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  • Review: BridgeCom Systems BCM-220 222 MHz FM Transceiver by QST
    March 23, 2017 Tim King

    Review: BridgeCom Systems BCM-220 222 MHz FM Transceiver by QST

    Reviewed by Rick Palm, K1CE
    QST Contributing Editor 
    k1ce@arrl.org

    BCM-220 1.25m Mobile RadioUsing BridgeCom Systems’ new 222 MHz (1.25 meter band) mobile radio was a walk down memory lane for me. In the late ’70s and early ’80s, I was part of a small, quirky but devoted group who ragchewed on two 220 MHz repeaters in northern Connecticut and western Massachusetts. One machine was on Talcott Mountain overlooking Hartford, and was run by the son of a major city developer. The other was owned/ controlled by my longtime friend, Paul Koplow, WA1VEI, on Mt Lincoln in the Berkshires. Our radios back then were quirky, too: mine was a Midland (crystalcontrolled, no PLL) that looked like a battered, old CB radio from a trucker’s cab — the kind you might find today in a pawn shop. Later I had a Yaesu Memorizer for the band, which was a great radio. We rolled our eyes and suffered one user who used the autopatch to talk with his wife on his commute home every evening with over-the-top kissing and cooing sounds. Off-air and even on-the-air counseling sailed over his head.

    Nowadays, the 222 – 225 MHz band is still a great spot for repeaters and their disciples. I had a lot of fun getting back on this band thanks to the BridgeCom BCM-220. Continuing with the nostalgic theme here, the company, which is based in Smithville, Missouri, evokes the feel and quality of those old radios in their new products, especially this one. The BCM-220 is built like a tank, with commercial-grade construction, and a high-quality, heavy-duty mic that eschews the numerous functions/ buttons that populate some mics. The BCM-220’s mic has a simple DTMF keypad and only three function buttons below it: the first to switch between memory and VFO modes, and the second and third buttons for frequency or channel up and down. That’s it — and I love it! It’s heavy and feels good in my mic hand. Indeed, all of the radio’s functionality seems to be focused on the essentials, and that’s a plus in my book. 

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  • BridgeCom Systems BCH-220  222 MHz Handheld FM Transceiver - QST Magazine
    September 9, 2016 Tim King

    BridgeCom Systems BCH-220 222 MHz Handheld FM Transceiver - QST Magazine

    Reviewed by Rick Palm, K1CE k1ce@arrl.net

    The BCH-220 handheld 222 MHz (1.25 centimeters) FM transceiver is a product of BridgeCom Systems, a company many readers may not have heard of. Based in Smithville, Missouri, the company was established in 2004, and according to its website, develops and sells communications equipment for the land mobile radio, Amateur Radio, commercial radio, and remote monitoring markets. Its first product was a VHF/UHF FM repeater.

    Click here to read the review

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  • 65 Great Things about Ham Radio by CQ Magazine
    January 7, 2016 Tim King

    65 Great Things about Ham Radio by CQ Magazine

    Clearly written by hams for hams. 65 great things about ham radio from CQ Magazine
    BridgeCom Systems Booth Ft Wayne Hamfest 2015
    1. It works when nothing else does
    2. It makes you part of a worldwide community
    3. The opportunity to help neighbors by providing public service and emergency communications
    4. Some of the nicest people you'll ever meet
    5. Some of the smartest people you'll ever meet
    6. Some of the most interesting people you'll ever meet
    7. Some of the most generous people you'll ever meet (along with some of the cheapest!)
    8. Lifelong friendships
    9. Friends around the world (including those you haven't met yet)
    10. The opportunity to go interesting places you might not otherwise go to
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  • September 23, 2015 Tim King

    Ham Radio Valuable in Emergency

    By Gayle Page – Staff Writer for The Standard Banner Jim Snyder, VP of Knoxville’s chapter of American Radio Relay League (ARRL), was the guest speaker at Tuesday’s Local Emergency Planning Committee meeting. Snyder’s presentation stressed the importance of Amateur...

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  • June 17, 2015 Tim King

    BridgeCom visits Ham-Com 2015 Irving, TX

    Here are some thoughts and pictures from our visit to Ham-Com 2015 in Irving, TX.

    BridgeCom Systems Ham-Com 2015 BoothRon and I left the Kansas City, MO area on Thursday morning and it was 80+ degrees.  When we got to TX it was 90+ degrees, so summer is officially here.  

    Driving from MO to TX without the radio on leaves for a lot of random conversation, good, but random.  Ron and I discussed our thoughts and expectations for Ham-Com.  We expected to have a good booth location, plenty of foot traffic, and generate a positive buzz surrounding BridgeCom Systems and our products.  We packed with us three repeaters (BCR-50V, BCR-220, BCR-40U), the new BCM-220 mobile, and our MV-DMR server in a 2U chassis, plus the assorted banners and spec sheets.  

    We arrived in TX about 3:30p Thursday and went straight to the Irving Convention Center to unload and set up.  The people of TX are very nice, lots of yes sir, no sir.  We got set up pretty quickly, we like to keep the booth small with just a few products and brochures.  I'm not a fan of the table across the entire front of the booth, but it seemed to work well this time giving us some shelter from the masses.  However, I should have put the banners out front on the corners where people could have seen them better.

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  • April 16, 2015 Ron Kochanowicz

    Radio over IP - What is it?

    ROIP Radio over Internet Protocol (RoIP) is a two-way communication method which involves trans-reception of radio communication signals over internet protocol (IP). Cost effective and power efficient, RoIP essentially leverages the same communication principles as that of VoIP but requires...

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