[MURS Signal]

When I travel to Asheville, NC, I pick up a very strong signal on MURS 5 and it is a series of tones.   I first hear it as I get into Old Fort, NC and it fades as I get towards Asheville.  I like to scan as I drive a long and this signal interrupts my scanning and is quite irritating to hear so I just blocked that channel from scanning.

[If GMRS, Then Why VHF/UHF Amateur?]

If you are only interested in VHF,  GMRS is just fine.  But the Tech license also gives you other bands besides 2 meters.  Although GMRS is growing very fast, right now there are way more 2 meter and 440 repeaters you can access while traveling.  But if you are only interested in local VHF communications, I would not bother with a ham license.

 

[Flaggers heard using FRS]

I hear them on FRS, MURS, and some on CB. It's been like that for at least a decade or two now around here? What I've noticed is FRS and MURS for general comms and CB for heavy traffic issues.

 

Thanks for info!  I'm on the interstate about 7-8 hours a week, and I scan GMRS, FRS, and MURS but have never heard anyone who was a trucker.  I really don't hear much of anything except kids on FRS.

[Flaggers heard using FRS]

Just to clarify my earlier post about flaggers, etc..  I was not questioning the legality of anything, I was simply replying to another post about hearing "flaggers" and reporting what I hear and on which service.  

[Flaggers heard using FRS]

I hear flaggers all the time on FRS.  I hear Walmart and Academy Sports on FRS; also after school children pick up, Last week I heard 2 sets of caravaner's on the interstate, one was a woman who cursed like a sailor.   I hear a metal working shop on GMRS 7, an auto body repair shop on MURS.

When did truckers quit using CB's? What are they using now?

 

[What steps to get a GMRS repeater online?]

I am using 2 Johnsons one receiver and one transmitter cabled together with 20 watts of output . The frequency pairs are 462.675 and 467.675 with a pl of 105.3. I don't see anyone using this pair within at least 100 miles of here. I monitor this from home and hear no simplex traffic here either. So I'd say that pair is a thumbs up. If not, I can easily press a few buttons on the Johnsons and pick another pre-programmed pair.

 

I am using a 5/8 wave antenna I bought from Germany that looks like a comet GP-1.

(If you Google comet GP-1, you can get an idea of what I have).

 

The diplexer was purchased off the internet as well for around $75. -Nothing commercial here as I want to experiment.

 

The antenna will be mounted on top of a commercial building that I own at about 50'. It is fed with LMR 400 with an N at the antenna and a pl 259 at the diplexer.

 

I have the antenna setup in one of my workshops on the ground floor maybe 6' on a stand and  I am able to work it from my home a few blocks away with no issues. I am hitting it full quieting with 3 watts out of a Baofeng. (I use a ts-2000 Kenwood to monitor my signal).

 

Once I get a nice weekend, I am going to mount the antenna the 50'.

 

Thanks for the input. I didn't know it was this easy to get started. I hated to bite the FCC fee to get my license, but wanted to venture into a new ham band and do it as "cleanly" as possible.

 

For feedline in the 400mhz area, I'd go for hardline and forget lossy coaxial cable.

[URGENT! Kidde Recalls 37 Million Fire Extinguishers]

Oh my! I worked for Kidde in late 70's early '80s, in the QC department no less.  I could tell ya some stories...