Author Topic: Rugged Radios  (Read 5539 times)

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Online fabr

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Rugged Radios
« on: October 09, 2018, 09:25:38 PM »
DAMN!!!! Even on sale buying 4 radios and intercom setups hurts the ol' pocket!!!!!! $860 x4 plus 4 dash mounts for yxz's @$40ish each is a shitload of money. ANd to do what? BS our friends on a ride? Hell,YA!!!!!! :m 8) 8)

I gotta sort out the one in busa buggy. Need to route all power and grounds direct to battery and cut antenna cable to length and issues should be solved. Need to connect radio and intercom grounds as well.

 I followed the instructions to the letter but for running the antenna ground to the battery instead of the chassis as in instructions and I have crystal clear audio and range without filters or DSP's.
"There can be no divided allegiance here.  Any man who says he is an American,
but something else also, isn't an American at all.  We have room for but one
flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is
the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a
loyalty to the American people."
Theodore Roosevelt 1907

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 " You have all the right in the world to believe any damn thing you'd like, but you don't have the right to demand that I agree with your fantasy"

Offline dsrace

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Re: Rugged Radios
« Reply #1 on: October 10, 2018, 07:29:35 AM »
ya there expensive for sure!  i cannot remember what the min length is for the coax cable but i think 5'.  when i bought mine it bought the piggy back connector so the intercom and radio shared the same 2 power wires. clean and simple and cheap pig tale. mine do go direct to batt and i did cut the coax down to min length. only issues i  have are feed back when the head sets are being used. the helmet kit in out save face masks are no issues at all. watch the antenna's as they go bad internally and leak rf bad. i wrapped the base with tinfoil air duct tape ( once layer) and problem solved on dougs yellow rail. new antenna worked 6 times and started killing the engine again so i wrapped it and no more problem!  one thing one of there tech's told me was that if the ground wire's fuse pops then it will back feed through the antenna ground and create issues. so depending on what issues you are having with the blue rail you may want to check that neg inline fuse. mine two power wires are fused in 2 spots......at radio and at battery , they came that way.
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Offline deranged

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Re: Rugged Radios
« Reply #2 on: October 10, 2018, 07:31:02 AM »
I picked up a headset and a walki-talki style radio.  I can talk car to car as well as listen to music.  I think I have $225 into it.

Justin
I live nowhere near a desert....

Offline dsrace

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Re: Rugged Radios
« Reply #3 on: October 10, 2018, 09:10:16 AM »
 deranged, did you buy the rugged hand held with head set?  if not what did you buy? 2 other members use them but ....at LS and st a dunes they are line of sight for the most part and 1-2 mile range depending. you will still be able to hear us but we won't hear you beyond that range or with 2 dunes between. one of the members figured out where rugged is getting the hand helds and ordered to be sure. he said you can get 2 for what they charge for 1 , in the hand helds that is. no matter what they are very nice to have for sure!!!!  mine is a 60watt radio, 30 miles no problem at st a dunes, so far.
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Offline dsrace

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« Last Edit: October 10, 2018, 12:16:03 PM by dsrace »
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Offline dsrace

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Don't never argue with an Idiot!
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Online fabr

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Re: Rugged Radios
« Reply #6 on: October 10, 2018, 02:45:20 PM »
The rugged handhelds are made by Baofeng (sp?) About $20 bux or so a couple years ago. I've tried but can't find the intercoms to be had cheaply. The radios can be found also. All from China of course.
"There can be no divided allegiance here.  Any man who says he is an American,
but something else also, isn't an American at all.  We have room for but one
flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is
the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a
loyalty to the American people."
Theodore Roosevelt 1907

-----------------------------------------------------------
 " You have all the right in the world to believe any damn thing you'd like, but you don't have the right to demand that I agree with your fantasy"

Online fabr

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Re: Rugged Radios
« Reply #7 on: October 10, 2018, 02:45:54 PM »
Oops,beat me to it.
"There can be no divided allegiance here.  Any man who says he is an American,
but something else also, isn't an American at all.  We have room for but one
flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is
the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a
loyalty to the American people."
Theodore Roosevelt 1907

-----------------------------------------------------------
 " You have all the right in the world to believe any damn thing you'd like, but you don't have the right to demand that I agree with your fantasy"

Online fabr

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Re: Rugged Radios
« Reply #8 on: October 10, 2018, 09:54:03 PM »
Good tips on the radios/antennas.   

As for the Baofeng stuff.it did not hold up as well as the Ruggeds did at work. 9 hour days  and about 3 months use for the Baofengs and maybe 7  for the ruggeds.  The Baofeng compatible cables and accessories are no where near as good as ruggeds. In all honesty they had the same performance otherwise.
"There can be no divided allegiance here.  Any man who says he is an American,
but something else also, isn't an American at all.  We have room for but one
flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is
the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a
loyalty to the American people."
Theodore Roosevelt 1907

-----------------------------------------------------------
 " You have all the right in the world to believe any damn thing you'd like, but you don't have the right to demand that I agree with your fantasy"

Online fabr

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Re: Rugged Radios
« Reply #9 on: October 10, 2018, 09:55:03 PM »
I picked up a headset and a walki-talki style radio.  I can talk car to car as well as listen to music.  I think I have $225 into it.

Justin
5 watts?
"There can be no divided allegiance here.  Any man who says he is an American,
but something else also, isn't an American at all.  We have room for but one
flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is
the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a
loyalty to the American people."
Theodore Roosevelt 1907

-----------------------------------------------------------
 " You have all the right in the world to believe any damn thing you'd like, but you don't have the right to demand that I agree with your fantasy"

Offline dsrace

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Re: Rugged Radios
« Reply #10 on: October 11, 2018, 07:15:50 AM »
CH FREQUENCY NAME
1 151.625 WEATHERMAN
2 151.715 BFG RELAY
3 154.980 BAJA PITS
4 151.685 NETWORK
5 151.925 CHECKERS
6 150.860 FAIR
7 YOLO Racing
8 152.960 CAMPEONES
9 151.505 CHECKERS VEGAS
10 153.395 BFG PITS
11 153.380 MAG 7
12 155.160 RESCUE
13 153.245 CORE
14 151.775 LOCOS MOCOS
15 151.490 BITD
16 154.515 PCI CUST RELAY
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Offline dsrace

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Re: Rugged Radios
« Reply #11 on: October 11, 2018, 08:30:25 AM »
Good tips on the radios/antennas.   

As for the Baofeng stuff.it did not hold up as well as the Ruggeds did at work. 9 hour days  and about 3 months use for the Baofengs and maybe 7  for the ruggeds.  The Baofeng compatible cables and accessories are no where near as good as ruggeds. In all honesty they had the same performance otherwise.


so what failed with the baofengs? the battery or internals?
Don't never argue with an Idiot!
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Online fabr

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Re: Rugged Radios
« Reply #12 on: October 11, 2018, 08:40:01 AM »
Internals,push to talk buttons. Batteries were fine.
"There can be no divided allegiance here.  Any man who says he is an American,
but something else also, isn't an American at all.  We have room for but one
flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is
the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a
loyalty to the American people."
Theodore Roosevelt 1907

-----------------------------------------------------------
 " You have all the right in the world to believe any damn thing you'd like, but you don't have the right to demand that I agree with your fantasy"

Offline Enemy

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Re: Rugged Radios
« Reply #13 on: October 11, 2018, 12:32:29 PM »
On the flip side of this, I had my Rugged R5 die on the trail. No warning or oddities, just turned off forever. 2 years old, but only used on 4 trips for a total of maybe  30 hrs? I don't see one handheld being any better than the other except for that fancy "Rugged Radios" sticker and pre-programed memory. FWIW, the Baofeng can have the memory/frequencies labeled like the Rugged by connecting to a PC.
Just my .02
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Online fabr

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Re: Rugged Radios
« Reply #14 on: October 11, 2018, 01:44:11 PM »
we have 6 ruggeds still running . 2 dead ones. 6 dead Baofengs. Don't get me wrong,I'm not a big fan of rugged but ours have fared better than the Baofengs.As with anything from China it depends on which factory made them though. Take Harbor Freight stuff as an example. Have you ever wondered why there might be 3-4 "coupons " for their winches in the same ad? The reason is that HF tracks which factory they come from. The one that has the fewest defects gets the next order-at a cheaper yet price and the cycle continues. I'm pretty sure that is the case with the rugged handhelds. Chinese factories will build anything to any spec provided. Trademarks/patents?  :m China doesn't GAF.
"There can be no divided allegiance here.  Any man who says he is an American,
but something else also, isn't an American at all.  We have room for but one
flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is
the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a
loyalty to the American people."
Theodore Roosevelt 1907

-----------------------------------------------------------
 " You have all the right in the world to believe any damn thing you'd like, but you don't have the right to demand that I agree with your fantasy"

 

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