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BoxCar

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Everything posted by BoxCar

  1. I will guarantee the FCC knows about all the issues with ham/GMRS radios on the GMRS/FRS channels. Are they going to do anything about it? It's extremely unlikely because the issues are 1) low power, 2) local to a small area, and 3) it's not worth the effort to enforce the rules for something this trivial to the majority of the users.
  2. You only need to post the query once. Having the same question in multiple places makes it difficult for you to learn of good suggestions/answers to you issue.
  3. Your entry level ham license is very easy to obtain. About 8 to 12 hours of Q&A memorization or viewing Youtube videos and taking a 35 question test to show you understand the basics is all that's required. You can find a local ham group to help you study and do the test from the aarl.net website. Good luck, and get legal on using the full abilities of your radio.
  4. One additional kit is Anytone GJ-0854. The PS and mount hold a radio that's 1 1/2" high (40mm) and a 5/8" wide (119mm) from here: Base station power supply
  5. Well, I'm not close but there are several things you can do to check the repeater output yourself. The first thing is to check the power to the antenna with a power meter and dummy load. You need to put the power meter and dummy load at both the repeater output port and, at the end of the coax feeding your antenna to compare. The second is to inspect the antenna and verify its suitability for the channel. This is best accomplished with a nano VNA as UHF antenna analyzers are expensive. Thirdly, how is the antenna mounted? What's the HAAT? That's Height Above Average Terrain. For UHF average terrain will include buildings and trees as well as hills as they all affect the radiation patterns and distance. Once you have done those checks you'll be ready for some "drive tests" to determine both handheld and mobile coverage areas.
  6. Well, that trailer makes a darn good RF block.
  7. LMR will be for the entire business frequency pool.
  8. Nit pick time - a private repeater that carries only traffic from the owner is not required to ID as long as the owner does.
  9. Other than one not needing any metal to act as a ground plane, no.
  10. Welcome to the group and as a note, there are literally hundreds of YouTube videos on getting started with GMRS -- and no, you don't need a repeater!
  11. The Retevis CPS will display the default tones shipped on the radio. I don't remember how you disable the tone or if it was even possible on those radios.
  12. Try Ace Hardware for the screw. Lowe's has them as well, but in blister packs.4
  13. Scadacore will let you model the RF path between your two sites by showing the terrain and earth curvature you need to factor in for antenna height. As far as equipment, the three most important things are: 1) Antenna; 2) Height above ground (AGL) at both sites; 3) radio. If you don't have a clear path, no antenna or radio will work at GMRS frequencies as the signal travels about 15% further than the horizon. Power just means there is more signal in the area, not more distance. The 20 mile distance you estimate would be adequately served with a 25W radio in most instances. Personally, I would choose an Anytone radio over the two you mention as their price/performance is on a par with much more expensive units from other Chinese manufactures. RF Line of Sight - SCADACore
  14. Wide band means the channel is 25kHz wide, but the intelligence (speech) occupies 20 kHz of the 25 available.
  15. FM CB is still new and most of the radios in service don't have the FM capability. I imagine FM will become used more as users either upgrade or replace existing radios.
  16. Good luck on finding one with a Type C - you won't. The best option is for an adapter from the battery to the radio's Tee connector. This will connect to a LiFePO4 15AH battery and the radio. Should be good for a couple days use without heavy sending. FM Mobile "T-style" Power Cable with Powerpoles
  17. Here's another option: https://www.amazon.com/SUPON-Stainless-Cushioned-Universal-Photography/dp/B08RDQMHMK/ref=sr_1_20?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.7F0MoaqS1hOXuseoMg5yEjYpp_O-zMI5uiSuOpv_Fuk2OfTdof57AzGC2DiJN2Ps9tYlipokl8qTVyhO2GAXghhtsG07MAx29IdW_9oXP289HV-XBsLZZ3bcP5q779s1U3ql4RT8k1qVGGvMOYXnlcy7YSMBnpRadQZCGNGJDt44ZxiEjWfclO4NgkyvRZomTc2pwLghdBkTluuXs2JsIqZ4ghtBk8Z-DAlrjvTstFqtTqoeWWkLwJUBzc_J28W99A5RiyQuPoFS082QeKHlDsq0nXRMXyg6PH7XJj0ewjY.AvkF1II5IvOKkPeMniBdCh2UnX9ERVlRYHFX1jRFq5U&dib_tag=se&qid=1749492042&sr=8-20&srs=18203216011
  18. The FCC may levy the fine, but the money goes to the Treasury department as part of the General Fund. The only parties that quickly pay are those with licenses the FCC grants as they can cancel or deny further application or renewal.
  19. Congratulations on the new license. Yes, General is a fairly easy upgrade but be careful as the toys are expensive.
  20. Have you tried contacting ICOM? Their phone support is very good.
  21. My guess - FM CB will not supplant FRS because of the size of the units and their antennas.
  22. I'd contact Maxon for guidance as the connection between the units may not be standard in their standalone units. "
  23. You will still get some interference from the other repeater in overlap areas due to the phasing of the signals. Overall, it will work with the same frequency/tones.
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