WRXW945

I see my giant UV-5R pez dispenser idea is gaining traction. I vote we put @OffRoaderX 's head on the top since he's responsible for more people getting in to radio than most.

I have a few Baofeng UV-9g radios and they work very well. Good price point and very water resistant. Like WRUU653 said not superhetrodyne so squelch isn't great, but if you're in a low radio traffic area, it's not a big deal.

A good way to see the terrain between you and your friend is a line-of-sight tool like link below. Scadacore.com had a better one, but their site seems to be down as of this post. Our cabin in up by Alpena has some serious elevation changes (300') depending on the direction. We can get anywhere from 4-10 miles using simplex with a vehicle mounted MTXA26 Midland MTX400 (SWR 1.1) and 15' tower mount MTXA26 Baofang HT (SWR 1.5). I have done some testing and agree, its all about antenna height and terrain. https://www.solwise.co.uk/wireless-elevationtool.html

Happened to me yesterday. Was driving and heard a repeater in Macomb MI 120 miles away. Always fun.

You could try programming your radio with the default "open repeater" ctcss tones - 141.3. Press the transmit button and identify yourself. Listen for the repeater acknowledgement buzz or someone to reply. I'd go further into detail but I'm phone posting.

What type of stake pocket mounts are those? I'd really like to put my MTXA26 on one.

Wife's Jeep has the spare tire bracket tailgate antenna mount with the MTXA26. SWR is 1.4-1.7 using the Midland https://a.co/d/4eu4GcG . Not perfect but I'll take it considering finding a good groundplane on a stock jeep is a joke.

I have flown with several 18650 cells in my carry on bags without issue. Use them for vape, flashlights, and battery banks. TSA never had a problem with them as long as I took them out and placed in tub with electronics. The nice thing is you can take a bunch of them with you and it won't exceed the capacity restrictions b/c they are not hooked together to create one battery. The last time I flew, I think I had at least 20 of them in my carry on. Got some funny looks, but wasn't even questioned. Maybe I just got lucky. I have also taken a couple UV-5r HT's in my carryon without issue, TSA wanted batteries disconnected through the check, but no one cared if I reattached to the radios afterwards. I did take the antennas off though, just for easier packing.

Another thing you might consider is doing is: 1. Get a cheap magnetic NMO mount and antenna, something like: https://a.co/d/fL53Q6C . (I know others will say its junk and to get the midland stealth or MTXA26, but were testing and want cheap. Plus you can still use the mag mount and get another antenna. MTXA26 and Midland mag mount links incase you want to pay for good stuff https://a.co/d/2GPfkmc https://a.co/d/1Hoan00) 2. Magnet it to the center of a steel sheet pan and place it in an open window on your top floor aimed at the repeater. (you'll need an adaptor like https://a.co/d/9q4bDhf to attach it to to your HT.) 3. Test if you can hit the repeater. Additionally, there is 18' ish of cable so you could potentially place the antenna and pan on your roof or even mag mount antenna on the roof of your vehicle for mobile testing. Good Luck! Edit: Saw this on Notarubicon. Gotta give credit where credit is due.

Schrödinger's frequencies.

If you are only looking to hit the repeater and not simplex communication, maybe try a yagi antenna. They are very directional so you would have to aim it at the repeater properly, but they offer substantial gain increases compared to omni directional antennas. I don't have a ton of experience with them, but others here could probably offer up some suggestions on which one to buy.

Ohh yeah, I forgot to mention that. I agree with WRQG411 on the Midland PL259 mount / cable. I was able hide the cable in the gap between the frame and the fender cover fabric. Just loosen the bolts holding the top on and shove the cable behind them. From there you can run the same line down until you reach the rear floor mat.

Also take a look at the Midland MXTA26 antenna. We put one on the wife's 23' Wrangler (Not a Rubicon) using a spare tire mount. Works great and sticks up about 2" over the roof top. https://www.amazon.com/Hooke-Road-Antenna-Bracket-Wrangler/dp/B07XDHS1LR?ref_=ast_sto_dp

Man I miss the old RatShacks. -off topic, I know.

Make sure you turn the auto lock feature on, and turn off the reset menu with CHIRP. We were on the trails one day and wife some how managed to reset her radio attempting to do who knows what. While I did enjoy the silence, trail reprogramming sucks!