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$3 and solves the problem and the mic will never come out no matter how rugged the ride is.

There is no cop who will ask for a copy of your GMRS or Ham license. None. Never gonna happen.

Hepburn Has A Great Tropospheric Ducting Mapping Site That Is Quite Accurate For The Michigan & Indiana Areas. The Map Is In UTC Time (Universal Time) Which Is (4) Hours Behind EST. Tap On The Map To Advance Time To (4) Hours Ahead Of The EST For An Accurate Current Map. The Map Helps Explain Your Recent GMRS Receptions. See Link Below - Good & Accurate Stuff: https://dxinfocentre.com/tropo.html

Good info, but personally, I would have just replaced the screw.

Ducting most commonly occurs associated with strong temperature inversions, either the strong night to day change around dawn or along storm fronts. I recall a few years ago consistently hearing a contact in Philadelphia PA for several spring mornings thorough central MD. Other times as storm fronts approached MD, hearing repeaters on Long Island discussing traffic on the LIE. If the long range signals persist mid day in stretches of calm weather, linking would be the main suspect.

There is a wallet card on all recent license documents from the FCC. It's below the "mini" license they provide nowadays.

I sure don't carry a copy of my amateur or GMRS licenses. I'll happily give them my call signs and they can look them up if they really want to.

How many people carry a copy of their ham or GMRS license with them in their car? You may be the ONLY one.

In my experience, that's actually pretty rare, but the few a-holes make a lot of noise. Most of the hams I know have the attitude that different services are for different purposes, but radio is radio. I'll bet at least half of them have GMRS licenses. Many (most?) hams are old enough to have grandchildren, and we help them learn the basics on GMRS. Don't listen to the haters. They're wee todd it.

I bought the Wouxun Mobile Magnet Mic Hanger for my KG-XS20G+ radios thinking it was a good alternative to the included mic hangers. The problem, after installing the Magnet Mic Hanger, its magnet seemed too weak to hold mic securely to a metal surface. In fact, going back to look at the product reviews I found this was the common complaint! However, the problem is not the magnet, but the supplied round head mounting screw. The round head screw doesn't seat deep enough in the magnet's bevelled mounting hole. This prevents the magnet from making full contact with a metal surface. (See first pic) The fix is to either replace the mounting screw with the proper flat head version or bevel the under side of the supplied round head screw so it will seat properly. I chose the latter because its a quick fix using a drill press and jeweler's flat file. (See second pic) Lastly, the before and after vid. PXL_20250429_195511411~3.mp4

GMRS repeaters have the same exact propagation characteristics as 70cm. I'm aware of this as you are. But 70cm doesn't have a prohibition against linking. The point I was making was that it's possible the OP was hearing a 70cm repeater that was legally linked -- a very common practice -- as opposed to hearing a GMRS repeater that is illegitimately linked -- a much less common practice nowadays.

Hello, Retevis just released a relatively inexpensive repeater the RT97L 25 watt if you are interested. Nevin

One advantage of amateur radio is that there are repeater counsels to help prevent that kind of mess. Though that is harder to do with GMRS repeaters since there are only 8 repeater channels available.

Yes, I see that now. Unfortunately, where I live in rural Nor Cal, you can't swing a dead cat around without hitting somebody's "private" repeater. Often on the same frequencies and tones. Might as well shut my radios down and throw them away. A shame that "public" frequencies aren't "public".

WSDA629, I'm one state over, near Saratoga, NY... I'm pretty sure there isn't an east overshoe vt. Wherebouts are you in VT? In my area I have only found one repeater that I can use, out of Troy. My son and I use it sometimes, just for the thrill of being miles from each other and can talk, which just means we're still kids using two tin cans with a string. We also play with fire and laugh when someone says Lake Titicaca.

From what I see (1705-d-2&3) there is no provision against using a random repeater without permission. However there is a provision about not using one if the owner has told you specifically you can not use it. Or they may limit who can use specificly can use it. It seams like to be in any violation a specific person would have to be told by the repeater owner they could not use the repeater.

Well There You Go........ An Opinion By "Some People" About An Opinion Where Their Opinion Doesn't Actually Matter - Except To "Some People." Now I Understand.........

Thanks so much. I should be hear by Friday. Just need to get some one on my tower now. Thanks for your help.

Bickering implies that a counter position is taken because I care about the other persons opinion and how it reflects on me and my initial position.... which definitely is not the case. LoL /wordsalad

Fair enough. I have read the part 95 GMRS regs over and over and I don't see it. Maybe someone else can clarify.

I *think* there is an FCC rule buried somewhere about not using repeaters without permission? But I will yield to anyone that knows/cares more about it than I do.

If no rules or laws have been broken, what would be the basis of the complaint? A serious question.

They can complain to the FCC who, based on their record of enforcement over the last 15 years, statistically speaking, will do nothing.

Sure. But as a licensed GMRS user, I can transmit on any public GMRS frequency, using any public tone, without breaking any rules or laws. Legally, what can you do about it?

Correction: Based on the FCCs "enforcement" record over the last 15 years for H.A.M.s radios, GMRS, and CB radio, they apparently do NOT like to enforce their rules.