Lscott

That’s an Italian supplier but it tells us nothing about what specific cable you’re looking to install. It makes a huge difference. Coaxial Cable Attenuation Chart.pdf

The rules only specify the allowed repeater input and output frequencies. It says nothing about they have to always be a fixed 5MHz separation but it is the typical case.

It accomplished the same thing as I saw many Hams holding their HT's as high over their heads as they could get with the speaker mic hanging off them. At least those with the antenna on the hat towers did it with some artistic style.

The problem it's getting increasingly difficult to find property that isn't encumbered with various land use restrictions. It's getting to the point where it's not really your private property anymore since everyone else has a say what you can and can't do with it, on it or under it.

There is always a first time.

It would just be a repeat of the same mistake they made allowing combo GMRS/FRS radios to be sold. Almost nobody read the paperwork stating a license was required to use, at the time, the exclusive GMRS frequencies. Doing as suggested, combining a licensed and unlicensed service in one radio, will just invite the same problem. People will read the no license required part for MURS and then promptly use the GMRS half of the radio without a license too. The FCC isn't going to make that mistake again.

It's about time.

I picked up a nearly new in the box BTECH AMP-U25D at a local swap for a really good price. This is the one to get. It costs a bit more than the other model but will handle analog plus all the usual digital modes. Here are some documentation I keep in my on-line library for it. Internal-Photos AMP-U25D.pdf Review BTech AMP-U25D.pdf Test-Report AMP-U25D.pdf AMP-U25D Users-Manual.pdf

It look like the exact same amp sold by BTECH. https://baofengtech.com/product/amp-u25/

Yeah, well at least these racks will give you a good ride when you're in the mood and won't complain about headaches.

Well right now it's Motorola and now Kenwood is following their lead with the software you need to use their new NX-5000, 3000 and 1000 series radios. The new Kenwood radios look great, but then they had to bugger it all up with their crappy software licensing business model. That's why I'm staying away from those new models until such time as somebody figures out how to crack the software and eliminate the Internet activation and single PC use lock stupidity.

If you need an older version of a Windows OS to use in a VM look here. Some of the older radio programming software will only work on the older OS versions. https://winworldpc.com/library/operating-systems

I'm not worried about the older radio programming software. A simple stand alone PC works just fine. I have the software installed on several PC's, laptops, desktops etc. depending on where I'm at or traveling on the road. The stuff I don't like, or trust, is the newer trend where the manufactures force you to use a license server, requires an Internet connection for validation, activation and or use. Then it's locked down to one PC. Sucks if you need to use more than one computer. This model is designed for radio shops that have a dedicated PC(s) for programming, not for the lone radio hobbyist. That's just plain BS I don't want to deal with. Your suggestion of running the software on a VM likely would circumvent the locked to one PC garbage. You can run the VM on any computer that will support the VM. The VM is noting more than a few files you copy from one computer to another. I have several different OS's running on VirtualBox on one desktop machine. While not as convenient as a direct install at least you can use the software where you want when you want. https://www.virtualbox.org/

And sometimes not even that.

Or keeps on taking if they have a good attorney.

I typically do that with my radios as well, no RX tone. It also eliminates the stupid hassle with RX tones, or split tones, when using a repeater.

It could be just as the OP mentioned. I have an old Kenwood Ham HT, TK-G71A, with the GMRS frequencies in it for monitoring. On one channel I get almost full scale signal. It will change as I move the radio around so it seems directional. When I use several other radios to monitor the same channel I get zero, nothing there. The logical conclusion is there exists a strong signal mixing with an internal signal that shows up on the channel in question.

Sounds like someone is running a “parrot” repeater.

Yes the antenna has to match, of course. One gentleman did a number of field strength tests on HT antennas since trying to get good SWR sweeps was really difficult. That was a far better indicator of which HT antenna(s) performed the best.

All the sweep will tell you is how well the match is. The model I ran also showed a reasonably good match but the radiation pattern was poor. What is really useful is making some "far field" signal strength tests. Remember a dummy load can show a nearly perfect match, but that doesn't imply it's a good antenna to use on a radio to communicate with other people.

Hum... Just for grins I looked at a photo of the UT72 antenna. I'm rather suspicious of it's claim to be a "dual band" or tuned for GMRS. You would normally expect to see a loading coil part way up the vertical element, which I don't see, for a simple antenna like this. What I think is going on it's really a 5/8 wave VHF antenna, I read it has a base loading coil which a 5/8 wave will have, but tweaked to run on the third harmonic to get it resonate on UHF. I ran a simple EZNEC model, didn't extensively test it, but it does work with the major caveat the radiation pattern's main lobe is at a very high angle. That results in greatly reduced power in a nearly horizontal direction. This tends to suggest any gains in power from the amplifier are offset by most of it being shot up in the air due to the antenna's poor radiation pattern when use at the third harmonic of the VHF frequency. I could be way wrong on this but it's something to think about.

Walmart uses a Motorola RDM2070D radio on the MURS frequencies. I believe it's specifically manufactured just for Walmart's use. https://www.twowayradiocenter.com/motorola-rdm2070d-walmart-two-way-radio/ The very similar RDM2050 I think anyone can buy. I use a Kenwood TK-270G radio. It's not certified for MURS because it got the license grant before MURS existed. I think the radio would be legal to use as long as it's programed to meet the power, bandwidth and frequencies used. https://forums.mygmrs.com/topic/1239-old-part-90-radios-predating-murs-service-legal-use/

I'm using a slightly older Linux distro, OpenSuse 15, and Firefox in a VM. It can't open those WEBLOC files to get at the URL.

They are nice radios. What is a negative for me is the funky antenna connector. I often use an external antenna with my HT's so having something I can screw an adapter into is important. I take my HT's on trips sometimes etc. so in hotel rooms I like to use a portable antenna stuck by the window and run a cable between it and the radio. Same with rental cars. Stick a cheap short magnet mount on the roof and run the cable inside to the radio.

I wished people wouldn't use WEBLOC files as links. Just copy and paste the URL.