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Yep, only proves my point. Way too much overemphasis on seeking the "perfect" ground plane when most people accidentally get it right without thinking about it.

You thought wrong. The only requirement regarding language is that your callsign be announced in English, and even if there was a requirement that you use only English on repeaters, it wouldn't matter because the FCC does not enforce the rules (ie; they dont care). Welcome to the exciting and dynamic world of GMRS in the L.A. area!

I RECENTLY USED A GMRS REPEATER ON MT. WILSON 462.600 MHz WITH A 167.9 Hz PL TONE. IT WAS SPANISH -ONLY, AND WHILE USING GOOGLE TRANSLATER TO TRANSLATE WHAT I WAS HEARING, I WAS CURSED AT FOR SPEAKING ENGLISH. I THOUGHT FCC REGULATIONS REQUIRED ENGLISH ON GMRS REPEATERS. CAN OTHER LANGUAGES BE USED?

The problem I've seen most often with ODmaster is the the Radio and App not connecting by Bluetooth. BOTH the Radio and Phone Must have Bluetooth turned on ... but Wait there's more ! There's a separate slide bar in the App at the top of the page that says Bluetooth, that Must also be On. Then Bluetooth will link the two together, and after your changes, be SURE to Save your changes to the App. Dink with it Often enough and you'll get the hang of it.

Awhile back, when renewing my license I ran into a issue where somehow my old Gmrs license had a different FRN number, resulting in 3 FRN numbers. The new one I applied for, plus the FRN for my ham license. I Called CORES, and they removed the third FRN and got me all set again. Easy Peasy! Here's the number directly to CORES: 1-877-480-3201

for 70cm i think all you need for a perfect ground plane is something in neighborhood of 6-8 inches and yes ground plane does help in radiation pattern for long distances . https://m0ukd.com/calculators/quarter-wave-ground-plane-antenna-calculator/

Putting your antenna dead center of the roof for that "perfect" ground plane is overrated and only matters to people that want to sound like they are smart. Sure, there's going to be lobes were you have a strong signal and others where it is going to be weak. Guess what? It doesn't really matter because you're not driving in a straight line +/- 1° 100% of the time. So your radiation pattern is always changing just as long as you are moving. I can understand your apprehension to drill, that's fine. You can use whatever mount you want and put it in a spot that's easy and convenient for you and your performance will be good. I put my 2m/70cm NMO antenna right above the 3rd brake light and it performs really well. Very easy install and didn't have to pull the headliner down. The Midland for GMRS NMO is close to center, not perfect and performance is good. Don't sweat it, enjoy it.

if after 360 some odd days, i think it would be easier and faster to apply for a new license.

Exactly! I believe I only received 2 posts from people who have actually used that specific type of mounting device and provided some feedback about them. Nobody actually addressed my original questions, which were "Does it leak?" and "Are they strong?". The other posts that provided alternative mounting solutions, alternate recommendations or general antenna considerations regarding ground plane etc. were all valuable answers or comments to different questions that I did not specifically ask. I am still appreciative and thanked those people for their contributions to the topic. Looking at my OP I did not ask "what is the best way to mount an antenna?" Sorry if my communications sounded dismissive of others effort to help as that was not my intention.

This is how this thread has gone: OP: Has anyone tried these? Others: Those won't have a very good ground plane, and that will hamper your signal propagation. OP: But this is what I want to do. Others: *shrug* then why did you ask?

Yeah, I had a GMRS callsign 12 years back which i let expire... and in the past year decided to give it another try. I looked into trying to resurrect my old callsign (although I was not really attached to it) but found it easier to just register for a new one on my existing FRN. not sure how you go about getting your $35 refunded though... hope you can.

You'll maybe need to show a picture demonstrating how an NMO mount on top of the 3rd brake light has a full 360 degree ground plane. Three or four feet below inside the truck bed is not acting as a ground plane. So if that's what you're expecting to consider as your ground plane, no photo needed. It's not doing what you think. Now, it may *work* to have an antenna mounted there. You'll be able to transmit and receive. But your SWR will be a little high, and your propagation in the aft 180 degrees will be relatively lousy.

Call FCC on the phone, they are pretty good to work with. Best to just apply for a new license, you will not be able to get the old call sign issued to you. (been there done that when I forgot to renew mine a few years back!)

Call customer support at the FCC

I just tried to renew my gmrs license, (it had expired quite a while ago) now today I see the application was dismissed although I paid the fees requested , asked for a waiver filled out what was asked of me..... does anyone have a suggestion on what I can do to correct all this, I highly doubt I could get my money back Thanks!

Loads and loads and loads of info on this exact question for this exact radio on this site and others. It seams a few new posts a week come up with issue after issue.

@WSEZ864 Thanks for the suggestion about the back rack, and for the photo! Very helpful. That is certainly an interesting option worthy of consideration. @WRUU653 Thanks for the A-Pillar suggestion. I do understand compromises... Cost isn't a primary consideration for me, but even so the 3rd tail-light mount is in itself sort of a compromise, rather than following the recommendation of the "drill-baby-drill" enthusiasts who advocate for just installing that NMO mount. While an NMO mount installed dead center of the roof of my truck cab might be the best solution for RF purposes, that isn't necessarily the best solution for my purposes. I've been browsing YouTube videos about removing the headliner as was suggested by @WRUE951 and unless you are someone who does that sort of thing all the time, it appears like it could potentially be a PITA that is not without its own considerations and complications. In the process, I've also stumbled across a great many videos regarding replacing or fixing a 3rd taillight on these trucks. Some replace it for the purpose of a cargo/5th wheel bed camera, others for brighter or flashing LED lights etc. Many people with many different reasons. However, there are also folks that speak of damaged headliners as a result of leaks from a worn 3rd taillight lens gasket. Many suggest that it is not "IF" it will eventually leak, but rather "WHEN" it will leak, and they advocate replacing the gasket and resealing these 3rd taillight assemblies with silicone as a preventative measure. Something to think about... Interestingly enough that gets me back to my original post about this type of antenna mount where I asked those with direct experience using these devices: "Do they leak?" I'm thinking of an antenna being pushed by wind or by hitting trees, etc. and wonder how that might contribute to breaking or otherwise compromising that watertight seal around the mount? IOW, if these 3rd taillight assemblies are prone to leaking, maybe introducing an antenna mount there would be inclined to make matters worse. Absolutely nothing is without compromise!! Again, thanks for the comments and feedback on the topic.

Lots of threads already on this radio. USe the search above and type in your radios. Here is the first that popped up for me

I am new to the group and gmrs I am needing assistance with odmaster programming my TD H3 to the active repeaters in my area .

I wish,, that discussion seems to get squashed every time. ('d love to see that dialogue

I know on a Maxon radio there is a huge difference between High Power and Lower Power 40/20 watts on a line of site contact roughly 90 miles apart. High Power a breeze, mid power - Gone

A little update on my station: I switched back and forth between my 40 watt and my 20 watt (actually 15 watts) with nearly zero differences in capability. There's a huge difference between the 5w handheld and the 20w, but very little between the 20w and the 40w.

This (A-Pillar Antenna Mount) is another option to try that won’t break the bank. I have a version of this on my Tacoma and despite what some might think it works for me. I used to have a Midland MXTA 26 which worked great, now I’m using a Comet SBB5 (ham) also good results. Sure it might work better in the center of the roof… until it gets snapped off with a kayak. Sometimes there are compromises and good enough is just that.

I'd agree with the advice to use a radio with a detachable faceplate/control head. Lido makes a bunch of radio mounts. I had a 2012 F-140 4-door and used the seat bolt mount mentioned by WRYZ926. Worked great with a Yaesu Ft8900 remote head. Maybe poke around at the Lido site, click on "Radio Mounts" and see if something grabs you: https://www.lidoradio.com/ I've hung the radio body ("brick") under the driver's seat on all three of my F-150 installations ('07, '12, '20). Lido makes a mount that inserts into the CD slot, which I used in my newer truck with a home made block with a slot cut in it that sits in an unused console compartment.

They're very proud of those mounts. I know know someone who has one and it's very nice, but I don't know if I could bring myself to purchase one.