Hi Adrien! I recently bought a Baofeng UV5R in response to a posted sale on this list. Great move for a modern HT, which I had set up on the local repeaters in no time. If you're a member of handi hams, there is a great audio tutorial for this rig, and a well written manual done by Buddy Brannan KB5ELV who posts here from time to time. The two resources, taken together, give you all you need with this rig. Trouble I have with so many sighted people wandering in and out of the place is my cradle has disappeared a couple weeks ago, so I can no longer charge mine, so it's now just another dead radio about the place, but know I originally had one until someone who probably had no idea what it was made it disappear. That's a new version of Murphy's Law down this way, hi hi. Probably a more sensible thing that the receiver I took out of the box today runs on AA cells, perhaps more expensive, but at least if I'm wanting power, the cure is simpler. When I got the Baofeng unit on the used market, the speech on it was already enabled, so it all just worked according to the on line resources I studied. The keypad is a bit pecuiliar, because it isn't quite identical to a phone keypad. With 0 being located to the right of 6 is odd, but you quickly adjust to that with a little practice. I did everything I needed to do on that rig for over a month before the battery finally went flat, and by the time that happened, the cradle had disappeared so I'm now stuck for a way to charge it, but that doesn't make it a bad radio, hi hi. 73, Dave -----Original Message----- From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Adrien Collins Sent: Thursday, 17 September 2015 10:08 p.m. To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: alinco dj596 Hi Tim Ok thanks for that, I wasn't thinking of torquay, it is a long time since I had access to a rig or repeater list come to that. I used to spend hours on the repeaters when I first got licensed, I was g1zau but am now g0mun. I used to enjoy working the special events on 40 meters, it is surprising the number you can contact during a year. I have thousands of qsl cards from them. Some of them were one off events and I even organised a few myself in my early days of radio when I lived in Norfolk. I didn't realise you were at the Cliffden, we must have missed each other by literally weeks, I was there in July to the 2nd of August. You will have to let me know if you visit again. I have been given info regarding the cheap radio you can get from amazon, I may look into it, it is pretty reasonable, Baofeng UV-5RA Ham Two Way Radio 136-174, I am interested in this but I wonder how good it is, I saw a thread on here regarding this some time ago but couldn't read every message so deleted it, what is it like and how easy is it to set up? 73's Adrien -----Original Message----- From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tim Crawford (GI4OPH) Sent: Wednesday, September 16, 2015 11:32 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: alinco dj596 Adrien, The GB3TR repeater I'm pretty sure is located near Torquay. It was certainly a good signal from the first floor of the Cliffden. I didn't try accessing it, but I reckon I probably could have. There are also listed a couple of repeaters around The Exeter area, but I've never managed to hear them. Btw, the Reviera club were running a special event station to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the battle of britain from an old WW2 airfield near Teignmouth yesterday. Just a pity it didn't coincide with my visit. Cheers, Tim. Bangor, N. Ireland. Skype: tim-crawford Twitter: tim_gi4oph ----- Original Message ----- From: "Adrien Collins" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Wednesday, September 16, 2015 9:01 AM Subject: Re: alinco dj596 > Hi Tim > > That's useful to know as I will be based in Teignmouth, I > vaguely remember gb3tr, isn't that truro? I haven't used 2 > meters for a while. I will be on a hill so should have a > good take off towards the south I think, not quite sure. I > normally stay in the cliffden hotel on the Dawlish road so > know the area quite well. Many thanks. > > Regards > > Adrien > > -----Original Message----- > From: For blind ham radio operators > [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tim > Crawford (GI4OPH) > Sent: Wednesday, September 16, 2015 12:52 AM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: alinco dj596 > > Hi Adrien, > > Personally I don't normally use repeaters, but I think all > repeaters in the > UK now require a ctcss tone for initial access. > > There is a very active radio club in Torquay, the Riviera > ARC, so they might > be a good point of contact. > > There webpage is at > http://www.rivieraarc.org.uk/ > > I was down in Teignmouth for a couple of weeks in August, > and could copy the > GB3TR repeater on 145.65 very well. The repeater seemed > reasonably busy, > especially during the day, however I didn't hear any > stations on the simplex > channels. > > Having said that, my periods of listening were fairly > infrequent, and I was > just using a little Baofeng with a dipole hanging near the > window. > > Cheers for now, > > Tim. > > Bangor, N. Ireland. > > Skype: tim-crawford > Twitter: tim_gi4oph > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Adrien Collins" <[log in to unmask]> > To: <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2015 7:54 PM > Subject: alinco dj596 > > >> Hi >> >> I have an alinco dj596 2/70 centimetre handheld, I have > been >> chatting to my mate in the uk who is also a ham, he tells > me >> that the tone to activate a repeater is different now, > will >> this hand held still work or do I have to do something to >> make it work? It is a while since I used it in the uk, it >> seems to work in France ok or did until recently. >> >> I am returning to the UK permanently next week, I will be > in >> the Devon area, does anyone know if there is a radio club > in >> that area, especially in Teignbridge? I may need a ham who >> can help me to or to remind me how to use the handheld, I >> have no idea where the printed instructions are but I have >> them in pdf. >> >> 73's >> Adrien