HT Recommendations for BRB

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GregGleason

GregGleason

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I'm doing some research on trackers, so I'm really new to this domain.

I'm thinking about the BRB transmitter

What is the minimum handheld receiver or transceiver (or FM scanner) recommended for the 70cm 420-450MHz band?

I'm assuming the minimum would need a connection for a Yagi, is that correct?

Greg
 
I picked up a Yaesu FT-60R. Never regretted it, even though since then I've seen Rx-only handhelds on eBay for $40 or less. Having both bands and the ability to Tx has really widened my skills as an Amateur, and, it's nice to take into the back country as a "safety net" when going on ATV trips.

LauncherXPRS2012.jpg


I picked up a SMA-BNC adapter at the same time, this with a 3' BNC cable lets me use an Arrow Yagi easily. ...Don't forget to get an Attenuator while you're shopping at Arrow, it really, really helps with RDF.




Actually I do have a regret...I saved some $ by purchasing the FT-60R, and I should have spent an extra $200 and just bought the Yaesu VX-8GR, it's ability to display APRS packets would be making my life much easier now that I'm switching to a BRB GPS.

There are cheaper ways to do this if you're on a budget, I sure the guys that are much more expert at Fox Hunting than me will chime in.


All the best, James
 
GregGleason said:
I'm doing some research on trackers, so I'm really new to this domain.

I'm thinking about the BRB transmitter

What is the minimum handheld receiver or transceiver (or FM scanner) recommended for the 70cm 420-450MHz band?

I'm assuming the minimum would need a connection for a Yagi, is that correct?
Click to expand...

Yep, minimum is the ability to connect to your Yagi. The standard antenna connector on the radio will be SMA, and the standard on a Yagi is usually BNC. You have two options -- an SMA to BNC adapter, or a cable that has SMA on one end and BNC on the other. Personally, I prefer the latter, though both work just fine.

As far as radios go, I like Yaesu, but there are lots of options. If you're near a city of any size, check with the local Amateur Radio Club, and see if they have a swap meet coming up. You may well be able to find a really good deal on a used radio. eBay is also a good source for used radios.

For a standard tracker, you don't need anything fancy -- the big differences are in ease of use, quality of documentation, and extra features.

-Kevin
 
Big fan of Kenwood. TH-D72A new or TH-D7A used are both great choices.

I agree with OP that the extra money for native GPS and APRS capabilities is worth it.

-->MCS

.
 
+1 on the Yaesu. I got the FT-60R recently, and am quite impressed. It has a wide band reciever, meaning it will recieve a great deal more than just the two meter and 70cm HAM bands. The recieve range is from 108MHz to 999.990MHz. This includes the air band and NOAA weather radio, both of which may be nice to have at a launch.
 
My two radios are both Yaesu; I started out with a VX-150 and a VX-2r, the latter being used for beacons. When I switched to GPS, I sold the -2r and replaced it with a VX-8GR.

Any radio I buy will be a Yaesu, from here on out. The reason being that every brand does things a bit differently, and unless you fiddle with radios a lot, you'll just confuse yourself switched back and forth. I have a friend who's a minor amateur radio hobbyists, and he sometimes gets lost, because his radios cover three brands.

-Kevin
 
Thank you for all of the responses. I found them extremely helpful and exactly what I was looking for.

I now need to look into the whole tech licensing thing, and see what my options are there.

Greg
 
Fdog said:
... Actually I do have a regret...I saved some $ by purchasing the FT-60R, and I should have spent an extra $200 and just bought the Yaesu VX-8GR, it's ability to display APRS packets would be making my life much easier now that I'm switching to a BRB GPS...
Click to expand...

Fdog, can the Yaesu VX-8GR be used for both the RF and the GPS BRB's?

Greg
 
Yes, absolutely. Both the FT-60R and the VX-8GR have an S-meter, one of my primary tools for RDF.

All the best, James
 
Just to answer the "minimum" part of the question, look for Baofeng radios -- they don't get much cheaper than that, but you get what you pay for. I *can* recommend the Yaesu FT-277R, it's about $150 new. As far as minimalist ability to decode APRS packets, some have reporterd success with with android / iphone apps.

Greg
 
bigredbee said:
Just to answer the "minimum" part of the question, look for Baofeng radios -- they don't get much cheaper than that, but you get what you pay for. I *can* recommend the Yaesu FT-277R, it's about $150 new. As far as minimalist ability to decode APRS packets, some have reporterd success with with android / iphone apps.

Greg
Click to expand...

I tried a $50 Baofeng ... 2 bad chargers and very poor sensitivity.... currently using a FT-277.

Junk is junk.
 
those baofeng's on ebay looked too good to be true.

thanks for the warning!
 
Derek said:
those baofeng's on ebay looked too good to be true.

thanks for the warning!
Click to expand...

I like my Baofeng. I got it last week after watching JordanTs video.

It works exactly as indicated and if nothing else it gets better reception on the Fm stations than my Car radio.

Sorry to hear about the bad charger problem. Mind seems to work fine.
 
bandman444 said:
I like my Baofeng. I got it last week after watching JordanTs video.

It works exactly as indicated and if nothing else it gets better reception on the Fm stations than my Car radio.

Sorry to hear about the bad charger problem. Mind seems to work fine.
Click to expand...

I should add that I have not used it for actual rocket hunting yet. In March I will.

I decode the packets via Packet Pad App.
 
To be clear, it is a Baofeng UV-5R, brand new from ebay. The intended use was the BRB transmitter, not the GPS unit. As I mentioned, I had problems with the first charger, ordered a second, same issue. I charge the battery from a bench power supply now.

The signal strength indicator is a tiny icon in the upper left corner of the display, much like most cell phones. I have never have been able to get a consistent tone out of it regardless of the squelch settings and the reliable distance to get any signal from the transmitter was about 100 meters.

The FT-277R, otoh, came out of the box and was working perfectly within minutes. At 1/2 a mile, the large signal strength indicator shows full strength using the rubber ducky antenna.

The Baofeng works fine as a 2 meter HT for regular voice comms however, so it is not a total loss (besides the pain of pulling the battery to charge it).

YMMV... good luck
 
I considered the Baofeng UV 5R, but all the reveiws I read said it was a PITA to program manually, and that the manuals were very poorly translated. I didn't want to deal with that.
 
I bought the Baofeng as a temporary measure, but I think I'm going to keep it permanently. I also picked up an adapter for the Yagi I built ($3 on ebay) and a programming cable ($11 I think). With 30 minutes on one of the Baofeng user sites, I programmed just about every local repeater into it. I even screwed up something later and was able to re-program in 2 minutes. It receives great - I've heard chatter of of several local repeaters, even when in the car, with just the rubber duck.

I'm sure the integral decode on an expensive HT would be nice, but its also very cool to put the Ht next to my iPhone and have Google Earth show me which bush my rocket landed next to.

The "signal strength" meter on the Baofeng isn't. It's a binary nothing or full signal indicator, and about useless. What I'd really love is a receiver with a nice wide meter range, but while presume they exist, I have no idea where to start looking (I know squat about RF anything)

I did, btw, pick up an attenuator from hobbiest KO0V and worked it into my own box with some spare parts. I was all ready to get one from Arrow when I saw that the $50, 2 oz box was going to cost $20+ to ship. I have verified my version works well, but its way too effing cold out to try fox hunting...that will have to wait for summer.
 
JordanT said:
I bought the Baofeng as a temporary measure, but I think I'm going to keep it permanently. I also picked up an adapter for the Yagi I built ($3 on ebay) and a programming cable ($11 I think). With 30 minutes on one of the Baofeng user sites, I programmed just about every local repeater into it. I even screwed up something later and was able to re-program in 2 minutes. It receives great - I've heard chatter of of several local repeaters, even when in the car, with just the rubber duck.

I'm sure the integral decode on an expensive HT would be nice, but its also very cool to put the Ht next to my iPhone and have Google Earth show me which bush my rocket landed next to.

The "signal strength" meter on the Baofeng isn't. It's a binary nothing or full signal indicator, and about useless. What I'd really love is a receiver with a nice wide meter range, but while presume they exist, I have no idea where to start looking (I know squat about RF anything)

I did, btw, pick up an attenuator from hobbiest KO0V and worked it into my own box with some spare parts. I was all ready to get one from Arrow when I saw that the $50, 2 oz box was going to cost $20+ to ship. I have verified my version works well, but its way too effing cold out to try fox hunting...that will have to wait for summer.
Click to expand...

My Yaesu has an excellent signal strength meter, and cost me under $150. I haven't built a Yagi yet, but I have built a j pole antenna. A j pole is pretty much what it sounds like. There's a variation of it called the j beam, which in a nutshell, is a cross between a j pole and a yagi. I'm considering going with a j beam rather tha a yagi, since while it is larger, it may be less tiring to carry, as you could carry it close to your body, rather than at arms length.
 
RadManCF said:
My Yaesu has an excellent signal strength meter, and cost me under $150. I haven't built a Yagi yet, but I have built a j pole antenna. A j pole is pretty much what it sounds like. There's a variation of it called the j beam, which in a nutshell, is a cross between a j pole and a yagi. I'm considering going with a j beam rather tha a yagi, since while it is larger, it may be less tiring to carry, as you could carry it close to your body, rather than at arms length.
Click to expand...

A 70cm 7 element Yagi is still pretty light. Also, you don't need to hold it at arm's length -- that's just tiring. When I use mine, my upper arm is typically parallel to my body, with my elbow behind me just a bit.

-Kevin
 
cwbullet said:
Do they make a combined GPS handheld and radio?
Click to expand...

Well, a qualified "yes." Both Kenwood and Yaesu have ham handi-talkies with integrated GPS. But they don't have an integrated moving map display. They have a compass rose that gives bearing and distance to your BeelineGPS transmitter. To get a map display you need to add an external mapping display. Frankly, I've found the convenience of the integrated handheld outweighs the lack of display.
 
Thanks. I am in the market for one. I am following the thread to make up my mind.

I will probably go with the Kenwood TH-D72A
 
cwbullet said:
Thanks. I am in the market for one. I am following the thread to make up my mind.

I will probably go with the Kenwood TH-D72A
Click to expand...

Kenwood or Yaesu, either one works fine.

The moving map display has never been something I wish I had -- I have an arrow pointing me the direction I need to go, and how far it is. That's sufficient to get me there, without any difficulties.

A big display just adds more bulk, and sucks down the batteries even faster.

-Kevin
 
troj said:
Kenwood or Yaesu, either one works fine.

The moving map display has never been something I wish I had -- I have an arrow pointing me the direction I need to go, and how far it is. That's sufficient to get me there, without any difficulties.

A big display just adds more bulk, and sucks down the batteries even faster.

-Kevin
Click to expand...

Just as an FYI for anyone who wants to spend the $$ for a high end handheld, don't forget about Icom. Icom, Yaesu, and Kenwood are regarded as the big names for HTs.
 
RadManCF said:
Just as an FYI for anyone who wants to spend the $$ for a high end handheld, don't forget about Icom. Icom, Yaesu, and Kenwood are regarded as the big names for HTs.
Click to expand...

Icom does make good stuff. But they don't do any APRS stuff. They're doing digitized voice instead.
 

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