Baofeng radio-stock update

[Rifter]

Are the Nagoya antennas you guys carry straight from Nagoya? I'm just worried because I have heard so many stories about knock off antennas that are worse than the rubber ducky ones that come with them.

I didnt see anyone answer this, so are they legit???

[CanAm]

we sell the zastone version of the 771 now

[Randomized]

Does anyone have any experience with those zastone ones?

[Rifter]

Does anyone have any experience with those zastone ones?

Not sure i spent a hour looking for a review last night and came up with nothing, and found very few for sale online either.

I did however order one so ill let you know how it works out.

[Mongo62]

from what ive seen they are ok the zastone 771

[zxcvbn]

Couple things I can think of...

With ham licence, you can operate high power mobile units (VHF + UHF) in your truck, tent, etc. extending your reach considerably.

If anybody at home is also licensed, you can setup a HF rig and talk to him/her while you're outdoors. Last night I had a chat with a ham operating in Battleship Iowa docked in Los Angeles, that would be roughly 2000 km.

APRS allows you to keep an eye on your buddies.

Nowadays, best approach in my mind for certification is to go for Basic with Honours, that is to say you need to score above 80%. That gives you HF privileges with decent transmit power. Later you can go for advanced certification which will give you more frequency range as well as transmit power.

Thanks. The APRS sounds interesting. In 2003 there was a huge blackout in the NE US and Ontario that lasted days. I would think having a ham radio could be very useful in a situation like that.

[SigWig]

When will the next batch of 8 watt come in?

[Kzauger]

I bought 4 of the 8watters but I think the 5 Watters with an aftermarket antenna work better.

[gambit]

Couple things I can think of...

With ham licence, you can operate high power mobile units (VHF + UHF) in your truck, tent, etc. extending your reach considerably.

If anybody at home is also licensed, you can setup a HF rig and talk to him/her while you're outdoors. Last night I had a chat with a ham operating in Battleship Iowa docked in Los Angeles, that would be roughly 2000 km.

APRS allows you to keep an eye on your buddies.

Nowadays, best approach in my mind for certification is to go for Basic with Honours, that is to say you need to score above 80%. That gives you HF privileges with decent transmit power. Later you can go for advanced certification which will give you more frequency range as well as transmit power.

Did anyone passed the basic technician test recently and how difficult is it ??

[The Pale Rider]

gambit, I passed mine a few years ago with honours (which means attaining over 80 percent on the test) and found it quite simple. My overall was in the high 90's and I have very little electronics knowledge other than a few internet articles here and there and reading the study material. If there is someone teaching a HAM class in your area I would highly recommend attending one, though, to ensure an 80 percent or higher. As mentioned above you can use high frequency for distance communication and other more nerdy stuff, even.