WRDJ205

I think that they meant internal to the radio. I tested it both on the DC socket in the truck and on an Ecoflow power bank with the same results (or lack thereof). It's returned and the replacement should be here tomorrow.

Have you noticed if the radio is getting to hot to hold (i.e. >130F)?

I had it connected to the Midland MXTA25 Ghost and it had an SWR of about 1.05 before the radio crashed. I'm going to get another one and give it one more try. The form factor and convenience is worth the effort.

Used an IR gun after it nearly burned my hands to confirm the actual temp. I had to wear gloves to handle it. I agree that it should not have been that hot but it was turned off but still plugged in. I was curious about the drain as well, but I did not notice any significan draw down on the volt meter on my truck. I did box it up and will exchange it today for another one. When it did work, I was very pleased with it. I was able to hit my preferred repeater in BR from my office parking lot about 25 miles away. The small size was convenient. I wasn't sure how I would like all the controls being on the mic but I eventually found that to be one of the biggest selling points for me.

Not sure what you mean. I believe most repeaters only have one tone. Have you tried clearing things and starting over? Maybe try the other radio. Transmit on one and listen (or have someone listen) on the other. It’s not uncommon to not get an answer back from anyone randomly listening.

Hopefully, Jeff Bezos is back from Venice.

<Sigh> it wasn’t even turned on. It was plugged into the cig lighter though. Noticed this last week when the truck was outside in the sun too. Thought it might be ambient heat that it couldn’t dissipate (but it wa off then too). Would you expect it to still transmit?

New radio, new questions. I’ve set up a new BTech radio in my truck to use as mobile comm. Today I wanted to see what kind of output I would get on a larger base antenna. I connected it to the Surcomm with the appropriate adapter. At first, I tried it on channel 16 and it was registering close to 19 W. Then I went to channel 23 to see how frequency would affect output. It briefly showed the output still approximately 19W. But then it went blank. There was no reading. When I went back to 16, no measurements. I then hooked the meter to an HT that I had and it seemed to work fine. Went back to the mobile and I could not get the meter to read the output or SWR from the mobile unit. I do want to say that the BTech was extremely hot (Close to 200°F) but I did check it with the truck running, with the truck off and with radio connected to a power bank with no readings. I changed the adapter cord as well. I took the mobile unit out, put a fan on it to try and cool it to see if that made a difference and it did not. I am able to communicate with an HT on channel 16, so I know it is outputting something, but it does not read on the meter. Any thoughts on if it’s the meter, the radio, or something else?

I searched through the archives and found this thread: Does anyone have any experience with using the Rugged Radios Suction Cup Antenna Mount? Suction Cup Antenna Mount – Rugged Radios This picture is almost identical to the set up I would like to run.

As dosw said, the repeater would help you only if you could get it between the two locations. And again, elevation is your friend. 10mi in flat-ish land is a lot to ask without some height.

I’m just providing real life results in my situation and it was the same time of day. But, yes, two different radios. I’m trying to get a better picture of what and where different variables come into play in my area. I was able to use the MP-31 from this same street in the winter with less dense foliage.

At the risk of being flamed…I tried using a Baeofeng MP-31 (output of about ~2W) to reach a low watt repeater about 3/4 mi away in a heavily tree lined suburban area. Unfortunately, I was not able to successfully hit it. I swapped to a Tidradio H3 with the stock antenna and was able to hit and communicate through the repeater. This radio transmits at about 5W. Attached is a photo of the area I was walking.

I’m running with a Midland NMO and the ghost antenna in the center of the roof. But, I’m looking at trying a window mount on the rear window (which has may have some issues due to the tent and defrost wires).

I was doing some testing on antennas today and decided to use the Midland MXTA 12 mag mount with the MXTA 26 antenna mounted to the roof of a metal garage. As you can see from the photo, it was not parallel to the ground. It was close to a 15-20deg angle. Any thoughts on how much being angled like that might affect performance? Would it be better to one side and worse to the other?

This…if you need a second set of repeater channels. Start slow and learn about setting up repeaters near you using the first set of “repeater channels”. Welcome!!

I was hoping to get a follow up after the original posters update since it seemed like they had positive results. I have read the various reviews and comments on tinted glass or heat lines so I’ve been hesitant to use this type of antenna set up. I’m currently using the Midland Ghost and have had good results but I have to run the cable btwn the two doors and across the door seal. I would like to clean up the wires and prevent any paint damage by switching to a glass mount. I also have a height restriction so even with the glass mount, the amount of antenna above the cab might be less than optimal. If there isn’t any feedback, I may just have to give it a try. How hard is it to remove the glass mount if it doesn’t work?

Can you give us an update on the TRAM 1192?

Funny that you mention this bc we had a set of 4 Midland 1050’s (maybe) used at a rural property. They worked well enough but could not quite cover the whole place. I think all of them had the batteries replaced at least once. They do have the weather alerts and they are the reason I’m familiar with the feature. The only drawbacks I found were that when on Wx alert mode, the battery life was poor and the limited coverage (I think they were <2 watt with a 2-3” antenna). Oh, and they’re camo so when they get dropped from an atv, tractor, or pocket they’re hard to find (we’re down to 2 of 4). For FRS they have been pretty good. I’m looking to get a pair of GMRS radios to keep around the house. But, you make a good point and I should dig into the GMRS Midland’s.

Um, yea, i was looking to see if those were still some of the better options out there or if there was anything better.

"it was you...i learned it by watching you alright"

I have recently come to appreciate NOAA weather alerts coming to my HT. I’m also looking to move up in my radio selection and I think this might be a good time to upgrade. i’ve watched a lot of YouTube videos and did some research but most of the information is 2 to 3 years old. What would be some recommendations for an GMRS HT that is somewhat water resistant and has the ability to receive NOAA weather alerts? BTECH GMRS PRO and Wouxun 935 plus seem to show promise.

I can confirm that during hurricanes, the same thing happens.

Maybe try it with a Baofeng?

Over the weekend my son’s phone was dead so he put in his Sonic order to me over the repeater. Oh well….

You may want to do spend a little time watching some videos and researching on this site before making another purchase. Learn how to program repeaters and what limits you might be on the radios.