Military-Style Radio - Manpack Crossband Repeater - Part III

Let's take a look at a manpack with crossbrand repeat capabilities. Stick around if you need to extend your transmission range in the field using a poor man's repeater.

0:00 Introduction
0:27 Yaesu FT-8900 Overview
1:08 Why I bought the FT-8900?
4:39 What is Crossband Repeat?
7:08 What is Transmit Boost?
9:03 Crossband Repeat Applications
10:14 TYT TH-9800 Clone Radio
10:33 Manpack Breakdown
14:45 Vehicle Use Case
15:50 Close

SUPPORT

RADIO GEAR
1. Yaesu FT-8900 (Discontinued) - See eBay
9. Bags:

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#thetechprepper #manpack #repeater #ft8900 #military #radio #armoloq

[cwo]

Yes to the cross band video, please. Really enjoy your videos: the right subject matter, the right length and concise. Thank you.

[r]

Duty cycle refers to the percentage of time the radio is transmitting. If no one is transmitting, the radio is not operating at 100% duty cycle. Being in crossband repeat will be higher duty cycle, but that doesn't mean it's 100%.

[GeneralAwesome]

I have been trying to make something like this for over a year, but couldn’t figured it out. This has been super helpful, and has me excited to start a build.

[richardkennedy]

Thank you, this is the one I've been waiting for. The cross-band feature is of particularly important to me to cross-band to the HT's. Also important is setting up the digital aspect. Just found the taller pouch for the radio to not have to cut the top.

[kevinsnyder]

Really appreciate the channel! helped motivate me to pursue comms training further. Passed my tech/general today and I'm looking forward to putting the used 8900 I found to use soon. Please continue to share your experience it is greatly appreciated!

[mbrownz]

Yes please continue this great work and a crossbanding video coming from you would be amazing.

[JohnGatesIII]

Great way to extend a SAR or Woodland Fire team's communication back to incident management / TOC. I've always wondered why LEO/Fire doesn't have something like this inside say, the SGT/LT/Chief's vehicle, to extend communications for everyone involved (think of the active shooter @ the Washington Navy Yard).

It's one thing to be in a big city, with repeaters everywhere, or being somewhere with a planned repeater network (you can talk from Pueblo, CO to Cheyenne, WY, up and down the I25 corridor, on LMRs). But like where I live now (south central PA), with lots of hills and out in the sticks, there are places out here where you could end up in a commo black hole (on LMRs).

I also like the idea of having a 10M/HF band available, for Long Distance/Over the Horizon communications. In an Overlanding scenario, there are definitely places out in the middle of nowhere, that have little to NO communications coverage (cell or repeater). Yes, you could purchase a "Satellite phone" to overcome that, but a radio like this makes a lot more sense (IMO). Throw a simple longwire/half-doublet antenna in your Rig, and you have an Emergency backup (PACE plan).

Something like this could also be used in Milsim/Airsoft games as a "GOD" radio, with Administration being able to flip channels and blast out to EVERYONE (at 50Watts) to cease game because of an Emergency (it's amazing how Airsoft pyro can set things on fire).

[kenluning]

I had an 8800 and sold it to a local new ham. It is a good radio.
Now I want it back LOL.

[RobertMehrer]

I got these same bags and used .5” metal grommets between them to pass cables. I also sewn on Velcro squares between them to keep them better aligned and attached.

[jamesgragg]

This setup in this video is exactly what I’ve been looking for and yes please call d love to see how the cross banding works as that to me is an extremely important and somewhat confusing aspect of the setup.

[rider]

Yes. I would also like to request a cross band radio video. This was a very informative video. Thanks!

[TexSilverFarmer]

Love the Man-Pack to vehicle crossover, what are the options for using vehicle power &/or charging the battery at the same time.

[reynoldspc]

I use the TYT9800 in the Armaloq configuration. I picked it because it has a 6.25 khz spacing which Europe requires for PMR 446, and for UK FM CB, as well as the amateur stuff.
73 2M0ILA

[jasonsneed]

I’m have 2 ft5d radios and an 8900r what is the best way to use the 8900 cross band to allow the 2 ht radios to talk to each other though the 8900. Only way I came up with is have the uhf freq on the top of the ht and vhf on bottom then cross band the 8900.

[ryanjones]

I was not aware of the 8900’s features. Now I’m going to have to find one. Damn you.

[jmillermp]

I have this radio and would definitely like to see a video about Transmit Boost Mode!!!! Please do it!

[doublemountainman]

I have the yaesu as my base station. We configure it for use as a cross band repeater and have had great success. I had the tyt as a mobile rig. It worked flawlessly for about 18 months and then quit. I have only used them in phone mode so I’m just now exploring the digital side of the hobby. I can’t speak to the tyt’s abilities in that area. Going to keep an eye out for your man pack for the 8900. If it’s a success and you move on to the admin pouch as well, make it pancake open. I hate digging through a bag that won’t open fully…., even if it’s just 8” deep.

Love your channel. Always excited to see the next video come out.

The repeater i use is not accessible w my HT’s so the boost mode doesn’t apply to me, but I think it would have some merit for anyone within ear shot with an HT if understand the application correctly.

Thanks for your videos. Keep it up!

[jessiehorne]

Yes please on the cross-band Jedi video

[blankreganon]

Another great video. Please do a video on the cross-band repeater setup. Thanks!

[keyoflife]

Hello,

This video is what I needed....do you have a video or info on the 1/2 duplex crossband process?