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Marc Spaz is one of the nicest guys on these forums. He never beats his own chest or blows his own horn. And he does have some serious technical skills. So when someone who has been here for months attacks him as posting something that’s “not real” and does it in a way that simply reveals his own ignorance, it’s a chickenshit move. Then you doubled down on it as if you were somehow an expert. You owe Marc a sincere apology, not “got a little silly. Sorry folks.” Learn from your mistakes and move on. Perhaps seek counseling. If you make an honest attempt at an apology and don’t act like that again the forum members will get over it quickly. But, I owe you an apology also. I made fun of your name. That was a cheap shot. It was mean-spirited of me and completely unacceptable. I apologize for that. Steve

Probably because after blowing all their $$$ on guns, ammo, and preserved food, they only have $20 left for a radio.

Just to be clear I’m not saying it’s a crap radio. Rather that @WSAK691 doesn’t give rats ass about his initial question as he had already decided it was crap and only came here to argue.

As an RF engineer who has designed receivers for over 10 years, I can say that SINAD is not a receiver metric. SINAD (Signal In Noise and Distortion) is a measurement parameter to which receiver performance is measured. dBm (dB-milliwatt) is far and away the most common receiver sensitivity metric in the RF design world. Sure FM broadcast receivers are measured in dBf, (dB FemtoWatt) but that is not typical elsewhere. Actually, in the receiver world, Noise Figure (F) is the best metric as that speaks to the RF front end without impacts from the audio circuitry, see below. To the person who posted dBm sensitivity measurements: Surely you used some proper RF service monitor to perform this measurement. May I ask what "weighting" you used on the audio? A or C weighted? it does make a subtle difference... Hope this helps.

Sorry to have to be the one to break this news to you but bragging about not being a ham BUT how easy it would be to pass the examS "if you wanted to" is a strong indicator of being a latent sad-H.A.M. .. Your other posts already proved you also fall into the "some people" category.. And as the inventor of the term Sad-H.A.M., my declaration is final and cannot be disputed or overturned.

Maybe you will too, maybe not. I was casually researching how many guns were sold by state, and this image of a fully-equipped member of the Delaware Militia, including a Baofeng with a high-capacity antenna, showed up under their statistics.

Could be his wife, now that she's seen what buying radios does to the bank account.

It cracks me up how the militia guys will spend $$$ on guns, ammo, and preserved food, but they cheap out on radios (that they probably aren't even licensed for).

Welcome to the forums Steve! While I don't live near you I'm sure someone around may. What radios did you get? As you may or may not know GMRS is primarily intended as a bring your own contacts kind of service for families or friends staying in touch. Camping off roading etc. That's why the license covers your family. Do you have friends and or family near by that you can get to join you in having emergency comms set up? May be your best option for someone to talk to. 50 Miles may be doable depending on terrain with the right antenna.

Was there ever really a question with this thread or a point to it? Was it just an excuse to engage in argument? Question might as well have been “hey you like that crap radio you got there”? Thank goodness for the ignored user setting.

That's because there is nothing left to say. All things are self-evident.

@WSAK691 I have been sitting back reading and I've noticed that I don't have to share any pictures of anything because you have already shown us your ass. You are gravely mistaken in believing anyone here, especially me, has anything to prove to you. I don't care about your opinion. I'm fairly sure no one else here cares about your opinion. With the exception of providing some mild and waning entertainment as you continue to show us your ass, your incessant posting is doing nothing beyond solidifying your place in purgatory of the internet.

Two days ago you didn’t know how to waterproof your coax connectors and today you’re lecturing Marc Spaz on receiver sensitivity measurements. You posted a picture of a radio installation that looks like what Randy discarded last week. (Edited to remove mean-spirited attempt at humor.) In any case you’re just one more wannabe on the ignore list.

RT97 “Duty Cycle” I had a replacement RT97 come in today as a replacement for one that failed. The prior failed as it would not longer talk to a computer for programming. The TX/RX worked fine. I decided to test this new units “duty cycle” and heat displacement abilities. The first thing I did was open it up and see what it has internally to bridge the transmitter to the aluminum outer housing. The bottom of the RX/TX unit has large fins cast into its aluminum body. It appears to be bedded in thermal paste to make a conductive path the aluminum outer housing. I took a food thermometer and put it into the thermal paste. The unit was at 70 degrees. The “Test”: Stage One: I had it transmitting on high power. The transmission was broken up into three 1 minute sections with 10 seconds between each followed by a whole 2 minutes of TX. The transmitter rose from 70 degrees to 82 degrees. Hardly warm to the touch. (12 degree rise for 5 min Total TX w/ 40 seconds rest) Stage Two: I gave it about 2 minutes of rest and hit it with two more sessions of 2 minutes transmissions, separated by 20 seconds. It had fallen to just below 80 prior to and rose to 89 after.(9 degree rise for 4 min Total TX, w/ 2 min 20 seconds rest) Stage Three: I finally let it sit for 1 minute and did five more sessions of 2 minutes transmissions, separated by 20 seconds. The temp started at 88 and rose to 102 (14 degree rise for 10 Min Total TX w/ 2 min 20 seconds rest) End total of 19 min of TX w/ 3 min 20 seconds of rest. The temp rose from 70 degrees to 102 degrees. What I find interesting is that after the radio “warmed up” it took significantly more time to heat up further. I expected the 10 min spent TX'ing in Stage 3 to raise it more than it did. At the end after only about 60 seconds of rest it already had dropped to 94 degrees from a high of 102. I did not repeat this test on low power but I can only assume it would take longer to heat up. Being as my use with these repeaters are outdoors here in Alaska it doesn’t appear that heat will be an issue for me. During the winter our avg daily temp is around 20 degrees and we only get to an avg daily temp of 60-65 in the summer. This leaves a lot of head room. The cooler ambient temperatures should further increase the rate of heat dissipation as my home was 70 degrees to start with. Anyone see any flaws with my logic?

What would you like to do with it? What did you have in mind when you bought it? Do you have a buddy or family member who has a radio? Are you hoping to get onto the airwaves so you can hear other people and then contact them? Help us understand what you want to achieve. Someone is sure to have some helpful advice.

The lady on top looks horrified, so im not sure its good.

Nice. I was able to do the same thing in my Sienna with my FTM-7250 with the useless cubby.

You don't need your own linked repeater, all you need is permission to use an existing linked repeater. That is, unless you have money to burn and you want your own repeater. I used Zello once, mostly because I don't want to use it twice. Not a fan. Linked GMRS repeaters are a hot-button issue across the GMRS universe. Some people like them, some don't, some say they're allowed, some say they're not, some people who had them disconnected them to avoid potential trouble with the FCC (should the FCC ever crack down, which is unlikely). It depends on what you think GMRS is for and how you interpret Part 95 rules. Endless arguments are raging to this day. I would say that if you're this interested in linked repeaters, get your amateur radio technician license and play with linked repeaters to your heart's content. Amateurs have it figured out. I have some pretty strong opinions about linked GMRS repeaters.

We use to get Norinco SKS rifles new for $79 and a 1440 round case of 7.62x39mm on stripper clips for $79. Those days are long gone.

Although, I'm not his Spoke Person or Public Information Officer, I think he mentioned in one of his latest videos that there is not any new radio products out there these days that he hasn't already reviewed. I think he did do a review on an air compressor a couple months ago. I would like to see him do reviews on Jeep Off-Road products and equipment like Navigation and Trail Comms. I have enjoyed his trail run videos that he did many years ago and I know there are a couple of reviewers that do an ok job like Wayalife and TrailReconn but I think Randy would add a lot more Pazzazz to the videos. But I have a feeling that may want to keep his work life separate from his passion of wheeling

i read a story awhile back on X where the Ukraine Military's choice tactical radio was the Baofeng Hand radio.. And there was all kinds of conspiracy pings suggesting the Baofeng's were being remotely turned off. Several pictures posted showing the Ukraine army guys with Baofengs on their hips.

Where is the soldier in that photo?

It's basically a matter of generating interest in the area, the equipment is solid.

At the moment, I only have an FTM-300DR, and FT3DR and an XTL5000. I also have a radio that I can't currently disclose, as am working with the manufacturer to do some testing on it for them. Once I get the OK to share those results, I will, though it's not GMRS related. It would be purely for the geeks to enjoy. LOL I did order a TD-H3 to play with (thanks @OffRoaderX for the review). I am planning on testing that one for use on the trails. I am a trail guide for our club and I'm looking for some inexpensive loaners that also work well. I am excited to see how that one goes. For the most part, I stopped spending money on radios (both GMRS and Ham) and started focusing on building an extreme offroader. That has sucked up most of my funds. However, the truck is almost done. Once I wrap it up and have extra time and cash, I may start buying some radios to test. While his humor is an acquired taste for some, Randy is a very nice guy, knowledgeable more-so than most and I value his opinion on the equipment he reviews. Like the TD-H3, when I do start the tech dives again, I may go through his videos and see what some of the better equipment he has tried lately and focus on those.

That is correct on A weighting. I'm not familiar with Z weighting though. Nice to hear that someone has good test equipment available. Would you by any chance have some mobiles or handhelds available to perform some comparison sensitivity testing on? There is pretty widely available TX power testing capability but RX is much less common.

Based on my neighbor who supports and maintains cell towers in remote locations throughout the Rocky Mountains, those systems are redundant in supply of back up power from batteries and generators. I experienced a 7.0 earthquake in Anchorage Alaska and never lost cell service as I was worried my house was going to collapse around me. I wonder to what degree of abuse, strain, adversity many of the unhardened amateur supported GMRS repeaters are likely to survive given "grid compromised due to domestic or international threat" compared to the comms systems that have been designed to meet a perticular threat level. I'm not convinced from what I read here that many GMRS stations/repeaters would be sufficiently grounded to survive even a lightning strike. In a true emergency, a satellite communication like is going to be the most reliable and dependable method to call for help when everyone else is outside attempting to use their emergency HTs that were never going to cover the needed distance without a repeater. GMRS is a tool, but a vital one - maybe not in remote locations where you're tied to an amateur repeater that maybe can't even take a lightning hit. Just an opinion from the peanut gallery.

I'm new to the GMRS world and have also found his videos on YouTube. Quite helpful! I saw his newest video after reading on this thread. Probably laughed too hard at it. I left my two baofengs on the table last night before bed. Woke up today and no new radios. About to email him and see what I'm doing wrong.

Thankfully for normal people using a GMRS radio, "close" is plenty good enough.

Direct conversion receivers suffer from rather poor "image", "spurious" and "blocking". All are measures of how well the receiver rejects off-channel signals. SuperHet receivers suffer from rather narrow RF tuning range with good sensitivity. If you want broadband coverage for good Ham band, GMRS, Public Service and NOAA reception, then go Direct conversion. If you want the best you can get (assuming it's well designed) for GMRS only, then go SuperHet. IMHO.

No, thats not why. Missing the entire point and not "getting it", as you just demonstrated is why.

Well, that might be a save from being called a "Sad HAM".

I have a Midland USA MXT500 radio that is not owned by a chinese corporation. My Midland puts out around 50 watts, don't remember exactly, probably more like 48 or 49 watts. I think MXT500 is a great quality radio but definitely lack a ton of features. Although, it's not my everyday radio, I keep it as a loaner radio for my radioless friends on Jeep runs or Porsche Driving Tours.

I completely agree with OffRoaderX. I am of the exact same opinions. I have owned just about every GMRS radio there is to own and my two favorite purpose built, OTC GMRS radios, are the KG-1000G and the MXT500. The KG-1000G is feature packed and is reliable. The MXT500 is simple to use, water/dust resistant (huge plus for Jeepers who offroad) and reliable. As far as Superhet v Homodyne, I wouldn't get too wrapped up in that at these price points. My Yaesu FTM-300DR double conversion superheterodyne receive sensitivity is -120.88 dBm, and my MXT500 (ROC/direct-conversion) receive sensitivity was -124.0 dBm... much better than the superhet Yaesu. Their handhelds do fall short with the lack of repeater capability.

That depends on how you define "good"... Midland Micromobile radios are GREAT for someone that wants a decent quality, EASY TO USE, NO BELLS AND WHISTLES GMRS radio.. They are priced high but that price is worth it to many people willing to pay for that simplicity and the fact that the company is at least based in 'Murica. I have had several Midland radios (6 or 7?), with the power output ranging on them from 105% of its rated output to around only 75% .. But dont be fooled - although it's good to get what the box says, you will NEVER notice any difference between 35 watts and 50 watts in regular usage. Most of the mobile units do not have cooling fans but never once, ever, in all my usage of my Midlands, not once, has one ever over-heated, shut-down, or stuttered due to high-heat or over usage. According to the Midland Marketing Manager, the Midland Micromobile GMRS radios are a hybrid of Superheterodyne and HOMOdyne.. But I dont remember which half (RX or TX) is SUPERhet and which part was HOMOdyne... and most people buying this type of simple radio wouldn't care anyway. Anyone complaining about the lack of features on a Midland is obviously not who Midland is selling their radios to, and should therefore be ignored. Anyone slamming you over the air simply because your radio is chinese is a moron and should be ignored with extreme-prejudice.. Just tell them you're transmitting on a iCom radio and as long as your roger-beep is off i GUARANfuckingTEE you that they will never be able to tell the difference. For MY money, I would buy a KG-1000G, but only because I am a radio dork. However I have many friends that are regular-people that prefer the simplicity of the Midland radios and were more than happy to pay the $$ for that simplicity.

probably, but here is the direct link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K5GW67O/

In addition to good connectors and coax, I also use "Strong 30mil Weatherproof Self-Fusing Silicone Rubber Sealing Tape" - that stuff works like magic.

Maybe this is interesting, maybe not, but I did find a reference to the Polmar DB-50 from 2013. So many of these radios are rebadged, slightly redesigned, "re-frequencied", if you will, re-certified for different services, marketed for export-only, that it's hard to keep track. https://hamgear.wordpress.com/2013/10/11/incoming-polmar-db-50/

Thanks, Yep . Pinning down another yagi. Google Earth is a great help. I used the measuring tool for lines to 4 contacts and put on paper map and got the distance converting to miles and can see all obstructions. We have spotty woods, flat here and many pines (dense) and others of course.. If I get test completed soon and am satisfied that will change when all leaves are out in a few months and will have to live with results. And based on my calculation curvature is 8 inches per mile. I draw lines to each contact and luckily all are within 40 degrees. And use a compass. No repeaters here.

Hams are 100% the issue. And I completely recognize that I just tipped the gas can and lit a match by saying so. Your profile is only 50% complete on MYGMRS until you add you ham radio call sign, so I recognize that i'm about to be in a fist fight with an upset beehive. IDGAF I know what's right and what's not. Hams don't like to be told that they're out of line in the world of radio because they've been used to being the "radio dudes". In this case they're actually the away team. This is actually not a ham band. It's not for hams. I know it's crazy to imagine. But there do exist radio people, who know and do radio, who don't hold a ham ticket. I know,.. it's nuts. Can't even be bothered to take a day off of work to sit for an exam by some self serious medically retired guy in a library and get 26 right out of 35 multiple choice.. IDK,.. We just don't do it.. Our idea of applying radio as a hobby doesn't require it. But we do have wives, sons, daughters, brothers, sister, etc who we'd like to be on the radio with. ,....and we don't want to always be like "WHISKEY TANGO BRAVO ZULU 554!!" on the radio all the time just to get on.. We don't call out CQ to eachother.. And we don't say 73's! (yuck).. Some of the parties on the license might not even know what kind of radio they have when colostomy bag Larry asks, and I don't think they need to feel weird about that. They're just trying to relay a practical message to another party on the license when someone else in town hears traffic and thinks it's the 440 net.

Those are who I affectionately refer to as "Askholes"

Hello everyone and thank you for taking the time to read this question and answer it. I do realize that this may be a heavily asked question; however, I am hoping to make the answer more efficient and richer in data so others who find themselves to a similar position may have answers or at least a direction to go in. I am relatively new to the GMRS world and even newer to the repeater side of things so my knowledge is severely limited, at best. Using the forum here to gather information on the topic I found that a simple basic repeater system is composed of the following: 1. Dual-use or Omni antenna for transmitting (TX) and receiving (RX) signals. 2. Feedline or Hardline to connect the antenna to the duplexer. 3. Duplexer 4. Receiver 5. Repeater 6. Transmitter For a visual representation of this system, a great visual will be used from www.repeater-builder.com listed as figure 1. Now that the basic premise of a repeater has been shared, along with my depth of knowledge on the subject, let me pose my question to the greater community: Looking at each of the six enumerated items above, what is a business that sells them (please include a link to their page) and what is the closest you can get to plug-and-play type of system (what model)? Ideally, in as simply a way as possible, how does one build a repeater from scratch without having to endlessly search Ebay or other sites for old transmitters/receivers. I would like to purchase new, with the ability to change my broadcasting power (not be stuck with 10w pre-made systems but rather make a 50w or greater system). Along with having a link to each of the numbered items showing a product and how to connect all of them. Think of this as setting up a computer for your parents who have never seen/used one. Explain here is the printer, it prints things you want and here is a hyperlink to brand X printers. It will use a USB cable to connect to the computer itself and here is a link for each of those. Then so on and so forth. Once all of the information has been gathered and collected, I will repost so it is a simple way to find information and resources to purchase. As of the current time I am looking at how to build the repeater and what it will take to make it work when I flip the switch and not the FCC document submissions…yet. Once the system is built, functioning, and I have made my measurements I then will submit all of the information to the FCC seeking permission to install and “open for business”. Thank you all for your help with this and look forward to all of the information! < Figure 1 courtesy of www.repeater-builder.com

Depending on the type and the power it needs to handle, it CAN be built in, especially with UHF. The higher frequencies need less space compared to VHF, while higher power generally means larger in either case. This thread has a look at the internals of the rt97: https://forums.mygmrs.com/topic/3314-retevis-rt97-heat-dissipation/

This is where a duplexer comes into play. The low port goes to the transmitter connector, the high port to the receive connector, and the middle port to the antenna's one connector. I won't guess if this one is good or bad, but here is an example for visual... https://www.buytwowayradios.com/xlt-dp-gmrs-50.html

I use Comscope/Andrews Hardline (LDF4-50A) for mine but many can't afford it. If you want ebay and other places short chunks go on sale randomly. Some have had OK luck with LMR400. Keep it short and make sure you seal all connections from water and it would be a good start. I run the DB404 at minimum on all my repeaters. The Laird FG series is a nice starter antenna if funds are short. I do carry one in my camp stuff for my camp repeater.

The Bridgcom is one choice and if purchased from Mygmrs would most likely come programmed to what you want and ready to go out the door. You would then need decent cable and a good antenna. While you can build a repeater out of boxes normally its easier to buy a complete bult unit. I had linked some others in another post here. Remember antenna cable and antenna is am important part of the system. You want the best shortest cable you can use and a good antenna.

1. Yes, but you only have eight frequency pairs to choose from. 2. Yes, but you’re limited to no more than 50 watts. 3. Yes, or Morse Code, and it must also happen during long conversations and at the end. 4. Here’s where I’m going to let others review what you listed.

Sshannon, gortex2, and WRUU653 I appreciate the feedback! So to sum up a few things and ask a few other questions. 1) There is zero requirement for filing further FCC paperwork because my license already covers repeater capability and it is my choice to list it and research proper frequency as to not disturb other systems, correct? 2) Provided I have excellent elevation, 10-15 mile line-of-sight range, and want to build a large and powerful system say 50 watts or greater, what would a good system be as far as each component I listed above in figure 1 showing the components of a repeater? I LOVE the KISS method and want this to be relatively as easy as possible. So for instance, antenna use this, duplexer use this, etc. (PS I hope this doesn’t come off as bossy or demanding in tone, I ask from a purely learning perspective and will use these answers as a great jump-off point!) I want to do this as proper as possible and want a good functioning system that I may set up and allow people to use in order to grow this whole community. 3) When you say ID-O-Matic, are you referring to the voice you hear at the top of the hour announce the station ID and the time? 4) Looking here at the shopping link, I found this system listed in the link. If I purchase this, what else would I need to make it work? I would need what kind of antenna? Also, just a regular coax cable to connect the two lines and that is it, it is ready to repeat signals? Lastly for this, I would have to research a frequency not interfering with another repeater and send that to this company to program it to, correct? https://shop.mygmrs.com/collections/repeaters-and-accessories/products/bridgecom-systems-bcr-40du-400-470-mhz-uhf-repeater-w-internal-duplexer

As @Sshannon said in mygmrs store there are examples of repeaters for sale. https://shop.mygmrs.com/collections/repeaters-and-accessories You can also look at the Midland Package that just came out. Its very similar to the RT97 but in a KISS method. There is no licensing of a GMRS repeater with the FCC. Its covered under your license. Many folks list it on mygmrs.com but its up to you. Regardless of the repeater you need to manage expectations. Locations and antenna height are far more important than power. a RT97/Midland on a 5000' summit with a good antenna will talk miles further than a 50 watt mobile with an Ed Fong antenna on your garage. Repeaters are good tools when implemented properly but can be costly to do if your expectations are a 50 mile radius. My GMRS repeater at home gets about 10 miles on a mobile with a GR1225 (25 watts - 15 to antenna)/ DB404 and 10' of LDF4-50 Hardline. If I could get it up in the air I could get more but it covers my area I need to cover fine.

4, 5, and 6 are typically sold in a single box, called simply a repeater. If you don’t want much power you can even buy a single box that includes the duplexer. The shopping area of this site has both types of repeaters. So would most commercial radio stores or online radio shops. Good luck!