Desertcrawler Posted March 21, 2014 Report Share Posted March 21, 2014 For those of you who've wheeled in the Death Valley/Dumont Dunes area (far South part of the park) -- has anybody worked any repeaters that are pretty reliable in the area? I'm thinking something that would have coverage at the Dunes themselves -- and also further West near Denning Springs/Salt Basin. I'm starting to think about logistics of the two Death Valley groups meeting up -- and am thinking that having a dedicated repeater would help quite a bit -- since I'm not exactly sure where we will be camping and "rallying up" for the second part of the trip (given potential backcountry cabin occupancy). Having a reliable repeater would allow us to communicate over a broader area -- and also give us the bonus if we could contact another friendly HAM to get a text message sent out with confirmed campground locations to the trip participants. Something on the 2M band will get us to the lowest common denominator of radios of the participants... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROVRMAN2 Posted March 21, 2014 Report Share Posted March 21, 2014 http://forums.radioreference.com/california-radio-discussion-forum/33428-death-valley-freqs.html Long read, I just skimmed it. Seems to have good info on every area except Dumont? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomOwen Posted March 21, 2014 Report Share Posted March 21, 2014 Just a thought but have you reached out to SCLR to see if/how they solve this issue. I'm assuming this is more in their backyard... $.02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinB Posted March 22, 2014 Report Share Posted March 22, 2014 Sclr is still not using ham that much. They are slowly adopting it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertcrawler Posted March 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2014 Sclr is still not using ham that much. They are slowly adopting it. Does the Club still have possession of the two SPOT devices we used on the first couple Death Valley Trips? If I remember right, we were able to send "Im OK" messages from the area we camped via satellite….maybe some strategic use of the SPOT would work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Solis Posted March 22, 2014 Report Share Posted March 22, 2014 I have the spot with 2 way text and delorme handheld gps. I am not going on the trip and if i'm not using it you guys can borrow it. Allows for text messages to be sent and received Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertcrawler Posted March 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2014 2 way spot allows text messages to be sent and received? From cell phones? Or is it one-way simplex only? Sounds like if the club doesn't have theirs anymore I might want to borrow. Once we determine sites we are staying - text message could be sent out to cell phone? Does the Delorme have "in-reach" capapability through the Iridium network - or is it GPS only... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Solis Posted March 22, 2014 Report Share Posted March 22, 2014 It has the in reach option. You use the delorme to type your message. It goes to cell phones or other in reach devices (they can actually map out other units close by). It is iridium. And yes send and receive from cell phones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertcrawler Posted March 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 Hmm - I was looking at in-reach. If there would be a way I could borrow it, I could see things working nicely -- I could broadcast coordinates of our first campsite to those still on the road. Right now, we plan on Driving straight through to Baker - spending the night there. Then making a quick recce run up to the camp site I'd like to snag -- if it is open -- staking it out -- then heading out for a day of fun at the Dunes and maybe finding Crusty Bunny ranch. It sounds like some of our group may not be getting in until Saturday morning -- so having the ability to broadcast to them where we have decided to camp on Friday and Saturday would be a huge bonus. If it wouldn't be too much trouble -- would love to borrow the InReach for sure (since it communicates duplex) and SPOT may be a good device as well for Rupert (unless he has one). Maybe we should do a Mexxi's day in an upcoming weekend and I can show you my planned routes so you can live vicariously! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Solis Posted March 23, 2014 Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 Yeah that sounds fine with me. It has built in tracking so anyone can follow along. It is really nice for this type if communication. Each text msg sends a link to google maps. I think it even sends gps coordinates Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROVRMAN2 Posted March 24, 2014 Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 I got the old SPOT.(bought from Ron many a yr ago). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HMBRover Posted March 24, 2014 Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 I don't think you will find any repeaters in the area you want. They just aren't there. Lots of government land, no roads, no electricity, hills and valleys and no population. Just not repeater friendly territory. Your best bet might be to use high power simplex from high places. HF would do the job during the day. You can try the K5EHX Amateur Repeater Map website - http://www.K5EHX.net. He has changed the site to use Google maps and I had a hard time getting it to do anything. The only option I found was to use the route option in the little menu tab at the top right of the screen. I did find one repeater I hadn't seen before, in Darwin: KI6PSP, 145.000 +0.600 PL 100 Hz. It appears to cover Pannimint Valley pretty well but nothing east of the main mountain ridge in DVNP. It's in a database though and repeater databases are notoriously inaccurate and unreliable. YMMV Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomOwen Posted March 25, 2014 Report Share Posted March 25, 2014 "an idea" I've been thinking about for a while it to bring and extension pole and small ground plane to increase antenna height. Similar to what the guys at Mendo Rally Net control do. Essentially, I have a 3 section 8' extension pole (think pain roller type of deal) with a threaded end. Onto the end I can thread a wooden brush or whatever attachment I can find and onto the wood (a medium I can work with as I am not a welder) I can attach a cookie sheet or whatever. On top of all that maybe an NMO mag mount and a nice Diamond 2m antenna. That gets the antenna an extra 24' in the air. Maybe a small base or way to put on roof, attach a few guy-wires and see what we get... As for DV, maybe take something like this and have planned times for contact where both parties can get set-up at a high point and see if they can connect. I'm waaay rusty on the theory and data but I don't think there is a bunch of tropospheric skip on 2m but fire up the rig and throw 50 watts at it :-) Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpaca Posted October 7, 2014 Report Share Posted October 7, 2014 Would this be an OK radio for club trips ? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009MAKWC0/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER BaoFeng UV-5rA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomOwen Posted October 7, 2014 Report Share Posted October 7, 2014 BAO - FENG!!!!!;-) Yes, there are quite a few of those on Hips, in hands, cup holders and glove boxes. Often described as perfect for trail use but I wouldn't bet my life on it. For $35, it is a very capable little rig that really lowers the bar for getting into HAM. A couple of bucks into a speaker/mic, maybe small mag mount antenna and you are still getting a bunch of change from a "C-note". The next step up in the HT realm is Yaesu, Icom Kenwood, etc... and then there is the Mobile Rig world... Hope this helps and 73's TomKG6DHD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRover Posted October 7, 2014 Report Share Posted October 7, 2014 Would this be an OK radio for club trips ? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009MAKWC0/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER BaoFeng UV-5rA Hey Martin; I know a couple of folks that have the Baofeng UV-5RB. I don't know a lot about the differences between the A and B but from everything I could tell, the UV-5RB seemed like a really good deal. If I didn't already have enough radio stuff I'd consider one as a backup/emergency rig due to the price to performance ratio. Hopefully someone with more personal experience can help but the specs show a very basic but capable unit. Your biggest deficiency will likely be the antenna, but that's the case for virtually any rubber-duck style antenna. I recommend considering an external antenna if at all possible. If not, then I recommend a handheld antenna upgrade like the diamond SRH320A. That antenna is actually tri-band 2m/1.25m/70cm (which you don't need for the Baofeng) but a good dual-band 2m/70cm antenna with a minimum 1/4 wavelength on 2 meters will do ok. To be clear though, with a small duck antenna on the radio and the radio in the car, our club typically gets ok line-of-sight communication on 2 meter -- once we have some rigs around a bend or blocked by a hill, reception goes WAY down -- this is why I recommend an external antenna where possible. There are a lot of nice external antennas that can be mounted without damaging the exterior of your vehicle (no cutting, no holes.) Hope that helps... -Jared Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Solis Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 I use the baofeng with the cheapo external antenna and although it works well for the $100 it set me back (my radio was $50 at the time with a handheld mic and longer non-mag mount antenna and 12V battery eliminator, etc) the range is still lacking. I can hear what most are saying but transmitting distance is not ideal. It is the best/cheapest way tho to get into HAM on the trails. It has worked fine for me for almost 2 years but I am looking to put a proper mobile rig in with cross band repeat and use my baofeng for walking around. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco2Guy Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 I'm in the same boat as you Chris. I'll probably get the Yaesu 8800 (or 8900). I think that's what Sean is running in his truck and has the detachable face plate that makes it easier to mount. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomOwen Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 I'm in the same boat as you Chris. I'll probably get the Yaesu 8800 (or 8900). I think that's what Sean is running in his truck and has the detachable face plate that makes it easier to mount. I have the 8800 in the Disco and I was particularly attracted to the xBand repeat function. These are easily "mod"-able for wider band RX (TX?). I have mine strewn about the truck with head unit/faceplate in the upper console with external speaker, Radio under passenger seat an mic in the center console. There are a couple of work-arounds for the extension kit as well (mic & faceplate) that are pretty easy (standard phone or cat cable - very cool). Also did a switchable power supply and ear-phone jack... ha! Over-Tom-ing it.. While I do love it, I DO NOT take advantage of all of it's capabilities. FYI, I have the programming cable if you are wanting to save $12 ;-)73's, Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco2Guy Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 I'll have to check out your setup on Thursday. I bought the programming cable for the VX-6. I assume the 8800 uses the same one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomOwen Posted October 21, 2014 Report Share Posted October 21, 2014 I'll have to check out your setup on Thursday. I bought the programming cable for the VX-6. I assume the 8800 uses the same one? Brenton, We didn't get around to looking at the Mobile Rig install... in the mean time, here is a link to the Galley of photos from the install. I added a few comments for clarity... Let me know if you have any questions... http://www.owenfotos.com/Toms-Stuff/Rover/Yaesu-FT-8800r-Install-in/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco2Guy Posted October 23, 2014 Report Share Posted October 23, 2014 Thanks! I was thinking about that yesterday on my way in to work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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