Radio Gear

This page is here to collect some notes about useful collections of comms gear that come in handy for various projects.

Handhelds

Arguably the most useful radios are handheld radios. They range in quality and price. Generally the lower quality radios while usable are missing some of the nicer features like better front end filtering and companders for the audio. These things matter more in very RF busy areas like large cities. The inexpensive brands roughly in order of cost are: Baofeng, Hytera, Wouxun, and Alinco. The higher quality and more expensive brands are Yaesu, Icom, and Kenwood.

Baofeng

• UV-3R Plus
• UV-5R
• GT-3
  • No BT, check for other features
• BF-F8HP, Check out
• DMR-6X2 is a AT-D878UV without BT

Wouxun

These seem to be built a bit more rugged than the Baofengs but cost about double.

• KG-UV3D dual-band handheld
• KG-UV6D

Anytone

• AT-D878UV
  • APRS send
• AT-D878UV-II
  • APRS send and receive
  • Quite a lot of HW and FW mods, see: http://members.optuszoo.com.au/jason.reilly1/868mods.htm

Hytera

• TC-610

Alinco

• DJ-S11T ??
• Dj-s41: http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/2917

Yaesu

• VX-8DR
  • APRS, Won't work with APRSdroid, Check for other features
• VX-8G VX-8GE VX-8GR 2m/440 MHz GPS transceiver Discontinued? Became FT-1DR -> FT1XDR ?
  • http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/8761
• FT3DR, Check out

Kenwood

• TH-D74A, or older TH-D72A
  • APRS, and BT, Works with APRSdroid
• TH-K20A

Trail Friendly Radios

Not exactly sure what makes a trail friendly radio or TFR but probably light weight and long battery life are a couple of features. Another hiking term is Summits On The Air (SOTA)

• Elecraft KX3: http://www.elecraft.com/KX3/kx3.htm
• Yaesu FT-1DR: http://www.yaesu.com/indexVS.cfm?cmd=DisplayProducts&ProdCatID=111&encProdID=25F65DA12CA1FCB444A927CD14417BFD
• Yaesu FT1XDR: http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/ht/0111.html
  • Upgrade the belt clip to the BC-102 clip from Batteries America. http://www.batteriesamerica.com/yaesu-vertex.htm

Mobil Radios

Kenwood

• TM-D700
• TM-D710
• TM-D700A
• TM-D710A

Programming Software for Radios

Most of the time you can program a radio via the keypad but it can become tedious for lots of changes. Here are a couple of SW packages for programming your Radio:

• CHIRP: http://chirp.danplanet.com/ (Free)
• RT Systems: http://www.rtsystemsinc.com/ ($50)

Software Defined Radios

• RTL-SDR: http://www.rtl-sdr.com/

GPS units

Here are some suggestions as to what type of external GPS units to pick up. Most will go for a USB puck or mouse GPS. The chipsets are somewhat standardized with different levels of performance. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SiRF

• ADS-GM1 GPS receiver

APRS Gear

The Automatic Packet Reporting System is a great way to provide situational awareness for outdoor activities, including telemetry and other data.

TNCs

Compaisons

• http://n1vg.net/trackers.php
• http://www.aprs.net/vm/picktnc/picktnc.htm

Recommendations

• http://www.mobilinkd.com/
  • Mobilinkd_writeupCLEMENT.PDF: Mobilinkd TNC writeup
• Byonics TinyTraks
  • TinyTrak3 +: http://www.byonics.com/tinytrak/
  • TinyTrak4: http://www.byonics.com/tinytrak4/
  • MicroTrak: http://www.byonics.com/microtrak/
  • MicroTrak RTG: https://www.byonics.com/rtg
• Argent data systems - OpenTracker USB: https://www.argentdata.com/products/otusb.html
  • https://www.argentdata.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=22

Others

• AVR-Tracker: http://www.dh3wr.de/amateurfunk/aprs_tracker/index_en.html(Newerversion)
  • WhereAVR: http://garydion.com/projects/whereavr/ (Older version)
• http://www.kantronics.com/
  • KPC-3+: http://www.kantronics.com/products/kpc3.html
• http://www.ringolake.com/pic_proj/gps_trak/freetrak202.html
• http://www.dk7in.de/TinyTrak_e.html
• BigRedBee
  • 2 meter BLGPS: http://www.bigredbee.com/blgps_2mhp.htm
• FoxDelta Projects
  • Foxtrak1: http://products.foxdelta.com/foxtrak1.htm
• https://www.venus-itech.com/
  • X1C3: https://www.venus-itech.com/product/x1c3-aprs-tracker/
    • TNC only, with BT
  • X1C5 Pro: https://www.venus-itech.com/product/x1c5-pro/
    • 1W, WiFi, and BT, No screen
  • X1C5 Plus: https://www.venus-itech.com/product/x1c5-plus-aprs-tracker/
    • 1W, WiFi, and BT, LED screen
  • 51TNC2: https://www.venus-itech.com/product/aprs-51tnc/
    • Same as the ANT51
    • Optional BT card, 10/100Nic, 12V +- in,
• http://www.radioddity.com/
  • AP510: https://www.eham.net/reviews/view-product?id=13407
    • https://perens.com/avrt5/
    • Same as, or a later version of the AVRT5.
    • 1W TX, BT, Works with APRSdroid
  • AVRT6: http://www.radioddity.com/us/avrt6-mobile-igate-rf-gprs-dual-mode-aprs-tracker-bluetooth-aprsdroid.html
    • Needs radio,Cable to radio, OLED, Ext GPS Ant, Has BT like the AP510, No Bat, 12V in, also has Cell data Nic
      • Hello Mobile will give you 500MB / month for $5. Which is about 2 packets per second per month.
    • Works with APRSdroid
    • Can you use both Cell data and 2m? Is it open source?
  • AVRT7: http://www.radioddity.com/us/avrt7-aprs-tracker-igate-dual-decoder-built-in-vhf-module-dhcp-7v-12v-aprsdroid.html

Software TNCs

• Direwolf: https://github.com/wb2osz/direwolf
  • https://github.com/wb2osz/direwolf/blob/master/doc/Raspberry-Pi-APRS.pdf
  • http://elafargue.github.io/aprs-box/direwolf/
• Multimon-NG: http://tools.kali.org/wireless-attacks/multimon-ng
  • https://github.com/EliasOenal/multimon-ng
  • http://www.qsl.net/kb9mwr/projects/pager/multimon-ng.html
• FLDigi: http://www.w1hkj.com/
  • http://ve3bux.com/?p=418

RDF Transmitters

A good backup plan for finding your lost device, is to use a low duty cycle transmitter with long battery life, for radio direction finding (RDF).

• http://www.instructables.com/id/433-MHz-UHF-lost-model-radio-beacon/
• http://www.radiotracking.com

Misc Devices, Cables, and Adapters

• Radio Programming Cables
  • Six in One Cable: http://www.ebay.com/itm/190839187766
  • Eight in One Cable: http://alexnld.com/product/8-in-1-usb-programming-cable-for-motorola-kenwood-baofeng-radios-mobile-radios/
• Baofeng / Kenwood extension cables
  • http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/252184168094
  • http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-M-Earpiece-Headset-Extended-Cable-for-Kenwood-Radio-2-pin-Earphone-C2031A/302073452756
  • Search terms:
    • Extension Cable for (Kenwood OR Baofeng)
    • 2 pin headset for Baofeng
• Yaesu extension cables
  • http://www.ebay.com/itm/1x-Earhook-Earpiece-Headset-PTT-MIC-For-YAESU-VX5R-VX351-VX-168-FT60R-50R-B1-/262622535082
  • http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/391451137047
  • Search terms:
    • Yaesu headset
    • 1 pin Baofeng headset
• PC extension cables:
  • http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hands-free-3-5mm-Jack-Earphone-Headphone-MIC-Microphone-VOIP-Headset-Skype-/151445896398
  • http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Headphone-Earphone-w-Microphone-MIC-VOIP-Headset-Skype-RT/182279907379
  • Search terms:
    • PC headset
• Serial Converters
  • https://oh2fxd.wordpress.com/2012/11/16/im-so-bluetooth-today/
• Other Cables
  • https://www.argentdata.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=30

Moving Map SW

• Lists
  • http://www.dxzone.com/catalog/Software/APRS/
  • http://www.aprs-is.net/clientsoftware.aspx
• Xastir: http://xastir.org/
  • http://ae6rs.com/xastir-with-rtl-sdr.html
• YAAC: http://www.ka2ddo.org/ka2ddo/YAAC.html
  • https://sourceforge.net/projects/yetanotheraprsc/
• X-APRS: http://www.winaprs.com/xaprs.html (older)
• APRSDroid: https://aprsdroid.org/
  
  • Get APRSdroid for free from the developer website (not the App store), and find the version that uses off-line OSM maps rather than Google maps.
    • https://aprsdroid.org/osm/
  • liuyun:
  • LOCUS: https://www.locusmap.app/
  • Find a good map theme that enhances roads and trails.
• iPhone
  • APRS.fi: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/aprs-fi/id922155038
    • Works with Mobilinkd, and possibly other BT TNCs
  • APRS-Pro: http://aprspro.com/v1/
  • PocketPacket: https://koomasi.com/pocketpacket/
    • Works with Mobilinkd, and possibly other BT TNCs
• U2APRS: http://www.qsl.net/ja7ude/SmartPhone/u2aprs/indexe.html (Older)
• APRSISCE/32: http://aprsisce.wikidot.com/ (Runs under wine)

Articles

• http://dcasler.com/2011/09/09/wouxun-kg-uv3d-on-aprs-works-great/
• http://dcasler.com/2011/04/22/aprs-marrying-motorcycling-and-ham-radio/
• http://www.og2k.com/content/aprs-gear-dilemma
• http://www.wcares.org/special-interests-3/aprs/aprs-what-are-my-options/
• http://www.eham.net/ehamforum/smf/index.php?topic=104230.0
• https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Fw_T00OMBewuyDNFgnuPh6-JGrcbA_alTP6E7sHe3tY/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=30000#slide=id.p

-- ClifCox - 17 Oct 2016