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For what its worth, with both VHF and UHF, you can greatly extend communications well beyond the traditional LOS on the regular bases with the two stations involved being a bit 'over the top' for a typical Amateur or GMRS user. For example, if you have a 9 element or 11 element high-gain yagi on a 50' tower at both stations, you can reliably communicate 100+ miles with a 50w radio on VHF, and 60+ miles with a 50w radio on UHF / GMRS. If you happen to have your antenna somewhere comfortably above the average terrain, your station can talk even further. This is because the additional height above ground extends the LOS range a bit, but the magic is in the yagi antenna. Not only is the high-gain antenna able to pull more scattered energy out of the sky with greater efficiency, the fact that the beam is focused in a specific direction reduces the amount of random noise it pulls from the atmosphere. This allows the antenna to perform significantly better compared to a vertical antenna with the same gain as the yagi, for example. By reducing the total number of photons the antenna reacts to, you essentially improve the Part Per Million ratio in favor of the signal you are receiving. My radio club used this principle in combination with a propagation method called Sporadic-E (reflecting a signal off the E Layer) to talk over 1,500 miles on VHF, from Virginia to Texas. Our club had a stacked beam array and a 1,500w amplifier located on a mountain ridge in VA at 4,400+ feet and the Texas station had a similar setup in the western part of Texas, on a ridge line at about 6,000 feet. We were also running a UHF station with a similar configuration that same week. We contacted a station over 450 miles away. Though I don't remember the specifics of where the other station was for the UHF contact. Anyway, I guess the moral of the story is, while refraction off the ionosphere isn't an option for mid to upper VHF or UHF... if we get creative with location, antenna and available forecasts of atmospheric conditions, we can bend or even break the commonly accepted LOS rules with our base stations, control stations and fixed stations. We just need to leverage physics a little better.

I have my KG-1000G and my Icom IC-2730 under the driver's seat with the remote heads on a Lido seat bolt mount. I have to run external speakers if I want to hear either radio clearly. This is in my 2023 Ford Escape. I run the 20 watt Midland SPK100 in my Honda Pioneer 500 UTV.

I run my kg1000 at 25 on both a/b sides to hear it well. It is loud but it’s not loud enough for mud tires and windy days.

Stainless steel and aluminum won't interact as much as carbon steel and aluminum will. Though you do take the chance of galvanization anytime you mix any type of steel and aluminum. I use to hate working on vehicles with aluminum rims when previous owners/repair shops would not use anti-seize on the rims. The aluminum rims would seize to the steel if one did not rotate tires on a regular basis.

Inductive coupling! It's fascinating, but also frustrating when you're trying to tune a mag loop, you get it "perfect", then move your hand away and your SWR shoots up.

most antennas i'm aware of use aluminum for the radials and it's mouting and use SS for the actual antenna mouting hardwae, wo what you report makes sense.

The aluminum tube that hides the coax and mounts to their 2 struts is aluminum, so are the struts. The U bolts that secure the antenna to the mast are SS also. I assume most masts are some sort of steel but there are aluminum masts out there. So there can be some dissimilar metal issues over time between the aluminum and SS components. SS is much better over time in the weather than aluminum is. Time will tell.

Mine doesn't go over 1.02 across the whole band including the 467 repeater channels.

no arguments on the quality or performance of the Comet Antenna..in fact im a bit impressed they arent taking shortcuts in material quality...

You should spend a little time and google this topic and possibly re-read my comment. Yes VHF marine radio is significantly affected byt the inoosphere, is it common, No but yes it does happen just as it does with Broadcast TV. Is it common at UHF NO.. You may want to go back and retract your statement, "30 Mhz will NOT reflect off the ionosphere". That my friend is defiantly incorrect. BTW, i wasn't calling you Bud. I was more currious if you were drinking BUD. Meanwhile here is a little bit you may find on a Google Search: How the Ionosphere Affects Marine Radio: High Frequency (HF) Radio: Marine radio communication often uses HF bands, which are susceptible to ionospheric effects. The ionosphere can reflect HF radio waves, allowing them to travel long distances, sometimes even around the world. Ionospheric Disturbances: Solar activity, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections, can disrupt the ionosphere, leading to reduced or even blackouts of HF radio signals. Absorption and Refraction: The ionosphere can absorb radio signals, especially during periods of increased ionization density, and it can also refract (bend) radio waves, altering their path. Long-Range Communication: The ionosphere's ability to reflect HF radio waves is crucial for long-range communication, as it allows signals to be transmitted over distances beyond the line of sight. Daytime vs. Nighttime: The ionosphere's characteristics vary during the day and night. At night, the ionosphere can be thinner, allowing for more efficient reflection of radio waves, which can enhance long-distance communication. VHF and Higher Frequencies: While HF radio is strongly influenced by the ionosphere, VHF and higher frequencies usually penetrate the ionosphere and are more commonly used for ground-to-space communications. However, there can be exceptions, such as Sporadic E (E-skip) propagation, where VHF signals can be reflected by the ionosphere during certain seasons.

The stainless steel radials aren't screwing into aluminum. Even if it were, it's a non-issue anyway. Nothing to worry about. Just buy the antenna, assemble, mount and enjoy for many years.

I'll be traviling to from that area in two weeks.. I'll keep my ears open too. Yes, either DMR or TRBO

I have never used a Comet antenna so i can't attest to their product. I have read good things though. I do find it odd they would use stainless steel radials compared to aluminum, mostly because of cost difference of material and the low cost Comet sells at. Is Comet also using a stainless steel base for the radial? if so, there wouldn't be an issue with dissimilar metals.

OK, Marine VHF is at 160Mhz. I said that hams use 145 Mhz which talks right through the Ionosphere to satellites. No reflection. Try to be nice, Nope. Ain't your BUD, so here it is straight. Anything ABOVE 100 Mhz for certain and most anything above 30 Mhz will NOT reflect off the Ionosphere. Which is what you said, which is incorrect. SO VHF TV on any of the upper channels and mostly on the lower VHF channels doesn't skip, reflect, DX or whatever you were referencing. Marine VHF also doesn't do that. Hence the reason that HF comms were required on ships over a certain tonnage by maritime regulation. And the reason that we had MORSE CODE requirements in ham radio for the amount of tie we did. Now that GPS and satellite systems are in place and required on ships, the HF radio requirement is gone. And BTW. When TV went digital, it quit being VHF all together. There are no VHF (below 300Mhz) TV channel allocations any more. https://www.antennasdirect.com/hdtv-station-list.html Look at the list and it will show the station channels are NOT where the claim to be and instead have moved to the UHF band and only claim to be on the original analog channel position. Bud

That's true, but the Comet radials are stainless steel, and so are my temporary substitutes. Comet apparently doesn't think the stainless steel/aluminum interface is a problem. It may be a slightly different composition of stainless steel, but I doubt it's enough to cause problems before Comet sends me some. Meanwhile, I'm doing some testing and trial runs. At any rate, Comet isn't kidding when they say "pre-tuned". SWR < 1.2:1 across the entire GMRS band.

I'll have to listen for those. Thinking either DMR/Trbo, or P25 as likely possibilities.

I get that.. I brought up 'Broadcast TV' in my comment as a reference to Marine VHF because Broadcast TV is VHF. Most of us know VHF Broadcast TV reacts to skip off the ionosphere like VHF Marine radio and UHF TV does not, so it was a reference. His first line comment 'Not Sure Thats Right' and the rambling after was a bit boggling.. Thats all.

I had interference issues on 2m when transmitting on 10m when I first installed my Comet GP-9 and my home made 10m inverted v dipole. The 1:1 balun is about 2 feet below the base of the GP-9. I never noticed the issue until I was transmitting on 10m FT8 and talking on the 2m repeater. People told me I had an occasion buzz on my transmission. That only happened when transmitting on 10m FT8 while talking on the 2m repeater. The fix was five clamp on ferrite beads right at the 1:1 balun and I put three on the coax right at the GP-9. Both coax cables run within 2 inches of each other from the mast all the way until they enter the house. 5 clamp on ferrite beads works for the higher HF bands while 7 works better for the lower HF bands.

someone do my home work for me NOW. I have the world at my fingertips tips. I can find anything in the world. Anything in history. I can find singing cats doing the cha cha on mars singing in a lost 10,000 year old language. BUT I can’t find some random radio that is so junky no one even sells it. THATS the radio I want to use in my “portable home base” what ever that is. And I want to run it at 2xs legal watts. Geesh oh I’ll help…… ever heard of eBay? It’s this new thing I found that no one has ever heard of. Geesh. one could just buy 2 regular radios and set one up at home and have one portable. Not that I really get the portability thing anyway. A good radio in The car/truck is much better then lugging a bunch of weight around.

He didn’t initially bring broadcast TV up; you did. All he did was reply to your comment from Saturday:

Check Ebay,, they have a few advertised as fully tested and ready to shop.. Some are a bit pricey.. Check Surplus Two Way Radios as well.

what the hell are you saying there? sounds like 'Bud' talking. 99.9% of us would not argue that broadcast TV is oneway transmission and no way compares to a GMRS signal. We know that, why do you bring that up. Sorry, but i cant wrap my head around your comment. 'Bud' will do that sometimes.

There’s a guy named Steve who sells them to people all fixed up for GMRS. Of course for GMRS use they must be limited to 50 watts.

The one on the right is the exact one I'm using. Thanks for the photo as it helps a lot. Again, I put it real close to the original balun on the antenna.

I can’t find a Kenwood TK-890H that has been fully tested or is fully intact. This is the 110 watt radio. If someone could point me in the right direction it would be greatly appreciated. I am trying to acquire all the items I want for my portable/home base setup and this is the radio for me.