BoxCar

10 and 11 meter refers to the wavelength of the signal. To get the frequency, divide 300 by wavelength. 11 meter is the CB band and 10 meter is the ham band just above the CB frequencies. Radio frequencies are fickle in that they generally follow what we've been saying. But then the signals can do strange things because of outside influences like sunspots where they often skip hundreds of miles or can't make it around the block. Generally, lower frequencies (longer wavelength) will travel further than high frequencies. I will suggest mobile radios over handhelds. A good mobile radio paired with a permanent base station antenna and power supply for use in home, with the addition of a cupholder radio mount and magnetic base antenna for the vehicles, as the most flexible. For the home power supply, I recommend the Mean Well brand (https://www.amazon.com/MEAN-WELL-LRS-350-12-Single-Switchable/dp/B0109IMRPS/ref=sr_1_3?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9._BDCCr0pNIzZtbfN4znPqD0sp75Oamcg8qWIuJj2Y_wc4n6lpr_DcDdX4Bfb1VBV9MEn8GyEEDIwCKD5JjcTGHUnd_QGIX-gzZDRwz9tUAr0pmpBOWK6YJxmlZKh7KdCFePnOnfd3z-PFZ5T8FIVeEy48bXYckkvye3ryKwQ7Yb_ra3PIC9hSx0BhSSsSA9gxXnGhl5QG_24_3bqM7-pGlbNmcZUuvrO44yg6cgK5bxzgUggejhovVuJwZg7u_0v5TKjgA18hoP3nMOf4-CGKMTdKse1Sm9F9lf1eFOP6h0.1a4veoZni7XELGVaPS1-RE0DXk7-8jy5542tzhGgsCg&dib_tag=se&keywords=MEAN%2BWELL%2BLRS-12&qid=1708898002&s=pc&sr=1-3&th=1) as these are public safety grade units without the high premium attached to "radio" units. This particular power supply will not only operate your radio but also charge a battery system concurrently.

Here are a couple things to keep in mind. First, a repeater is a separate transmitter and receiver interconnected, so the receiver triggers the transmitter to send everything it "hears" on another frequency. The two frequencies, or repeater pair, are fixed in the GMRS allocation, with the receiver set to one 462 MHz frequency and the transmitter sending its signal on the 467 MHz channel of the pair. The repeater should be located somewhere all stations can reach or access, usually about equidistant from your three sites. The repeater can carry only one transmission at a time, but anyone can listen to what the two parties are talking about. Secondly, as you know but have not truly researched, the repeater requires power, and if that power source is not available, the repeater stops working. Therefore, in an emergency, all your nodes (radios) need an alternate source of power. That's usually done by batteries. The size or capacity of the battery system depends on how much power the repeater requires and how long you want it to remain in operation. The other point I wanted to make is about antennas. There are two types, omnidirectional and directional. Your repeater will need an omni and each of your houses could use either. A directional would be pointed at the repeater location and be mounted high enough so it would overcome obstacles between it and the repeater. There are formulas available that can be used to calculate the height needed to reach your repeater as well as the height the repeater antenna needs to reach the furthest point you need coverage. The other option you have, which requires more work but could be less expensive, is for each of you to get licensed as an amateur operator and use any existing 2 meter repeater system already in place. Getting ham licenses isn't difficult, but it does require study of the material and then passing a 35 question test covering the requirements. Ham radios are generally more expensive than GMRS radios, but they are also more powerful and have better receivers. Some ham radios can be modified to use GMRS frequencies, but that is against regulation. The cost for a license is the same for both services, $35.00. If a person without an amateur license wants to use the ham radio, the licensee must be present and able to control the radio. It's not the same as GMRS, where the license covers all family members but is workable in any setting.

I use this mount. https://www.lidoradio.com/collections/buy-with-prime/products/lm-803-amp

All this arguing about interconnecting repeaters doesn't mean squat. What is important is how the FCC and its bureaus interpret the regulations. The FCC's interpretation of what constitutes an emergency responder is an example. The FCC interprets it to be law enforcement, fire services and medical response only which is in direct conflict with the public law establishing Homeland Security stating the groups it includes as emergency responders. The only way their interpretation will change is if a federal judge rules against their current understanding of what the regulation covers.

You're just backwards. The receive tone governs what you hear from the repeater. Transmissions to the repeater are on the offset frequency.

The size of Heliax needed depends on the three variables of frequency, length of run, and power.

Digital signals are decoded until the bit error rate reaches the point the signal can no longer be decoded. That said, it means the signal doesn't fade, it just drops off entirely. Analog FM fades as it gets further away but digital is there till it isn't.

Its another network isn't it?

Lowering the squelch will have an effect on the receive but if it helps is unknown. I usually run my squelch on either 1 or 2. But then my HTs run around $100 each. They are similar construction to yours, as in they are SOCs but their SINAD is .2 uv.

For a calibrated source to check the SDR use WWV at 10.0 MHz.

!.5 miles is pretty average for an HT in an urban area. The key point is antenna height. That goes for both your transmitting antenna on the HT (about 6 feet) and the height of the receiving antenna (your repeater). The buildings and trees interfere with the path, so that's why only the short distance. You would get about half the distance going HT to HT. The receiver in your HTs is not real good, it needs. 25 uv for a decent receive signal. I'd say the problem isn't the installation as much as it is the HT receivers and the only fix for that is a better radio. At $30 ea. for the pair, you got what you paid for them. Me, I'd throw them in a box for a SHTF event and get a couple decent mobile radios. Right now, Radioddity is selling their 25W mobile for $99 which is less than they are asking for their 20W model. Radioddity DB25-G GMRS Mobile Radio | 25W | Quad Watch | UHF VHF Scann

That's a tough one to diagnose with the limited info you've supplied. What would help is knowing the make and model of the HTs as that will tell us how sensitive the receiver is supposed to be and the conditions under which the failure occurs. How far away from the repeater are you and what is around you. It will also help if you can tell us if you have a watt/swr meter and have checked the power and SWR from your HTs to their antennas.

There are multiple sources for connectors besides the big A and Flea-Bay. Look for ham stores for ready-made cable assemblies and adapters along with various component suppliers such as Mouser and Amp.

I have one, and the major complaints I have are the menus and the fact that it can't monitor two channels at the same time. No APRS is also a negative, but for the price I paid (free from a drawing), I won't throw it out. It sits in a Go-Box where it might get used a couple times a year when I'm at an event.

Yes, feedback from the speaker to the microphone. The cure is don't try to listen to your transmission while talking. That's the reason for the feedback.

As far as I have been able to understand from the regulations, they only state you need to identify with your call sign and the period you van operate until you need to ID. There is nothing in the regs stating when you ID, only that you must.

Welcome to the circus. You're the next act!

What group? I only see you.

Welcome to our wacky world!

You can't boost the output of the radio to overcome losses downstream from the radio. The FCC limited the radio's output to 50 watts so you have to eat the losses.

Check Amazon for a Mean Well Supply. These are as good as you can get without the high prices charged for ham radio supplies. Many public safety agencies use Mean Well supplies in their repeater locations - and solid, clean power is often a critical life safety issue.

Go to the FCC site and enter your FRN into ULS (Universal Licensing System) to see and print your license. The FCC doesn't notify you of grants,

A lower-gain antenna works better in areas where the signals can reflect from many surfaces (multipath). Gain works two ways, not only by increasing the radiated output but also by increasing the received signal. In an urban environment lower gain helps reject multipath signals, while in a mountainous area, it reduces the multipath reflected from hard walls. YMMV

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While the regulations agree with you, human nature would give more weight to the person being directly targeted. Showing the interference happened every time or most of the time they keyed up would show the interference being targeted rather than generally being the south end of a north bound donkey which carries more impact.