New gear day.

[KG4NEL]

For the money I paid for a VX6/VX7 pair plus accessories and extra batteries, I could have bought a lot of Baofengs. However, the Yaesus are waterproof - and since I spend a lot of time afield with an HT I felt them to be a better choice for my intended application.

Still might have to get one or two for 'DSG as a purse rig.

I've thought about the VX6. I'm planning on some weekend-length backpacking trips this fall, and would like something to carry...I haven't owned an HT in years. The Kenwood TH-F6A is tempting too...although I wonder how that would do paired up with an antenna at home.

[K0RGR]

My UV5R is sitting here doing it's intermittent squelch pop thing right now. It should settle down in a few minutes. I have an aftermarket battery for it that I have never yet drained.

What route are you planning to take East? I've scoped out a lot of the radio stuff between the upper midwest and Vegas over several routes. If you go up I15, you can use the Intermountain Intertie System, which also covers Vegas. In fact, it covers I-15 from Barstow up into Idaho. Last time I was there, I heard several UV5R's talking to each other through the big linkup.

There are linked repeater systems that cover most of the routes from there, until you get out in the 'flatlands', where they are less common. I don't know beans about New England, other than a couple weeks in a hotel in Boston. From the top floor of the Omni, I didn't work anybody on two meters, heard lots of dead repeaters. All the real traffic seemed to be on UHF. You will find that in many places in the West, too.

[N7YA]

So here it is, the UV5R. Tiny little feller! But it seems really robust and well built, i wasnt expecting that for a $30 radio. :)

Baofeng UV5R.jpg

[N7YA]

My UV5R is sitting here doing it's intermittent squelch pop thing right now. It should settle down in a few minutes. I have an aftermarket battery for it that I have never yet drained.

What route are you planning to take East? I've scoped out a lot of the radio stuff between the upper midwest and Vegas over several routes. If you go up I15, you can use the Intermountain Intertie System, which also covers Vegas. In fact, it covers I-15 from Barstow up into Idaho. Last time I was there, I heard several UV5R's talking to each other through the big linkup.

There are linked repeater systems that cover most of the routes from there, until you get out in the 'flatlands', where they are less common. I don't know beans about New England, other than a couple weeks in a hotel in Boston. From the top floor of the Omni, I didn't work anybody on two meters, heard lots of dead repeaters. All the real traffic seemed to be on UHF. You will find that in many places in the West, too.

I am going to scout out a final route, then program the radio from there. Im still waiting on my Comet antenna, i just think it would be better. So far, what i have laid out is...

Day 1) Vegas, I-15 north into Utah, right at the I-70 and head east through the Rockies and try to make Denver for the night.
Day 2) Denver, I am going to take a couple of photos of the last remaining hanger at the old Lowry Airfield (right off the 70), then hit the 70 across the two-tone landscape for an all day trip to ol' Mizoo!
Day 3) Columbia, MO. From here, i calculate our next stop should be Cambridge, OH. We factored in a stop at my moms house in Carlisle, PA, but they dont like cats...we will have 4 of them with us, thus hindering any really cool side excursions to see stuff. So we will pass them by. It would have been a 3 hour trip from MO to Carlisle, but i am going to find a spot 6 hours beyond there and get a hotel.
Day 4) Anyones guess...i will solidify this down to the finest detail before we go because i am like that. I even have a "Navigators folder" for Devie that outlines each road, ramp, landmark, town we will pass through, hotel info, repeater frequencies, phone numbers and facilities as they appear along the way. The trip will be calculated by speed, time and tolls, gas is a whatever, we will just buy it when we need it. Day 4 should get us into either NY, MA or CT for the night.
Day 5) The final push to Maine. We may stay overnight in Camden just to make our phone calls and arrange meetings for the following day...we also want to check out Camden.
Day 6) Rent a U-haul and go get our stuff from the POD in Portland, then back to Belfast to unpack, shower, yoga, dinner and sleep.
Day 7) ....a week from the day. We celebrate with a lobster shore dinner at Youngs on the water! Then start our new life....just have to sell this house first.

We will do the 15 up to Utah, then its mostly the I-70 until we get out east. I will have the rig on for most of it.

[w2amr]

So here it is, the UV5R. Tiny little feller! But it seems really robust and well built, i wasnt expecting that for a $30 radio. :)

Baofeng UV5R.jpg

I should be getting mine next week.

[W2NAP]

since you are taking 70, avoid indianapolis during the stupid hours 6-9a and 3-6p m-f

[n0iu]

The best way to get around St. Louis is to take I-270 North from I-70. This is just past the Earth City Expressway/Hiway 141 exits. I-270 will eventually meet back up with I-70 after you get into Illinois. If you stay on I-70, this will take you through downtown St. Louis and into East St. Louis, something I do not recommend for the feint of heart! All I can say about that is... National Lampoon's "Vacation"!

[N7YA]

I should be getting mine next week.

Did you do Amazon?

[N7YA]

since you are taking 70, avoid indianapolis during the stupid hours 6-9a and 3-6p m-f

Duly noted! In fact, we will be zipping around the outskirts of any major city we encounter if it falls on rush hour...i've simply had enough of that dung.

[N7YA]

The best way to get around St. Louis is to take I-270 North from I-70. This is just past the Earth City Expressway/Hiway 141 exits. I-270 will eventually meet back up with I-70 after you get into Illinois. If you stay on I-70, this will take you through downtown St. Louis and into East St. Louis, something I do not recommend for the feint of heart! All I can say about that is... National Lampoon's "Vacation"!

Sooooo, you dont recommend staying overnight in Ferguson?