OffRoaderX

KG-1000G.. More capable and less expensive.. However a bit more complicated.

BuyTwoWayRadios and BetterSafeRadio (i have purchased from both) are both based in the U.S. and have great support. Anything else I buy on Amazon because they make it very easy to return things if necessary, unlike if buying direct from some manufacturers (Retevis, Radioddity, etc). Sorry, NO affiliate link below.

Hard to tell for sure what is going on... Have you confirmed if the radio works properly on simplex/direct radio to radio? and.. maybe try removing the RX/DEcode tone to see if that makes any difference?

I usually see that error when I have the wrong radio model selected - confirm you have selected the correct radio, and make sure the volume on the radio is set to about 50%-75% or so ..

Thank you.

For most normal people, GMRS is not a hobby.

I've been using LMR400 on my repeater for over a year-and-a-half and it has been plenty "good enough" for me and everyone in the several hundred square miles that the repeater covers. Is it as good as a multi-thousand dollar commercial-grade repeater installation? NO Will the coax last forever? NO Does it work? YES Be wary of "some people" that love spending other people's money.

It sounds like your computer is incorrectly trying to open the compressed (.zip or .rar) file with Adobe. Try to manually open the file with your Unzipping program, or look up how to change the association between whatever file type it is and Adobe. Also - for clarification - you dont need "the driver", you need the programming software.

Dont worry - I have also been on TV.. and Radio, so no need for any correction

Welcome to the exciting and dynamic world of the GMRS! As to your questions: A: It is a feature upgrade for sure. Both are rated as up to 50W radios, but in my experience (with multiple 50X1 radios and several KG-1000G radios) you will likely be getting more power from your KG1000G. Every 50X1 I've measured put out 39W or LESS, every KG1000G put out at least 45W.. You probably wont notice any difference in fars, but more is better B: There should be at least an input tone

That is almost certainly an "MDC" on Motorola radios, or "FleetSync" on some Kenwood radios. It's a digital identifier that other radios of the same type can read and display on their screen.

Stop flirting with me, you're beginning to look desperate.

Nothing wrong at all with being a n00b - we all started there..

Probably, as it will do the job just fine - the 1486 is what I have on my roof. Now stand-by for all the long-winded and overly-complicated answers from the people that are incapable of grasping the meaning of "yes another newb" that you mentioned in your original question..

It's not ideal, and you will likely loose some TX power due to a higher SWR than normal, but it wont cause any harm - however beware of the "experts" that will leave a 10-paragraph long response telling you that it will cause damage to the radio. To them, I say, just watch this video about the KG-935G to see that a little high SWR wont hurt it -> https://youtu.be/yrLB7augoQU

IIRC, there is no option to dim the display - but you can try different colors as some of them are less bright than others. and IIRC, you can also set the backlight to turn off after a preset time.

Check menu #19 and make sure its set to OFF, and make sure that all the call-id/group-call options are turned off. If that doesn't fix it, do a factory reset (Menu #45, option #1).. If THAT doesn't fix it, contact BTech support and tell them to send you one that isnt broken.

Let us know what other testing they have you do/what the outcome is.

Make sure your engine is on/running and try measuring with a dummy-load instead of the antenna, and if possible, try a different meter unless you know your meter is calibrated/accurate. If its still putting out only 35W, call BuyTwoWayRadios and tell them you want want that outputs closer to 50W .. All that said, you will likely never notice any difference in fars between 35W and 45W-50W (most radios dont output exactly 50W).

yah... About that......

How else would he show us all how smart he thinks he is?!

He is correct though, it would be easier to help if we knew what radio the guy was using.. And I prefer his direct and to-the-point replies to the 5-10 paragraph uncecessarily-complicated answers that always include a full resume of the person leaving the reply as well as a list of all the radios they own. I guess we all have different want/needs in forum replies..

I used that setup for 6-8 months, off-roading every weekend and it worked fine for me - but I am hydro-adverse and we are usually in the desert so I cant speak to the IP rating, however dust did not seem to be a problem.

Basically yes, but there are also DTC/DCS tones in addition to CTCSS tones.