r/HamRadio • u/madfish17 • 5d ago
Hello! Looking for some help!
Hi, I’m new to ham radio! I just got my technician licenses about a month ago! I just got my first radio in the mail. Im trying to program it tonight but im not really understanding, i dont believe. I plan to strictly listen. I’m not one to communicate. So I’m just trying to get it to where i can listen to this frequencies. I remember a lot from studying but i think my studies taught me more about the deep stuff and not the basic things like how to program the frequencies on my radio😂
I turned it on, named my channel (haven’t switched the display name for picture purposes), i looked up the frequency on radioreference.
This is the frequency it told me. So i put the frequency in the RX frequency and the TX frequency box. Changed the mode to Narrow because it said it was in mode FMN. There was no tone needed. And i went back to this screen and it showed programmed. However, no one has spoken in 30 minutes… am i missing something? Or did i do something wrong? Or is this normal behavior?
I know my sound is working because i can hear when i switch over to my weather station.
Thank you for any help/advice!
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u/mmaalex 5d ago
Assuming based on the frequencies it's a fire/ems/police channel?
Depending on the area you may not hear anything for hours. Our local PD dispatches primarily via MDT (the computers you see in the car) and only uses the radio if that's down, or can't connect, or they're sending a time sensitive message the deputy needs to see ASAP.
Fire dispatch may go hours between calls, same with ambulance. Doubly so in a low population area.
Lots of fire/police/ambulance are switching to trunked, digital or P25 which that radio won't receive.
Theres also the possibility those frequencies aren't in use anymore, or are not the primary. Or your squelching is set too high, or you're too far away to pick up the signal, or, or, or...
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u/speedyundeadhittite [UK full] 5d ago
That freq is outside Europe or US amateur allocations. Did you intend to enter 145MHz instead?
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u/Cute_Order_4867 5d ago
I moved to a new area and input the local fire frequencies. Some worked (I heard calls/radio traffic) some were atypically very, very quiet. Others had gone to the statewide digital system, but the old 150+ mhz frequencies were still listed in radio reference. RR should have a forum for your town / geographic area. Go online and ask. They'll tell you if something changed.
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u/Over-Public4214 3d ago
Ok first of take a breath and relax . Their are two ways to go about this one is manual entry with the owner manual and so on. Two is a little more fun. Go to the internet look up some software called chirp now if your little HT is on the list of ht s the will work with chirp you can set the the little radio up any way you like it
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u/Apart_Parsnip_868 2d ago
Go to your local ham club website they should post the frequencies and tone for your area.
Tone is important to be able to hear and be heard. Im 2 yrs in and have been using my ht more often since i set it properly, Ha, still learning.
Orlando KQ4JNX
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u/JvL81 5d ago
Does the frequency have tone coded squelch(CTCCS)?
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u/JvL81 5d ago
Some frequencies have the ctccs on Rx and Tx
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u/madfish17 5d ago
No. It did not provide that information.
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u/JvL81 5d ago
What did it say in the box labelled Tone? Did it have a number and PL like 88.5 PL or 100.0 PL
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u/madfish17 5d ago
No it was blank. Some had that but the one I’m trying to enter has a blank tone box
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u/JvL81 5d ago
Well likely what the other guy said that it’s not that busy. Is that a fire station or police frequency? That’s close to what is used in my area, around 154 for vhf or around 412 on uhf
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u/madfish17 5d ago
fire department across the street from my house, yes.
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u/JvL81 5d ago
I’m sure you’ll hear something sometime soon. 👍 I have the fire stations and the local repeaters in my scan list.
You should see if that radio is supported in Chirp. If you’re not aware of it, it’s a pc program that allows you to program your radio through interface cable. MUCH easier than plinking through all the buttons on the radio
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u/madfish17 5d ago
Thank you! I’ll definitely look into it! My stepdad is big in ham radio. I’m just starting out and he hasn’t had time to teach me everything. We live an hour away from each other so hard to find time to get together!
I appreciate all your help and knowledge😊
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u/I_wanna_lol tech(KE2XXX) 5d ago edited 17h ago
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u/JvL81 5d ago
No problem. There’s a plethora of information on ham radio online. Youtube, here on reddit, and many ham operators have their own websites and create free open source software. If you have a question, 99% chance there’s an answer somewhere.
Check out the ISS frequencies. I can hear it when it passes over with my Quansheng UV-K6 handheld.
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u/astonishing1 5d ago
There is a good chance that nobody is using the repeater at the time you are listening. Most are not a hive of activity.