Batboard

va3wxm

If it were KU band you'd lose your satellite radio every time it rained heavily.

My Pontiac G8 has XM and GPS (for OnStar) in the same base.

va3wxm

Buy the NMO mount separately and solder in your own cable.

va3wxm

It had better be gold plated hardware for that price.

Damn I wish I could sell $50 boxes for a thousand dollars.

va3wxm

The Kenwood 90 Series mobile radios are supposed to be mil-spec'd (MIL-810 C/D/E) to a "driven rain" standard, whatever that means.

va3wxm

Where did the pictures go?

va3wxm

+1

I once used a Maldol (Comet) EX-510 that does 6/2/440 in one package. I had it mounted off the front fender of a mini-spute. Worked decent enough and had no clearance issues (antenna stands about 39" tall).

va3wxm

Somehow I see playing around with that system in the car would void the warranty faster than you can say Jack Robinson.

va3wxm

I have some Larsen double-shielded RG58 that I use and it has a stranded centre conductor.

Granted it's a few years old and perhaps they don't make it anymore.

va3wxm

I use a hamsexy MJF swr/wattmeter and it works okay. I've also got a MFJ-259 antenna analyzer that works too. I use both when installing/changing antennas at home to get a full picture of what's going on.

Sure, they're not in the same league as the Bird but they do the job.

va3wxm

I saw some of the show last night.

Wow. You really have to be certifiable to want to do that for a living, especially at $14 an hour.

I can also see why monopoles are the worst to climb.

va3wxm

I have one of each flavour and pressing the button labeled <x] toggles the display between VFO and channel.

Whatever "mode" it was left in when I turn it off stays the same when I turn it on. Maybe yours is different?

va3wxm

Powered solely from the ignition wires? Yikes!

Tell him to rip it out and do it EXACTLY how you originally wanted. While I'm not familiar with the Maxtrac at all, if you're concerned about draining the battery I'm sure there's some kind of ignition sense circuitry in the radio that can be used to ...

va3wxm

I believe the easy ones are the older GP300 series portables, et. al.
At one time I owned a factory GP300 that covered 220. There was a seller on e-Bay hawking 220 GP300's and GM300's at one time.

My radio was definitely an Asian import. The characters on the sticker on the back of the radio ...

va3wxm

I've used a 3" putty knife before. It's flat and wide enough to distribute the lifting force without cracking the glass.

Just take your time.

va3wxm

Kenwood software is usually easier to get than Moto stuff but they can be pissy about it sometimes (but not nearly as draconian as /\/\).

Yes, you can set up a mobile repeater. You'll need two 90 series drawers, i.e. TK690 and TK790, or TK690 and TK890, or TK790 and TK890. When assembled properly ...

va3wxm

I've only ever heard of the Glen Martin ones.

I know two guys that have had them for years and no problems at all. Each are supporting a TGM Mini-Quad which would be a bigger wind load than what you're proposing.

va3wxm

Ideally, of course, the roof is the best spot. Low-band needs a lot of metal for a good counterpoise.

In the past I've run an NMO27B for chicken band work and it was mounted on the front fender. It seemed to work okay and aesthetically looked better than on the roof.

Expect some skewing of the RF ...

va3wxm

bulletproof-791 wrote:any idea where to get 1 ?.................a link will do just fine or a web sight...thanx

Anyplace that sells Larsen antennas/mounts will do. HRO, AES, etc.

I'm sure Antenex and places like that sell them but I've never ordered from them.

va3wxm

Aesthetics more than anything. The roof is overall a more superior mounting position.

Overhead clearance shouldn't be a big issue with passenger cars but on trucks/SUVs, yeah.

va3wxm

Portable or mobile/base?

I've had my BC-796D for a couple of years now and it's been great. Does P25 IMBE, TRS's on V/U/800, Moto, LTR, EDACS.

va3wxm

I use an SSB-2NMO mounted on the roof of my car and it works well. Sure it won't outperform a 5/8 whip but when you've got height restrictions it's a great solution.

va3wxm

They may work with Icom HF rigs then since they use electret mics.

va3wxm

"Optional Project 25 software upgrade" eh?

Wonder how much that'll set you back.

va3wxm

The car is loud enough as it so I may not even hear a buzzing fan! :D

Tried it again this past weekend (3 hour road trip) and while the SVA box itself was barely warm the Saber was downright hot to the touch, particularly along the antenna side of the body and the bottom battery mounting plate.

I ...

va3wxm

Thanks for the info!

I've moved the SVA to a new, more open location (than under the seat) and am using the real SVA mounting bracket. Installing a little 12v muffin fan is a actually a really good idea and will be the next thing I do.

Speaking of which, does the mounting bracket offer much ...

va3wxm

One advantage of folded dipoles is that they're DC grounded which is good for static/lightning issues.

va3wxm

Yeah, that's about right.

PA's are about 50% efficient at best.

va3wxm

Thanks Dave.

I'm just interested in adjusting the RF output in the RSS, to extend battery life. So it sounds like that shouldn't be a problem?

va3wxm

I'm more of a fan of NiCd simply because they can take the rapid current draws that you get when you key up better than NiMH. Can you elaborate on this?
We had a lecture at a club meeting one night from a battery expert who admitted that, yes, while NiMH's had more capacity than NiCd they self ...

va3wxm

I'm more of a fan of NiCd simply because they can take the rapid current draws that you get when you key up better than NiMH.

These ones look like NOS:

http://cgi.ebay.ca/Motorola-Saber-Radio ... dZViewItem

va3wxm

Did you save the codeplug that was in it? If so, try to program it in.

Make sure your RIB and Saber batteries are good.

Failing that, create a new codeplug in the RSS and try again.

va3wxm

Does changing the power output in the software screw up the alignment settings?

I vaguely recall reading somewhere that if you make such a change you should slap the radio on a service monitor to ensure it's still working properly afterwards.

va3wxm

K8TEK wrote:Uniden scanners are garbage.

Sure, compared to any commercial P25 radio they are.

But at least you won't get a zillion questions asking "how do I program this here Astro Saber to following my police department's trunked system".

va3wxm

Basically it's a compromise. It'll work okay for both bands just not outstanding on either one.

One advantage for us hamsexy types is most of our bands are harmonically related so it's relatively easy to build a multiband antenna that works well.

One antenna per band is the ideal way to go but it ...

va3wxm

In my mobile i have lowband, VHF, and UHF, going into a triplexer. Same applies here as well, all three radios could transmit if necessary, though highly unlikely... lol
Yeah, I would think the electrical system in your van would melt down if you did so!

But to re-affirm, the duplexer will allow ...

va3wxm

bob1857 wrote:Thanks, I was having a hard time locatiing diplexer on-line. They look like just what I need.

Sorry, I suppose I should've said duplexer as well.

Problem is when I hear that word I think of the BpBr "cans" used in repeater installations to isolate the transmitter from the receiver.

va3wxm

You'll have to find a dual-band antenna that covers both frequencies you want to use.

You'll also need a diplexer to combine the two radios into one antenna.

And of course the associated mount and coax.

va3wxm

You can generate a new one in the software.

va3wxm

Yes and yes.

The offset (at least on mine) is either 600 kHz for VHF or 5 MHz for UHF.

va3wxm

Maybe the newer offerings from Uniden will allow firmware upgrades to enable such a feature?

va3wxm

Definitely sounds like the wrong receive PL/DPL was programmed in.

The icon on the display that you describe indicates that channel has receive PL/DPL on it.

The only way to change it is to hook up the radio to a programming computer and fire up the Saber RSS!

va3wxm

After poking around some other big-box hardware stores I found 5/16" fine thread (UNF) is the winner.

But the shortest ones I could find were 3/4" long and will need to be cut down because they'll interfere with slipping the Saber in.

va3wxm

I'd say no.

va3wxm

I think the limiting factor is simply the amount of memory you have in the radio.

Base Sabers are, what, 2k or something like that?

va3wxm

My guess is the radio. Idle current for a "normal" squelched Saber isn't very much -- I'm guessing less than 75 mA.

If it's getting that warm there's a short somewhere and it's drawing way more power. That would explain the lousy battery life.

va3wxm

Might be a silly question but can you run an Astro signal through a standard FM RF amplifier?

va3wxm

Does your customer really need PL on receive? In terms of intermod and stuff like that the Saber's are pretty immune.

Unless it's a shared system and they only want to hear certain users.

va3wxm

I'm using a Compaq Contura 3/25 with two other Conturas on the shelf I cannabalize for parts as needed.

I have this fear that the programming hardware for some of the older radios will eventually die off altogether before the radios do!

va3wxm

The Sabers will typically go 1-2 MHz out of their particular split range before the VCO unlocks.

Since this is a low-split VHF the model number hack won't work.

va3wxm

Duh guess it would be useful to use the search funtion every now and then...

http://batboard.batlabs.com/viewtopic.p ... t=sva+bolt

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