nokones

Because they make a good ground and I have had this for centuries so I decided to use it. There was no ground at the antenna bracket except through the coax. With all the electronics and if the antenna mount isn't grounded you are subject to transmitting noise to other electrical components. This antenna was not GMRS or UHF. It is a VHF Highband 150 Meg antenna.

HAM radio operators or any non-public safety/first responder are not automatically qualified to conduct Search & Rescue or Recovery operations in the field during any disaster event unless they have been trained, and possess the required physical and mental attributes and have been certified by a regulatory or an public safety entity to do so under direction/guidance of the responsible public safety agency.

It was my understanding that Consumer Cellular was/is leasing services from Verizon. Is that still the case and if so, from the system uptime reliability perspective, what have you accomplished, except for maybe a lower rate and a lower priority in the pecking order on use of the system when the system gets overloaded.

Well, tuning my Laird/ TE Connectively B1442 Non-Groundplane antenna was very eventful and educational and I wasted a perfect and my last spare mini-UHF connector for nothing. I guess I got sorta impatient and less-than-confident with myself regarding installing the connector on the antenna coax. My VSWR reading was buried in the infinity zone and my 50-watt radio was measured with 10 watts forward with a bunch of reflected power according to my recently calibrated Bird 43 meter and slug. Humm, I may have a short or open circuit somewhere in the coax or at the mount. So, just be on the safe side, I get my Telewave In-Line RF Watt meter and check the readings again and they were the same. Also, I disconnected the antenna lead and connected a dummy load and I was transmitting 50 watts. So, thinking that I may have screwed up the installation of the mini-UHF connector on the coax, I decided to whack off the mini-UHF connector and install a PL 259 connector. The VSWR reading was no different than the mini-UHF connector at that point, I thought that I may have whacked off and wasted a perfectly installed mini-UHF connector unnecessarily. I decided to use a magmount to check the antenna and the VSWR was 8 or so but, I haven't cut the antenna yet. So, I cut the antenna based on the cut-chart for my targeted center resonance of 154 Megs which I whacked off 6 inches of the antenna element. The VSWR was 4+. Ok, at least the antenna is good and heading in the right direction and no doubt that the antenna element at full length was contributing to the infinity reading. So, I decided to start checking the antenna grounding system. My newly installed ground strap definitely had ground continuity to the mounting bolt, but not to the mounting bracket. I removed the bracket and wire-wheeled the paint off the bracket and reinstalled the bracket, and I had ground continuity at the bracket for the antenna coax mount to make a bonded ground. I reinstalled the antenna and mounting bracket to the vehicle, and I decided to start tuning the antenna with a Rig-Expert AA-650 Antenna Analyzer. I got to 1.4:1 VSWR at 154 Megs by cutting off 4 more inches of the antenna element to make a total of 10 inches that were cut-off and 4 inches less than what the cut chart specified. I decided to check the forward and reflected power with the Bird and my readings were a tad 50+ forward and what I estimate something way less than a watt reflected and the needle movement came pretting close of representing a VSWR of 1.3:1. That made me very happy. Very valuable lesson learned and I have extra mini-UHF connectors on order, but, I'll leave the PL 259 on the cable.

Thank you. I just had to feed my addiction. I won't have many freqs program except for the Part 90 Business Radio Service freqs I'm licensed for, and the MURS channels for receive only since I can't get radio powered down to 2 watts so I can listen in my travels. The CPS will only allow me to take it to 10 watts.

I'm just finishing up with a third radio in my 23 Wrangler Rubi 2 Dr. to complement my Motorola XTL5000 High Powered Remote Mount UHF radio and my Cobra 25 LTD Classic AM/FM CB Radio. My third radio is a Motorola XTL2500 Remote Mount 840 Channel VHF radio. I 'm going to use a Laird TE Connectivity B1442 Base Load Non-Groundplane antenna hanging on the driver's side at the cowl with a Rugged Radio mount. I have the radio installed and the electrical connected however, I am waiting on a Powerwerx Anderson Power Pole Distribution Block. I had to remove my CB, Garmin Navigation Systems from the existing distribution block in order to power the newly installed radio. Essentially, all I have left to do, is finished up on the antenna mount grounding system, running the NMO antenna mount cable, install the Mini UHF connector on the cable, and tune the antenna. I intend to do that tomorrow. I called it a day at 3PM Arizona time. I've been out in the garage since 8AM and it was 113 degrees. Then, I will need to program the radio.

This is where I mounted my Cobra 25 LTD Classic AM/FM CB Radio in my 23 Wrangler Rubi 2 Dr.

I may want to forego this trail so I can keep my fenders on.

Jeep Creeps don't drive Jeeps, they wheel them.

Some repeaters will not kickback or have a squelch tail. Also, some repeaters may have a reverse burst or squelch tail eliminator feature setting. If you put your mobile/portable in the monitor (PL/DPL Defeat) mode you may hear a squelch tail.

@Marcspaz Too bad we live many States apart. I would love to join you in your test.

Today was my first opportunity to try out the CB FM mode. I had a friend help me with my own CB radio, I took out of my Dually Diesel, and put it in his Avalanche. He was the transmitting source. I actually like the audio quality of the CB FM radio mode. If I remember correctly, my modulation peaked at 85% and my CB radios are not modified.

About a month or two ago, there was a discussion on that the CB Radio FM Mode may be something that should be looked at to consider bringing back the use of the CB radio for uses such as Off-Road Trail Comms. I stated that the CB FM Mode would probably propagate or provide better communications than the CB with AM modulation, and even better than FRS. Some Forum members disagreed but no one could cite any facts or back up their statements. I related that I think the CB FM modulation would have a better signal-to-noise ratio thus, better communication Farz. I also stated that as time permits, I would conduct a radio comparison test. Well, that day came, and I conducted the subject test comparing the communications with FRS, CB AM, and CB FM. I kept the test simple, and I did not record any RSSI (Radio Signal Strength Indicator) readings. I just did the ol’ hoot & howler type test to see if you can hear the communication and determine the usable distance and audio quality between the three subject radio transmissions. The test was conducted essentially in a desert environment on flat terrain, with a slight dip in elevation for a dry creek bed and a test point was conducted in that dip, consisting a few cacti, pucker bushes, and giggly weeds, with no other obstacles. A 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche was the Stationary Transmitting Point using a Cobra 29 LTD Classic Nightwatch AM/FM CB Radio with a Firestik II 4 Ft. Antenna in the center of the roof. CB Ch. 16 was used for both the AM & FM modes and the antenna was tuned at less than 1.1:1 VSWR. The CB Radio operated in the AM Mode with a Dead Carrier, no modulation, at 3.5 RF watts and was drawing 14.01 DC volts at 1.12 amps; and 3.9 RF watts with modulation, at 14.00 DC Volts and was drawing 1.46 amps. In FM mode, the radio was emitting 3.7 RF watts with essentially no difference in power draw. The data collection vehicle was a 2023 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon using a Cobra 25 LTD Classic CB AM/FM radio with a Firestik II 5 Ft. Antenna tuned to less than 1.1:1 VSWR and the antenna located on the rear Spare Tire Carrier Bracket near the passenger side of the vehicle. The data collection consisted of collecting test data every ¼ mile driving away from the stationary vehicle. The test concluded at the 3.25 mile checkpoint. The data collection vehicle operated the radio squelch level at the threshold of squelching out the noise. The FRS radios were two Midland LXT radios with fully charged batteries. The stationary vehicle transmitted on the FRS radio from inside the vehicle as a user would be doing on an actual off-road trail run and the test collection vehicle was receiving the communication transmission from inside the vehicle as an user would be doing on an off-road trail run. The RF output power was not checked due to the inability to measure. The FRS became non-existent passed the ¾ mile mark. The CB AM signal was good and quiet up to the 1 mile mark. The next ½ mile, the signal was readable but RF noisy. At the 2 & 2 ¼ mile marks the signal was barely readable. At the 2 ½ mile mark the signal was non-existent and covered by possible skip interference. In the FM mode, the signal was very good essentially full quieting for the first 1 ½ miles. From the 1 ¾ mile mark to the 2 ¾ mile mark, the signal was readable with some RF noise. At the 3-mile mark, the signal was very noisy but readable. At the 3 ¼ mile mark, the signal was very noisy and unreadable. In conclusion, the FM signal transmissions outperformed the AM signal transmissions. Based on these results on what would be the best Off-Road Trail Comm., I think the FM CB transmission has a good chance of being a very good trail comm. I think a test on an actual off-road trail with trees/foliage would be warranted to see what would be best under trail conditions. There is no doubt that any VHF or UHF mobile radio with RF output power higher than an FRS would perform better. I think that I just may conduct that test once I get my XTL VHF radio installed in my Jeep which will occur in the near future so I can conduct a comparison radio test between the VHF & UHF radios on the trail.

PS: My addiction problem is not an addiction problem. It is an addiction that I enjoy and I am glad that I have this addiction and it has been a load of fun and I highly recommend and welcome it for anyone who wants to indulge. I'm sure our beloved Queen has a term that he can coin for this addiction.

My addiction started in the very early 70s and it wasn't with a CB radio, it was with RCA and Motorola radios and I was a user. Then I got into CB radios in the mid 70s because my Van Club thought it was a good idea to communicate among our selves during the Van runs. My career evolved with the use of two-way radio communications in more ways than I ever could imagine for over 36 years. I saw the technology of radios from the days of "Tubes" to what we see today, well at least up to almost 20 years ago, when I retired from Government Services as a Middle Manager. During my career, I was involved in several radio communications task forces with local and federal agencies. I was also lead in numerous special events (political conventions, Olympics, world cup soccer, world series, super bowls, etc.) and emergency incidents (earthquakes, floods, fires, riots) as part of my responsibilities. When I was not planning for special events and emergency incidents, I was planning and managing numerous communications projects such as developing new communications centers and designing/implementing new simulcast systems and correcting/eliminating radio system deficiencies, and designing radio system and equipment solutions to problems. In the early 90s, I bought my first real radio, a Motorola HT1000. I programmed the radio with GMRS simplex channels and I used them as part of my Motorsports car racing activities throughout the country. Subsequently, I obtained a GMRS Station Authorization, KAG0097. In 2008, I moved and didn't realized that I let my GMRS license expire by a couple months so when I tried to renew my license, I was issued WQJT335. In the mid-90s, my radio equipment started to grow at that point with the purchase of MT2000 radios. Also, I obtained a Business Radio Service License, WPMQ975, with several Part 90 frequencies. A few months ago, I applied for an additional Business Radio Service License and was granted WSEC911. There were virtually no GMRS repeaters in the early days. As of today, my list of radio equipment has grown to a super addiction. In the interest of time, I am not going to list all the tools and support equipment, spare parts & components, I have obtained that helps occupies my time these days and keeps me from being bored when I am not out stirring up the dust off-roading, car racing, or involved with my several radio and car club activities. My equipment list: 1-Motorola HT1000 5-Motorola MT2000 (2-A7 3-A4) 1-Motorola MTS2000 (Model II) 4-Motorola Astro Sabers (1-Type I, 1-Type II, and 2-Type IIIs) 4-Motorola XTS1500 (3-Type II UHF, 1-Type II VHF 1-Motorola XTS2500 (Type II) 3-Motorola XTS3000 (Type II) 7-Motorola XTS5000 (6-Type II UHF, 1-Type II VHF) 3-Motorola XTS5000 (Type III FPP) 4-Motorola XTS5000 (2-Type III UHF, 2-Type III VHF) 3-Midland LXT FRS 1-Motorola DTR700 900 MHz (FHSS) 1-Motorola MCS2000 4-Motorola XTL2500 840 channel (3-UHF, 1-VHF) 2-Motorola XTL5000 Dash Mount (Base Units) 2-Motorola XTL5000 Remote Mount 2-Motorola XTL5000 High Powered Remotes (1-Dually Diesel P/U, 1-Jeep Wrangler Rubi) 2-Kenwood TK880-1 (1-Temp. Porsche, 1-Loaner Radio) 1-Midland MXT500 (Loaner Radio) 1-Wouxun KG1000G Plus (Loaner Radio) 1-Vertex-Standard EVX-R70-G-7 (Repeater Station) (Same as Motorola XPR8400) 1-Cobra 25 LTD Classic AM/FM CB Radio (Jeep) 1-Cobra 29 LTD Classic Nightwatch AM/FM CB Radio (Dually Diesel) 1-Cobra 19 DX III CB Radio (Spare) 1-Cobra 19 DX IV CB Radio (Spare) I do feel like a fix coming on in the near future. I just downloaded the Mototrbo CPS and acquired the Programming Cable for the XPR mobiles and portables and will be diving into the DMR stuff with them soon. I would like to acquire an APX mobile (VHF/UHF) in the future but I'm not sure about the portables yet. I have an extreme high investment in the audio accessories for the JEDI & the Astro 25 Digital (XTS) series radios such as my race car comm interface, headsets, speaker mics, adapter cables, earpieces, etc. and the APX series radios are not compatible with those accessories.

Pine needles, especially wet pine needles, will have a tremendous affect and will fully antenuate the signal on 800 MHz.

You are obviously an Einstein on the subject wireline and microwave.

If the subject repeater stations are within the same capture-affect zone would not transmit a tone or code and run CSQ on the downlink and all the mobile stations would cooperate and share alike and play nice, it would work out very well. In otherwords, no simultaneous transmissions from the mobile stations. Have patience and be courteous and considerate to others.

A microwave link with frequencies allocated and ruled by Part 101, Fixed Microwave Services, is not a wireline link. A wireline link is involving the regulated public switching network of a telephone communications company. So, with that being said, how do you figure that a microwave control link of GMRS stations is a violation of Part 95, subpart E? Please cite the affected rule saying a microwave control link is prohibited. Also, where did you come up with that a microwave control link is a wireline control link? I would like to hear your definition on that one.

Both of the two cited rules refer to wireline control. There is nothing that is wireline control with RF Operational Fixed Stations such as Microwave or 70 MHz control.

Huh? I hope you are referring to the mobile device meaning high up (up link) (transmitting) to the repeater and low (down link) (receiving) down from the repeater.

It depends on how you link the repeaters. I don't see in the rules where a network of linked repeaters by RF such as any operational fixed equipment such as Microwave or even an in/out of band FX1 station, such as 70 Meg control, is prohibited by rule. Anyone?

As 381 stated, GMRS Part 95, Subpart E type-accepted radios have to be locked and not be able to FPP by rule.

He's a member of the Beep clan.

And if you use a Lithium battery you will need the appropriate Lithium Battery charging system for maintaining the battery properly.