My unit comms director told me about a device that lets you boots the power of a hand held (1-5 watts) to as much ad 40 watts!?!?! Apparently you take the stock antenna off, screw in a cable that screws into this box and run another antenna, either vehicle whip antenna or what ever your hearts desire, and BAM you have a 40 watt HT1000. has any one seen anything like this before?
if you have where can i get it?
You are referring to a booster amp. Some handi-talkies even have a cradle that allows you to make a cleaner installation. These are common in the Ham radio world, and with your handi-talkie, you can drive amplifiers to outputs in excess of 300 Watts. Of course, most amps are not going to be NTIA approved, and the power levels you are talking about are in excess of what CAP allows for a mobile. You need to quadruple your effective radiated power to double your distance, and adding a 3db gain antenna over your rubber duck will effectively double your power without having to add more expensive hardware and potentially really irritate your comm people! A booster amp will also do next to nothing to improve your receiver sensitivity, unless it has a preamp, in which case, it will add noise too. I would start with a better mobile antenna.
Major Lord
what is the limit on mobiles any ways?
and where do you find a larger antenna for an ht1000?
HTs are limited to 6 watts output anyway.
There are all kinds of adapters floating around out there. Here is one I found with a quick search: http://www.kawamall.com/pd_antenna.cfm
You can purchase slightly less lossy rubber duck antennae from Ham Radio Outlet, E-Bay, etc. Naturally, these will be longer than the OEM whip, which is pretty close to be being a dummy load!
With a good 2 Meter antenna on your vehicle, and your portable, you will see improvements in performance on an order of magnitude. You are limited to 25 Watts on VHF.
Major Lord
If you're talking about an HT-1000, what you want to look for is called a convertacom. It's basically a cradle that you set the radio in, and make a connection with the universal connector in the side of the radio. The convertacom includes a microphone, external amplified speaker, and antenna connection. It will also increase your output power to about 12 watts. Combine that with a high dB gain antenna, and you might have something.
FWIW-we tried using them at work with our 800MHz portables, and didn't have much luck. The main problem is that the convertacom isn't paramedic proof, and the pins in the universal connection are very sensitive. When one breaks, the whole unit is basically junk. If it's your equipment purchased with your money, you'll probably take better care of it.
The other question is: Is the radio NTIA compliant in that configuration? I know, nobody else will know what you're doing or how you're doing it, but still. I do believe that placing a mobile, external antenna onto a portable unit is a no-go. For the Motorola and Johnson radios using an SMA antenna connection, there is an SMA to BNC adapter available. However, when using the adapter, you're increasing the weakness of the radio's weakest point.
Along the lines of this discussion, CAPR 100-1 used to include the provision that if you use an HT with an external antenna on a non-temporary basis (i.e. regularly) that the HT must meet the more stringent NTIA mobile radio requirements. However, I cannot find that in the latest 100-1. Did it get removed or am I just not finding it?
http://www.capmembers.com/media/cms/R100_001_162D77B8183A1.pdf
We know where to find the reg, Bob. We're looking for verification that the restriction or advisory text no longer appears there.
Quote from: SarDragon on June 07, 2010, 05:32:33 AM
We know where to find the reg, Bob. We're looking for verification that the restriction or advisory text no longer appears there.
It is no longer there as it pertained to member owned equipment that is now frowned upon
Quote from: cap235629 on June 07, 2010, 05:48:09 PM
Quote from: SarDragon on June 07, 2010, 05:32:33 AM
We know where to find the reg, Bob. We're looking for verification that the restriction or advisory text no longer appears there.
It is no longer there as it pertained to member owned equipment that is now frowned upon
Which? The mod or member owned equipment?
Member owned equipment is not "frowned upon" - if you want to spend your money on a compliant radio, nothing has changed, and while new equipment may be more expensive than wideband days, used stuff is still fairly easy and "cheap' to get.
starting with the equipment. Most (note the word most) wings have enough equipment to support the mission (NOT to give everyone who wants one a radio) and "mods" are not allowed on CAP equipment without prior approval through the NTC via your wing Comms Officer. Attachments are ok but you can't crack the case.
unfortunately my wing does not have enough equipment to loan out and as i live over 30 miles form the closest repeater i need a cost effective way to have both handhold coms and vehicle (20 is watt) coms, hence why one of these connvertacoms is good, ill have my portable ht1000 right there in case i need to dismount and go on foot/ talk to an AC, while i can have the same radio with more power be able to talk to MB.
i just want to know if there is any reg against that.
Quote from: SABRE17 on June 07, 2010, 07:00:35 PM
unfortunately my wing does not have enough equipment to loan out and as i live over 30 miles form the closest repeater i need a cost effective way to have both handhold coms and vehicle (20 is watt) coms.
Why?
In what context would you need to contact an a/c or other CAP members where there is no issued equipment in the area?
it actually happened that an ELT was going off in a boat yard in Chatham MA. and an Ac was dispatched and two GTM's responded, i live half way from my base to that area, i could have gone directly to the site rather then drive 20 miles to get a radio then respond. not to mention i wish to participate in repeater and new work checks.
and my wing as equipment, it is just for actual mission and training use, and every one else in communications in the area has their own gear.
^ There's no reason you could not have simply checked into the mission via cell phone or email, etc., gone direct to the search area and waited for the teams to arrive. You are not allowed to prosecute a search alone, anyway, so its not like there would be much to discuss via radio.
VHF nets no longer serve any purpose but for radio confidence checks, if you don't have one, there's nothing to check.
I'm not saying it won't be more convenient to buy a radio, and people are free to spend money where they like, but I hear all the time how members "have to have a radio to do ES...", which is simply not true.
and when a huricane tears across cape cod, knocks down all the cell towers and sets of 1000 boat elts what use is a cell phone?
not to mention it never hurts to have a spare radio around
Quote from: Eclipse on June 07, 2010, 07:49:31 PM
^ There's no reason you could not have simply checked into the mission via cell phone or email, etc., gone direct to the search area and waited for the teams to arrive. You are not allowed to prosecute a search alone, anyway, so its not like there would be much to discuss via radio.
VHF nets no longer serve any purpose but for radio confidence checks, if you don't have one, there's nothing to check.
I'm not saying it won't be more convenient to buy a radio, and people are free to spend money where they like, but I hear all the time how members "have to have a radio to do ES...", which is simply not true.
I participated in a mission using just a cell phone, and I'll never do it again. We had two UDF teams and an aircrew looking for multiple ELTs, and the lack of ability to talk to all the players at the same time was a serious problem.
Quote from: SABRE17 on June 07, 2010, 07:53:43 PM
and when a huricane tears across cape cod, knocks down all the cell towers and sets of 1000 boat elts what use is a cell phone?
The devices in watercraft are referred to as "EPIRBS".
Having 12 radios won't change the fact that you can't act as a single operator, and the team you connect with will likely have the equipment you need. If your wing has such a high ops tempo that it is exceeding the TOA, they need to request more equipment or consider redistributing it better.
Quote from: SarDragon on June 07, 2010, 08:04:58 PM
Quote from: Eclipse on June 07, 2010, 07:49:31 PM
^ There's no reason you could not have simply checked into the mission via cell phone or email, etc., gone direct to the search area and waited for the teams to arrive. You are not allowed to prosecute a search alone, anyway, so its not like there would be much to discuss via radio.
VHF nets no longer serve any purpose but for radio confidence checks, if you don't have one, there's nothing to check.
I'm not saying it won't be more convenient to buy a radio, and people are free to spend money where they like, but I hear all the time how members "have to have a radio to do ES...", which is simply not true.
I participated in a mission using just a cell phone, and I'll never do it again. We had two UDF teams and an aircrew looking for multiple ELTs, and the lack of ability to talk to all the players at the same time was a serious problem.
No argument there - but not everyone on the hunt needs a radio, only one point person on each team (YMMV, of course). Actually I could think of a few creative ways that having an open conference bridge with an earpiece would be infinitely more effective than simplex comms.
I may need to try that next mission.
I would try an external antenna on your vehicle first. I've used a 1/4 wave magnetic mount and attached to the old Vertex 150, with 5 watts output, and hit our CAP repeater 35 miles away, (scratchy a bit but it worked). Also with my FT60 portable running 5 watts with the same antenna I'm fine to the club repeater about 19 miles away.
Again there's going to be "hot spots" with VHF FM/P25 that will allow access to the repeater. Even as you get closer, there's going to be spots with no signals at at all.
Others are correct about the issue of using an external antenna with portable radio equipment under the new tech standards. I would think that you do what you have to do in order to support ES operations. Especially while mobile, inside a vehicle is terrible for the radio to operate range wise. Base wise, I'm aware of CAP members that use their personally owned CAP portables attached to base antennas (and also mobile antennas). Gee it's only a 5 or 6 watts portable, the world isn't going to end as far as interfence is concerned -- which I highly doubt is an issue anyways.
As far as using booster to 50 watts, that could be very problematic because of the construction of the booster which might spur that signal somewhere else also. So I wouldn't do that.
Generally the concept with portables anyways is for ground to air comm and not for mobile to base comms. I'm sure your wing or squadron comm guy could give you a chart for your state showing the repeaters coverage, which is based on 50 watt mobile radios, using an outside mobile antenna.
RM
Assuming you have an A-Cut, here you go: http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=10738.0
As you are a cadet, whether your wing has any gear on the shelf or not is a moot point, however so is any independent ES function.
So while you can't be issued corporate equipment, you will also never be away from a team and therefore I have have no idea why
a radio of your own would be a priority.
If it is, your answer is above.
Mass wing has some of the best comm resources, I even think all there repeaters are linked by microwave. I think this is a case of "I want it cause it's kewl and I am spoiled and want my way and will make up any excuse to get my way"
Quote from: Eclipse on June 07, 2010, 08:20:14 PMNo argument there - but not everyone on the hunt needs a radio, only one point person on each team (YMMV, of course). Actually I could think of a few creative ways that having an open conference bridge with an earpiece would be infinitely more effective than simplex comms.
I may need to try that next mission.
Don't read into it, or make assumptions.
Let me elaborate. My vehicle, sans radio, with me and a UDF trainee who has neither a radio nor a BCUT. Second vehicle, radio equipped, with a rated UDFT member, and a UDF trainee. CAP Plane, two aircrew. IC at home with full comm assets.
I could talk to the IC and the other UDF team on the cell phone. Being unable to talk to the aircrew severely hampered the effort.
I live in a county with four times as much dirt as yours, and a lot higher percentage of rural area. An air search capability makes things a lot easier, especially when there are multiple targets. I think we ended up turning off six or seven of them on that mission.
Every operating unit (UDF/aircrew/IC) needs a radio.