WRYZ926

As mentioned, GMRS requires one to have a license and also to use their FCC issued call sign. No one will really care if it is just a few of you and you are out in the middle of nowhere talking on simplex. But it's a different story when you use most repeaters, The Repeater owners will expect you to follow FCC guidelines as far as using your call sign. If you don't have your license, then I suggest getting it. It's only $35 and good for 10 years. One license will cover the entire immediate family.

I am also sure that the antenna will do better once it is outside and above the roof. As Steve mentioned, make sure the base of the antenna is at least a half wavelength above the highest point of the your roof. That is only 1 foot. I just noticed how close the metal rafter plates are to the end of the antenna. That can have an effect on things. I know that some people don't have much of a choice on antenna placement but an attic is far from ideal for any vertical VHF or UHF antenna.

@WRUU653 and myself have tested the KG-Q10H. Our results are posted above. I tested on high power while he tested on ultra high power. We had different results due to power setting we each used. And you will see differences between radios even when on the same power setting. You can't go wrong with the 935G Plus. I've been very happy with mine.

Your results are similar to mine concerning the KG-Q10H. Though I tested mine on high power and not ultra high. I always forget that the Q10H has the ultra high setting. 2m - 4.43 watts 1.25m - 2 watts 70cm - 5.9 watts 6m - 1.5 watts GMRS - 3.5 watts MURS - 1.5 watts There is a definite difference from what you got on MURS and GMRS using ultra high power compared to what I got using high power. Otherwise the rest are pretty close and could be the difference between the two radios or allowed tolerances of our SureCom SW-102's

I won't worry about changing anything with my setup then. I did use terminal rings to connect my grounds inside to the all thread along with a wing nut so I can always just disconnect them when needed..

@WRUU653 I will leave my setup as it is. All of my ADU ground go directly to the ground rod and I have a separate wire from the 1/4" 20 all thread to the ground rod. I was only thinking about keeping any lightening from coming in on the 1/4" 20 all thread the all of my stations are grounded to. The all thread goes thru the wall and then down to the ground rod.

I have thought about a fused link between the ground post on my bulkhead and ground rod.. Either way, I do always disconnect everything when a lightening storm approaches. Everything els will help with near strikes and for static discharges.

I might have over did things in my setup. The service ground is in between my mast and where the coax cables enter the house. I put a ground rod at the base of the mast and another right below where the coax bulk head is. I tied both grounds rods to my service ground with 6 gauge wire. All of the ADU's are grounded to the rod at the entry point. I made my own bulkhead using metal plates and long bulkheads (to get through the wall) along with a piece of 1/4" 20 all thread for grounding. I ran grounds from all my radios and my tuner to the all thread which is also connected to the ground rod just outside.

I hae no experience with the CA-GMRS so I can't comment on it. I do have several Comet antennas and I have been very happy with all of them. I have a GP-9 and CA-712EFC base antennas along with a SBB-1 and 2x4SR mobile antennas. I don't think you will go wrong with the CA-GMRS if it is anything like the Comet antennas I have.

My preference for an OS is Mac while I don't mind using Linux. I have not cared for Windows since they released Windows 8.1. One of the issues I have with Widows is the fact that the more RAM you add, the more Windows wants to take, which does affect how much RAM you can give multiple virtual machines. Needless to say I am not a fan of Microsoft or Windows OS. Windows 2000 Pro, XP Pro, and 7 Pro were good operating systems. Windows ME, Vista and 8 were total wrecks. Windows 10 isn't bad. But Windows 11 is convoluted for system administrators which how it hides the admin menus. I wouldn't have a Windows (PC or virtual machine) in my house if I didn't need one for certain radio and model train programs. I actually have a degree in network administration and went through the Microsoft MCSE courses, Linux admin courses and Cisco CCNA courses. While MacOS is not perfect it is overall easier to deal with compared to Windows 11 and Linux. And since I am stuck with having to have a Windows PC, then I will just run Windows native programs on it versus running them in a virtual machine. Wine and other emulators don't always work well.

The reeve.com PDF file must be a good reference considering three of us have posted links to it. And nothing will protect your setup from a direct lightening strike. Read through the references we provided and go with what works best for you and still meets NEC. PS: definitely unplug everything before hand if you know a lightening storm is heading your way.

Yes there are many opinions on this subject. Your best bet is to follow NEC when it comes to grounding your antennas, coax, and radios. Here are a couple of other links that will be helpful for you. https://reeve.com/Documents/Articles Papers/Reeve_AntennaSystemGroundingRequirements.pdf https://www.arrl.org/grounding GMRS and amateur radio antennas, coax and equipment require the same grounding techniques.

Using a VM or Remote Desktop is always an option. But I would rather have Mac native software when possible. It is just easier to deal with. I have never had much luck with Wine or other emulators on Linux or Mac. The Apple ecosystem has spoiled me a bit since it is so much easier to deal with when you have multiple Mac's and Apple iPads, etc. I am currently running Mac, Linux and Windows on separate computers. The Linux computer basically runs just one program for me which is HamClock. The Windows 11 computer is currently running WSJT-X, TQSL, and Grid Tracker for running digital modes, along with my Windows only CPS programs. Anyway, I'm glad that RT Systems has come through for the AT-779/DB20G and it is working well for everyone.

I'm so glad that I set my coffee down before reading that. Coffee is hard to clean up from keyboards and monitors. And yes the RT systems is definitely worth it. While the Icom CPS is not bad, RT Systems is definitely easier to use. I am still waiting on a reply from RT systems about porting their Wouxun software over to MacOS. They did reply asking what radios but I have not heard anything else from them yet.

I have to agree with what others have said. The only way to know is to try. I would definitely check the antenna with an analyzer before and after to see what the differences are.