I guess Im randomly asking but does any of you know of a method to log back into an Instagram account?? I was stupid lost the login password. I appreciate any assistance you can give me!
For me being military and using Thales and L3 Harris which are wildly expensive and unavailable for personal use, this was an AMAZINGLY informative video that I need to upgrade my personal kit for civilian use. Thank you.
Thanks. Yeah, those types of military commos are real hard to get your hands on outside of duty. There are better radios than the Baofeng but they don't do a whole lot more than them.
@@CallMeColtLLC boafeng is a pretty solid unit. Nearly every military police officer I knew had one on them as well as issued stuff to listen to local/state traffic to intercept stuff coming to us so we didn't get blind sided. This was in WA. State, so it was constantly wet, and occasionally roughed up.
Just keep in mind these Boafeng radios are not encrypted and anyone can listen to your conversations. so tachticool you are, secure you are not. Also of note the L3HARRIS / THALES radios are for military use and have military tone squelch which Boafang does not. if you want to talk (PT) from civilian to military radio you can use CTCSS or CDCSS squelch which most modern military radios have. But very cool setup, I love peltors and I was using a covert ear piece for my civi set up but I think I'll go look into this skyeye adaptor for shooting with my peltors. Thanks for the info!
Wildly expensive... Yes, quite ! However there's three better options now: * Baofeng AR-152 (a good reproduction of the PRC152) advertised as 10watts, V/UHF 12,000mah lithium battery, FM broadcast ** Baofeng BF H-5 10 watts, V/UHF, 2200mah battery, FM broadcast *** Triumph Instrument PRC 152 (China) THIS is a darn near perfect copy of the actual govt issue comms. Under $500. Seems to have good reviews. I have the Baofeng BF H-5 and I'm well pleased. Saving up for the Triumph...
@@baronedipiemonte3990 your comment is only 9 months old so I guess what you have listed is still up to date and good to go but I’m curious what’s come out since your comment that’s better then what’s listed. Essentially I’m asking if what you listed is still up to date or now outdated and replaced with xyz radios. Thanks man. I know that was a giant word wall
Dude, thank you so much for taking the time to put this information out. I've just started looking into alternative comms and this was a huge help, looking forward to the follow up!
I'm going to be doing a durability test on the radio & PTT in the future. If you order from SkyEye Tactical, tell them you saw their stuff on my channel. They reached out to me saying this video has gotten them a bunch of orders.
@@CallMeColtLLC That's awesome! I definitely will mention you and and your channel when I order from them. Thanks again for sharing your experience, cheers.
CALLMECOLT!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS...excellent job of explaining....also thank you for the NO music crap that 99% of youtubers think they need to play.....also, voice level was perfect and clear audio and non shaking camera....I have been wanting to do this for about 3 years, but did not know how to put it together and knew about how everything has to mesh together....subbed!
Thank you. Yes, I've done the music thing on a few other videos but have learned over time. This is one of my better videos. I, like you, spent about 3 years figuring this out. Wanted to put it out there to save others the time & money. Lot's of other good information in the comments to so as to add a few options.
Dude I’ve been looking so long for a video like this. Thank you so damn much. A lot of this stuff I’m going to buy to go on my gear. This was super helpful.
Thank you! I put a lot of time & effort into figuring out the setups, & then even more time making the video because I couldn't find this information out there & know that other people wanted it. Please share! I plan to make updated videos in the future.
Great video, thanks for putting in the work. I experimented with baofengs and cheap gear years ago but gave up once I enlisted. Will for sure get a setup like this for civilian usage 👍🏻
What a well thought out, informative, and thoroughly prepared video. You, sir, have done the work, and we will all benefit from your labor. Much gratitude, my captain. You easily earned a sub on this one. Thank you.
OUTSTANDING Video! I wish TH-cam had not hidden it when I was looking for info on Radios a couple of weeks ago! I just purchased 4 of the Baofeng UV-5RX3 they came with the kit and they had really good reviews everywhere I looked and the Idea of Hooking the Radio to my Peltor SWAT TAC EarPro which was very similar to the ones we used in the Navy and I was able to pick up a Set on Clearance Online for less than 200 about 6 years ago. I know that the head set can support all the goodies Mics and push to talk but I need to get the adapter to go from the radio to the headset and get the accessories. With all the Chaos going on and being the owner of a Small Gun shop NOT going to be OUTGUNNED but could be OUT-Maneuvered if I do not coordinate properly with my Security Team locally we are ALL Veterans and are used to Tactical Communications but when I looked at getting something similar to what I had in the service each Radio was going to be around $1K that is without accessories! THanks for ALL the GREAT INFO I am going to BE Ordeing the Stuff I need TONIGHT!
Well they do organize the frequency spectrum allocation which is very important. Check out a "US Frequency Spectrum Chart" and tell me organizing all that isnt important.
Okay... first I posted a snarky response about how the $10k would feel. I deleted that. Here’s the useful info: 1. Getting a Technician License with the FCC is really easy and cheap. That will help you understand what you can and can’t do while a state of emergency hasn’t been declared so you don’t end up paying a $10k fine. 2. This is a really good video. Dump the Nagoya antenna and (this was really surprising) get a Tacticool antenna instead. The one you showed is interesting. If you were to go get that Technician license, you would find out how that antenna might likely burnout your radio over time because of a high SNR ratio. So maybe there is something useful in my comments. Good luck and 73s.
GREAT !!! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you !!! Your research is greatly appreciated and will help me tremendously with quality Commo. I am really very thankful for sharing your information.
Excellent choices selecting your gear. I'm working on a similar civilian setup. I like that you looked at the rugged features needed for the radio based on intended use. I'm a ham radio operator and selected the Yaesu VX-6R for a number of reasons. The main reasons where the IP67 rating, rugged case construction, threaded waterproof connector and ability to unlock transmit with the MARS mod. I recently purchased the Disco32 PTT for the VX-6R, but now need to figure which headset. It will be a "buy once, cry once" purchase (Peltor Comtac III or Sordin MSA). Again, great job.
I didn't go with the Disco32 because of the lack of PTT protection. They have that printed add on, but I didn't like it much as you saw in the video. For about the same cost, the SkyEye is a much better option. It just sucks that it isn't US based but from experience, they are really good with customer service and support. The new Ops Core headset may be something to look at. If money was not an option, I'd go for that. They have removable/replaceable just about everything. CommGearSupply has them and you can use my 10% off code, CallMeColt10. By all means, shop around though! Just selflessly promoting. :p www.commgearsupply.com/collections/ops-core-amp-headsets
@@CallMeColtLLC You're the second person to mention CGS today. I'm also looking at getting into some LMR radios, specifically the EFJohnson 5100 ES. I'll try CGS for this radio if they sell a PTT for it.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! YOUR VIDEO WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT HELPED ME FIND EXACTLY WHAT I BEEN LOOKING FOR. I SPENT THREE WEEKS EVERY NIGHT TRYING TO FIND VIDEOS ON RADIOS FOR COMMS AND COULDNT UNTIL I FOUND YOURS
I spent a long time myself as well. Glad the video is reaching people & helping them! I plan to post more in the future as related to civilian available "tactical" commos so keep an eye out.
The best video I've seen, you hit a lot of good basic starter points. You explained it well, I usually bail on 20min vids. I stuck around to hear your opinions on the equipment likes and dislikes. Excellent job with the info and links. Thanks again very helpful.
Thank you both! I put a lot of thought into this video because I'm just like you and usually don't stick around for a long video but it was impossible to really make it any shorter without fully explaining.
Fellow amateur radio operator here - damn good video! I wasn't even aware that Baofeng made a radio with that connector. I just bought 2 and the Skyeye PTT. THANKS!!
Hey, great video man. I, like many, have been looking at the discontinued Baofeng UV-5R 5 watt UHF radios, and all the fixins so I too can have comms among my family/friends/crew when we hike, fish, or if SHTF. Lots of great perspectives from trying your gear and your trial and feedback. Nice that we get to benefit from it. As with anything, real world use and what your are doing with your gear "in the wild" as I call it, it matters. I have some really cool gear that I like, but it is not rugged, or waterproof or ruggedized and "in the wild" would probably break. Just when I thought I was settled on gear to use, now I have to readjust all my logic based on this new info. LOL
dang CALLMECOLT, well done sir. I am just now diving down this rabbit hole. I think I can just stop right here. Thanks for the info and the links man. Thanks sir.
FINALLY! I’ve been hoping someone else would be the guinea pig and spend all the money on the trail and error needed to put a good reliable comm setup together. I’ll be spending some money soon. THANK YOU!
Very well done sir. Wish I’d seen this in March when i was experimenting with every PTT and adapter under the sun trying to make my Peltors work with my BF-F8HP. Eventually I changed my Peltor mic from a dynamic to a condenser. This was the only way i could match the impedance of the radio’s microphone input. I didn’t know about the radio with the multi-pin on the side and will buy one to test with. Thanks for the great video.
Changing the mic on the headset is not a bad option at all. I was about to do that and then I found the PTT I talk about in the video. it actually would be more versatile to change the mic out like you did.
The largest Baofeng dealer in the U.S. laughed at this radio being waterproof. I owned one of these, and the Push To Talk Button died the 1st day. I had only pushed it maybe 20 times and it began to fail. Was a cheesy little popple dome held in place by scotch tape which presses down against the pc board traces. I Believed this was a good radio for the money, but I wouldn't put my life or a family members life against the operation of one of these. I ended up purchasing Motorola business band radios, been happy with them ever since. Dropped my Motorola's off roof tops onto concrete multiple times, nothing happened to it. Motorola puts the model I purchased in a fish bowl for hours during a radio convention, so I know they are truly water proof. Just my two scents. Also, the receiver on a lot of these Baofeng's are 16MHz wide, when the current Motorola Business band radios are 12.5kHz. Much more tighter, making it much more resilient against interference and or strong nearby signals. If you have the money, and if your using these for anything related to your own personal safety or a loved ones, I'd look away from Baofeng. Just sharing my honest 2 Cents. I also use a transducer style headset. Allowing you to still be able to hear everything around you for situational awareness, while still hearing radio traffic and not allowing others around you to hear it. Light weight, and the frame wraps around the back back of your neck, so you can still wear hats / helmets. If you are using a Baofeng for personal safety, I guess you can carry a duplicate spare in your backpack. Nice Video, appreciate content like this. Thanks for going as detailed as you have.
Thanks for the feedback Roman! I don't disagree with you on a lot of your points. My experience has been good with the A58. But like all the stuff made in China at this price point, quality control is an issue. I'm going to be doing my own test on these radios soon. We'll see if mine holds up! The A58 seems to be dwindling in supply... the UV9R Plus seems to be all over. Maybe they fixed some of the A58 issues? The headset in the video does a great job of keeping situational awareness due to the active hearing protection. It really works well & is why the headset cost so much. Could you share a link to the headset you're talking about? Motorola stuff is great but costly & I have heard of issues with programming software. I plan to upgrade to a Yeasu in the future to try out as some others commented about a great water resistant model & I found a SkeEye PTT for it. Need to save up though. Again, thanks for the feedback! I have learned a lot from the comments on this video.
This is amazing, thank you for sharing! I'm putting together a comms setup based on the information you've provided, and could use some advice. I currently have a pair of UV-9R Plus, and just received a MSA/Sordin headset that I ordered (Supreme Pro 75305). The headset is a Lemo connector version, so I'll need a Lemo-TP120 adapter obviously. However, I've read some things about impedance issues with civilian comms and mil headsets. Will a Skyeye amplified PTT solve these issues, or will I also need to change the mic? Just trying to get all my info correct before dropping nearly $300 on the PTT and adapter. Thanks again for sharing your experience, it's been extremely helpful.
Yes, get the PTT that will work with the amplified microphone that is on your headset. SkyEye is very good & will answer questions for you to confirm. Sordin headsets all use amplified microphones as far as I know. Tell them Colt sent you!
You definitely have my respect.... approaching the situation & understanding not just the physical item but fundamentals of it's soul operation ( mechanics ) to achieve your goals 👍 I've been for some time now looking into this exact project & it's been a dead-end Result so I just walked away from it till the time came to give it another shot at.... That time just arrived & I want to say thank you for your time & efforts with your video and explanations. Simple & Detailed 💯👍👍👍👍👍👍. Take care & Be Safe...
Hey man I don't know a ton about radios but I'm thinking of getting a pretty nice electronic hearing protection headset for the rifle I just got. It's called an ops core amp headset. It's pretty rediculous money but I really like some features on it and want to buy once cry once as they say. Anyway I don't foresee using coms any time soon but would like to know if it would work with a radio like this. Do amphenol or U174 mean anything too you? That's the type of wire coming off the headset and idk if it will mesh with this. Sorry for long winded comment
I'd also be interested in you're opinion on whether or not you think I'm a crazy person for spending that much money on a headset but now that I've finished watching your video I think we have a similar mindset of wanting to buy something thats going to last and be reliable. The reason I like the headset is that the cups aren't very wide which is nice because it won't interfere with shouldering a rifle or bumping into things lol but then in addition you got the wireless earplugs that allow the sound from the mic to come in and provide additional protection without adding bulk to the cups
I'm sure Skeeye Tactical will make a push to talk adapter to work with the headset. U147 is the type of connector coming off the headset in my video. What you will need to know is the type of microphone it has in it. The manufacturer should know & be able to tell you. Good gear is always worth the money.
This is the best put together and best researched TH-cam video on radio gear I've seen, by FAR. Oh and I love the ease of simply going down to the description and finding any item you talked about. There's no unessecary words or pauses. This video is exactly what i was looking for. Thank you.
Thanks! I took the time to edit out some of my down time & thought about what I'd say before saying it. I tend to ramble but really wanted this to be a good one. It has reached a lot of people & helped them. Please share with anyone who needs the information! I plan to make some updated videos in the future as well.
@@CallMeColtLLC Barnstable High School in Barnstable, MA got a NAL from Uncle Charlie for using a Kenwood dual-bander similar to the Baofeng on FRS frequencies. docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-356018A1.pdf
@@CallMeColtLLC let me state more clearly then: an "individual" at Barnstable High School in Barnstable, MA (not a 'massive entity') got it's balls whacked for illegally transmitting on FRS frequencies using a Kenwood dual-bander similar to the Baofeng. You can call that chicken 'Bessie' all you want. She ain't gonna give you no milk. At the end of the day, if you transmit in excess of the legal power limit (which literally anyone, especially representatives of your local FCC field office can easily ascertain, you're going to get whacked. Typically, fines for unlicensed/out-of-band operation run into the thousands of dollars per day until operations cease. (Or are ceased by the FCC.) Iit's almost like it'd make more sense to just use generic bubble-pack FRS/GMRS walkie talkies on those frequencies and remain compliant. You simply can't get in trouble with those. Sure, you could use your Baofeng/Whatever dual or triple bander on low power on those frequencies, but again- if you're going to do that, you might as well use the legal radios. But yeah, I know. That defeats the purpose and advantage of using a higher powered radio. Unfortunately, that same advantage will be the thing that gets you busted. The FCC intended FRS to be a short range, line of sight personal communications band. (Kind of like CB radio was supposed to be and look what happened there. Only the most flagrant violators are popped on the CB these days. It's doubtful that FRS will enjoy the same lackadaisical enforcement because the frequency allocation is much smaller and FM transmitter signatures are easier to identify and find simply because of NFM's physical limitations. Also the band the FRS segment resides in also contains a lot of public service entities (like police departments, etc. and licensed GMRS users that will protect their frequencies like a pitbull with a chew toy making enforcement more likely. (At least in the United States. I can't speak for any other country's bandplan.) Sure, you might get away with it for a while. But is a $20,000 per day fine really worth it?
@@CallMeColtLLC Here is a start, www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-divisions/mobility-division/family-radio-service-frs - > operations tab. That radio is a AMATEUR radio and not certified for FRS. it also has a removable antenna and transmits more power than allowed by an FRS radio.
Thank you for sharing your experience. You have saved me both time and money, at your expense and I appreciate your willingness to help those that come looking for it! Thank you 🙏!
Thank you! I have learned a lot about bother making videos & communications gear since publishing this one, but, it is still helpful & has been one of my most watched videos. I'm considering making a follow-up video to this once I hit 4 years or something.
Finally! Thanks more making this video. I’ve been experimenting with different radios for my real Comtacs and I had a problem with finding connectors for the new BF-A58 and also having a QD for the antenna
Thank you so much for the effort you put in to this set up and making this video. I found it extremely helpful, and was super relived to find a setup with a multi pin, screw in connector on a system that is at least water resistant and much more durable than the UV-5R that EVERYONE on TH-cam is always pushing. Thanks again so much, super helpful.
I have the same radio on the way, however I currently have the Baufeng BF-F8HP. I needed a cheap headset and purchased the Earmor M32 V4. I also purchased my PTT from Hearfalcom with the Kenwood pins. When I put the setup together I could only hear a faint transmission. What a bummer. After searching TH-cam forever and a day I came across this video. I am going to contact the links to get the correct setup. BTW the Hearfalcom PTT is very good quality. Very close to military grade if not the same.
HEARFALCOM is an Airsoft company. I have seen their stuff in passing and while it is better than some, it is not water resistant at all and the internals are no different than the $15 PTT's. There are only a few companies making real, quality stuff. I have made other videos since this one that you may find helpful. Thanks for watching & finding the channel.
@@CallMeColtLLC Got ya, The PTT that I have from them feels like it is better than some airsoft items. Unfortunately when I was in the Army we were issued steel pot helmets and LBE's . I'm glad the military did improve the gear used now. I was also assigned to the M60A3 tank. When I ETS we did finally get the M1IP version of the Abrams tank. Great
Man civilian radio stuff ends up being like holsters...after a few years you have a box o' stuff. I had similar troubles but not as bad. SkyEye Tactical is awesome. I found them by accident on ebay. Thanks so much for making this video. Can't find stuff on youtube. All the high speed jabronies never talk about their setup, or they just say "my super secret buddy set this up for me." Then when you look up the radio they use it like $4K... My solution was getting an "airsoft" MBITR (made by TCA I think). Then I was able to get surplus stuff and some skyeye tactical stuff to rig it up. Took a while. But MBITRs are huge and heavy. I'd prefer to use it for airsoft for the realistic look and then get something more practical for my SHTF rig. I may just copy your setup. Thanks again!
the TRI airsoft radios are actually very good but they seem hard to come by. I won't to get some in the future to try out. They have the copy PRC-117 that puts out 25 watts. That would be a hell of a durable back pack radio for reaching out.
@@CallMeColtLLC I got the TCA one not the TRI one. TCA was made of metal not plastic and seemed like more solid construction overall. Got it on ebay, as with most of the Hong Kong and Taiwan made stuff.
I connected mine to my central homemade station. The small transceiver is set to transmit on PMR446. The base station then receives on PMR446 frequencies and repeats the signal out on UK40 frequencies. I am then able to transmit on 446.009375 and be retransmitted on 27.60125 FM. This allows an enormous amount of frequencies to be utilised from my Baofeng BF-F8+ I can cover all unlicensed frequencies and most licensed frequencies, though I can not use the licensed frequencies such as security frequencies, business, amateur radio, taxi, bus, and the such. I can use all the unlicensed frequencies. Technically, MIC says I can not use the unlicensed frequencies because I do not have a certified transceiver. But I run at the legal power limit for all the frequencies and nobody can tell nor really cares that I am doing this. OFCOM has little way to know of my universal radio station.
You did a good job on your overall comm set-up for playing soldier or paintball. But, I suggest a better radio choice than a Baofeng (e.g., Yaesu FT-270 albeit a 2M VHF radio) would yield better results (ref my #3 comment that follows). DISCO32 offers a U-94/A style PTT/mic cable with the appropriate connector that plug (a screw mount) into the top of the radio FT-270 and a right angle connector that plugs into the side of the dual-band FT-60. The Yaesu is a far superior radio to the Baofeng. Three comments: 1 -- I've owned three different Baofengs, including a VU-82. Folks who buy them, including hams, are usually not aware of the complex, hybrid (ham / commercial radio) programming model they use. Fortunately there is free s/w out there for the purpose. 2 -- To be clear re a vest-mounted antenna: the human body makes an excellent dummy load for RF, particularly at UHF frequencies. Though no doubt useful over SHORT distances, it's no difficult to find over what range such an antenna arrangement works, especially with the radiating element on the front of one's body and the receiving station is behind one. Add in if HE is facing away. Complicate this further if you are legally operating on FRS channels with their very limited effective radiated power (ERP) of 500mW if operating on Ch 8-14 (other channels are limited to 2W). (e-CFR §95.567 FRS transmit power). Yes, using channels 1-7 and 15-22, one can get more range with 2W. But, add in foliage and other terrain issues and that antenna up against one's chest WILL affect communications. Though not having operated as a grunt in a tactical environment as other commenters have, I cannot attest to the distances over which squad ratios would be used. However, having a Navy technical background in communications and years of radio communications experience as a ham providing public services communications, I can offer a degree of expertise in this area. 3 -- There are a couple of videos out there where someone with the technical expertise and the appropriate lab equipment set up measure the spectral purity of Baofengs and found that, d/t questionable (i.e., lax) quality assurance practices, Baofengs can have as much energy transmitting OUT OF BAND (i.e., spurious emissions) as in-band. Be advised. The only review I could find that I trust is in eham.net. The reviewer found that the radio appears to be a repackaged UV-82. The UV-82 has terrible spectral purity. Be safe, be well.
Thanks for the post Jim, great information. I never knew that there was a Yaesu with a locking type connector. That interests me a lot. I'm going to research that radio a lot. Lot's of good points in your post & they're all taken. My goal wasn't for this to be a long range option... maybe a few hundred meters away. Farther if lucky. I know Baofeng radios are very low quality as compared to others. You may see an updated video from me in the future with the radio you recommended. Thank you!
@@CallMeColtLLC But for my FT-60 and legacy FT-250, both of which I own, I can't speak to the Yaesu HTs with the speaker & mic connectors on the side. In carefully reviewing current production Yaesu, looks like they've gone totally to side connectors and all are friction fit. Re Icom, the IC-V86, from the ear phone/mic add-ons, appears to have securing screws. I've searched the 'net in vain for clear pics. Would have to go into an HRO to physically inspect. The V-86 is the 3rd gen offspring of the V-8 that was constructed on a commercial frame. I expect it's a tough radio. Kenwood HTs all appear to use a earphone/mic connector arrangement similar to the Yaesu/Icom arrangement. Alinco DJ-G7E looks like it might have a screw-in connector, but, like the Icom, hard to tell. Bummer that most all HTs for the amateur market lack decent earphone/mic connectors. At one time I went to an Icom F30GT commercial radio in order to get the locking, screw-in connector.
Yeah, handsets with more than friction connections seem to be slim to come by. I really liked the idea of the screw type one that was on the older Yaesu's you shared. I'm going to look deeper into all the models you shared when I have some time. Thank you very much for all the feedback, great stuff!!
I did a bunch of research this evening. It seems the Yaesu Vertex series still use the twist lock adapters for external connections. VX-6R & VX-7R. SkyEye makes PTT's for these radios as well.
Jim Piper is correct on all points. This is the proverbial fork in the road on radio choice. The dual-band Baofeng price points is appealing for amateur mil-sim and HAM use, similar to a basic Swiss army knife. A GMRS license is cheap, easy, long term, and opens up some additional frequencies & transmit power.
Switching to VHF only radios triggers the licensing decision (i.e. HAM) and everyone in the group 'should' be licensed. Dedicated VHF might help a little with range, but limits interoperability with others. It's all about the compromise you are making. I've used the smaller Baofeng UV5 variants, and Vertex VX-454 (both on UHF) in large scale urban mil-sim environments, and the range is indeed limited due to human RF absorption, foliage, concrete, structures, soil, etc. Mounting the radio higher on a vest (and antenna ) to get the antenna above the shoulder can help a bit, but only if your group is also mounting their radio higher. Range is typically a couple of hundred fee without LOS, which is probably fine for squad, but command not so much. As Colt indicates, a threaded headset/mic is ideal because your equipment will take abuse. Boom mic's are better as throat mic's are usually too soft. It's not too difficult to program Baofeng's with Chirp. The Vertex radio's, are tanks, but have dedicated VHF or UHF antennas, and programing is significantly harder. When I'm asked for a starter radio recommendation, it's usually a flavor of the dual-band Baofeng UV5. If water or all-weather use is a possibility, (i.e. kayaking, etc) then I recommend upgrading to GT-3WP, or similar water proof models.
Great vid! Exactly the info I've been lookin for. Gear in the meaty part of the value curve. The details and why's are key. Cheapchit is false economy. Hats off to ya for "takin one, or two, for the team".😆 😁
I'm doubting the gear that I currently have. And the FCC came out with a ban I think, last year. We're not all Ham licensed so thanks FCC. You did what I wanted to do, make a personal set-up for training, etc.
You can still buy the radios. FCC is just part of the alphabet soup. If you are like me, as long as you're responsible, you don't need to worry about them. :)
Thanks for the video. Wish I would have found it sooner. I have a baofeng 9r plus. Bought a ptt from Amazon. It won’t work with my aviation (helicopter) 1 plug) headset. Thanks for listing all the people you’ve spoken to.
CallMeColt, Merry Christmas Eve to you and your family! I just received my baofeng Gt-3wp's. I installed the Nagoya antennas to both my radios and was disappointed. The distance was less than 100 ft. I did not purchase the adapters and thought it could be a connectivity issue between the Nogoya antenna and radio. I reinstalled the manufactured antennas which came with my baofeng radios and tested the communication range. Two miles was the cutoff point with original antennas. I'm pleased with that range indeed. I'm going to return the Nagoya antennas and ask Amazon they send out another set. I'm hoping they work and curious the potential; additional range a longer antenna could possibly have. Thanks for all your help. I enjoy my radios. They are very powerful. I have a lot to learn concerning programming, but in due season, all we be well! Merry Christmas!
@@CallMeColtLLC I even tried a Nogoya antenna on one of my radios and kept the rubber duckie on the other; no go. I'm returning both Nogoya antennas and having amazon ship me out 2 additional. At least I get great distance, 2 miles, with original manufactured antennas. I'm hoping I can pull a little more distance with the taller Nogoya antennas. Well, it's Christmas day, CallMeColt, and I wish you and your family a very blessed one! Thanks for all your help, brother. I truly appreciate it!
@@CallMeColtLLC I looked on Nogoya website. The only discrepancy was a Rubber Gasket that came with my antennas. There was a picture stating if the package had a Rubber Gasket in it, the antenna was fake. The packaging and markings all checked out as to be nonconterfit antennas. So because of that Rubber Gasket, I could have received bad antennas. Once again, thanks for all your help!
CallMeColt, first of all; Happy New Year! Well, I sent back the two Nogoya antennas that didn't work out on my Baofeng GT-3WP'S. Amazon sent me two more antennas and.....nope! They don't aren't working, either. I'm thinking I need the female adapters to screw onto my radios in order to get a better connection between the Nogoya antennas and my radios. I ordered them and hoping this does the trick. Like I mentioned before, with the manufactured rubber antennas that came with my baofeng radios, I'm able to transmit and receive at 2 miles. I'm hoping when all is said and done, I'll get a little more range with a taller antenna. Take care, friend, and thanks for all your help. I truly appreciate your kindness!
A for effort but what a project just for PTT. It's amazing to me there isn't more available on the market that actually work for this intended purpose.
Great video, I wish I had seen this 3 months ago, it would have save me from some of the "experimentation" you have been through! Very comprehensive. Think I might try another radio with that connection type over the two pin ones, as mine doesn't sit well in a radio pouch. Thanks for the info!
Yes, they just started selling them. I suggested they make it before I made this video since I couldn't find one. I still like the SkeEye due to it's PTT button. Good to see more options out there!
Been using my A58 as a marine radio for my jet ski for 6 months in salt water totally naked in the mag pouch on my life jacket. Still haven't killed it, I can't believe how much it puts the official marine radios to shame for a fraction of the price. So yes it's certainly waterproof, I always rinse it when I get home. One piece of advice is to add a smear of dielectric grease on the headset contacts because these connector types never seem to seal very well and caused the radio to short out there one time but has been fine since I did that.
i mean you could have saved a lot of time and money if you would have just broke out the wiring diagrams and rewired things to work for the setup you wanted, i mean PTT < MIC< AND SOUND are easy to wire up on the FENGS
No, it will not work that way with dynamic microphone headsets. I did try it & it didn't work. Also, nothing that I could have wired would have been as high quality as what I ended up buying. The most expensive part is the TCI headset & I wasn't going to take that apart to change the microphone on it.
Son, I've used the TYT, UV8000E HT, with the two pin Kenwood style speaker mic, for over a year now with no problems with the pins. Both on my bicycle and carried. Its all about the speaker mic and how good it is. You buy a cheep speaker mic and the pins might go bad, but thats true about any thing.
The issue I had (others around me as well) was in a pouch or pocket, when active, the connection would work itself loose. It would come disconnected without realizing it. It happened almost every time we used them.
@@CallMeColtLLC I've used mine in a pouch, clipped to my belt, attached to a mount on my bicycle, and carried in a pocket, so I dont know what to tell you. Sounds like you might have gotten a bad speaker mic to begin with. And you and your friends have your Technicians license, so you can use those radios legally?
@@longrider42 Don't know what to say... Didn't last for us & that's why we moved on. The multi-pin is definitely a better option. The status of our license is not part of the discussion. Thanks for the input & glad the Kenwood style 2 pin has worked for you. 😀
I still suggest a backpack mobile… Even if you brick up an ht with a belt antenna. You can also just wire up your own ptt. No mistakes when you do it yourself. Excluding a good headset. You can make everything there for $70 including a used Japanese radio. Quality is what you make it. I’d say knowing how to repair and make your own stuff is more important than something that can be run over by a semi.
If you are going to mess with the FCC might as well coil up a 160. Been meaning to do this myself, though with my call sign it would be legal so not sure why I haven’t yet… Definitely something to think about.
For the purpose of this setup, a backpack is completely out of the question. This is very small setup and intended for communication within a few hundred meters, though it can do more. Backpack is a whole nother purpose and can be useful.
FINALLY!!! HAHAHA!! Thank you for having a brain and putting this great video together. Exactly what I've been looking for. Stay safe out there and God bless
Thanks. I plan to keep making them, but don't expect them to fly out. I have 3 kids, & a full time job. But I slowly plan to put informative videos out that I can;t find elsewhere. :)
Hello Colt, first off I would like to say thank you for all your informative videos. Found your channel looking for sling options for the scorpion then stumbled upon your comms videos. I've Ben trying to figure out ham radio set ups before testing for my license and found a bunch of great info here. I'm in rural west Tennessee and need something reliable to stay in communication with my wife and son if cellular phones go down. After much studying I had two questions for you. I was in the process of ordering the baofeng gt-3wp and while watching a crash course to get licensed I saw someone mention that you need to use sketchy programs since you cannot use chirp on the models that don't use the Kenwood connection. All this is a little over my head and I'm trying to study and research as well as possible so I can make one good purchase and not waste money. What was your experience programming the GT-3WP? Second question is I'm having a bit of a problem understanding wich headsets have dynamic microphones and wich ones don't so I can know ifi need a amplified PTT. I have looked at specs and Google without much luck. I appreciate any help you may be able to offer and once again thanks for your great videos. Also, I was born and raised in San Antonio. I see you are down there now enjoying life in texas
Chirp works with the GT3-WP just fine. Whatever person said the software is "sketchy" doesn't understand the programing software side. Unless you are making a cloud/remote connection, what can anyone possibly do? You are programing a radio that is unencrypted and transmitting over the open air. Just my opinion. It may not be a listed model in the drop down list but it works. As far as microphone, for the most part, all real military headsets have a dynamic microphone & need an amplified PTT. SkyEye is very good about helping with it if you are not sure. Even though they are popular, I recommend staying away from Peltor due to their proprietary wiring... it complicates things even more. CommGearSupply is a good option as well. CallMeColt10 gets you 10% off and their customer service is great. I will have some videos soon going over a new radio line as well that is an improvement over the Baofeng multipin type, though it is about 2x as much. I'm testing it all a bit first.
@CallMeColt™ thanks for the feedback. The way the guy werded it was the GT-3WP connector was not an FTDI cable and so if you were to use the cable it came with you will have to run cracked firmware/drivers to work with computer. I will admit I might be confused as all of this is new to me and I'm learning as I go. I will for sure use your discount code. Much appreciated
@@CallMeColtLLC I wanted to ask you one more thing,the reason your video really caught my eye was not that the GT-3WP was water proof. I was drawn to it because of the two pin Kenwood pin style failing like you mentioned. It just made sense to me as I will be putting mine in a pouch on a chest rig. I don't want to waste money on a two pin system if the connection fails. Seems like it would to me. The waterproof connection on the GT just seems more robust. I don't see anyone talk about this issue but it seems to me to be a legit concern. Thanks for answering my questions
@@dogwoodbjj I'm not sure how more people have not had an issue with the Kenwood 2 pin system. It's basically a headphone jack. The waterproof is an extra plus.
You may want to look at diamond antenna BNCJ-SMSP for the antenna adapter. It doesn't put strain on the radio connector. Also threadlocker on the threads may hurt performance since it creates a poor connection for the antenna ground. Lastly to expand on your mention of FCC laws, transmitting those radios on FRS is illegal due to TX power and removable antenna. Also they are capable to TX on other frequencies that require a license. Overall great video and thanks for sharing your findings. It will save others lots of money in failed hardware.
@@Xfrogg3 technically non unless you have a FCC licence. The two the would apply for that radio would be "GMRS" and "Ham". FRS doesn't require a license however there are limits on hardware which can be found on FCC's website.
Thanks for the reply. Good information. I recently got an SWR meter & I will test a radio with & without thread locker to see if it makes any differences. I didn't think of that. I looked for the adapter you suggested & I can't find it. Can you share a link to it maybe? I did always worry about how high the adapter I have it but it was all I could find. As for the FCC stuff, my personal opinion is, use it on low power & you should never have an issue. I won't go into that any deeper as this is TH-cam! :)
Nice video, just signed up to take my license. Looking at the same type of setup. But also going to vehicle mount it and want a traditional cb hand mike as well. Thanks for advice
That would explain why my video has gotten so much traffic. Very cool. Glad you found it helpful. Lot's of other good information in the comments. I will be making more videos about topics like this in the future.
@@CallMeColtLLC actually, I'm about to pull the trigger on an A58/9R/whatever I can find that's the same. Do you have any recommendations for where to buy one? The link on your video is not available now on amazon, but they have others like it.
Ooof those Baofengs scare me. I wouldn't intentionally break the rules, but they're so complicated I'd be afraid I'd end up jamming half the local police department or something. I've pretty much settled on a 22-channel FRS walkie-talkie for my setup because I'm a wimp. Something like the Baofeng is awesome in emergencies and if the world ends and there's no FCC to come beat you up you the HAM-capable ones can communicate with people seriously far away.
There is no way a Baofeng radio can jam a police signal whatsoever. They're weak radios & have no way of blocking a trucked system like most police agencies use. They're also not very complicated. If you can use a microwave, you can use a Baofeng.
CallMeColt the FCC “banned” models like UV-5R and the BF-F8HP because they can operate within HAM frequencies and operating them without a HAM operator license is technically illegal. But you can still find decent radios that do not require licensing i.e. MURS radios
@@jvzabala98 that has nothing to do with why people say they're band (even though they're not, just order one off Amazon if you want one). The illegalities come when people are using programmable radios for FRS or GMRS that exceed the allotted watts for those broadcast systems. It's a lot to explain but basically and they're not banned at all and it's easy to avoid breaking the fcc's stupid rules with them.
@@nicholasquintero1080 there are unauthorized baofeng floating around. They are technically illegal to operate even with a ham license. You can look it up yourself, or you can insist I provide you the source.
To be honest, only Fud's are worried about the FCC. Virtually no one has ever gotten in trouble from them for using Baofeng radios. Just don't be dumb & use the gear reasonably.
Good Video, and I'm definitely interested in the Selex single ear headset. I've used Sordins and realized I don't like a headset on both ears, It just makes me act extremely paranoid at not knowing exactly where noise is coming from.
The most useful civilian coms video iv ever seen!!!
Glad you think so! Share it with people who might need the information.
Finally someone who put some thought into a comms setup that has some intelligence. Will defiantly look into skyeye tac stuff.
So far, it seems quality.
Don't be defiant
TGI ha ha ha, yeah....don’t.
...except he bought a baofeng
I guess Im randomly asking but does any of you know of a method to log back into an Instagram account??
I was stupid lost the login password. I appreciate any assistance you can give me!
For me being military and using Thales and L3 Harris which are wildly expensive and unavailable for personal use, this was an AMAZINGLY informative video that I need to upgrade my personal kit for civilian use. Thank you.
Thanks. Yeah, those types of military commos are real hard to get your hands on outside of duty. There are better radios than the Baofeng but they don't do a whole lot more than them.
@@CallMeColtLLC boafeng is a pretty solid unit.
Nearly every military police officer I knew had one on them as well as issued stuff to listen to local/state traffic to intercept stuff coming to us so we didn't get blind sided.
This was in WA. State, so it was constantly wet, and occasionally roughed up.
Just keep in mind these Boafeng radios are not encrypted and anyone can listen to your conversations. so tachticool you are, secure you are not. Also of note the L3HARRIS / THALES radios are for military use and have military tone squelch which Boafang does not. if you want to talk (PT) from civilian to military radio you can use CTCSS or CDCSS squelch which most modern military radios have. But very cool setup, I love peltors and I was using a covert ear piece for my civi set up but I think I'll go look into this skyeye adaptor for shooting with my peltors. Thanks for the info!
Wildly expensive... Yes, quite ! However there's three better options now:
* Baofeng AR-152 (a good reproduction of the PRC152) advertised as 10watts, V/UHF 12,000mah lithium battery, FM broadcast
** Baofeng BF H-5 10 watts, V/UHF, 2200mah battery, FM broadcast
*** Triumph Instrument PRC 152 (China) THIS is a darn near perfect copy of the actual govt issue comms. Under $500. Seems to have good reviews.
I have the Baofeng BF H-5 and I'm well pleased. Saving up for the Triumph...
@@baronedipiemonte3990 your comment is only 9 months old so I guess what you have listed is still up to date and good to go but I’m curious what’s come out since your comment that’s better then what’s listed. Essentially I’m asking if what you listed is still up to date or now outdated and replaced with xyz radios. Thanks man. I know that was a giant word wall
Dude, thank you so much for taking the time to put this information out. I've just started looking into alternative comms and this was a huge help, looking forward to the follow up!
I'm going to be doing a durability test on the radio & PTT in the future. If you order from SkyEye Tactical, tell them you saw their stuff on my channel. They reached out to me saying this video has gotten them a bunch of orders.
@@CallMeColtLLC That's awesome! I definitely will mention you and and your channel when I order from them. Thanks again for sharing your experience, cheers.
CALLMECOLT!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS...excellent job of explaining....also thank you for the NO music crap that 99% of youtubers think they need to play.....also, voice level was perfect and clear audio and non shaking camera....I have been wanting to do this for about 3 years, but did not know how to put it together and knew about how everything has to mesh together....subbed!
Thank you. Yes, I've done the music thing on a few other videos but have learned over time. This is one of my better videos. I, like you, spent about 3 years figuring this out. Wanted to put it out there to save others the time & money. Lot's of other good information in the comments to so as to add a few options.
Dude I’ve been looking so long for a video like this. Thank you so damn much. A lot of this stuff I’m going to buy to go on my gear. This was super helpful.
Thank you! I put a lot of time & effort into figuring out the setups, & then even more time making the video because I couldn't find this information out there & know that other people wanted it. Please share! I plan to make updated videos in the future.
Great video, thanks for putting in the work. I experimented with baofengs and cheap gear years ago but gave up once I enlisted. Will for sure get a setup like this for civilian usage 👍🏻
Hopefully there will be more options in the future.
What a well thought out, informative, and thoroughly prepared video. You, sir, have done the work, and we will all benefit from your labor. Much gratitude, my captain. You easily earned a sub on this one. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Robert Alford yes this is exactly what I have been looking for....well done
@@davebona9592 absolutely!
I learned a lot from this, this is great informative content and the exact set up i was trying to achieve.
Glad you found it. It's why I made it, to help others out!
@CallMeColtLLC will the baofeng uv9g work the same with this equipment?
OUTSTANDING Video! I wish TH-cam had not hidden it when I was looking for info on Radios a couple of weeks ago! I just purchased 4 of the Baofeng UV-5RX3 they came with the kit and they had really good reviews everywhere I looked and the Idea of Hooking the Radio to my Peltor SWAT TAC EarPro which was very similar to the ones we used in the Navy and I was able to pick up a Set on Clearance Online for less than 200 about 6 years ago. I know that the head set can support all the goodies Mics and push to talk but I need to get the adapter to go from the radio to the headset and get the accessories. With all the Chaos going on and being the owner of a Small Gun shop NOT going to be OUTGUNNED but could be OUT-Maneuvered if I do not coordinate properly with my Security Team locally we are ALL Veterans and are used to Tactical Communications but when I looked at getting something similar to what I had in the service each Radio was going to be around $1K that is without accessories! THanks for ALL the GREAT INFO I am going to BE Ordeing the Stuff I need TONIGHT!
Glad the video helped! You can still use the UV5RX3 as good hand held units & the A58 as the radio on your gear.
Awesome video, exactly what I needed, really appreciate the content!
Glad it was helpful!
Yep. I've been looking for it. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience.
Glad you found it helpful.
The FCC is about as useful as an 8 inch fence. Thanks for the video, I'll be putting a radio kit together soon and I'll definitely keep this in mind
Because I was making a video, I mentioned the FCC. There just one of the alphabet soup that no one likes.
Fcc be like "don't you dare step over! You're not allowed!" "Aw damn. No one takes us serious..." lol
Well they do organize the frequency spectrum allocation which is very important. Check out a "US Frequency Spectrum Chart" and tell me organizing all that isnt important.
@@whatabouttheearth thats true.... I was making a joke BTW 😂
Okay... first I posted a snarky response about how the $10k would feel. I deleted that.
Here’s the useful info:
1. Getting a Technician License with the FCC is really easy and cheap. That will help you understand what you can and can’t do while a state of emergency hasn’t been declared so you don’t end up paying a $10k fine.
2. This is a really good video. Dump the Nagoya antenna and (this was really surprising) get a Tacticool antenna instead. The one you showed is interesting. If you were to go get that Technician license, you would find out how that antenna might likely burnout your radio over time because of a high SNR ratio.
So maybe there is something useful in my comments. Good luck and 73s.
GREAT !!! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you !!! Your research is greatly appreciated and will help me tremendously with quality Commo. I am really very thankful for sharing your information.
Thanks for watching! I'm going to do a video on just Baofeng Multi-pin type radios soon. Waiting on the last one to come in.
This was an informative, damn-good video. Plenty of details, and all the info. Thanks for posting this!
Thanks!
Good job witg your vudeo description. I hate it when people dont link the stuff they’re reviewing or have disorganized descriptions.
Thank you. I put a lot of effort into making sure links & stuff are 100% so people can get what I'm showing!
Awesome video. Thanks for putting it together for us!
No problem, glad it helped.
Excellent choices selecting your gear. I'm working on a similar civilian setup. I like that you looked at the rugged features needed for the radio based on intended use.
I'm a ham radio operator and selected the Yaesu VX-6R for a number of reasons. The main reasons where the IP67 rating, rugged case construction, threaded waterproof connector and ability to unlock transmit with the MARS mod.
I recently purchased the Disco32 PTT for the VX-6R, but now need to figure which headset. It will be a "buy once, cry once" purchase (Peltor Comtac III or Sordin MSA).
Again, great job.
I didn't go with the Disco32 because of the lack of PTT protection. They have that printed add on, but I didn't like it much as you saw in the video. For about the same cost, the SkyEye is a much better option. It just sucks that it isn't US based but from experience, they are really good with customer service and support. The new Ops Core headset may be something to look at. If money was not an option, I'd go for that. They have removable/replaceable just about everything. CommGearSupply has them and you can use my 10% off code, CallMeColt10. By all means, shop around though! Just selflessly promoting. :p www.commgearsupply.com/collections/ops-core-amp-headsets
@@CallMeColtLLC You're the second person to mention CGS today. I'm also looking at getting into some LMR radios, specifically the EFJohnson 5100 ES. I'll try CGS for this radio if they sell a PTT for it.
@@TheTechPrepper CGS makes a PTT for everything. Even if they don't have it one their site, they may have an adapter. Their customer service is great.
Exactly what I was looking for.
Glad you found it!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! YOUR VIDEO WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT HELPED ME FIND EXACTLY WHAT I BEEN LOOKING FOR. I SPENT THREE WEEKS EVERY NIGHT TRYING TO FIND VIDEOS ON RADIOS FOR COMMS AND COULDNT UNTIL I FOUND YOURS
I spent a long time myself as well. Glad the video is reaching people & helping them! I plan to post more in the future as related to civilian available "tactical" commos so keep an eye out.
You're an absolute hero man. Thank you
I don't know about a hero, but glad it was helpful!
The best video I've seen, you hit a lot of good basic starter points. You explained it well, I usually bail on 20min vids. I stuck around to hear your opinions on the equipment likes and dislikes. Excellent job with the info and links. Thanks again very helpful.
Well said, And fully agree.
Thank you both! I put a lot of thought into this video because I'm just like you and usually don't stick around for a long video but it was impossible to really make it any shorter without fully explaining.
Very good review and tutorial. Extremely helpful.
Glad it was helpful!
Fellow amateur radio operator here - damn good video! I wasn't even aware that Baofeng made a radio with that connector. I just bought 2 and the Skyeye PTT. THANKS!!
Glad it was helpful!
@@CallMeColtLLC Probably not the best idea to use FRS on gear designed for amateur radio.
Hey, great video man. I, like many, have been looking at the discontinued Baofeng UV-5R 5 watt UHF radios, and all the fixins so I too can have comms among my family/friends/crew when we hike, fish, or if SHTF. Lots of great perspectives from trying your gear and your trial and feedback. Nice that we get to benefit from it. As with anything, real world use and what your are doing with your gear "in the wild" as I call it, it matters. I have some really cool gear that I like, but it is not rugged, or waterproof or ruggedized and "in the wild" would probably break. Just when I thought I was settled on gear to use, now I have to readjust all my logic based on this new info. LOL
I have made big changes many times myself. As long as you have something, it's better than nothing!
Fantastic. You actually explained it all perfectly. The moment I had a question, you answered it pretty soon after. Great job.
Thanks. I try my best to cover everything 100%. The internet is full of loose ends & I don't want to contribute!
Oh wow. Much obliged!
Thanks for watching
dang CALLMECOLT, well done sir. I am just now diving down this rabbit hole. I think I can just stop right here. Thanks for the info and the links man. Thanks sir.
No problem. I'm glad this video has helped and saved others time.
Finally a better solution than rugged radios. A lot cheaper as well
Rugged radios are literally beofang uv5r without the keypad.
FINALLY! I’ve been hoping someone else would be the guinea pig and spend all the money on the trail and error needed to put a good reliable comm setup together. I’ll be spending some money soon. THANK YOU!
Yup, that's me! Haha. Thanks for watching.
As stated in your fcc citation, FRS radios cannot have a removable antenna.....
hahaha
Are you going to alert the authorities or should I?
To later big brother is already tracking
Awesome info. Wish I had seen this a year ago before spending money on UV5R handhelds, antennas, and spare batteries. Well done.
These radios weren't available then so you didn't do anything wrong!
Awesome content. Thanks a bunch for the information.
Glad it was helpful!
This is one of those old school troubleshooting videos. People just don't do stuff like this anymore. Good video.
Thank you!
Fantastic video, thank you for this.
Glad it was helpful!
Very well done sir. Wish I’d seen this in March when i was experimenting with every PTT and adapter under the sun trying to make my Peltors work with my BF-F8HP. Eventually I changed my Peltor mic from a dynamic to a condenser. This was the only way i could match the impedance of the radio’s microphone input. I didn’t know about the radio with the multi-pin on the side and will buy one to test with. Thanks for the great video.
Changing the mic on the headset is not a bad option at all. I was about to do that and then I found the PTT I talk about in the video. it actually would be more versatile to change the mic out like you did.
Such a helpful vid!
Glad it was helpful!
You tube recommended this video... now I am very intrigued.. thanks for all the info and links.. very useful
Thanks for watching
B÷ advised that short antenna works great on any uhf BUT if you get into vhf it well slowly destroy your radio with high swr
If the atennna is a dual band antenna designed for both frequency ranges, NO, the SWR will to be high on VHF and destroy the radio
The largest Baofeng dealer in the U.S. laughed at this radio being waterproof. I owned one of these, and the Push To Talk Button died the 1st day. I had only pushed it maybe 20 times and it began to fail. Was a cheesy little popple dome held in place by scotch tape which presses down against the pc board traces. I Believed this was a good radio for the money, but I wouldn't put my life or a family members life against the operation of one of these. I ended up purchasing Motorola business band radios, been happy with them ever since. Dropped my Motorola's off roof tops onto concrete multiple times, nothing happened to it. Motorola puts the model I purchased in a fish bowl for hours during a radio convention, so I know they are truly water proof. Just my two scents. Also, the receiver on a lot of these Baofeng's are 16MHz wide, when the current Motorola Business band radios are 12.5kHz. Much more tighter, making it much more resilient against interference and or strong nearby signals. If you have the money, and if your using these for anything related to your own personal safety or a loved ones, I'd look away from Baofeng. Just sharing my honest 2 Cents. I also use a transducer style headset. Allowing you to still be able to hear everything around you for situational awareness, while still hearing radio traffic and not allowing others around you to hear it. Light weight, and the frame wraps around the back back of your neck, so you can still wear hats / helmets. If you are using a Baofeng for personal safety, I guess you can carry a duplicate spare in your backpack. Nice Video, appreciate content like this. Thanks for going as detailed as you have.
Thanks for the feedback Roman! I don't disagree with you on a lot of your points. My experience has been good with the A58. But like all the stuff made in China at this price point, quality control is an issue. I'm going to be doing my own test on these radios soon. We'll see if mine holds up! The A58 seems to be dwindling in supply... the UV9R Plus seems to be all over. Maybe they fixed some of the A58 issues? The headset in the video does a great job of keeping situational awareness due to the active hearing protection. It really works well & is why the headset cost so much. Could you share a link to the headset you're talking about? Motorola stuff is great but costly & I have heard of issues with programming software. I plan to upgrade to a Yeasu in the future to try out as some others commented about a great water resistant model & I found a SkeEye PTT for it. Need to save up though. Again, thanks for the feedback! I have learned a lot from the comments on this video.
This is amazing, thank you for sharing!
I'm putting together a comms setup based on the information you've provided, and could use some advice. I currently have a pair of UV-9R Plus, and just received a MSA/Sordin headset that I ordered (Supreme Pro 75305). The headset is a Lemo connector version, so I'll need a Lemo-TP120 adapter obviously. However, I've read some things about impedance issues with civilian comms and mil headsets. Will a Skyeye amplified PTT solve these issues, or will I also need to change the mic? Just trying to get all my info correct before dropping nearly $300 on the PTT and adapter.
Thanks again for sharing your experience, it's been extremely helpful.
Yes, get the PTT that will work with the amplified microphone that is on your headset. SkyEye is very good & will answer questions for you to confirm. Sordin headsets all use amplified microphones as far as I know. Tell them Colt sent you!
You definitely have my respect.... approaching the situation & understanding not just the physical item but fundamentals of it's soul operation ( mechanics ) to achieve your goals 👍 I've been for some time now looking into this exact project & it's been a dead-end
Result so I just walked away from it till the time came to give it another shot at.... That time just arrived & I want to say thank you for your time & efforts with your video and explanations. Simple & Detailed 💯👍👍👍👍👍👍.
Take care & Be Safe...
Thanks, I spent the time making this to help others that hit all the dead ends like I have.
Hey man I don't know a ton about radios but I'm thinking of getting a pretty nice electronic hearing protection headset for the rifle I just got. It's called an ops core amp headset. It's pretty rediculous money but I really like some features on it and want to buy once cry once as they say. Anyway I don't foresee using coms any time soon but would like to know if it would work with a radio like this. Do amphenol or U174 mean anything too you? That's the type of wire coming off the headset and idk if it will mesh with this. Sorry for long winded comment
I'd also be interested in you're opinion on whether or not you think I'm a crazy person for spending that much money on a headset but now that I've finished watching your video I think we have a similar mindset of wanting to buy something thats going to last and be reliable. The reason I like the headset is that the cups aren't very wide which is nice because it won't interfere with shouldering a rifle or bumping into things lol but then in addition you got the wireless earplugs that allow the sound from the mic to come in and provide additional protection without adding bulk to the cups
I'm sure Skeeye Tactical will make a push to talk adapter to work with the headset. U147 is the type of connector coming off the headset in my video. What you will need to know is the type of microphone it has in it. The manufacturer should know & be able to tell you. Good gear is always worth the money.
@@CallMeColtLLC thanks man
This is the best put together and best researched TH-cam video on radio gear I've seen, by FAR. Oh and I love the ease of simply going down to the description and finding any item you talked about.
There's no unessecary words or pauses.
This video is exactly what i was looking for. Thank you.
Thanks! I took the time to edit out some of my down time & thought about what I'd say before saying it. I tend to ramble but really wanted this to be a good one. It has reached a lot of people & helped them. Please share with anyone who needs the information! I plan to make some updated videos in the future as well.
@@CallMeColtLLC Awesome! I'm definitely subscribing. This is the sort of information packed content I'm looking for.
That’s a Ham radio, FCC requires a license.
@@noahs7384 intrude on the wrong frequency.
They'll know about it so fast your head will spin. ;)
Example of anyone ever getting in trouble for using a radio like this on FRS?
@@CallMeColtLLC Barnstable High School in Barnstable, MA got a NAL from Uncle Charlie for using a Kenwood dual-bander similar to the Baofeng on FRS frequencies.
docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-356018A1.pdf
That's a massive entity, not an individual. But thank you for the link.
@@CallMeColtLLC let me state more clearly then: an "individual" at Barnstable High School in Barnstable, MA (not a 'massive entity') got it's balls whacked for illegally transmitting on FRS frequencies using a Kenwood dual-bander similar to the Baofeng.
You can call that chicken 'Bessie' all you want. She ain't gonna give you no milk.
At the end of the day, if you transmit in excess of the legal power limit (which literally anyone, especially representatives of your local FCC field office can easily ascertain, you're going to get whacked.
Typically, fines for unlicensed/out-of-band operation run into the thousands of dollars per day until operations cease. (Or are ceased by the FCC.)
Iit's almost like it'd make more sense to just use generic bubble-pack FRS/GMRS walkie talkies on those frequencies and remain compliant. You simply can't get in trouble with those.
Sure, you could use your Baofeng/Whatever dual or triple bander on low power on those frequencies, but again- if you're going to do that, you might as well use the legal radios.
But yeah, I know. That defeats the purpose and advantage of using a higher powered radio.
Unfortunately, that same advantage will be the thing that gets you busted.
The FCC intended FRS to be a short range, line of sight personal communications band. (Kind of like CB radio was supposed to be and look what happened there. Only the most flagrant violators are popped on the CB these days. It's doubtful that FRS will enjoy the same lackadaisical enforcement because the frequency allocation is much smaller and FM transmitter signatures are easier to identify and find simply because of NFM's physical limitations. Also the band the FRS segment resides in also contains a lot of public service entities (like police departments, etc. and licensed GMRS users that will protect their frequencies like a pitbull with a chew toy making enforcement more likely. (At least in the United States. I can't speak for any other country's bandplan.)
Sure, you might get away with it for a while. But is a $20,000 per day fine really worth it?
I've researched a lot of Baofeng radios but was not aware of some of the information you put out. Thanks for taking the time.
Hopefully Baofeng will stick with the multipin system as it's way better than the only headphone jack type.
You realize it is 100% illegal to use the Baofeng BF-A58 on FRS ?
Many people have said this, please show me in the US code where it says it's illegal.
@@CallMeColtLLC Here is a start, www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-divisions/mobility-division/family-radio-service-frs - > operations tab. That radio is a AMATEUR radio and not certified for FRS. it also has a removable antenna and transmits more power than allowed by an FRS radio.
@@lbdwag do you think they really care?
Thank you for sharing your experience. You have saved me both time and money, at your expense and I appreciate your willingness to help those that come looking for it! Thank you 🙏!
Glad to help
Now get your ham license lol.
Meh
Im watching this 3 years later. Im wanting to do this hopefully with uv5re. Looks like I may have to switch radios. Thanks. Great video!
-Will
I can't recommend enough going to a multipin radio. I have a bunch of other videos showing the advantages/differences.
What a great video Brother
Thank you! I have learned a lot about bother making videos & communications gear since publishing this one, but, it is still helpful & has been one of my most watched videos. I'm considering making a follow-up video to this once I hit 4 years or something.
@@CallMeColtLLC a 4 year follow up video is a amazing idea Brother
I dig that ur tatical radio pouch
I did a whole video just on radio pouches/holders for setups like this on the channel. th-cam.com/video/SZp1jKanapE/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for all your experience and putting it all together.
Thanks for watching!
@@CallMeColtLLC have you tried making your own ptt?
@@richgran Yes. It worked okay but ended up failing. Also was very staticy. Buying one is a much better solution, at least for me.
I’ve was in same boat... You actually helped me sort out a few issues. Thanks.
Glad I could help
Thanks for taking the time to make this video, great information for me to establish a base line down and dirty...
Thanks!
Finally! Thanks more making this video. I’ve been experimenting with different radios for my real Comtacs and I had a problem with finding connectors for the new BF-A58 and also having a QD for the antenna
Thanks for watching. If you find anything beyond what was in my video, please let us know. Options are always good!
Were you able to use this with your comtacs?
Thank you so much for the effort you put in to this set up and making this video. I found it extremely helpful, and was super relived to find a setup with a multi pin, screw in connector on a system that is at least water resistant and much more durable than the UV-5R that EVERYONE on TH-cam is always pushing. Thanks again so much, super helpful.
Thanks for watching! Glad this video was helpful, that's why I made it. I plan to do more on this setup in the future.
CallMeColt where do you I recommend getting the Liberator 2 headset? I found some used Peltor Comtac 3’s on EBay for like $350. Worth it?
eBay is the best bet. Just look to buy from a reputable seller. Otherwise, brand new is very expensive!
I have the same radio on the way, however I currently have the Baufeng BF-F8HP. I needed a cheap headset and purchased the Earmor M32 V4. I also purchased my PTT from Hearfalcom with the Kenwood pins. When I put the setup together I could only hear a faint transmission. What a bummer. After searching TH-cam forever and a day I came across this video.
I am going to contact the links to get the correct setup. BTW the Hearfalcom PTT is very good quality. Very close to military grade if not the same.
HEARFALCOM is an Airsoft company. I have seen their stuff in passing and while it is better than some, it is not water resistant at all and the internals are no different than the $15 PTT's. There are only a few companies making real, quality stuff. I have made other videos since this one that you may find helpful. Thanks for watching & finding the channel.
@@CallMeColtLLC Got ya, The PTT that I have from them feels like it is better than some airsoft items. Unfortunately when I was in the Army we were issued steel pot helmets and LBE's . I'm glad the military did improve the gear used now. I was also assigned to the M60A3 tank. When I ETS we did finally get the M1IP version of the Abrams tank.
Great
Man civilian radio stuff ends up being like holsters...after a few years you have a box o' stuff. I had similar troubles but not as bad. SkyEye Tactical is awesome. I found them by accident on ebay. Thanks so much for making this video. Can't find stuff on youtube. All the high speed jabronies never talk about their setup, or they just say "my super secret buddy set this up for me." Then when you look up the radio they use it like $4K...
My solution was getting an "airsoft" MBITR (made by TCA I think). Then I was able to get surplus stuff and some skyeye tactical stuff to rig it up. Took a while. But MBITRs are huge and heavy. I'd prefer to use it for airsoft for the realistic look and then get something more practical for my SHTF rig. I may just copy your setup. Thanks again!
the TRI airsoft radios are actually very good but they seem hard to come by. I won't to get some in the future to try out. They have the copy PRC-117 that puts out 25 watts. That would be a hell of a durable back pack radio for reaching out.
@@CallMeColtLLC I got the TCA one not the TRI one. TCA was made of metal not plastic and seemed like more solid construction overall. Got it on ebay, as with most of the Hong Kong and Taiwan made stuff.
I connected mine to my central homemade station. The small transceiver is set to transmit on PMR446. The base station then receives on PMR446 frequencies and repeats the signal out on UK40 frequencies. I am then able to transmit on 446.009375 and be retransmitted on 27.60125 FM. This allows an enormous amount of frequencies to be utilised from my Baofeng BF-F8+ I can cover all unlicensed frequencies and most licensed frequencies, though I can not use the licensed frequencies such as security frequencies, business, amateur radio, taxi, bus, and the such. I can use all the unlicensed frequencies. Technically, MIC says I can not use the unlicensed frequencies because I do not have a certified transceiver. But I run at the legal power limit for all the frequencies and nobody can tell nor really cares that I am doing this. OFCOM has little way to know of my universal radio station.
Well said & sounds like you have a great setup!
Absolutely what I was looking for. Thank you for posting.
Great to hear!
Nice antenna setup on the gear
Thanks 👍
You did a good job on your overall comm set-up for playing soldier or paintball. But, I suggest a better radio choice than a Baofeng (e.g., Yaesu FT-270 albeit a 2M VHF radio) would yield better results (ref my #3 comment that follows). DISCO32 offers a U-94/A style PTT/mic cable with the appropriate connector that plug (a screw mount) into the top of the radio FT-270 and a right angle connector that plugs into the side of the dual-band FT-60. The Yaesu is a far superior radio to the Baofeng.
Three comments:
1 -- I've owned three different Baofengs, including a VU-82. Folks who buy them, including hams, are usually not aware of the complex, hybrid (ham / commercial radio) programming model they use. Fortunately there is free s/w out there for the purpose.
2 -- To be clear re a vest-mounted antenna: the human body makes an excellent dummy load for RF, particularly at UHF frequencies. Though no doubt useful over SHORT distances, it's no difficult to find over what range such an antenna arrangement works, especially with the radiating element on the front of one's body and the receiving station is behind one. Add in if HE is facing away. Complicate this further if you are legally operating on FRS channels with their very limited effective radiated power (ERP) of 500mW if operating on Ch 8-14 (other channels are limited to 2W). (e-CFR §95.567 FRS transmit power). Yes, using channels 1-7 and 15-22, one can get more range with 2W. But, add in foliage and other terrain issues and that antenna up against one's chest WILL affect communications.
Though not having operated as a grunt in a tactical environment as other commenters have, I cannot attest to the distances over which squad ratios would be used. However, having a Navy technical background in communications and years of radio communications experience as a ham providing public services communications, I can offer a degree of expertise in this area.
3 -- There are a couple of videos out there where someone with the technical expertise and the appropriate lab equipment set up measure the spectral purity of Baofengs and found that, d/t questionable (i.e., lax) quality assurance practices, Baofengs can have as much energy transmitting OUT OF BAND (i.e., spurious emissions) as in-band. Be advised.
The only review I could find that I trust is in eham.net. The reviewer found that the radio appears to be a repackaged UV-82. The UV-82 has terrible spectral purity.
Be safe, be well.
Thanks for the post Jim, great information. I never knew that there was a Yaesu with a locking type connector. That interests me a lot. I'm going to research that radio a lot.
Lot's of good points in your post & they're all taken. My goal wasn't for this to be a long range option... maybe a few hundred meters away. Farther if lucky. I know Baofeng radios are very low quality as compared to others.
You may see an updated video from me in the future with the radio you recommended. Thank you!
@@CallMeColtLLC But for my FT-60 and legacy FT-250, both of which I own, I can't speak to the Yaesu HTs with the speaker & mic connectors on the side.
In carefully reviewing current production Yaesu, looks like they've gone totally to side connectors and all are friction fit.
Re Icom, the IC-V86, from the ear phone/mic add-ons, appears to have securing screws. I've searched the 'net in vain for clear pics. Would have to go into an HRO to physically inspect. The V-86 is the 3rd gen offspring of the V-8 that was constructed on a commercial frame. I expect it's a tough radio.
Kenwood HTs all appear to use a earphone/mic connector arrangement similar to the Yaesu/Icom arrangement.
Alinco DJ-G7E looks like it might have a screw-in connector, but, like the Icom, hard to tell.
Bummer that most all HTs for the amateur market lack decent earphone/mic connectors. At one time I went to an Icom F30GT commercial radio in order to get the locking, screw-in connector.
Yeah, handsets with more than friction connections seem to be slim to come by. I really liked the idea of the screw type one that was on the older Yaesu's you shared. I'm going to look deeper into all the models you shared when I have some time. Thank you very much for all the feedback, great stuff!!
I did a bunch of research this evening. It seems the Yaesu Vertex series still use the twist lock adapters for external connections. VX-6R & VX-7R. SkyEye makes PTT's for these radios as well.
Jim Piper is correct on all points. This is the proverbial fork in the road on radio choice. The dual-band Baofeng price points is appealing for amateur mil-sim and HAM use, similar to a basic Swiss army knife. A GMRS license is cheap, easy, long term, and opens up some additional frequencies & transmit power.
Switching to VHF only radios triggers the licensing decision (i.e. HAM) and everyone in the group 'should' be licensed. Dedicated VHF might help a little with range, but limits interoperability with others. It's all about the compromise you are making.
I've used the smaller Baofeng UV5 variants, and Vertex VX-454 (both on UHF) in large scale urban mil-sim environments, and the range is indeed limited due to human RF absorption, foliage, concrete, structures, soil, etc. Mounting the radio higher on a vest (and antenna ) to get the antenna above the shoulder can help a bit, but only if your group is also mounting their radio higher. Range is typically a couple of hundred fee without LOS, which is probably fine for squad, but command not so much. As Colt indicates, a threaded headset/mic is ideal because your equipment will take abuse. Boom mic's are better as throat mic's are usually too soft.
It's not too difficult to program Baofeng's with Chirp. The Vertex radio's, are tanks, but have dedicated VHF or UHF antennas, and programing is significantly harder.
When I'm asked for a starter radio recommendation, it's usually a flavor of the dual-band Baofeng UV5. If water or all-weather use is a possibility, (i.e. kayaking, etc) then I recommend upgrading to GT-3WP, or similar water proof models.
Great vid! Exactly the info I've been lookin for. Gear in the meaty part of the value curve.
The details and why's are key. Cheapchit is false economy.
Hats off to ya for "takin one, or two, for the team".😆 😁
Thank you!
I'm doubting the gear that I currently have. And the FCC came out with a ban I think, last year. We're not all Ham licensed so thanks FCC. You did what I wanted to do, make a personal set-up for training, etc.
You can still buy the radios. FCC is just part of the alphabet soup. If you are like me, as long as you're responsible, you don't need to worry about them. :)
@@CallMeColtLLC Yeah, I also have the 2 pin issue. May go to the one you have after I review more of your videos.
Thanks for the video. Wish I would have found it sooner. I have a baofeng 9r plus. Bought a ptt from Amazon. It won’t work with my aviation (helicopter) 1 plug) headset.
Thanks for listing all the people you’ve spoken to.
Better late than never! This is an older video & I have learned a lot since then but overall, I still use the same setup. :)
Very well done - I don't yet know where I want to go with the comms but I will be keeping this video. Thanks
Cool. I have some other videos with other commo options. Check them out.
CallMeColt, Merry Christmas Eve to you and your family!
I just received my baofeng Gt-3wp's. I installed the Nagoya antennas to both my radios and was disappointed.
The distance was less than 100 ft. I did not purchase the adapters and thought it could be a connectivity issue between the Nogoya antenna and radio.
I reinstalled the manufactured antennas which came with my baofeng radios and tested the communication range.
Two miles was the cutoff point with original antennas.
I'm pleased with that range indeed. I'm going to return the Nagoya antennas and ask Amazon they send out another set. I'm hoping they work and curious the potential; additional range a longer antenna could possibly have.
Thanks for all your help. I enjoy my radios. They are very powerful. I have a lot to learn concerning programming, but in due season, all we be well!
Merry Christmas!
Hmm, sounds like you got bad antenna.
@@CallMeColtLLC I even tried a Nogoya antenna on one of my radios and kept the rubber duckie on the other; no go. I'm returning both Nogoya antennas and having amazon ship me out 2 additional. At least I get great distance, 2 miles, with original manufactured antennas. I'm hoping I can pull a little more distance with the taller Nogoya antennas. Well, it's Christmas day, CallMeColt, and I wish you and your family a very blessed one! Thanks for all your help, brother. I truly appreciate it!
@@137997311ful It's possible you got fake antennas. Hopefully you get it figured out!
@@CallMeColtLLC I looked on Nogoya website. The only discrepancy was a Rubber Gasket that came with my antennas.
There was a picture stating if the package had a Rubber Gasket in it, the antenna was fake. The packaging and markings all checked out as to be nonconterfit antennas.
So because of that Rubber Gasket, I could have received bad antennas.
Once again, thanks for all your help!
CallMeColt, first of all; Happy New Year!
Well, I sent back the two Nogoya antennas that didn't work out on my Baofeng GT-3WP'S.
Amazon sent me two more antennas and.....nope!
They don't aren't working, either.
I'm thinking I need the female adapters to screw onto my radios in order to get a better connection between the Nogoya antennas and my radios.
I ordered them and hoping this does the trick.
Like I mentioned before, with the manufactured rubber antennas that came with my baofeng radios, I'm able to transmit and receive at 2 miles. I'm hoping when all is said and done, I'll get a little more range with a taller antenna.
Take care, friend, and thanks for all your help. I truly appreciate your kindness!
Thank you for all your leg work! Truly appreciated!!
No problem, I try to keep up with helpful COMM videos.
Thank you very much. Someone needed to take the time to figure this out and put the info out there. Cheers!
Glad it helped!
Great review as I have been looking into several comm setups, I currently have the Baofeng BFF 8HP and Walker Razor headsets.
You can put those two together but it's not as robust as this setup.
@@CallMeColtLLC I am starting to see that.
The best video I saw about headphones and setup kit ever
Thanks for watching and glad it was informative.
A for effort but what a project just for PTT. It's amazing to me there isn't more available on the market that actually work for this intended purpose.
Agree 100%. Hopefully that changes in the future!
Great video, I wish I had seen this 3 months ago, it would have save me from some of the "experimentation" you have been through! Very comprehensive. Think I might try another radio with that connection type over the two pin ones, as mine doesn't sit well in a radio pouch. Thanks for the info!
No problem. I have a few other videos on the Baofeng Multipin type radios you may find helpful. I do plan to post more in the future as well.
Disco32 also sells the PTT for these radios. They are a one stop shop for all your radio needs.
Yes, they just started selling them. I suggested they make it before I made this video since I couldn't find one. I still like the SkeEye due to it's PTT button. Good to see more options out there!
Great job, will use this for putting my comms together. Semper-Fi
Hell year, roger that brother!
I miss the Harris Radios From the Service Days
Recently, I got some genuine Harris radios that are similar to the PRC-152.
@@CallMeColtLLC very nice I would love to get my hands on a couple of Harris Radios
Been using my A58 as a marine radio for my jet ski for 6 months in salt water totally naked in the mag pouch on my life jacket. Still haven't killed it, I can't believe how much it puts the official marine radios to shame for a fraction of the price. So yes it's certainly waterproof, I always rinse it when I get home. One piece of advice is to add a smear of dielectric grease on the headset contacts because these connector types never seem to seal very well and caused the radio to short out there one time but has been fine since I did that.
Good tip! Yeah, these radios really are a good value.
i mean you could have saved a lot of time and money if you would have just broke out the wiring diagrams and rewired things to work for the setup you wanted, i mean PTT < MIC< AND SOUND are easy to wire up on the FENGS
No, it will not work that way with dynamic microphone headsets. I did try it & it didn't work. Also, nothing that I could have wired would have been as high quality as what I ended up buying. The most expensive part is the TCI headset & I wasn't going to take that apart to change the microphone on it.
Cool setup. Hopefully we will find an easy DMR/Commercial setup, like this.
One day I hope. More options are becoming available.
Son, I've used the TYT, UV8000E HT, with the two pin Kenwood style speaker mic, for over a year now with no problems with the pins. Both on my bicycle and carried. Its all about the speaker mic and how good it is. You buy a cheep speaker mic and the pins might go bad, but thats true about any thing.
The issue I had (others around me as well) was in a pouch or pocket, when active, the connection would work itself loose. It would come disconnected without realizing it. It happened almost every time we used them.
@@CallMeColtLLC I've used mine in a pouch, clipped to my belt, attached to a mount on my bicycle, and carried in a pocket, so I dont know what to tell you. Sounds like you might have gotten a bad speaker mic to begin with. And you and your friends have your Technicians license, so you can use those radios legally?
@@longrider42 Don't know what to say... Didn't last for us & that's why we moved on. The multi-pin is definitely a better option. The status of our license is not part of the discussion. Thanks for the input & glad the Kenwood style 2 pin has worked for you. 😀
I still suggest a backpack mobile… Even if you brick up an ht with a belt antenna. You can also just wire up your own ptt. No mistakes when you do it yourself.
Excluding a good headset. You can make everything there for $70 including a used Japanese radio. Quality is what you make it. I’d say knowing how to repair and make your own stuff is more important than something that can be run over by a semi.
If you are going to mess with the FCC might as well coil up a 160. Been meaning to do this myself, though with my call sign it would be legal so not sure why I haven’t yet… Definitely something to think about.
For the purpose of this setup, a backpack is completely out of the question. This is very small setup and intended for communication within a few hundred meters, though it can do more. Backpack is a whole nother purpose and can be useful.
Great video. been looking for this for a long time!
Glad you liked it!
Skyeye tactical Makes amazing Gear
They do! And they have been slowly adding/removing things to improve.
@@CallMeColtLLC I have noticed that
I hope you're getting some kickbacks cause I just ordered from most of your links! haha. awesome video!
Not really, just glad people are getting things they need.
Very very informative video, thank you so much. Now I have a better idea of how comms work
Commos get very complicated unfortunately.
FINALLY!!! HAHAHA!! Thank you for having a brain and putting this great video together. Exactly what I've been looking for. Stay safe out there and God bless
Thanks for watching & glad it helped. That's why I made it.
REALLY GOOD vid..thanks for putting in the work!
That's why I made it, wanted to help people out. Save them my headaches!
Awesome set up on your coms, I will probably contact you in the future about your complete coms gear. Thanks for sharing...
This is my complete setup. If it changes at all, I will post another video with the updates.
Dude, this video is great! I’d love to buy you a beer or at least some Whataburger (yeah, I saw that TX patch). Keep the vids coming!
Thanks. I plan to keep making them, but don't expect them to fly out. I have 3 kids, & a full time job. But I slowly plan to put informative videos out that I can;t find elsewhere. :)
You're one of the few people that goes through the setup.
Thanks, try to make my stuff good so it helps people!
Saved me a grip of time and money man. Thanks for the info
No problem, glad it helped!
Wow! Great video, you have probably helped more people than you know...
I hope so! That's why I made it, to save others the headache.
Hello Colt, first off I would like to say thank you for all your informative videos. Found your channel looking for sling options for the scorpion then stumbled upon your comms videos. I've Ben trying to figure out ham radio set ups before testing for my license and found a bunch of great info here. I'm in rural west Tennessee and need something reliable to stay in communication with my wife and son if cellular phones go down. After much studying I had two questions for you. I was in the process of ordering the baofeng gt-3wp and while watching a crash course to get licensed I saw someone mention that you need to use sketchy programs since you cannot use chirp on the models that don't use the Kenwood connection. All this is a little over my head and I'm trying to study and research as well as possible so I can make one good purchase and not waste money. What was your experience programming the GT-3WP? Second question is I'm having a bit of a problem understanding wich headsets have dynamic microphones and wich ones don't so I can know ifi need a amplified PTT. I have looked at specs and Google without much luck. I appreciate any help you may be able to offer and once again thanks for your great videos. Also, I was born and raised in San Antonio. I see you are down there now enjoying life in texas
Chirp works with the GT3-WP just fine. Whatever person said the software is "sketchy" doesn't understand the programing software side. Unless you are making a cloud/remote connection, what can anyone possibly do? You are programing a radio that is unencrypted and transmitting over the open air. Just my opinion. It may not be a listed model in the drop down list but it works. As far as microphone, for the most part, all real military headsets have a dynamic microphone & need an amplified PTT. SkyEye is very good about helping with it if you are not sure. Even though they are popular, I recommend staying away from Peltor due to their proprietary wiring... it complicates things even more. CommGearSupply is a good option as well. CallMeColt10 gets you 10% off and their customer service is great. I will have some videos soon going over a new radio line as well that is an improvement over the Baofeng multipin type, though it is about 2x as much. I'm testing it all a bit first.
@CallMeColt™ thanks for the feedback. The way the guy werded it was the GT-3WP connector was not an FTDI cable and so if you were to use the cable it came with you will have to run cracked firmware/drivers to work with computer. I will admit I might be confused as all of this is new to me and I'm learning as I go. I will for sure use your discount code. Much appreciated
@@CallMeColtLLC I wanted to ask you one more thing,the reason your video really caught my eye was not that the GT-3WP was water proof. I was drawn to it because of the two pin Kenwood pin style failing like you mentioned. It just made sense to me as I will be putting mine in a pouch on a chest rig. I don't want to waste money on a two pin system if the connection fails. Seems like it would to me. The waterproof connection on the GT just seems more robust. I don't see anyone talk about this issue but it seems to me to be a legit concern. Thanks for answering my questions
@@dogwoodbjj I'm not sure how more people have not had an issue with the Kenwood 2 pin system. It's basically a headphone jack. The waterproof is an extra plus.
You may want to look at diamond antenna BNCJ-SMSP for the antenna adapter. It doesn't put strain on the radio connector. Also threadlocker on the threads may hurt performance since it creates a poor connection for the antenna ground.
Lastly to expand on your mention of FCC laws, transmitting those radios on FRS is illegal due to TX power and removable antenna. Also they are capable to TX on other frequencies that require a license.
Overall great video and thanks for sharing your findings. It will save others lots of money in failed hardware.
So which mode would be legal to transmit from the uv 58
@@Xfrogg3 technically non unless you have a FCC licence. The two the would apply for that radio would be "GMRS" and "Ham".
FRS doesn't require a license however there are limits on hardware which can be found on FCC's website.
Alright so using it with a low watt on FRS, doesnt require a FCC license
@@Xfrogg3 "technically" speaking it is not because it can TX higher power and there is not a license for FRS same applies for CB too.
Thanks for the reply. Good information. I recently got an SWR meter & I will test a radio with & without thread locker to see if it makes any differences. I didn't think of that.
I looked for the adapter you suggested & I can't find it. Can you share a link to it maybe? I did always worry about how high the adapter I have it but it was all I could find.
As for the FCC stuff, my personal opinion is, use it on low power & you should never have an issue. I won't go into that any deeper as this is TH-cam! :)
Nice video, just signed up to take my license. Looking at the same type of setup. But also going to vehicle mount it and want a traditional cb hand mike as well. Thanks for advice
Thanks for watching!
Like many others, thank you so much for this info. Just got interested in comms and your video was recommended below Warrior Poets recent comm setup
That would explain why my video has gotten so much traffic. Very cool. Glad you found it helpful. Lot's of other good information in the comments. I will be making more videos about topics like this in the future.
@@CallMeColtLLC actually, I'm about to pull the trigger on an A58/9R/whatever I can find that's the same.
Do you have any recommendations for where to buy one? The link on your video is not available now on amazon, but they have others like it.
@@RCFlyBoy314 www.amazon.com/dp/B01BSL58Z6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fab_LgBGFb26RSWTV. This one should work.
@@RCFlyBoy314 www.amazon.com/dp/B082Q1VL5Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fab_PhBGFb3YHVZZK Also this one.
Perfect, those were the two I found! Any reason I shouldn't go with the $31 over the $60....?
Ooof those Baofengs scare me. I wouldn't intentionally break the rules, but they're so complicated I'd be afraid I'd end up jamming half the local police department or something. I've pretty much settled on a 22-channel FRS walkie-talkie for my setup because I'm a wimp. Something like the Baofeng is awesome in emergencies and if the world ends and there's no FCC to come beat you up you the HAM-capable ones can communicate with people seriously far away.
There is no way a Baofeng radio can jam a police signal whatsoever. They're weak radios & have no way of blocking a trucked system like most police agencies use. They're also not very complicated. If you can use a microwave, you can use a Baofeng.
CallMeColt the FCC “banned” models like UV-5R and the BF-F8HP because they can operate within HAM frequencies and operating them without a HAM operator license is technically illegal. But you can still find decent radios that do not require licensing i.e. MURS radios
@@jvzabala98 that has nothing to do with why people say they're band (even though they're not, just order one off Amazon if you want one). The illegalities come when people are using programmable radios for FRS or GMRS that exceed the allotted watts for those broadcast systems. It's a lot to explain but basically and they're not banned at all and it's easy to avoid breaking the fcc's stupid rules with them.
@@nicholasquintero1080 there are unauthorized baofeng floating around. They are technically illegal to operate even with a ham license. You can look it up yourself, or you can insist I provide you the source.
To be honest, only Fud's are worried about the FCC. Virtually no one has ever gotten in trouble from them for using Baofeng radios. Just don't be dumb & use the gear reasonably.
Good Video, and I'm definitely interested in the Selex single ear headset. I've used Sordins and realized I don't like a headset on both ears, It just makes me act extremely paranoid at not knowing exactly where noise is coming from.
I found it a bit uncomfortable to be honest. I would like to find a Bowman type headset that has an amplified microphone for low noise use.
Your video has been a huge help!
Glad it was!