WRWE456

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?

This was the first time I tested the 935G with that repeater.

Just did a test today using my KG-935G Plus hooked to my Arrow Antennas Yagi through 50' LMR400. Again I'm on top of a 500' hill in the San Juan islands with line of sight to Seattle but for a few trees in my neighborhood. Got a good signal report from a guy through the Tiger Mountain repeater 91 miles away. Not bad for 5 watts. Height and line of sight did most of it. Yagi needed? Maybe not but sure works good. Its a nice compact antenna also.

At least you don't seem to have any terrain in the way. Just dealing with vegetation and buildings mainly. I can see why the extra power helps.

Hey we have all done it. Just glad we could help sort it out.

Well I guess if everyone read the manuals we would have a lot less to talk about on these forum's LOL.

Really really hate to say it but many problems can be avoided by reading the manual. Just sayin, it's in there, page 32 with pictures.

The screw on covers on many radios are for maintaining the water and dust resistance.

I've got my popcorn. Good luck with the install!

Here is a link. Very interesting. https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/can-lmr-i

I have not seen this antenna yet but I do have an active magnetic loop antenna for my HF radio. It is a receive only antenna that works on the magnetic portion of the signal instead of the electrical portion. It does indeed work very well. It is much quieter than a normal antenna. Picks up much less electrical noise. At 36" in diameter is very compact and does not need to be high in the air to work well. Could be a promising idea. Will keep my eye out for this.

Have you seen any of Scott KS6DAY video reviews? I like his stuff. He views radios from a emcomm perspective. Has reviewed the KG-935G and calls it the best GMRS radio on the market. And has a series of videos on it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MmuHqzbXqc He is starting the review process of the KG-Q10H. Should be out in a week or so. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4sVca1MK48 He has also done a series of videos on the VX-6 not sure about the VX-6R version you can search his channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-mKibwkODI&list=PLkoi40PWhXbtpeJ0Am_Uq49eJIqMgjPp4

This is what I use. Works good for me so far. https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/dxe-wpcc88-1

Ya same here I'm not interested in repeaters. Just my local contacts.

Hi WRPT980. I also run an omni on top of the mast which is for my scanner and a Yagi for GMRS about 3 feet lower on the same mast. One thing a directional antenna does is concentrates most of your signal energy in one general direction and can help get through forests and obstructions better. I get reports of better signal quality at times with the Yagi. Also most of my contacts are in about a 30 degree arc so I seldom need to rotate it. Besides behind me is Canada (I live on the border) so no point in broadcasting in that direction. Works good for me. I like experimenting and don't mind spending the money to do so. The more I do the more I learn.