hilltop dx with pmr446

Hilltop dx with pmr446 can be some what of a challenge, unless you have a few friends who are also taking part.
My pmr446 radio is an intek5050, and a pair of binatone terrain650 radios.
I do all my hilltop dx using pmr446 and not the lower powered lpd channels.
For those who dont know Lpd stands for low power device. 10mw to be presise.
Pmr446 legal power in the uk is 500mw or plainly put half a watt.
At the moment im waiting for a friend to loan me her digital video recorder so i can do a little filming while trying 446 dx from dunstable downs.
I have used a few different types of radio in my time including cb radio, and more recently Amateur radio.
As a licenced ham i can chat to operators all over the country, and if conditions are right most of the world.
My favourite mode is ssb, but also have a liking of psk31.
So why am i messing about with pmr446 radio then, well i suppose because its there to be explored.
Radio has always been a hobby of mine , and pmr446 is under that umbrella.
I get just as exited talking to my gf from 5 or six miles away on pmr 446 as i would chatting so someone thousands of miles away on the ham band.
Now a little about the radios i use , the binatones are rated at 10 km and a good head and shoulders better than some other 3km rigs that i have owned.
The Intek mt 5050 has no estimated range, maybe because it can be opened up to produce 4w.
I did a side by side test of the intek and the binatones and was very surprised to find, the binatones will pick up weaker stations.
All this with the squelch at no 1 on the intek, that said the intek does produce a stronger signal than the binatone.
Now just for anyone new to this pmr446 type of radio, there is a lot of jargon involved that a lot of people simply do not understand.
If you have a radio that has the 8 pmr channels on it, that is all it has just the 8 channels.
The ctss or dcs are just codes to prevent your radio picking up other people on the same channel no, in no way do they make your conversation private.
For example if you and a friend are transmitting on ch8 with lets say a sub tone of 38, not only will anyone else with the same code be able to listen in.
Anyone listening to ch8 using no tone at all will also be able to hear you, the code selected on both radios only lets through transmitions using that code or tone.
It sounds a little complicated but with any luck you will have some clue by now.
At some point i am looking at doing some other side by side tests of various 446 radios, on film of course.
I quite like the look of a few different pmr rigs including the midland range, and the 14km 446 radios that maplin sells.
As soon as i have done some tests I will ad a youtube video bar to this little blog for all to se.
One of my other hobbies is fishing, please take a look at my clicky fishing blog that started out after a day fishing on Folkestone pier.. Latest pmr 446 update. I am now the proud owner of a set of midland G7XT, expensive at nearly a hundred pounds. Had I done the right thing I thaught as I handed over the cash, here is how the unpacking went. The radios came very well packaged, and a good set of instructions. Putting them together, fitting the battery packs and belt clip my worries started to fade a little. These little rigs are very well made, right down to the twin charger. I would say bordering on semi professional kit, on air checks are positive. Nice clear modulation and a monitor button, that opens the squelch. I haven't range tested them yet, well not properly. Furthest check so far has been about 2 miles, only one thing I don't like is the roger beep. Its bloody orrible lol, but on a positive it can be turned off. There is a power mod that can be done, I have looked but wont be doing it. In fact I may go into the rigs and disable the lpd channels, as it will only scan both pmr and lpd. Lpd (low power device) is limited to 10mw, so im not going to be hearing many stations on there. More to come as and when I do more testing. Well. More testing has been done, the midland g7 keeps out performing the intek. Only once so far has the Intek come out on top,its annoying me to be honest. :o)
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I will do my best to try to find the information you need ok.