Newbie comms questions (HAM/GMRS/APRS)

[M Rose]

It depends on the plan. We have an on-demand plan, which is $35/year, and then you pay for when you enable service for 30 days. The cheapest ($15/month) has 10 messages included and no free tracking, middle tier ($35) 40 messages and free 10 minute interval tracking (we use this plan, on demand), and upper tier ($65) unlimited messages and 2 minute tracking. If you do the annual always-on plan the middle tier is $25/month.

Having APRS can save you from going to the higher tiers, that certainly sounds interesting. And premium weather info (5 day forecast IIRC) is $1/message for all plans. Is there reasonable coverage for getting weather forecasts over APRS?

APRS has full weather coverage… and then there is the weather bands that you can program into your radio to get voice alerts as well…

 

[M Rose]

The NOA frequencies to program into your 2m radios can be found HERE. Just select the state, and then add the frequencies for your area.

 

[shansonpac]

For APRS I really only want/use the ability to track other vehicles/persons that are in my group, such as location of first and last vehicle in a convoy, or a group doing SAR work. For emergency that happens to my or a group I am with, Voice transmissions, Sat Device, and PLB will remain my go to for now, and if all else fails, signal mirror or smoke signals...lol

Now this make sense for SAR. But for group travel, it requires everyone in the group to be invested in the technology, which is unlikely.

 

[mtn]

For APRS I really only want/use the ability to track other vehicles/persons that are in my group, such as location of first and last vehicle in a convoy...

This is my favorite use case for APRS on the trail, I've used it to keep track of the tail when I was up front.

 

[mtn]

If you're going for a mobile radio, recommend making sure to get one where the head is separate from the main radio unit. There's not much space near the dash in a 4Runner, I used a proclip mount to hold the head of my radio and put the main radio part in the passenger footwell.

 

[Sparksalot]

If you're going for a mobile radio, recommend making sure to get one where the head is separate from the main radio unit. There's not much space near the dash in a 4Runner, I used a proclip mount to hold the head of my radio and put the main radio part in the passenger footwell.


View attachment 235863

Thanks for the link. I’ve been thinking of options to mount the head in my new rig.

 

[Prerunner1982]

Having APRS can save you from going to the higher tiers, that certainly sounds interesting. And premium weather info (5 day forecast IIRC) is $1/message for all plans. Is there reasonable coverage for getting weather forecasts over APRS?

I have a couple of write ups on APRS, one of which is how to send SMS Text and Emails (OB Approved - SMS Text and Email via APRS | OVERLAND BOUND COMMUNITY ). In this same thread on reply #7 I also show how to get weather forecast for your current area or even a destination area.
I also have an Intro to APRS thread if you are interested, Intro to APRS | OVERLAND BOUND COMMUNITY .

 

[TroutRunner]

I have a 5th gen 4Runner with a Kenwood TM-D710 GA radio ( dual band and APRS). I used a Comet CP-5 NMO lip mount on the hatch (drivers side) to mount my Larsen NMO2/70B antenna. It is a dual band antenna that works perfect in my application.

Larsen NMO2/70B Premium Larsen 2m/70cm Amateur Ham Radio Antenna Dual Band

Covering the 144/440 bands. Features 3.8 dB gain on VHF and 5.2 dB on UHF. Use with a dual band radio or two separate radios. Watts: 100, Whip Length 34 3/4".

theantennafarm.com

 

[El-Dracho]

If you're going for a mobile radio, recommend making sure to get one where the head is separate from the main radio unit. There's not much space near the dash in a 4Runner, I used a proclip mount to hold the head of my radio and put the main radio part in the passenger footwell.


View attachment 235863

Because I just see a modern cockpit on the picture: please be careful where you place additional equipment like radios and so on in the cockpit - such things must not interfere with safety and assistance systems. I see from time to time that devices are placed in front of airbags etc. - please don't do that! I can't see it in this picture from the viewing angle, but of course the hazard warning switch must still be easy accessible! This is simply a well-meant hint.

 

[TroutRunner]

Because I just see a modern cockpit on the picture: please be careful where you place additional equipment like radios and so on in the cockpit - such things must not interfere with safety and assistance systems. I see from time to time that devices are placed in front of airbags etc. - please don't do that! I can't see it in this picture from the viewing angle, but of course the hazard warning switch must still be easy accessible! This is simply a well-meant hint.

That is a very good point. When airbags go off they are very violent. Anything in front of their path would get launched like a missile.

 

[walkabout_ca]

Progress... I got the antenna mounted and the coax cable routed to the inside. We already have cables running from the alternator to the charge controller for our house battery setup, and I could sneak the antenna cable along the same route (driver side thresholds). We have an ICS dash mount, which should allow us to keep all our devices clear of the airbags, and (using ram mounts & joints) also low enough that they don't impede the view through the windscreen. The display will live on the dash mount. We have a large vertical panel behind the front seats that has all our electronics and house battery setup, and fortunately there is still space for the main radio unit. The built-in speaker will be at shoulder height and face the center console, so I don't think we'll need an external speaker. We'll power the radio from the house batteries, through our RedVision system. So, if we wanted to, we could run our radio at camp.

 

[M Rose]

@walkabout_ca if you get a whining sound in your tranciever’s audio, you might look into either rerouting your coax away from the auxiliary battery power cables, or add ferrite beads to the coax, or both. If no hum or high pitched noise is present (both RX and TX) disregard this comment.

 

[walkabout_ca]

The radio is hooked up, and I'm getting a pretty loud and clear NOAA weather radio signal (162.400 MHz). No discernable difference in noise between engine on and off, so that's good. We got the ARRL HAM radio license manual in the mail, so it's study time!

 

[mtn]

Because I just see a modern cockpit on the picture: please be careful where you place additional equipment like radios and so on in the cockpit - such things must not interfere with safety and assistance systems. I see from time to time that devices are placed in front of airbags etc. - please don't do that! I can't see it in this picture from the viewing angle, but of course the hazard warning switch must still be easy accessible! This is simply a well-meant hint.

Very good point, and in this case the radio is not in the path of any airbag.

 

[M Rose]

The radio is hooked up, and I'm getting a pretty loud and clear NOAA weather radio signal (162.400 MHz). No discernable difference in noise between engine on and off, so that's good. We got the ARRL HAM radio license manual in the mail, so it's study time!

I very much dispose the ARRL books… but for technician I don’t think the 2022-2024 books are available from KB6NU yet.

I’m glad to hear that you aren’t picking up any interference within your system yet… time will tell when you can key up your mic.

 

[donmontalvo]

Also you can do a MARS mod to a ham radio and get access to other frequencies for emergency purposes. But that typically involves knowing who is using what frequency in a particular area.

I didn't know about this until after I bought my Yeasu FTM-400XDR. For now I'm wheeling with both Ham/GMRS. Is this something a local shop can do, or maybe a local Ham club expert?

 

[Prerunner1982]

Also you can do a MARS mod to a ham radio and get access to other frequencies for emergency purposes. But that typically involves knowing who is using what frequency in a particular area.

I didn't know about this until after I bought my Yeasu FTM-400XDR. For now I'm wheeling with both Ham/GMRS. Is this something a local shop can do, or maybe a local Ham club expert?

You could do it yourself, it typically involves removing or crushing a very small resistor.
A member of a local ham clubs may do it for you, but you may or may not want to mention why you want it. Depends on the ham and how anal they are about rules. May just leave it as "for emergency purposes".

 

[M Rose]

I didn't know about this until after I bought my Yeasu FTM-400XDR. For now I'm wheeling with both Ham/GMRS. Is this something a local shop can do, or maybe a local Ham club expert?

HRO does it in shop, along with DX Engineering and Gigapaarts.
As @Prerunner1982 pointed out you can do it yourself as well… just search FTM400XDR MARS MOD

 

[donmontalvo]

HRO does it in shop, along with DX Engineering and Gigapaarts.
As @Prerunner1982 pointed out you can do it yourself as well… just search FTM400XDR MARS MOD

It does look like something I can do myself, but I think I'll wait for the warranty to expire. :)

 

[M Rose]

It does look like something I can do myself, but I think I'll wait for the warranty to expire. :)

That why you have it done in shop as it won’t hurt the warranty this way.