JoCoBrian

Hey I'm all for the Indy 600 moving to Greenwood....but pretty sure that isn't happening. Somehow someone has added a Indy 600 repeater system to the map..

Welcome from the Hoosier state!

Oh boy. YouTube is an awesome way to burn through a few hours in what seems like a few minutes. It's so easy to go down the multitudes of rabbit holes on YouTube. I might start out looking at Radio related videos, then I see a video about fishing, then more about fishing, cooking fish, cleaning fish, uh oh...there's one about how to make biscuits and gravy, and another one about guys dumpster diving for fame and profits....then here comes one about musicians, old bands...next thing you know it's dinner time.

I looked on Google, looked on the myGMRS maps, and looked in Radio Reference....and I don't see any GMRS repeaters between Hopkinsville KY and Ft Campbell. There is one just north of Russellville called Honeymoon Farm on 462.600 (no tones) with a small 5 mile foot print. There is one in/near Glasgow KY, Glasgow 625 on 462.625 with tones and a 20 mile footprint, southwest of Glasgow by about 20 miles. Other than that, I don't see much else. There could be some unlisted private repeaters, but who knows.

OH MAN!!! I forgot about those... so good.

Please excuse me but I feel I need to post something very controversial.... Girl Scout Cookies Peanut Butter Do-Si-Do's are the very best. Thin Mints are for ? There, I said it. Glad to have it off my chest.

Long time ham here, GMRS newby. You are painting with a broad brush. I hope one day you can get over it. A lot of hams are GMRS licensees, and they see the value in both radio services. The only rules any of us have to play by are the FCC part 95 rules pertaining to the GMRS. Cheer up. ?

Hehehe...OK....I have two grown adult kids and 16 grandchildren (5 of which are over 16 and drivers). Hmmm...two of my grandkids are licensed hams too. Interesting.

So by family members...does that mean all family members or just the ones living under your roof at the address on your license?

So newb question... If I am setting here listening (monitoring) the linked repeater in my area, and it's quiet, been quiet, and no one seems to be in conversation...is it cool for me to say something like "WRWI253 monitoring" in hopes of starting a conversation, or "This is WRWI253 eating lunch, who's with me?"

I'm going with the S88G because of the receiver being superhet. I wish it had VHF scanning...but I'll live. In the meantime I bought a GM-30 to play around with. It has VHF scanning, NOAA Weather, and FM broadcast reciever. It is not water proof.

That's always the best policy I think. In my experience ignoring these things seems to work better than the public attempt at shaming them on the air. It's a good practice.

Ain't that the truth. I don't know if the someone that played the siren even made a comment or did a drive by and waited to hear the response. It's been my experience on any repeater that when the clowns show up they wish to be entertained and noticed by follow up comments from the regular users. When they get that feedback they seem to enjoy it, and come back again later to try it again. Especially when it's things like name calling and passive aggressive innuendo, that goes on longer than the siren did. I find the best way to respond to a thing like that is silence. If they don't get feed back, they don't get their ego massaged, they don't get the feeling of power over those other users...and sometimes....just sometimes....they go away and bother someone else. Just an observation from yesterday.

Repeater etiquette question: Someone decides to play their siren on a other wise quiet linked repeater network for say...10-15 seconds. What's the proper number of response comments on the otherwise quiet repeater network from users once the siren stops? 5? 10? Less? More?

So...LMR400UF is the same as RG8?

I have worked with LMR400 a little bit.... is it all stiff and and non flexible or do they make some that's more flexible? If I put up a omni direction antenna on the west end of my house, I can probably cut the feedline to maybe 30 feet.

Standard wood and asphalt shingles. I have a HF dipole up there since 1998...but UHF is a different animal I am finding out. No metal duct work. House was built in 94 or 95 so they used flex pipe for all the ceiling mounted vents. Brick and Vinyl.

Based on this section of Part 95....it seems like no. § 95.1733 Prohibited GMRS uses. (a) In addition to the prohibited uses outlined in § 95.333 of this chapter, GMRS stations must not communicate: (1) Messages in connection with any activity which is against Federal, State, or local law; (2) False or deceptive messages; (3) Coded messages or messages with hidden meanings (“10 codes” are permissible); (4) Music, whistling, sound effects or material to amuse or entertain; (5) Advertisements or offers for the sale of goods or services; (6) Advertisements for a political candidate or political campaign (messages about the campaign business may be communicated); (7) International distress signals, such as the word “Mayday” (except when on a ship, aircraft or other vehicle in immediate danger to ask for help); (8) Messages which are both conveyed by a wireline control link and transmitted by a GMRS station; (9) Messages (except emergency messages) to any station in the Amateur Radio Service, to any unauthorized station, or to any foreign station; (10) Continuous or uninterrupted transmissions, except for communications involving the immediate safety of life or property; and (11) Messages for public address systems. (12) The provision of § 95.333 apply, however, if the licensee is a corporation and the license so indicates, it may use its GMRS system to furnish non-profit radio communication service to its parent corporation, to another subsidiary of the same parent, or to its own subsidiary.

What are you using for a base antenna and about how far as the eagle flies are you from the repeater? If I put my antenna at one end of the house, my feedline run is going to be about 40 feet...lossy... ? was thinking about putting the antenna in the attic right above my radio room/office/den then the feedline would be more like 12-15 feet...BUT IT WOULD BE IN the attic. Long time ham radio dude but never have I ever done anything with UHF...learning lots. ?

Newb here too...the NotaRubicon videos on YouTube are fun to watch and full of good info. Based on those and other recommendations here, I have settled on the Wouxon KG-S88G for my wife and I for HT's. Still haven't figured out the base station setup yet...I did not realize that at UHF, line loss is such a huge factor (I'm an HF guy on the amateur bands, with little to no experience with UHF), so lots to think about when it comes to feedline and where the radio will be located in conjunction with the antenna.

Thanks for the replies....now that I have learned more I don't think I need a repeater at my location. If there is a group that would be interested in putting one up in southern Johnson County, or near/in between Martinsville and Mooresville, I'd be happy to help.

The FT60R I had for five years was one of the best HT's I ever owned. When COVID hit in March 2020, we got sent home to work, we're still working at home and looks like we will be for the rest of my working life. So I sold it. I regret selling every radio I have ever sold...and that's been a bunch. Leaning hard toward the KG-S88G for GMRS. I don't really need a 2m/440 HT around here. No one to talk to and not much going on other than drive time, and I don't have any drive time now.

WRUU653....I have been digging into the poop on the KGS88G...the one feature that might be the one that makes me go that way is the fact the radio comes in pink. Yes. My sweetie pie thinks she needs a pink radio.

WRUU653 thanks for the info on the Wouxun. Having been a diehard Elecraft, and Yaesu guy I have never really ventured into the realm of Chinese radios, cheap or otherwise but I will give the KG-S88G a good look. What do you mean by wide band? MXT115 - 462.5500 ~ 462.725 MXT400 - 462.5500 ~ 462.725 Thanks!

New to GMRS, and I am looking at the MXT400 and maybe the MXT115 to set up at home for a base station. Wife and I work from home, so I don't really need a mobile radio. We're looking at 5w HTs as well. Nothing bought yet. I live well within the footprint of Indy600 and I am considering TRAM 1486 for the base antenna up on a push pole or TV mast maybe 25-30 feet. I'd feed it with coax, maybe 40 feet to the shack. I think omni directional is what I want instead of a beam...does that sound reasonable? The TRAM falls about in the middle price wise, I am seeing UHF verticals from $60 to $300 with the TRAM about $100 and seems to be recommended often. Is that reasonable? On the other end of my house I will be installing another mast with a 2m beam pointed due north to Indianapolis. I don't think that will be an interference issue...will it? MXT400 is 40w MXT115 is 15w Price diff isn't really that much. Other mobile/base units in the $250 and under range I should consider? In the realm of HTs there are SO MANY...$30 to $300 recommendations? Would like to keep the two HTs under $100 each.