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Going off the BTWRs article, Which Wouxun radios are superheterodyne?, I created this spreadsheet and added the BetterSafeRadio versions. Thought somebody might find it useful. Excel or CSV format. Feel free to change or add, or suggest changes. wouxun-radios.xlsx wouxun-radios.csv

I didn't see any mention of detachable antennas... The way I read this was OP was not looking at a different detachable antenna but rather putting the existing part of the radio that is the antenna as well as the radio body outside the vehicle for better range while using the mic inside the vehicle. So the answer is yes it would help with the range that is until this thing takes a beating outside at 60 miles an hour and you couldn't see the screen. Thus my response of I don't think it was intended for this purpose. queue footage of radio flopping around in the wind

Don't get mad, life is too short for a petty things like that. Other than that, marcspaz covered the issue, it seems^^^^^

Truth be told, for the price of one of these overpriced units (~$190), you could buy a Retevis RA25 mobile radio, a decent but cheap antenna with mount and cable, and purchase your GMRS license, and still have a few dollars left over for Taco Bell.

Using any handheld from inside a car is an exercise in frustration, so if you can figure out a way to attach this thing outside to the roof then yes, it would improve the performance. It's hard to say if it would "greatly" improve, but by golly it won't be worse. I believe this answers the question you asked.

@jbkalla Nice work, thanks.

Radio waves don't know the direction in which they are heading - ie: being transmitted or received. The signal is the signal. The trouble you originally described would not be due to antenna height. Why go through the trouble of raising up the antenna, but avoid doing a simple 5 minute troubleshooting test and report on the results?

And out of place. This is the FRS Forum and the title is about mounting an FRS radio on the roof. You’re correct that “there are many different models with removable antennas, so you could attach an exterior vehicle antenna. Most also offer higher power ” but none of them are FRS certified, a point which you failed to make.

Those handhelds with removable antennas are not FRS radios.

I'm glad that I am in a well run/organized GMRS Repeater Club. The Club I belong to has training classes and exercises throughout the year and are involved in Community events. The Club is looking into having social functions for the members and their families that has nothing to do with radio. They also hold a couple Formal Nets every week, and two informal Nets for relaying Traffic and Weather Information on the weekdays. Also, the Club will be expanding their services with more involvement with community. I believe the membership is well over 400 and the Club has several Ambassadors to welcome the new members into the Club and help them with any programming and/or technical needs.

I might be missing something... but if the Net is going on, no one else on the net can hear them, they obviously can't hear the Net (evident by them talking simplex during the net), then why not just talk over them? You transmitting into the repeater isn't going to interfere with them, and it sounds like you can hear the repeater just fine, since your words were you " thought" you heard other signal. Obviously, I don't condone someone else being a jerk. If they are intentionally getting on the air at times that they know the Net is occurring, then they are the ones who have the obligation to resolve the issue. That said, Tone Squelching (PL Tones) were created so multiple conversations can be had on a single frequency without uninterested parties hearing each other (conversations between conversations). I would squelch them out and forget about it.

I have a few Baofeng UV-9g radios and they work very well. Good price point and very water resistant. Like WRUU653 said not superhetrodyne so squelch isn't great, but if you're in a low radio traffic area, it's not a big deal.

I assume he means https://broadnetgmrs.net/ which appears offline at this point. Google shows posts last week so maybe a domain issue (forgot to pay bill) or something else.

I had one of those Radio Shack FRS radios for many years on my SUV.. At the then maximum of one half watt transmitter power it did very well, due, in large measure I believe, to the location of the antenna external to the metal body of the vehicle. It is that benefit to performance that I would hope to achieve with the BCA radio putting out two watts through a similarly mounted external antenna.

Radio Shack sold such a radio back in the day. The guts of the radio was in the magnetic base, to comply with the fixed antenna rule. The controls were in a remote speaker mic that was run into the passenger compartment.

Pretty sure it’s Times Microwave.,,, https://timesmicrowave.com

GMRS was dead near me so I got my amateur license. Now I have many, many more channels to hear silence on

I'd go even more basic as lag is not a "radio" specific term and is used in many forms of communication like computer networking A lag is simply a delay in transmission or reception of a communications signal. As we all know whenever a federal entity is involved the lag time increases dramatically!

If only there was a YouTube channel where a brilliant host would provide useful commentary, wry sarcasm, and offered tips on how to get chicks…..

On the pricier side but good quality the Wouxun KG-S88G. It’s IP67, it has a screen though it is smaller and it’s superheterodyne. On the cheaper side the Baofeng UV-9G. It is also IP67, smaller screen, not superheterodyne but duel band, more frequencies on RX. It’s cheep enough that if something happens you aren’t breaking the bank.

Can anyone please help out a newb. Got a UV-5G and trying to program a repeater. Followed a youtube video instructions from NotaR with the +5Mhz offset and not getting anything. All I have is the repeater freq. and the tone. No input/output info. Thanks!