Posted: 12/31/2013 6:54:43 AM EDT
The only thing missing is the duct tape. Got the radio on Monday, power supply won't be here till Thursday. I wanted to play with the new toy, so what you see is the result.
The lawn tractor battery is good for about 12.7V under load. The clips go to a car battery charger and are what's holding the DMM leads and the leads to the radio in place. I'm having fits programming my repeaters into the radio. I'm doing it by hand to learn the radio rather than buying the cables and using Chirp or other software. I am pulling up the repeaters I want to program into the radio in Chirp and getting the info from there. |
|
A programming cable is a great investment. I use the repeater book data in Chirp as a starting point and correct it with data from the Texas VHF-FM Society:
http://www.rfprojector.com/repeater |
|
Quoted:
this is probably a stupid question, so consider it's coming from a noob who hasn't gotten his tech license yet, but what are you using for an antenna? I'm only curious because I don't want to have to punch yet another hole in the house... Oh yeah, forgot about that part. Eventually I'm punching a hole in the house. No real way around it, and probably several holes at that. I've got a roll up J-pole with a 16' feedline from N9TAX for ~$30. I stuck a push pin into the ceiling about 10' behind me and hung the antenna there, temporarily. I'm going to go out and get a Comet CTC-50M later today. I have a nice tree right outside the window you see in the pic. I'll need to buy two one more feed line with an SO-239 on one end and a PL-239 on the other. Then I need about a 3' feedline with PL-239s on both ends. Since the antenna is in the same room I am all my xmiting is done on Low power (10W on this radio, IIRC). The CTC-50M can run under the edge of the screen and closed window. Pic below. 
|
I am aware of the advantages of programming the radio on a computer. Now, more than ever... 
However, I want to learn the radio, as well as truly understanding which offsets go where, which tones are used on which repeaters, etc, etc, etc. I came here for the prepping, I'm staying for the tech!  And I can't stand having a piece of tech that I don't know how to use well.
And I'll be getting the cable if for no other reason than I'm planning on three radios from this family. That may change, but for now that's the plan. |
| If you have any level of OCD, once you start using the radio you'll want to move freqs around. It's natural. If you have to do it manually it won't happen. (ask me how I know. No CAT with an FT-1500) With a cable and something like CHIRP it becomes a 5 min thing. |
|
Quoted:
Oh yeah, forgot about that part. Eventually I'm punching a hole in the house. No real way around it, and probably several holes at that. I've got a roll up J-pole with a 16' feedline from N9TAX for ~$30. I stuck a push pin into the ceiling about 10' behind me and hung the antenna there, temporarily. I'm going to go out and get a Comet CTC-50M later today. I have a nice tree right outside the window you see in the pic. I'll need to buy two one more feed line with an SO-239 on one end and a PL-239 on the other. Then I need about a 3' feedline with PL-239s on both ends. Since the antenna is in the same room I am all my xmiting is done on Low power (10W on this radio, IIRC). The CTC-50M can run under the edge of the screen and closed window. Pic below. http://www.texastowers.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/c/o/comet_ctc50m.jpg Quoted:
Quoted:
this is probably a stupid question, so consider it's coming from a noob who hasn't gotten his tech license yet, but what are you using for an antenna? I'm only curious because I don't want to have to punch yet another hole in the house... Oh yeah, forgot about that part. Eventually I'm punching a hole in the house. No real way around it, and probably several holes at that. I've got a roll up J-pole with a 16' feedline from N9TAX for ~$30. I stuck a push pin into the ceiling about 10' behind me and hung the antenna there, temporarily. I'm going to go out and get a Comet CTC-50M later today. I have a nice tree right outside the window you see in the pic. I'll need to buy two one more feed line with an SO-239 on one end and a PL-239 on the other. Then I need about a 3' feedline with PL-239s on both ends. Since the antenna is in the same room I am all my xmiting is done on Low power (10W on this radio, IIRC). The CTC-50M can run under the edge of the screen and closed window. Pic below. http://www.texastowers.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/c/o/comet_ctc50m.jpg That's pretty expensive for what it really is, You could make one cheaper with a RG-174 jumper and some tape That being said I would just poke a 1/4" hole, it can easily be patched. |
|
Quoted:
Good little radio! I have one in my shack-in-a-box. I manualy entered a few memories before I thought screw that & went with the software. It needs a big brother HF Kenwood beside it now. 
Have fun, HS When I go HF I'll probably be looking an Elecraft or a Ten Tec, if I don't cheap out on the first HF radio. Edit: Grammar |
|
Quoted:
When I go HF I'll probably be looking a Elecraft or Ten Tec, if I don't cheap out on the first HF radio. Quoted:
Quoted:
Good little radio! I have one in my shack-in-a-box. I manualy entered a few memories before I thought screw that & went with the software. It needs a big brother HF Kenwood beside it now.
Have fun, HS When I go HF I'll probably be looking a Elecraft or Ten Tec, if I don't cheap out on the first HF radio. I just got the KX3 and I highly recommend it. Whereas my FT897 hears nothing but noise the KX3 pulls in readable signals. Of course the KX3 is only 10 watts so if you want some power get the amp or go with the K3, either way..........Doooo it. |
|
Quoted:
I just got the KX3 and I highly recommend it. Whereas my FT897 hears nothing but noise the KX3 pulls in readable signals. Of course the KX3 is only 10 watts so if you want some power get the amp or go with the K3, either way..........Doooo it. Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Good little radio! I have one in my shack-in-a-box. I manualy entered a few memories before I thought screw that & went with the software. It needs a big brother HF Kenwood beside it now.
Have fun, HS When I go HF I'll probably be looking a Elecraft or Ten Tec, if I don't cheap out on the first HF radio. I just got the KX3 and I highly recommend it. Whereas my FT897 hears nothing but noise the KX3 pulls in readable signals. Of course the KX3 is only 10 watts so if you want some power get the amp or go with the K3, either way..........Doooo it. If portable or mobile interest you...... if SDR interests you.... If QRP interests you..... Seriously, this thing is hard to beat. I'm still in amazement of the JT65 signals I can read on the waterfall and WSJTx doesn't decode. My old radio would have just been solid noise. |
|
Quoted:
Forget RT systems for the TM-v71. The kenwood software is really really nice. Someone here has a link for a cable on Amazon that will program it for $6 +1 This is cheap and works GREAT $6.60 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000068OER/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 
KENWOOD provides excellent FREE programming software http://www.kenwood.com/i/products/info/amateur/mcp_2a.html The TMV71A is an EXCELLENT radio 
|
|
Quoted:
What kind of power supply did you order ? My SEC-1235M arrived yesterday (31 Dec 13) and my daughter didn't put it in my office, so I didn't see it. I wasn't expecting it till 2 Jan 14, so I didn't look for it. Found out about it as I was packing up for work, took 10 min to unbox it anyway. I'll get it set up in the morning when I get home. |
Planning to put one of these up on my roof, unless someone has a better suggestion?
I'm considering anodizing it black just to maintain a lower profile. Also, how do I get the cable through the roof? I'm thinking an MFJ AdaptiveCable™ Air Vent Plate under the eve is my best bet? 
Although there is an nonworking satellite dish on the roof already. I'm guessing I could use whatever hole and replace its cable? |
|
I like the little arrow J poles they seem to do well, but I always end up with a Ed Fong.
http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_10_22/670855_New_JPole_in_the_air.html |
|
Quoted:
I like the little arrow J poles they seem to do well, but I always end up with a Ed Fong. http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_10_22/670855_New_JPole_in_the_air.html Have both, can't go wrong with either.... I'd skip making it black, it kinda disappears on it's on as is (the Arrow)....one Fong is Painted Primer Gray and it hides better than the "white" natural PVC (that is currently too high to worry about right now 
|
|
Quoted:
Have both, can't go wrong with either.... I'd skip making it black, it kinda disappears on it's on as is (the Arrow)....one Fong is Painted Primer Gray and it hides better than the "white" natural PVC (that is currently too high to worry about right now Quoted:
Quoted:
I like the little arrow J poles they seem to do well, but I always end up with a Ed Fong. http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_10_22/670855_New_JPole_in_the_air.html Have both, can't go wrong with either.... I'd skip making it black, it kinda disappears on it's on as is (the Arrow)....one Fong is Painted Primer Gray and it hides better than the "white" natural PVC (that is currently too high to worry about right now I built the Arrow design using 3/8" all thread and 1" angle iron. It was flat 1:1 across 5MHz. 440 was a little trickier to get tuned but it worked. It just ended up being too heavy
|
|
I will add a personal note, those cables and the Kenwood software are the way to go. On my computer with Win7 I've had nothing but problems with the on board serial port. Beat my head on the wall thinking I was having cable/radio issues. Finally after MUCH reading online found that Win7 and Win8 do not like native serial ports. So a simple USB to serial cable adaptor immediately fixed every issue I was having and has worked perfectly with every serial port connection I use no matter what brand or type.
So get the Kenwood software, add a $10-15 USB serial cable/port, and two of those cables. Why two? Cut the second one to make a sound input/output cable for it also. |