RayDiddio

Just noticed @SteveShannon posted this under another thread. Apologies for the repost. I will remove it if necessary.

What ya say there, sonny?

Now we await the GMRS shoe radio. But instead of CTCSS, it uses a new tech called "The Cone of Silence."

This is a good feeling story.

You can cover that blood relative under your license.

I had to return my first two H3s to Amazon because neither of them would open repeaters. Even after about a dozen emails back and forth with TIDRadio, where they repeatedly asked me about settings, sending them my codeplug, blah blah. Over and over the same questions. I just returned them for exchange. The current pair work. They both open repeaters.

You are all insane, but in a good way. I got GMRS licensed in July of this (2024) year and then two weeks later I went and got my technician ham ticket and exactly, to the day, a month later I got my general. But... the first 2 radios I grabbed for GMRS would be the TIDRadio TD-H3 - one is kept on GMRS, the other is fully unlocked with the nicosure mod allowing it to have an S meter, waterfall, etc. - it even transmits on 2m, 70cm and 1.25m now which is where I wanted it to be. It does okay, but it *is* a little "spurious." Once I had the ham ticket, I grabbed the AnyTone D878UVII Plus because I am interested in DMR (and I use it regularly) and I really love this radio so far. I mostly us RT Systems programmer for it, but that software does not read/handle DMR contacts outside of importing them from a server somewhere and rather than deal with that, I just generate the contacts on RadioID and import them using CPS. I've built a Slim J, which I use now on the 878, I have 9 "rubber ducky" antennas such as Smiley, Signal Stuff (I like this antenna, it's been performing well) and Nagoya for the GMRS radios. I have more purchases to go, but I plan them out, research them ad nauseam and I take my sweet time deciding so it takes me longer to acquire the gear. Right now I have an intense interest in antenna building and am about to place a foil tape slot antenna on my window here in the apartment. GMRS repeater activity is pretty dead in my area with the exception of some rare contacts on simplex, GMRS is not good in my particular spot. heh.... got away there. So I do not have a lot of radios overall unless you can consider my Uniden SDS100, but that is a scanner. Currently trying to decide on the next GMRS HT that I want and with so many choices, this will take me a bit. I have been looking at the UV-5x radios as my next purchase, but we will see. Also, despite not having a lot of GMRS contact in my area, I am still into it. It will come in handy during the fall and winter for me.

Don't forget that CB was license required until 1983.

Looking to setup a base station for this and I am actually looking at the Yaesu FT-991A and the Icom IC-7300 currently and just need to make a choice. I like to take my time with purchases I want to keep for awhile and I am not looking so much for extreme portability or anything. I do love the waterfall on the IC-7300 compared to the Yaesu, however. I was recently reading into the FT-710 as it looks like a nice rig. The bulk of my time is spent on 2m and 70cm mostly on repeaters. I am also about to purchase an openspot4 for my DMR needs. Since getting the general I want to explore more. I really just need to make up my mind.

Welcome from your neighbor to the south!

I am still looking at what I want for an HF radio. Lots of interesting choices.

Yes. That is the way. But to be honest... if I did it over again, I would study for both the tech and the general and take both on the same day. Took the general exam 2 weeks ago (thanks Ham Study!) and got a better score on that than I did on the tech exam.

I was going to mention the solar as well. The portable solar chargers and generators are way better than they used to be and are plentiful in the marketplace.

Not seeing a lot of Citizen's Band repeaters in my area. Last count had it at zero. CB is a wasteland. I spent 20+ years on CB and even met my wife on the radio more than 30 years ago. It was the wild wild west back in the early 1990s through the early 2000s and from listening on my scanner these days, I can see it has gotten even worse than it was back then! So you are right that CB runs rampant and amok while GMRS, where you pay for a license, gets a few cuts here and there on the path to slowly bleeding out and becoming the next CB radio.

Yes. HamStudy.org has been helpful in learning about things you need to learn and studying for the amateur radio permission slip. Got my technician license on 7/15/2024 and got my general on 8/15/2024 and ham study was a big help.

I enjoy these radios. A little small for my catcher's mitt hands but not horrible. Have fun with them!

One of the reasons I went premium. That and to help support the site being the resource that it is.

Thanks for this. I was looking at those a few weeks ago and wanted more real world feedback and here you are.

People seem to be gravitating toward them in the classic car collector sense 'round here. I, personally, prefer the Pacer or the Pinto (I like things that go boom) myself.

This is also my favorite origin story as it makes a lot of sense when you think about it.

Decent advice.

Pfft. I've heard this argument a million times before and it's usually right.

He identifies as fat.

You forgot to remind him about the roger beep!

Link not found.