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The RT Systems softwares is not the same as the free software that you can download. I find the RT Systems software works better.

I was making $625 a month when I first enlisted. I did go in as an E-2 though. I forget what jump pay was at that time but it was nice to have the extra money per month. Everyone that is E-5 and below and also married are usually always broke. At least that was how it was when I was in.

I'll be purchasing the KG UV980P at "Buy Two Way Radios". I tried calling them, but they are closed. They offer a Free software download, but they also Sell the "RT Systems Programming Software and Cable For Wouxun KG-UV980P." I'm wondering if the software that's for sale (with the programing cable) is the same as the Free download. Does anyone know??? It doesn't make sense to purchase the software if it's the same... and the cable is only $16 bucks. Thanks

Goo heavens, you made that much. I remember my first months take home pay was &147.00. But by '75 I was an E-5, married and getting sep rats and quarters.

Except I then see it descending into to mess that CB is today.

Your repeater isn’t required to ID if and only if the only people who use it are people you have authorized to use your call sign and they identify correctly. If anyone with a different call sign uses your repeater, the repeater must be IDed. You can certainly do that manually and it definitely doesn’t have to be Morse code, but the repeater must be identified. Morse just happens to be built in for some controllers. Personally I prefer English language IDs also.

FCC Part 95.1751 (c): (c) Any GMRS repeater station is not required to transmit station identification if: (1) It retransmits only communications from GMRS stations operating under authority of the individual license under which it operates; and, (2) The GMRS stations whose communications are retransmitted are properly identified in accordance with this section. In Other Words, Your Repeater Station Users Are Required To ID, Along With Your Licensed Group Users As Well. Really No Need For Your Repeater Station To Auto CWID - Unless You Just Think It's Cool..... Unfortunately, This Can Cause Issues If You As The Licensee, Do Not ID On Your Station, Due To Auto CWID - Others May Follow Suit Thinking The Repeater ID Is Satisfying Their Repeater Station ID User Requirements. I Do Not Use Station CWID On My Repeaters For Just That Reason.

Welcome to the forum. Does the RICK controller have an ID function? The ID can be your call sign in Morse code if it’s easier. The RepeaterID breakout board can be used with the RepeaterID for use with “surplus repeaters” according to the website.

Devin, that is not a very helpful answer is it?

Why? You don’t need to, and it’s pretty annoying having to hear one every 15min.

I have a GMRS repeater using two Motorola CDM 750 radios with a Motorola RICK controller. How can I add a station ID? I saw a simple add on device from RepeaterID.com but it seems it is mainly for the Retevis repeaters. Is there some way to adapt it to my repeater? Thanks WSAU511

Do they just... burst at 50?

When you're making $505 a month defending democracy, you go cheap! Except for my golf clubs back then...

Fun fact: no one on the RR forums has an anus.

Okay, 55 years ago it was $20, then it was reduced to $4 (that was when I first considered getting a license because $20 was way too much!) The point is that the government has no problem reducing the cost of the license, even to zero.

I don't remember paying when i obtained mine in around 74.. If I remember correctly, i went too the local post office on base, filled out a form, name address, birthday etc. checked two boxes agreeing to abide by rules and sent it with a prepaid stamped postage card. About 30 days later l got my call sign in the mail. For the life of me, i can't remember that call sign.. Probably cause i never used it .. Back in that day, I don't think i would have wasted $20 for a license, considering that could have filled the tank in my 70 SS Chevelle 5 times.

Kraco CB's were the equivalent of GMRS CCR's today. They were the cheapest POS radio's you could buy.

Well 49 years ago it was free, but required. But of all my army buddies who got CB's back then, I was the only one who sent in for the License!

The same goes for amateur radios these days.

Not really. CB licenses were $20 each 50 years ago when $20 was a lot of money. Then they lowered it to $4, perhaps hoping to entice more people to get legal.

the difference between CB and GMRS in the FCC's mind is 'cash' CB licensing got them nothing, GMRS is a pretty good cash cow for them.. So no, i don't think the same thing will happen.

KAUO6363, Sent in a form that was in the Kraco box to Uncle Charlie when I was at Ft. Campbell in '76.

Looks like you've done a fair job of researching your options. Lets start with the antenna system. First off I wouldn't worry too much about a few extra feed of coax cable. Likely the mount you will use has RG-58 type cable. A few may use the thinner RG-316, noticeably higher loss, but easier to route through small holes and other tight spaces. With RG-58 the difference between 13 feet verses the typical 17 foot long ones isn't worth worrying about. More on that later. The antenna is where you shouldn't compromise. The same goes for the location on the vehical. Your usage case may justify two antennas. You would use a cheap quarter wave, about 6 to 7 inches tall, for local communications and repeater access. Then a much taller higher gain one for out on the highway traveling. Both would be better off mounted in the clear on the roof. The quarter wave is so short you could almost forget it's there, even when parking in a garage. While swapping antennas is a bit of a pain some of the folks here do it depending on where they are going to spend most of their time. Oh, the quarter wave is likely the best option when traveling in mountainous or hilly terrain. The radiation pattern gives much better coverage when two or more stations are at significantly different altitudes. About an extra connector or two and comments about extra losses. I see people frequently get two things mixed up in that area, SWR matching and power loss. Good quality connectors have very low losses when used within their design frequency range, about 0.1 to 0.2 db. The real issue is the typical SO239/PL-259 "UHF" connectors are NOT really recommended for use above about 200 to 300 MHz, but you see them all the time used on UHF, on the back of radios and on the ends of the coax from antenna mounts. The problem with those is the "impedance" doesn't match the coax impedance of 50 ohms. This results in a higher SWR. The more of these you have the worse the match gets. Myself I try to stick with "N", BNC or RG-8x mini type connectors. Those are all 50 ohm types, and have very low power loss. If you want to go down the rabbit hole with the antenna system design evaluation I did one for my current ride as an example. Most people don't do this, and likely wouldn't need to anyway. I did it just out of curiosity. https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/483-cx-5-antenna-system-analysisjpg/?context=new For antenna choices the CA-2x4SR from Comet gets mentioned frequently. It's a good high gain wide-band antenna. If you ever plan on getting your Ham license it's usable on the VHF and UHF Ham bands as is. The price is very reasonable. https://forums.mygmrs.com/topic/7914-how-is-the-comet-ca-2x4sr-antenna/ There is a very similar antenna now available from Diamond, of course more expensive. Be careful, I see two slightly different model numbers. I believe the one you want is the NR240CA. I see the NR240C sold too, which I think is tuned a bit different. I asked Diamond about this and never got a reply. The spec's for the NR240CA seem to show a slightly wider bandwidth than the CA-2x4SR. Now lets talk about radios. As mentioned a 25 watt radio would be good for most every day usage. A higher power radio would be a good idea if you had to communicate through heavy foliage, trail riding on your 4-wheeler for example. A lot of good recommendations for radios here by other members. Personally I stick with commercial grade radios. A number of the cheaper consumer grade types, including some modified Ham gear, I've played with suffered from poor sensitivity, and worse, poor selectivity and de-sense issues in moderate to high RF environments. The commercial grade radios tolerate the later two much better. I have a large collection of mainly commercial grade hand held radios if you have any questions on these I would be happy to answer them. https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/249-my-radio-collection/?context=new This is typical of some of the Kenwood mobile radios. https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/250-nx-820ghjpg/?context=new CA-2x4SR.pdf NR240CA.pdf

Most people with GMRS radios have no clue they even need a license as most GMRS radios only mention it, if they mention it at all, in a footnote in the user manual which 99% of people just roundfile along with the packaging. I know people with business radios that don't know they need a license. They just bought a couple of radios off amazon with no idea what they were. They looked simple no display or keypad, just 8 channels. Granted they operate a cabin resort in the middle of nowhere so nobody is going to care.

That really depends on the radio, each will be different. Some 50 watt radios will draw up to 13-14 amps while transmitting on high power. The Icom IC-2730A draws 13 amps and the Wouxun KG-1000G draws 12 amps. Each brand/model will vary on how much current they draw. Vehicles have not had actual cigarette lighters in them for quite some time now. Those were normally rated a little higher than the accessory socket found in most vehicles now days. Most manufacturers protect the accessory ports with a 10 amp fuse and the owner's manuals state to never exceed 10 amps. As you said, getting consistent power through a cigarette lighter/accessory port is not the most reliable. Plus you always take a greater chance of getting interference in the radio from the vehicle wiring or rf interference from the radio when using an accessory port.