Subj : Todays New Gear Tip
To   : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Sun Jul 16 2017 12:07 am

Accessories & Special Features 

Along with the items included with your radio, other common accessories
can be a great help in the convenient and effective use of your radio.
The most important accessory for a mobile radio is the antenna; we
covered that previously. For a handheld radio, antennas and batteries
make the most difference.

* Battery chargers: Recharging a battery with a wall wart supply can take
hours for one of the larger packs. This is often unacceptably long and is
a good argument for having a spare battery pack. Charging time can be
reduced dramatically by using a quick charger or smart charger. Your
radio's manufacturer will probably offer one as an accessory. A desk
or "drop-in" charger holds the radio conveniently upright while charging,
too.

* Detachable front panels: Some radios can operate with their front panel
detached from the body of the radio and mounted in a convenient location
with the radio out of sight below a desk or seat. An accessory control
cable is required to connect them. Some radios require the microphone to
be connected to the radio and not the control panel, so check carefully
before planning where to mount the radio!

* Smart microphones: Handheld microphones or hand mikes for mobile and
base radios are available with enough keys and buttons to act as miniature
front panels of their own. There may be several variations of microphones
available for your radio.

* Headsets: Base station radios come with a hand mike, but third-party
desk microphones and headphone-boom microphone combinations called
boomsets may be more convenient and provide somewhat higher quality
transmitted audio. Headphones can help you hear other stations more
clearly, particularly in noisy environments such as a busy
emergency-operations center or an outdoor event. (Driving with a headset
or headphones on is illegal in many areas; check your local regulations.) 

* To tune your antenna, an SWR bridge or RF power meter is a
"nice-to-have", measuring the amount of power flowing to and from the
antenna. By watching the meter when you transmit, you can tell when an
antenna is not tuned properly, whether the wrong antenna has been
attached, or whether some part of the antenna system is broken. Be sure
the bridge or meter is designed for the frequency you'll be using;
VHF/UHF or HF.



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