I turned my Baofeng repeater into a 40w powerhouse with BTECH AMP-25!
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- Опубліковано 15 січ 2023
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If you want to purchase the BTECH AMP-25, go here: www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B076H9...
I'm setting up something similar using the Btech amp, except I'm mounting it in my vehicle with a 1/2 wavelength antenna to use as a mobile rig, or base station repeater using the repeater box. We'll see how it goes.
Thank you for sharing. I have been curious about making my own repeater.
👍👍👍 ...Alan in 🇨🇱
Very good job Salty👍 Keep up the great videos!
im going to try this out again on the bench, i was new to radio about 3 years ago and went hot and heavy at first and gradually tapered down to not even touching anything for about 1.5 years now.
anyways i had issues with the baofeng repeater interface, i dont remember what they were but i need to figure this out now.
Your not the only one that has had issues. I have had enough reply about it so it looks like I am going to be doing a video on settings for everything. Thanks for watching!
I tried this back in November. The amp was sent back 3x. The 3rd seemed to function but could not hear any repeater ping back. Other radios could hear it, but never the one with the amp. Distance tests garnered zero discernable difference between the amp on and off. Got a TYT TH-7900 black Friday sale and never looked back.
I haven't had any problems yet (fingers crossed). Actually just using the amp to make my uv5r a base radio until I can get a solar setup for the repeater.
Iam using the same setup but have a vox delay. Adding a before transmission tone does the trick for now. How to you get around the delay? When using the relay box?
From what I can gather, there will be a very small delay between the RX and the TX even with the relay box. Just about any repeater I have been on has a slight delay. Thats normally why you would want to key up on your mic for about a second or so before speaking so that you don't have your first word cut in half or cut off completely.
So you R antenna is mounted to the box and T is outside easier up ? Could a duplexer be ised to utilize one antenna ?
Yeah you could use a duplexer but that would cost way more. This is more of a budget build and the relay box between the radios works pretty well.
@@thesaltyham7144 I was wanting to build one for our ranch and hunt club . Would the amp go between transmit radio ?
@@naturecoastprepping2487 the amp goes between the transmit radio and the transmit antenna.
What's up how you doing . My name is Jamal I am trying to open my own repeater system to the outcome of how you get your
If you connected the two radios to a duplexer then run it to the amplifier wouldn’t it work better?
Yes but it would also defeat the purpose of not purchasing an expensive duplexer and running 2 antennas.
Wouldn’t it take the two radios antenna and route it to one that would connect to the amplifier?
Yes the duplexer would make it capable of using 1 antenna but on a budget build like this i wanted to go cheap. Its for people on a budget that want a working short use repeater.
Alright I was going to try your setup but with a cheap amazon gmrs duplexer is why I was asking, thank you for the quick replies.
I was trying to get a repeater that’s cheaper with a little extra power.
Hello sir. I have question about the amplifier. When you switch between TX/RX is there a typical sound from "click" of relay? Most of the amplifiers are using mechanical relays and the sound is noticable. I am looking for simple amplifier for my hot spot. Thank you
Yes you can hear the "click" and the tx light will be on.
@@thesaltyham7144 Thank you! This information is important. It means that if I use the amplifier for dmr hotspot, it is going to switch the mechanical relay many many times per hour and this is not going to last too long, if there is mechanical relay. Thank you again
Could you show me all the stuff that I would need to start that thank you.
Someone help me understand how the Amplifier uses 5 wattsDC to output 40 watts RF...
How many khz is the offset ? How do you not desense the input ?
So I am still new to learning about amplifiers but the general understanding is the 5w goes in to the amplifier and it pushes it out 30 to 40w depending on the actual output of the HT. The offset is set at 000.600 like any other repeater or it can also to set up for crossband repeat. For the desense issue, I have the TX antenna set 10ft higher than than my receive antenna. Its a 2m roll up j-pole and can be raised higher if I need to. I also have a Nagoya NA-771 antenna for when I am not using the amp and only run 5w. I have a couple other videos that I need to finish and then I should have a video with full use testing on this repeater. Thanks for the great question and I hope you stick around for more content!
Yep, sounds good.
I have the uv 9 AMG. Ive dumped the firmware, rewritten it and uploaded back into the radio. Upgraded a few components on the board. I had an opportunity to tune it up to mil-spec. Right place right time, and I know a guy he he he 😆
Cheerz
;)
I own a set of Baofeng GMRS GM-15Pro. Would you use the exact same pieces for a Baofeng GMRS repeater box? Great videos, BTW!! I already have the U25 Amp on order.
Yes! I have a couple Btech GMRS V-1 radios that I can use any time I want to have a gmrs repeater.
Are you using 2 antenna's? What about using 1 antenna with a duplexer?
I wanted mine to be versatile so I can use it with gmrs, 70cm, and 2m. A duplexer limits me to what the duplexer is tuned for.
I love the idea of a 40w portable repeater but I'd upgrade from using Baofengs... even though I have two amongst my HT's.😊
I hope to build one so I'll be watching.🍻🤠
Any radios with the Kenwood K- connector should work just fine i would think. I wanted to keep it as cheap as possible and I actually love my uv5r radios. I ha e about 10 floating around the house, truck, and in storage. I made a 1 minute short with an update on solar. I plan on getting a longer lasting battery and a higher wattage solar panel.
@@thesaltyham7144 That would be great, more power if you can fit it all in.
Yes, I think most of my HT's have the Kenwood-K connector on them. I just bought a QuanShen UV-K5, it has clones and has more rx and tx bands and is also cheap to throw in the car.
10 Baofengs? Haha, can never have enough. I'll see if I can find the short video. Cheers for replying.😉
just so i understand..... the amplifier is hooked up to the transmitting radio? not the receiving radio. sorry , i'm new and stupid... thanks
Yes it is only connected to the transmit radio
@@thesaltyham7144 great!! thanks!!!
Is it still good man ? im gonna put 2 antennas in the yard and im build me 1 just like it im make my own Repeater wire though this is probably the best repeater for the money for ham or gmrs if that amplifier dont go out frist.
Yes it is definitely still doing good and working just fine. So far I am still happy with the amp!
@@thesaltyham7144 i wonder can u use it as a base Station and a repeater at the same time like have it hooked to the repeater and a 3rd radio at the front of thd amp and use it that way to im wondering will it work ? If u know please let me know thanks.
@@ralphjohnson8775 you would not be able to use them simultaneously and would need to connect the antenna to each radio individually. Now if you add a stwitter just before the amplifier you could possibly run 2 radios. That would be a cool experiment to try out.
Is the range any better
So the signal strength is better and having the TX antenna about 10-15ft higher than the RX will give you the better distance. With the more solid signal and the high antenna, range is great. I haven't done actual miles apart range testing but where I did test, it work flawlessly.
Def won't use the amp, it causes smoke detectors in this house to do 3 beeps (malfunction)
5:20 You've gotta mean 5.5 AMPS, not 5.5 watts... right? 5.5 watts just doesn't make any sense. Basic science says it's gotta take in at least as much energy as it puts out - and nothing is 100% efficient in the real world. 5.5watts at 13.8volts is about 75 watts input - which actually makes sense if it's putting out 40 watts. People say this amp gets hot during transmit, so most of that extra 35 watts is logically being lost to heat. 5 WATTS input, on the other hand, isn't enough to make something this size HOT, even if it was using 100% of the power just to make heat.
Oh my goodness haha. I didn't even catch that. Thanks for pointing that out!
Any particular reason to use VHF over UHF?
I was watching another one of your videos last night and I thought you said that one radio was VHF and the other was UHF...if that's so, what's the reasoning? Curious to know know and understand the ins and outs. Thanks...🎙👍 73
VHF was just what I used for the video but I have gmrs radios that I can use with the setup and either VHF or UHF or crossband. Thats what great about it also. Its interchangeable for multiple frequencies. Your covered for your licensing and needs. I also have a GMRS license so I can use it for family outings by changing radios.
Let me know when u solve the id problem that's what is stumping me
I plan on eventually getting an Argent Data Systems repeater controller soon. Only need it to be on the TX so I can use a simplex controller.
How did you build the portable repeater in a case?
If you check out my other video, I get in to more details: ua-cam.com/video/zHeUY1MoJno/v-deo.htmlsi=eFhw-6quTMWPJ7Lm
Thanks for coming by and make sure to like and subscribe for upcoming updates on the repeater!
Hello. I am a GMRS licensed operator, NOT HAM licensed. I notice you are using GMRS/FRS frequency and 2m band. We cannot cross band GMRS with other bands, only HAM bands can be crossed bands. GMRS repeaters has to be on same band with 5MHZ upscaling and we have to use a duplexer, if no duplexer, bad duplexer or untuned, the repeater will have the common phenomenon "DESCENSING". If a repeater has bad, untuned or no duplexer it will work while you are no more than 10 feet about it will work fine, but if you go further, you will hear just the clicking, that is caused by "DESCENSING". By the way, it is a great project if you are going to use it as cross band repeater
Haha the bottom frequency is not used. There was no cross banding between services or even bands (2m/70cm). The radio laying down in the case was also on the 2m band and was the receive radio. Desensitization is actually caused by a stronger transmitter overloading the receiver causing it to not be able to receive weaker signals than the transmitter. The antennas are separated by about 30ft in the test I did to avoid desense.
Actually used this repeater in my truck with antenna separation of 9ft at Hamvention 2023 and had no problems at all. A duplexer will give you the ability to use 1 antenna for transmit AND receive. I don't use a duplexer so I have to use 2 antennas.
1 last thing, you are not required to use a duplexer on a GMRS repeater.
🤣🤣🤣🤣BETTER OFF WITH A SURECOM SR629 REPEATER CONTROLLER INSTEAD
All it does is throw an "error, try again".
Have you checked your notification settings to see if you have notifications turned off?
@@thesaltyham7144 just checked they are in. I get notifications from other channels?
🤢
AUDIO SUCKS! HOW STONED WERE YOU?
Sorry the audio sucks haha. Only have the phone camera. Is it the way that I look that you think I am stoned? I don't care that you may judge by looks, but why? Is it because I am not 70 to 80 years old with engineering degrees and am of a younger generation?