Today I put an order in for a new radio, it is a CB radio, but not an expensive one, but on arrival there will be the unboxing for YouTube, of course I know what the radio is but you guys will find out in due course what I have ordered.
The set is a brand new multi-standard set, and is compact and fits in the smallest of cars, it apparently can be modified to put out around 8 watts or so but I won't be doing this to remain legal and keep the warranty, it has featured on YouTube channel 'simonthewizard' and also appears on his blog, and that is all I am going to say on it for now.
The radio should, COVID-19 pending, arrive sometime next week, I don't expect it to be on time because of the pandemic but I do know it will arrive as soon as it is possible to have it shipped and delivered as courier services are doing the best they can to keep things going during these times
I do have a few more lockdown reviews videos left to put on the channel too so keep watching for them, and keep watching for this new CB that is coming.
73 de M0WNU/26CT730
Ban PLT
Thursday 30 April 2020
Monday 20 April 2020
A brand new CB radio and antenna for less than £50 (excluding shipping)? surely not
But apparently so, you can get a PNI Escort 7120 radio and PNI Extra 48 antenna (that looks very much like a normal FM broadcast antenna) for less than £50, and I for one am very intrigued.
These are being sold by PJBOX in Cornwall in the UK, as PNI isn't a common brand here in the UK (it's Romanian I believe), and the antenna itself is very fascinating, it won't have the range one would expect from a larger mobile antenna but it will get you on the air and also it would satisfy the requirement I have in my currently postponed proposal to get CB radios made mandatory equipment in every car on British roads.
Even though the radio is primarily sold in the Romanian market it can work on the UK 27/81 frequencies as it's sold as a CRT model here by some retailers, the antenna can possibly be tuned there as well though that is something I will have to investigate, the downside with the antenna is the coax supplied is quite thin stuff so may well prove lossy but it is a full starter kit for £50 and does not look out of place in your car.
I hope to get this pack in and on to my YouTube channel in the coming weeks, might take a little while longer with the whole COVID-19 situation however imports of goods is still going on, and with the dangerous myths about 5G going on right now causing people to burn down mobile telephone base stations (some of which aren't even 5G enabled) CB, and radio in general, is needed more now than ever if the nutjobs destroying mobile phone infrastructure because of a mistaken belief about it and the current situation bring it crashing down.
As I do still plan to make proposals to HM Goverment to make CB radio mandatory equipment in all British registered vehicles now is a good time to buy a set and get it in your car, and this is the perfect set for that, small, compact and comes with a small and discreet antenna.
73 de M0WNU
PS, on the 5G BS I plan to make a video to show how annoyed I am that people think it's connected to the current situation and think it's harmful.
These are being sold by PJBOX in Cornwall in the UK, as PNI isn't a common brand here in the UK (it's Romanian I believe), and the antenna itself is very fascinating, it won't have the range one would expect from a larger mobile antenna but it will get you on the air and also it would satisfy the requirement I have in my currently postponed proposal to get CB radios made mandatory equipment in every car on British roads.
Even though the radio is primarily sold in the Romanian market it can work on the UK 27/81 frequencies as it's sold as a CRT model here by some retailers, the antenna can possibly be tuned there as well though that is something I will have to investigate, the downside with the antenna is the coax supplied is quite thin stuff so may well prove lossy but it is a full starter kit for £50 and does not look out of place in your car.
I hope to get this pack in and on to my YouTube channel in the coming weeks, might take a little while longer with the whole COVID-19 situation however imports of goods is still going on, and with the dangerous myths about 5G going on right now causing people to burn down mobile telephone base stations (some of which aren't even 5G enabled) CB, and radio in general, is needed more now than ever if the nutjobs destroying mobile phone infrastructure because of a mistaken belief about it and the current situation bring it crashing down.
As I do still plan to make proposals to HM Goverment to make CB radio mandatory equipment in all British registered vehicles now is a good time to buy a set and get it in your car, and this is the perfect set for that, small, compact and comes with a small and discreet antenna.
73 de M0WNU
PS, on the 5G BS I plan to make a video to show how annoyed I am that people think it's connected to the current situation and think it's harmful.
Thursday 9 April 2020
Lockdown reviews, I review the radios I own
So given that were are currently in lockdown due to the coronavirus, and many rallies have been cancelled and my plans have had to be shelved as a result I decided to fill in the YouTube 'air time' with this small series where I review my own radios, I start with the Retevis RT87, the video is on render at time of posting and should be uploaded by 8pm BST however it may be a little bit later than that.
I will be following up with this tomorrow if I have time with my Wouxun KG-UVD1P, then following that my Pofung GT-5, then my AnyTone D868UV, my Baofeng BF-888 (which will be reprogrammed for 70cm) and finally my Yaesu FT2D in the VHF/UHF handheld category, I chose not to do my Baofeng UV5RC-Plus because I used it to see if the RT87 faired better and the battery has fallen off it and disappeared meaning a new battery is needed for that radio, my Yaesu FTM-400XDE will be done as well, though it's in the car, and some of my CBs will be done but not the President Grant II and the Thunderpole T-3000, my working PMR446 radios will also be done.
I plan to do this using my once a day exercise allowance, which up until filming the first video I had not used so only really had fresh air when working however being stuck in the house is not good for the old mental health so a brisk walk in the fresh air is a brilliant idea and combining it with YouTube video filming is a brilliant idea and if stopped by the police I can legitimately say I am getting some fresh air, though I will only stay on streets within 5 minutes walk of the home QTH at all times,
And there is also kitties in the first video, and that was not planned as the cats were on the street while I was filming,
73 de M0WNU/26CT730
I will be following up with this tomorrow if I have time with my Wouxun KG-UVD1P, then following that my Pofung GT-5, then my AnyTone D868UV, my Baofeng BF-888 (which will be reprogrammed for 70cm) and finally my Yaesu FT2D in the VHF/UHF handheld category, I chose not to do my Baofeng UV5RC-Plus because I used it to see if the RT87 faired better and the battery has fallen off it and disappeared meaning a new battery is needed for that radio, my Yaesu FTM-400XDE will be done as well, though it's in the car, and some of my CBs will be done but not the President Grant II and the Thunderpole T-3000, my working PMR446 radios will also be done.
I plan to do this using my once a day exercise allowance, which up until filming the first video I had not used so only really had fresh air when working however being stuck in the house is not good for the old mental health so a brisk walk in the fresh air is a brilliant idea and combining it with YouTube video filming is a brilliant idea and if stopped by the police I can legitimately say I am getting some fresh air, though I will only stay on streets within 5 minutes walk of the home QTH at all times,
And there is also kitties in the first video, and that was not planned as the cats were on the street while I was filming,
73 de M0WNU/26CT730
Saturday 4 April 2020
Radio projects I can look at again and a possible radio related birthday livestream on YouTube
So with this lockdown in effect going out /p is not an option, though when the lockdown is over and it is safe to do so I will return to looking at /p operating though now I am gathering ideas.
I have a few radio projects still to work on and parts for these if needed can be ordered online, my igate project which has stalled since Coastal Chipworks in the USA ceased trading requires I look at a new method to get the igate on the air, though I will still use a Raspberry Pi for this which I also have not got however the suppliers are still trading and therefore I can order though there could be delays depending on stock levels, demands and courier companies or the postal service operating on lower staff numbers.
Staying on the igate project, power and antenna have yet to be sorted, the radio will still be the Leixen VV-898 and is cheap, rather than me spending money on a big-name radio though an old Motorola VHF taxi radio could be used here as well I have the VV-898 lying around and 10 watts would be fine (not counting coaxial cable losses).
Other projects will hopefully include finishing the HF slinky antenna I started, I was hoping to get ladder line for that from Blackpool however with me deciding not to go and the rally being cancelled as it falls within the current lockdown period anyway I will have to order this from an online supplier, though I still lack an HF set and an antenna tuner to test it and I would need to properly test it /p which I also cannot do anyway. There also remains to get the boomerang antenna back up and tested, the Zello gateway tested (though I am thinking of obtaining a mini PC to run that exclusively as my shack computer would use more electricity that I'd like just to do that). More YouTube videos will be coming to try and fill the void left by lack of /p and rallies that did not happen because of the coronavirus.
Onto other things, I am hoping to run a livestream the day after my actual birthday as I am working on my birthday, because I can't really have a birthday party this year or even see family like I normally would, I hope to invite people to call in via Zello, Echolink and my YSFReflector, which means that if you are not licensed you can still participate via Zello, I have set up a Zello channel which I am intending to open up during livestreams on my YouTube channel, on Echolink just look for my callsign, and to find the YSFReflector just search on the Pi-Star website as that will give you the number needed if you are using a bridge between YSF and another digital voice mode, an announcement will be made on my YouTube channel once my rota for next week is confirmed which hopefully will be by the time I clock off tonight.
Stay safe guys, enjoy the radio, and also have fun finishing off those projects you've been meaning to, if you can of course.
73 de M0WNU/26CT730
I have a few radio projects still to work on and parts for these if needed can be ordered online, my igate project which has stalled since Coastal Chipworks in the USA ceased trading requires I look at a new method to get the igate on the air, though I will still use a Raspberry Pi for this which I also have not got however the suppliers are still trading and therefore I can order though there could be delays depending on stock levels, demands and courier companies or the postal service operating on lower staff numbers.
Staying on the igate project, power and antenna have yet to be sorted, the radio will still be the Leixen VV-898 and is cheap, rather than me spending money on a big-name radio though an old Motorola VHF taxi radio could be used here as well I have the VV-898 lying around and 10 watts would be fine (not counting coaxial cable losses).
Other projects will hopefully include finishing the HF slinky antenna I started, I was hoping to get ladder line for that from Blackpool however with me deciding not to go and the rally being cancelled as it falls within the current lockdown period anyway I will have to order this from an online supplier, though I still lack an HF set and an antenna tuner to test it and I would need to properly test it /p which I also cannot do anyway. There also remains to get the boomerang antenna back up and tested, the Zello gateway tested (though I am thinking of obtaining a mini PC to run that exclusively as my shack computer would use more electricity that I'd like just to do that). More YouTube videos will be coming to try and fill the void left by lack of /p and rallies that did not happen because of the coronavirus.
Onto other things, I am hoping to run a livestream the day after my actual birthday as I am working on my birthday, because I can't really have a birthday party this year or even see family like I normally would, I hope to invite people to call in via Zello, Echolink and my YSFReflector, which means that if you are not licensed you can still participate via Zello, I have set up a Zello channel which I am intending to open up during livestreams on my YouTube channel, on Echolink just look for my callsign, and to find the YSFReflector just search on the Pi-Star website as that will give you the number needed if you are using a bridge between YSF and another digital voice mode, an announcement will be made on my YouTube channel once my rota for next week is confirmed which hopefully will be by the time I clock off tonight.
Stay safe guys, enjoy the radio, and also have fun finishing off those projects you've been meaning to, if you can of course.
73 de M0WNU/26CT730
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