Have questions? Give us a call! (816) 532-8451
Have questions? Give us a call! (816) 532-8451
Reviewed by Rick Palm, K1CE
QST Contributing Editor
k1ce@arrl.org
Using 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.
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.
MARCH 2016
MISSOURI SECTION NEWS
Cecil Higgins MO SM
I want to thank all the volunteers that are continuing to
serve the ARRL Missouri Section in their appointed positions for the
Section. You are a great group and I really appreciate you all.
Don’t forget that the Missouri QSO Party, sponsored by the
Boeing Employees Amateur Radio Society, will be April 2nd and 3rd. You
can check out all the information about the MOQP at the BEARS website
by using the link http://w0ma.org/index.php/missouri-qso-party. Look
over the whole site and use the links about the rules and other
information that will prove quite valuable.
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...
How does the BridgeCom Systems MV-1 RoIP site linking solution work? Watch the video and see RoIP used to link two "sites." What's in the video: One channel of audio at each site. Each site contains a UHF mobilie radio...
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...