Just Jeff's Outdoors Page

"Going to the woods is going home, for I suppose we came from the woods originally." ~John Muir

Ham Radio: the beginnings of a page...


Yaesu FT-818ND with Escort

I got my license in late 2018 and as I struggled through understanding all this radio stuff, I decided to begin cataloging some of it here so I'd have a quick reference. I decided if it's useful for me, it might be helpful for others to read about my experience.

So this is the beginnings of a Ham Radio page. Immediately after I got my license, I started creating my own VHF antennas for manpackable radio setup, figuring out how to mount radios in my vehicles, etc. In the future, I'll add my repeater programming list, detail where I got the info for it, add more step-by-step instructions for DIY/MYOG (make your own gear) projects for antennas and manpackable kits, and other good info.

Maintaining a page gets expensive, but I'd rather earn an honest penny than a dishonest dollar so I'd like to point out that many of the product links below are affiliate links. I might earn a small fee if you purchase anything from the link (but it doesn't change your price). I only link to items I have direct experience with and discuss in context, so this page will never be overwhelmed with advertising spam. If you find my information useful, I'd appreciate it if you'd use these links, and consider turning off your adblocking software.

Table of Contents: Amateur Radio Section

Also, check out my Ham Radio Playlist on the ToTheWoods YouTube channel...it's just getting started, but Like and Subscribe and I'll keep posting videos!

Radios
MANPACK! Modular HF Go-Kit with Hazard 4 Evac Insert and Yaesu FT-818ND QRP Radio
Pic Heavy! See the Details!
Mobile/Manpackable Yaesu FT-818ND All-Mode All-Band QRP Kit
Lots of Build Pics!
Ham Radio Emergency Comms Kit for Backpack or Vehicle
Build Your Own Inexpensive Kit!
Installing a Handheld Ham Radio and Phone Mount in a Vehicle
Step-by-Step DIY!
Installing Baofeng UV-5R Platform Radio in a Jeep Wrangler
Read More!
Mounting a Baofeng UV-25X4 Tri-Band Radio in a Jeep Wrangler
Step-by-Step Instructions!
VIDEO: Installing Portable Zero 817 Escort Rails on the FT-818ND
See the Options and Watch the Video
VIDEO: Installing SOTA Beams Anderson Powerpole Adapter on the FT-818ND
See the Options and Watch the Video
Baofeng Battery and Charging Options
Detailed Options
Spurious Emissions Comparison: Baofeng UV-5R vs Yaesu VX-6
See the Pics and Video
Antennas
How I Installed a VHF/UHF Antenna on my Truck with No Drilling
Step-by-Step Instructions!
I Built an Antenna Bracket for the Spare Tire Carrier (ABOVE the wheel = good SWR)
See How I Did It!
How I Installed an Effective Dual-Band Antenna on my Jeep Wrangler
See the Tutorial!
Tape Measure Halfwave Dipole Antenna for HT (not a Yagi)
See the Pics
What's Inside a Baofeng Rubber Ducky Antenna?
See the Dissection!

Misc on This Page (Click, or Scroll Down)
Emergency Communications (EMCOMM) Cards
Use This Format to Make Your Own!
FRS/GMRS/MURS Frequency Charts
See the FCC-assigned Frequencies
How I Passed Tech and General Licensing Exams
Read My Strategy
Some of the Handheld Tranceiver Accessories I Bought
Antennas, Pouches, Hand Mics, etc.
Baofeng Batteries
Click Here or see the Full Page Comparison

How I Installed a VHF/UHF Antenna on My Truck


Installing a Ham Antenna

Step-by-step pics for installing a Nagoya NMO-72 19.25" Antenna NMO Mount Dual Band VHF, UHF (145/440Mhz) mounted to the truck with a Nagoya RB-700N Heavy Duty Universal NMO Lip Mount (Multi Axis Adjustable). I wanted something semi-permanent that would not damage the paint like mag-mount antennas can, required no permanent modification to the vehicle, wouldn't clutter the cab with cables, and that was effective. Inasmuch as everything in ham is a compromise, I found one that works well for me.

Click here to see the pics!

And Also on my Jeep Wrangler!

Ham Antenna on Wrangler

I had basically the same criteria for my TJ Wrangler install: very little permanent alteration, clutter-free install, and effective. I put it on the hood cowl and ran the coax through an existing grommet in the firewall. Again, it works well...although I'm sure the propagation pattern is a little weak toward the rear of the vehicle. (I included charts to illustrate why.)

This install included the same Nagoya NMO-72 19.25" NMO Mount Dual Band Antenna as the truck install, but instead of the multi-axis mount I used a Tram 1246B NMO Trunk Lip Mount.

Check out the Pics and Step-by-Step Instructions!

Advertisement: The Road Home by Andrew Baze


Amazon Link

Abstract: Robbie thought he was ready for a camping trip in the mountains near Seattle. He and his father Jeff made it into the mountains without a hitch, but nothing could have prepared them for the rest of the trip! After a city-busting earthquake strikes the Seattle area, Robbie and his father have to rely on their wits and some new-found skills to get home safely, dealing with many unexpected obstacles on the way. To make matters even worse, they still need to rescue the rest of their family from an insidious danger that made its way to their doorstep. The story combines exciting, non-stop action with dozens of practical emergency preparedness and high-tech ham radio tips that you will find helpful in many situations, from going on an uneventful road trip or day hike, to getting lost in the woods, even to surviving a natural disaster!

"This fast paced adventure will engage youth and adults in the realities of what can happen in an emergency and how amateur radio can be one of the many tools in the preparedness toolbox." ~Debra Johnson, K1DMJ, Education Services Manager, ARRL Second Edition

How to Make a Half-Wave Dipole VHF Antenna from a Tape Measure (not a Yagi)

Step-by-step instructions for a VHF half-wave dipole antenna made from a tape measure, with an SWR of 1.4 that's pretty flat across the 2m band. This antenna is sturdy enough to remain vertical when mounted to a backpack, but flexible enough to fold down for storage or when walking through brush.

Click here to see the project!

Baofeng Battery and Charging Options


Baofeng Battery Options

Keeping your Baofeng UV-5R platform radios (including BF-B8HP, UV-5RX3, etc.) charged up is simple when you have access to a 120v outlet, but that's a boring way to use a handheld ham radio. Since a handheld transceiver's (HT, or handy-talkie) purpose is to provide comms on the move, I wanted to ensure I had the ability to keep my radio operational in many different circumstances. In this article, I discuss three batteries and a few charging options that help me get the most out of my radios, including the home charger, vehicle charging options, backpacking options like solar panels, and the ability to use regular AA batteries with an aftermarket battery pack.

Read the Article Here!

What's Inside a Baofeng Rubber Ducky Antenna?

I've cut open several of the cheap rubber ducky antennas that come with the Baofeng handheld tranceivers (HTs), and I put the pics here. It's interesting because there's a capacitor inside...which caused me some trouble because I tried to use the base as a foundation for a couple homemade antennas before I knew this. Those antennas are useless now...but at least I get to cannibalize them to make more new stuff!

See the pics here!

FCC Amateur Radio Licensing Exams

I took a three-pronged approach to prep for the FCC amateur radio licensing exams. I viewed the exam as a "license to play" rather than an actual test of knowledge, because I didn't think I would actually understand the material until I put it into practice...and I couldn't put it into practice until I passed the exam. Therefore, my first step was to start taking the practice tests on qrz.com (pronounced Q-R-Zed by a lot of folks). This allowed me to practice with actual test questions that I would see on exam day, but I also focused on memorizing the correct answers. The official test bank contains 424 questions and you'll see 35 of them on test day, so you can actually pass just by recognizing the correct answers when you see them.

The QRZ practice exams contain the entire question bank, and will track which ones you've seen over all the times you take their tests. That way you can be sure you've studied well. But obviously that doesn't help you actually understand the material, so....

Second, I signed up for a course through my local radio club, and bought the study guides authored by one of the instructors, Stu Turner. These books helped me actually understand the questions and answers on the test. The material is structured around explaining the test questions, with actual test questions and answers bolded in the book's narrative and called out in sidebars. With the book's help, I began to understand the why behind the practice tests' answers and, as an extra measure of my understanding, I learned why the tests' incorrect answers were distractors. I haven't compared these books to similar ones, but I can say they absolutely helped me to both pass the test and understand the test's material. (Stu also runs HamRadioSchool.com, with lots of helpful material on it for free.)

The last prong was actually taking the class. This helped for the obvious reasons that they explained the material, gave me a chance to ask questions, I could learn from other students' questions, and I got to play with a lot of show-and-tell gear the instructor team brought to the class. Just handling the equipment gave me more perspective on how it all works. But just as importantly, I started meeting people in the local ham radio network. This has already come in handy, as I've reached out to Stu W0STU for help with antenna theory for installing one on my vehicle, and to Bob K0NR for help testing and tuning my 2m-band half-wave dipole. So I recommend considering the networking aspect when deciding whether to sign up for a class. (Plus, Bob's wife K0JJW made cookies for the classes....)

Updated FCC-Assigned FRS/GMRS/MURS Frequencies and Authorized Powers

As I began programming my first handhelds, I wanted to include FRS and GMRS frequencies. This has proven helpful a few times, like when I was looking for parking at a college football stadium and I could hear the parking attendants discussing where traffic was beginning to back up and which lots were about open. But the FCC website isn't exactly clear so I wanted to simplify it for myself, and I made the charts below. The info is taken directly from the FCC site, as noted on the images.


FRS/GMRS Chart
Sorted by Channel
Larger Image or PDF

FRS/GMRS Chart
Sorted by Frequency
Larger Image or PDF

Emergency Communications (EMCOMM) Card

I created communications kits for all of my vehicles (which is one reason I chose to buy several cheaper Baofengs instead of one expensive Yaesu). In an emergency, I want whoever picks up the radios to be able to use them effectively even if I'm not around or unconscious, so I created communciations cards to go in each kit. I laminated them with Scotch self-seal laminating pouches to make them more durable.

Feel free to steal this idea and adapt the channels and frequencies to your location and needs.


Emergency Communications (EMCOMM Card)
Larger Image or PDF

Handheld Tranceiver Accessories

I also got some accessories, of course. Some of these are for the vehicle kits and some are for the manpackable kit, but they're all intended to meet specific needs that I had to make using the radio more convenient in different use cases. I guess they're wants, really...none of these are necessary to use the radios. But I'm a tinkerer. I void warranties. Sometimes I want things to be exactly as I like, and not how the manufacturer likes...so I buy accessories, cut things open and use the parts to build new stuff, etc. I'll log some of that on this page. Below are some of the accessories I've collected so far.

Antennas:

Below are the accessories I've purchased...send an email if you have any questions about them.

Batteries:

Other Accessories:

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