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I've been making phasing harnesses throughout the years, but never a power divider. I figured I'd give it a shot. Did all my calculations to get to where I needed to be with the materials that are over the counter. Finding the right combination of outer and inner pipes is the biggest challenge. My target was the high end of the GMRS band so that's where I did my calculations. Of course UHF being extremely critical of measurements a few thousandth of an inch either way can be a PITA. Testing it on the NanoVNA yields just barely a 1.4:1 at 467.650 MHz and under 1.2:1 at 444.175 MHz, my most used frequencies. Now I know what to look out for and compensate should I decide to build another. Anyway, here's the finished product. Everything all soldered and watertight waiting on a coat of battleship gray epoxy paint. Everything soldered waiting for the final top cap after testing. Two 50 ohm terminators for testing. Center conductor (11mm Brass Tube 1mm wall thickness) ready for installation. The 12 gauge copper center conductor is left intentionally long and will be much short once installed. N-connector soldered on other end. Brass tube with 8-32 threaded brass nut with rounded corners pressed in prior to solder.

You can't really get any more simple than a 4 or 16 channel part 90 radio. Something like a Motorola CP200 or Vertex VX-231/261. "Mom, turn the radio on, select channel X, press PTT, Talk, Release"

If anybody has the interest there is some info in this PDF on digital modulation. https://ee.eng.usm.my/eeacad/mandeep/EEE436/CHAPTER2.pdf

Yes it has, but for me still very interesting and useful. I’ll have to did through some books I have in my personal engineering library to see what I’ve got on digital modulation methods. It’s got my interest up a bit. One never quits learning until you’re dead.

Are you planning to access any repeaters from you base station? If so, something to consider is that there could be more than one repeater on a particular frequency pair within range of you. To avoid having to change the CTCSS/DCS access code each time you switch between them, you'll want a radio where you can have multiple channels for each repeater pair you intend to use. Some radios allow this out of the box, while others (some Midlands, for example), only give you 8 repeater channels which are frequency locked to the available frequency pairs. Used commercial radios could work well for you, but in some cases, may not offer enough channels for your purposes. Beyond that, at the upper end of the power spectrum, there is the Wouxon KG-1000G that I'm sure would offer what you need, the Midland MXT-500 (50 watt) and MXT-400 (40 watt) radios (although they may have channel limitations), and the B-Tech 50X1 (I don't recall the model number for sure, but it does have channel limitations). In the mid-power (15-25 watt) range, there is a Wouxon model I don't recall the name of, the Radioddity DB-20G/Anytone AT-779UV/Retevis RA-25 triplets which are what I use, the Radioddity DB-25G, and a couple more Midland models, too, as well as more used commercial radios to consider. Again, some radios are limited on the number of channels and/or how you can program each of them so some of them may not work well for you. I'm pretty happy with the DB-20G for both a mobile and base unit. It allows me to add any custom channels I need or want, including receive-only UHF/VHF channels outside the GMRS spectrum. It's not 50W, but in my case, I don't think I'd need to be.

Double vocoding nullifies all the benefits of a digital repeater. You lose the ability to send data, radio checks, use ARS services, text messages, etc. Double vocoding is probably fine for a short range vehicular repeater, but IMO, its not useful for anything else... it should be a last ditch effort to get a repeater going. G.

Looks like a great, non-invasive install. I hope you have a good time with it!

That worked well!

Epilogue... It's a happy ending. Thanks for everyone's advice and links to radio and antenna mounts and an antenna, All was installed and tested to 8 miles Simplex to base this morning. I was amazed that this tiny Tram antenna bested the roof magnetic mount Nagoya UT-72G on my SUV with the same radio (I need to check the SWR on that install). And no drilling or other alterations to the Ferrari were necessary and it's all temporary. The car will be ready for the caravan drives with the car club. 1. Tram 1126-B 2. Rugged Radio suction cup antenna mount 3. NMO mount & RG58 cable 4. Rugged Radio/Scosche cup holder mount (modified to work)

Look at it this way: I’m a ham and a gmrs licensee. Once the GMRS license comes down and the ham license goes up, I’ll still be paying exactly the same average cost for comm licenses. ?

Currently there are 655 active GMRS licenses in Maine and 5,051 active Ham licenses, although some are Silent Key. WQYC747 / KC1LGL - Steve

First of all, congratulations!!! As I'm sure you've learned by now, the real lessons now begin and to whichever path you decide to take will in this hobby will present the opportunity for growth. That said, there are many facets of this hobby open to you, each having their rewards and challenges, so pace yourself. Try to find someone in your area that shares the same passion for the the radio world as you do, with significant experience and desire to share their knowledge, that you can learn from. However, they may not be that close to you or available much, and that's okay, do your own research, read and study about different aspects of the hobby and it's history (i.e., solar flares, propagation, spurious emissions, compositors, induction, etc.), get involved with Nets, meet others, text, email, ask questions...HAVE FUN, doing it. If it stops being fun and interesting to you, then you'll get bored and maybe bitter, feeling you wasted your time. I imagine by this time you've past that stage and have committed yourself to broadening your horizons (e.g., studying for the next level). In regards to passing the general exam, I'll share this, you've already got a huge advantage having recently passed your technicians exam. "You're in the zone" and much of what you learned transitions over into the general class. Don't overthink it, don't stress out over it (their not going to take your tech away if you don't pass), and don't spend money on lesson plans, classes, etc (save that for future radios and gear-you're gonna need it). If I may, keep it simple, the exam is only a step, once you clear that hurdle, then it that's when things get complicated and the real learning starts. In, other words limit the amount of resources you engage in while studying (it can get confusing quickly). For both my tech and general, I read the books from K4AI, and used Ham Radio Prep app on my phone. Once I completed the books, I focused on the app- at least 30-60 minutes a day, work through the sections, take the practice quiz, fail, repeat, fail a little less, repeat, failing less again, over and over, and pretty soon (if you stick with it) your memory muscle kicks in and that's what you want...because the same questions on the quizzes are the same on the exam- THAT THE ONLY INFORMATION YOU NEED TO REMEMBER AT THIS POINT. Good luck and 73, de WROA675/KN6SDM ps: a plan without a goal is just a dream.... Set a date, reserve your spot for the test, that will give you incentive and motivation to "get'er done!".

So I know this project is to link repeaters together and that's great but what if I am not near enough to a repeater, especially a linked repeater to use it successfully with a 5W handheld or even a 50W Mobile? I'm not ready to put up a repeater yet! I have researched the site and all I find is hardware/software to link repeaters. Someone point me in the general direction to get my radios access to this linked system over the internet please. Linked or unlinked, repeaters are sparse here in south Central Texas...

I approve this message.

Don't know much about these radios and I won't repeat the secondhand criticism I heard about them, however I will say that during my last trip to the Arroyo Grande area (CA), over Thanksgiving, the Rugged Radio Repeater is awesome...?covers many fars, crystal clear, and friendly contacts.