VX-160 question from a new guy

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JHaezter
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 11:16 pm

VX-160 question from a new guy

Post by JHaezter »

I'm new to the Radio world. I programmed the radios so they are able to hit each other, the trouble is, if I get more than a block away, not even honestly more like 100 yards, they're completely useless. Surely these have a further range than this? And it's not even a high traffic zone. Anytime I get around 150 yards away, I can neither transmit nor receive communication. Is this normal for this radio?
silverbk
Posts: 52
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 6:05 pm

Re: VX-160 question from a new guy

Post by silverbk »

Double check your codeplug. You must have something askew. My kid's FRS radios work better than that.

You should make sure you have the same frequency and PL tone on both the transmit and receive side of things then load the same plug into both radios.
Radioman_1953
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Jul 23, 2008 10:31 pm

Re: VX-160 question from a new guy

Post by Radioman_1953 »

JHaezter wrote:I'm new to the Radio world. I programmed the radios so they are able to hit each other, the trouble is, if I get more than a block away, not even honestly more like 100 yards, they're completely useless. Surely these have a further range than this? And it's not even a high traffic zone. Anytime I get around 150 yards away, I can neither transmit nor receive communication. Is this normal for this radio?
You might check your power setting, low power is only 1 watt.

Jim
oz_com
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2008 2:12 pm

Re: VX-160 question from a new guy

Post by oz_com »

If one of your two radios transmits further than the other, it's obviously some kind of problem specific to that radio. Even a radio with blown finals should receive normally, so if neither of the radios transmits further than the other, could that be an antenna problem?

What is the condition of the "rubber duck" antennas (any cracks or dry rot) and their connectors (any looseness, rattly feeling)? I had a VHF Relm portable that kept getting bad signal reports any distance over a couple hundred feet away. Once I got the right kind of adapter to hook up the wattmeter, I realized it was only putting out a few milliwatts. I took it apart and a screw fell out :-o It secured the antenna connector and had worked loose. I also tightened the connector to the metal chassis. Problem solved...

Good luck!
mwq
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Apr 18, 2012 9:50 am

Re: VX-160 question from a new guy

Post by mwq »

BE SURE THEY ARE BOTH ON SIMPLEX[XMT~RCV SAME FREQ]LOT OF TRTOUBLE WITH RUBBER DUCK ANT..BE SURE CENTER PIN IS INTACT
Elfnetdesigns
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Jul 21, 2014 5:05 pm
Location: Las Vegas, Nv.

Re: VX-160 question from a new guy

Post by Elfnetdesigns »

The 160 and 180 are not really worth dumping money into to repair but you may want to have them put on a service monitor and checked out. You could have anything from a bad antenna to a failed pin diode or PA in which case your better off buying a new radio.

Some things you can check fairly easy are:
Are both radios on the same channel and the frequencies and PL/DPL codes in that channel identical in each radio?
Is the antenna in working condition and does it seat into the socket properly? You coule have a missing center pin or the pin (or contact clip) may have broken off its solder pad inside the radio.
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