Leaderboard

We all value knowledge and experience here, but the way you're treating newcomers is out of line. Everyone starts somewhere, and being dismissive, impatient, or outright rude doesn't make you look more knowledgeable—it just makes this community less welcoming. If your goal is to actually help people learn and grow, then your attitude needs to reflect that. Otherwise, you're not building anything—you're just gatekeeping. You were new once too. Try to remember that.

If you think this place is low on active members just wait until you start listening to your radio

OK, today was the big day. I got my buddy to bring over the bucket truck. I had already made up the antenna with the cable as you all know. 1st thing to do was get the existing antenna down. So up to the lightning arrestor and cut off the water protection. Used a set of channel locks to undo the N connector. Didn't see anything that would be a water issue in there. So up the mast I went in the bucket clipping off the tie wraps as I gained altitude. Got to the antenna and loosened the nuts on the U bolt and removed the antenna. Back down to the ground. 2nd thing was to put up the guy wire system. I used a triple clamp designed for 1 1/2" mast and attached 1/8" stainless steel cable using loop thimbles and aluminum double barrel sleeves. Crimped them up using 2 sleeves. One tight against the thimble and one about 1 1/2" away where the sleeve hid the end of the cable to make it prick proof. Had 50' of cable on each of the 3 legs which I knew was more than enough. I also knew it wouldn't be too short. Up in the bucket again and mounted it about 2' from the top of the mast and opened up the looped cable and let it hang down. Back to the ground again. 3rd thing was bring up the antenna. All the way to the top this time and mounted the antenna using the U bolts that came with it. And slowly went down to unfurl the cable. Forgot to bring the tie wraps up, crap. Back down to fetch them and back up and tied the coax off about every 10" with two tie wraps at each spacing. Then to the bottom to attach into the lightning arrestor. Put the heat shrink tubing on, ya.. didn't forget LOL. And used the self fusing tape to seal the joint. Slipped the tubing over it and hit it with the heat gun at 700ºF. Back down again. 4th.. Went into the house to pull the trigger. Hit my repeater and it came back with a good signal. Hit the Holyoke repeater which I could barely do lately and I got a response from a friend that I was Lima Charley (loud and clear) which I haven't been in 6 months. SWR on my repeater frequency was 1.01. Switched to Channel 22 and the SWR was 1.00, fantastic. 5th I got the 5/16" stainless steel turnbuckles and crimping equipment and tied off one side to take the slight lean out of the antenna that I've had ever since a wind gust bent my chimney mount a bit. I put 2 more straps on and lengthened the mast 8' and tied it into the chimney with a wood working clamp which stabilized it quite a bit. The guy wire straightened out the slight lean. Had to install a screw eye that I needed the bucket to do (or a ladder, but why I had the bucket truck here) I pulled out one of the long nails holding up my gutter and put a 3/8"x8" eye hook with a PVC ferrule and it hit good. Very secure, I was worried it's be a rotted pc under the aluminum siding. But I hit a roof rafter end. Tied that off with the guy wire and crimped everything up. Time was up for the bucket truck and he went on his merry way. I gave him a pair of the TD-H3s for the help and a bit more. 6th .. One more guy wire to tie off and I just moved my truck into position and stood on my tool box and secured the guy wire and turnbuckle. Pretty much completed the job. Took about 3 hours, 2 1/2 with the bucket truck. Still have to clean up all the little tie wrap clippings. That'll be a job for tomorrow. Have to paint the blocks I put in to secure the eye hooks sometime soon.

Dimmy antennas are used to contact stations 200 miles away.

I don't like the idea of linking any repeaters for the sake of rag-chewing... but there is some practical applications that many seem to overlook. Things like remote receivers for extended talk-in to a high power repeater than can't hear handheld and other low power radios. Or, in an area that needs expanded coverage for emergency response (such as areas prone to flooding or severe snow causing issues) and any number of other situations. Maybe you own a massive farm or ranch and one repeater just won't cover it. Also, people keep saying linking repeaters is illegal and it is not. It is 100% legal. There is, however, a rule against using networks to link repeaters. You can do RF linking over GMRS frequencies (which uses more bandwidth, not a very friendly idea) or you can link repeaters over another radio service that you are licensed for. Also... just because you do or don't like something... that doesn't mean you're right. We are not in a world, or at least we shouldn't be in a world, were the majority bans what they don't like and mandates what they do. That is not freedom. If you don't like how the radio service is used near you, then don't use it.

Yet, MOST Still don't seem to understand WHY linking on this band is a BAD idea ! I'll explain it AGAIN, for those who Don't understand ... it's called Bandwidth !! You don't have enough to do this without interfering with other users on the Same band !! You have HOW many channel pairs ?? 8, EIGHT of them !! That's it !! If you start linking More than One pair, then your preventing someone Else from using that pair, out side of your range !! WHY the hell should anyone have to listen to the SAME conversation on More than one pair ??? GMRS is NOT and was Never intended to be Long range, more than 30 -50 miles. IF you Want that kind of range, then WORK for it, and take the Test and get your Amateur Radio License where Linked repeaters are Legal, because there's PLENTY of Bandwidth !! Ok, Rant mode Off ...

I always love hearing/reading opinions of others. Especially if they are different than mine, because I may learn something new that could lead to a position change. Friendly chat is always welcome. You have some very good and very valid points. I don't see anything I disagree with. Good analysis, for sure.

1. Yes 2. No

Got the voltage regulator on today it's back to normal voltage, now I can get radio back in tomorrow if it doesn't rain. Thanks again, WSEK634

He was actually new twice here. He quit once, had his name purged, and then slunk back in. That’s why there are all those idiotic posts attributed to “Guest” in the non-guest forums.

Chinese Spy Baloon

You can still see how people react to him. I added him to my ignore list a while ago and it really has made my life easier.

I'm sure you folks are getting great coverage where you are, but there are a lot a variables that make it so that works in those situations. It becomes problematic for a vast majority of the US. On the ocean or in perfectly flat land areas, if you have an antenna that is on a 100' mast, you are only covering 14 mile radius. Even if you bump to a 300' mast (which cost over $1m for a good commercial grade 300' tower) you are only looking at a radius of about 25 miles. To cover 100 miles (200 total miles end to end) your antenna needs to be almost 1 mile above the average terrain. That simply isn't possible in a vast majority of the US. If you are able to put an antenna on a mountain that overlooks a valley, you are golden, though. We have one of our antennas 1,000 feet above average terrain and we are barely pushing it a 45 miles, with dead spots inside that coverage area due to terrain. That particular repeater is known throughout the mid-Atlantic for being one of the top 3 repeaters, even when we include amateur radio coverage, and the top coverage repeater for GMRS in the area. Due to the terrain limits here, people/companies running farms need networked radios for reliable coverage and most of them are using commercial radio for it.

Any 50 ohm dummy load that is rated for the maximum power output of your radio is just fine. Understand that there are continuous power ratings and ratings that are derated based on time and output power.

I have no idea the impact of the Heliax. It was only 25', less than 1/3rd the run. But the price difference wasn't that great so I said just do it. Was more worried about the problem of different metals in the coax blah blah blah. Plus this is an N connector antenna and the other was a 239 which isn't waterproof. The main reason is I already had to do it twice, and I do not plan on doing it a 3rd time.

Likewise Mark.. I appreciate your opinions as well. And i admit, i have learned a lot from your post.

from what i see, most people are linking repeaters through the internet because of its simplicity and easy access to equipment. Yes, you can link via radio waves and yes that would be legal, but i doubt it is the most used approach.. So if you want my opinion on linking, i don't agree with it GMRS Linking because they are not managed systems. No frequency coordination's, no consideration to other users wanting to exercise their rights as a GMRS user. And then where i draw the line with the practice is when someone doing it is making money doing it. And yes that is happening, I've spoke with someone that admitted to it. Fortunately they are in the process of decominishing due to the rule clarification.

Checking in from Spring Hill. I'm in the middle of the Thompson Station, Franklin and Rutherford repeater areas. Would really like to know if/when people are on the net and what channel so I can start making contacts.

Yeah, the radio doesn't get the love that some of the Wouxuns and other fairly popular models get. But it's really pretty solid. Very close to the full 40w across the GMRS range (within, say, 5% in my most recent testing). Good sound quality. I kind of wish that it had more than six character channel labels. I like the "left" and "right" side option; I set the left up for scanning repeaters, and set the right up for the channels my family is most likely to use, as well as for open scanning. Signal reports are favorable, though that has a lot to do with the antenna and geography. It has some quirks. From the front panel you can only swap between low and high power. But within chirp there are five power options. I usually set "medium" power in the programming using Chirp, knowing that I can push the power button to get to high if I need it, for example. But I've been using it about a year now in my dusty old Bronco and it has held up great.

Thanks everyone for the responses the vehicle in question is a 1994 ford f-150 and I could kick myself in the hind end for not thinking about the voltage regulator, I am also a small engine mechanic and should have figured that one out. I reckon my old age is starting show. Again Thanks to everyone for the help, I'll be getting a voltage regulator tomorrow and putting it on. WSEK643

Welcome aboard, I monitor Thompson Station, Brentwood, both Franklin and Grasslands repeaters. We have not set up a formal net, but with 44 members we should be able to set up some days and times for shout outs.

So it's, as stated above "We did some things." I guess I can live with that since it didn't brick the radio I tried it on. (And I must say that updating via the USB-C port is much more convenient than using a Kenwood programming cable.) Anyway, thanks for the info and feedback.

Anybody can come up with scenarios where any use could be helpful. The issue is, is GMRS as specified in the regs, the right service for your usage scenario. If not, and you want FCC to make a change, then propose that. Just going rogue because it suits your purpose makes you a radio outlaw. Part of the the issue is just the precise meaning of what "illegal" means in this context. We should refer to violation rather than illegal since it is about regulations. But I think it is generally understood that illegal in the radio context means violating FCC regs. Linking over RF is not explicitly prohibited in the wording of the regs. But it is at least discouraged in the rule clarification where it explains any linking is bad. As far as I have ever heard or read, starting with ham, mixing radio services is prohibited by regulation. There are no other frequencies that I know of that can legally (haha) carry GMRS conversations. If you know of some, can you list the frequency and/or the service? Sounds a lot like "our country, love it or leave it". Leaving if you don't like how it is used would be fine IF EVERYONE WAS FOLLOWING THE RULES. Leaving because some people want to break the rules is just running away rather than fighting.

He is incapable of actually being helpful. He prefers to make himself look like a rhee-tard every chance he gets. This is the recommended fix:

FWIW, several years ago I ordered the Browning base loaded NMO antenna. Hole mounted it on the right rear fender of a 08 or 09 Hyundai Sonata (older and better body style). It performed very well with an Anytone Smart CB inside. I found the performance as good as any Wilson 1000 or K-40 I ever used. Unfortunately, the car was totaled with in a wreck with a dump truck. My next car was bought in a rush and I had no real estate for antennas. If I ever get another car or truck, it WILL have a CB and this is the antenna I plan to use. https://www.amazon.com/Browning-BR-140-Land-Mobile-Antenna/dp/B0043I6FJA/ref=asc_df_B0043I6FJA?mcid=55684a0f4a963b8bb4dfae26a94289f4&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=693362547589&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7567373534784621621&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1021278&hvtargid=pla-761964227712&psc=1 Note: As with most CB antennas you WILL need to trim the whip. An SWR meter will be necessary.

Nope. Never heard of a dummy antenna. Dummy load? Yes. Dummy antenna? Nope. Another question that could have been answered by a quick internet search.

EMR Corp, Celwave, and any quality brand from a Radio Electronics Retailer that measures out at 50 ohms with the appropriate power rating for the radio you are testing.

Any 50 ohm load rated for 50W or more.

There are still a few pretty active linked repeaters around me. Still programmed in the radio but set to skip on scan. There is just way to much garbage - from dead keys for hours on end, kerchunking, folks thinking they are GMRS police or professors (take your pick), irrelevant out of state traffic, bad voip connections, etc. Just no real control to be had. All the problems you may see on your local repeater and then some multiplied many times over. Don't really care if they exist or not - just not my thing.

The most surprising thing was I thought it would take me 2 hours with the bucket truck and I did it in 2 1/2. Usually you are off by a factor of at least double when you do things you aren't use to doing. And the original guestimate of time didn't really include the guy wires other than putting the harness on the mast. We attached 2 to the house which probably took about 20 minutes and then cleanup. I was very happy with how it progressed and the results. With my other antenna, even before the water infiltration issue going from my house to my shop repeater was usually R3-R5. Every once in a while it was R7. I had an wind issue that bent my mounting hardware at the shop repeater and that's when I had the best connection. I ended up turning the repeater antenna 10º and that helped a lot for some reason. Cheap antenna I'm guessing. Now with the new setup from my house it's coming in R9, not quite full quieting. But miles different than before. So between going from 7.2dBi to 9.8dBi gain and the new antenna being 5' taller (raising the center of radiation 2 1/2 ft) it made a world of difference. Now I have to investigate what's bad on the other setup. The antenna or the coax. Hoping the antenna so I can keep the length of coax for future repurposing.

thats the 'sand box' i was pointing out

Thankfully all laws (and rules) are moral and good... (I actually think that not linking repeaters on GMRS is a good rule. But rules are only as good as the enforcement thereof. If no one's going to enforce it....)

only if your created another FRN in your name which i think would be difficult if the information is the exact same. The FCC would have flagged that letting you know you can't create a duplicate FRN... If you have two FRN's in your name then i would say something like name spelling, address etc is different between the two.

If you give it a try, let me know what you think.

Good idea. And a new voltage regulator should fix it. You definitely don't have to worry about computer modules always on and putting a constant drain on the system with a vehicle of that age.

Ah, you too. My employee number at work is 666. Don’t know if that’s lucky or not.

Man oh man what are we going to do with you two. Only 12 donuts and a 24 pack of beer for all of us. Fer shame Fer shame Fer shame.

Damn, and I only brought a 24 pack of beer.

if you are on a high floor and/or if you are on a hill/above a valley, etc, then all you need is a mobile/car antenna on a cookie-sheet in the window.. I am able to get ~20 miles of farz this way with my repeater. Your farz may vary.

I am not aware of any freeways with sidewalks and traffic signals. But it has us all talking about it so mission accomplished!

I would believe the cracks in fiberglass radome theory, i've actually seen some poor quality radomes in my time. When a bird can crash into one and kill it, you know the quality of these are in the dump somewhere.

AI is something to tread lightly with. I Don't trust ANY AI apps or programs,but then I have trust issues, anyway.

Gmrs is growing. That is a fact attested to by how many new licenses are sold on the fcc web site. This is from my experience the most active gmrs site. This is pretty much it. Love it or leave it. the vast huge most almost all gmrs users only use it to communicate with family and friends while doing stuff. Much of what I see is off roading, atv, hunting and horse back riding. Many of those people don’t need better longer latest or greatest radios. They don’t need repeaters. They just want to talk 5-10 miles reliably. Most people I know do not have time or need for a site like this.

Gotta be careful with Google AI with these technical/administrative questions. I've been trying to help a blind Canadian immigrant get his US ham license. Due to the difficulty in studying, he is having great difficulty with the Tech exam and after unsuccessful several tries, he was looking for an easier way. Google AI told him his existing Canada license can be 'converted' to an equivalent grade US amateur radio license, which, after much legwork and investigation, we determined is NOT true. The actual situation is that one must pass the US exam to get the US license. Period. The corollary is that he CAN operate under a reciprocal agreement using his Canadian ticket while in the US until a) his Canada license expires, or b) until he becomes a US citizen. I think this is the point Google AI misunderstood and misrepresented - reciprocation vs conversion. Bottom line: Google AI rendered incorrect information that gave the guy false hope and took us a couple weeks to clear up.

California is a state that's not known for common sense and practical solutions. All prisoners, especially death row inmates, should be sentenced to hard labor stamping out Baofeng and Midland radios for sixteen hours a day. Quality would increase 10-fold and they could use 60/40 solder so they get their daily allowance of lead. Plus, since they would be "Made with Pride In The USA" they are totally tariff free. Nothing worse than not using all those "natural resources" we have sitting on their asses.

What about all of those junky/crappy radios (Midlands, TidRadios, Retevis, Wouxun, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc) that were "junk" - and you "threw straight into the trash can" ? Are you staying that instead of taking advantage of the warranties on ALL of those radios that you seem to know so much about and have told us you purchased, and "threw straight into the trash", you never even once considered getting a replacement instead?

That is a logical fallacy that I see used constantly in GMRS. This service is literally one of the last wideband outside of T-Band UHF in places like NYC/Boston/Chicago/LA, and Low-Band VHF. T-Band equipment is typically used in GMRS as well as most 450-512 equipment is relevant, but not ALL equipment will operate in GMRS (Quantars having multiple band splits for example). That leaves a LOT of equipment like MSF5000s, MSR2000s, and similar antiques that are still being used for GMRS, not to mention that a lot of the equipment I mention is Part 90 certified and this community has spun its wheels on agreeing that Part 90 equipment should exist in GMRS and push for THAT rule change among others. Point being: GMRS capable repeater equipment is not "expensive" by any stretch, just more expensive than the race-to-the-bottom radios everyone is buying to use on them. This is a snowball effect of GMRS users starting at the 2017 rule change acting like this is the modern CB and now everyone is feeling the effects. Part 90 equipment is not permitted explicitly and limits equipment options, the 2017 rule change deregulated bubble pack radios which with FRS channels being narrowband interstitials in-between GMRS channels means GMRS narrowbanding would be a monumental effort that assumes all those bubble pack radios would not be around to cause interference, THEN we can talk about linking and other resources. This should be a cautionary tale about how apathy and lack of engagement to keep a service beneficial to the public comes back to bite everyone. Now with all that said - its not hard to imagine why the FCC had to turn GMRS to a 10 year license and drop the fee to $35 - who wants to pay good money for this mess?

You didn't mention the most important part of the update. "linking repeaters is not in the public interest. Because GMRS spectrum is limited and used on a shared “commons” basis, the service only works well on a localized basis when users can hear each other and cooperate in the sharing of channels. Linking repeaters not only increases the potential for interference, but also uses up a limited spectrum resource over much larger areas than intended, limiting localized availability of the repeater channels." Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

I decided to go with a separate unit install instead of just accessing GMRS using my VHF/UHF. This means installing another antenna on my FJ Cruiser. This is enough antennas to push me over the line, drop the headliner and install NMO mounts instead of the "clamp-On" that I am currently using. This got me to looking at the Larson NMO tunable, a favourite when I was playing with radios more often. Realizing how short the wavelength is, has anyone played with different lengths? The "no ground plane" feature is pointless as it is going to go on a big sheet of steel (the roof). The bit of gain is more valuable to me. I then got to thinking of full wave, I can't think of anyone I know ever using full wave, there has to be a good reason not to, but I am not thinking of any. The antenna comes pretty long, with the intention of being cut, but it can't be un-cut. Any thoughts? Next question, what is the most common Fr to cut the GMRS antennas to?