Currently I use my UV5R as a scanner. I’ve got the local repeaters programmed in, and let it do its thing. It mostly works but has a few problems: I can’t easily modify the scan list. Especially with the rinky-dink antenna, there are times I can barely pick up a repeater, or am picking up just enough noise to open the squelch (70cm simplex, I’m looking at you). Or there’s someone that seems to be someone nearby that occasionally runs a bunch of DMR on GMRS. Read more...

The worst thing about starting any new blog-like thing is bootstrapping infrastructure, so here we are. This is k6woo.com, where I’ll be jotting down radio-related things. An amateur radio license is something nobody would be surprised to hear I have, but I hadn’t yet. In the long ago, things required morse code proficiency which scared me off, but these days it’s just straight-forward multiple-choice tests. I finally got the itch strong enough: doing some work in the attic + under the house and using my expensive + fragile cell phone as a walky talky inspired me to look into the current state of things to get something different. Read more...