PMR446 gateway update and potential mobile 2m/70cm (including PMR446) installation

So, with my finances now improving a new radio (and a brand-new auto-key circuit) can be sorted out for the PMR446 gateway, as well as something for mobile use on PMR446 as well as 2m and 70cm once I have my amateur license (early March), however my radio time is reduced now as I have since taken up full-time employment.

As you know, the PMR446 gateway has been off air for a while due to very little in the way of power on the existing Intek rig, so a new radio is needed, with a new job comes increased income and a possibility of a suitable radio, however as the auto-key circuit is also, for lack of a better term, kaput, a new one is needed, this will involve a trip to Maplin for the new parts, possibly a radio as they also sell these, though may need to order the radio in advance.

For in-car 2/70 use, a magnetic antenna is all I really need, placed out of the way of the CB antenna as that could upset it, a mobile holder, and, to begin with, a battery eliminator circuit for the Wouxun, otherwise a standard PMR set with a detachable antenna for PMR446 (the pro ones are like this) for use on PMR446, the Wouxun is not type-approved for PMR446 so clearly cannot use that.

So, I should have the PMR446 gateway back up and running in the next week or so


73 de 26CT730

The War Against PLT... Ofcom propose to finally do something

Today it came to my attention that Ofcom, the regulator of all things TV and radio, plan to propose regulations that will allow them to enforce the use of PLT devices should they cause undue interference (which is a by-product of their operation as they inject RF into mains wiring which is unbalanced and acts as an antenna) to wireless telegraphy.

A consultation is online now at Ofcom's website and I urge everyone reading this to respond, because the more responses there is then Ofcom will be aware of just how bad the situation with PLT really is.

I've driven through a few towns with the CB in the car lately, some of the noise I have heard break the squelch has been similar to the PLT garbage, sat on top of the hill tonight there is no PLT noise whatsoever as I was a distance from the houses (though not from the power lines).

So, are Ofcom going to join the rest of the radio community in the war against PLT? Hopefully, this will be a victory for common sense.

73 de 26CT730

Midweek nets

I've been aware for some time of some midweek nets running up and down the UK, until now I've not been able to participate in them.

These midweek nets normally take place for a couple of hours on a Wednesday evening, however I do not intend to use the Midland for this, instead I will be using the President Grant 2 running off my sealed lead-acid battery rather than risk discharching the car battery, for simplicity I will be using the antenna on the car rather than the T2LT.

I should be on air from around 6:30pm tomorrow night, static mobile, more than likely at Whashton Road, in the summer months I probably will make the drive up to Tan Hill again for a DX net and maybe the odd midweek net as that would be the best time.

The battery I use for portable operations is now charging, I have programmed specific channels into the memory storage of the Grant 2, though I do not know if it will retain the memory channels or not, I will take along the dummy load and SWR meter just to be safe and make sure everything is working as it should be when I connect the Grant 2 to the car's antenna.

Hope to hear you and talk to you on air tomorrow night


73 de 26CT730

Mobile CB install now operational

After spending many hours working on it the CB radio is now installed and working, and surprisingly well.

First off, the radio, it is wired to the fusebox via a spare circuit (Peugeot in their wisdom included pretty much every circuit for every optional accessory the car could have) for +12v DC, for negative it is connected to a handy point in the chassis as the car is negative earth, the radio is on the top of the dashboard above the stereo, as it's the Midland 78+ Multi the mic socket is conveniently on the driver's side.

Secondly, the antenna, this is on my awful magmount which has had it's rubber protector repaired with Sugru, which has not had any negative effects at all, the cable enters via the boot, and is hidden behind most trim panels on the passenger side.

With the power and the antenna all in place it was then time to drive up to Whashton Road car park, my favourite radio playground as it's higher than my flat, to check SWR, the antenna just simply screwed into the magmount, placed behind a sunroof and not adjusted in any other way gave me a reading of 1:1.5 at channel 1 midblock (test was FM), this progressively dropped the further towards the Muppet band I went and stayed very low, all in all a good job well done, so if you want a cheap and affordable means of communications in your Peugeot 106 then CB is your answer.

Needless to say my "1-9 for a rig check" calls went ignored on UK19, there were people on it and I could hear them so they should have been able to hear me, typical 19 hogging morons, now to put it to good use I think.

I put the radio into "E" band (which is 4 watt AM/FM) to listen to any AM traffic on CEPT, fair bit coming in from the states and some SSB transmissions as well in a few areas, I put the radio back to "UK" band (making it FM only again) so I had access to 27/81 and could have a listen on the way back down home, only muppets on 19 tonight.


73 de 26CT730

Mobile CB installation one step closer

First of all I want to wish all my readers a very happy and prosperous New Year, hope to maybe even hear you on the air this year.

Now, as you read in my last post, I had plans to buy a car, I have since bought a car and it's on the road, though this car is fitted with a sunroof meaning the antenna can't go where I want it, and I can't see any obvious way into the headliner to drill a hole for a stud mount so may have to use a magmount temporarily.

I have yet to install the rig, this may well be a weekend job but I may have found a suitable place for it, I just need to sort out the electrical arrangements to the rig, I still want to do a direct power feed to the battery with a relay controlling the supply so the rig is isolated with the ignition off, I don't wish to wire it via the car's fuse box in case this puts noise on the radio from electronics in the car, though there isn't much electronic in that car as it's on an R registration.

So hopefully in the next few weeks I may be heard on FM and AM mobile (but not SSB as I don't want that rig permanently in the car, so perhaps static mobile on that one), also ideal for non-hobby use as I can be in contact with truck drivers and get ahead of any traffic problems.


73 de 26CT730

Possible mobile CB installation and a PMR446 gateway update

With me not being at the club this week (simply because two weeks after the last club night will be Christmas Day) this post will be on PMR and CB instead.

Firstly, I have had the PMR446 gateway off air because the rig was showing some terrible power readings at the antenna socket leading me to suspect something has blown somewhere, though the radio is still transmitting, I intend to try and find a suitable replacement in the new year.

Mobile CB may once again become a possibility for me without having to do the scooter install (though I still plan to progress with that at some stage when I can find time to do so), as I am looking into getting a car in the new year, a cheap and used car that I'd not mind drilling a hole in the roof to install the antenna on a permanent basis, I already have the antenna and the rig (my Midland 78+ Multi B, there is NO WAY I am permanently installing my President Grant 2 in the car, that can be put on the antenna if I am parked on a hill doing some DX on SSB) yet not the antenna mount and a suitable coax lead with the correct plug for the mount, I may also need a PL259 to SO239 right-angle adaptor should space be tight, other bits I will need are a switch to isolate the rig, a Bosch type automotive relay to ensure the circuit is only switched on with the ignition, possibly a fuse though there is already one on the rig's power line on the live side which is pretty standard anyway, and an extension speaker though I could cobble one of those together out of some bits I have lying about which should save money there.

Planning will come when I actually have the car because all cars are different, planning has to be done so that the rig and microphone are not going to interfere with operation of the car and are not in an airbag deployment area, and that the power and antenna cables can be routed in such a way as they make it to their respective sources.

So to sum up, I should be able to get on the air on the road on CB, and have to do some repair work to the PMR446 gateway, hopefully there will be no difficulties there.


73 de 26CT730

Equipment for PMR446 antenna upgrade ordered and a few other bits

I have placed an order for an SWR meter suitable for the PMR446 channels, I have also added tp this order some PL259s suitable for some cable I found I had lying about which is suitable for use on UHF but not as heavy as RG213, an SO239 coupler identical to what is fitted to the T2LT so the antenna and feeder can be connected together (I will be sealing this up with black sugru to protect it from the elements) and a SMA-F to BNC adaptor to fit the Wouxun in order to attach my Nagoya NA-771 to it when it becomes free again (once the Intek is on the bazooka and operating happily into it)

The SWR meter I have ordered covers from 140MHz (meaning I can use it on 2-meters to double check the slim-Jim on a radio and in situ once I have a license), all the way up to 525MHz (so PMR446 is included), my good CB SWR meter is valid up to 200MHz so for 2-meter antennas I can compare the readings.

The bazooka will be checked for SWR in two places, the first being at Whaston Road car park, my favourite DX spot close to home, the SWR will then be rechecked when the antenna is up in the air, I still need to add some rigidity to the driven element to keep it as vertical as possible (PMR446 units all have antennas that are near enough vertical as almost all type approved PMR446 radios are handheld units (the exceptions to this being the Intek DRS-5070 and it's cosmetically identical predecessor, the Midland BaseCamp446, and the Alan Base446, but these all can operate on batteries and are still portable rather than fixed like a base CB or home Amateur station, the BaseCamp446 has a mic holder on it's rear panel).

I expect to take delivery of the items I have ordered in the middle of next week, and I expect the PMR446 gateway to be moved off the Nagoya and onto the bazooka by the end of next week, range tests will then be carried out once the antenna is up, including to Northallerton, I look forward to seeing if at last I can make it there on PMR446, it's a big ask but it's worth trying.

73 de 26CT730