WSHH887

Thanks

And, the questions continue. I have decided not to use the mag mount. I found a mount for my pickup that attaches easily to existing bolts. It has a 3/8" hole in it, but that is adjustable. So just what type of antenna, guessing it wouldn't be a ground plane type, would work? Specific model recommendation appreciated. Also, I'm considering a rear bumper mount for the Jeep. Would the same antenna work for both?

Ahh, the mystery deepens, even as the veil of ignorance is lifted. I've been involved in most of my hobbies for decades. I had forgotten that the path to knowledge takes a lot of effort and brain cells.

As a newbie I was a bit confused about the overlap of FRS and GMRS channels. Perhaps that is where the confusion springs from. I have heard call signs on FRS channels so that doesn't help.

Like I've said before I'm new, and I recently (re)discovered I had a pair of GXT100's I had bought for emergencies and never even turned on. I was wondering, is the reason things like the GXT1000 aren't repeater capable is because of their low wattage doesn't support duplex? If I'm correct you need duplex capability to use repeaters. Educae me if I'm on the wrong path.

Okay, thanks for the info. I'm in SoCal so I'm looking for a local "club". Anyway to find out how you have set up your ESG?

Ahh, I tried searching antenna and was overwhelmed. Just a thought as I am aiming for commonality. Would the same techniques that work on a jeep work on other vehicles?

So, here's the deal. I received the DB-20 bundle. It included a mag mount but no antenna. I gather that the Midland MXTA26 would be a good antenna to use with the mount. Let me know if I'm wrong. But here's my real issue. I intend to be able to move the radio from my pickup to my Jeep. The mag mount would work well on the Pickup, but the Jeep has a fiberglass top. I was thinking about some sort of whip attached to the rear of the Jeep. But what would be a good antenna for that use?

Well, it's not a "real" Jeep like a CJ but since you visit the range I'll forgive you.

OOPS! I completely missed the welcome thread and just jumped right in. Please forgive my fox paw. I'm a retired water treatment consultant with too many hobbies so I need to add one more. Radio wise, I started in the military, then used them in the ship building and oil industries. Along the way I did the CB thing until it became populated with too many "individuals". Outdoor wise, I've been a hunter/shooter and everything that goes with it since I was a kid in the fifties. Got into off roading in the 80's when I bought my Jeep Scrambler. That's enough stuff for now.

Surprised it's not a thing. Since I'm new I'm wondering, are there groups like the old REACT that use GMRS?

Well, I'm a newbie to GMRS. I started using radios in the military. Fairly strict radio discipline there. When CB's started to get popular I joined REACT but that pretty much died when CB became so popular the airwaves became worse than crowded L A freeways. So I quit except for off roading. Decided after seeing how cellphones became useless after a disaster to get back into radio. Heck, even without repeaters a message could be handed of from users to user and passed a long way. Did some of that with REACT.

PTT pressure? You all sound like the guys over on the gun forums talking about trigger pressure. Then again the OP is using a trigger pull scale, so I'm surmising he's a shooter.

In my pre retirement I dealt with a lot of computerized control systems. Even in instructions written by professionals for professionals ambiguity wasn't uncommon. Add in it not being the first language of the writer and you'd get the "put slot A into tab B, oh happy joy" type instructions. So you called tech support and got someone with such a thick Indian subcontinent accent you couldn't understand them. Here I thought I was done with that and now I am tinkering with radios, most, if not all made off shore.

I read this same manual. Thus my confusion. I suppose a lawyer had a hand in writing the manual. This of course always results in much ambiguity. I'm doing the initial 24 hour charge and will likely do the unplug thing you mention.

Thanks. Those old Motorolas took quite a beating but seemed to hold up well. Didn't like water though.

So, while I wait for my DB20 to arrive, my wife reminded me that we had a pair of Walkie Talkies in our bag of earthquake stuff. I had completely forgotten about them and other than taking them out of the package I hadn't even looked at them. Turns out they are GMRS capable. Heck when I bought them I hadn't even heard of GMRS. So, I've been playing with them and learning their functions and menus (who write these things). I've learned a couple of things here but I have a question. Back in the dark past of the late 60's and 70's I was a USAF firefighter. We had a few radios in all of our rigs, and a few had units that allowed you to slip a portable into the base. I seem to recall these were Motorola radios. Big, heavy but they worked reasonably well. We never shut these off. They would charge in the base in the vehicle or in recharging bases kept in the office. Back to my question. Can I leave these Midland radios on while they are in the charger? The teeny tiny owner's manual doesn't address this, and that with using a magnifying glass to aid my 71 yo eyes.

Far from an expert, but with the vehicle running you are likely reading the alternator output. Turn off the car you only see the battery voltage. But anytime you reduce the wring and connections you reduce voltage drop. A properly sized wire connected directly to the battery with an appropriate inline fuse would be better.

Thanks Steve.

Just received my license and noticed that they seem to all start with W. Back when TV was new, yea I'm that old, Radio and TV station call letters started with W on the East coast and K on the west coast. I think the Mississippi river was the dividing line. Has that standard been done away with?

New here. Decided to look at reviews as a starting point in equipment selection. This is one of the first reviews listed. Read through it and have a simple question. For a "first" radio in my truck, is this a decent place to start? Not looking for the most powerful/technologically advanced radio, just a good starting point.