Baofeng BF-UV8D - Supplier Mods Gone Mad!

Whilst browsing eBay I came across the most laughable supplier mod of a Baofeng UV-82/GT-5 yet; The Baofeng BF-UV8D. The UV-8D probably to draw in people searching for the Wouxun KG-UV8D.

It looks nice right? It has 128 channels and a double PTT but with no display how on earth are you supposed to know what frequency/frequencies you're transmitting on? How are you supposed to run through the menus with that menu button without a screen? How can you switch between VFO and memory mode with that button without a display??

The power output is apparently 8w which I strongly doubt. I was tempted to buy this radio at £21 just to test the output and see how it programmes but then came to my senses.

I have to say that out of all the Baofeng mods I've seen, this is the best. For those who don't know, manufacturers can become licensed makers of Baofeng radios but they custom make them for other suppliers who are also licensed sellers. Therefore the online stores become swamped with radios with tweaked model names that are nothing more than marketing gimmicks. 

Thanks for reading!

73's, Lewis M3HHY.

Manchester, UK.

GY561 Frequency Counter & Power Meter

I've wanted one of the cheap Chinese GY561 frequency counter & power meters for a while but never got round to getting one. I figured it'd be handy for testing my Baofengs and other older ex police, fire and ambulance radios. The idea being that I'll finally be able to see what frequency and tones my Motorola HT600E's and HT800's are putting out.

I've heard mixed reviews on these from don't waste your money to the best thing since sliced bread when it comes to cheapo frequency and power meters. So I thought I'd get one! I went on eBay and picked one up for £38 shipped. It comes with 2 pigtails which I'd need to buy anyway and another BNC to SMA connector so not a bad price at all!

I'm looking forward to this coming and I'll definitely be posting some videos of my findings. If it works well enough then that's great, if not then I'll just pass it on.

 Pictures: Google Image Search

Thanks for reading!

73's, Lewis M3HHY.

Manchester, UK.

Elliot-Ness Radio Pictures

My Motorola HT600E & HT800 Radios

Baofeng Extended Battery Pack

I bought a couple of these off eBay and they arrived today so I thought I'd share some thoughts:

• They fit well on the UV-5R with no looseness around the connection.
• They charge off the regular UV-5R chargers.
• They don't fit on the UV-5RA as they don't quite click in to place.
• There is a charging plug in the side of the battery but the adapter on the UV-5R charger doesn't fit in there.

I'm really happy with these, they extend the transmitting time and the overall look and feel of the radio. They make it look more substantial due to being longer in length.

I made a video for YouTube:

Thanks for reading!

73's, Lewis M3HHY.

Manchester, UK.

Baofeng Extended Battery Fakes

If it's the cheapest one on eBay then be careful guys! Lead weights used in the Baofeng extended battery packs to make them feel real.

Help! What Is This Radio??

I bought this radio from an antiques place the other day for £12. It is in full working order so I couldn't leave it there for that price. It has a plastic face with a metal speaker and is cased in red snake skin with a handle on the top.

It is a long wave, medium wave, short wave and FM receiver with a band select knob, volume/on/off knob and tuning knob. It also has a telescopic antenna that is in mint condition and runs off a 240v mains lead with a 3 amp fuse or alternatively a 9v battery.

The weird thing is that I don't know what it is. It has Elliot-Ness on the front but Google comes up with nothing matching that name or manufacturer. Elliot-Ness comes up with Eliot Ness who was a rights activist.

If anyone know who makes this radio or the model number then please let me know!

Thanks for reading!

73's, Lewis M3HHY.

Manchester, UK.

K8ZZ - County Hunter

Interesting article I came across from record-eagle.com:

Ed Eklin is into a little different kind of texting while driving and he’s doing it in all 3,077 counties in the U.S.

Beeps and blips of Morse code radio transmissions pitter-patter from speakers mounted near the headrest on the driver’s seat in his SUV. The vehicle, a rolling radio shack for the ham radio operator, wears a compact antenna and is packed with all the amenities of his home broadcast booth. His cozy cockpit boasts a GPS, a laptop for logging contacts, his Morse code paddles and, of course, his radio.

“I’ve only got 900 to go,” said the radio operator who is more commonly known by his call sign, K8ZZ. “For me to complete my feat, it will be 240,000 miles to drive through and transmit in every county in the U.S.”

Eklin, also known in the amateur radio world as a “county hunter” embarked a handful of years ago on what many in the hobby consider the ultimate challenge. Only 17 other operators have completed the trek since the Mobile Amateur Radio Club began keeping records in 1960, Eklin said.

He had already completed the next hardest feat of radio operation four times over — making confirmed contacts by both voice and Morse code with radio operators in all those counties twice in each method. Only 1,249 operators have completed that feat from their home radio shacks, said Joe Novak, also known by his call sign, W8TVT.

Novak earned his “all counties” award on March 13, 2004. He since embarked on a second quest for all counties from the seat at his basement radio set. He flips through a log book with maps of all 50 states, the counties he has contacted are shaded in red.

That task takes years for most to complete and requires hand-written confirmation of contact from radio operators in each county. They often make contact with each other dozens of times over the years from thousands of miles away without ever meeting, Eklin said.

Novak and Eklin have known each other for years and together organize an annual conference for “county hunters” in Traverse City. This year’s gathering boasted about 100 participants from 26 states. Many of them drove to the event in vehicles wired with antennae like Eklin’s, broadcasting from a swath of counties along the way.

“One guy I saw here, I have been tapping out his call sign for eight to 10 years,” Eklin said.
Eklin’s son even drove from his home in the Flint area to Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, to help Novak check off the last county in his county hunt.

The pair said most amateur radio operators dive into hunting counties after they’ve earned an “all states” award for making confirmed contacts with operators in all 50 states. Some, after completing all 3,077 counties in the U.S., tackle other challenges like making contact with operators in all countries where amateur radio operators are allowed to broadcast. Others, like Eklin, take their show on the road and see the country.

Eklin recently completed broadcasting from all counties in Washington and bordering counties in Oregon and Idaho. He packed his radio gear in his luggage for that trip and rented a car for the 3,000-plus mile drive that checked off the northwest corner of the U.S. on his map.

“When you open up a magazine in an airport and see covered bridges in Vermont in the fall, I’ve seen that,” he said. “I never travel four-lane highways.”

Thanks for reading!

73's, Lewis M3HHY.

Manchester, UK.

Source

Baofeng UV-8HX

I came across this on YouTube and thought I'd share. The Baofeng UV-HX is an 8 watt version of the UV-5R with the added bigger battery. This is a supplier modification rather than one straight from Baofeng but it has the lot in one package. The 8w power, the extra battery and the good old faithful Baofeng UV-5R!

On the other hand it features new firmware without the 'Beef Bug'... what the hell is that!?

Thanks for reading!

73's, Lewis M3HHY.

Manchester, UK.

Video Page

Hi guys, works been hectic at the moment and I've had no time for radio really but I've put some videos on a page on this vlog that I came across on YouTube. You might find them of interest. Check back for regular updates.

http://distantsignalradio.blogspot.co.uk/p/videos.html

Thanks for reading!

73's, Lewis M3HHY.

Manchester, UK.

Logo Idea

RadioShack 60-4027 49MHz Walkie Talkies

I thought I'd show you my latest eBay bargain that arrived this week in the from of a pair of walkie talkies by RadioShack.

They are RadioShack 60-4027 walkie talkies manufactured around the late 1990's. They operate on a single channel on 49.860MHz and I'm assuming they put out around 100mw of power.

They have a nice little morse code feature on the front which emits a tone when pressed with a keyed PTT. They also have a long rubber duck antenna on the top.

Of course these are only a toy and probably only have a range of a couple of hundred feet but the audio is suprisingly pretty clear! There is no volume control and the PTT is lockable.

The best part is that they only cost £10 which is great for a pair of vintage walkie talkies.

Thanks for reading!

73's, Lewis M3HHY.

Manchester, UK.

Unlicensed Taxi Firm Fined £1600 By Ofcom

The owner of a taxi firm was fined £1,600 for using an unlicensed radio frequency for his business for three years.

Communications regulator Ofcom brought the prosection against Dewsbury man Rafaqat Hussain, 52, as the owner of Heckmondwike based Abbey Cars.

Kirklees Magistrates’ Court heard that Brian Mason, an engineering officer employed by Ofcom, was working in Heckmondwike in May last year when he picked up a frequency that was unregistered.

Simon Gwynne, for Ofcom, told the court the frequency had been cancelled in September 2011 due to non-payment.

Mr Mason traced the frequency to the taxi firm’s office in Oldfield Lane and saw that the frequency was in use.

Hussain confirmed that he had been the owner of the business since 2006 and admitted he was responsible for the operation of the equipment and that it was owned by him.

He has since applied and been granted a new licence.

Hussain, who did not appear in court on Monday, was ordered to pay Ofcom full costs of £1,553.80, as well as a £100 fine and a £20 victim surcharge.