Wednesday, June 17, 2009

27 Mhz kids toy


27 Mhz kids toy, originally uploaded by kc2rbe.

While at a friends house I noticed this childrens toy walkie talkie working on 27Mhz where you could clearly hear CB'ers chatting away. It seemed to be tuned between channels as I could hear 2 different conversations at one time. Some of the conversations had squelch tone some did not. Here is a link to a similar story except with an example of much saltier CB conversations being heard. The toy in the picture I have uploaded here is clearly marked 27mhz on the back. I am not sure if such frequency overlap is the best idea.


Friday, June 12, 2009

Ttl2usb adapter


Ttl2usb adapter, originally uploaded by kc2rbe.

Here is the adapter I have been using with my Yaesu VX7. It works very well with Jim Mitchell - KC8UNJ's famous Commander series of software. Just install the driver for the adapter, check what port your windows machine has assigned it under device manager, point the commander software to said port, and you are ready to read and write memory settings. You will find the driver available at the website along with a very informative "Quick Start Guide".

The commander software makes repeater setting entries a breeze. It also makes for a very handy backup of your current memory settings that can be exported as a cvs for use in other programs. The icon editor in vx7 commander will allow you to even add your own custom icons. the price for the software is free and the adapter and cables are reasonable at $49 . It is a hight quality unit and is made right here in the USA. Lastly, you will need to get the additional CT91 Yaesu adapter to connect Yaesu's threaded four-conductor miniture jack at the top of the HT. You can find those on Ebay for just under $20 with postage.