Davichko5650

Or we could have ORX release the Kraken sdr....!

Welcome aboard. I'm a bit in the same boat as far as the XYL goes, except she will never get an amateur license, absolutely zero interest in most any facet of the radio hobbies I engage in. But when we're way up north and there's no cellphones, she will use the GMRS radios. Work well for cabin to boat calls, and other such things. She also has started using them here in town around the house, beats yelling across the yard! As I just got a new mobile rig, the old one is going into service as a base at the house, and the older Midland MXT275 will be thrown in her car. Enjoy, and best regards Dave WRJG283/N0TXW

And as we know, that is WHEN and not IF, LOL. We use GMRS here in MN when going off road at the OHV parks and/or off exploring logging and forest roads up north. Cell service is spotty out there. A lot of us use channel 7 in group runs, as well as channel 16. Also good that there's a couple repeaters with good coverage near a couple of the OHV Parks. Nothing to worry the Moab crowd about, but definately some good rock crawling to be had here, although that's not my bag as I run my daily driver. Have fun, stay safe and SEND IT!

No worries!

Recently purchased the RA87. Comes factory with the GMRS channels 1-22 and the 8 repeater channels. I downloaded the programming software and driver from the website and used the supplied cable to program the radio. Like many HT's I see ORX go off about, the RA 87 had CTCSS or DCS codes on almost every channel. First order of business was to clear those, and set tones for the 2 frequencies we use about the spread so I only hear wifeypoo and the son when they call. Then I set up the 6 local repeaters hereabouts. Added some outstate repeaters we use when Off-Roading and/or travelling to see friends. From what I've seen, the radio is easy to program on the rig, but it was super easy to do on the laptop!. Have only had it a couple days, but so far the extra oomph of the 40 watts has worked well around town. Better than the DB20-G it replaces, which will replace the MXT275 we were using at home. And yes, when you use the software, the first thing that pops up is the Freq. range window - either 136-170 (I think, at work) or 400-490, so yes, this is the same platform as the 900 2m rig it seems.

The mount should work fine. Decent NMO CB Antenna is the Browning BR-140 - 49" length, runs about $60

MXTA26 is not a CB antenna.... Browning BR-140 is an NMO CB Antenna - round about $50-$60 online... 49" length

Most other replies have already noted that the majority of GMRS users don't log contacts. It wouldn't be hard to make a google sheets or excel spreadsheet to log contacts if you do want to do so. Callsign lookup would be easy enough here on mygmrs.com or the fcc ULS database. In my case I can't see the need to use repeaters when traveling except for Off-Road runs, where there's a repeater handy, JIC. Most my use of the service is for mobile to base. In town mostly simplex, with some repeater use, to call home, as does my wife (she has zero interest in two way radio other than this). Up north, it's great for mobile to base and base to boat on simplex as we're out of cell phone range on most areas around the cabin. I do have a couple friends I chat with, very occasionally, on local in town repeaters, and one net I try to check into when I can. But I have no desire or need to log any of this radio traffic. Same goes when I talk to people on 2 meter amateur. Mostly people I know and as most FM and repeater contacts don't qualify for awards, no reason to log them. Dave WRJG283

I have tried it and it did in fact say "fars". Midweek so I don't recall if it said "mygigglehertz"....

And the mailman, er, um, letter carrier, will probably still bring you some of his mail!

I just dole out one of my LXT600 F/GMRS HT's and tell them stay on Channel 8 FRS, I'll relay if you need something from farther up or down the trail... I still have the ancient Travel CB I got years back, and an older, tweaked Cobra 29, but that has sat so long, no idea if it'd even fire up, much less transmit.

I used our unused clothesline pole, it was perfect for mounting a collapsible 33" Channelmaster stainless mast. Up atop that is my Comet CHA250B 80-6 meter antenna. The Pole has a 3 foot concrete base and has withstood sustained winds of 74 mph unguyed. It was $165 well spent. Contemplating a side arm below the 33' mark to put a GMRS antenna up for better simplex base to mobile coverage. Installation took 2 of us; my ancient self and my younger son, but was very easy to do...

Isn't the collector's answer "buy both" ???? Just sayin'

won't be up that way until around 6-8 weekend, but will program it in to try it out!

this is exactly it. Pg. 19 in the manual that I have for it, actually shows it as 59 for "Sq"!

My DB-20-G did have the cable in the box, it's a USB A to RJ-45 cable. Similar, but not the same as the cable for my Kenwood 281a. I'd think the DB40 cable would be the same? Then again, my wife warns me about thinking a lot, so.... Have yet to try the CPS software for the DB20, have read there's somewhat of a learning curve to it, and some driver install issues, maybe? And it's very easy to program right on the radio, so will look at CPS when I've the time

Since the Kenwood is a 2 meter Amateur rig, can't compare, I only have the DB20 set up for GMRS. I've talked simplex a good 250+ miles on it when we've had some tropospheric ducting. Around the city I can get a good 15-20 miles simplex, with repeaters I can talk around the entire Twin Cities metro area. 65 watts of pure Kenwood Fars! But so far with the DB-20G, I'm getting into 3 of the metro area repeaters, two are located about 10-12 miles distant, the other one is about 15 or so distant. The two closer ones come in full quieting, the father out one, in N Minneapolis, I getting about an S5-7 reading back and slightly scratchy audio. Next step is to rig up the MXT275 at home so Wifeypoo(tm) can call me in the mobile, then we'll see what kinda Fars we get on Simplex and with the one repeater that doesn't run split tones

Posted before as to what I drive, here's a couple pics, including the radio installs. The winch is on a hitch receiver and can be used front or rear

Safety gets the Orange Vest - Enforcement gets the Chromium Green Vest!

I actually was watching those well before I got into GMRS. It was his and fam/friends usage on the trails that got me to go with GMRS. Made the best sense for our trips up north beyond the cell phone world in N MN, and then I stated rolling with an OHV groups that uses Ch 7 for trail runs. He's said nobody watched them, but his In4Lo videos have far more views than my crappy YT videos of our runs here in MN!!!!! And the full length Salton Sea video is a must see. You get some back story on the man, the myth, the legend that is NAR or ORX....

I'd go with "nine eleven" on that

Oops, clicked Quote twice - That's the Kenwood TM-281a 2 meter radio. Been velcro'd to the dash for 4 years now!

didn't they relocate to Sadham Nova Scotia?

This is the thing about GMRS. It's not really a service designed to reach out and chat with random strangers, not that that doesn't happen mind you. Unless you're in an urban setting with active repeaters where others will reply to you and converse, you're mostly going to find it is used for intra-family communications. If you have friends that are also licensed, it can be a great way to keep up with what's going on with them beyond calling on the phone or getting together face-to-face. Should you hear strangers talking, and you pipe in, chances are average to good you'll get invited to politely or not so politely butt out. What I use it for is mostly commo when waaaay up north here in Minnesota in an area where cell service is spotty at best, or non-existent. Makes it easy for Wifeypoo to call me on the lake or in the truck when on the way into town as well as keep tabs on the grandsons as they mosey about the spread...

Here's the mounted DB20-G in the Exploder. More great radios for Wifeypoo to admire!