kidphc

I like this one iteration a bit better. Thanks all for the input thus far.

lol. I have lived here almost all my life and had to do a double take when I first saw the image. So you aren't the only one. Hmm.. Something now looks really off. I do have space to add my person picture now. Its more then the spacing under the pic.

I am using QSO maker, which is limited. I like the idea of the QSO info on the back. I will probably add a photo of the family, including myself from Great Falls later. The ugliness that is now.

Thanks for the input. The state is actually shaped that way. The right edge the 90 degree in fact isn't part of a text box, it is where Delaware is. The flag, was causing me problems to begin with. It has been worrying me a bit, from what I get a lot of people don't know where MD even is.

Sorry for the long winded post ahead of time. Currently, applied for a vanity call sign. The previous owner was my social studies teacher from 8th grade and Ham Club Sponsor and operator, many moons ago. I recently went looking for him to tell him I finally got my license. Nearly 40 years after I walked out of his club doors. I could tell in a later conversation with he was disappointing that I stop attending. Sadly, I found he had died on 9/11 at the Pentagon. We lost a great man. At that moment I looked up his call sign at it had laid expired and dormant since 2007. At that moment I chose to apply for his call sign. I want to get his call sign back on the air, and from someone that knew him. So no I am waiting, studying for my General as well as CW. I have started working on a QSO card to remember him by. My dilemma is I am not sure if I am even close to proud on the work. Any suggestion or input is appreciated. Thanks ahead of time.

Welcome. Many hams have the GMRS license as well. Try making some calls on simplex, you may get lucky and get the guy sitting there listening and thinking no one is on GMRS in his area.

Ah. Makes sense. Finally, looked up your call neighbor [emoji14] Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

Tell your wife, "I say you don't have enough equipment"...Curious why you are running outside of the house? Do you have a long wire running to the trees?

Roger that, I understand the concept. There is no tone set on either memory slot, everything for the GMRS radios are set to carrier squelch. Channel 1 is programmed to say 675. Channel 2 was programmed to 675 repeater pair. If it is in fact a repeater, Ig et the fun of decoding the tones, only because it isn't published. That was more of my gripe. An unpublished repeater. Can't really say much, I don't own or maintain it. I will have to play with it, to figure out what is going on. Just didn't have the time because I was driving. Would of been nice, since one of the guys call started with a K. From what I gather he has been licensed to GMRS since the 70's or so. Referred to the service as GMR....

Finally, got to hear what sounds like a repeated GMRS call, on 462.6750. The reason I say repeated, is because I have that 6750 repeater pair as a separate channel from the regular 6750 call. Couldn't hear squat on the normal channel I had programmed but heard the entire conversation on the repeater pair channel. I did hear them mention that the call was on a repeater, everything points to it. Didn't get much of either parties calls or the repeater's call. Way too much picket fencing while I was driving. By the time I stopped the call was done. Probably, going to have to try the channel tonight. Just so I can figure out where the hell this repeater is. Really, wish a lot more of the GMRS repeaters were listed. I would love to ask for permission. I should say that this is more of a rant then anything else.

I've been told that by every general or extra ham out there. That the hobby really starts there.

Wanted to thank all that took the time to participate in this wonderful program. This is what makes the Amateur radio community so great. So now. I have been requested by the kids to upgrade my ham ticket to general so they can talk to him next year. Wife's face when they said that in front of us... Maybe daddy, can convince mommy a IC9700 would give us the best shot. Knowing full well a used IC7300 with a good antenna could do it for a 1/5 of the price and NO I have no HF gear nor a shack even setup or planned.. Either case, thanks once again to all that participate in programs like this with your own dime and time. It is these hidden gems and the people that take the time to do this that make the world a better place. http://www.cqsanta.com/

I thought that FRS/GMRS minus some of the grandfathered licenses were for non-business use only. Crap if I had a business and needed radio comms, it would probably mostly on MURS.

It is kinda sad..

I was driving back from West Virginia heading to Frederick, MD. Wife was in my truck, I was driving my father's truck. I had taken the two BTech GMRS-V1 radios with some mag mounts on the trucks so we could talk on the way to Frederick. All was fine till I hit Charleston WVa, We were on 462.7125 and we started getting what sounded like Motobro or DMR. It was interesting to hear, I really am not sure what it was actually. Anyone have any idea? I do know were were close to the hospital and casino at that point.

I was driving back from West Virginia heading to Frederick, MD. Wife was in my truck, I was driving my father's truck. I had taken the two BTech GMRS-V1 radios with some mag mounts on the trucks so we could talk on the way to Frederick. All was fine till I hit Charleston WVa, We were on 462.7125 and we started getting what sounded like Motobro or DMR. It was interesting to hear, I really am not sure what it was actually. Anyone have any idea? I do know were were close to the hospital and casino at that point.

I don't have one..If I were to put one up it would probably be something like a ed fong, jpole home brew or a dnd production. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

Can verify this... Tried both on my 2m/70cm and my Btech GMRS-v1. The 771 simply doesn't work as well on the Btech. Works great on my cheap chinese 2m radio. Tried the different combinations with counterpoises and without as well as different lengths. Not so great for gmrs worked much better with the 2m/70cm radio. Just ripped off the counter poise of the 2m/70cm radio since with a 771 and counterpoise it was an annoying radio to walk around and use.

Station identification. Usually the call sign of the repeater owner. Not required for GMRS. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

Found a real time CW decoder that can do it off of audio, in this months QST magazine. I don't think you want to spend a $100 +shipping for a decoder though.

This is over simplifying things a bit. A base antenna usually can be put up higher. Not that it is more powerful. Db values and wattage are misleading also. UHF is pretty much line of sight. So being higher up with less obstructions makes for futher contacts, all else being equal. Higher DBi values are not always better then lower DBi values. Note the "i", indicates compared to a reference antenna. Although, a lot of manufacturers never state what reference antenna. For instance off roading a 3 DBi antenna can be more beneficial then a 6 DBi antenna. The radiation pattern of the 3DBi antenna is going to be more sphere like and easier to make contact with vehicles below you on a berm. Where on flat lands the flatter radiation pattern of a 6DBi antenna is going to reach out further. Mind you DB and DBi are just the gain values of a given antenna and irrespective of it's wave length. Although, it may seam related all the time.

Then i guess you buy a frequency scanner that can decode the tones. Conversely try to find the repeater owner and ask. The trial and error way is going to be painfully long. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

There are apps that will decode CW for you.

Thanks that opens a different possibility of putting the second 2m antenna on the fender, if I even go that route. Then place the CB where the 2nd 2m was going to go.

I don't plan on DX'ing, so a SSB and a perfect antenna setup won't matter much to me. I really was just expecting close to 3-7 miles at most. Directional to the front won't be so bad fo the intended purposes of just listening for road hazards and such. I had considered a No ground plane install, on the front fender by the windshield with a Firestick. I just didn't know what to do with all the extra coax. The FTM400 and all the other crap will be in the center console. The power line is coming through the steering column cover grommet, and there are additional power lines across the firewall for the dual battery and isolator. There really isn't any space inside of the engine bay to loose roll the coax and tuck it away. A bumper mount would shield about 4' of the antenna. A front fender mount, about 2' would be masked by the truck. A rear fender mount would be about 3.5'. I was going to treat it as an HF install and start bonding the truck. Atleast, I would be prepared if I decided to go HF. Might have to revisit this later. Especially, after the FTM 400 is in and I can start getting an idea of what my noise floor looks like.