Radio geeks help me with this.

[Station 3]

Ok I want to hear a certain frequency in Mexico. I am not far from that country so I pick up radio chatter from that area since I patrol the Mexican border. The frequency I want to hear is 453.1250 MHz I recently purchased a Chinese Baofeng UV-5R radio and also a magnetic large antenna for my patrol car do you think it will work? Here are the specs.

Radio specs.

High / Low Power Settings (4W/1W) Programmable Amateur Radio

• Frequency Range: 65-108 MHz (Only commercial FM radio reception) VHF: 136-174 MHz(Rx/Tx). UHF: 400-520 MHz(Rx/Tx)

• Customize Channel Names, the Boot Display and More by Using the PC03 FTDI Programming Cable

• 1500mAh Battery; Broadband (Wide) 25khz / Narrowband (Narrow) 12.5khz Selectable

• AUTO Keypad Lock, Dual Band, Dual Display and Dual Standby

Magnetic Antenna for car specs.

Frequency: Dual Band 144MHz/430MHz

• Gain: 2.15/3.0dB , Max Power: 10 Watts

• Connector: SMA-Female type connector

If the antenna does not work I will purchase one that will give me better range.

 

[Jarred J.]

Yes it will work but baofengs have the worst receive of the Chinese radios


Pick of antenna? Bigger the better


Did you buy a reverse SMA to pl259 connector as well?

 

[Station 3]

Yes it will work but baofengs have the worst receive of the Chinese radios


Pick of antenna? Bigger the better


Did you buy a reverse SMA to pl259 connector as well?

Double lesbian my friend lol

 

[Jarred J.]

Huh? Lol

 

[801]

Baofeng radio's are the worst of the worst. Unless you need to harass them (over the radio) a good scanner will give you much better reception.
Another option is to watch ebay for a mobile radio in the frequency range that you want.
Not sure how much latitude you have with your patrol vehicle, but a thru the roof NMO antenna will give you the best reception due to the larger ground plane.

 

[C17LVFD]

I've got a Astro spectra in ur range that I can setup as receive only for cheap. With RX only you can put it on a cigar plug. Will give significant better reception that what you have now. PM me if interested.

Seth

 

[Station 3]

Huh? Lol

Yes baofung radios have a female connector instead of traditional male... so I bought a double female aka lesbian

 

[Station 3]

Baofeng radio's are the worst of the worst. Unless you need to harass them (over the radio) a good scanner will give you much better reception.
Another option is to watch ebay for a mobile radio in the frequency range that you want.
Not sure how much latitude you have with your patrol vehicle, but a thru the roof NMO antenna will give you the best reception due to the larger ground plane.

I was told that a radio is better than a scanner at targeting a specific frequency that's why I jumped to get a radio specific to that frequency I want. I currently have a Uniden Bearcat BCT15 Trunktracker III non digital and I can hear the guys I want to hear but only in a specific part of town on a specific hill near the border... and its not safe im like about 25 yards from the actual Rio Grande River by Mexico. You can imagine how unsafe that is your in the possible sights of baddies with guns and your in a marked police car your a very easy target hence why I want to be able to hear them from further distance from a safer location.

 

[Jarred J.]

You'd look funny in Maine...

 

[HCSO249]

Yep know where you're at brother! My dads over in Mission. He watches the evening news just to see how many dead bodies have been found shot, burnt etc etc....heck you know....you're there

 

[801]

I was told that a radio is better than a scanner at targeting a specific frequency that's why I jumped to get a radio specific to that frequency I want. I currently have a Uniden Bearcat BCT15 Trunktracker III non digital and I can hear the guys I want to hear but only in a specific part of town on a specific hill near the border... and its not safe im like about 25 yards from the actual Rio Grande River by Mexico. You can imagine how unsafe that is your in the possible sights of baddies with guns ad your in a marked police car your a very easy target hence why I want to be able to hear them from further distance from a safer location.

I totally understand your point. Yes all things considered a two way radio will give you better reception from a distance. Contact C17LFD and get hooked up with a Moto Astro Spectra, I've used them for years (I still have a Spectra in my work ride that's going on 15 years old and it has fewer problems than those new digital narrow band do everything all frequency radios). Put in a good NMO antenna on the roof and you'll be rocking.

 

[Station 3]

I totally understand your point. Yes all things considered a two way radio will give you better reception from a distance. Contact C17LFD and get hooked up with a Moto Astro Spectra, I've used them for years (I still have a Spectra in my work ride that's going on 15 years old and it has fewer problems than those new digital narrow band do everything all frequency radios). Put in a good NMO antenna on the roof and you'll be rocking.

Awesome yeah I already shot him a PM for that radio.

 

[Station 3]

Yep know where you're at brother! My dads over in Mission. He watches the evening news just to see how many dead bodies have been found shot, burnt etc etc....heck you know....you're there

Yes sir its bad down here to bad nobody knows about what really happens down here. Hopefully with this new presidential administration we get more backup down here.

 

[Station 3]

I've got a Astro spectra in ur range that I can setup as receive only for cheap. With RX only you can put it on a cigar plug. Will give significant better reception that what you have now. PM me if interested.

Seth

SOLD!

 

[HCSO249]

Now that all tht hype is done. Ive been using Mortorola Astro Spectra's as my 2 meter Ham radios for past couple years ( 1 set up as a base and one each in my POV's).... Nodda issue one with RX or TX. I had set up Astro Spectra in UHF for a monitor for work but have since taken it out and am now getting ready to mount it in my car. The down side to having one...if whomever changes frequency on ya, you're hosed until you get it reprogrammed. Thats the benifit of the scanner or Baofeng. You can scan bands quickly to see where they moved to and lock it in.

 

[Station 3]

Yup thats why i got the Baofeng because these guys will jump frequencys if the Mexican Military finds a repeater or antenna they will destroy it so they loose that frequency. So far the Baofeng has done a pretty good job and taking into account that the crappy antenna that comes with my $25 Baofeng usually gives you a 5 Mile range it gets pretty good reception which is scary meaning that these guys are actually pretty close to me in the receiving end... so good investment so far.

 

[bpollard]

a lot of us have started using the Baofengs here for scanners and basically screwing around. I have to say, mine works just as well- TX and RX- as out issued radios do. Just dont drop it or get it wet.

Also, Texas Peace Officer, thank you so much. We appreciate you. Be safe

 

[Jarred J.]

That's why I use a wouxun its water resistant. Not submersible rated but I've dropped mine in puddles before and it kept on ticking

 

[StEaLtH2]

I hate them pudders...... always sneaking up and such....

 

[RyanZ71]

Woux on, Woux off. which of the two do you guys like best for ham radio use? or should I just go with another Kenwood again?

 

[Jarred J.]

I've got wouxuns the u v1d is a tank. I've got a uv8 for its dual receive capability

 

[W2CK]

Hi,

If the dual band antenna isn't quite cutting it, try a single band UHF which will add about 3dB (every 3 dB is a doubling or halving of power). There are compromises involved in making a dual bander. And, yes, the dual bander looks a lot like the single bander.

I prefer Larsen antennas, and have for decades. But maybe what you have can work OK. The best place is in the center of the roof. Move it to the front/rear/side loses 3 dB.

Moving it to the center of a trunk lid loses 3dB as well. And another 3dB loss to the front/rear/side of the trunk.

As others have noted, a mag mount isn't as good as a thru-hole mount. And the NMO is the best of the mobile mount designs.

Stay Safe!

Stan - w2ck

ex-GE/Ericsson design engineer (Harris these days, if one has the scorecard for the names)

 

[QUICKONE]

I've been using Sti-Co for...ahem a few years.

I love it when I can send them a spec and Wha-La its made into a Resonate Radiator..lol

 

[QUICKONE]

I cannot believe not one person explained that a Transceiver's Sensitivity is what you really need to look at when determining a radio's Receiving Capabilities/Performance.

There are a few radios that I'd recommend but I'd need to see what the Ops budget is.

One little-known scanner/receiver work horse is a Yaesu FT-60. for UHF/VHF. It has 10 scanning banks and 999 channels. I've run that poor thing over and all it did was surface scratch the plastic shell.

For all other HF/? and work I'll use my AOR stuff

One other tings nobody mentioned;

A Receiver's antenna does NOT have to be tuned (as in a Resonate Antenna for a Transmitter). You can Hang, Lay and or hook up to lengths of wire an pull in signals from a Continent away.

I won a $20 bet when I used a chain-link fence as an HF listening antenna, (but a bit noisy, but it worked).