DIY and Manuals for Radios
Posted by rhisoneros@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 5 comments
Just wondering if anyone had any manuals or DIY guides for setting up, maintaining, and repairing radios?
Posted by rhisoneros@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 5 comments
Just wondering if anyone had any manuals or DIY guides for setting up, maintaining, and repairing radios?
Internal_Raccoon_370@reddit
There basically is no maintenance required for radios. Keep them in dry conditions, if in long term storage remove the batteries until needed if they use disposable batteries.
As for repair, forget it. Except for obviously blown components. learning how to diagnose, test and repair radios takes considerable training and experience, along with specialized and expensive diagnostic equipment and tools. Modern radios all use SMD construction techniques where individual components are often smaller than a grain of rice. It takes training and special tools to work on the bloody things. I have thousands of dollars invested in video microscopes, hot air rework stations and soldering equipment, diagnostic equipment. etc. Even with all of that most modern radios aren't worth the time and effort to try to repair them.
Manuals, schematics, user guides,. etc are all over the place. You can find 'em for just about every radio being made with a Google search.
Ok-Calligrapher7577@reddit
Commenting to save..
Longjumping-Army-172@reddit
Most modern consumer electronics...radios included...are essentially disposable. Even if you know what you're doing, good luck getting the parts. It's sad, but it's what our economy has come to.
Older radios (decades older) may be field repairable. That's a different story.
Since you posted in the preppers group instead of the amateur/Ham radio group, I assume your concern is maintaining communications in an extended emergency/SHTF scenario. My advice is A: get your license, B: buy several radios...but actually use them, cycle the batteries, etc.
Baofeng/B-Tech radios are fairly inexpensive. It's probably not going to break the bank to have a few. If you're interested in getting a better radio and antenna, get a coupler that will match the two antenna types. I'd get the antenna for the good radio, and the coupler for the 'Fengs.
You might get better answers from the guys on the ham/amateur radio Reddits.
Just be advised...some of them are sorta hostile to "our type" (preppers), Baofengs and other cheap radios. You'll get a lot of "get your license" (not a bad idea. I test next week) and "get a better radio" replies.
Remember, prepping is our hobby/passion, radio is theirs. Act accordingly and don't feed the "sad hams". Just be respectful... there's actually a lot of overlap there...
VisualEyez33@reddit
If in the US, the closest you will get to the "setting up and maintaining" portion will be studying for and passing all three amateur (ham) radio operator licensing exams. That's the beginning step. Researching what sort of radio communications you want to do, and then designing and installing your home station is next. Then, the learning begins.
Repairing modern solid state radios is another thing entirely and is going to involve the equivalent of a 2 year degree in electronics engineering from a technical college. And a work bench full of diagnostic equipment like an oscilloscope, signal generator, and a variety of meters and test equipment.
How many years of free time do you have available?
Ryan_e3p@reddit
If you know the radio model, just search for maintenance manuals. There is, generally speaking, no "one size fits all" maintenance or repair guides.