BoxCar

You are using channels 23 through 30 to reach the repeaters aren't you?

If the cable is less than 25 feet a higher-grade cable won't buy you much.

It's difficult to say how much help a GMRS repeater would be in the situations that you state. The most common radios in any neighborhood will be FRS and they cannot access a repeater as they lack the input frequencies. GMRS requires an FCC license (well, you are supposed to have one) but those radios aren't in the bubble packs you see at the retailers. GMRS licenses can only be shared among family members and each team or group would have to have their own license or licenses. If you are going to put up a repeater, then one of the little 5W units connected to a Tram 1486 or Diamond X50 would cover the area your 40-foot tower has to its radio horizon. Using that small repeater also means the cost of providing battery backup is a lot lower as a $60 15AH battery could keep it running for a couple of days with moderate use.

Is the height difference the mast or antenna length? Unless the mast height changes you won't see much if any difference in the coverage.

If the simplex channel is trying to check into the net, why not go back to that person on simplex and give them the correct channel they should be using? They think they are on duplex and using the power allowed for a repeater channel.

Moto and Kenwood I believe are made in Malasia.

CHIRP is usually easier as you can see everything for that channel, make the needed changes and then save it once.

They inspected and probably seized all his equipment when they gained access to his operating site.

Have you checked with either of your local ham clubs? Like yourself, many are licensed in both services and can provide the contacts necessary to either find a local GMRS group or help start one.

What programming cable? There are lots using a counterfeit chip. It's best to use the Anytone cable.

Our firm coordinated many public agencies to allow cross-band repeaters. The fire service is one of the major users of these for fire ground communications. But again, these were all operating in the same service under Part 90.20.

Most 20 - 25W transmitters require a minimum of 8 amps power.

The FCC rules generally prohibit transmissions from one service to another. This means you can't cross-band from part 97 to any other service such as Part 95 or from one service under the same part. This prohibits CB being crossbanded to GMRS, FRS, or MURS and any combination of the services.

Try snipping a little bit off the end of your antenna and see if that helps. Really though, have you tested to see if your HH isn't being desensed by the repeater?

Welcome aboard the train!

D'Oh

Its been suggested several times

We had a recent presentation at one of the ham clubs I belong to on using a VNA. The presenter stated just for grins he measured some of the coax he had around the shack. He specifically stated he checked two different cables marketed as LMR-400 equivalent. One failed to meet the published specification for LMR-400 and the other was slightly better than published. The cable that passed had the cable manufacturer's name on it while the poorer cable didn't say who manufactured it. The one he had that passed was from The Wireman.

For your installation, you will be better served using quality coax like LMR-400. RG-8 and most variants are best at frequencies below 60 MHz. For a power supply, the Mean Well (also Meanwell) is an excellent unit. A 30A supply in the LMR series will provide all the power and filtering you'll need. For an antenna, the key point is higher is better - and that is elevation, not gain. J-poles are adequate and cheap. The better J-poles are copper tubing, not twin lead like the Ed Fong antennas. There isn't anything wrong with an Ed Fong, it's just there are better ones out there.

Are you using a repeater channel or are you on a simplex channel? Repeater channels usually have a R after the number,

A poor 'rule' is you cover about 15% further than the horizon from the antenna.

Marc, I'm sure you will get several good comments but, I would start with an admonishment that GMRS isn't going to bring the world to their doorstep. Give an overview of the coverage that can be expected with a 5W HH in the different terrains they most likely will be in. Talk briefly about increasing power doesn't always mean more coverage and how power only increases readability within your operating horizon. Ensure people understand line-of-sight coverage and how better and higher antennas function. Talk about the two services, GMRS and FRS sharing the same frequencies and stress the need for courtesy by the operators. Mention GMRS is a "bring your own contacts" service as there is little rag-chewing between operators.

Just on transmit

Do you have a programing cable? If not, order one from Radioddity and then download the programming software. Radioddity has tutorials one programming radios, watch a few. The steps are the key items, noy necessarily the radio used.

Wood screws?