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Into the antenna will be in the ballpark, but you need the dummy load to be as accurate as possible. Mine is due any day now, so I'll try to get some back to back numbers between antenna and dummy load and see how much it changes. (On mid power...radio issues)

The quality of decoding in a given radio can be an issue, as can the quality/accuracy of encoding by the transmitter. The quality/strength of signal you receive can play into this also. I learned long ago that some CTCSS and DCS codes work better (are more reliable) than others, but I do not have the research to back that up. I suspect the commercial radio companies like Motorola have the data to substantiate this. Over the last couple of years I have experienced similar issues with a couple of weak amateur radio repeaters where it seemed that one day one code was required and on a different day another code was required. I doubted the codes changed. In one particular test I did, I found was it was just one of my radios having difficultly decoding those particular repeaters. I do not have the equipment to accurately determine the accuracy of the tone being sent out, so it is hard to validate how accurate the Tx code really is. At present, I am inclined to blame weak signal and less than optimal Rx decoding. Perhaps other will have more to share.

The morse Code should have included the following: Dit Dah Dah, Dit Dah Dit, Dit Dah, Dit Dit Dit Dah, Dah Dah Dah Dit Dit, Dah Dah Dah Dah Dah, Dit Dit Dah Dah Dah WRAV802 Sometimes I use the Audio Recording HD app on my iPhone to record it because it contains a 50%-X feature to slow it down by half so that I can decode it more easily.

Which is why I recommend to new users that they do not program any receive tone into their radio, until or unless they are receiving interference on that frequency.

It depends on your preference, honestly. Tx tone is necessary, Rx tone is optional; I prefer to run it on the repeater slots to filter off simplex traffic on those channels, and no tone on the simplex slots, Some others prefer to skip the RX tone and hear everything...it just comes down to your preference and what's going on in your area. For reference, I have a couple repeaters in range on ch 16, but a local hotel is also using frs for housekeeping on simplex ch 16.

I could hear the repeater ID, so if I wanted to verify repeater vs. simplex, I would just add ctcss Rx tone. If I hear; it’s repeater. Thanks for all the supportive statements and help. To everyone!

I see posts where people buy a radio(s) to use in an "emergency". How many people have REALLY used their radio in an emergency, not some simulated drill? What was the experience like? Were the preparations made before hand sufficient? What would you have done differently after the experience and lessons learned? I think the above are the only real relevant questions. Simply buying a radio and keeping it in the draw with some battery packs until the SHTF doesn't really cut it I suspect. I'll take real experience over some hypothetical situation or simulated condition.

Delete the tone for receiving unless there are two repeaters using the same output frequency within your reception zone, there is no need for you to use a receiving tone.

I had to prove to some people about a few years ago that a Trbo based radio in digital mode was selective enough to not desense when a similar Trbo radio was transmitting in analog mode right next to it and their antennas being colocated (within maybe a foot apart). This test was with 25 watt radios, but was later repeated with 40 watt UHF versions (XPR4550's), both with SW102 Surecom wattmeters installed in line to see that they were putting out the wattage they were spec'ed for. Some people were amazed at the selectivity of each. Now Trbo XPR4550's are the bare minimum for mobiles, with XPR5550e's being the more expensive option. Bang for the buck, the best money you can spend on a mobile.

Two things. One is that Midland has confirmed that some early release radio's have less than the advertised wattage. I measured as little as 32 watts on some frequencies, with a max of 38 watts on a 50 ohm load. My assumption is, accept the power level its at or ask Midland if you can send it back to get an alignment and tune-up done. I had to provide a significant amount of proof to Midland before they agreed. They may expect the same from others. The other is, it sounds like the the Ghost antenna isn't very good quality. I would ditch it for a better antenna. If the SWR is increasing because the load is going down (i.e. 25 ohms instead of 50), the RF voltage stays the same, but the current increases. The formula for calculating wattage is Voltage x Current = Watts. The problem is, you are not radiating more power in the form of RF signal into the atmosphere, you are just creating more heat and risking the radio being damaged.

Nice. I really liked the CDM750s when I was testing them, I even used the Tuner program to make the SQL open at pretty much noise floor level. The Professional series radios (CDM, HT1250, etc) are, IMO, probably the greatest FM VHF/UHF radios you can buy for the price. They will outperform anything CCR made... and you can repair them too, rather than throw them in the trash... The selectivity on the 5550e is quite impressive. I can key a 5W XPR7550e portable on an adjacent channel, ~25khz apart, from just few feet away and the RX light won't even blink on the 5550e. Not the case on any other radio I own, including the EVX radios... where the RX LED will blink when you try that... meaning is desensing and thus RX range will be crap. G.

Not sure what's up with the ghost; I havent seen a lot of good reports, and it's always seemed like a step down from their previous 3db option, the 5/8wave whip. That one (mxta10) is a little taller but still reasonable at around 12", and I've managed 60+ mile reaches to a repeater with it mag mounted indoors on some sheet metal. Sportsmen's appears to still have some in stock, too: https://www.sportsmans.com/hunting-gear-supplies/radios-and-weather-stations/handheld-2-way-radios/midland-micromobile-mxta10-3db-gain-antenna/p/1476042

I'm still using my CDM1550LS+, and need to get a good antenna connected to my XPR5550e. Assembled it with a power supply, but still only using a cheap Lair magnet mount 1/4 wave antenna. Does receive well though, it is considered the best for receive (XPR5550e), and they work well alongside other radios in their selectivity. +1 on encouraging people to get a XPR5550e if they can afford it, and CPS, programming cable, etc.

Thanks again for the help guys! So on my handheld KG-935G I keyed up and received a Morse code return. So I assume It worked! Just need to get my MXT500 setup

Unless you are receiving other stations on the same frequency, one solution is to just do not put a receive tone into your radio.

@marcspazgot the joke!

Well, here is what COVID has taught us. Hams are typically older retired guys that have nothing else to do so they volunteer. Problem is with that is things like COVID are specifically more harmful to them and that's who's gonna show up. As mentioned before, young guys are NOT typically involved. Then you have the issue of ham radio operators being volunteers, and not paid employees. With a paid employee you have the employment to leverage them to show up and do a job. With a volunteer, that doesn't exist. And short of a quarantine or lock down situation, you have no method of holding that person in place and demanding their continued work. And even in the lockdown situation, you can hold them but demanding they work is not possible. Not to mention that they are only able to do so much. Operating radios and making coffee. So, pertaining to my comments and the league. Go look at their web site and the sites of the typical ARES groups. It's a sea of hi-viz vests and name tags with their call sign on it. Mind you I am tainted by ARES. The local group has been in the past a poster child for the way to do ARES WRONG. Demanding they be involved in public safety training exercises and other dumb stuff. So yeah, I don't see the need. And I do see EMA groups trying to move away from any reliance on ham radio for various reasons.

Absolutely, a TYT to XPR5550e swap yields a range from <2 miles to 18 miles, simplex... on a two bay dipole. Also, no filtering in the front end means TX IMD, which will further trash the range of the radio. Again, those things are that, garbage.

This. I used a hammer the first time, was too much effort. Looking to drive another one soon, so I bought a hammer drill (keep saying I need one for various projects), I'm not doing one by hand again.

Don’t use solid copper. Most ground rods are copper bonded over carbon steel. That’s important. Copper remains a good conductor even though oxidized. I rented a Hilti and a ground rod driver. The rod went in very easily even though I live on a granite mountain. Call 811 first for a locate if you have any doubts about buried utilities.

When I was stationed at Joint Base Lewis McChord, we were issued Pionjar (gas and electric versions), Rock Breaker Hammers for pounding four foot copper ground rods (two connected to make one eight foot rod) into the ground. These devices were part of the loadout for Raytheon satellite communications terminals and troposcatter terminals. We had to put four ground rod sets in the ground, two for the terminal and two more for the antenna system. After decades of training in the same areas, we got off easy, as many units had left their rods in the ground, and we would just clip into the existing grounding rods, moving our comms terminals a few feet to get in the right position between them. These can be rented from many construction and home improvement centers.....unless you want to buy your own. https://www.amazon.com/YN27-Pionjar-Breaker-Hammer-Gasoline/dp/B01I3TKIZ6 This part of the country is in the terminal moraine of glaciers, where all the rocks and debris form at the leading edge. The glacier melts and miles of rock are strewn everywhere, making farming and pounding ground rods a huge chore. Obviously,be sure you are clear of underground cables, gas lines, and sewer pipes first. Then, use a method that works for your type of soil. Good luck, my days of pounding ground rods with hammers is gone. If it takes more than a few hits with a 15 pound sledgehammer or fence post hammer, I'll go with electric/gas tools.

I use hammer drill and 4' of 1/2" rebar flattened at the end and sharpened to a spear point. After 4' hole is drilled, the rest of the rod goes much easier, with sledgehammer.

Took me an hour with a 3 lb hammer

I feel your pain. Fortunately, I have been able to power through with nothing more than a small sledge. In the past I have read up on alternative techniques that are permitted for use when a direct drive rod is not possible or electrically unsatisfactory. I just can not recall the variant’s off the top of my head. You my wish to check out https://www.mikeholt.com. He runs an internet site many electricians turn to to learn and to work through challenges like yours. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

Well thats always a challenge. Couple of ways I do it is first drill with a 6' mason bit. Also you can rent a Hammer Drill an adapter at many home improvement stores. I own mine but they make an adapter for a ground bar. Last choice is a BFH. If using option 3 I find putting a chunk of pipe with a cap (Iron pipe) helps protect the bar.

Note also that listing is not completely accurate, as the offset is NOT +0.6 mHz but rather is +5.0 mHz...

GMRS is not a hobby for me, it's a survival tool with a longer reach than a cell phone. A satellite can be shut down with the flip of a switch or three key strokes on a computer. I don't care to chat with someone I don't know or ask some 'good buddy' how it looks over his shoulder. Nor do I care for idle chit-chat about what kind of antenna I'm using or why I haven't bothered to get a ham license. I'm retired and do a lot of off roading and overlanding here in Arizona where you lose a cell phone signal almost as soon as you leave a paved road. Before GMRS all I had was a CB radio that was sketchy at best. At 75 years of age I had to ask myself how far in did I want to go that I would be willing to walk out from. Well, with GMRS I have been able to make radio contact everywhere I've been so far and found it amazing how many others I have made contact with in similar remote areas as well as folks sitting at home on a base station that could contact emergency services if necessary. So yeah, GMRS is a great tool and I highly recommend it for adventurers.

Done deal. Thanks for all the input and information...I'm a happy camper and on the air. 73s to all

The pinout for the cable can be found on page 19 of the owner’s manual for the KG-1000G. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

Dude... Midland just completely punked out. They said the specs are 42-50 watts. They are trying to get out of it by saying it's close enough and my gear. @gortex2 The 12 feet is the total length of the antenna transmission path. I may have added too much information, causing some confusion with that statement. There is only 3 feet of patch cable between the radio and the watt meter and the meter shows a perfect 50 Ohm load, so the rest of the path, after the meter should not be relevant, no? My loss meter is showing 0.102dB on the patch cable. The watt meter is not reading at the end of the path, it’s the first item in the path (not including the cable). Even if we get really picky and add the typical 0.019 dB per UHF connector, we are assuming a total of 0.204 dB of loss, not 1 dB. That should be a total measured output power of 47.7 watts. Would you agree? I’m not trying to give anyone at Midland a hard time. I am a life-long Midland customer, purchasing CB’s, FRS and GMRS handhelds and GMRS mobile radios. I love the products. The main reason why I am even complaining is because my MXT400 (siting right next to me) is putting out the exact same power (measured) as the MXT500, which is supposed to be more powerful. So I hop people can understand my frustration.

As an update we have been heavily overcast here for about 2 weeks. So much so it appears the panels are making little power. I have connected into myGMRS nets on Sundays, a Wed Tech Net and the Sat Family Fun Net with Santa. Each was about 2 to 4 hours of TX time each. On Sunday, 12-19-21, at the start of the net the repeater went off-line. I assume the battery protection circuit kicked in. This is the first time the repeater went down this year. Yesterday, 12-20-21, it was heavily snowing all day, so little to no charge. Today, 12-21-21 (Winter Solstice) we have direct sun. The sun isn't reaching the panels until around 11:00AM and it will be gone by 4:00PM. The sun is also at a very low angle. This week it seems like I have a chance for 2 mostly sunny days and a few partly cloudy ones. Guess we will see if that is enough to bring the battery back up to 12.6 volts from 11.2 and turn the repeater back on. On the plus side we are going to be gaining daylight at a rate of about 4 minutes a day from here on. By February we will be back to around 8 hours of sunlight. I attached a photo I took around 11:15AM today of the repeater site. The ridge line you see runs east/west so the face of the ridge is nearly due south. The shadow you see is caused by the opposing mountain blocking the sun. The sun is able to get the site around 11:00AM due to a valley that runs north/south on the east side of the mountain. As the sun continues to rise it is able to stay over the top of the mountain. It kind of follows the contour the mountain if you will. I attached a time-lapse image I stole illustrating the suns arc during winter for reference. For those asking why I didn't put it up higher, it is b/c it's too hard to get to (the grade is steeper than it looks) and the summit has no good place for it. No poles to place it on to keep the panels above the snow line and it would be too easy for hikers to tamper with it. This spring I am going to relocate it further west down the ridge line several miles. This will increase it's RF footprint into populated area and pull it further from hikers. Anyway, this has been a fun project for me.

It depends on your climate and how much use it will see. The RT97 draws about 2 amps on high power and .09 amps when in stand-by. I am running an RT97 on solar power here in Alaska. During the summer when we have lots of sun a 9 amp hour battery and 30 watt panel do just fine. Everytime I checked on it the battery was at 100% capacity. During the winter we have a few issues that make it more difficult. During winter solstice there is only around 4 hours of sunlight. We also have cold weather to deal with. Drop a lead acid battery to around 0 degrees F and you are down to around 80% of its capacity. Last winter I had it running on a 30 watt panel and a 14 amp hour battery. It wasn't enough. By November the battery was already being run down to the cut off voltage of 11.2 volts. 75% of last November the repeater was down. We didn't have enough snow to prevent me from getting to the site so I was able to get to it and swap it battery out for a 9 amp hour one I had. Yes it is smaller but I wanted to save the larger, more expensive, battery from damage. It lasted for about a week before going down again. I would come back up after a week or two for a few days and then go down again. From there it only got worse. The solar controller shut down the repeater for the majority of winter. Low voltage and cold temperatures resulted in a frozen battery sometime between December and February. Once frozen the voltage dropped to near zero and the solar controller shut down completely. My repeater site is inaccessible once winter sets in due to snow level and steep grades. This spring I changed a few things. Keep in mind all my components need to be hiked up to about 2400 feet by hand. The components had to fit in or attach to a backpack or two. POWER GENERATION: This spring I added a 50 watt panel. This brought up the solar power to 80 watts total. The 80 watts of panels should generate enough solar energy on a 4 hour cloudy day to replace the 2.2-ish amps that the RT97 uses while in stand-by for 24 hours. I based this on monitoring the output of the panels on an overcast day this summer. I waited until the sun's elevation (as informed by a smartphone app) matched that it in the winter and saw the battery being charged at a rate of about 800 milliamps. 4 hours at 800 is 3.2 amps. That is 1 extra amp...in theory. POWER STORAGE: I upgraded to a 35 amp hour battery and put it underground by over a foot. Just being a foot underground shields the battery from the extreme highs and lows. At that depth theory says it should be at the avg daily temperature. If this setup works through the winter I am relocating the repeater to an even more remote location and will try to get the battery further down. Being underground also has the benefit of keeping the battery cool in the summer, which in theory, should prolong it's life. This 35 amp hour battery chould, in theory, keep the repeater running in stand-by mode for about 13 days or it could support about 14 hours of non-stop transmission in the winter with ZERO solar input. This factors in a 20% reduction in capacity due to cold temperatures. With these two upgrades the battery should really never be run low unless we have significant activity on the repeater without any days of decent solar generation. The larger battery helps store "extra" power from the sunny days and/or the additional hours of overcast days before/after winter solstice. This keeps the battery at a higher level of charge. Being kept at high charger levels and buried underground protect it through the colds snaps. Since I implemented the changes the repeater has been running 24/7. The past several weeks have been COLD here. The avg daily temperature as been between -5 and 5 degrees fahrenheit. Lows have been down below -20 degrees. For the past two weeks I have connected into the myGMRS national net for about 4 hours on Sundays. This has resulted in about 3 to 4 hours worth of transmission time each Sunday on the repeater as people talk across the nation. So far the battery appears to be doing fine as the repeater has not gone down. Hours of sunlight will continue to decrease through December at which point it will start picking up again. The skies will also start to be clear of clouds more often as we push past mid winter. So for me, it looks like 80 watts of solar power and a 35 amp hour battery are needed but again that is due to cold winter conditions with low sun levels. I don't know where you are but if you are in the lower 48 I would say the system could be more like my first attempt, 30 watts solar and a 9 amp hour battery and I would bet a 50 watt solar and 14 amp hour battery would give some extra head room. I have a few other posts up detailing my experiences with the RT97. If you register you can browse them. Solar Panel: https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Monocrystalline-Efficiency-Charging-Applications/dp/B07GTH79JP/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2OBPM6JH5RIF2&keywords=50%2Bwatt%2Bsolar%2Bpanel%2Brenogy&qid=1637621917&sprefix=50%2Bwatts%2Bsolar%2Bpanel%2Breno%2Caps%2C318&sr=8-4&th=1 Solar Controller: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Q79TC2L?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-ypp-ro-model_ypp_ro_model_k0_1_10&crid=LSOHLRTW8QW2&sprefix=10+amp+sol Battery: https://www.batteriesplus.com/productdetails/slaa12=35c Battery-S-12330.pdf

Here is some added insight into behavior of the Wouxun KG-1000G when the priory channel scan is enabled. First, the radio does not scan the priority channel at all when the radio is in scan mode. Undesirable IMO. Second, the radio does check the priority channel when the radio is sitting idle, even when the radio is tuned to a different channel. This is desirable IMO. The radio will reproduce audio from the priority channel which is a good thing, however… Third, when the radio detects a signal on the priority channel there is no friendly way (I can find) to cause the radio to stay on (or switch to) that channel so you communicate back. One has to manually tune to the priority channel (which can be a time consuming effort). It would be more desirable (IMO) if pressing the PTT briefly button would briefly cause the radio to pause on that channel so as to allow immediate talk-back communications. Fourth, when priority scan mode is active and you are actively receiving a signal on a different channel, the channel you are listening too will be interrupted for 1 second every 4 seconds, while the radio scans the priority channel. This will cause you to miss portions of the conversation you are engaged in, even when no activity on priority channel is present. Fifth, there is no way to establish what the priority channel is on the radio without a computer. Undesirable IMO, as in my case, my priority channel is probable to change depending upon where I am and how I am using the radio. Thought I would shed some more light on the subject. Perhaps BTWR is listening and can take action with Wouxun to resolve the issues. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM