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By the grace of mine own self-worth and sarcasm and by the bounteous authority vested in me, THE QUEEN OF ALL THAT IS GMRS, I doth hereby decree, with much pomp and stupidity, that one @SteveShannon, a stout fellow of questionable repute but unquestionable GMRS knowledge, be forthwith and forevermore dubbed a member of the Most Esteemed Order of the HERD (which, perchance, standeth for “Higher End Radio Dork,) Let it be known across the static-ee airwaves of the peasantry to the lofty frequencies of the saddest of H.A.M.s that Sir StevenShannon, clad in naught but his wits and an FCCs permission slip, hath stumbled bravely and fortuitously into the fray of tomfoolery and emerged victorious—or at least not entirely trampled. With this proclamation, he is granted the sacred right to put the title "HERD" after his name, to wield a UV-5R on GMRS channels, and to confuse all who inquire as to what a “HERD” truly be. So sayeth I, THE QUEEN OF ALL THAT IS GMRS on this fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord XENU two thousand and five-and-twenty. Let the roger-beeps blare, and may the Sad H.A.M.s tremble in his presence ! So it is written, so shall it be done. Arise good Sir @SteveShannon, member of the HERD!

I got sick of all my radios and batteries falling over every time someone sneezed nearby, so I did some light CAD work and 3D printing this afternoon. I think I might re-do this one to have antenna storage on board as well...

Well, After studying my butt off for several weeks, I took the test Saturday for General class and passed (35 out of 35). I do have to say thanks to the guy who gave me the link to hamexam.org where you can do flash cards of the questions, it really helped!!! Now on to new bands... maybe I will try out 17 meters or 20 meters in the coming weeks.

That could be a really good thing or it can open up a can of worms that we don't want. I say that because we all know some people want to turn GMRS into HAM Lite. We don't have enough frequencies/channels available for linking repeaters or different digital modes, etc, etc. I would hate to see GMRS turn into what the Chicken Band (CB) has become.

I thought that might happen so my sig only refers to the Medium End Radio Dork Experimeter (MERDE) level.

Speaking of someone not having anything better to do…

I live in a port town. For my entire life I have driven past a marine electronics store. Not needing "marine" electronics (radar, sonar, gps and its predecessor LORAN, and of course radios). I never had a need to visit. But as it turns out the store carries all sorts of GMTS, FRS and HAM equipment. And not just for boats. i called yesterday and found out that not only do they have probably everything you find all your needs met in one place. Plus and more importantly, they are more than to share decades of knowledge and experience. Heading down tomorrow with a list of needfuls and more importantly a list of questions.

I bought this radio in January and after 3 months, I still really like it. This radio gives you what you need. High power of 50 watts, mid power 20 watts and low power 5 watts. Using a dummy load, the outputs have been right on the button. It is super easy to operate and easily programmable from the front panel, I have no need for software The transmit and receive audio are very good and, YES, you can choose wide band or narrow band. It does, however, lack a cooling fan and can warm up pretty quickly in a longer conversation. I can only hope that Midland took this into account when working out heat dissipation in the design. It IS expensive, but having fond memories of using Midland gear back in the 70's, I chose to go with them again. Pete WSGL709

The OP stated that the damage to the previous repeater and antenna was $2000. They’re only seeking $1,000 in their gofundme. The repeater they’re seeking to purchase is currently on sale for less than $600 including a built in duplexer, which seems very reasonable. A decent antenna plus cables and associated components could very quickly consume the remainder of the targeted funding. This seems like a very reasonable request and a reasonable solution. I would urge that we not get distracted by our reactions to the town drunk.

We need to get FRS off of 15-22 for starters. Then we need dedicated repeater frequency pairs that are not shared with simplex. Then we need the fcc to enforce the rules that are already in place.

I normally don't respond to posts or spend a bunch of time on forums. I found this interesting with lots of differing opinions and some good points. My thoughts on radio and its use are shaped by a carrier in public safety, emergency management, and my personal use of Marine VHF, GMRS and HAM, within licensure guidelines. The FCC states "95.1703 Definitions, GMRS. General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS). A mobile two-way voice communication service, with limited data applications, for facilitating activities of individual licensees and their family members, including, but not limited to, voluntary provision of assistance to the public during emergencies and natural disasters." As mentioned, I have both GMRS and HAM licenses. I also own a local GMRS repeater that has a large footprint, and am involved in HAM repeater systems that are part of the SKYWARN network. No, GMRS was never meant to be HAM. But all things evolve over time, it will not become HAM (nothing will become HAM, it is literally an experimental license that allows HAMs to do many, many things), but its use has and will evolve (grandfathered licenses for example) just like CB radio did. In my opinion, GMRS has some distinct advantages over HAM. The biggest being that once license covers a family. Repeater linking is not allowed in GMRS, so that keeps comms more local. A big benefit to GMRS and GMRS repeaters in particular, is the ability to provide alternate and emergency comms for families and friends. Most of the people who want access to my repeater specify they want it for emergency use to communicate with family and friends. Something a lot of people don't realize about cell phone service. Cell providers, and really all of telecom, are not required to provide long term emergency power for their sites or nodes. Most only have battery backup that doesn't last very long. My area gets hit with some severe weather once a year that causes widespread outages due to power and telecom lines being down. The first thing that happens is the cell towers get loaded up and bandwidth drops. If you have a cell provider that is not a big company that owns its own network, you are the first to get dropped from the network / site. Most people also don't realize that most "landline" phones are now VIOP. When the node goes down because its batteries are dead, so is you phone and internet (assuming you have power). As soon as the cell site without a generator looses it battery backup, its off the air and your cell is out. This can last for days. In contrast, the "big" repeater sites, both HAM and GMRS, are on UPS and gen power. My GMRS repeater can run a minimum of 24 hours with moderate use before I need to plug it into the generator. All the HAM sites I'm familiar with are the same way and are usually on commercial towers with gen backup. In order to use radio for emergency comms, you need to be familiar with radio and be fluent in its use. You need to know your radios work, you need to know the repeaters you programmed a year ago are on the air, and you need to know where you can use them from and who you can communicate with on them. You also need to have a plan for using radio to communicate when cells and landlines are down. Radio checks, general conversation, and rag chewing on repeaters helps ensure this.

I was told by a (former) Midland Marketing person that this is by design - the entire chassis is a heat sink so a fan is not needed, but yes, you feel the heat. Also, beware that "some people" are going to leave ssstupid comments in this thread declaring that this radio "sucks", "is junk", it's too expensive, it's gimmicky, etc, etc, because it does not have the features that THEY think are important. So bear in mind that Midland did not design this radio for them, they designed it for normal people such as yourself that just need to talk to people while driving. Midland did not design this radio for losers that sit in the basement searching for anonymous men to chat with over the radio to brag about how many buttons or knobs their radio has.

Kind of like forum members that don't work very well.

Please tell us where we can find a new, 40W, single-case/chassis, weatherproof Motorola repeater with a warranty, and weighs only 4Lbs, for 1/2 the price.... We're waiting....

Can confirm .. This is why i always recommend purchasing via Amazon when possible because Amazon protects against this exact thing - even if you have to pay $6 more, it's worth it.

They’re only required to use the call sign, but if it helps you to identify each other you’re allowed to use something like a unit number as well. Personally, I like to use first names or familial relationships, “John, this is grandpa.” Understand that you only need to identify using your call sign once every 15 minutes and when you end a conversation, so if you talk for 2 minutes or 15 minutes you’ll only need to ID once. If you talk for 16 minutes to 30 minutes you are required to ID at least twice. Each time you ID it resets the 15 minute clock. So, if you’re concerned about compliance, just throw in your ID when it’s convenient and at the very end and don’t worry about it.

I think the FCC said it best… In addition to violating Commission rules, linking repeaters is not in the public interest. Because GMRS spectrum is limited and used on a shared “commons” basis, the service only works well on a localized basis when users can hear each other and cooperate in the sharing of channels. Linking repeaters not only increases the potential for interference, but also uses up a limited spectrum resource over much larger areas than intended, limiting localized availability of the repeater channels. GMRS and the Family Radio Service (FRS), which share many of the GMRS channels, are intended for individuals such as family members and friends, scouting troops, emergency response groups, and hobbyists to communicate with each other over short distances, directly or through a repeater station. Linking repeaters, via the internet or other networks, undermines the purpose and usefulness of the GMRS and FRS.

Spent a little time last night making a better solution looking for a problem

I always use GMRS properly. I Never, never never put the antenna in my mouth when I push the transmit button.

I just visited the Flat Earth Society Discussion Board to see how they explain limits on radio propagation and me now stupider cuz it.

The difference in range between the least expensive Baofeng handheld radio and the most expensive Wouxun is zero.

Just because he can hit the repeater does not mean anyone wants to talk to him.

A community is best served by a reliable repeater that covers the community - hearing conversations from across the country on a linked system does not benefit the local community who are wanting/needing to communicate with folks in their local area. Let Ham Radio be Ham Radio, and let GMRS be GMRS.

Am I the only GMRS user who is kinda frustrated with linked repeaters on gmrs frequencies. The more I’m using gmrs the more I’m realizing the frequency allocations for it just doesn’t leave enough space for linking on this service.

Bullshit. We’ve had to correct your fallacious claims many times. This is only true in certain rare situations, like from the hill overlooking a massive desert between you and Vegas. Most people just won’t get that kind of distance before their signal is blocked by the earth’s curvature and terrain. Why lie? Does it make you feel better about yourself?

Yes.. that's how it works.. I found this random video on youtube that explains it very well. The guy is kind of a jerk, and I heard he only says what his sponsors tell him to say, but the info you want is in there:

No, we don’t say you’re lying about that; we tell you you’re a jerk when you imply that anyone who doesn’t get 200 miles is incompetent and when you scold new members about not reading the rules. As you say: it’s all about line of sight.

NaNa NoNo has spoken.

It is amazing what is being done with 3D printers. I do not have one yet, hopefully someday, but will have to improve my Fusion360 skills as they are lacking compared to the designs you guys have shown. Like many of you, I found the radios starting to multiply so I did create my own version of an organization/charging shelf in metal. Holds a lot of stuff, but already running out of room. Also made a simple bracket for the Kenwood TK-880H mobiles as I take them in and out of my vehicles often.

Why are you here? We all already know what an A-hole is, there is no need to keep giving us an example. Shouldn't you be busy talking to all your friends on a repeater 200 miles away.

I had one and it worked fine.. but unless it has some feature that you need that the Retevis RT97 does not have, you should consider it also.

I bought a hardside case from Amazon for (IIRC) $17-18. I use it for my "grab-and-go" field trip/travel kit. It contains 2 each AR-5RM radios, spare batteries, USB charging cables, 701 antennas, 771 antennas, tri-band antennas, and belt clips. Also 1 each user's manual, dual-port 12-volt USB power unit, dual-port 110-volt USB power unit, a tiny Phillips screwdriver (to install the belt clips), programming cable, and (for the sake of completeness), a USB drive with CHIRP and the program file for the radio on it. Wherever I go, I can pull out my laptop -- or even someone else's computer -- and put in all the local repeaters. Having two radios means I can give one of them to a friend or have a backup in case one goes down. It doesn't weigh much, and it seems to provide good protection. The radios have silicone sleeves for protection. I put them face-down so the other stuff doesn't scratch up the screens and there's a thin piece of foam under them just for added protection.

You shouldn't be. That's one of the points of this forum, to ask questions.

Actually, if you look at RepeaterBook and MyGMRS public listings, you will see that use of CTCSS grossly outweighs DCS.

It is my personal opinion, anyone, especially someone that is unknown and pops up with no previous history on this forum, and there first posting is an "Oh Whoa/poor Me" request for money by using the GoScamMe page is suspect and just doesn't smell right. Donaters be aware!

Another thing to consider is the voltage input to the radio. Most mobile radios are rated with an input voltage of 13.8 vDC and the output RF power frequently varies with the voltage. Boost your voltage by a half volt (observing the tolerances listed in the manual) and you might see 41 watts. But a variation of one or two watts at that general power will not make a bit of difference in your ability to communicate.

What is Wrong with YOU ? Why do you have to act like an Ass, every time someone makes a normal statement ? BE NICE, it really Doesn't hurt.

Yes, that’s an acceptable SWR range. Yes, that’s an acceptable power output.

It is in this part of the state. Heavily wooded. Rolling hills.

Let's beat this dead horse some more. It should have been turned into mush a long time ago. If you want to talk on linked repeaters then get your amateur license. We don't need to have linked repeaters on GMRS. I live in Mid Missouri and I sure don't want to have my local repeater clogged up by people from outside the area. Linked repeaters defeats the purpose of GMRS which is local communications. Stick with amateur radio or use one of them phone apps that gets mentioned if you want to talk to people all over the country/world. Okay back to trying to get the excess blood out of my caffeine system.

SO, I guess I better stop telling my wife "I'm on the way now - traffic was bad".

GMRS is for whatever TF I want to use it for as long as I'm not committing an actual violation.

You forgot to mention: Also transmits on GMRS with 100+Watts, jams H.A.M.s and GMRS repeaters with music when bored and broadcasts on H.A.M.s radios frequencies with no license, just so I can feel something. C'mon man, if you're going to be butthurt and whine like a girl, at least be complete and accurate about it.

I look forward to hearing what you discover. Although the technology is interesting I think it will be turned down for the most basic reason: You’re connecting a GMRS repeater to a network, which means you are carrying GMRS communications on a network which is prohibited by the FCC interpretation of the rules. Here’s their interpretation: GMRS stations cannot be interconnected with the public switched telephone network or any other network for the purpose of carrying GMRS communications, but these networks can be used for remote control of repeater stations.

Yep, that's why Midland is a good choice. Glad we agree.

I’m seriously curious. Obviously you’re not here to ask for help, you inject negativity into the threads started by people who actually do help, and you make zero effort to get along with people socially. So, why are you here, Devin? Do you actually like the negative attention you receive? Is it somehow better than no attention at all?

I have big clumsy hands making it easy for me to accidently key the mic when grabbing for it. To address this in the past I have modified mics with stiffer or additional PTT button springs, but with Wouxun KG-XS20G+ design I can't make that solution work. Luckily, I think I found an alternative. First of all here's the stock KG-XS20G+s MIC's PTT pull weight which comes in at about 11oz. This first thing is to get a gromet of dimensions D=7/16", I.D. = 0.336", O.D. = 19/32" T = 0.049. (Available in a Harbor Freight gromet assortment box) Next, use a razor knife to CAREFULLY cut off one side of the gromet. The cut needs to be as clean, flat and flush with the gromet half's side as possible. Discard the other half. Now, remove the four screws holding the two halfs of the mic body together and carefully separate the them taking care not to stress the mic's speaker wires. Remove the PTT assembly and place the gromet half as shown in this pic. Note the flat side of the gromet half is facing the PTT button. Re-install the PTT assembly taking care to keep the gromet half in place. Lastly reassemble the mic and secure it with it's 4 screws. With the modification my mic's PTT pull weight now measures 1 lb. 10 oz. CONCERNS - The addition of the gromet is putting additional lateral stress of the PTT button. Over time there is at least a possibility it may bend the button assembly back making PTT unreliable. The additional stress could also cold work the button's solder connections to the PCB. With these concerns in mind, I tested the modified mic by pushing the PTT button firmly 100 times with no ill effect. I also banged the mic as hard as I dare from different angles, but I was unable to displace the gromet half.

I created and 3d printed a holder to go on the vertical bar on my ride... also made a wooden box to keep some of my radios, antennas, and other junk in.

Nothing prohibits it. Some people dislike the idea of GMRS turning into a sort of "Ham Lite" service, but if nobody is breaking the rules so who really cares?