Tom - thanks for that update on your projects - definitely some food for thought there. Keep the progress reports coming!
One reason I've not fully embraced PNW DMR is that they are... (shall we say) "tightly structured", and thus don't "embrace" experimentation such as data over DMR. That's why when I do get more into DMR (one portable, one mobile) I'll probably hang out on Brandmeister repeater (fortunately, I have a few in my area) because they do encourage experimentation, including data over DMR.
One thing that has helped me organize my workshop (N8GNJ Labs - https://www.n8gnj.org) was someone mentioning the use of a commercial baking rack (example - https://www.costcobusinessdelivery.com/winco-aluminum-sheet-pan-rack-with-casters.product.11989605.html) for commercial size aluminum baking sheet pans. That is a brilliant idea; it lets me get (way too many...) projects in progress off my workbench. When I do have time, or parts arrive, or the mood strikes for working on a particular project, I pull out that project's sheet and load it onto my workbench for some progress.
It worked out TOO well - while the first one was found at a garage sale, complete with 25 sheets for < $50 total, I felt like a second one would be better, so I invested in a brand new one (see link above).
I'm heading down the Dell Wyze 3040 path as I'd like to put another node out in the barn which is about 80 meters from the house and~305' ASL so about 40 feet up the hill from the house. I use my one base node number for the two nodes I operate at present, so my clearnode ends in zero and my clearzero ends in "1". Keepin' 'em guessin'. I need to learn how to dial in using my hamshackhotline and hamsoverip phone kube and hamsoverip softphone on my iphone. Thank you for the prompting with all the Allstar work you're doing.
As for DMR, I have the earlier version of the Anytone 878UVPlus and several hotspots, but we have nothing like the PNW Digital Network here in the Philadelphia area. I'm envious. There are DMR repeaters I can hit with my HT, but despite nearly two years of off and on efforts, I've not found a DMR repeater/TG where I can "hang out."
It turns out that it's a clone of the Kenwood TM-271A radios and I can vouch for that radio. I have four of them. Two in full-time service, one on an RMS VHF Gateway for ~18 monts at full power no downtime due to the radio and one on a packet BBS/node for ~8 months. One is a cold backup sitting in the radio cabinet in the barn and the last one is on my bench waiting for me to take off the cover and solder in the 6-pin miniDIN pigtail cable to modify the radio for digital sound card use.
I very much enjoy your reporting of your ham radio adventures. 73 de K3FZT / Steve
Tom - thanks for that update on your projects - definitely some food for thought there. Keep the progress reports coming!
One reason I've not fully embraced PNW DMR is that they are... (shall we say) "tightly structured", and thus don't "embrace" experimentation such as data over DMR. That's why when I do get more into DMR (one portable, one mobile) I'll probably hang out on Brandmeister repeater (fortunately, I have a few in my area) because they do encourage experimentation, including data over DMR.
One thing that has helped me organize my workshop (N8GNJ Labs - https://www.n8gnj.org) was someone mentioning the use of a commercial baking rack (example - https://www.costcobusinessdelivery.com/winco-aluminum-sheet-pan-rack-with-casters.product.11989605.html) for commercial size aluminum baking sheet pans. That is a brilliant idea; it lets me get (way too many...) projects in progress off my workbench. When I do have time, or parts arrive, or the mood strikes for working on a particular project, I pull out that project's sheet and load it onto my workbench for some progress.
It worked out TOO well - while the first one was found at a garage sale, complete with 25 sheets for < $50 total, I felt like a second one would be better, so I invested in a brand new one (see link above).
I'm heading down the Dell Wyze 3040 path as I'd like to put another node out in the barn which is about 80 meters from the house and~305' ASL so about 40 feet up the hill from the house. I use my one base node number for the two nodes I operate at present, so my clearnode ends in zero and my clearzero ends in "1". Keepin' 'em guessin'. I need to learn how to dial in using my hamshackhotline and hamsoverip phone kube and hamsoverip softphone on my iphone. Thank you for the prompting with all the Allstar work you're doing.
As for DMR, I have the earlier version of the Anytone 878UVPlus and several hotspots, but we have nothing like the PNW Digital Network here in the Philadelphia area. I'm envious. There are DMR repeaters I can hit with my HT, but despite nearly two years of off and on efforts, I've not found a DMR repeater/TG where I can "hang out."
As to the TYT-TH-9000D you might want to watch some/all of the video at https://youtu.be/otdZKhGqv6Y
It turns out that it's a clone of the Kenwood TM-271A radios and I can vouch for that radio. I have four of them. Two in full-time service, one on an RMS VHF Gateway for ~18 monts at full power no downtime due to the radio and one on a packet BBS/node for ~8 months. One is a cold backup sitting in the radio cabinet in the barn and the last one is on my bench waiting for me to take off the cover and solder in the 6-pin miniDIN pigtail cable to modify the radio for digital sound card use.
I very much enjoy your reporting of your ham radio adventures. 73 de K3FZT / Steve
Thank you Tom for your writings! You help me learn something with each newsletter.
73, Bryan, W4HLD