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Its the requirement of Part95, mobiles/bases cannot transmit on 8-14, so they firmware lock those from transmit.

Here’s my ride & radio. 2022 4Runner & Icom 2730. The antenna on left is a Larsen LP450NMO for GMRS, the one on right is for the Wilson WeBoost cell booster. Most of the lights & electronics are run through the SwitchPros panel. If anyone is a 4Runner fan and interested, here’s my build thread: Hoppy’s build thread - 2022 ORP https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic?share_fid=10034&share_tid=308118&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Etoyota-4runner%2Eorg%2Fshowthread%2Ephp%3Ft%3D308118&share_type=t&link_source=app

No problem with Randy if your skin isn't thin. Plus, he's the only one with balls to stand up to Mr. Chung for not supplying a programming cable with a new radio. Also, he lives by the rule, the more people you piss off with the truth you know your message is resonating with a low SWR.

If you’re grounding an antenna ground it outside. Don’t invite lightning into your house. Here’s the best short document on antenna grounding that I know of: https://reeve.com/Documents/Articles Papers/Reeve_AntennaSystemGroundingRequirements.pdf

Grounding Amateur radio and Amateur radio antenna’s are different from Gmrs radio’s and antennas ? Please explain. I think anyone would benefit from WRQW589 post.

You can copy memories like your channels, but the radio specific settings will not, as they are like radio specific firmware.

Okay a grounding rod outside it is. Thanks for all the help.

You can't go wrong with an EMR Corp. or Celwave. Make sure that you select the appropriate duplexer for the environment that it will live in. In other words, don't buy a compact mobile duplexer if your repeater is going to live in a High RF environment at a remote site with a bunch of transmitters.

He really only calls ham's a sad ham if...well your a sad ham. Otherwise, your a happy ham. Mabey you should watch this video:

Here’s an update for you all: First off, THANK YOU! Up and operational! Secondly, it was an absolute pain to get through the firewall. I was at it for an hour. Ended up with three trips to the hardware store for specific tools. BUT, it’s working. Radio is running well, antenna receives nicely. Gonna keep testing this as I progress. Loomed the wires inside for protection. Had to go through the glove box to get to the firewall. Needed a coat hanger to puncture the grommet. Taped up and lubricated the cables to pull them through. Ring clips crimped and tied to the appropriate areas. Radio reports no errors. So, thank you again. It was a huge pain, but I got it done thanks to you all.

I finally watched the entire Salton Sea Walk video yesterday for the first time. Truly incredible story, gave me a whole new respect for him and his work. It's too bad that the ending isn't a happy one (yet?).

The almighty and great Queen Randy(Notarubicon) has officially designated, in the absence of leadership, that GMRS channel 19 should be the "official" channel for traveling ie.( highway use) for those who are operating GMRS radios. I agree with him if we start the movement it will be the standard just like channel 19 was in the day of the CB riggers. Only those with a GMRS license are "authorized" to key the PTT on the radio however. All fun aside this is a great idea and should be unofficially adopted just like channel 19 was for the CB radio guys. What say you?

Ok I'm not sure what to think about him but he's facing back lashes for some of his postings. IMHO as far as it goes his attacks calling people sad hams is getting out of control.

God damn I’m glad there’s someone following along…

You can transmit on those channels with a handheld, but there are restrictions on power level and bandwidth. The radio doesn't care what memory slot I put those frequencies into, it'll obey the rules. And if I put a frequency that allows 5 watts in memory slot, say, 8, it uses high power. Like Sven said, it's arbitrarily blocking off *memory slots* 8-14, no matter what's actually in those memory slots. You definitely can't transmit on 467.5625 / Ch8 on a GMRS Mobile. But you can't transmit on that frequency whether or not you put it in memory channel 1 or 499. There's not something magical about *memory slots* 8-14. It's the actual frequencies that matter. If wants to put a repeater frequency in one of those memory slots, it not allowing transmit because "it's 8-14" is lazy programming.

I actually really like this radio. Aside from this quirk, I don’t have any other complaints so far. I just got annoyed by this after completing my whole little custom programming session, and learned it after the fact and have this whole chunk of frequencies in the middle of my memories that I can’t transmit on.. The solution is pretty simple, I just will skip over programming 8-14 entirely . Turning the knob will just go from 7 to 15, and I alpha tag what the channel is anyway since I don’t put FRS/GMRS 1 at channel 1. I just have to re-do my programming is all.. I was going to do a review of this radio in the Reviews forum in another day or so, and it’s shaping up to be a positive one. Dumb issues like this, and only having 6 characters for alpha aside. It’s a radio that radios good. It’s a 40 watter that puts 40 watts on the meter, on the dot. Super loud speaker, and “loud full quieting” reports from my end on my radio checks.. Built super well. It’s a hunk of steel. Good mic, tactile ptt click. Doesn’t feel cheap.

You answered your own question on how properly grounding would benefit a GMRS licensee. It doesn't matter what type of license you have, properly grounding your antenna system is for safety reasons per the National Electrical Code. I see this conversation going south quickly, especially if someone recommends putting the end of their coax in a glass jar during a storm. I will suggest that everyone reads the link that @Sshannon posted above.

That ^^^^^

The amateur technician license exam has some opinions on the topic. Sharp bends in the grounding wire must be avoided, connections should be short and direct, feed line lightning arrestor should be connected to a grounded panel near where the feed line enters the building, grounding rods should be bound together with heavy wire or conductive strap, and tower legs should have independent 8 foot rods sunk into the ground. At least I think those are the answers most relevent to this question.

Posted before as to what I drive, here's a couple pics, including the radio installs. The winch is on a hitch receiver and can be used front or rear

Shrug. I know om my gmrs v1 from baofeng. The firmware allowed me to change the frs memory slots. But I couldn't change the power on those memory slots (stuck in low). Personally, I would say box the radios up and return them. Get something else that might be inline more with your customization wants. Maybe a motorola xts? Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

You said that the monitors are duel monitors. Does that mean they are fighting/ dueling each other for some reason? Why are they pissed off at each other?

My marine VHF radio can take a while to connect. In fact, after about 15 minutes it will issue a warning if it has not connected. This is done for safety reasons as it can automatically send a distress signal with ship name and coordinates if it hits the water.

If it only happens when it has been turned off, then moved some distance before being turned back on, it's acquiring a new almanac, data which shows it where to look for satellites.

Yeah, a "Let's Bash Randy" thread isn't a good idea on a GMRS forum.

Have you looked at hamfest for a large cavity style? You might be able to get them to tune for you as well. They should also be able to fit into your price range. May even perform better then you expect. The cheap chinsese ones are the only ones I have seen for cheap. But often barely provides enough isolation. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

I bet you wish you hadn’t opened that can of worms, huh? Talking about others in a public forum never seems to end well. I’ve done it too.

Unfortunately, as we get older and our hearing changes, even exaggerated sibilance sounds like a lisp.

I have one, great little radio. no real complaints about its ability to TX/RX but I still have troubles getting the radio to find GPS signal. Sometimes, even with clear view of the sky, it can take 15+ minutes to acquire a signal. I'm not sure if this is expected but I'd assume it would be faster.

Negative. I has Boofwang and Radioddity. Also been thinking about getting a Wouxon (Ocean).

I has one.. But I can't talk about it because that might be comparing apples to oranges and apparently that makes "some people" very sad.

Well, sad hams do deserve some scorn.

This OP reads like the rantings of someone who got a pinned comment on one of his videos.

Word is he has his back lashes waxed every Thursday. Edit: show us on this doll where he inappropriately touched your feelings….

Don Rickles made a very nice career insulting people. I hear he was a nice guy in real life.

From the perspective of an amateur radio operator... operator... I love Randy's videos. I even have a paid subscription with him to help contribute in some small way to the equipment testing and content creation. Truth is, his content is funny as hell and very helpful to many, including me. I love that he doesn't take crap from anyone and his socio-political humor is great. I have had the pleasure of having some private chat messages / emails between him and I also... and learned pretty quickly that he is a great guy. People seem to lose track of the point that there is an entertainment persona and then how he is in his day-to-day life. Like my wife reminds me when I start griping about inaccuracies in movies and TV shows... 'It's for entertainment. Just let it go.' LOL

The firmware updater runs only on Windows.. It *might* run via Parallels on your Mac.. But, it might not.. and I dont recall, but you may also be able to do it via the ODMaster app... But... are you really sure you even need the firmware update? I usually avoid firmware updates unless it fixes something I actually care about.

Check out the Polk Co (Bartow repeater) net on Tuesday's at 7:00pm. It started a few months ago and there are usually 30-40 folks that check in a week.

I have a Baofeng K5+; don't know what the difference is. I know nothing about firmware updates for it, if any. But I would not trust firmware from any source other than the manufacturer.

A: Put the radio on Repeater channel 3 (it might show as Repeater 17 or channel 25, I dont remember).. Go into the menu and find the TRANSMIT CTCSS setting (you may have to refer to the user manual), select 123.0, and save it. 2: Hold the front of the radio near your noise-hole, press the trigger, and talk. If you saved the tone correctly, if that is the correct tone, if the repeater is online, and if you are within range of the repeater, you will be able to hit the repeater.

95.1751 GMRS station identification. Each GMRS station must be identified by transmission of its FCC-assigned call sign at the end of transmissions and at periodic intervals during transmissions except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section. A unit number may be included after the call sign in the identification. (a) The GMRS station call sign must be transmitted: (1) Following a single transmission or a series of transmissions; and, (2) After 15 minutes and at least once every 15 minutes thereafter during a series of transmissions lasting more than 15 minutes. So if you used a timer and spoke for 35 minutes you would ID when you finish the first 15 minutes, again at 30 minutes, and then when you stop talking at 35 minutes. But nobody does that. Just throw it out there when you think about it and when you’re done with your conversation.

Just remember, that as predicted in the proclamation video, "some people" will always and forever spew reasons why Ch19 (any channel, actually) is not "the right choice", and will argue about it as they have for years, accomplishing nothing.. Those people are not invited to join with the rest of us normal people on Ch19.. They can go talk to themselves on some other channel.. My name is Queen Randy and I approve this message.