OffRoaderX

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.

By design, there are numbered channels on GMRS & FRS for a reason - so that normal people can more easily use the radios and communicate amongst themselves. Anyone pushing frequencies over channels clearly has no understanding of GMRS, its intended use or its target audience.

On all Post 2017 GMRS & FRS radios GMRS channels 1-22 and FRS channels 1-22 are the same frequencies. No idea why your software does not know this.

Even setting up a ham radio for use with GMRS repeaters can be challenging for us simpletons. But a GMRS radio like the KG1000G or XS20G is very easy to setup. You dont even need the software, you can do it directly on the radio (but, it is easier with the software). If simplicity is your goal for GMRS, then do not get a CDM1250, XTL5000 or a ham radio - get a GMRS radio.

My Surecom SW-102 gives the same SWR readings as my RigExpert AA-650 antenna analyzier.. But the rest of your post was very impressive - You must be very smart!

I often get 1.1:1 - 1:2:1 on my MXTA26 and when I put it on a good groundplane I have seen 1.0:1 more than once.

Is yours one of the MXT400 units that can switch between wideband and narrowband? If so, make sure its on wideband.. If not, ask one of your friends to switch their radio (temporarily) to narrowband and ask them if it sounds better. if it sounds ok when you're both on narrowband, then, thats just the way it is.. If its not a narrowband issue, make sure you're not eating the mic.. IIRC, the MXT400 does not have an adjustable Mic gain, so your arm is the only way to adjust it. If neither of those help, call Midland and tell them you send you a new radio that works.

How close are the radios? Try it with the radios at least 50 feet apart.

Imagine living a life where you get so angry and butthurt over videos that nobody forces you to watch, that you then go around complaining and making up stories every chance you can.. We should all pray for sad people like this.

Also beware of "some people" that will chastise you for even thinking about using an XTL5000 on GMRS and watch out for the "experts" telling you that you will go to jail if you get a copy of the XTL5000 software..

You have to use the Motorola CPS specifically made for the XTL5000.

The hardest part about programming the XTL5000 is getting the software.. As for programming the radio: I learned everything about how to program it by watching youtube videos - I have a friend that I could call for things that really confused me and he also learned everything from Youtube and various websites. For most/many things, the programming is the same/very similar to the XTS5000 - seems there is more info out there for the XTS, which also helped me a lot.

According to the FCC Enforcement Database, since 2012, there are no ramifications. Unintended consequences include more "pure" spectrum-use since virtually every LMR radio is better designed and has far less spurious output than pretty-much any consumer GMRS radio on the market.