WRYZ926

Yes that is an option as is using a regular GMRS mobile programed with CHIRP to keep it set on low power, etc. No one in that family has a GMRS license and they are not interested in getting one. Grampa has been licensed for amateur radio since the 60's and will get his grandson licensed when he gets a little older. I will pass on the information though.

The HF bands are still dead this morning. 20m is the only band with any decent activity right now. So far VHF and UHF has not been affected. Here are a few photos I took last night. I used my iPhone 14 to take the photos. I could not see the green with naked eyes.

One of our club members has been considering how to make a FRS base station for his grandson. We talked about taking the guts of a FRS radio and installing everything in a 3D printed body to keep the antenna permanently attached. His grandson is about 7 years old and loves talking on the radio with his grandpa. As far as assembling an AR. I use nothing but simple hand tool for the lower while sitting at my desk or on the couch. I only use a vice and torque wrench for attaching the barrel and muzzle device on the upper. Otherwise I hand assemble the rest of the upper at my desk too. @Davichko5650 your post made me smile remembering all the gags we would pull on each other when I was in the Army.

I am using the MXTA12 and Melowave mag mounts and I haven't had any issues. The Melowave has been holding my Comet 2x4SR to the expanded metal rack on my SxS without any issues.

I was on 20M FT8 when the aurora popped up over mid Missouri earlier. I could tell when I started getting a lot of noise show up on my WSJT-X waterfall. I stepped outside and got some good photos of the aurora. I haven't noticed much effect on 2m, 70cm, or GMRS tonight. But the HF bands were definitely affected. I did make a few contacts on 6m this evening. Everyones voices sounded digitized and weird.

I have to agree with @WRWE456, more information is needed so we can make recommendations. If you have eight restrictions, then something like the Nagoya UT-72G or Tram 1174 will work well. The Nagoya is 19" long and the Tram is even shorter. The Comet 2x4SR is an excellent antenna if you don't have to worry about height restrictions, it is around 38" long. As mentioned, the center of the cab roof is the best spot. A lip mount on the hood or mounting on the top of the bed rails will work but not ideal or as good as the cab. I agree that going with a NMO mount is best. Go with a magnet mount if you don't want to drill any holes. The Midland and Melowave magnet mounts are pretty nice at reasonable prices.

@kidphc I agree having a turn key option is a good idea. B-Tech needs to work on their duplexer setup first. They could offer a duplexer setup for a single repeater channel for now and let customers choose which channel when ordering. That would give them time to perfect the current multi channel duplexer.

I wonder if B-Tech is trying to do too much with the built in duplexer by having it work on all the repeater channels. After talking to people more knowledgeable on the subject, they sure think so. Duplexers that are small enough to fit into a repeater will not work as well as separate external duplexers. And that is why we went with a separate duplexer when we set up our Bridgecom GMRS repeater.

The Retevis and Midland repeaters are good for covering a smaller area or for limited use. I would personally stick with a Bridgecom repeater or a used Motorola repeater programmed for GMRS if you want something more powerful that the Retevis/Midland repeaters.

I watched the video and I have to say kudos for B-Tech's customer service . I am underwhelmed about the repeater though. Too bad they can't get the repair parts in. I don't blame you for getting a refund.

While the TYT hand mics for their mobile radios are fine, their hand held mics are a different story. I have an Explorer QRZ-1 with hand mic that is nothing but a TYT UV88 with custom firmware. And the two hand held Baofeng hand mics I have aren't any better. I had to open up the mic hole on all three hand mics.

How long have you had your 935G and is it the Plus model? I bought my 935G Plus in November 2023 and it came with the USB-C chargeable battery.

You are correct that the concepts don't change. I am use to working with electronic components for industrial machine controls which work a little different that when in radios. That has tripped me up a little.

A reminder that the Extra question pool changes either next month or July. Wait to buy any Extra study guides until they have been updated. I passed my General test in January and went ahead and took the Extra test. I got 50% on the Extra without even studying for it. I need to start studying again for the Extra.

Baofeng and TYT hand mics have the same issue with the mic hole being too small.

You will definitely do better with a base antenna. Get it as high as you can and also use the best quality coax you can afford. LMR400 or equivalent is the best. Location, terrain, structures, etc will affect how far away you can talk. My antenna is at 18 feet above ground and I talk to guys at 18 miles and 22 miles away on simplex. Their antennas are at 40 feet and 60 feet above ground. We are all using Comet CA-712EFC antennas. All three of us are using the Wouxun KG-1000G as our base stations.

That is a common issue with hand mics, especially the cheaper mics. About the only good mics I have used in the past were the Motorola mics.

The 935G + is a very popular radio. Several of my local club members use the 935G +, including myself. The 20 watt KG-XS20G Plus mobile radio uses basically the same internals and screen as the 935G + and is an excellent 20 watt mobile.

That is definitely a question to ask the repeater owner. Some repeaters will have some form of backup power while others will not. We currently have a backup generator for our three repeaters and are in the process of adding a battery backup system.

I'll stick to blaming turtles and drunk armadillos that drank too much Lone Star beer. Everyone's situation will be different depending on location, terrain, etc. which will affect how many fars they can talk.

Armadillos aren't much better.

I couldn't agree more with that. People can spend a lot of money starting out with GMRS or amateur radio while trying to figure out what they want. And if you are unsure, then start out with a cheaper radio until you figure out what you want.

I won't argue with anyone. Yes Motorola and Kenwood rails are nice and I have used them while in the military and civilian jobs. But most radios on the market now days work just as well for less money. This includes Icom, Yaesu, and Wouxun (for GMRS). And yes I do own and use Icom and Yaesu radios. And the whole argument about Chinese products and/or components is moot since most consumer goods are either made in China or made from Chinese components. This includes everyone's phones, tablets, and computers that they use to post on forums while bashing inferior Chinese products.

Most if not al of us would love to have a real nice radio or two. Some people are on a hamburger budget and some are on a Filet mignon budget. One has to go with what they can afford.

The Wouxun KG-1000G comes with 15 amp fuses. In fact most 50 watt mobile radios come with at least one 15 amp fuse on the power lead. Some will also have a 15 amp fuse on the ground lead.