Hopefully I won't bore you into the ground with this. If there end up being a bunch of posts with questions, I'll add more. Stay with it until the end and there might be something of interest to you... What prompted me to post this was this new rig and it looks ideal for me to take on some motorcycle adventures, Elecraft KX-3. I owned one of the K3s for a number of years. For those that are not aware, you need a federal license in the US if you intend to transmit using this type of equipment and in some countries you need a license just to own it. For the KX3 you will need at-least a General level license to take full advantage of it. The advantages are fairly reliable long-distance communications, cheap (a used hand-held $50.00 maybe) - though the sky's the limit, you get a call-sign because you are now a "radio station" and when you're camped out a night you can talk to a bunch of people around the world among other things. Another crazy interest. This might have been touched upon in another post, but I can't find it. In the USA you can get a basic/entry level Technicians license with a small amount of studying to pass and have granted your license. For that privilege you can transmit/operate in all VHF/UHF Amateur bands (frequencies above 30 MHz) and limited operations in certain HF bands, though in Morse code and not voice. Just think, you can talk to your buddies if there's no cell phone connection and if you get separated miles apart, locate each other. There are radios that you don't a license for, but power and distance are limited as well as the frequencies that you can use are severely restricted. If it interests you...http://www.arrl.org/licensing-education-training
Amateur radio is a very handy thing for mobile communications. We're frequently "out there" in parts of the great American West that don't have reliable cell coverage. Yes, you need a license (I've had mine for over 25 years, currently Extra class), and you have to know something of radio theory, FCC rules and regs related to your hobby, and operating techniques and customs to pass the exams. Study guides are excellent and readily available. Further, yes, 2 meter and 440MHz communication is very reliable "simplex" over 10, 20, and 30 miles, but there exists out there a very broad network of repeaters that can make communications reliable over 50, 75 miles, and in some cases, state-wide for interconnected repeaters. It also allows, in many cases, phone patch so you can make phone calls, access to law enforcement, weather updates and storm nets, etc. And there are some great radios out there, ranging from the quite simple to the extraordinarily complex. It's well worth digging into! W.A.
Ok. Then this is just a heads-up posting for equipment only, in regards to the KX-3 radio being adventure bike suitable.
I have been an amateur radio operator since 1975. I started out with homebuilt Heathkit and Polycom radios and built my own antennas. To me that is what "amateur" radio was all about. I lost interest when store bought digital equipment took over, stuff that no amateur could work on, or even understand. I packed away all my old equipment and it is still sitting in the closet. I still carry an old Kenwood 2M/440 HT with me sometimes, for emergency communications where cell phones don't work. From out in the middle of the AZ desert, I can hit a mountaintop repeater from 100 miles away with 12V (5W output) on the radio and a portable (homemade) J pole antenna. I have made some interesting contacts from remote desert campsites, but almost never use the radio at home. Just too boring. Same old crowd on the local repeaters, and a radio I can't even begin to understand. Computers pretty much spelled the death of "real" amateur radio, and now you don't even have to be able to use CW to get a license. Except for the rules, it's become just like business radio.
Okay, not sure what all the strikethrough is about, but the KX-3 is about 100 times more radio than I would ever try to take on a bike. First, since you mention it, a technician license won't even get you started on that radio. Technician class licensees cannot use phone on anything lower than 30MHz. Second, long wavelengths mean big antennas. Not really suited for motorcycle communications, especially while moving. Third, those are a lot of buttons/knobs to try to deal with, again, if you're trying to communicate while riding. And with gloves. And fourth, for local communications, HF is generally awful. You need VHF, which that radio really hasn't got. And no, 6m doesn't really apply. I would look for a simpler, and far cheaper, 2m/440 rig. There are dozens of them out there. W.A.
We use Yaesu 2m handy talks in our tankbags, hardwired to the bike. They are hooked to a Sena SR10. The SR then blue toothes the signal to our Sena headsets. I run a Larson antenna. All works very well and our helmets or headsets are not wired to the bikes. We talk like old women. We just talk simplex bike to bike, we've never used repeaters, tho they might be handy in an emergency.
One of the neat things now, is you can upgrade from Technician to General or Extra with just a simple written test. To get my General required a 13 wpm code test, I took it 4 times before passing it. I had already decided that would be my last try. Never been good with CW. Just not my thing. Operating on HF does not require one of those huge several thousand $$$ antennas. Study antenna theory, and you can build a much smaller antenna out of mostly wires that will work almost as well. They even make HF antennas that mount on vehicles. If conditions are just right you just might make a few good contacts that way. But I never saw HF as good for short range communications. VHF/UHF FM works a lot better for that, unless there is a mountain in the way.
Ok fixed the strike-through so there's no confusion. These "computer" radios are just as fixable as those hollow state job, just different skills and equipment. I know because I've fixed and home-brewed both. The KX-3 is suitable for the camp out portion of the ride with just a long-wire antenna and a ground - that's it. I wouldn't want to use it while riding either, but it is the smallest and best equipped to have with you. "Handys" probably are the best route to go for "helmet to helmet" communications on long rides, agreed. I would not attempt to wire up a station rig like a K3 or even the ultra-portable KX-3 to the bike for the ride. This post was just to inform about the KX-3 and if there were other radios that other riders have had success using like the "Yaesu 2m" @Dagwood_55 uses. 73-
I feel your pain Jerry. In 1985, I spent 7 months in Petaluma CA learning to be a Coast Guard Radioman. Radio and propagation theory, how xmtrs, rcvrs, & antenna work. Morse code - had to do 18 wpm to graduate, and radio teletype. The most complicated thing I've ever seen was a Model 28 teletype. In '92 they took the tty off ship I was on and replaced it with a computer. Still, it was fun talking to Portsmouth VA from Alaska on HF. In '95, the CG sent it's last CW message. Then in 2003, USCG Radiomen were no more. Have to say, I really miss it sometimes.
I agree with you; I got a KX3 for Christmas, and am looking at the Yahoo Groups forum for some ideas on how to pack it in my saddlebag. With the built-in antenna tuner, it should be perfect for cross country trips. I love mine, particularly on PSK31. How do you like yours? 73's
If you are looking for a radio for your bike I would recommend a Yaesu FTM-10R. http://www.yaesu.com/indexvs.cfmcmd...06&encprodid=af7e08dc3f2467b1b4b2cb4da49bcf88 Also, if you are serious about using an amateur radio on a motorcycle take a look at Motorcycle Amateur Radio Club (MARC) at http://www.marc-hq.org/
Saw the tread and was coming hear to post that , I think the Vx8 handheld also has bluetooth capability and its water proof .
I run a Yaesu VX-7R HT wired into my helmet. I think its got a Larson antenna on it. While the perfomance isn't as good as a full size mobile antenna, it works well enough to communicate while riding on dirt trails. KC0ZAC
Just starting to install a Yaesu FTM01R on my 2011 GSA in the right pannier with the haed on the left side handle bar. Quick question what is the best antenna for sat 2m/240? also have you noticed any battery drain with the unit (hard wired to battery no relay) turned off?
Revitup - I'm taking my Tech license test next week and was looking at this radio for the bike. Do you know if there is any way to do APRS with it, ideally along with a Garmin Montana? Maybe with a TinyTrack? What I'm looking to do is plot recieved APRS position data on the Montana via NMEA. Otherwise, do you know of any other APRS enabled mobile rigs that are also weatherproof? The FTM-350 seems to be the ticket, but no IPX rating. Thanks.
For Picnic table Portable when camping on the bike I use my Yaesu FT817 its all band and all mode. Batteries internal so no need to even conect to the bike for power. It is QRP but that is what I enjoy working any way. have a dual band antenna on my GS for FM and use a long wire or buddy pole for HF. I also have a SGC 2020, they are a very rugged portable HF radio and can run 20w output. For portable or manpack HF radio take a look at http://hfpack.com/ they do more with less and while moving than any other group I know. I have had QSO's with Hikers, Bikers, and even a guy canoeing. Much less had great chats with others like myself setting around a camp or in there back yard looking at the stars. 7 3
I run the FTM-10SR on my 2009 Suzuki Vstrom and my current setup is the Sena SMH10 BT headset paired to the BU-1 chip in FTM-10SR radio. However, that setup ties up your connection to the radio 100% of the time, so I am switching over to using the Sena SR10 BT hub directly wired to the radio which will work way better. I wired my unit up to have a battery tender plug on one end. That way I can just plug it into the battery tender plug that goes directly to the battery. When I get home, I just unplug the unit (no battery drain for sure) and plug in the battery tender. I have seen others report having a battery drain issue when left connected to a power source, so I just decided this was the best way. The battery tender plug is always there for power when I'm riding, and I don't need it plugged in when I get home. As for antenna's, stick with a 1/2 wave. They work better on a bike without a big ground plane. I started with a Comet CA-2x4SR on my Vstrom, but it's a 5/8 wave on 2m and I was having trouble getting the SWR where I wanted it. I liked the antenna overall for its ruggedness, but it just didn't work well on the bike. I ended up moving that to my car and put my Diamond SG-7500 on the bike. The Diamond isn't nearly as rugged (especially with those 3 different sections that make up the antenna) and I already had it fail once on me while riding down a gravel road. Thankfully, I found the missing section on the road and was able to put it back to together. The SG-7500 works phenomenally signal wise, just isn't rugged enough to be left on the bike all the time. I use it for bicycle events where I really want to have a good signal, but it comes off after that. I had another antenna physically break while using on the bike. It was a tri-bander I had and the top section of the antenna eventually fatigue and break off. I think the better antenna's to use on the bike are the one's with only basically 1 piece that doesn't leave a lot of parts for failure and what ever antenna you get, make sure you loctite the little screws in it. They will come out.
