GreggInFL

Interested; in the same situation. Our neighborhood is 1,500 acres, generally rectangular with the longest distance ~3 miles. ASL ranges from 30' to 70' with thick vegetation. I've tested 5W HTs and they make a scratchy connection when one is at a high spot; with both low it doesn't happen at all. If I hosted a simple antenna on the roof (or, in the attic, keeping it out of the wind?) I'm guessing most everyone would have coverage. I'm new to this and that's a guess. Am I missing something fundamental? Can one rent a repeater set-up to test the concept? Did I mention that I'm new at this?

Welcome! I'm new to GMRS as well. I've found this group to be very helpful, extremely patient with the noobs and highly knowledgeable about GMRS -- and other invisible things that fly though the air. You're in the right place.

If I could take the General test online I would do it.

But one still must take the Technician test first, correct?

Agreed. I have a pair and would recommend for a new user.

Thanks, Steve. Makes sense. Didn't realize the gain loss was so high. I'm probably at 100' end-to-end.

So, I could probably use the coax that DirecTV installed 29 years ago?

This sounds like the best approach. A Mickey-Mouse test might be to grab a couple of HTs and try to get over that first hill. No guarantee that you could somehow extrapolate the results, but it scales to only ~2.5 miles and might tell you something.

Good to know. Thanks!

Not a modeler, but I've found this useful: https://www.scadacore.com/tools/rf-path/rf-line-of-sight/

Ah, that's right, the offsets are fixed in GMRS. Duh. If the small repeater's RX was something other than 462 it might work, but then it wouldn't be GMRS would it? I'm familiar with the network linking. Thanks!

Probably a stupid question from a noob but I'll try it anyway: Any reason one could not set up a small repeater just big enough to reach the mega repeater down the street, i.e. the small TX = the mega RX? TIA, and Happy New Year!

What would one suggest for an Airstream? Is this the other extreme, a ground plane motherload?

Ah, got it. Yeah, 446 won't work. Thanks!

I'm thinking about brining my GMRS radio to Germany, assuming there is anything to hear. I'll stay away from the PTT button, so there are no licensing issues. Thoughts?

Question (which may have been addressed in the previous pages, but I'm too lazy to check): Must one take the tech exam first? What if one wants to go straight to the general? Is that a no-can-do, or a sure-why-not? Okay, three questions total.

Trees are a big issue around here. I use that same repeater but come at it from the east, so there is little development and, being Florida, no mountains – just trees, trees, trees. If you can get past them you're golden. Any height is worth finding. I recently hung a UV-5R (rubber ducky antenna) out the car window from five miles east and was able to hit Orlando 700 while on a slight rise.

What size tower do you have? Curious because our group is deciding whether to rent or build.