I'm looking to expand my system into something that will run AX.25, in order to hopefully be able to punch some communications through any sort of communications blackout that might be thrown down on the population of the USA in the future. I'm also looking for a rig that I can learn the HAM basics on, as well. I've already studied for my test a bit, and I think that I can safely purchase hardware soon, and be assured that I'll be able to use it before too terribly long.
My issue right now is that I'm cost-inhibited. I really can't assume that I'll have anything more than $200, tops, to spend on this project any time soon. Does anybody have any suggestions for a unit that I might be able to get (hopefully a step up from handheld) that I can plug into my computer's sound card for AX.25, that will still give me a semi-decent experience for this total of money (including antenna and the like)? I'd be very grateful for any sort of input or pointers in the right direction.
Thanks for your time!

-K

-=-
Borg Burgers: We do it our way; your way is irrelevant.
--- SBBSecho 2.27-OpenBSD
* Origin: Tinfoil Tetrahedron BBS - 9:91/11 SurvivalNet (9:91/11)

Khelair wrote to All <=-

I'm looking to expand my system into something that will run AX.25,
in order to hopefully be able to punch some communications through any sort of communications blackout that might be thrown down on the population of the USA in the future.

(please tell me there's a way to get AX.25 running over a $30 BaoFeng...)



... Powered By Celeron (Tualatin). Engineered for the future.
--- MultiMail/Win32 v0.50
* Origin: http://realitycheckbbs.org (9:91/4)

Re: Re: Suggestions for a low-cost HAM rig that can handle AX.25
By: Poindexter Fortran to Khelair on Wed Feb 18 2015 09:28:00

(please tell me there's a way to get AX.25 running over a $30 BaoFeng...)

I just looked up specs on a couple, and I don't see anything about the requisite audio jacks being available... Not sure which model you have, but now you've piqued my curiosity being as how unbelievably cheap those are. FWIW, they do xmit at 430MHz, so that gives you access to UHF for fastest transmission, unless my understanding is flawed here.

-=-
Borg Burgers: We do it our way; your way is irrelevant.
--- SBBSecho 2.27-OpenBSD
* Origin: Tinfoil Tetrahedron BBS - 9:91/11 SurvivalNet (9:91/11)

Khelair wrote to Poindexter Fortran <=-

I just looked up specs on a couple, and I don't see anything about
the requisite audio jacks being available...

Mine is a BaoFeng UV-5R, and it's got the requisite 2.5mm mic/3.5mm speaker jacks spaced in the standard right-angle connector you see on handhelds.




... Your mistake was a hidden intention
--- MultiMail/Win32 v0.50
* Origin: http://realitycheckbbs.org (9:91/4)

Re: Re: Suggestions for a low-cost HAM rig that can handle AX.25
By: Poindexter Fortran to Khelair on Tue Feb 24 2015 14:24:00

Mine is a BaoFeng UV-5R, and it's got the requisite 2.5mm mic/3.5mm speaker jacks spaced in the standard right-angle connector you see on handhelds.

*insert the obligatory apology about the slowly fading ignorance here*
So that's all that's really required for AX.25, and a handhell will handle it, albeit at a presumably lower broadcast range? I might just have to see one of those coming my way in the near future if this is the case...

-=-
Borg Burgers: We do it our way; your way is irrelevant.
--- SBBSecho 2.27-OpenBSD
* Origin: Tinfoil Tetrahedron BBS - 9:91/11 SurvivalNet (9:91/11)

25 Feb 15 20:53, you wrote to Poindexter Fortran:

Re: Re: Suggestions for a low-cost HAM rig that can handle AX.25

By: Poindexter Fortran to Khelair on Tue Feb 24 2015 14:24:00

Mine is a BaoFeng UV-5R, and it's got the requisite 2.5mm
mic/3.5mm speaker jacks spaced in the standard right-angle
connector you see on handhelds.

So that's all that's really required for AX.25, and a handheld
will handle it, albeit at a presumably lower broadcast range? I might just have to see one of those coming my way in the near future if this
is the case...

I haven't used my uv-5r much, except when to power goes out, but I love mine! Plus for $38 buck on Amozon .. (thanks PdF) you can't beat the price, with the charger and extra add-ons. I'd like to grab a few more spare batteries sometime, just for the sake of a SHTF type emergency. Also, there may be a way to boost the signal.. something that I would need more input .. to process (:

--- GoldED+/W32-MSVC 1.1.5-b20110320
* Origin: flupH bbs Survnet WHQ (9:91/1)

Re: Suggestions for a low-cost HAM rig that can handle AX.25
By: Skuz to Khelair on Thu Feb 26 2015 00:52:14

I haven't used my uv-5r much, except when to power goes out, but I love mine! Plus for $38 buck on Amozon .. (thanks PdF) you can't beat the price, with the charger and extra add-ons. I'd like to grab a few more spare batteries sometime, just for the sake of a SHTF type emergency. Also, there may be a way to boost the signal.. something that I would need more input .. to process (:

Oh there is. I've got schematics in my SHTF text file archive on here, if nothing else. ;) I'm just damn glad to hear that units like this can handle the protocol without mad jury rigging. Seeing the first tips of my goal is finally within my reach! ;)

-=-
Borg Burgers: We do it our way; your way is irrelevant.
--- SBBSecho 2.27-OpenBSD
* Origin: Tinfoil Tetrahedron BBS - 9:91/11 SurvivalNet (9:91/11)

Re: Suggestions for a low-cost HAM rig that can handle AX.25
By: Skuz to Khelair on Thu Feb 26 2015 00:52:14

I haven't used my uv-5r much, except when to power goes out, but I love mine! Plus for $38 buck on Amozon .. (thanks PdF) you can't beat the price, with the charger and extra add-ons. I'd like to grab a few more spare batteries sometime, just for the sake of a SHTF type emergency. Also, there may be a way to boost the signal.. something that I would need more input .. to process (:

Finally got one of these in my wish list. I'll probably snag a pair when I've got time. ;)

-=-
Borg Burgers: We do it our way; your way is irrelevant.
--- SBBSecho 2.27-OpenBSD
* Origin: Tinfoil Tetrahedron BBS - 9:91/11 SurvivalNet (9:91/11)