Lscott

Well now if you want the repeater input frequencies, as one example, that's behind the paywall now. https://www.radioreference.com/premium/ I haven't tried anything else since I don't use it that much. I know when they made the change some months back various people on their forums weren't happy.

The one problem is outdated and or wrong info. I looked at some entries for the city I work in to see what they use for the fire dispatch frequency, something to monitor while working on the computer in the office. They have something listed. But when you dig deeper I found the license is expired. That's the sort of crap I don't want to waste my money on.

For a while now the site has placed more "features" behind a subscription paywall. I understand it takes money and time to build, run and maintain a site like that. My question is how many people use it, and if they do are they paying the subscription service fee? I'm debating whether it's worth it for the few times I might need the info they have behind the paywall. I know it's not a lot of money but paying $60 for two years for something I might use a half dozen times doesn't look like a good deal.

Besides the cable losses there are other factors you need to consider. The cable will be installed outside so it has to be water/weather resistant. The jacket has to be UV resistant too or it will rapidly deteriorate. Finally you need to be concerned with the quality and installation of the connectors if the cable comes with them.

With the frequent profusion of "travel channels" proposed likely you get the same result.

Maybe.

A 5/8 wave requires a ground plane.

At least they float when used on the water. Better than seeing a $300 radio sink out of sight like a rock.

You should have about the same "gain" using a 1/4 wave with a ground plane compared to a 1/2 wave without one. The difference is the 1/2 wave will be a taller antenna, about double that of a 1/4 wave naturally. Unless you have a large ground plane for a 5/8 wave antenna they aren't worth the hassle. https://www.w8ji.com/VHF mobile vertical.htm

I would go with the 1/2 wave simply because you'll have more flexibility where to mount it. The small additional gain you get from a 5/8 wave along with the complication of needing a good plane, IMHO isn't worth it. Myself I got a new vehicle and I'm going to install a 1/2 wave since I don't want to drill holes or deal with a magnet mount to use a 5/8 wave antenna.

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.