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While the Midlands are a good solid radio, they are not fully compatible with most GMRS radios. The Midland MXT400 is a narrow band radio meaning the signal from the radio is roughly half of what wide band radios have. This does not have a significant affect on the radio's range but it does affect the intelligibility of the voice signal. GMRS is a wide band system with the companion, Family Radio Service is narrowband. There are other brands of radios designed for GMRS/FRS service that can operate both wideband on GMRS and narrow on FRS. The current MXT400 cannot do this. There are reports Midland will correct this in a new versio of the MXT400 sometime this fall/winter.

Another example, and probably easier to understand for the general public is a Microwave that only talks to a single distant point.

Yes, a truckload would also get their attention.

Use a weighted line and toss it over a tree branch. use the line to pull the antenna vertical, no need for poles or tripods.

You're right. The protesters filed a complaint with the FCC about interrupting the cellular network. The Association I was with filed in support of the MUNI stating it wasn't a public network that was shut down. MUNI had installed an inbuilding repeater network that carried the cell carriers. They shut down their system which did not affect the service normally available from the commercial services. The FCC agreed, MUNI could turn their system off at any time.

The San Francisco Bay area had several protests about 10 years ago when the fares were raised on their subway system that were organized and coordinated using text messages between cell phones.

Business, or B/ILT frequencies are all shared with few exceptions. There aren't many using trunked radios which do require exclusive use of channels in an area. The distribution of available frequencies among the many different coordinators is also an issue. All coordinators have their fees but there is an additional inter-coordinator fee charged if you go through one coordinator and the only channel they can find is assigned to another. That means the frequency is coordinated twice. The licensing coordinator and the consenting coordinator both have to agree on the channel selection. Also, certain channels that may show as available in a frequency search by a dealer may be reserved by the coordinator for a particular use such as a specific class or type of business. Each coordinator sets their own fees to the customer so coordinator shopping is worthwhile. When I left the business there were two public safety coordinators that had agreements with business coordinators allowing them to assign both 90.20 and 90.35 frequencies. APCO was the only PS coordinator that couldn't handle business frequencies in house.

Marc, You may want to check when that mall's license was first issued. It's entirely possible the original grant was a B/ILT and grandfathered in when the band was reallocated to unlicensed.

The MURS channels originally were common business/construction frequencies. Many of our dealers will tell you they had hundreds of radios on the colored dot frequencies. One company I worked for had a bunch of "red dot" handy-talkies.

As you point out, anything between an antenna's radiating elements and open air does affect the efficiency of the antenna. Metal pipes and ducts have a greater role in they can create RF shadows or even act as a parasitic radiator that either opposes the intended pattern or will add to the pattern creating an unintended lobe. It's these extra elements that are used to create directional Yagi antennas that shape the radiation pattern and "steer" it into a focused beam.

Marc, I'm a technical type myself and I did pick up on the misstatements but I also wasn't going to nit-pick a great analogy apart over what, in the great scheme of things, were fairly minor points. It was, and still is, a great non-technical write-up of a very technical topic.

There are several conversations (threads) regarding the Midland MXT400 and getting it to talk with other radios. One of the first items will be learning what you have factory programmed in the radio. Some of our Midland specialists will be able to help you better.

IIRC the FAA regs state the structure has to have a light at its highest point. It's difficult to get an antenna to work properly when it has a light and power cable on it. The issue was uncovered when antennas started being put on bridges more than towers,

Same process, different meter.

The 6.1 meter (20 foot) rule does not apply in this instance. If the height of the structure AND antenna is greater than 200 feet overall it needs to be registered. Several Part 90.20 entities found this out when the FCC cited them.

FRS does not require identification.

I do electric RC aircraft so have access to connectors used for them. For my BTECH I used a pair of DEANS connectors between my 30A PS and radio which draws around 13A at transmit. The connectors are soldered to 14 gauge wires. You should be able to pick up the connectors at any hobby shop selling RC toys for around $1 per pair. The Deans are rated for burst surges of 60A for less than 3 seconds which is what an RC plane can draw at times. Power Poles are great connectors but the cost of the recommended crimper makes them a very expensive item for the average user not doing commercial work.

Part 90 radios aren't really legal in Part 95 but the general consensus is the FCC tacitly allows it as the technical requirements are stricter than required for GMRS/FRS.

No experience with either unit but I would take the Woxun KG-UV6X over the 8X as the 6X, like the Tera TR-590 is an FCC registered Part 90 radio.

Welcome to the neighborhood.

All this BS about phonetic alphabets is funny in a tragic way. I remember many years ago before the FCC redid call signs listening to what was then (and probably still is) one of the largest networks doing roll call. One of the stations did have a brain fart on their id and announced to the net they would be forever more known a KL7BJW - Kilo Lima 7 Baldy's Junk Wagon. Needless to say, that is how the station was known from then until it went silent as Baldy''s Junk Wagon or just asking if Baldy was on the air.

AASHTO or actually Radiosoft does both 90.20 and 90.35 in house. I used to oversee the 90.20 portion. www.radiosoft.com will let you see their price schedule for coordination and license filing.

968's advice is valid but the higher amperage supply I recommended will be less stressed and not prone to overheating and stressing its components. I run a 30 amp supply on my radios which pull 13 A at transmit.

You'll need one that has a steady output that's 15% more than the transmit current as if both radios were transmitting at the same time. You don't need a lab grade supply, just a good switching supply meeting FCC emission specs.

I second going with commercial/public safety grade equipment. You can check your state and county property disposal units for radios. The equipment available through those outlets is a very mixed bag ranging from excellent to scrap. You may have to purchase by the lot but you can sell the excess units on flea bay.