Dickie DX: Even more range from these $20 2.4 GHz Aldi radios
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- Опубліковано 5 вер 2024
- More range testing with a pair of 4mW 2.4 GHz walkie talkies bought from the local Aldi. Also diffraction demonstrated, showing that lower height can sometimes mean more distance.
** Competition: Your chance to win (for viewers in Australia). Buy a pair of these 2.4 GHz walkie talkies, do a range test, make a demo video and tell me about it in the comments. Whoever gets the most range wins 4 old electronics/radio books. No power amplifiers but you can be as creative as you like with locations, antennas and/or dishes. Do it by 31 December 2023.
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Good test! I soldered an SMA tail on one of my radios (in place of the wire antenna inside) tried some WiFi router antennas, and a patch antenna, the Wifi antennas did improve the range, the Patch got me about 450m in an area around +/- 60 degrees of the center. 73
Off to Pine Gap - should be nice line of sight and quiet out there ;)
It's always good when a cheap walkie-talkie works marginally further than a person can shout or wave.
How about mounting it at the focal point of a Dish? It would have to be a big dish to get gain
He’s. Wearing. Shoes.
it's the end of the world as we know it....
The range competition is also fun. Good antennas should allow hitting a kilometer.
We got +100meters on stock RTL-SDR sticks with their -75dBm emission on one try.
Nice idea
Interesting Peter, when the reception was marginal, you could have tried to see if the best point of reception was 1 or 1/2 wavelength closer or further away so at 2.4 ghz either 12.5 or 6 cm distance.
Does anybody know the type of transceiver chip used in these toys?
It would be great fun to attempt building your own digital 2.4GHz radios with them.
I have already homebrewed 2.4GHz FM HT's, so a stupid cheap digital one would be a fun step.
Very interesting experiment. There‘s probably a lot of reflection and turning of polarisation going on. Using a circular polarized antenna could be worth a try.
Cool test! Love doing stuff like this!
At 2.4 ghz, with aWalki Talkie the style of antenna is limited, that means you would need more power.
The antenns seem polarized, changing them to to something circular or multi would increase
the reliability inside a lower range and make them more reliable.
The range limit of these radio's is primarily limited and predictable from the power output.
Using old Motorola 900 Mhz cell phones with 'direct talk' ,
I got around 100 m with the antenna down and several kilometers with extended antenna with perfect line of sight.
At these low power high frequencies, these radios are only good for less than 50m which
means it would be the ideal mode when you dont want any one to detect you.
The only way you can get a longer distance on these dickie radios is with extrenal high gain antennas
and thats a useless exercise.
For low power and long range hand held walkie talkies, you just can't beat UHF
The audio was way better on those $15 a pair radio's you got from Kmart and did a similar range test. They were all on a single UHF CB channel. You said it was the output channel to a repeater. With these you said it was the frequency that interested you though, so it's all in the interest of experimentation.
It's interesting that the content on the transmission is about lack of pay and respect for teachers. Could have been the US! Great test though. Kind of makes me want to do something similar here.
And there's a 4th Ihave a tee-shirt that reads
Amateur Radio operator
Eccentric but harmless ask me about my hobby
More often than not I am left alone ; )
Can they be used to microwave a burger when you get a little peckish ?
QRP Burger - Quality Rump Prime(steak) :D
Only if you're patient.
Lol not exactly fast food
Good advices, i know what you mean.
Whats about us yagi antenna
I have some $20 and some more expensive $40 wireless guitar adapters that work OK but the dynamic range is a bit crap and the lower input impedance loading on the guitar pickups makes them less than stellar.
The more expensive ones have less of an effect on the pickup tone due to loading but they have a pronounced compression that makes them unsuitable for live use.
The range and signal quality with them has been fine for playing at home. And while the guitar tone is affected, they’re fine for practice or for noodling through an amp.
I thought you called them "dickie" because that was what they were! .....Not the brand name..🤣🤣🤣. A great toy to ignite the love of the "magic of radio" 73 de VK2AOE.
you wont fool anyone with a clean high-vis shirt - needs to be grubby and missing buttons
Good point!
Maybe I'm wrong, I thought you were supposed to be the image plane for the radio. Maybe if you hold it more firmly in your hand.
What's the normal reason for buying these radios? I mean, they're not for amateur radio so what service are they for?
Meant to be kids toys. Part 15/LIPD/short range radio etc.
@@vk3ye ah! The walkie talkies I had growing up would maybe get to the end of my street LOL
👍
share easy circuit to create one pair
Is there anyway of lowering the squelch..