WRTC928

Using your call sign at the beginning of the conversation is not required, but it's almost universally done, because it lets everyone know who is talking. Of course, you can start with your name or handle, but I don't hear that done much. It wouldn't be a violation of any rules to just start talking without identifying yourself, but it would probably annoy some people. Remember that many of the people on the channel may not receive your signal well and even people who know you may not recognize your voice under sub-optimal conditions.

There is no radio which is certified to operate on both GMRS and Marine frequencies. There are radios which are capable of it, but they are not certified for either service, to the best of my knowledge. Quite a few ham radios have that capability, but FCC regulations don't allow them to be used on either GMRS or Marine frequencies. Not that anyone would know unless you told them, but those are the rules.

That may be correct. Terrain and vegetation are always factors. I don't know your property. I doubt you'd regret buying the 25 watt repeater if it's within your budget.

It's about the location. A 5 watt HT is by definition at ground level, whereas a repeater antenna can be in a much more advantageous location. Additionally, a fixed-location radio can have a much more effective antenna than a handheld. People will typically put the repeater on the highest point of the property they want to cover and then use as long a mast as possible to get the antenna up high. That definitely provides an advantage over just using HTs on simplex. In theory, 25 watts might provide some advantage, but it depends upon your use case. If you only need a modest range and have a high point to place it on, a 5 watt repeater may work just fine.

I've noticed that two identical radios can have different preferences for antennas. That's why it's so hard to answer "Which antenna is best?" questions.

Everyone has black. Be a rebel.

Same here. I only recently discovered they rx/tx on Marine frequencies. Not that I have any real use for that, but it's not impossible to imagine a situation where I may be glad to have it.

Maybe the easiest solution would be to replace the connector.

Ah, okay. Not quite as simple as my Google search led me to believe. I have both of those and a T-shirt that says, "Trust me. I'm a plague doctor."

Isn't SL16 another term for a UHF connector? if so, no conversion is needed. The antenna will have a PL259 and the radio will have an SO239. You can plug them directly together. Have you (carefully) tried to see if they fit together?

I'll just leave this here.

I.5 and 1.3 and you want to improve on it? Why? You could dink around for years, spend thousands of dollars, and get no improvement. In fact, there's a better than even chance you'd make it worse. "Good enough" is a valid concept.

With 42' of LMR400, you'll get about 25% loss for 37 watts (assuming you're using a 50 watt base unit) at the antenna feed point. A good antenna will get you out with plenty of power.

That is something to keep in mind, but IMO, the elevation will almost always be worth it, even with the coax loss. Obviously, that depends upon a number of factors. Let's say you have a Comet 712efc antenna (6.85 dBd gain) on a 50' mast and 50' of LMR400 coax on a 50 watt radio or repeater. You'll lose ~28% of your signal at the antenna feed point. If you raise the antenna another 50', you'll lose 48%. That sounds like a lot, right? But let's factor in the antenna gain. With 50 watts input and 6.85 dBd gain, you'll get an effective radiated power of 174 watts with 50' of coax and 125 watts ERP with 100'. How many watts do you need? Will 49 watts make a significant difference in performance? I doubt it. On the other hand, another 50' of elevation will probably make a very large difference in the range of your radio/repeater. If I could get that antenna up to 200', the ERP would be 64.6 watts. I'll take that all day every day over 174 watts at 50' elevation. WW2 pilots talked to ships 200 miles away on 14 watts. Every day, people talk to the International Space Station on a 5 watt HT. It's easy to make too much of the coax loss. Get the antenna as high as you can, then buy the best coax you can afford and quit worrying about it. Coax loss calculator

I agree that GMRS is taking over the role 2m/70cm used to fill, at least according to older hams. That alone is a good reason to have a GMRS license and equipment, IMO.

I had to decide between "liking" this and laughing at it..

I'm totally with you on that, but for some people due to family, job, etc., that's not an option. I find it interesting to learn how people deal with those restrictions.

In some part of the country, it's essentially impossible to buy a home outside of an HOA without moving out of the city entirely.

In my experience, most 2m/70cm antennas will have acceptable SWR and performance on GMRS. TBH, I've never noticed that I get more farz from a mobile with a GMRS-tuned antenna, but that will probably vary according to where you use it. I have noticed an improvement in range and clarity with a GMRS-tuned antenna on a handheld, although it's usually not a whole lot.

Same here. Amazon doesn't have it. The receive audio is surprisingly good for a speaker/mic.

Well, that's disappointing. I guess every company ships a lemon occasionally. I have the Abbree AR-7600 dual-band radio, and despite being a little quirky, it works just fine.

"Can't use a handheld" and "can't use a complicated handheld" aren't the same thing. I hand out radios for some public events, and even for educated people, radios are usually far outside their experience and skill set. Even I have occasionally accidentally hit a button and couldn't figure out how to get back to where I was without consulting the manual. That's why I like the BF-888s and similar for events. One knob for on/off/volume, and one for channel.

I typically ask for a signal check and when someone responds, I tell them where I am. As others have said, what I really want to know is how far away I can be understood clearly. Nobody has ever scolded me for it; in fact, apparently most people are as interested in knowing the range/location as I am. Just wait until the repeater is idle.

I participate in a net on a local 2m repeater that's actually named the "Gossip Net".

Yeah, when I originally posed the question, I hadn't thought of the antenna. That's pretty much a deal-breaker for most people.