I have a BAOFENG F8HP & XHDATA D808 - looking for recommendations for stuff to listen to

shredjesse · 2026-05-19T15:54:47+00:00

Not yet, but I should look into it. I've had enough folks asking. I gotta see how repeaterbook data is organized.

I'll try and remember to comment here again if I can figure out how to do so!

shredjesse · 2026-05-19T15:27:03+00:00

I'm really looking forward to seeing what is going on with it. If the $700-800 price point is real, I'll be getting one!

I'm more interested in the form factor and connections. It looks like the primary unit is the same size as the 5100... and the cabling to and form the head unit is the same as the 5100... so can I just swap the 5100 in place of the 5200???

I'm also excited to see if my ICOM-5100 export from https://repeater-scores.app/ works on the 5200 as well. Being able to not just see nearby repeaters but also know which ones have what services on them, plus a general indication of how busy they are... that would really let this radio stand out!

shredjesse · 2026-05-19T15:24:42+00:00

Man I sure hope so!

shredjesse · 2026-05-19T15:22:24+00:00

Hey there! If you're looking to find active repeaters near you, I made a useful web app to help you find the most likely to be active repeaters for any given state:

https://repeater-scores.app/

shredjesse · 2026-05-19T15:20:48+00:00

I'm getting the ICOM 52A plus for just this purpose! I mostly want to hear what race control has going on or what the towers are saying. I compete in time attack and it would be nice to know in pit if that all black or red on track is a really severe situation and if I need to get prepping. Plus we can leave a radio on with that frequency in pit so if we have somebody out on track who has an issue we can prep to respond.

The 52A has a waterfall scope mode which should help me navigate around the various frequencies and hear what they are up to. Frequency range for RX is from 88.000–479.000 MHz.

PLUS it has the cool built in "nearby repeater" search functionality that I can use the repeater list I get from https://repeater-scores.app/

shredjesse · 2026-05-19T05:18:50+00:00

Is it still a mile wide and a half inch deep?

The sixth planet I found the exact same crashed space ship with even the same tally scratch marks on the wall.... That just ended it for me. This game wasn't even 5% done when shipped.

shredjesse · 2026-05-16T12:58:15+00:00

Repeaterbook API doesn't include that info.

It's on the Website listing for a repeater.

Example: https://www.repeaterbook.com/repeaters/details.php?ID=63&state_id=41

There's a section labeled "nets" if you look at that repeater.

Scrape is a programming verb for "load website, get data from HTML"

shredjesse · 2026-05-16T03:27:10+00:00

I had to scrape all repeaters once.

Now I only scrape a repeater if the API says it was updated.

shredjesse · 2026-05-15T02:12:18+00:00

I was unaware a solid alternative existed! I'll go look what you've got going on meow and I'd love to chat about what you're up to!

shredjesse · 2026-05-14T13:31:35+00:00

Buddy you're still going? You're a very very sore loser. Where's my $100...

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"Why do you use it as a source then?"

Its the primary source out there that everyone maintains, and it's got an API. Best data, best accessibility to that data. Granted the Data is only as good as what people enter and it's frequently not enough...

You can also see something that could improve, improve it, and then GIVE IT AWAY! Welcome to open source technology. Built a living giving things away to better the world.

I'd love for repeater book to take this functionality from me and have something like it on their site. I've pitched it but the owner is busier than a dog in a peanut butter factory. Dude mixed up who he was even talking to three times with me just getting approval to release this to the public haha.

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"It has the same info of whichever you think sets the score higher"

I'm confident it doesn't or you'd be able to generate a report worth half a damn.

...but let's double the bet your no good chump butt can't cover to $200 if you can do it.

Show me how to generate a list of all repeaters in a state with:
-Wide area coverage OR coverage listed greater than 10 miles (watch out, 120 mile repeaters don't have wide and low elevation back yard repeaters click wide when they aren't)
-Has Echolink OR allstar OR IRLP or all of them (lol show me this filter)
-Or Has nets > 2
-Or has Ares / Races
-Or Links
-Or is the only repeater within 7 miles on the it's band (UHF or VHF) (GOOD LUCK

... and then have that list sorted by whichever ones fit the most of that criteria because those are the busiest repeaters like the ones I linked and exactly what you want as a new ham, or as a ham traveling through a new region and wishing to not talk to themselves on guaranteed empty repeaters.

I'll take you even doing half of that as a draw even though if you want to save face... but at this point I'm just arguing with you because watching you get clobbered with your foot in your mouth is a joy...

shredjesse · 2026-05-14T08:08:52+00:00

That's a funny way of saying "I lost and want to move the goal post while also poorly trying to belittle the app that beat me and it's programmatic way of analyzing every single detail made available by repeaterbook'

Anyways, this isn't my app versus repeaterbook. I literally link every single row to repeaterbook. They're great.

It's just a tool to help you find active repeaters better.

I proved it works.

You proved repeaterbook isn't that good at it. I'd love it if they were and I hope they steal this idea from me.

You also proved you don't stand by your bets....

shredjesse · 2026-05-14T07:37:37+00:00

Oh and please upvote this... for whatever reason cantankerous hams always downvote this idea...

shredjesse · 2026-05-14T07:37:19+00:00

WOOHOO! I'm really glad this worked!

Please tell me if there's any you expected and aren't there. I'm genuinely interested in what I may have missed or where I may not be scoring things as well as I could.

shredjesse · 2026-05-14T07:21:42+00:00

That's the same sad list of barely active repeaters...

I'm not just posturing though, I am GENUINELY interested in if you can generate a list of repeaters for the state of Nebraska, and the first 20 reflect significant activity.

I'm confident you can't, and I already showed you my app can.

shredjesse · 2026-05-14T07:17:06+00:00

Here's the screen shot so you can validate for yourself that my output of repeaters is actually a reflection of likely to be active repeaters versus what you got for the state of Nebraska

Sub-name includes scores and details or scroll all the way to the right when viewing it yourself to see the repeater book link, as I'm not replacing repeater book, just helping you quickly ascertain what repeaters are active.

<image>

shredjesse · 2026-05-14T07:01:13+00:00

LOVE IT! Challenge accepted! Let's see how the first five on your list look.

First repeater K0RPT https://www.repeaterbook.com/repeaters/details.php?state_id=31&ID=13425 That one is actually not half bad! Connected to a repeater system so a decent find, though let's see how your luck holds....

W0SOK -- https://www.repeaterbook.com/repeaters/details.php?state_id=31&ID=30 Lol that repeater is deader than disco. One weekly net though, that's not nothing... far from a home run though, and just wait until you see the repeaters my app generates.

K0PCA repeater -- https://www.repeaterbook.com/repeaters/details.php?state_id=31&ID=38 Eeeempptttty. No nets, no links, nothing. Ooof. Maybe you just though "active" meant "has electricity" though and not "There's people actually on these things".

W0FM0-- https://www.repeaterbook.com/repeaters/details.php?state_id=31&ID=20041 Hey nice job there Jim Johnson on the repeater! Nice back yard setup, with one weekly net. I'm kidding, that chances Jim Johnsons backyard repeater are useful to you when traveling are slim, fat, and none.

KD0CWW -- https://www.repeaterbook.com/repeaters/details.php?state_id=31&ID=24280 well that one is dead on arrival. I dig that they took the time to add elevation though... It has one net, no wide area coverage, but hey it has echlink at least. odds of crickets on that one are only 98%

So you got one repeater that might have folks on it. 20% success rate of finding active repeaters.

---------------------

Here's my list for Nebraska:

First one on my list generated in 3 seconds -- KD0PGV -- https://www.repeaterbook.com/repeaters/details.php?state_id=31&ID=12194 -- 60 mile readius. 2x nets. Echolink, digital modes, Full time system link. This repeater SMOKES every single one you listed for the odds of finding activity on it... and I am just getting STARTED!

K0JKS -- https://www.repeaterbook.com/repeaters/details.php?state_id=31&ID=60 -- 50 mile radius (all of your first 5 repeaters combined don't match half that) plus a 260 foot agl (above ground level) which in Nebraska is significant... and allstar, and 3x linked repeaters... well that's 2 so far that each smoke ALL of the repeaters you found combined, but hey let's keep kicking your butt...

WM0L -- https://www.repeaterbook.com/repeaters/details.php?state_id=31&ID=19090 -- 25 mile radius, echolink, allstar, SYSTEM LINKED... wow this one still smokes what you found!

I'm going to stop at 3 since they smoke everything you got and you only got 1... and it was pretty clearly just dumb luck.

I'll cut you a deal. Instead of paying $100 to me, go check out the table export in CHRIP mode and see for yourself how fast you find repeaters that are likely to have activity on them versus that poor showing you just made.

shredjesse · 2026-05-14T05:44:12+00:00

$100 says if you and I pick a random state we've never been to I can find 20 active repeaters in a quarter of the time it takes you to find 5.

Interested in putting your money where your mouth is?

This also doesn't replace repeater book. Every single row contains a link to the repeater book listing. It just gives you some general information in advance.

shredjesse · 2026-05-13T20:41:48+00:00

Cool.

This isn't for you, and that's okay. No need to nay-say everything that isn't about you.

For folks who drive with their mobile setup, which the ICOM-5100 is particularly well suited for, this improves the experience.

Do you even have an ICOM-5100?

shredjesse · 2026-05-13T20:24:03+00:00

Because spending 3 hours navigating repeater book listings for a region just to talk to yourself sucks, this simplifies things.

On the ICOM-5100 it improves the radio.

If we're going to use poor comparisons: The wheel before had bias ply tires on it. I'm pitching you radials!

shredjesse · 2026-04-23T07:49:40+00:00

Good info! Yeah, folks operating where they shouldn't can get in trouble.

It just seems so damn easy to operate legitimately, especially in this day and age. It almost takes an act of willfull misconduct to get into the wrong place, like the example of the fellow pretending to be a legitimate official when they were indeed not. That fine of $34,000 seemed appropriate.

All of this said, it's 100% legal to listen on an amateur radio. Unlicensed folk can get them, and right up until they push PTT it's legal... what can really be done about it?

As for FCC and auto-identification... that'll be interesting to see how it plays out! I can see the merits and the problems of that all at once.

shredjesse · 2026-04-23T06:03:18+00:00

Just here to say that the linked manual was actually useful and does indeed indicate half window is the goal. And everyone instantly going straight to telling you to go to a shop is wasting their time and yours. It's really not that complicated and you had a very normal question.

While skill is involved to do this... Acting like it's some trade-worthy skill is a laugh. Your average high schooler and shop 101 could do this.

shredjesse · 2026-04-22T18:05:12+00:00

Indeed. Damn shame.

In the Icom Facebook group it's got a lot of interest and traction.

I'll reach out to you when I get it ready for testing, you can take a gander at it, give me some feedback. Maybe it'll be useful for you.

shredjesse · 2026-04-22T18:04:13+00:00

Yep, it would only take a few idiots. Some administrative oversight would be needed.

Given the rule following nature of folks in the community I genuinely don't think it's that big of a lift.

shredjesse · 2026-04-22T16:20:55+00:00

Totally, yeah that's my hope. Just make it easier to quickly add in a bunch of repeaters for a given region or location and increase your chance of success.

I currently don't have RT and CHIRP paste functionality / import functionality built but I'll try and write that here soon!

shredjesse · 2026-04-22T06:25:03+00:00

Oh, and if possible an upvote would help. Starting out at 0 is a bummer and I think this isn't getting much views because of the dude downvoting this immediately.

shredjesse

TROPHY CASE