WRYZ926

I installed a Comet CA-2X4SRNMO antenna on my SxS hooked up to my Wouxun KG-XS20G last night. I tested the SWR using my Surecom meter. I got 1.1 on channels 1-7, 1.5 on channels 15-22 and 1.8 n the repeater channels. Others heard me clear at low power with the repeater 21.5 miles away.

You're welcome.

Yes the KG-1000G is more but it is definitely worth the extra if you are wanting a 50 watt mobile. We have been testing out our GMRS repeater for the last few days with different mobiles and HT's (hand held). The Wouxun mobiles and HT radios so far have done the best over a wide range of distances and also have the best sound on transmit and receive. I'm in mid Missouri so we have a few rolling hills and valleys along with forested areas to deal with. I can easily talk on the repeater with my KG-935G+ inside or outside my house at 21.5 miles away from the repeater tower. Granted the repeater antennas are way up around 400 feet or so. Guys were getting are 18-20 miles range with HT's inside their vehicles. I just got done texting my KG-XS20G with a Comet 2X4SR antenna on my Honda Pioneer 500 out in the driveway. Again no problems reaching the repeater on 20 watts from 21.5 miles away. Go with what fits your budget and also what will work best for you. The 1000G will help get through thick trees and do better in low spots but you stil won't go wrong with the XS20G

I know the Wouxun KG-935G is a bit expensive for some people at $170 but it is one of the best hand held GMRS radios out there. I have one and it is way better than any Baofeng or Midland hand held radio. A few guys in the local club are using the Wouxun UV9D dual band 2m/70cm HT's and are very happy with them. Wouxun is again the top choice when it comes to mobile GMRS radios. The KG-1000G is a popular choice for 50 watt mobiles and the KG-XS20G is a very good 20 watt mobile. Quite a few of the guys in my local club have switched from Midland mobile GMRS radios to the Wouxun mobile radios. I haven't tried any of the Wouxun 2m/70cm mobile radios yet so I can't say how they compare to the GMRS versions. The TYT TH-7800 mobile dual band radios are working great for me. You can get the TH-7800 for $200 from R and L Electronics. And I will be more than happy to answer any questions you or others might have. And if I don't have the answer, I'll try to direct you to those that do.

If my two TYT dual band radios have issues, I will most likely replace them with either Icom or Wouxun mobiles. And as I mentioned the KG-1000g Plus replaced the Midland MXT500 for my GMRS base radio.

I have two TYT TH-7800 dual band mobiles and two Wouxun KG-1000G Plus GMRS mobiles. I run one of each as my base radios and the other two in my vehicle and I haven't had any issues with any of them. The TYT mobiles radios are good and definitely better than most other CCR brands but I would say the Wouxun mobiles are a step above the TYT in my experience. One of the Wouxun KG-1000G mobiles replaced a Midland MXT500 as my GMRS base station. When it comes to HT's (hand held radios) I definitely would go with Wouxun over any other CCR HT I have used or owned. I have three Baofeng HT's, one Explorer QRZ-1 (rebranded TYT UV88), one Icom IC-T10 HT and one Wouxun KG-935G. Two of the Baofeng and the Wouxun are GMRS while the others are dual band 2m/70cm. Out of them all the Icon and Wouxun are real close to each other as far as build quality and sound quality on RX and TX. The Wouxun is definitely easier to program from the radio. Granted the IC-t10 is Icom's entry level dual band and the KG935G is one of top of the line models from Wouxun. I know there are a lot of people that like Yaesu product but I have not been impressed with them. I hear too many complaints from fellow club members about the brand. Alinco has a solid reputation though I don't have any personal experience with the brand. Alinco was recommended to me. I would not hesitate to go with a TYT or Wouxun product for amateur radio or GMRS.

You should also be able to tune the Ed Fong to get a better SWR reading. You will need something better than a Surecom to tune the antenna though. Check to see what frequency the antenna is resonant at and adjust accordingly.

I would go with the Wouxun KG-XS20G if you want a compact and durable mobile that is actually IP rated with an IP67 rating. Here is a good simple explanation of IP ratings: https://www.setra.com/blog/what-does-an-ip67-rating-mean Here is a photo of my XS20G mounted in my Honda Pioneer 500 UTV

I forget about the fixed station power restrictions.

Quite a few guys in my local club run the Icom 2730A and they really like them. I have no experience with the TYT MD-9600 but I have very pleased with the TYT TH-7800 dual band mobile. I was talking to my brother on 70CM simplex yesterday at 18 miles away. He was at home on his base station and I was in my car using the TH-7800 with a 16" Comet SBB1 NMO antenna.

The XS20G is just about perfect for use in a side by side where it is exposed to dust and water. We get a mix of dust and rain here in Missouri.

Well said @Radioguy7268 When my local amateur radio club decided on getting a GMRS repeater, we went with a Bridgecom BCR-40U repeater and we are using a separate duplexer that has been tuned for GMRS frequencies. Hopefully we will have the repeater installed at the tower and running in the next week or two. The GMRS antennas are around 400 feet up on the radio station tower.

Another good 20 watt mobile that is IP67 dust and water proof for right at $200 is the Wouxun KG-XS20G. https://www.amazon.com/Wouxun-KG-XS20G-Compact-Mobile-Radio/dp/B09WQK5FGN/ref=sr_1_4?crid=JWWAFV1QOW43&keywords=wouxun+gmrs+radio&qid=1701541677&s=electronics&sprefix=wouxun%2Celectronics%2C118&sr=1-4&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.17d9e15d-4e43-4581-b373-0e5c1a776d5d From personal experience, the Wouxun radios are better than the Baofeng radios. And I also prefer the Wouxun mobile radios over Midland radios. I am running the Wouxun KG-XS20G in my SxS and am also using two Wouxun KG-1000G Plus radios, one in my vehicle and the other as my base station.

To answer your question some more. Hand held GMRS radios are limited to 5 watts maximum. Mobile GMRS radios are allowed to be up to 50 watts maximum.

The power output is always lowered when using duplexers. Midland and Retevis state the total combines power of their repeaters.

It would be nice to have one set standard with GPS. It is the same with digital stuff on amateur radios, too many different systems that don't work together.

I have looked into the Wouxun KG-Q10G with its built in GPS system. And from what I read, everyone has to be using a KG-Q10G in order to receive the GPS data from others. I have not looked into the GMRS Pro to see if it is the same way.

I'll second what @Sshannon said and go with a good cable and stranded center conductor. Look at LMR400 Ultra Flex coax cable.

I'm using LMR400 Ultra Flex for my GMRS and 2m/70cm antennas. The coax going to my GMRS antenna is 32 foot long and the one going to my dual band antenna is 82 foot long.

@arn your link does not work. Here are the Baofeng UV-5R GMRS radios I purchased from the Baofeng Store on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BGHXV6Y4?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1 These are the Part 95E certified versions of the UV-5R. And I have not had the issues with either radio that others have had. Some of these radios will not transmit on channel 15 without a firmware update. Mine worked on all channels right out of the box.

I use to use CB radios all of the time while traveling. But I stopped using CB around 2007-2008 due to all of the arguing and foul language heard on air. It was hard to actually get useful information from others with all the garbage conversions going on. And I hear the same garbage at times on FRS, especially during deer season.

With no FCC then all bands would be like CB is now days or how FRS can be at times..

This is true. A lot of the members of my local club keep bugging me to get on HF along with using FT8, etc. But I have kept to using the VHF and UHF bands. Our 2m repeater is quite busy since it has a large coverage area, possibly the biggest in Missouri. A few of us are getting more members to use the analog side of our 70cm repeaters too. I prefer having a good analog setup since it will be more reliable than digital in severe conditions/emergencies.

I might get into DMR once we figure out the issues we are having with our 70cm repeaters. We get a lot of noise on the analog side when someone is using DMR. Plus that would mean buying more radios too. The wife might not be happy with that It will be interesting to see if DMR gets implemented on GMRS.

I am not against DMR and I would definitely be interested in a simpler to use system.