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Sorry for the long winded post ahead of time. Currently, applied for a vanity call sign. The previous owner was my social studies teacher from 8th grade and Ham Club Sponsor and operator, many moons ago. I recently went looking for him to tell him I finally got my license. Nearly 40 years after I walked out of his club doors. I could tell in a later conversation with he was disappointing that I stop attending. Sadly, I found he had died on 9/11 at the Pentagon. We lost a great man. At that moment I looked up his call sign at it had laid expired and dormant since 2007. At that moment I chose to apply for his call sign. I want to get his call sign back on the air, and from someone that knew him. So no I am waiting, studying for my General as well as CW. I have started working on a QSO card to remember him by. My dilemma is I am not sure if I am even close to proud on the work. Any suggestion or input is appreciated. Thanks ahead of time.

lol, I know the feeling. Being in IT I like to focus on analog radio to get away from computers.

Because it would then become a $400 dollar radio!

I didn't thought much of grounding antennas until I moved to my current house and needed every bit of range I could muster. Grounding the antenna made a significant reception difference, as in, it went from ~5 miles max to ~15 miles easy... grounding the antenna did lower the dB floor according to my spectrum analyzer, thus substantially improving reception range. To do grounding I read a lot of advice from people who do commercial tower installations and the NEC guidelines, etc. So, here is what worked for me: I purchased two Times Microwave Arresters, both N female, both Low PIM (low Passive Inter-Modulation), and both are bolted to the metal mast that holds the antenna(s) and the mast (1.25" steel pipe) is grounded using two copper clamps and a 10AWG wire to the house ground rod electrical box. The first arrester is placed right before the antenna, at the top of the mast. The second one is at the bottom of the mast. The short run between the antenna and the first arrester is a 4 foot LMR400 patch, coiled twice and both ends are silver plated connectors for low PIM. Then, from the first arrester (at the top) to the 2nd arrester at the bottom of the mast there is a 20 feet Heliax 1/2" cable run, both are N male ends and tri-metal low PIM connectors. The bottom arrester has a 90 degree elbow (silver plated) and another Heliax 1/2" 6 feet run, (both ends of this cable are also tri-metal low PIM) to the input of the "radio box" ... Inside the radio box I am using MILSPEC RG-214 patch cables with N male silver plated connectors for low PIM. The only connections that have any chrome plating are the antenna's SO239 and the Vertex Standard EVX-5300's mini-UHF connector. As you can see, I ditched all the UHF connectors and my SWR no longer creeps over time due to connectors being exposed to the crap weather. It was a "Copernican turn" for me, as all I had before was 239 stuff... glad I moved away from those, and from chrome plating... which caused a host of problems with the massive 1400 Candelabra tower sitting less than 2 miles from my antenna mast... All my radios are connected to a solar panel array and a 12VDC battery bank, thus not sharing anything electrical with the house, but the negative (ground) of the battery bank is connected to the same ground 10AWG wire the antenna mast is. G.

Hi all, Maybe im stupid, Ive been told that before, but I don't see a problem. GMRS is a radio service for people that want a family or a friendly radio service. People that just want to pick up a mike and talk. Why does everyone want to make this into something it is not and never will be. If you need something more than what it is, get an amature license. I dont have an amature license and Im happy with it. Wow, you got me ranting. SORRY.