BoxCar

I have no problems with fan noise as the unit never warms to where the fan is needed. Mine sit on a metal rack with free space on all sides.

https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Regulated-Switching-Converter-Transformer/dp/B08LDC41B6/ref=d_pd_sbs_sccl_4_30/135-1923186-9436811?pd_rd_w=Wslc0&content-id=amzn1.sym.7a9b9953-4675-430a-a4f6-ea3f74308c2f&pf_rd_p=7a9b9953-4675-430a-a4f6-ea3f74308c2f&pf_rd_r=60MTN08G2YW0XDCP4PKR&pd_rd_wg=EISxf&pd_rd_r=93bfd9e3-29a5-4b73-af18-62ffd1028969&pd_rd_i=B08LDC41B6&th=1 I have two for my ham radios.

https://thewireman.com/product/1175-uhf-female-n-male/ https://thewireman.com/product/50ft-rg8x-mini-low-loss-pl259-installed/ You can't do much better.

A Yeasu FT-4XR will set you back about $100 and the unlock is done by entering a code through the front panel.

You may be better off with a simple dipole. A 1/4 wave will have the vertical radiator about 19" long. A panel mount SO239 connector can be had for less than $5 and the needed wire can be found in the big box hardware stores. https://www.americanradiosupply.com/so-239-uhf-female-4-hole-panel-mount-coaxial-connector/

The way field days are run, as a contest, I refuse to participate other than seeing if I can make a contact. I don't submit my logs either.

Their end.

Log into the FCC web site and query your FRN on the Universal License System (ULS) to see if your call sign has been issued. The only reason it should take more than 72 hours is the VEC mailed your results to the FCC rather than filing electronically.

The 462 number goes in receive, the 467 in transmit. The DPL number is the digital equivalent of a CTCSS frequency and would go in the slot for digital code transmit. Don't worry about the split, you have that between the transmit and receive.

As you state you have the most problem with the electronics questions in the ham tests have you considered taking an electronics course at your local community college? An electronics course would teach you about AC and DC current, resistance, inductance and capacitance and how they affect both voltage and current. The course would also teach Ohm's Law and how to calculate resistance, voltage or current flow through a circuit or component. You would learn about reactance and its effect on AC circuits, how transformers work along with basic digital circuits and digital logic. Three basic formulas are needed for the Technician test, Ohm's Law (E=IR), power (P=IE or P=I squared R) and wavelength (L=V/F) or velocity divided by frequency. Other than memorizing the electronic symbols for a transistor, diode, transformer, resistor, and capacitor, that's pretty much it on the electronics side.

No, NO, NO. They are ham bands not Hamas bands.

The ID only needs to be sent when the transmitter has been keyed. If the transmitter is sitting on standby and hasn't been keyed in over 15 minutes its not necessary for an ID to be broadcast.

Not legally. The FCC regulations generally prohibit different services from cross connecting.

Please think this through. You can't contain radio waves to a single country. There are enough issues with frequency assignments along the Canadian border (Lines a & C) and with Mexico in the south. Add into the mix the digital modes which can link to the Internet and you have another issue. The Tech test is not that difficult and for a person with some basic knowledge of electronics and radio it only takes an hour or so of reading through the rules to gain enough knowledge to pass the test. The training course from the ARRL is designed for those who have no knowledge of electronics or radio other than where the power and volume controls are located. There are enough people on both sides of the fence advocating for both higher and lower requirements to keep this argument going aover possible changes to "improve" the service or its attractiveness to new users.

Is the unit still supported by the manufacturer and/or are parts readily available? What's needed to program the unit and does the software on your computer.

Antenna analyzers like the Rig Expert won't do a good job on measuring the SWR on a HH antenna. You can get a better idea of its performance using a Vector Analyzer but, like Marc says, it takes both training and understanding of how antennas work.

I have the radio and it's pretty good for an entry level unit. I'm not impressed with the menu system on the radio, but the RT system software makes programming it fairly easy. I built mine into a small go-box with a 15 AH lifep04 battery. My primary V/UHF is the ICOM ID-5100. The display is much better.

That's a boat load of questions and right on point. As far as antennas, height is king. The higher the antenna, the further it is to the radio's horizon and coverage area. The type of antenna is dependent on what you are attempting to accomplish, the height above the average ground level in your desired coverage area and what the area contains as ground cover. Ground cover includes buildings so include them in your calculations. As for building out a repeater, go to repeaterbuilder.com for examples of needed materials and issues with the planning and construction of a repeater. For your power supply needs, add the required amperage needed for the transmitter running at its highest power and the amps needed for the receiver (and yes - you do need both) then add 20% for overhead. The questions you haven't asked will be about gain and losses in your transmission line and antenna. Antenna gain is reported using 2 scales, dBi and dBm. The one that counts is dBm as this is measured using real power rather than theoretical Dbm is dBi minus 2.l or a difference of about 40%. A 3 dB difference is either 50% less or twice the input power measured at the antenna input depending on if it is loss or gain measured in watts. For the best estimate of how your system operates, either as a base station or repeater requires a VNA or Vector Network Analyzer as it's the best device to measure transmission loss in your feedline and to tune your antenna to resonance. Yes, all antennas require tuning for optimal performance. Good luck on your dream.

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.