radio I used.
CBL-561
The CBL-561R antenna does not cover as many HF bands as the HF-008 does, but if you are using the bands it does cover, then this antenna might be good for you. One big advantage to this antenna is that it can be used while mobile, not just stationary.
Both antennas will need adjusting if you switch bands or switch from one end of the band to another. So setting the antenna to a permanent mount on the car on the top of the roof where it ends up out of reach, then you may want to rethink this. I found the magnet mount ideal, as you can still have it on the highest point of the car and access it easily.
Another option I also use is a bull bar mount that I use on my 4×4.
I’d encourage you to watch my video below as it explains what I discovered.
Remember the old saying Hight is Might and going portable gives you an opportunity to test this theory.
Hope you enjoyed this read. Below are some other interesting articles I have also written that you may enjoy.
Amateur radio operators use many different antenna types, each designed for specific bands, space limits, and operating goals. Here’s a clear overview…
Interference in Amateur Radio refers to unwanted signals that disrupt radio communication. This interference can reduce signal clarity, make contacts difficult, or…
Repeater-START is a multi-platform app designed for ham radio and radio-operator enthusiasts who need fast access to repeater information. The app provides…
The Yaesu FT-620 (and its updated version, the FT-620B) is a vintage amateur radio transceiver designed specifically for the 6-meter band (50–54 MHz). Produced in the 1970s,…
The new CBL-561 antenna is strong and light that is fit for mobile work, camping or remote radio use. I plan to use this on our next outback trip!
This antenna supports a frequency range of 25-30MHz, covering both 10-meter and 11-meter bands.
With a SWR of ≤1.3:1 and a high power capacity of up to 500W, this makes an ideal mobile or camping antenna.
This antenna is compatible with the following radios:
Radioddity QT40
Radioddity QT60
Radioddity QT80
Radioddity CS-47
Radioddity CB-27 Pro
Radioddity CB-500
Radioddity CB-900 Pro
and all other brand’s that transmit in the range of 25-30MHz.
I use the QT80 radio with this antenna, so I highly recommend you seeing that review.
Tuning the antenna
I found tuning the antenna was simple. Just a small Allen Key allowed for adjustment between bands, however some bands were close enough as you can see in my video.
If you mark the antenna to the correct lengths, then it becomes easier still.
The antenna is built from aluminium alloy, so it shouldn’t rust. It is strong and windproof plus I’ve tested it mobile with the M916 base (extra) with great success.
The coil on the antenna is strong and doesn’t rattle at all.
The antenna has a standard PL259 on the bottom of the antenna so it fits my antenna connector that was already on my 4×4 which will save me wiring it all in.
More information
More information is available on my YouTube channel here.
There are several mounting options to the car, this is the base we use, th M916 Heavy Duty Magnetic Antenna:
CHIRP is a free, open-source tool for programming your amateur radio. It supports a large number of manufacturers and models, as well as provides a way…
I bought this wireless keyboard/mouse which was very cheap. It does not come with batteries, but come with a USB dongle. It has a fantastic range since it is 2.4GHz RF. The back also has good grip which apparently isn’t common on all models. You can select what colour you want the plastic to be also.…
I recently started using ProScan after years of using FreeScan. I have always enjoyed using FreeScan as it is easy to setup, I can download outputs from the software, and the main reason “it works”. However ProScan seems to be more graphical and has different features also.…
I recently started using ProScan after years of using FreeScan. I have always enjoyed using FreeScan as it is easy to setup, I can download outputs from the software, and the main reason “it works”. However ProScan seems to be more graphical and has different features also.…
A good friend of mine, Mike VK5ZC, put the information below together and asked me to put it on my web site. He has spent a lot of time putting it together with pictures and videos, so I encourage you to have a good read.…
A good friend of mine, Mike VK5ZC, put the information below together and asked me to put it on my web site. He has spent a lot of time putting it together with pictures and videos, so I encourage you to have a good read.…
This page is just a help to friends I have spoke to who are interested in upgrading the Radioditty GD-77 to the OpenGD77 software. This is not my work, however I really do appreciate Roger and his team have done to put this together. I claim no responsibility if it breaks your radio, however I have not hear this happen now in some time. I am not an expert at all with OpenGD77, I have just put this together to help people who have asked me how to do it.…
There are several DMR networks around the world, and more and more start all the time. The Australian DMR network currently covers the entire country and…
The new QT80 radio by Radioddity is a fantastic radio and I have a lot of contacts on it already.
QT60 Vs QT80
This is a QT80 model but there is also the QT60 model so what’s the difference?
QT80 has a higher power of 80W, while QT60 only has 60W
QT80 does not have NOAA (alarm) feature, while the QT60 has
In addition to unlocking 25-30 MHz, QT80 can also support 15 meters (21MHz) after unlocking, while QT60 cannot
One thing I did notice was the antenna plug on the back. It is a little bit tricky to put the plug on the back of the radio because of the big heat sink as you can only get to about 2/3 to turn it you can’t get your finger right around unfortunately. But that is not a deal breaker for me once it’s on it’s on and I don’t usually swap them around too much. You can purchase an adaptor if you want to.
Changing Modes
To change from Channel mode as you can see in Channel mode to VFO mode just hold and press the band button.
You can change the colour of the screen and there’s several colours to chose from. Some are a bit harder to see than others. While this is a bit gimmicky, it would be good mobile to turn down the screen or have it match your car interior.
Each button around the screen has at least three things that it can do depending upon which mode you are in. You can press each button, or press Function first, or long press it.
The radio also has a scan function here so you can press scan and you’ll see that this SC starts flashing and it’s scanning up the band if we want to go in the opposite direction just turn the VFO knob and it should go in the opposite direction. If you are in channel mode it will do the same there. If you hold the scan on the channel it’ll remove it from the scan list.
Turning the Beeping off
To turn the beeping off just press the function button here hold it in and menu item number one then press the VFO knob and it’s on one and turn up louder or off and then press function again to store that. Now if you selected off, it doesn’t beep.
You can make the radio show it’s SWR while transmitting, and preset what the maximum SWR you will allow the radio to transmit on.
The microphone has an up and down button, plus a predefined button on it that you can change as to what it will do.
The VFO knob is a clicking knob which is a bit CBish which is a shame, but just something to get used to.
Repeaters
Press the function key and then split and you can adjust to minus then you can set the offset. Then when you transmit, you will have a minus offset. You can do this on any more which is funny.
Unlocking the radio
Place the radio upside down with the speaker facing up and undo the top four screws on both sides of the radio.
Take the cover of the radio off, the one with the speaker on it.
Right at the front of the radio here there’s a little pin there and if we have a look closely you can see that it is currently connecting one and two we want to pull this out and change it to connect two and three
Put the cover back together
Hold the band button down the memory button down and then turn it on.
Then we have got two choices here as you can see it says ham.band or if I turn the knob we got HF.band so you got to choose which one you want. HF band is all the frequencies between 21 and 29 MHz or select ham.band which is just 10 metres.
Everything I have said above is in the video below which shows you step by step instructions.
The radio is not too big it fits easily in the car so it is great for mobile work or camping. I intend on using it on our next trip across Australia, rather than take my big HF radios that take up a lot of room.
If you want to see how I went connecting it up to the PC, then there is a video for that also:
Amateur radio operators use many different antenna types, each designed for specific bands, space limits, and operating goals. Here’s a clear overview of the most common ones and why…
A dipole antenna is a basic radio antenna made of two conductive elements fed at the center. It is typically a half-wavelength long and is widely used as a…
Interference in Amateur Radio refers to unwanted signals that disrupt radio communication. This interference can reduce signal clarity, make contacts difficult, or completely block communication between amateur radio operators.…
I’ve heard a lot about dipole antennas, and I’ve heard a lot about long wire antennas also. I would say I’ve seen more dipoles than long wire antennas. So…
What Is the 6m Band? The 6-meter band, spanning roughly 50–54 MHz, is a section of the VHF spectrum assigned to amateur radio operators. Its wavelength is six meters,…
Overview The Anytone AT-778UV is a dual-band VHF/UHF mobile transceiver designed for amateur radio operators. It operates on the 136–174 MHz (VHF) and 400–490 MHz (UHF) bands, offering reliable…
160 meters band is known as the “Gentlemen’s band”. It is right next to the AM commercial band, known as medium wave. The 160-meter band is the radio frequencies…
Yes, this popular girl name is actually an Amateur Radio term. Christian, DK8EW, put me onto Olivia after we chatted on VARA HF. I had heard about Olivia before,…
The Yaesu FT-620 (and its updated version, the FT-620B) is a vintage amateur radio transceiver designed specifically for the 6-meter band (50–54 MHz). Produced in the 1970s, it offers support for AM, CW, and SSB…
The first thing I noticed after receiving the radio was the size of the radio. It is small yet not to small that it is hard to use. It fits comfortably in your hand.
Not only is it physically small, the price is amazingly small also. How I would have loved to have this radio when I started in the hobby 35 years ago!
Saying that, I see this as a great entry level budget radio. Or a small radio for camping or in the car rather than putting an expensive radio in.
The GT-5R PRO is an enhanced version of the classic GT-5R, capable of receiving a wider range of frequency bands including UHF, VHF, FM, NOAA, Airband, 1.25M, and 1M.
I was easily able to program the radio via the keypad putting in my local repeaters with the required offset and tone squelch. But it was even easier to program it via Chirp Next and I have a video on how to do that.
It is a 5 watt radio complete with VOX if you want to go hands free.
The GT-5R PRO is fully compatible with the UV-5R’s accessories. Such as the car charger, speaker mic, ear piece, antennas plus more.
The GT-5R Pro comes in a standard single-unit version as well as a kit version that includes a long antenna and programming cable. I got the kit version, so be shore when purchasing you know if you want the kit or the single unit version.
Contents • Radio • Fast desktop charger • Antenna • Long antenna • Li-lon battery pack • Wall adapter • Belt clip
It supports UHF VHF dual band transmission and a wide range of reception frequency bands, including 136-174MHz, 400-520MHz, 76-108MHz, 108-136MHz, 200-260MHz, 350-390MHz, and NOAA weather channels.
Receiver Frequency: FM 76-108 MHz; AM 108-136 MHz; VHF 136-174 MHz, 220-260 MHz; UHF 350-390 MHz, 400-520 MHz
Transmission Frequency (US version): 144-148 & 420-450 MHz Transmission Frequency (EU version): 144-146 & 430-440 MHz
It has 128 memory channels and I love how when you program them from the radio, you can see what has already been used.
50 CTCSS tones and 210 DCS codes
SOS Emergency function
FM radio receiver (87.5-108MHz)
Channel or frequency mode selection
TOT (Time out timer)
Reverse function
CTCSS and DCS codes research
Busy Channel Lockout function (BCL)
Frequency step: 2.5/5/6.25/10/12.5/25KHZ
Repeater shift
VOICE: vocal indication of the function selected
Li-lon battery pack
VHF and UHF bands and channel name displayed
Squelch adjustable in 9 levels
1750Hz tone for repeaters
LCD display with backlight adjustable in 3 colours
VOX, Scan, Dual Watch functions
Power Save
DTMF function
Alarm function
Setting and storing of channel names
High/low power selection
Frequency offset (adjustable): 0-69.990MHz
2pin Kenwood accessory jack
Keypad lock
Battery allows direct charging from the DC port
Testing
I quickly made some contacts on both 2m and 70cm and both said my audio was great. I swapped antennas halfway though a conversation and found the small antenna better but that was just for one repeater. I plan on doing more tests in the coming weeks.
Programming Tip
Did you know you can program these radios via Chirp? Here is a great tip you may like with chirp.
Summary
When I received the radio, I was stunned at the price and thought I can’t really go wrong here. I didn’t check the hypnotics but everything else I checked worked well.
There are lots of duel band antennas available, but most required extra mounting brackets. These brackets often restrict you as to where you can mount…
The Daiwa CN-460M is a small cross-needle meter displays both forward and reflected power for 2m and 70cm. It measures in ranges of 15/150 watts forward and…
A good friend of mine, Mike VK5ZC, put the information below together and asked me to put it on my web site. He has spent a lot of time putting it together with pictures and videos, so I encourage you to have a good read.…
A good friend of mine, Mike VK5ZC, put the information below together and asked me to put it on my web site. He has spent a lot of time putting it together with pictures and videos, so I encourage you to have a good read.…
I found it hard to find useful information on how to run the OpenGD-77 hotpot mode with Windows 10. At the time of writing this, there is a lot about this topic using a pistar and even android or ISO, but not much with Windows 10. This is my experence with BlueDV and Open GD-77 using a Windows 10 PC.…
An unusual name, but a catchy name no less, just like Peanut that was written by the same person, David PA7LIM. If you like Peanut, then you will like this project also. This project, like Peanut, includes some amazing coding and thinking.…
When measuring SWR, I always forget if I should lengthen or shorten the antenna. So rather than jump around the bush, I will get to the answer straight away.
The graph below will help you always remember.
If when the frequency goes up, and the SWR goes up, as per the above green line, then you need to shorten your antenna.
If when the frequency goes up, and the SWR goes down, as per the above brown line, then you need to lengthen your antenna.
You can reverse the above two statements also.
If when the frequency goes down and the SWR goes down, as per the above green line, then you need to shorten your antenna.
If when the frequency goes down, and the SWR goes up, as per hte above brown line, then you need to lengthen your antenna.
Basically, if the frequency and the SWR change in the same way, then you need to shorten it.
Hopefully that helps from now on. I know I will be looking at this myself.
Here are some other interesting reads you may enjoy!
A good friend of mine, Mike VK5ZC, put the information below together and asked me to put it on my web site. He has spent a lot of time putting it together with pictures and videos, so I encourage you to have a good read.…
I purchased the Diamond W series W8010 antenna and quickly put it together. The instructions were a bit hard to read as it was exceedingly small. However, I found someone who did a video on how to put it together. (this is not my video) To me,…
The Nano VNA-H 4 is my new toy that has just arrived after purchasing via Banggood. This Antenna Analyser is a complicated device, but doesn’t have to be, and can be a powerful tool for the Amateur Radio hobbyist. Charging the device Your NanoVNA should come with…
I recently got the Radioddity M916 Heavy duty antenna magnetic mound with the Radioditty HF-008 all band portable antenna. I had always wanted to use HF more while camping or going on adventures around Australia (see our adventures page if you are interested), and now I am…
With so many different HF antennas available, I often wondered what people in high rise buildings did. If they can not put an antenna on the roof, what options are left for them? I talk to so many people from Asian cities who would have this problem,…
If you haven’t seen my previous blog on the NanoVNA Analyser, then I suggest you look at that first before reading this blog. This one will talk about how to connect your NanoVNA to your PC via the USB cable, so I am assuming you know the…
When measuring SWR, I always forget if I should lengthen or shorten the antenna. So rather than jump around the bush, I will get to the answer straight away. The graph below will help you always remember. You can reverse the above two statements also. Basically, if…
CBL-561 Review The new CBL-561 antenna is strong and light that is fit for mobile work, camping or remote radio use. I plan to use this on our next outback trip! This antenna supports a frequency range of 25-30MHz, covering both 10-meter and 11-meter bands. With a…
I’ve always wanted to take the radio with me while on holidays and I always do. However I’ve always been limited to 2m and 70cm including local repeaters and digital work. Our family enjoy holidays all over Australia into some of the most remote places without water,…
The Daiwa CN-460M is a small cross-needle meter displays both forward and reflected power for 2m and 70cm. It measures in ranges of 15/150 watts forward and 5/50 watts reflected. SO-239 jacks. It includes a mobile mounting bracket and meter illumination option if you connect the power cable. I…
Have you heard of a flowerpot antenna? I hadn’t until recently, and I enjoy gardening also. But this antenna has nothing to do with gardening apart from why it was named flowerpot and it will probably end up either on your roof or garden. A good friend…
If you haven’t seen my previous blog on the NanoVNA Analyser, then I suggest you look at that first before reading this blog. This one will talk about how to connect your NanoVNA to your PC via the USB cable, so I am assuming you know the basics on how to operate it.
There is a google drive (link here) that has a lot of things on it, including manuals and software. There is lot of other things that I haven’t looked at yet also available in several languages.
If you go into the Software and Drivers folder via the link above, you will see the file NanoVNASharp.zip. Download this file onto your PC, then unzip it into a folder.
Once unzipped, you can run the NanoVNA.exe file after connecting your NanoVNA device with the USB cable. You may need to install the driver. I used the nanovna-cdc.acm.zip file you can see on the above google drive.
You may have to go to your windows device manager to check which COM Port the NanoVNA has been allocated. Below is what the program looks like (without the graph showing).
You can see above where to select the com port and connect. You can adjust the start and stop frequencies as mentioned in the last post. You can either press the Get Data button or tick the Auto Refresh box. Then you can save and open the file. I did screen shots before I adjusted my antenna, so you can open the current and old side by side and compare what your adjustments did.
Down the bottom of the chart is where you can change the chart format from Logmag to Smith Chart or SWA etc. You can also change the scale as needed.
Below is an output from my dipole antenna. You can see the SWA is very high at 3.5Mhz still but a lot better on other bands.
The other bands may not be perfect, I can now zoom in to each band one at a time and see how the antenna works across the selected band more accurately.
I would value your thoughts on this and if you found it interesting. Please send me an email or post a comment below.
Amateur radio operators use many different antenna types, each designed for specific bands, space limits, and operating goals. Here’s a clear overview of the most common ones and why hams choose…
The Daiwa CN-460M is a small cross-needle meter displays both forward and reflected power for 2m and 70cm. It measures in ranges of 15/150 watts forward and 5/50 watts reflected. SO-239 jacks. It…
When measuring SWR, I always forget if I should lengthen or shorten the antenna. So rather than jump around the bush, I will get to the answer straight away. The graph…
If you haven’t seen my previous blog on the NanoVNA Analyser, then I suggest you look at that first before reading this blog. This one will talk about how to connect…
The Nano VNA-H 4 is my new toy that has just arrived after purchasing via Banggood. This Antenna Analyser is a complicated device, but doesn’t have to be, and can be…
If you want to get onto Digital Radio for less (way less) than $100, then you may be interested in this. I have Apple equipment, and therefore miss out on a…
Orion is an app that isn’t really known in my world, perhaps because it isn’t available on all platforms, or because it does transmit your exact location to everyone on the…
The WizNet DMR app is still in beta testing, and at the time of writing this, you have to not only have a currently have a licence as an Amateur Radio…
How do you stop a hand held radio from falling and being damaged? Do you sometimes put the radio down on a bench or desk between overs or while you are…
A good friend of mine, Mike VK5ZC, put the information below together and asked me to put it on my web site. He has spent a lot of time putting it together with pictures and videos, so I encourage you to have a good read.…
A good friend of mine, Mike VK5ZC, put the information below together and asked me to put it on my web site. He has spent a lot of time putting it together with pictures and videos, so I encourage you to have a good read.…
There are several DMR networks around the world, and more and more start all the time. The Australian DMR network currently covers the entire country and is for Australian residents only.…
I found it hard to find useful information on how to run the OpenGD-77 hotpot mode with Windows 10. At the time of writing this, there is a lot about this topic using a pistar and even android or ISO, but not much with Windows 10. This is my experence with BlueDV and Open GD-77 using a Windows 10 PC.…
The new OpenSpot3 has come out with an internal battery. You might ask why? Well there is two common issues that is mostly raised with almost all hot spots. One is…
One of the most underutilised by very cool feature that comes with some digital networks is the ability to send and receive SMS messages. You can send it fairly easily to…
After talking to a friend just to the north of me, he told me about the app DROID-Star for Android. As I only have apple devices, this wasn’t initially an option…
An unusual name, but a catchy name no less, just like Peanut that was written by the same person, David PA7LIM. If you like Peanut, then you will like this project also. This project, like Peanut, includes some amazing coding and thinking.…
I have spoken to a few people who have felt a bit overwhelmed setting up their OpenSpot from the start. In saying that, I have always been surprised how many people…
The thing with digital communications, it can be extremely complicated. It only takes one tick box to be ticked incorrectly to take your station off the air. Just as easily one…
Sometimes we try and build things and a lot of time abs money on our radio racks but have you thought outside the square? A simple shoe shelf makes a fantastic…
Here is a free windows program that will connect your PC to: DMR Yaesu Fusion DStar M17 P25 NXDN You can do all this without needing to purchase a radio. I…
With so many different HF antennas available, I often wondered what people in high rise buildings did. If they can not put an antenna on the roof, what options are left for them? I talk to so many people from Asian cities who would have this problem, and occasionally I see what they do.
The easiest option is to stay on digital like DMR. These only require internet, and a hand held radio, but this always asks the question, is this real amateur radio? My opinion is if it connects people that are licenced and only licenced people can uses it, then I guess it is, while understanding it may not be everyone’s cuppa. I do understand there are many even in Australia in retirement villages who only have the option of digital radio due to restrictions on antennas.
Today, I made contact with Lok Shui Fan VR2VAZ in Hong Kong, and on his QRZ page, he came up with an amazing idea that clearly works for him. While it is not going to be the best antenna ever seen, it is perhaps the best antenna he is able to use. Given we are about 7450 km (4627 miles) apart, and still made contact on this antenna, you can’t say it doesn’t work.
On his QRZ page, Lok says “This is my DIY HF Fish Pole Antenna. Can be used under 80M,40M,30M, 20M, 17M, 15M, 12M, 10M band.”
He also says “If I am not playing radio, all the antenna will be hidden in flower bed”.
There are more photo’s on his QRZ page. He even has a youtube video on it.
I guess it would feel like catching contacts everytime you made a contact. If you enjoyed fishing and radio, this might be a bit of fun for you?
I think it is a fantastic idea. What do you think? Have you built your own antenna that camouflage’s when not in use?
If you enjoyed this read, here are some other reads you may enjoy also:
If you want to get onto Digital Radio for less (way less) than $100, then you may be interested in this. I have Apple equipment, and therefore miss out on a lot of the testing apps that are only available…
Orion is an app that isn’t really known in my world, perhaps because it isn’t available on all platforms, or because it does transmit your exact location to everyone on the channel. However there are some benefits to this mode…
The WizNet DMR app is still in beta testing, and at the time of writing this, you have to not only have a currently have a licence as an Amateur Radio Operator, but approved to be part of the beta…
How do you stop a hand held radio from falling and being damaged? Do you sometimes put the radio down on a bench or desk between overs or while you are waiting for someone to call you? Some radio’s don’t…
A good friend of mine, Mike VK5ZC, put the information below together and asked me to put it on my web site. He has spent a lot of time putting it together with pictures and videos, so I encourage you to have a good read.…
A good friend of mine, Mike VK5ZC, put the information below together and asked me to put it on my web site. He has spent a lot of time putting it together with pictures and videos, so I encourage you to have a good read.…
There are several DMR networks around the world, and more and more start all the time. The Australian DMR network currently covers the entire country and is for Australian residents only. It can often be hard to find which DMR…
I found it hard to find useful information on how to run the OpenGD-77 hotpot mode with Windows 10. At the time of writing this, there is a lot about this topic using a pistar and even android or ISO, but not much with Windows 10. This is my experence with BlueDV and Open GD-77 using a Windows 10 PC.…
Amateur radio operators use many different antenna types, each designed for specific bands, space limits, and operating goals. Here’s a clear overview of the…
A dipole antenna is a basic radio antenna made of two conductive elements fed at the center. It is typically a half-wavelength long and…
Prior to 1989, it was illegal to operate between 50 MHz and 52 MHz in Australia. It was a real pain as that was…
I’ve heard a lot about dipole antennas, and I’ve heard a lot about long wire antennas also. I would say I’ve seen more dipoles…
Repeater-START is a multi-platform app designed for ham radio and radio-operator enthusiasts who need fast access to repeater information. The app provides a detailed…
What Is the 6m Band? The 6-meter band, spanning roughly 50–54 MHz, is a section of the VHF spectrum assigned to amateur radio operators.…
Overview The Anytone AT-778UV is a dual-band VHF/UHF mobile transceiver designed for amateur radio operators. It operates on the 136–174 MHz (VHF) and 400–490…
Have you ever had an antenna and forgotten what it is for? Maybe you have been given one and wasn’t told exactly what it…
Yes, this popular girl name is actually an Amateur Radio term. Christian, DK8EW, put me onto Olivia after we chatted on VARA HF. I…
VK3TBS 