Here are the devices I use for radio communication.
70cm/2m/6m/10m: Yaesu FT-8900r
70cm: Hytera md785g
70cm/p: Hytera pd785g
70cm/p: Midland-Alan ct410
70cm/p and 2m/p: Baofeng uv-5r ex
10m/p: Midland-Alan 42d
70cm/p and 2m/p: Quansheng uv k5 (8)
Yaesu FT-8900r
My new addition. This is the former device from db0sky and a donation from Mattes alias df6pd.
Unfortunately I can't say much about it yet, except that it works very well so far.
The range compared to the Hytera MD785 got a little worse during setup because
I swapped the X30 for a GP4 (quad band antenna). I'll swap it back in the next few
days because I'm getting a new antenna for the 'guest device' that the X30 is now
connected to and I don't really use 10m/6m anyway.
Hytera MD785
This is my Hytera MD785g Highpower with GPS receiver.
It has an amazing maximum output of 48W (Minimum unfortunately 4W). I can easily reach DB0DDS in Schwerte with it.
Hagen and Wuppertal are rather difficult. However, I can reach the weather relay (DB0WET).
And that with the homemade T2LT antenna connected to a 15-meter RG58 cable under the roof.
Currently, the T2LT has been dismantled and replaced with a Maas X30. The range has significantly
improved as a result. Unfortunately, the old cable (RG58 with PL) still goes up.
Transmitter > BNC-PL adapter > PL > 15m RG58 > PL > PL-N adapter > X30....
But with 4 watts, I can reach the relay DB0UG
between Bielefeld and Paderborn. That's about ~125km.
Last night, I had a very pleasant QSO there with 48W.
I can hit DB0EE in Emmerich (100km), but it’s no longer capable of QSO.
Yes, someday a X30 will go on the roof (-:
...With proper cable...
Hytera PD785g
The Hytera PD785g, also equipped with GPS. Maximum output power 5W. Minimum 1W.
With 5W, I was able to establish a stable FM connection from Ratingen exactly 20km to db0en
or about 35km back to db0lnr. It was absolutely noise-free.
Then I established a connection via EchoLink to db0en (#6403) through db0lnr. Also without any noise \o/
In principle, the Hyteras are absolutely fantastic devices, just as great as routers from Mikrotik.
However, these devices always have a massive problem:
The programming. It's not like with Baofeng or the CT, where you simply start CHIRP, plug in the channels and that’s it. This may be the case for analog. But as soon as it comes to digital, you have to dive deep into the matter. But once you have it figured out, it works (-:
It should be noted that I mostly use the two 785s in FM and not in digital.
With digital, I don't understand 90% of what is being said. It usually just sounds like a GSM phone in a tunnel. With a lot of wind resistance.
Midland-Alan CT410
The CT410... Once upon a time™, I bought it for PMR on the recommendation of a friend at neuner.de.
It has actually only been used once in Kiel for a *cough* PMR *cough* QSO with the same friend. Another QSO only worked right
in front of his front door. Since then, the device has just been lying around. Sometimes I found it and charged it.
Then it would be lost again. And so it went. Since I got my license, it has been treated better. Now it stays
constantly in the charging dock (-:
The red ring on the antenna is a ring to operate the Nagoya N771 (with SMA adapter) on the Baofeng as well.
Not really necessary, I think, but it looks much better. Yes, I also redesigned and printed the knob.
Now it can be adjusted with one finger. The original was just too "slippery" to be operated comfortably.
Midland-Alan 42 DS / 10m
Exactly a few days after I got my license, I modified it for the Poland/Russia band,
that is, expanding into the 10m range.
(Left in factory condition, Right after modification)
Thanks to Bensons Funktechnik for the quick
sending of the service documents (-:
Baopfeng uv-5r ex
The Baofeng uv-5r ex is currently one of the worst
among radio devices. Advantage: It has both 70cm and 2m on board.
Even though there’s nothing happening here in the village… Unfortunately!
Since I bought it used and the mount/belt clip was missing,
I had to find a replacement. And when you have a 3D printer, you print one.
My self-developed mount is indeed cooler,
but it also has one weakness; the round part on the device is too unstable.
Still a work in progress (-:
A massive issue with the device from the start. Depending on how you pressed the side buttons,
they could jam, leading to continuous transmitting, for example.
Solution: A layer of PVC tape between the buttons and the rubber nubs:
Now the small nubs of the rubber mat can’t push past the small buttons anymore.
Another advantage: You have to apply /a bit/ more force to press the button. So just giving the button a dirty look no longer suffices (-:
Maybe I could design something suitable and print it with TPU (rubber) filament. Hmm
I tried printing one layer. PETG is too stiff even with only 0.4mm, and TPU
is too soft at the maximum usable thickness in the device (0.5-0.6mm). Too bad…
Note 28.05.2023:
I will definitely not use the Baofeng for transmitting until I have
had the chance to look at the harmonics that the device transmits.
Note 25.07.2023:
I set the Baofeng to 145.3585MHz with 1W and the
Hytera to 433.0750MHz (LPD CH1). I transmitted "Test from do8pgg."
and lo and behold: I hit it with S9+10 (-85dB). Indeed, a lot of strong harmonics were present,
so I’m leaving that off for now.
Note 12.02.2024:
Pay attention to the connections of the battery at the back. I noticed recently
that full battery voltage comes out of there. So if the radio is in your pocket
and you have a key with you, it could get warm :-)
Quansheng uv-k5
The first impression is quite nice. However, it won’t be a handheld radio for me.
The volume knob, on my device, doesn’t have a "click." There’s hardly any feedback when turning it on or off.
The PTT is incredibly soft; you almost just have to give it a dirty look to activate it.
Other than that, it’s quite nice. Even though all the tinkering with the firmwares is fun,
they ultimately don't make much sense for me. The S-value display shows either way too low values.
For example, S8 when I transmit with the Hytera at 48W, or S9+50 for db0end,
which only arrives at the x30 with S9+10. Sometimes it even destroyed the display, making it unreadable.
Only a restart helped.
Otherwise, it’s a affordable, good device. I really like the display.
It's easy to read even without reading glasses. And yes, it has RX extension from about 18MHz to roughly 1300MHz.
Sending is possible with the right
mod as well. Even if only with a few µW :-P
A really cool feature; scan. You can scan a transmission for sub-audio tones.
Useful for some repeaters as long as there is something going on there :-)
