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Thread: Network radios. Virtual ham radio?

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    Team GunsNetwork PLATINUM 10/2012 rci2950's Avatar

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    Network radios. Virtual ham radio?

    I bought an Inrico T320 online from the UK and received it yesterday. I set it up with a SIM card from Dollar General. Prepaid 500mb of data only. I used a made up name. So this walk talky uses the Echolink, Zello and Teamspeak 3. Most hams know what Echolink is. Zello is a wacky talky app that has searchable chat rooms that are just like CB channels. Lots of people in open channels. This is the app I have installed and am currently using. I am in a UK Ham radio channel that is connected to an open air VHF repeater in Ireland and Australia at the same time. Good bunch. Teamspeak 3 has ham radio operator only sections with feeds into repeaters. Apparently even some HF ones. The handheld uses either WIFI or cellular data. There is no difference in performance between either one. I have been on it all day long and I used about 9mb of data. There is a push to talk button on the side, An antenna and a belt clip. You can also use this as a phone if you like. But the device is clearly made for it to be radio first. Audio is from a speaker that outputs to the back. this is actually ideal because when you are holding the unit in your hand with the belt clip in your palm and your finger on the PTT button, The space between your palm and the back of the radio form a sort of sound resonator. You can direct the sound to your face by holding it antenna pointing toward you. So when its noisy or windy you can still hear quite clearly. Im very happy with this. Well worth the money.

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    Team Guns Network Silver 04/2013 alismith's Avatar

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    So, there's no one local talking on it...Just UK and Australia? Did you need some sort of license for it?
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    Team GunsNetwork PLATINUM 10/2012 rci2950's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by alismith View Post
    So, there's no one local talking on it...Just UK and Australia? Did you need some sort of license for it?
    There are thousands of people on it. I just stopped on that channel. If you want access to the Amateur radio repeaters then yes you need an amateur radio license. If your just going to use the chat rooms or channels then no you don't need a license. Yesterday when messing around with it, I ended up having the opportunity to check in on the Alaska morning net. I was just connecting to one repeater after the other until I found one with activity.
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    Team Guns Network Silver 04/2013 alismith's Avatar

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    OK. Thanks. Where did you purchase this radio? I've never heard of them. Just curious....
    "Valar morghulis; valar dohaeris."

    Commucrats are most efficient at converting sins and crimes to accidents or misunderstandings.-Oswald Bastable

    Making good people helpless won't make bad people harmless.

    Freedom isn't free.

    "Attitude is the paintbrush that colors our world." TV Series, Haven.

    My Spirit Animal has rabies.

    I'd rather be an American than a Democrat.

    "If you can make a man afraid, you can control him" Netflix Series, The Irregulars

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    Senior Member NAPOTS's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by alismith View Post
    So, there's no one local talking on it...Just UK and Australia? Did you need some sort of license for it?
    Since he got a burner sim card (paid cash with fake name) doesn't that preclude him from silly things like licence requirements imposed by "the man"

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    Team Guns Network Silver 04/2013 alismith's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by NAPOTS View Post
    Since he got a burner sim card (paid cash with fake name) doesn't that preclude him from silly things like licence requirements imposed by "the man"
    Not necessarily. In some areas, Hams will turn you in if you're broadcasting without a license. They like to police their own ranks....
    "Valar morghulis; valar dohaeris."

    Commucrats are most efficient at converting sins and crimes to accidents or misunderstandings.-Oswald Bastable

    Making good people helpless won't make bad people harmless.

    Freedom isn't free.

    "Attitude is the paintbrush that colors our world." TV Series, Haven.

    My Spirit Animal has rabies.

    I'd rather be an American than a Democrat.

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    Senior Member NAPOTS's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by alismith View Post
    Not necessarily. In some areas, Hams will turn you in if you're broadcasting without a license. They like to police their own ranks....
    I'd assume he is using a fake name to braodcast as well, like Corey Trevorson (ala trailer park boys)

  8. #8
    Senior Member JTHunter's Avatar

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    A rather expensive item.
    http://inrico.shop/product/inrico-t3...roid-unlocked/ $249 just for the unit PLUS a yearly "subscription fee" per radio ($59)
    https://www.amazon.com/Inrico-Blueto.../dp/B07947LCTJ Amazon doesn't even list the price !!
    https://www.moonraker.eu/inrico-t320...work-radio-poc This site lists the price in "pounds" (170)
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    Senior Member NAPOTS's Avatar

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    I guess I don't really understand this item.

    So it is like a radio but operates on 4g or wifi but is not a cellular phone?

    so it uses 4g/wifi the same way cb uses a frequency band effectively expanding your range (as long as you have a connection)?

    can it use normal radio frequencies as well?

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    Administrator Krupski's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by rci2950 View Post
    I bought an Inrico T320 online from the UK and received it yesterday.
    Well, don't want to sound like an arrogant prick, but comms like that are no different than CB. Any ole person can get on with no license, no test, nothing to differentiate them from the unwashed masses of free-for-all communications. It will end up like the Internet.

    Ham radio has degraded enough already with easy no-code licenses and store bought radios. A ham license meant you KNEW your shit and usually the radio you used was home built. People who bought a radio were derisively called "appliance operators". There was pride in being an amateur radio operator. Now, it's barely better than CB, and as far as I'm concerned, cellular walkie-talkies ARE CB, just on a different frequency.

    So, it may be fun and convenient to be able to talk like a 2 way radio with better coverage than a 2 meter or 450 rig and a repeater, but it's not ham radio. And, since any ole Joe can do it, be prepared for CB like lawlessness, overmodulated echo boxes and malicious interference.
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    Administrator Krupski's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by alismith View Post
    Not necessarily. In some areas, Hams will turn you in if you're broadcasting without a license. They like to police their own ranks....
    True. If we don't, the FCC will, and we don't want that. Plus, we EARNED our licenses which makes it annoying for a freebooter to be on our frequencies.
    Last edited by Krupski; 06-20-2020 at 12:07 AM.
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    Administrator Krupski's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by NAPOTS View Post
    I'd assume he is using a fake name to braodcast as well, like Corey Trevorson (ala trailer park boys)
    A bootleg operator can be found by which cell tower he hits, and the radio itself may send some unique identification data. Fake name doesn't help there. Sounds like CB there, good buddy!
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    Senior Member JTHunter's Avatar

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    If they are still available, CBs with SSB (single side-band) would give you better range. Even more so with a directional antenna. There used to be a lot of people on regular CB using "footwarmers" (illegal boosters) which is where a lot of the TV interference on channel 2 (a harmonic of CB-23) happened. With TV switching to digital from analog, that probably doesn't happen any more.
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    Team Guns Network Silver 04/2013 alismith's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by JTHunter View Post
    If they are still available, CBs with SSB (single side-band) would give you better range. Even more so with a directional antenna. There used to be a lot of people on regular CB using "footwarmers" (illegal boosters) which is where a lot of the TV interference on channel 2 (a harmonic of CB-23) happened. With TV switching to digital from analog, that probably doesn't happen any more.
    They're still available.
    "Valar morghulis; valar dohaeris."

    Commucrats are most efficient at converting sins and crimes to accidents or misunderstandings.-Oswald Bastable

    Making good people helpless won't make bad people harmless.

    Freedom isn't free.

    "Attitude is the paintbrush that colors our world." TV Series, Haven.

    My Spirit Animal has rabies.

    I'd rather be an American than a Democrat.

    "If you can make a man afraid, you can control him" Netflix Series, The Irregulars

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    Administrator Krupski's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by JTHunter View Post
    If they are still available, CBs with SSB (single side-band) would give you better range. Even more so with a directional antenna. There used to be a lot of people on regular CB using "footwarmers" (illegal boosters) which is where a lot of the TV interference on channel 2 (a harmonic of CB-23) happened. With TV switching to digital from analog, that probably doesn't happen any more.
    A linear amplifier is rather useless for CB (and ham radio as well). Radio signal strength is logarithmic. This means that to double the strength of your signal at the receiving end, YOUR output power has to increase by a factor of 10. A good antenna and quality feedline (coax) will do more to improve your signal than trying to force a kilowatt through a wet noodle.
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    Administrator Krupski's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by alismith View Post
    They're still available.
    A class AB1 linear amplifier is probably the easiest thing to build. Big tube, big power supply, an RF choke or two and a matching network between the plate and antenna socket.

    In the days of CRT televisions, a single discarded large (23 to 25 inch) color TV had 95 percent of the parts needed to build a nice 50..60 watt Clown Band (CB) linear, including a nice hefty power transformer.
    Gentlemen may prefer Blondes, but Real Men prefer Redheads!

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