How to Get MORE Radio Range
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- čas přidán 21. 03. 2024
- How far radio signals go (and where they go) is really complicated, but it is also a really important thing to understand... if you want to have reliable radio communication. Here is a useful tool to visually show how different radio frequencies behave as they travel through and around different kinds of objects.
1:10 - RF is Kind of Like Light
4:24 - Simulator Setup
5:50 - WIFI Signal Propagation
7:55 - UHF Radio Signals
10:10 - RF Reflections
12:07 - VHF Signal Differences
14:30 - Elevation is King
16:09 - The High Frequency Bands
17:38 - NVIS Antennas
19:26 - Long Frequency Uses and Lessons
22:00 - Why This Video Exists - Věda a technologie
15 year radio maintenance here:
UHF is better in urban.
VHF is better in forest.
HF is better for talking beyond the horizon.
Frequency is directly related to antenna size. Higher freq means smaller antenna.
Thanks❤❤❤
I've heard UHF is better in urban but why? Penetration of higher frequencies is lower. **Assuming antenna size isn't an issue**
Yup. That's why most police radios are UHF.
@@benjaminpauza159
Good question. UHF may be worse at penetrating some materials, but are better at bouncing off of steel glass and concrete. Imagine all the concrete is mirrored, and you're blinking a flashlight to signal someone. You may not have line of sight, but the reflections are visible.
@@kerbalairforce8802 Thanks! best answer I've gotten.
Thank you all so much for these videos. As a HAM radio Technician it’s extremely important that people have some method of communication when / if the phones go out. Even a bad storm in some areas of the country can destroy cell phone infrastructure.
Understanding that a radio, battery and antenna replace millions of dollars of cell network infrastructure is paramount. Instead of a phone, cell towers, carriers and lack of bandwidth options, you’re literally sending a radio wave at the speed of light from one point to another point (a large area / many people, sometimes with repeaters, etc). The point is this: A radio and its accessories form an entire infrastructure package that YOU control, and one that will still be operational even if the phones stop working.
Remember as well that monitoring without transmitting is legal on any channel without a license.
Information is power, and a lot of local and statewide information is floating around out there. You just have to know where to look. Find your local radio club repeater/s and lookup their meetings (net) times and start listening with a cheap handheld (HT) 2M / 70cm radio. If you become intrigued go get your Technician level HAM license and *don’t be intimidated*. You can do it! Radio can open up a whole new world for you.
I can ABSOLUTELY concur with the directional antenna. I, very quickly, built a yagi for GMRS and my UV5R on 5w . Took it to a high peak here in Oklahoma and had contact with a repeater 73 miles away with AMAZING signal.
This is a great visual understanding for people to understand more. You wont believe how bad leaves can be, especially pine needles. Only way around it is to be over it, height is your friend.
Agreed, also understanding the inverse square law would help.
Directional Atennas is the way for the best range. Our SATCOM antennas (I feel Brandon has definitely mentioned this to you guys) in the military were obviously extremely directional antennas and you had to know where to point it EXACTLY. For Opsec reasons I won't say where but in country it was universal.
I really love this example of radio placement and the typical estimated range you will get with HT radios. Keep in mind and I know youll definitely make a video on this, but this is only "simplex" (radio to radio) where as hopping on Repeaters changes the entire story.
One thing to keep in mind thou (again, this will deff go more advanced than this video demonstrates, but you slightly touched on it at the end) is your Antennas "VSWR" or Voltage Standing Wave Ratio. Which is a mathematical calculation on how much power is transmitted out of your radio, into your antenna, and how much of that power is reflected back into the radio. A 1:1 SWR would mean on that frequency, if you are outputting 8 watts, your antenna is putting out exactly 8 watts. But antennas arent that perfect and EVERY frequency will operate differently. One UHF frequency may get a 2:15 SWR which is still very good, youre only getting a small amount of power reflected back into your radio....but maybe if you jump 20 mhz up the band...with that same antenna you might get a 4:1 SWR which reflect ALOT of your transmitting power back into your radio and youre putting out like 2 watts, rather than 8. REALLY decreasing your distance you can achieve. So antenna choices are VERY important to consider. Broadband antennas will have VSWRs that can go all over the place, but buying TUNED antennas for the bands youll be on is more ideal. I keep two antennas on the back of my plate carrier. One I know that has great VSWR tuned to VHF, and one antenna tuned for UHF and I switch the routing cable for what frequency I will be on. It's good to buy SWR meters (theyre not that expensive) to see which antennas are best for you but this plays a MAJOR roll in the distance you will get.
Im really digging the Trex Labs channel - this is information EVERYONE needs to know
Always love it when I'm doing radio research and one of my favorite channels throws me a bone.
Similarly to light I explain to people, "whats the first thing you hear from a loud stereo? The bass.". This usually lands well with the uninitiated and they instantly realize lower frequencies go further.
That's a great example.
More great data, very useful for people who've never used radios in the field.
woooooooooo! Isaac channel is best channel!
Love the doc brown quote at about 5:14
The visual is extremely helpful. I’ve watched several videos on radios and different frequencies but having a good visual representation of what is going on is fantastic.
I’m currently studying to take my technician ham radio license and your video has given me a better understanding of how radio waves work. Fantastic job.
Im thrilled you decided to create these separate channels. The barrier to entry you created for yourself on the main channel, through its consistent high production quality, was too high. These more frequent uploads feel a little more like the TRex live's ive been missing.
Super grateful that T-Rex is spreading it wings to MORE topics. Hoping they come out with, or maybe partner up with, an educational med channel next.
Awesome content!! Great visuals and analogies to teach a complicated subject! At 14:56, in radio propagation, there is also diffraction over the crest of the hill to consider which can "bend" the waves downward over the crest (or even around or over buildings). But this mostly applies to midrange frequencies such as the upper end of VHF and the lower end of UHF and it won't be a sharp "bend". Please keep up the good work on this new channel!
You just explained something I have been unable to wrap my hands around since I began the radio journey! thanks for breaking it down barney style for me! The Tech Prepper has a lot of good data on regional comms using NVIS hopefully the two of you teaming up can make it more mainstream
Awesome visual representations!
As a Ham that likes to tinker with antennas, I found this super helpful.
Absolutely love the use of light simulation software to model RF, if only for illustration purposes.
You are doing God’s work, sir. Thank you
Love the video. Such a great way to visualize signals. Also that’s such a good Dune reference.
VHF and have some excellent range to it if the conditions are right. I've talked to another ham in north eastern Indian one night on a local repeater here in Tennessee. A few minutes later, another ham around Mobile, AL came on the repeater. Elevation plays a huge roll in getting out as well.
Very explicit....and easy to understand, a good method to simulate with light..respect...👍💯👏👏👏👏🙏🙏🙏💖
Thank you, looking forward to radio recommendations for the prepared citizen
Haha nice Dune reference there. Love those books...all of them!
I'm almost done with a my last peice of gear and next is my radio "network" so these videos are all saved in a list to rewatch and learn more when I take the dive
Great video! I’m an electrical engineer and you teach better than some of my profs
I love all these lab videos. Been getting more into comms and DMR lately. That and the topo video you guys posted, KEEP THEM COMING.
Probably the best explanation I've heard on the topic.
I found this video illuminating.
I loved lightwave 3D in the early 2000’s. Then Maya came out and we all switched.
Blender is on the come up
Yeah, I resisted the change and kinda got left behind... but now I think Maya is getting left behind. At this point, I would probably learn Houdini, Blender, or Cinema4D if I had to get back into animation.
🇺🇸
Awesome topics are being covered with this channel, I'm sure I'm not the only one that appreciates it
Thank you for this video. Studying for my Technician license this weekend. This video helps reinforce some of the things I've been reading the past month.
Very nice a channel the people needs
I'll agree it is a artist rendition to explain RF. I understand we don't have much else in the way of analogies that make it easy enough to understand. Visible light is higher up the spectrum with short wavelengths. Your presentation works as it explains the concepts for people to understand as long as people understand the nuances.
Awesome, thanks Isaac! Great way to help me visualize the concepts. Love the channnel.
Nice model Dr. Brown
I would love to see a future video on business band and encryption. Keep up the good work, brother
Will do!
Love your content. Keep it coming. I’m super excited for this channel!
That was a very informative visual representation of a topic that is very difficult to communicate. Thank you for doing this!
06:00 Wifi Visualization
07:56 UHF Visualization
09:45 UHF in a city
12:12 VHF in a city
14:03 VHF in forest
16:51 HF
17:39 HF NVIS/Skywave
19:21 Recap/conclusion/ELF
continue your great work Isaac
I learned a lot from this video. Thanks so much!
"How to get more radio range" idk man I just throw an antenna on it and blast 30W straight out in every direction and keep pressing the PTT on EMS bands
Oh how did you know I have multiple outstanding arrest warrants?
If the FCC and OIS Foxhounds haven’t found you yet, you deserve to rock on.
Elevation beats watt, was something we learned the hard way.
Well presented info, please keep it up.
Good stuff... I've been following along with TTP for a good while
Height is might when it comes to antennas. Great video!
Thank you for this video. Like other fella, I too have been a ham for 25+ years and been looking for study material like this to pass on to my non-technical friends.
So helpful! Thank you.
Great channel, great content!
Good stuff. Thank you
Great way to visualize radio waves
NVIS for shorter distances, Yagi for directional. For an handheld depends on frequency, sometimes on handhelds bigger is not better.
Great vid!
Thank you i have been having this delima!
Great video
Awesome useful sir!
I was today years old when this started to make sense
This makes my HAM operator bones tingle. :)
Dude you rock, your vidoes are so informative. My drone live streams are better because of you
thanks good explanation
Notification crew!
The few, the happy few...
@@T.REXLabsThe few, the intelligent few...
I have em on, but I didn't have time to watch till now
Can you take the light wave 3D and plug in a Google maps/earth for real-world, simulation? @T.RexLabs
@FreedomOperatorOperatingOperat The idea is to map out the likelihood of radio traffic in an area before the need to walk it out, or reduce the time spent field testing by focusing on a narrow window, as apposed to trail and error methods.
17:40. NVIS Rocks, been using it for years...
Drone radios mentioned!
Extremely grateful for this channel.
Good video!
lovely info
sending love🙏💖🙏
Awesome
This was very interesting. I work in public safety, always had it told to me that if we switched to UHF radios our performance inside of large buildings would be better (than VHF) because UHF would penetrate through the walls more easily. The video seems to suggest the opposite. Is this incorrect or were my coworkers mistaking the “bouncy-ness” of UHF for penetration?
It is almost impossible to tell the difference, and it depends a lot on building materials, so... likely?
I would love a video showing recommendations for shtf back up radios ones where like you can reach your spouse at home or at work when towers where to go down like ones you can lock in a car safe
This was super helpful, and I haven't seen anything similar to this visual representation. Are you on NOSTR by chance? I'd like to send some zaps if so.
I am not. I have lookee at it briefly, along with Mastodon, and Scuttlebutt, and I spend some time on a Matrix server, but I haven't really picked a peer to peer protocol to stick with.
VOACAP is a great HF prediction software
Their are such things called RF Holes in terrain areas you wouldn't expect.
I see what you did there with the Loki reference lol
Nice Doc Brown allusion...
You get points for being the first to spot it! Labs videos always have some subtle references and Easter eggs in them, and it's always fun to see who gets them first. It's not a contest... but there are winners.
Besides elevation and increasing power is there any way to focus the stock antenna of a blister pack radio? Like making a reflector out of a pop can or some other kind of in situ MacGyver type stuff if that doesn't work? Just curious
That will help. Probably a piece of metal as a ground plane or a reflector will do something more than a tin can. The bigger issue is that many of those radios have very inefficient antennas, so you don't have as much to work with.
4:44 this is already in my domain lets GO!
The better lucas dropped a better video than most of the 2A community
Does ATAK still work with the other OS you talked about in the degoogled video and can you speak on gmrs radios?
Yep, works great with graphene OS.
❤❤❤. Bou Fun. U.V. 5. U.V 8. What is the current screw on antenna that increases range over the stock mini nubbi one. A few years back I got the 771 and that fold out flattish military looking one in 42 inch. Is there any better options???????????❤❤❤. -|and Thank You for the great video Mr. Dinosaur ❤❤❤
Teach me moreee
5:15 lol nice
Commenting to defeat the CZcams algorithm 🔥
I always thought that UHF would actually penetrate buildings better but be shorter range, and that VHF couldn’t penetrate dense buildings but would travel further, and those reasons being why UHF=urban, VHF=rural. Is this implying that VHF actually penetrates more, and that it may be better to use in an urban environment between 2 people INSIDE 2 different buildings, so that the signal would penetrate each one instead of just reflecting? And that if both people are OUTSIDE but in an urban environment, that’s optimal for UHF because of the reflection and not as much penetration?
Weird way to ask the question but just trying to understand.
I think you are generally right, but it depends so much on the building materials that it's not always predictable.This is part of the reason that I like dual-band radios. If you and your buddy have a simple comms plan that tells you when to switch between bands or channels, you can try multiple things until you get through.
don't forget low power + directional + repeater chains
Thumbnail is giving Dr. Who/ MIB vibes
Standard issue neuralyzer.
HF is best F
What was the software at 4:05?
That is the basic veiwshed model inside of ATAK. It's very responsive if you have good resolution DEM data. There is also a plug-in to specifically estimate RF propagation, but I have not used it.
In the 90-512 mhz range, with handhelds, if you stand next to the hood of a car you will get a range increase.
Ground plane hack.
Still waiting for you to collaborate with NC Scout on this radio shit.
It’s big brain time
as a ham i approve this video ! lol
You want crazy range from your HT? Use a Yagi LOL... I've had friends make crazy far distance contacts with just a 5W radio and a Yagi.
Nyt🙏🇺🇸🙏
"Dont worry, I'll take care of the lightning. You just take care of your pop."
don't forget about ULF
Didn't he come from the planet Melmac and eat cats?
@@T.REXLabsUltra Low Frequecies
@@T.REXLabstoo young to get the Alf reference
Is it possible to make a reflector for an antenna to achieve a 180° spread? I want to put a repeater on the side of a cliff that is overlooking my town, and is a few thousand feet higher. It would be 915 mz lora.
420.6900 is the freq to shitkey into. Tell your buddies.