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#Post#: 5829--------------------------------------------------
TGIF Radio Net - Friday, March 6, 2026
DIR By: VE3RD
Date: March 8, 2026, 7:07 am
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TGIF Radio Net - Friday, March 6, 2026
Good evening, and welcome to the TGIF Radio Net for Friday,
March 6, 2026.
My name is Steve, call sign W2SHR.
My QTH is Kill Devil Hills in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Just down the road from my home is the Wright Brothers Memorial,
where the first successful flight by a heavier-than-air flying
machine took place.
Talking about heavier-than-air, I'll tell you, we were 76 this
afternoon. We are now down to 51, and I dare you to see more
than a quarter of a mile. The fog has just rolled in.
Tonight I'm filling in for Robert Bresman, our chief cook and
bottle washer, and also the driving force behind the TGIF DMR
amateur radio network.
We meet here every Friday at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time in TGIF talk
group 31665, the mothership, to chat about a chosen topic and
anything else relating to amateur radio.
Tonight's topic: The history and impact of Baofeng amateur
radios on the ham radio community.
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Preliminary Information
During this net or any net emergency, traffic will be indicated
by a triple break, and will be accepted at any time during a
net. All transmissions will cease until the emergency is
resolved.
This is a directed net — only transmit when directed by net
control.
When checking in, please use your call sign normally and
phonetically. Example: "Whiskey Two Sierra Hotel Romeo, W2SHR."
I apologize in advance — I have three dogs here tonight and one
(Miss Indy) is being a whiny little whatever. She wants to be
upstairs with her mom.
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Check-ins – Short-time check-ins first
N4BDJ – November Four Bravo Delta Juliet
KB7ZZ – Kilo Bravo Seven Zulu Zulu
NY2S – November Yankee Two Sierra
KB4QCE – Kilo Bravo Four Quebec Charlie Echo
KE2KL – Kilo Echo Two Kilo Lima
KC9MEC – Gene
WB3GCK – Craig
K8LR – Bob (first time)
K9FEH – Chet
K2OZ – Dan
KK6KWV – Jeff
N9NJS – Brent
KA7DLV – Sharon
KE4TLC – Paul
WC7V – Dave
WE8M – Rodney
WD8KOB – Charles
N3FCB – John
KB3PTP
(Second batch of short-timers – many more listed including NT9Q,
KB8IWO, WD4LED, K7VCE, N6CZE, VE7TWJ, VE6PLC, N2CMN, KE8APO,
N9RUT, WB4T, WB8PFL, N6PPP, WB3IHY, etc.)
(Third batch – short timers final call including KE9DVE, KA3NGT,
K4OUX, N8MME, KD9ITO, K4NAS, N9DYO, etc.)
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Regular check-ins by suffix groups
Zeros, Ones, Twos, Threes
WB3GTM, K0NUT, N3JAS, KB3JQQ, N1XQX, KB2FMD
Second round: KB3SVT, VE3RD, KW0Z, KA3YEB
Fours, Fives, Sixes (remembering Silent Key KF6S Jim Valley)
N4HYK, NP4M, KD4BJA, K5GU, KC5LAA, W4FFX, N4CWR, K4WZV
Second round: NG5N, N4XV, KX4XR
Sevens, Eights, Nines (remembering founder EA7KDO Mitch Savage)
KC8USA, KB9LEB, WD9HGO, N8XYF, NS8G, KB9LIQ
Second round: KX4XR, N9XR, K8DVR
Final: AF7FS, KC9SIO
Late check-ins: KB8KES, W1GSK
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Marketplace
N4HYK (Doc) offers:
- Used ICOM IC-7300 (good condition, stylus only on screen)
- Brand new IC-7300 MK2 (still sealed in box, 3 weeks old)
Contact via QRZ email.
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Main Topic: Baofeng Radios – Blessing or Curse?
Net Control (W2SHR):
Quick history: Started 2001 → first walkie-talkie 2002
→ UV-3R/UV-5R FCC approved 2011 → UV-5R released
2012.
Spurious emissions & open TX issues 2013–2018 → renamed
Baofeng 2017 → won major Chinese procurement 2019.
"Baofeng" translates to storm or wind. They swept into DMR and
made it affordable.
Are they a curse or a blessing?
N3JAS (John): Positive – more options, great entry-level radios
(UV-5R, GMRS, BF-F8HP Pro tri-bander under $100). Good thing
overall.
K4WZV (Robert): Early models junk (poor front-end, bleed-over).
Now major improvement – DM-32UV is solid, great build quality.
N9XR (Jerry): Old-school perspective – early VHF radios had
crystals, harmonics expected (low-pass filters common). Baofengs
cheap & capable.
KB7ZZ (David): Long-time user. Early DMR Baofeng simplex only.
Cheap, disposable, works well. Price unbeatable for multi-mode
with hotspot ($66 for DM-32UV).
N4HYK (Doc): Icom/Kenwood/Motorola users won't switch. Price
isn't everything for high-end users.
KB9DBE (Mitch): Brought many into hobby (UV-5R → DM-32UV
→ hotspot → TGIF → now eyeing higher-end
gear). Gateway effect.
VE6PLC (Cliff): Paved way for Anytone, Retevis, TYT. Proved
market for affordable radios. Quality improved after FCC issues.
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Closing Thanks
Special thanks to:
Ty Weaver KG5RKI – coding genius
Andy Nielsen G7LRR – dashboard & net schedule
Glenn Allison N3MEL – international forum
Forum team: AD2CH, K7VCE, WB3IHY
Vic Lowen VE6JAR – documentation
Phil Thompson VE3RD – hotspot programming & net recordings
Robert Bresman K4WZV – Chief Engineer & Godfather
Recordings available at TGIF.network
HTML https://tgif.network
– Friday Night Net Recording Index (thanks
Phil!).
Thanks to everyone for joining, sharing, and making TGIF the
best DMR network on the planet.
Need topic ideas – please share!
This is Steve, W2SHR, signing off from the cold and foggy Outer
Banks of North Carolina.
Join us next Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET, talk group 31665.
73 to everyone, and remember... Thank God It's Friday!
Net closed – talk group 31665 returned to normal worldwide
amateur radio usage.
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