RadioMeal.Com Blog

New 2012 el-cheapo Handheld Ronson RT966

2012-01-21T16:25:00.000+08:00

I got quite a number of inquiries from individuals on a lower priced handy. Some of them could not afford to get those fancy high-end walkie-talkies for their beginner status. Some of them just need a radio for monitoring purposes only.

This is a new product from Ronson, that might be interesting to these people. It is fully functional with all the basic radio should have, and most importantly, you can get it as low as RM260.00 per piece.

Click here to know more.

Soalan Lazim - "Berapa jauh walkie-talkie boleh 'cakap' (berkomunikasi)?"

2012-01-11T11:31:00.001+08:00

Bagi saya yang dah beberapa tahun berkecimpung dengan bidang komunikasi amatur ni, dan juga berniaga dalam bidang ni secara kecil-kecilan, saya sering ditanya dengan soalan ini, "bang, walkie-talkie ni, berapa jauh boleh cakap?". Saya yakin, kawan-kawan lain pun mesti pernah dengar atau pernah tanya soalan yang sama.

Pada pengamatan saya, orang yang bertanya begini, kebiasaannya masih baru dalam bidang ini. Atau baru nak mengenal tentang komunikasi radio dua hala ni. Apa yang boleh kita jawab jika ditanya sebegini? Cakap je "dalam 5 kilometer boleh la" macam tu? Kalau nak senang, itu je jawapan dia, tapi dari segi etika, saya kurang bersetuju kalau nak jawab macam tu.

Bagi saya, tiada jawapan yang 'definitive' untuk isu ini. Pun begitu, saya rasa sedikit terganggu bila sesetengah orang yang biasanya penjual alatan ini dengan sewenang-wenangnya memberi jawapan seperti itu bila mempromosi alatan radionya.

"Walkie talkies for sale. 5 kilometers range!" Macam tu lah lebih kurang kalau kita tengok dalam laman popular macam mudah.my. Kurang-kurang pun, beritau la anggaran dalam 2-5 kilomter ke, nampak la legit sikit, ni sedap jek tulis '5 kilometers' gitu. Tak berapa jujur pada hemat saya. Tengok contoh di bawah ini saya ambil dari mudah.my (credit to them).

Jadi, kalau ia ditanya kepada saya, saya akan beri jawapan yang terbuka, tapi kadangkala tidak memuaskan hati yang mendengar, nak pulak orang yang berminat untuk membeli dari saya. Saya cuba untuk jujur, tapi pahit untuk diaorang telan kadang-kadang...

Bakal pelanggan : "Berapa jauh boleh cakap ni?"
Saya : "Bergantung pada banyak keadaan"
Bakal pelanggan : "5 kilometer boleh sampai tak?"
Saya : "Dengan situasi yang betul, boleh sampai lebih dari itu. Encik nak guna untuk apa?"
Bakal pelanggan : "Untuk radio amatur"
Saya : "Oh kalau radio amatur, encik boleh cakap sampai ke Thailand"
Bakal pelanggan : "Biar betul! Itu dah berapa ratus kilometer!!"
Saya : "Ya betul tu, tapi macam saya kata tadi, dalam situasi yang betul, boleh pergi sejauh tu"

Inilah lebih kurang yang selalu saya hadapi bila dapat panggilan dari orang yang berminat, serta baru nak belajar tentang komunikasi radio.

Contoh penggunaan repeater yang mampu meningkatkan 'kejauhan pemancaran' dengan sangat ketara.

Apa yang saya maksudkan dengan "dengan situasi yang betul" tu? Banyak faktor sebenarnya, antara contoh ialah, faktor kedudukan altitud (ketinggian) pemancar dan penerima, faktor gangguan komunikasi, faktor kekangan macam adanya sebuah bangunan di antara dua pengguna ini. Itu tak masuk lagi bab-bab lain. Tapi inilah realitinya, dan ini juga 'beauty' dalam komunikasi radio ni. Sekiranya hari ini kita boleh memancar sejauh 20km, tak semestinya esok pun boleh menjangkau sejauh itu. Itulah sebabnya dalam dunia radio amatur, antara takrifan "apa itu radio amatur" ada disebut tentang ujikaji. Menguji dan mengkaji alatan radio dan penggunaannya. Itulah 'kecantikannya'!

Banyak sangat kalau nak dibaca dari sumber internet tentang ini, dan kebanyakannya dalam bahasa inggeris. Cubalah semak-semak, ada jawapan dalam tu. Kadang-kadang sampai tak terbaca sebab tak tau mana nak mula. Wallahu'alam.

Penggunaan radio "Walkie-Talkie" di dalam SRS / KRT untuk pemantauan kejiranan

2011-11-10T08:46:00.000+08:00

1.0 OBJEKTIF

Tujuan artikel ini adalah untuk memberiinformasi ringkas namun penting kepada pihak yang berkenaan tentang penggunaanradio komunikasi (atau dipanggil ‘walkie-talkie’) di dalam SRS / KRT di kawasanyang berkenaan.

2.0 LATARBELAKANG

Komunikasi adalah salah satuperkara wajib yang kita lakukan saban hari. Ianya pengubat kepada banyakpermasalahan antara manusia. Kita sentiasa menggunakan telefon untuk bercakapdengan seseorang yang berada di lokasi lain. Alangkah baiknya jika kita tidakperlu berbelanja untuk berhubung dengan seseorang?

Di dalam soal keselamatan,komunikasi yang segera dan cekap adalah sangat penting. Setiap saat yangberlalu pada masa kecemasan, jika dimanfaatkan dengan berkesan bolehmenyelamatkan nyawa serta harta benda.

3.0. PENGENALAN TENTANG KOMUNIKASI DUA HALA

Sistem komunikasi dua halasebenarnya berlaku setiap hari. Penggunaan telefon sebagai contoh, adalah satucara berkomunikasi dua hala. Cuma, ianya berbayar. Setiap panggilan telefonkebiasaannya akan dicaj penyedia perkhidmatan.

Penggunaan alatan yang lebihdikenali dengan nama jolokan ‘walkie-talkie’ adalah sangat praktikal bagi ahli SRS / KRT.Ianya murah bila dilihat untuk jangka panjang. Setiap perbualan tidak dicaj danyang paling penting, hubungan komunikasi itu berlaku sepantas kilat dengantiada masa menunggu.

4.0. FAEDAH

Beberapa pulangan yang dijangkabakal diperolehi adalah seperti berikut:

Pengetahuan dalam asas frekuensi di dalam komunikasi kepada ahli
Perkongsianmaklumat di antara ahli SRS / KRT serta masyarakat sekeliling yang berlaku dengan lebih efektif.
Pengendaliankomunikasi yang lebih efisyen pada sebarang acara atau ketika waktu kecemasan danbencana.
Satu ‘panggilan’boleh menghubungkan ke semua alatan radio yang lain (yang berdekatan &berkongsi frekuensi yang sama) secara serentak jadi maklumat disampaikan ke ramaiorang dalam satu-satu masa.

5.0 CONTOHSENARIO KEJADIAN KECURIAN

Rumah Pak Ahmaddimasuki pencuri. Pak Ahmad menyedarinya tetapi pencuri sempat melarikan diri. Pak Ahmad merupakan salah seorang ahli SRS / KRT di kawasan kejiranan beliau.

Pak Ahmad lantas menyebarkan perkara kecurian ini menggunakan alat radionya dan maklumat initerus diketahui oleh semua ahli lain yang mempunyai alat radio masing-masingsecara serentak. Dengan ini, secara cepat mereka boleh menghalang setiap laluankeluar di kawasan tersebut atau bersedia di tempat strategik untuk cubamenangkap pencuri tadi.

Bayangkankomunikasi ini berlaku sangat pantas, dan penggunaan telefon bimbit pada ketikaini mungkin akan merugikan masa kerana kelewatannya untuk menyebarkan maklumatkepada seorang demi seorang. Kelewatan bermakna pencuri tadi dapat melarikandiri.

6.0 KESIMPULAN

Tidak dapat dinafikan, penggunaanalatan radio ini sangat penting dalam kelancaran penyampaian dan penyebaranmaklumat kritikal kepada semua ahli SRS / KRT. Maklumat yang pantas mampumenyelesaikan perkara dalam hal kecemasan dan keselamatan.

Kekuatan komunikasi di kalanganahli SRS / KRT juga secara tidak langsung mampu menggerunkan individu yangberniat untuk melakukan jenayah di dalam kawasan terlibat. Ini boleh menghalangatau setidak-tidaknya mengurangkan jenayah itu dari terus berlaku.

Kini, anda tahu kepentingan alatan ini dalam kejiranan anda sendiri. Anda juga kini tahu alatan tersebut boleh di dapati dari kami. Hubungi kami untuk maklumat lanjut. Nombor kami ada tertera di laman ini.

Hakcipta RadioMeal.Com - salinan dan penerbitan semula dalam apa cara sekalipun adalah tidak dibenarkan jika tanpa kebenaran bertulis dari pihak kami.

Positive review of Ronson RT26V / RT-26V VHF handheld transceiver / radio

2011-03-22T00:14:00.005+08:00

** Please note: At the moment, we have stopped supplying this model. An upgraded version is available from our e-commerce website, i.e. Ronson RT88. Click HERE for more info. **

At first when I got this radio, I was quite surprised to see how small it is. On average, the size is similar to Yaesu's VX3R. It is like a mobile phone except with an antenna outside its body. Of course, the weight is just around 200 grams (with antenna and battery installed) this is surely one lightweight radio!

In my opinion, the built quality of this handheld is very acceptable. It doesn't feel as flimsy like some of its counterparts. Quite solid I might say, as much as the price you paid for.

The design for the keypad is somewhat different with common handheld looking at its arrangement. They are put in two rows for the numbers 0 - 9 and a column of function / setup keys (please see the above picture). For those who are well accustomed with the commonly 3 rows x 3 columns number keypad settings might find this one a bit awkward at first but it only takes a moment to get used to it.

The knob on the upper side of the body serves three distinctive purposes. Turning clockwise / anti clockwise cycles through the menus or channels / frequencies. With a press of the lowest side button while turning it will adjust the volume. Finally, a push downward will cause the radio to turn on or off. Pretty neat!

The audio output is quite loud for its body. A volume at 0 level does not put the radio in full silence though. It will still have a little audio out at that level, just a little audio that is.

Another good thing about this radio is, the battery. It uses the 3.7v battery that can easily found in mobile phone shops. It is similar to those Nokia batteries commonly used today. This just tells us that we don't need to worry about replacing it in the future when we can get it at our nearby phone shop.

The maximum TX power is just 2 watts, suitable with its size and battery power. It has two power level of high and low.Though its only a small amount of battery power supplied to the radio, it is acceptable that the standby life with occassion TX, can 'live' the radio for around 2 days. I guess that is pretty much standard to most radios anyway.

The channel names can be labelled up to 6 alpha-numeric characters. This is pretty good as some radios can only fit 5 characters. For Malaysian amateur radio users for example, the repeaters name are usually comes in 6 characters callsign (for example 9M4RCD) so this is very helpful.

Channel scanning mode is available, but a bit slow when in operation. It also has FM radio receiver built in so we could listen to our favourite FM broadcast stations anytime. The earpiece/microphone-ptt jack is using the standard 2.5mm plug type.

In short, I think this radio is worth for its money paid. For just RM250 (normal price), it is a very good deal! By the way, it comes with FREE earpiece!

Published specifications from manufacturer:

1) CH 128 , All channel scan and priority channel scan

2) Scan types :Carrier， time and search

3) Busy channel lock: carrier/QT/DQT

4) VOX sensitivity:0-9 levels adjustable

5) Transmitter power：High power and low power switchable

6) Squelch opening threshold: Receive field intensity should accurate (use the sq level to show the intensity)

7) Led backlight: On/off/automatic

8) Beep set: Beep on/off

9) Keypad lock function: Manual/auto optional

10) Transmit limited: off-270 optional

11) Offset set:0-xxmhz optional (confirm the max offset according to the band after adjusting)

12) CTCSS and DCS setting

1. Receive only

2. Transmit only

3. 50 CTCSS and 104 DCS

13) +/-offset:+/-frequency optional

14) Offset step optional:12.5k/25k

15) Use Dot Segment to display on LCD

16) Select the LED/emergency call by programming software

17) Volume control knob to turn on/off the power

18) PC programming and store channel

19) Can use car charger

20) DC 3.7V single li-ion battery compatible with mobile phone battery

21) MINI compact size 84*48*25 cm

22) Output power: VHF 136-174mhz 2w

23) With most competitive price

24) CHANNEL step : 6.25/12.5/ 25/50/100khz

Jingtong JT988 / JT-988 VHF Transceiver

2011-01-06T00:47:00.003+08:00

This is a basic review of what I experienced in playing with this little VHF handheld transceiver from Jingtong, from China. It is called Jingtong JT 988.

It is a small sized handheld, suitable for a good grip. The buttons are wide enough for easy operations. The built is quite solid and does not really feel flimsy whilst holding it comparing to other few China made handheld radios.

The channel names can be labelled. No more boring "CH1" on the display, instead, we could name it for up to 5 characters/numbers per memory channel. Of course, some might comfortable seeing the frequency instead of channel name, and this can be done too.

Reverse mode is available for this radio. Sometimes, this feature is important when using the repeater where we could easily approximate other parties' distance while they are transmitting on the frequency. If a close distance transmitting friends are detected, it means we could move (QSY) to simplex channel so that the repeater could be used for other long distance communications.

The supplied operating manual is in English, though there are quite a number of spelling and grammatical errors discovered. Still, it can be used as a basic reference on how to operate this radio. Quite useful too!

The battery is 1300 mAh Li-Ion type, with a desktop charger that stops charging when the battery is full. Also, the radio also comes with an earpiece ptt/mic free of charge.

A couple of neat features for this radio are the LED flash light and FM radio capability. The LED is situated on top of the radio, and it can be handy if you need a quick illumination assistant when in the dark. The FM radio reception is also good to listen for broadcast frequencies available around you. Yes, these frequencies can be saved into the memory too!

All of these, for only RM290.00. Very good deal. Offer not to be missed!!! Contact us for details.

Please note, if the stock is unavailable, it may take 2-3 weeks for each order to be delivered (after full payment is received).

LED Dash Strobelight

2010-04-05T12:42:00.009+08:00

This time, its a little out of my ordinary topic of communications equipment. Though it might have some tiny link to it, but surely it is not an everyday item. Its a LED dash strobe-light that delivers what you want with a reasonable price tag.

At first I thought this is just one of those LEDs found in ordinary car accessories shops locally, but I thought wrong. This is one of those good LEDs around, though it doesn't have the brand names like Whelen, Federal Signal, Tomar or etc, I think it gives a reasonable satisfaction to the owner. Me too.

It comes with 8 LEDs (4 LEDs x 2 units). Each LED's lifespan, usually last thousands of hours. Though it has only 3 patterns to cycle, with a press of a button at the back of the case. The video below could show you how it is.

The case is made from aluminum, so it is light enough to be 'hanging' on your windscreen. Also, it is strong enough to withstand the heat generated by sun ray. I have seen other people uses similar type of strobe set with a plastic case. They ended in being warped or bent by the sun heat. There are four suction cups so you shouldn't be worried if it is dropped on your dash. Though you need to check on the 'holding strength' of the cups once in a while to ensure it is properly 'sticked' to the glass.

The bracket is designed in a way that it will reduce the back flash (when turned on) so the driver should be not really annoyed or interfered by it especially during night drive. The LED head-case itself is adjustable (up / down) to fit your requirement.

The power button is situated conveniently near the cigarette-plug for easy access. The operation is very simple; plug in, turn on the power and select your favourite flashing pattern. No wiring is necessary. A real Plug and Play item.

The price for this item is only RM250.00 not including postage. Allow 1-2 weeks before delivery and it is stock dependant. Some of the available LED colour is Red/Red, White/White, Amber/Amber and etc. Please ask around for more information.

The item can be seen from our online shop, please click here.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE:

This item MIGHT be illegal to be used on Malaysian public roads without the consent and authorisation from the Malaysian authority (RMP/RTD/etc.). We will not be held responsible for any outcome from the usage of this item by you anywhere and anytime.

RMC77 Handheld Carrier

2009-10-16T11:25:00.001+08:00

I think this new item is better compared to my previous items Universal Carrying Case in terms of few significant things.

First, the new case has a bigger compartment for larger handheld. Example of handheld is the Yaesu VX170. This is one of our hams favourite handy knowing for its submersion ability and its tough built. I heard that some rescue officials in neighbouring country use this item as their standard issue.

Anyway back to topic, second difference is the built material. Comparing to canvas, this one is basically water resistant. Though I don't have specific IP standards on its water resistance, I can vouch it is better than the canvas type.

Thirdly, the introduction of the shoulder strap for better protection against handheld drops. For those who uses this item in a risky area such as near pool of water, high elevated workplace, I am sure the shoulder strap is a bonus. Just in the event of the case slipped out from its belt clip (which rarely happens), the shoulder strap will be a life saver.

Fourth difference is the ruggedness. The looks is promising much as what Motorola is offering for their professional range handheld case. Not as big, but close.

Lastly, the 'smart' belt clip for a quicker release. Ever happened to you when you can't take your handy out from your belt? This should be eliminated using this kind of belt clip with just simple movements. Twist your handy (with the case) upside down and pull uprwards to take them out. Easy peasy!

For as low as RM55.00 per piece. Surely this is a must have!! To order, and to have more pictures, click here.

SMA Adaptors? BNC Adaptors?

2009-09-04T11:09:00.001+08:00

Often I get inquiry from people asking on these kind of adaptors. Usually they are looking for an adaptor that can be used with their BNC type antenna, for their handheld. Most of them were quite unsure which adaptor to use. They normally mentioned their handheld brand to me, and some showed example pics.

Saya biasa dapat pertanyaan dari rakan-rakan tentang adaptor ni. Selalunya mereka mencari adaptor yang boleh disesuaikan dengan antena jenis BNC mereka supaya dapat disambungkan ke handy. Pada kebiasaannya mereka tidak pasti jenis apa yang perlu mereka beli. Mereka hanya memberitahu saya model handy dan ada yang mengirimkan gambar sampel.

With this in mind, I hope this entry today could give some information when identifying which type of adaptors to choose for your handheld. It is important to avoid mistakes when ordering, and it has happened before.

Dengan ini, saya harap entry kali ni boleh memberikan sedikit maklumat tentang cara untuk mengenalpasti mana satu adaptor (penyesuai) yang boleh digunakan untuk handy anda. Adalah penring untuk mengelakkan kesilapan dalam pesanan, dan ia pernah berlaku.

The picture above is showing what a SMA Female to BNC Female looks like. Notice the red circle. That indicates the connector type, whether its SMA or BNC and whether its a Male or Female. More often than not, my customers always confuse about Male and Female.

Dalam gambar di atas, ia menunjukkan SMA Female to BNC Female. Perhatikan bulatan merah itu, yang menunjukkan jenis penyambung, sama ada SMA atau BNC dan sama ada ianya Male atau Female. Selalunya, pelanggan saya sering keliru tentang Male atau Female.

Usual handheld models that uses this adaptor are Kenwood models, China Made models like Quansheng, Weierweier, imitations of Icom/Kenwood and etc.

Kebiasaanya handy yang menggunapakai penyesuai ini ialah Kenwood, model buatan China seperti Quansheng, Weierweier, model tiruan Kenwood/Icom dan lain-lain.

The second picture above shows another type which is SMA Male to BNC Female adaptor. See the different on the SMA type as circled in red compared to the first picture. The BNC connector is the same, that is the Female type.

Gambar kedua ini pula menunjukkan jenis SMA Male to BNC Female. Lihat perbezaan di antara kedua-dua gambar di bahagian SMA-nya. Dalam kes ini, penyambung BNC-nya adalah sama, iaitu Female.

Usually Yaesu handheld will use this connector in all of its models.

Yaesu biasa menggunakan jenis ini dalam semua model handy mereka.

I hope this could help you next time.

Saya harap ini dapat membantu anda lain kali bila memilih.

USED Diamond SX600 for sale (Diamond SX600 -2ndhand- untuk dijual)

2009-08-06T09:23:00.004+08:00

** THIS ITEM IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE (SOLD) - As at 11.08.2009 **
** BARANGAN INI SUDAH SELAMAT DIJUAL - Pada 11.08.2009 **

I got a unit from a Ham friend recently, and he wanted to let go of this SWR/Power meter. He told me he don't need it anymore so he thought this could earn him some cash.

(Saya dapat item ni dari rakan ham baru-baru ni, bila dia dah taknak gunakannya lagi. Dia fikir boleh buat duit sikit kalau jual.)

At first I got it, I was amazed to see how excellent the condition of it. I thought it was brand new! If I put it on my racks and claim it new, I think no one would ever know. Hehehehe..

(Masa mula-mula dapat, saya ingatkan yang baru! Keadaan dia sebijik macam kita baru beli, agaknya kalau la saya jual dan cakap ianya baharu, saya rasa orang tak tau, heheheh)

This unit covers basically wide range of bands. From 1.8MHz and all the way to 525MHz (in two selectable sensors). I would say this is one of the best there is for us Hams.

(SWR/PWR Meter ni merangkumi "band" yang luas, dari 1.8MHz sampailah ke 525MHz UHF, didatangkan dengan 2 "sensor" yang boleh dipilih oleh pengguna. Saya rasa ini adalah antara yang terbaik untuk kita)

This unit comes complete with its box, manual and power cable, just like when you got it when you buy new. I am pretty sure you'll be surprised how excellent the condition of this item is.

(Alatan ini datang lengkap dengan kotak, manual dan kabel kuasa, saling tak tumpah kalau macam kita beli baru. Saya sangat pasti yang anda semua akan terkejut dengan keadaannya yang sangat 'cantik'.)

Please note that this item has rated averaged at 4.4/5 by users review at eham.net (here). For some specification details from their official website, please go here.

(Untuk makluman, meter ini diberi markah 4.4/5 oleh pengguna di eham.net (klik sini). Untuk beberapa butiran spesifikasi, sila lawati laman rasmi Diamond Antenna di sini.)

Selling at RM350.00 (not including delivery) for one unit (and there is only one available though). Brand new would cost around RM450.00. You save RM100.00 for this.

(Saya jual RM350.00 tidak termasuk kos penghantaran - hanya satu sahaja yang ada. Yang baharu harga dia dalam RM450.00 - Anda jimat RM100 tu!)

Abell A-80 Honest Review

2009-07-29T15:54:00.014+08:00

It's been a while since I last posted here. Quite a number of things happened involving me and were well written in other blogs who I featured. Regarding on the Hj Jamain Family gathering at Kuantan and the latest was the PEMANCAR visit to Gunung Senyum. You could view the blogs on these two from my Blog List. Both events were extraordinarily fun and hope we could do it more often.

As for the above title, I had the chance to test out this new model for a week or two. I got it from my supplier and I intended to market this model and currently as their sole agent for Pantai Timur. Here is the review, an honest review from my personal point of view:

When I first got the package, the first impression was, the packaging featured a typical China made product. The item came with a transceiver, a lanyard, a rechargeable battery, a desktop charger set and an operating manual. One thing that I noticed from the manual, the English was well written and easy to understand, but too simplistic.

At the first glance of this item, the product built quality of its transceiver is solid, and having a good size, nice for the grip on my medium sized hand. The weight is just nice where it is not too heavy nor too light. It does not have the "plasticky" feeling on my hand.

The markings of the channel (16 channels) are very clear and sharp printed for easy reference and the printings looked well placed and aligned with the channel marking on the knob. Talking about knobs, the feeling while rotating them were good and not as flimsy as some other China made handhelds.

The volume knob on the other hand, does not have the volume level marking on the knob itself making it little hard to determine the volume of the radio while in operation. That is a bit of a downsider for this model where they should put at least a tiny dot on the knob to show its volume level indicator (imagine Motorola GP328 volume knob). Though it can be solved through DIY method.

The Push To Talk (PTT) button and the other two buttons are like normal buttons from other handheld models from other maker, just that pressing it felt solid and convincing. Not too hard or not too soft. Juts nice.

The battery fits snugly on the body with just one latch to lock and release. Once locked, it was very sturdy and we cannot see any gap between the body and the battery. The battery too won't budge if you try to move it back and forth when it is locked in place. This is a good thing to ensure proper contact to the battery power. The belt clip is like regular clips, can be pull out in case you need to do that. It has some kind of a small hook at the end of the clip (bottom part) so less worries from the risk of this radio falling off from your waist belt.

Beside the antenna (at the back) there is a small latch to fit your lanyard. More towards cosmetic I would say. Nice though if you want to have extra safety in case you don't want it to fell off during harsh usage.

The power comes with a nice 1600 mah Lithium Ion standard rechargeable battery. Lithium Ion means no memory effect and you don't need to discharge the battery in order to fully charge them. It's like these days mobile phone. The battery life was very good too. I did a 80% monitoring and 20% TXing and it basically would last 3-5 days. There were one day where I forgot to turn it off one whole night. Though this is purely subjective, at least you can get some idea on the battery life per full charge. The full charge duration (from its standard charger) should take you around 2-4 hours only.

The voice output could be better. The sound quality coming out from this radio is loud and solid enough for me to hear. It must be a better quality control to produce this radio and the speaker performs quite well. It can be improved on the production side to eliminate slight vibration of the body during a loud volume operations though.

The voice heard on the other party (when using this A80) was very clear and vivid. I was worried about our voice being like "talking while pinching your nose" kind of sound (like most China made radios) but this one proved I was wrong. It is as clear as Yaesu's VX7R's I might say.

The TX power of this radio is supposed to be 5W at high and 1W at low. The method for changing its TX power is pretty awkward; you have to turn off the radio, then by pressing the PTT, turn it on to have the other TX power. Do it again to change to other level. This was pretty annoying and it does not have any indication (like beep or so) to indicate whether it is in high mode or low mode. This should be changed by the manufacturer - it's cumbersome!!

One of the best part about this radio is, it's SIRIM approved! Yes, I saw the certification letter from SIRIM and this one has passed the test. This basically means, this item is legal to be sold in Malaysia without having to worry being interfered by the authority. If I am not mistaken, only Kenwood and Motorola having the SIRIM approved sticker for VHF radio in Malaysia at the moment. Correct me if I am wrong.

This radio is designed for professional use, so it is not field programmable by user. It means that we can't change the settings from the radio itself. It must go through programming with the computer using the right cable. Fret not, the software is free and the price of the cable is just around RM100.00 each.

I think that's about it. Its just a short review from my own point of view. Should any of you need more information, do contact me from the numbers given at the top right part of this blog. I am currently selling this item for UHF and VHF. It is fully covered with local warranty (1 year for radio and 6 months for battery & charger). Spare parts are available too.

Some of the highlights:

Pros
- solid built quality
- clear voice input (as heard by the other party)
- very good battery life (per single charge)

Cons
- volume knob without proper marking
- power output TX cannot be determined (low or high?)

Ham Guys in Eco Ride 2009

2009-07-14T00:15:00.003+08:00

With the help of our ham friends, I managed to 'sneak' myself into this inaugural Eco Heritage Ride 2009 which was held in Kuantan Pahang. It was a mountain bike off-road challenge, 36 kilometers ride from Gambang to Sungai Lembing. Yes, you heard it right, off-road, 4x4 kind of ride with bicycles.

(Dengan bantuan beberapa rakan ham, saya telah dapat 'menyelinap' ke dalam acara yang julung kali di adakan, "Eco Heritage Ride 2009" yang telah berlangsung di Kuantan Pahang. Ianya merupakan satu cabaran 'off-road' secara berbasikal sejauh 36 kilometer dari Gambang ke Sungai Lembing. Ya, perjalanan jenis 4x4 punya adik-beradik ni, dengan basikal!)

See what I mean? Off-Road! (Kan dah kata...)

I was the photographer that time, piggybacking one of the marshalls with motocross. It was very thrilling to have get such excitement! Scary at first but thanks to this very talented and experienced young cyclist who brought me up and down safely. Kudos to you Nik!

(Saya sebagai jurugambar hari tu, menumpang salah satu mashal bermotosikal. Memang satu pengalaman yang sangat mengujakan. Mula-mula takut, tapi pengendali motosikal ni, Nik nama dia, memang mahir betul. Naik turun bukit, selamba je dia - tahniah Nik!)

Me while on the bike. (Semasa di atas motor)

The event was cool and wonderful, with lots of beautiful jungle sceneries, fresh flowing rivers and of course action packed with cyclist jumping, falling and laughing!

(Acara ni menempuhi kawasan yang mempunyai pemandangan hutan yang cantik, sungai yang mengalir jernih berserta penunggang yang melompat, jatuh dan penuh dengan gelak ketawa)

Fun filled rides (Menyeronokkan!!)

Congratulations to the ham friends who helped out in communications and marshalling, namely 9M2MZR, 9W2BKH, 9W2NNA, 9W2VMS, 9W2ALU, 9W2SXM, Nik, Along & Kassim. We also had some ham friends as participants, 9W2FRD, 9W2KBM and SWAL Didi. There might be more that I am not sure of. We had like 200+ riders that day!

(Tahniah serta syabas kepada rakan rakan ham yang membantu dalam bentuk komunikasi dan mashal, antara lain 9M2MZR, 9W2BKH, 9W2NNA, 9W2VMS, 9W2ALU, 9W2SXM, Nik, Along & Kassim. Ada juga beberapa rakan ham yang menjadi peserta, antaranya 9W2FRD, 9W2KBM and SWAL Didi. Mungkin ada lagi yang tertinggal, saya tak perasan, maklumla ada lebih 200 perserta hari tu.)

9W2FRD enjoying. (9W2FRD seronok gile..)

More Pictures (Lagi Gambar).

Copy you 5 and 9 (Terima anda 5 dan 9)

2009-07-09T09:06:00.000+08:00

We often hear to the above quote by ham radio. "I copy you 5 and 9!" is a common report on transmission received by one party from another. In voice transmission, we basically use this 'audio report' on daily basis as a simple information that the transmission can be read, or not.

(Kita biasa dengar perbualan seperti di atas. "Saya terima anda 5 dan 9!" adalah satu laporan audio yang biasa kita beri kepada rakan dihujung jaluran. Laporan audio ini kita biasa gunakan dalam sesi QSO harian kita sebagai pemberitahuan adakah maklumat kita diterima atau sebaliknya.)

But unfortunately, we sometimes hear friends who made mistakes in this basic understanding of Readability and Strength usage. I'm sure they did not realised it. For example, how often do we hear people giving reports of "4 and 8" in a QSO through repeater? I am pretty sure that what he/she meant was "4 and 9" most of the time, knowing that he/she is actually within the strong coverage of that repeater at the moment.

(Tetapi malang sekali, kita kadang-kadang mendengar kesilapan dalam pemberian laporan audio ini yang dilakukan oleh rakan-rakan dan saya percaya mereka tidak menyedarinya. Sebagai contoh, biasa tak dengar laporan "4 dan 8" dalam sesi QSO menggunakan repeater? Saya pasti dia sebenarnya maksudkan "4 dan 9" pada kebanyakan keadaan, lagipun dia sebenarnya berada di kawasan liputan yang kuat pada repeater yang terbabit.)

Readability, in my opinion is more important for voice transmission rather than signal strength. An extremely strong signal of 9 doesn't give any use if the readability is 1. I usually report readability without giving any signal strength indication. I don't look at the S Meter while I'm driving anyway.

(Kebolehbacaan, pada pandangan saya adalah lebih penting di dalam transmisi audio berbanding kekuatan isyarat. Kekuatan signal yang sangat kuat pun tak guna kalau kebolehbacaan 1. Saya biasanya melaporkan kebolehbacaan saja, tanpa memberikan kekuatan isyarat radio tu. Saya kalau tengah memandu, tak tengok kat S Meter pada rig saya tu!)

I hope this information is useful, and please correct me if I am wrong. I am no expert in this issue, just sharing my opinions.

(Jadi rakan-rakan, saya harap maklumat ini berguna, dan sila tegur jika ada kesilapan. Saya bukan pakar, hanya nak kongsi pendapat saja.)

Programming cable for Motorola GP338/328 - USB

2009-07-05T14:39:00.005+08:00

Some of my friends and customers asked me about USB version of GP328/338 programming cable. In my website, I only have the 9pin RS232 type which might bring some problems connecting to computers. The problem is where some new computers do not have the 9pin slot anymore. Some refer it as COM1 port.

(Ada rakan dan pelanggan yang pernah bertanya kepada saya tentang kabel untuk memprogramkan GP328/338 yang menggunakan USB. Jika anda perasan, dalam website saya, hanya jenis RS232 9pin yang ada, yang membawa sedikit masalah apabila ingin disambung pada komputer. Sesetengah komputer baru takde slot atau port 9pin tu lagi, jadi masalah pulak la.)

The USB version shown in the pictures are available and can be purchased at RM90.00 per unit. Take note the COM1 (RS232 9 PIN) is RM95.00 per unit. Please contact me if you need it.

(Dalam gambar di bawah, adalah kabel yang jenis USB, boleh didapati dengan harga RM90.00 satu. Yang jenis COM1 tu pulak, RM95.00 satu. Sila hubungi saya kalau berminat.)

For those who bought the COM1 version and realised that their computer does not have the COM port, fret not, there is an adapter solve this issue. The USB to RS232 converter usually can be found in computer shop near to you. I think the price is around RM20-RM30 per piece.

(Kepada yang mempunyai jenis COM1 tu, dan dapat tahu yang komputer dia tidak ada port COM yang sesuai, jangan risau, ada penyesuai yang boleh membantu. Penyesuai USB ke RS232 biasanya boleh dicari di kedai kedai komputer berdekatan. Rasanya harga dia dalam RM20 ke RM30 satu.)

Sponsorship by RadioMeal.Com

2009-07-02T08:34:00.003+08:00

OK, it's quite an old story, but I do remember it vividly.

(Cerita lama, tapi masih segar di ingatan)

We took a trip with the "Kejohanan Lumba Basikal Piala Tengku Mahkota ke 3" which, as the title says, a bicycle championship that took place within the state of Pahang. Some people quoted this event as "Jelajah Pahang" or Pahang Tour.

(Kami ada menyertai satu kejohanan lumba basikal Piala Tengku Mahkota ke 3, yang berlangsung di sekitar negeri Pahang. Ada orang panggil acara ni, Jelajah Pahang.)

RadioMeal.Com was one of the sponsors for this event that covered mainly on the communication. Be it equipment for the committee ('comissaire', technical & etc.) and also communication support for the whole event. It was a small part and small sponsorship, but we thought it was worth every energy and RM spent.

(Kami RadioMeal.Com ada menjadi salah satu penaja di kejohanan ini, yang menumpukan pada bantuan komunikasi dan alatan komunikasi untuk petugas petugas (seperti pihak komisar, teknikal dan lain lain). Sumbangan kecik je, tapi kami rasa sangat berbaloi dengan titik peluh dan wang ringgit kami.)

Above is the picture of me showing off with pride our RadioMeal.Com logo stamped clearly on its main banner for the event. This was taken on the stage in Laman Kerayong, Bera, Pahang. In case you can't see it, here's another picture. Take a good look of the logo, not the model OK!! ;). Of course, see a bigger picture by clicking on it. I know you want to do that!

(Atas tu gambar saya menunjuk-nunjuk logo RadioMeal.Com dengan bangga sekali. Ia terpampang di satu sudut pada kain rentang utama untuk acara ini. Gambar ni diambil masa kami di Laman Kerayong, Bera, Pahang. Nampak tak logo tu? Kalau tak nampak, tengok yang bawah ni, mesti nampak punyalah! Logo tu ye, bukan model cun tu... heheheh.... Klik gambar untuk melihat versi yang lebih besar.)

Last but not the least here are the guys (and also a lady - my mum!) who helped each other hard to make this a success. Thanks guys! You rawks!!!

(Akhir sekali, ini adalah kekuatan anggota kami dalam memberikan yang terbaik untuk acara ini. Terima kasih semua!! Anda semua hebat belaka!)

From left to right (dari kiri ke kanan) :
Maza (9W2AZA), Robi (9W2RBY), Sham (9W2SXM), "Abang" Vizal (9W2VMS), Adha (9W2ADH), Saidin (9W2TWH), Mazru (9W2MZR), Acai (9W2BKH) & Firdaus (9W2FRD).

BTW, those models far behind were not included in this, they only are for eye candy. Heheheh...

(Sekilas gambar para model kat atas tu, buat nyibuk je sebenarnya, jadi pemanis... hehehe)

Let me try this out

2009-07-02T01:50:00.000+08:00

I actually already have a slow and almost dead blog at my very own domain. I don't really do blogging so I can easily be without any idea to write any entry.

Hope this one can work, using this popular blogspot.com's 'network'.

All the best to me!