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marcspaz

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Everything posted by marcspaz

  1. I got a new repeater a few days ago and started pricing hardline for the new setup... it's going to cost me about $1,300 for 250 feet and a couple of connectors. I only paid $350 for the repeater. It's wild... but if you want it to work...
  2. marcspaz

    distance

    I like you as a person and don't want to have you think less of me, and I definitely don't want to spark a political debate, but as a Constitutional Conservative with a few Libertarian leanings, I could not disagree more. I'll skip the politics part for now, but we haven't even identified if the "kids" are adults in college or not. I'm a grandpa and my offspring are in their 30's, but I still call them "my kids". LOL This drastically modifies what is considered acceptable behavior for all parties, if they are grown-ups.
  3. On the Nagoya UT-72G, the coil in in the base of the antenna, referred to as a bottom load. The Tram 1181 has a coil in the middle, referred to as a center load.
  4. marcspaz

    distance

    Man... hard to answer without more info. Are you talking about as close to guaranteed as you can get for emergency communications or non-critical recreational? Are they in college or secondary school? If you are looking for non-critical recreational communications, I would lean away from UHF or even VHF communications. It's possible, but not likely in a vast majority of the country. Your most affordable and reliable would be to all get your general class amateur radio license and us HF. With proper antennas at all locations and adjusting the frequency used based on the time of day, you would be able to talk directly for 12 to 15 hours per day, with blackout periods during and surrounding mid-day. If it needs to be discreet and it just has to work, get a Garmin InReach Mini 2 or InReach Messenger and a Recreation or Expedition plan for each person.
  5. Okay, I will try to make this as painless as possible. No promises though. Hopefully, if I make a mistake, some of the smarter guys will let us know. High-level Science OffRoaderX is correct, but there is one other reason that is pretty common that comes to mind, specifically for phasing multi-band antennas. Though, this obviously doesn't apply to GMRS specific antennas. Quick example... the Diamond NR770 dual-band mobile antenna is listed as a 1/2 wave VHF antenna and a 2 phase 5/8 wave UHF antenna. There is a coil in the center of the antenna to electrically make a VHF half wave antenna, which has almost no gain. The coil also acts like a separator and a phase coupler(?) for each 5/8 wave segment, being the straight parts below and above the coil, leading to having about 3 dB of gain. Is there a compromise? eh... for GMRS, there is normally a benefit associated with it, such as having a gain antenna in a smaller package. I am not really sure of any drawbacks if it built right. Is performance advantage material dependent? Sort of. Some materials conduct electricity better than others, but the common materials used for antennas have negligible performance differences.
  6. Part of me thinks Reverse Tone Squelch and Tone Lockout would be great features to include in a GMRS radio. Another part of me thinks that the whole KISS principle for the general consumer market is not a bad idea, either.
  7. Some of these response are funny, and true. LOL I wish that people would us plain English on GMRS, but if someone is going to use a scale, they would be more helpful if they said something like I would give you a 3 out of 5 or a 4 out of 5. That is something most people understand. Unless you're a radio dork or was in the military at a very specific time in history, you would have no idea what "Q3" or "Q5" is or what someone means when they say "you're in the pipe 3x5."
  8. @WRYZ926 The MXT500 having low power out of the box was the biggest let down. I had hoped that Midland fixed the issue since then... but I guess not. The only upside is, there is almost zero difference between 35w and 50w, from a real-world use standpoint. You can measure a difference, but likely wouldn't see an extra 10 feet in range.
  9. @nokones great test results. The current draw, voltage and power readings all agree, which is good, as it shows common efficiency, too. BTW, what model repeater is that vertex? I get a kick out of seeing rack mount equipment on a home work bench. My kinda people. LoL
  10. That ship sailed loooong time ago.
  11. @WRKC935... who hurt you? LOL
  12. While I was not initially impressed with the radio, after spending time using it, it became 1 of 2 radios I recommend for an OTC purpose built radio. I recommend the KG-1000G for those who want the bells and whistles and like to play with tech, and I recommend the MXT500 or MXT575 for people who just want it to work out of the box and simple operation. Everyone has their opinions. There are plenty of good radios on the market for varying prices, but the Midland radios are definitely a good brand with quality options.
  13. I get it... if all radios were equally well built and met the greatest of standards, I would tend to agree. However, they are not, hence the rules.
  14. Wow! That HT is horrific! I'm not surprised... but I should be. LOL Thanks for sharing. That really drives home the point. QFT !!!
  15. Honestly... I (mostly) agree with you. 100+ years ago, we didn't need permission from the government to grow food, fish, use a radio, etc. What was once considered our Rights have somehow evolved into us having permission to do things on a free-range human tax farm. The ATF/BATFE is a great example. Machine guns, short barrel rifles and suppressors are "dangerous and unusual"... but if you pay your tax, all of a sudden everything is fine. The whole concept is ridiculous. I feel like much of our government suffers from the same hypocrisy, with agencies like the FCC being almost as bad as the ATF, when it comes to rule making. The problem is, as part of living in a polite, civilized society, we have all agreed to live by these rules. If there are rules missing or rules we don't like, the people (at least in theory these days) have the ability to change those rules by petitioning the government. However, with very limited exception, if there are rules we don't like, we have agreed to live by them until the rule changes or is repealed. So, with that said, I provided you with fact about why things are the way they are. I don't necessarily agree with all of it due to a common moral compass that many of us share. However, that same moral compass guides me toward typically following the rules we all agreed to follow and not publicly condoning ignoring those rules. I share this at the risk of sounding too political, because I hope this helps you understand where I am coming from. And while I obviously can't speak for others, I have a funny feeling that many people who are protesting using non-compliant radios or FCC rule violations, likely feel darn close to what I do, if not the same.
  16. I am acquainted. I am one of the people that Randy consulted with on a video about Spurs, where he actually tested radios with an analyzer.
  17. Yes, that is the point behind the certification process. Not that the transmitter is perfect, but any imperfections will not cause harm due to meeting level/performance requirements. No. Amateur Radio equipment does not require type acceptance. It is an experimental classification and people build/create their own technologies, as well as some commercial OTC options. The requirement of type acceptance would contradict the nature of the service. Also, amateur radio licensees are tested and expected to know the rules, limits and guidelines to prevent interference with other services. In fact, there are several parts of the spectrum that Hams use, where they are not even the primary users. We share space with DOD and Emergency Services (as well as other commercial and gov space) and are expected to not only not cause interference, but yield to the primary when they are present. After decades or running tests on radios for CB, GMRS and Amateur Radio, I can 100% say that amateur equipment is not as clean as many think. Most of the GMRS equipment I have tested is far cleaner than most Amaeur equipment I have tested on the same frequencies. And, while I am a huge fan of Yaesu, owning an FT65 as well as a FT3D and several mobiles, Yaesu is actually one of the worst offenders of dirty transmitters that I have seen. Much worse than even the most inexpensive BTech type approved GMRS radios.
  18. You should care. It has nothing to do with Ham radio. The main reason type accepting is even a thing is because there are emergency frequencies adjacent to GMRS, and at harmonic frequencies. Type approved radios have been tested and confirmed to not cause harmful interference on those emergency frequencies. Others have not. I know I wouldn't want to be responsible for loss of life or property because I didn't buy an appropriate radio. Also, you don't have a GMRS Operator License. You have a GMRS Station License that is only valid while operating a type-approved station. If you are not using a GMRS radio certified for use by the FCC, you are in violation of rules and the license is not valid for those communications. This opens you up to criminal liability if harmful interference does occur.
  19. I wouldn't sweat it too much. Around my area, normal range (say mobile to mobile) is about 3 miles. On a good day, if both operators are on high spots, maybe 8 to 9 miles.
  20. The UHF band is line of sight. So, the further you can see, the further you can talk. I lost track of my longest GMRS contact, but I have talked to astronauts on the ISS at 250 miles above the Earth with only 5w on VHF/UHF. I think my longest GMRS contact was about 170 miles while on a mountain over 4,500' MSL.
  21. First, there is a common understanding in the world that we should only use as much power as we need. So, how much do you need for your reliable communications? Second, there is a common misconception the you have to quadruple your power to make a usable difference. However, the reality is, on any given instant you never know how much or how little more power will really make the difference between getting your message out or not. Last, in my opinion, you can never have too much love, money or power.
  22. It's hard to find good help these days.
  23. First, I agree with nokones. All things being equal, UHF Ham won't perform any different than GMRS. The atmospheric losses around 465 MHz are so high as 12 miles that it would have to truly be an unobstructed view. The moment you put something in the way, it won't work.
  24. If you are an audiophile or a geek Amateur Radio operator, you will be saddened to know that today the world has become a worse place. My acquaintance and fellow member of The Friendly Bunch Amateur Radio Club lost his battle with cancer. My heart hurts a little today. For those to don't know him, he was an amazing friend to the radio community. He was very generous with his time, always making the effort to talk to people he met on the radio or on the streets. He loved music and was a brilliant engineer. I'm blessed to have known him for the past 4+ years. From his employees... Today we say goodbye to our beloved founder, Dr. Bob Heil. Bob fought a valiant, year-long battle with cancer, and passed peacefully surrounded by his family. Bob’s impact on professional and live sound cannot be overstated. Driven by a lifelong passion for sound, Bob’s pioneering work revolutionized how concertgoers experienced live sound. Bob created and developed numerous pro sound innovations and products over the years, some of which are preserved in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum. In 2007, Bob was the recipient of the Audio Innovator Parnelli Award, recognizing his outstanding influence on the live sound industry. Countless artists, creators, broadcasters, podcasters, sound engineers, and sound professionals worldwide continue to be impacted by Bob’s work. While Bob’s presence will dearly be missed, we are immensely proud and happy to honor and carry on his legacy. #bobheil #heilsound #heilmicrophones #livesound #prosound A snip from Wiki... Bob Heil (October 5, 1940 – February 28, 2024) was an American sound and radio engineer most well known for creating the template for modern rock sound systems. He founded the company Heil Sound in 1966, which went on to create unique touring sound systems for bands such as The Grateful Dead and The Who. He invented the Heil Talk Box in 1973, which was frequently used by musicians such as Peter Frampton, Joe Walsh and Richie Sambora, and is still in use today. Heil has been an innovator in the field of amateur radio, manufacturing microphones and satellite dishes for broadcasters and live sound engineers. In the late 1980s Heil Sound became one of the first American companies to create and install home theaters, and Heil has lectured at major electronic conventions and taught classes at various institutions. He has won multiple awards and honors, and in 2007 he was invited to exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Godspeed. You will be missed.
  25. You probably have 2w or less making it to the antenna. If you switch to a mobile with at least 15w-20w. That will get you somewhere closer to 10w-12w into the antenna. A 50w radio will get you about 26w-32w depending on the cable loss. Multiplying your usable transmit power 13 times will increase your power into the repeater by 4+ s-units, which would be fantastic. Even at 15w, you will get at least 2 additional s-units into the repeater.
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