Reviewing your Ham radio setup

[expat]

So I am considering an upgrade, but not convinced.

Who, that has a dual band, uses cross band functionality?

Who uses APRS enough to have warranted the extra cost?

Who uses the full duplex operation?

My personal experience has been that I use simplex mode for probably 85% of my use and 15% in repeater mode. I don't have access to cross band or APRS. Is it truly worth upgrading for these two features?

[bulldog]

I have used dual band mostly for the second band to drive APRS. APRS was connected to the GPS, and it was a really nice feature when with other that had this enabled as you could see them on the GPS. Made it easy to find each other.

Used dual band only a few times to monitor a repeater while still simplex with the group. This is handy, but not used it very much.

90% + of the time used 1 band in the 2m range to communicate with others in the group. The other features are only handy if others have them as well, but in our past it just never saw much adoption.

Really depends if your wheeling groups are starting to use the other features i.e. repeaters by areas for events, APRS, etc. We talked about it a lot on 120, but it never got traction here, maybe other groups. Though in my experience it is hard enough to get people ot get hams and licenses never mind the expanded features/benefits.

[expat]

Originally Posted by bulldog

I have used dual band mostly for the second band to drive APRS. APRS was connected to the GPS, and it was a really nice feature when with other that had this enabled as you could see them on the GPS. Made it easy to find each other.

Used dual band only a few times to monitor a repeater while still simplex with the group. This is handy, but not used it very much.

90% + of the time used 1 band in the 2m range to communicate with others in the group. The other features are only handy if others have them as well, but in our past it just never saw much adoption.

Really depends if your wheeling groups are starting to use the other features i.e. repeaters by areas for events, APRS, etc. We talked about it a lot on 120, but it never got traction here, maybe other groups. Though in my experience it is hard enough to get people ot get hams and licenses never mind the expanded features/benefits.

I have been wheeling with a lot of other groups in the past two years. No-one uses the other features. Many have handhelds. Like you say, trying to get everyone to use HAM is a struggle. Hell we even know people who have had HAM radios for years and still dont have a licence lol .

Im thinking of just keeping what I have, updating my repeater bands, upgrading my stock music radio to Bluetooth, camera, single DIN, and placing my HAM in the spare single DIN space. Single DIN wont give much of a screen size for the camera, but will come in handy for backup with a 40" wheel on the back!

I love the idea of the additional features, but like you say, not having others with the same features makes it less than functional.

[05sport4x4]

Here are my thoughts.
I have a dual band with APRS. Like Andries I used the second band for either the ARPS feature or to monitor a second channel/repeater. I liked the idea of APRS and bought the same Kenwood as Ed hoping more people would get the feature. I really only used it is a group a few times and normally there was only a couple of others with it. One interesting thing with the APRS it can be viewed on a web site based on your call sign. I have done that for my wife a few times when I was out.

I do a lot more monitoring a second channel with the radio. I have not tried the cross band repeater mode either. I would buy another dual band just for the monitoring ability but I don't think APRS is worth it unless more people got one.

Again because of the groups I go out with I have only used simplix mode.

[05sport4x4]

Originally Posted by expat

Im thinking of just keeping what I have, updating my repeater bands, upgrading my stock music radio to Bluetooth, camera, single DIN, and placing my HAM in the spare single DIN space. Single DIN wont give much of a screen size for the camera, but will come in handy for backup with a 40" wheel on the back!

My only concern with putting it in the dash would be the heat that can be created when transmitting. Some units have fans others use heat sinks but either way I'm not sure how that would work in the confines of the dash. Just thinking outload.

My current unit is mounted under the passenger seat.

[expat]

Yeah. Mine has its own fan and I added a second fan. I will have to look at space availability but all I really need is the detachable face plate in the second din space. I'd probably leave the base unit in the cargo tools storage space (where the stock jack goes).

[Sprung17]

So I’m running the Yaesu FTM 400. The crossband repeater has only been used once, just for funsy. Dual band is used to run APRS on B, and A is whatever frequency I’m chatting on. With the APRS feature, there’s a way to send a text to any cellphone when your in a dead zone. The text message also links your GPS coordinates. I rarely use that function, but it’s nice to know I can send a text message to someone.