Logan5

for your setup, I would put an in line battery and a charger power supply.

Power droop? could be the power supply.

antenna height and quality feed line IMHO far more important than watt's. depending on topography 42 feet at 10watt's might just surprise you.

Nice and quiet here in SoFl, I require permission to keep it that way. any licensed users welcome, but let me add your information and call sign to my log first. Simple as that.

I am happy to live in a voluntary HOA, We still employed an attorney for out 55' tower install. Turns out federal law protects any one that lives in an HOA, Access to effective communications is protected by the FCC. You can not be forced to buy cable if you wish to access satellite TV signals or use an old timer TV antenna. A reasonable accommodation must be made. Federal law protects standard TV antennas, Radio FM antennas, HAM radio and 2way radio antennas. as well as satellite antennas. As I read the law, some HOA's have offered your choice over per-existing coax to prevent members from installing said antennas. The last condo I lived in, offered, MAST TV, direct and dish as well as ATT u-verse. I still installed my UHF yagi on a cinder-block on my balcony for my radio. Many property managers are not aware of these laws and even when they are, they lie and tell home owners that it does not apply to them because they signed the contract. That is totally false.

Fantastic, nice Lake coverage too. how high is your antenna?

keep tinkering with it. 888's are a lil confusing, you using chirp or baofeng/pofung software?

Ignorance of the LAW is not a legal defence. If you want to play, learn the rules. If you want to learn. Listen.

a cheap Chinese duplexor will cost you 99 to 149, most claim they come tuned to order, but I would get an old HAM to check it out. E-bay has some good deals on used duplexors, I prefer a full size duplexor, I got mine used for 150, plus 85 tuning and additional shipping. This is why I recommend getting your HAM ticket, Many radio clubs have old radio stuff to give kids with radio interest. Many also have a biannual swap meet, where you can pick up cheap to FREE parts.

You can not operate a repeater on an FRS channel. A repeater can only be operated on the license GMRS channels. If you want license free, forget the repeater and stick with FRS. If you operate a GMRS repeater, You as operator are required by the FCC to maintain records of user license. If you allow unlicensed users, you could be held liable for facilitating illegal activity. Take your time and read the entire Wiki's so that you understand the Law and the technical issues at hand.

It would help if you study the HAM book as it's technical learning is similar to GMRS

Read the forum areas about antennas and duplexors, you need to understand the beast before you spend any of your money. Oh and feedline, review different coax types and loss per 100 feet. Youtube has videos about all of this as well. I do not recommend mag mount antennas. Make your own j-pole and or other home mades that you can experiment with.

so do you have any old UHF mobile radios? namely Motorola, I have 2 old Motorola radios that came already paired. seems some programing and a hand made cable is all that is needed to make into not part 95 certified repeater. However you will also need a duplexor or you will have to run 2 antennas spread 20+ feet apart. You also mention a lot of people potentially will use your repeater, you will need to confirm GMRS licenses of all of those people. Do you have access to a radio shop? consider a part time job at a radio shop to help obtain the equipment you need.

He is in clear violation of FCC part95, and you have done your part to notify him. he seems harmless, but your license is at risk if he does something stupid on your repeater. I have recently heard a yacht crew using my repeater during docking, the signal is just strong enough to key the repeater but not effective communication. I have ask that they identify their call sign but since they are fringe I can not tell if they have given call sign. I need/want to communication with them, to know whom they are and make the necessary log entry for my records and to let them know hey have no need to use the repeater for docking since simplex will do just fine.

tech exam is much easier than it should be. study the book and just go get it over with. You'll be fine.

hamexam.org is helpful, there is also other online study guides, you could also test a small electrical circuit with a DMM to follow the math in real world. The test is easy all the way to General, study for both and take both if you pass the tech exam, don't stop till you have the ticket you want.

As far as I know, No Beofeng/Pofun radio is part95 and unlikely any Cheap Chinese Radio=CCR's are.

check your "off set" options in that radio, they seldom come preconfigured. off set should be +, 5000, try listening without an RX code, until you figure it out.

GMRS is not "Private" using a repeater is even less private. ground level to ground level communitations is almost always limited. Your radios may not be correctly programed for the repeater or you may be to far to hit the repeater. You could consider a home base station or repeater, but best to work with the repeater you think you can hit until you determine the issues involved. take your time learning along the way. You will save a lot of money in the end.

Unless you have a close relationship with the HAM club, you are unlikely going to get your repeater on their site, much less their tower. Even if you do have a good relationship with the club, GMRS is not Amateur and they will not likely have any interest nor want to have to deal with any unintended interference. I have a very close relationship with my local, I pay my dues and donate an extra 100.00 a year and they laugh when I mention FTL600 sharing the 110 site and or tower.

What's a twitter?

If you are concerned about certification compliance, Baofeng and most other CCR radios are not "part95" certified.

for a repeater, go with the 60' tree and forget the 200' of direct burial coax. get or build an environmental enclosure. Locate the repeater in the enclosure at base of the tree, then run the electrical power needed to that location. If you truly need or want a base station, go with the tree closest to the house, keep coax runs as short as possible LMR400 or better. I have a Workman, $140.00 UVS200, about 10db gain and preforms very good across the UHF spectrum. Make sure what you want is what you really need. If your only using UHF repeater, consider a Comet 712efc commercial antenna, better design and very low SWR. about $200.0

depends on what aspect of the Hobby, I love MyGMRS I also learn much from, Radio reference, and solar panel talk. all are books and books worth of important information, But MyGMRS is by far the most gentlemen like of them all.

try magnetic roof top antennas, FRS can work if cars are very close together. but with the metal of the automobile causing much distortion and breakup. More power of GMRS is unlikely to improve things much, moving the antenna outside of the vehicle will allow for effective communications in excess of a mile. If your radios do not have removable antenna, you will have no option of external roof antenna. Chose your radios wisely.