I've just bought a couple of UV-5R's....

Hi Simon,

Great to hear about your continued radio adventures and the interest as well as excitement for it all.

I have to agree with Alan's statement and can see you going for that Foundation licence soon.   


The 1.25m or 220MHz band is not an Amateur Radio band here in the UK but is in the US. Ofcom hold the details of the UK frequency allocation table (UKFAT) at the following link :-

https://static.ofcom.org.uk/static/spectrum/fat.html


There's also a PDF version available but it's 178 pages long. (Take some ink/toner to print that lot off!  )

Continue having fun there Simon and definitely look further into that Foundation licence. If you think you're excited 'listening in' imagine how you'll feel being able to transmit and truly join in.


All the best to you,
Victor

Glad you're enjoying it Simon. The net you listened to is the same one I have done the last couple of weeks whilst walking the dog.

My UV 5R is the III too. I only bought that one because it was the cheapest I found from a UK supplier. I haven't heard anything bar a few odd noises on 1.25m. I bet there's a good chance that a few people will be using that band in the UK illegally as this model is so freely available (at the moment), so worth a scan through now and then to see if you do catch some action.

Interesting and useful info posted on your findings of the "fake" Nagoya NA771s. Today my UV 5R has been joined by a Retevis RHD771 plus a homemade 1/4 wave pigtail for 70cm. Receive so far seems exactly the same for 70cm but notable improvement for 2m. I feel a bit dirty though as I have broken my streak of only using homemade antennas since coming back to radio this year, but streak stays maintained for HF I blame my better half.. apparently my plans to walk around with 2' of copper pipe sticking up out of a backpack is embarrassing. Glad she told me otherwise I never would of known

Look forward to catching you on air some day on the pmr channels, or one of the other frequencies if you decide to take your hobby/interests further 

Hi Neal

Take a look at this video by Jason CT 965



If you start it at about the 11 minute mark, you will see Gary with a homemade portable PMR antenna sticking out of his backpack, which, in my opinion, doesn't looking embarrassing.

73
Ray
CT 2290 or CI 2290

SangueG wrote:

Glad you're enjoying it Simon. The net you listened to is the same one I have done the last couple of weeks whilst walking the dog.

My UV 5R is the III too. I only bought that one because it was the cheapest I found from a UK supplier. I haven't heard anything bar a few odd noises on 1.25m. I bet there's a good chance that a few people will be using that band in the UK illegally as this model is so freely available (at the moment), so worth a scan through now and then to see if you do catch some action.

Interesting and useful info posted on your findings of the "fake" Nagoya NA771s. Today my UV 5R has been joined by a Retevis RHD771 plus a homemade 1/4 wave pigtail for 70cm. Receive so far seems exactly the same for 70cm but notable improvement for 2m. I feel a bit dirty though as I have broken my streak of only using homemade antennas since coming back to radio this year, but streak stays maintained for HF I blame my better half.. apparently my plans to walk around with 2' of copper pipe sticking up out of a backpack is embarrassing. Glad she told me otherwise I never would of known

Look forward to catching you on air some day on the pmr channels, or one of the other frequencies if you decide to take your hobby/interests further 

Thanks for the reply, and I'm with you on embarrassing antenna situations!! I want to give these little radios the best chance for receive and transmit, so the Retevis is now on my list.  I also LOVE the idea of making my own antennas and, rightly or wrongly, I see the VHF bands as the ideal for cost effective experimentation.  We'll definitely catch-up on the frequencies soon chap!!

Razz229 wrote:

If you start it at about the 11 minute mark, you will see Gary with a homemade portable PMR antenna sticking out of his backpack, which, in my opinion, doesn't looking embarrassing.

I very much agree, looks very well done. My better half does not share our outlook of such a setup though 

RE: Baofeng UV5R[3] and Antennas;

It certainly pays to look here for information on spotting the fake antennas.

I 'now' know the difference between Real and Fake ones. . . some fakes are quite convincing if it wasn't for the packaging.

NoMad wrote:

RE: Baofeng UV5R[3] and Antennas;

It certainly pays to look here for information on spotting the fake antennas.

I 'now' know the difference between Real and Fake ones. . . some fakes are quite convincing if it wasn't for the packaging.

Absolutely right!!  As such, I've just bought a couple more 771's from Knights, as not a lot gets past them!

Right then chaps, a bit of an update here, with a bit of a highlight….

I’ve been listening to the local repeaters and 446 most days, and I never get tired of the chat.  I’ve also been working my way over the remaining local hills here while beasting the dog, and it’s been brilliant working out the access and elevation for various spots!!  I have a 4x4 and am a member of GLASS, so I know where I can go legally, and with consideration to others.

As per my post above, I’ve just ordered some more NA 771 antenna’s from Knights, and a 2m/70cm car mounted whip antenna…..as I like to do things right…...A few weeks ago I made a PMR446 copy with the UV-5r (and proper Nagoya) to a couple of chaps Wolverhampton way from a local high-ish spot a couple of miles north of me…..now, that was a surprise, but it just shows what the Trop/Prop can do!!!  They sounded like they were next door, which I really didn’t expect on 446 in January!!

I’ve also been active on 11m a couple of times on the nets, and made some surprising (for me) copies on AM and SSB, especially as the conditions weren’t especially good.

Anyway, enough of the daily activity….my MAJOR update is that I’ve booked my foundation exam for 22nd Feb, and I’ve booked myself on another excellent course with Essex Ham!!  With a couple of hours of revision I’ll be 80% there off the top of my head, so I think I can refresh myself, complete the last couple of modules, and sit the exam with confidence in the next 2 weeks…..Boom!!

Oh, and just in case my life wasn’t busy enough, my wonderful, considerate, and gorgeous girlfriend of the last 9 years has agreed to be my wife, so any advice or anecdotes on ‘amateur radio as a hobby when married’ would be gratefully received!?!

When married get the delivery guy's on side.
Tell them where to hide the parcels.
Good luck on the 22nd m8.

Hi Simon,

Best of luck with your forthcoming Foundation exam.
(You'll love all that extra radio spectrum!!)

Most of all the very best wishes to you and your partner with your wedding plans and future happiness.


Talking of future happiness, never let a radio interest or other hobby become more important than a happy home life.

Best advice I can give.....which is why I sit in a nice warm room in the house to play radio with.


All the best,
Victor

Will keep fingers crossed for you Simon for the exam. Any questions leading up to it or what you do after, feel free to ask as someone here will have the answers for you.

Congrats on the engagement. Part of me was trying to think of something funny to say to you like "always buy small transceivers as they don't arouse suspicion of big spending" *am guilty of* but I'll stick to the classic "a happy wife is a happy life" ..how you keep her happy, well I'll leave that to you

Not so exciting news, but important, if you are not aware (and for anyone who has all the UK repeaters programmed into their kit, is that Swindon GB3TD is changing frequency on 20th Feb to TX 438.3875Mhz & RX 430.7875Mhz, CTCSS is staying the same.

TheReverend wrote:

NoMad wrote:

RE: Baofeng UV5R[3] and Antennas;

It certainly pays to look here for information on spotting the fake antennas.

I 'now' know the difference between Real and Fake ones. . . some fakes are quite convincing if it wasn't for the packaging.

Absolutely right!!  As such, I've just bought a couple more 771's from Knights, as not a lot gets past them!

Not only that, I ordered one from Knights, one evening, and recieved it in the post the very next day !

Maybe a random question as I haven’t read through the entire thread but anyone else using the Triband model for FLTSatCom Pirate DX? 

It’s really busy on there at the moment, I recorded a Russian and South American arguing about language the other day. 
Better reception with a beam but the small rubber duck that comes with the UV-5R performs surprisingly well.

Thanks all for your posts gents!!  My future wife hasn't left me yet, and I've this evening received my exam confirmation from the RSGB.....Boom!!  By this time next week, I should have hopefully passed!  This being true, it will lead to A LOT of future questions from me, so I'll now be going through our various forums in order to answer them in advance......this is a great journey for me, unless I fail of course, and then I'll be straight back on this thread asking you guys to explain where I went wrong!!!...

The UV-5r, a great introduction to amateur radio frequencies in my books, and may well it continue to be so.

SangueG wrote:

Will keep fingers crossed for you Simon for the exam. Any questions leading up to it or what you do after, feel free to ask as someone here will have the answers for you.

Congrats on the engagement. Part of me was trying to think of something funny to say to you like "always buy small transceivers as they don't arouse suspicion of big spending" *am guilty of* but I'll stick to the classic "a happy wife is a happy life" ..how you keep her happy, well I'll leave that to you

Not so exciting news, but important, if you are not aware (and for anyone who has all the UK repeaters programmed into their kit, is that Swindon GB3TD is changing frequency on 20th Feb to TX 438.3875Mhz & RX 430.7875Mhz, CTCSS is staying the same.

Thanks for this chap!  I did hear that the repeater frequency would be changing, but didn't know exactly when, so this is good info.

Still got my uv-5r somewhere but not turned it on for a long while.
It was the first radio i bought when i was thinking of getting back into radio.
Good luck for the 22nd you will pass.
I am a good one to say that lol ask Victor.

A quick update Gents.....just passed my foundation!  BOOM!!

Congratulations.
Long wait for the post now.(Friday i think)...

Congratulations on your pass Simon.  

As Alan mentions, just the agonising wait for the certificate in the post then logging onto Ofcom to get your call sign now!

Well done and welcome to the wonderful world, (and RF spectrum!), of Amateur Radio.

Well done Simon! Really pleased for you!

Thanks gents, I'm well pleased!

congratulations on passing your foundation Simon. I passed mine last week aswell ! all the best for your forthcoming wedding.. and get your new wife into radio too ???

regards

mick CT 3295

Thanks Gents,

The RSGB was REALLY quick in getting my licence out to me, as it arrived on Thursday, yay!!! The Ofcom site was a bit tricky to navigate when trying to pick your own call-sign, however, I am now also known as M7GDA....you heard it first here.....happy? you bet!! 

Good going Thursday my money was on Friday.
Enjoy your radio.

Great stuff Simon.  

Well chuffed for you as I always am for everyone who takes their radio interests further.

Hope to catch you on the bands one day.