WRWE456

Interesting! Thanks for sharing that bit of history.

I would assume you have the GMRS version of the RT95? However the 144/430 antenna is a ham antenna GMRS is 462/467 MHz. They have a GMRS specific version that should work better. https://www.retevis.com/ma09-high-gain-gmrs-omni-directional-base-antenna-us

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.

Swap the antenna for a GMRS antenna.

Welcome!

Nice!

One question I like to ask people new to two way radio is " what are you wanting to use the GMRS for?" Answering that goes a long way towards getting relevant help.

If you are wanting to test an outboard antenna then it can be useful but if just wanting to test the onboard antenna then what WRXP318 said is correct as far as I know.

https://www.scadacore.com/tools/rf-path/rf-line-of-sight/ Here is a line of sight calculator. This is very helpful. You can put it in satellite view and see your locations. You can also set the heights of the antennas above the ground. The popup graph will show you what terrain is likely between your locations. This doesn't always mean it won't work but can give you an idea of what you are dealing with. I find that if a hill is very close to either antenna that is the worst, but if further away is less of a problem. Just another tool for your radio tool kit.

This is the one I use. Very well built. Very happy with it. https://www.arrowantennas.com/solid/464-7s.html

I do not think it is a problem. There was no mention of that in the instructions for my Arrow Antenna's Yagi. Mine is mounted to a steel mast and I have not has any issues.

Keep in mine with those 771G whip antennas it is even more important to keep them vertical while transmitting. The stock antennas are usually more forgiving of off vertical holding of the radio. Try the stock ones first.

Radio requires experimentation. You just have to try it to learn what works and what does not. As with many things start with the basics then work your way up as you learn more. Start with your hand held radios and learn how to use them effectively. You will learn a lot.

To add to what has already been said it sounds like a base station is what you really need. The problem as you have stated is getting antenna high enough. With an antenna above the roof you stand a good chance of reaching said near by repeater which will extend your range. Again antenna's work best when they can "see" each other. Line of sight (L.O.S.) That's why the best performing repeaters are located high on hills/mountains or towers/tall buildings. If you could put a roof top antenna up then you could run conduit in the walls from your desired radio location/room to the location on the outside wall near the peak of the roof where the antenna will go. That will allow you to pull cable through it later. You will want to keep the run as short as possible, and don't forget about grounding. There is a fair bit of research you should do first however on proper wiring.

I have heard that your body acts as a ground plane or counterpoise so it depends if you are holding the radio or not. That is why it is difficult to get meaningful SWR readings from hand held radios. Maybe one of our resident experts will comment on this?