BoxCar

Well Pappaw, welcome to the forum. Different brands of radios are compatible as long as they are using the same modes of transmission. In plain American that generally means analog FM. The other requirement (but not quite a requirement in many instances) is the signal occupies the same amount of bandwidth or spectrum. GMRS is wideband or a 20 KHz signal and FRS is a narrowband or 12.5 KHz signal. Narrowband signals typically sound weak on wide band radios as the occupy only a portion of the band. A wideband signal sounds loud on a narrowband radio but the two can talk to each other over less distance because of the narrow signal on one.

You are on an a channel that is offset by 12.5 KHz. If you programmed your radio incorrectly and specified that channel as a wide band then you are bleeding over the channel boundaries. A narrow or 12.5 KHz channel has 10 KHz to carry intelligence with 1.25 KHz on each side as a quiet guard bang. A wide channel has 20 KHz for intelligence with a 2.5 KHz guard on each side. Chanel 4 should be specified as a narrow-band (NB) channel.

I can't help you with the NY situation but I will state the BTECH 25X2 is probably a better choice for your truck than the 50X1. You won't need the extra power as it does very little in the UHF frequencies.

Welcome to the group and,yes, there are some valid concerns about causing interference to other licensed user of adjacent frequencies. The question about the brand and model of your radios will allow those of us with more knowledge to mentor you along and provide help on configuring your radios, needed accessories and software to program your radios for proper operation in your area. Perhaps one question that needs an answer first is if you have applied for a GMRS license. If you haven't, then our advice is to log onto the FCC website and complete the process and pay the filing fee. If you aren't licensed, then don't expect our assistance to operate what would then be an illegal unlicensed station on the GMRS frequencies. You do not need a license for the FRS or Family Radio Service channels which include some channels shared between GMRS and FRS but US radios would already have FRS frequencies coded into them.

I'm using a J-Pole also but I'm having no noise issues. The feedline needs either ferrite beads or a balun installed about a foot before the antenna connector. I'm using a coil of feedline for my balun. Have you done either of these? The feedline balun is a 3 inch diameter coil of coax (3 turns).

I have a BTECH 25X2 and it does program the 2M and 70CM frequencies.

He can determine the channel and if it's a GMRS, report it and let the FCC make the determination.

If you have a business on the GMRS channels report them to the FCC at PSIX-ESIX Homepage - PSIX-ESIX If you can get the name of the business as well, it makes the job easier on the FCC's part as they can then go into the business and check their radios without having to monitor first.

WREA898 is in Arecibo, PR.

Not to my knowledge. Most of the activity I have heard is on FRS.

Welcome to the group as well. I'm in South Asheville and I can tell you the Asheville Linq repeater hasn't been on the air for over a year that I'm aware of and the listed owner's license is expired.

If you are on a budget, you may want to look at these antennas, I have one tuned for GMRS and it works well on the Ham band 70 cm. I'm able to trigger repeaters 30 miles away from inside my ground floor apartment with a 25W BTECH mobile. https://www.jpole-antenna.com/

Probably used the coax shield as its ground path. Shows the antenna has a good ground plane.

The equipment and possibly the land is probably owned by the licensee. Attempt to contact them about access to the site and tower.

Welcome to the group!

You can use almost any 18 through 14 gauge wire the transmit draw is less than 15 amps. As far as quick disconnect connectors, I use XT60 connectors I can get at any hobby store selling radio control items. They solder to the wires so crimpers are not needed.

Any local radio shop should also be able to do the work of shortening the cable as well.

With the high gain antenna and a pre-amp you may have been overloading the receiver front end which in itself contains amplifier circuits to boost signal levels

Connectors, no matter the type will always degrade as they represent a break in the electrical path and a mechanical restoration of the circuit. The mechanical pieces will ALWAYS introduce less than perfect electrical properties and a less than perfect mating of the parts, The only connection I am aware of that does not result in a break in the electrical path is a fused connection where two conductors are fused together. That doesn't imply there is no loss or impedance introduced due to impurities or misalignment in the fusion process.

Let me see if I understand what you are stating correctly. You state Ultra High Frequency connectors shouldn't be used even at Very High Frequencies because they don't present a 50 ohm impedance somewhere above 100 MHz. I guess following that logic they should only be used at frequencies usually referred to as being in the high frequency range. Did I capture this correctly?

I'm too old to learn everything but welcome to the wacky world of GMRS users.

You'll need a good ground plane for the antenna, The roll bar should have a good connection to the frame and the mount will also need a good electrical connection to the roll bar. Probably the best mount would use holes drilled and tapped into the bar with star washer between the mount and bar.

Yes, called then caller,

Digital modulation and analog (F3E) are incompatible as digital modulation is a string of ones and zeros which sounds like a chain saw. In the Part 90 world where there are assigned frequency coordinators they have to maintain separation between digital and analog users on the same frequency to eliminate interference complaints. As GMRS doesn't have frequency coordinators insuring spacing between channels, allowing all types of modulation would be chaos.

I'm curious as to the HOA restrictions. The FCC has ruled against many associations having rules against external antennas. If that is the underlying issue, send a copy of the association's rules to the FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and ask them for a ruling. It may be their rules violate FCC regulations and are now unenforceable.