gman1971

I've got a couple of extra 7550 cables - PM me with your address. Free to a good home. Just pay it forward.

hahaha.... man, you're hilarious, OP.
 
I think you shouldn't limit such delightfully entitled attitude of yours to just GMRS, after all why stop there, right? I've heard cops have radio systems with statewide coverage, yeah, and guess what: you're paying for those systems with your taxes!!, therefore you are totally entitled to use these frequencies too... yeah!! absolutely... crank that CCR PA to 100W and kerchunk that P25 statewide like a boss with some "Breaker Breaker, 10-4 10-4, roger copy that, out..." or if CB aint ya'r thing then some "CQ CQ, calling all buddies in this frequency, roger roger india sierra uniform charile kilo alpha bravo..."
 
haha....
 
 
G.

hahaha.... man, you're hilarious, OP.
 
I think you shouldn't limit such delightfully entitled attitude of yours to just GMRS, after all why stop there, right? I've heard cops have radio systems with statewide coverage, yeah, and guess what: you're paying for those systems with your taxes!!, therefore you are totally entitled to use these frequencies too... yeah!! absolutely... crank that CCR PA to 100W and kerchunk that P25 statewide like a boss with some "Breaker Breaker, 10-4 10-4, roger copy that, out..." or if CB aint ya'r thing then some "CQ CQ, calling all buddies in this frequency, roger roger india sierra uniform charile kilo alpha bravo..."
 
haha....
 
 
G.

hahaha.... man, you're hilarious, OP.
 
I think you shouldn't limit such delightfully entitled attitude of yours to just GMRS, after all why stop there, right? I've heard cops have radio systems with statewide coverage, yeah, and guess what: you're paying for those systems with your taxes!!, therefore you are totally entitled to use these frequencies too... yeah!! absolutely... crank that CCR PA to 100W and kerchunk that P25 statewide like a boss with some "Breaker Breaker, 10-4 10-4, roger copy that, out..." or if CB aint ya'r thing then some "CQ CQ, calling all buddies in this frequency, roger roger india sierra uniform charile kilo alpha bravo..."
 
haha....
 
 
G.

hahaha.... man, you're hilarious, OP.
 
I think you shouldn't limit such delightfully entitled attitude of yours to just GMRS, after all why stop there, right? I've heard cops have radio systems with statewide coverage, yeah, and guess what: you're paying for those systems with your taxes!!, therefore you are totally entitled to use these frequencies too... yeah!! absolutely... crank that CCR PA to 100W and kerchunk that P25 statewide like a boss with some "Breaker Breaker, 10-4 10-4, roger copy that, out..." or if CB aint ya'r thing then some "CQ CQ, calling all buddies in this frequency, roger roger india sierra uniform charile kilo alpha bravo..."
 
haha....
 
 
G.

Man, that is the land of CCRs right there... 

From the Batwing cave... 
 
G.

Merry Christmas to All, and to all a good night.
 
Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM
 
 
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas to all
 
I hope Santa is good to everyone
 
73

From the Batwing cave... 
 
G.

Well. I understand the need for UV, I was there, I thought I needed many bands too, so I bought several Kenwood TH-F6a... with the fastest scan on a portable (at the time), all bands, all modes, etc... based on advice just like yours, that I needed all these things... but what I didn't know at the time was that all I really wanted/needed was one (1) lowly darn channel that worked, from anywhere within 20 miles of the base... without requiring using other people's infrastructure, ie everything else that wasn't my own hardware.
 
Since I've already afforded all of them, and in large quantities, from the BF-888s to the 400+ AT-578UV, and none of those worked as well as the "lowly" single band UHF 6550, I can safely claim that if you're interested in reliable comms then CCRs are not the droids, err, the radios you're looking for; and by reliable comms I mean simplex beyond 2 miles (sometimes more than 1/4 mile is historic for those things), that is. My BF-888s could hit repeaters 25 miles out... but anything tested with commercial GMRS repeaters is doomed to succeed... 
 
So, let me ask this question again: What radio would you have in your belt if something goes down? the one radio that can talk from DC to daylight, 1 gazillion contacts, the fanciest AMOLED screen on Earth, sixty hundred ringtones... etc, but you are unable to pick any signal, or a scratched up XPR6350 with just 32 channels, no display, no nothing, that actually picks up the signals when you might need them the most? I think its clear which radio we want to use. Same analogy for a phone, nobody buys a phone with no coverage, no matter how many apps, memory, CPU, etc, it might had. The main purpose of a phone is to communicate, and if it can do other things then that's great, but when you buy a phone you expect it to work everywhere...  and then, if it can run Call Of Duty Warzone at 4k 120fps, awesome... but in that order.
 
G.

Would those of you that are moderators or admins of this site please private message me so I know who you are?
 
When you message me, could you also please let me know your role, how long you have been doing it, and how much time you generally have to spend per week doing it?
 
If I don’t hear directly from the forum administrator, and you moderators know who it is, could you please let me know who it is ask them to PM me as well?
 
This request is made in connection with the thread concerning getting a master list of part 95 products documented on the site. Looking to start the discussion.
 
Thanks in advance.
 
Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM
 
 
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Batwings, Batwings everywhere... nice!
 
 
 

My repeater is a Motorola MTR2000 programmed to operate at the maximum legal power for GMRS of 50 watts. It is FCC part 90 certified for business use and is one of the best and most spectrally clean repeaters ever made but it is not certified for GMRS part 95. The reason is that Motorola didn’t go through the expense of getting it certified for part 95 because they are not interested in pursuing that market. There are few repeaters available that are FCC certified for GMRS so it violates that one rule However in my personal opinion, that since I follow all other rules regarding emissions and I am using equipment that far exceeds the quality of most GMRS certified equipment that It is an acceptable risk to me. If the FCC tells me to stop then I will shut it off. I would like to hear from anyone that knows of a situation where someone was fined for the sole crime of using non-certified equipment on GMRS.

Here are some of my thoughts regarding what I believe would be useful to forum members. It is not perfect, but it is a positive start.
 
Item 1: Master List of Approved Radios
 
A single master, living, breathing post (not open to discussion) that contains a list of all radios that are FCC approved for use on the GMRS radio service.
 
Only moderators/administrators would be permitted to add/edit this post.
 
The contents of the post would be organized by station type (Mobile, Base, Handheld, Repeater etc...)
 
The post would include the following simple information. Manufacturer, Model, Validated FCC ID.
 
When a radio goes out of production, the radio gets designated EoL (End of Life)
 
A single link for each model to another master post on this forum containing moderator-managed information for that model. See Item 2 below.
 
A single link to each model’s official Pros/Cons thread. See Item 3 below.
 
Item 2: Master Model Thread, One Thread per Model
 
Post created by and edited only by moderator(s).
 
Containing only information pertaining to one model.
 
An attachment containing the official manufacturer’s data sheet (not a link, the file needs to live with the post).
 
A link to the manufacturer’s website where users can obtain updated information. Redirected by moderator if manufacture changes it.
 
A convenience link to the FCC certification information for the model.
 
An embedded image of the Radio, no links to be broken.
 
An abbreviated list of the most common and important set of radio specifications.
 
Convenience Link to the Official Pros/Cons thread for the model (see Item 3 below).
 
Optional Convenience Link(s) to various technical validations or comparison posts (Item 4 below).
 
Item 3: Pros/Cons thread, One Official Thread per Model.
 
First post in the thread containing a consistent message as every other official Pros/Cons thread. Message should describe the purpose of and expectations of posts in that thread.
 
First post containing a link back to the master list of approved radios (Item 1 above).
 
First post containing a link back to the Master Thread for that model (Item 2 above).
 
First post created by moderator/administrator. All subsequent posts provided by the MyGRMS membership.
 
Moderators intervene, redirect or delete messages when they run off topic and dilute the purpose and usefulness of the thread.
 
Item 4: Technical Validations or Comparisons Threads (optional)
 
Created by the membership.
 
As time goes on and we have members willing and capable of conducting actual measurements and/or side-by-side field comparisons between two or more radios, that information would live here. When it appears high quality work has been submitted, the moderator would edit the master thread for the models compared to this comparison information.
 
Summary
 
All in all I believe this methodology would be useful to new and existing members.
 
I think this effort is doable and manageable, but it does require a commitment. The hardest part I believe is reaching agreement on the structure (organization) and contents of the moderator managed portions of the information. Then we need to agree on how the moderators receive new information to include on the posts they would be responsible for managing. Then we need to find a way to make sure the the Master list of Approved radios is always one of the first things a new member sees when joining. Some modification to the naming and organization of the equipment discussion area may be needed.
 
I also accept that this may not be doable because of forum software limitations. That I cannot speak to.
 
I hope this input is useful in furthering this discussion. Perhaps we can get this done.
 
Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM
 
 
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

You’re a good man G.
 
 
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

And that is the reason that I started the other thread, to get that discussion going. This forum could provide a great service to current and future members if it could curate facts about radios presently authorized by FCC for on use on GMRS in one place.
 
I love reading all the posts, contributing my own and helping folks out. But too easily good factual information gets buried in a mound of forum BS to be lost to all but the best forensic forum scientist to uncover. Because it takes months for some to find the information they really needed, out of now where it is suddenly to late for them.
 
I am currently of the opinion that it will take a moderator/administrator to set up the framework. I am also of the opinion that certain rules would need to be followed/enforced by said moderators. Perhaps its doable, perhaps not. I know not who the moderators are, nor what their capabilities are.
 
I will jump over to the thread I started and offer more opinion there.
 
Regards
 
Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM
 
 
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

There was no intent whatsoever to assert the radio better or worse than another. It was a “Pros/Cons” opinion of one author according to the current title of the thread. The post was made in an attempt to leverage the “existing” pros/cons thread referenced elsewhere on this forum in recent days/weeks in-order to spur others to do the same. Perhaps the title of the thread should be changed to clarify which brands are permitted to be commented on this thread. I deleted my post so no one else will get the wrong idea.
 
Respectfully,
 
Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM
 
 
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

@IronArcher
 
No, it cannot be done, b/c it doesn't really matter. I've been sharing some ISO-tee tests figures here, and all I get is people arguing personal opinions, swirling personal attacks and sowing doubt, deflecting from the problem at hand, while painting me as someone who is trying mislead people, etc. So, I've decided its just better to silently laugh watching people fumble around with garbage equipment, always wondering why their ranges are only a tenth of a mile, than me getting all worked up, writing long posts trying to explain things that noone cares.
 
And why it doesn't matter to have any spec chart, of any sort? Well, its very simple: Because we are cheap. Lets just say we had a chart with a bunch of radios, so, you see that fancy XPR7550e, and everything looks great, a +18dBm better effective sens, tight selectivity, and better everything... so you quickly realize this is the radio you want, but then, finally, when you look a the last column, the pricetag... you have a heart attack.... so in your mind you quickly disqualify the XPR7550e, b/c none of things can be that much better than the 59 dollar garbage CCR special... so without having any sense of what a 18dBm difference truly means, or any of the other spec chart parameters mean, all of the sudden, that 59 dollar CCR garbage special becomes the best radio, the same radio Jesus used to call Home before ascending back to Heaven... 
 
Seriously, it doesn't matter.
 
Only way to guarantee learning is making mistakes over time, and if it has to be an expensive mistake over a long period of time, so be it. The more expensive the mistake, and the longer you've made it, the better you learn the lesson, and I can certainly attest to heart to that... until then I'll be laughing... yeah, I am a cruel person, I am gMan the heartless, the troublemaker, the troll... etc etc.
 
G.

Content Deleted. Moved to another thread.

If you use a 3/8” NMO mount instead of a 3/4” one, you will have less issues (if any) with deformity of the roof. It’s easier to drill, too.
 
I wouldn’t bother with the ghost antenna. Instead a standard UHF 1/4 wave whip will do fine and be less visible. They’re usually $10 or so so you can easily afford a spare to keep in the Jeep just in case.
 
If you or some one you know has the skills and tools, by all means shorten the coax, but leave a foot or two extra.

Kenwood mobiles:
 
Kenwood TK-880H-1, 40W, Part 90 95A
250 channels
140 × 40 x 173 mm
KPG49D software
ALH24593210

Kenwood TK-880-1, 25W, Part 90, 95A
same as TK-880H, just 25W and a bit smaller heatsink
140 x 40 x 145 mm
KPG49D software
ALH24593110  

Kenwood TK-860G-1, 25W, Part 90 95A
128 channels
140 x 40 x 145 mm
KPG29D software
ALH29383110

Kenwood TK-860HG-1, 40W, Part 90 95A
128 channels
KPG29D software
ALH29383210

Kenwood TK-862G-1, 25W, Part 90 95A
8 channels: no alphanumeric display, numbers only
140 x 40 x 145 mm
KPG29D software
ALH29383110

Kenwood TK-862HG-1, 40W, Part 90 95A
8 channels: no alphanumeric display, numbers only
KPG29D software
ALH29383210

Kenwood TK-8180H-K, 45W, Part 90 95A 22 74 90.210
512 channels, remote head (KRK-10 kit)
K4437313210

Kenwood TK-8180-K, 30W, Part 90 95A 22 74 90.210
512 channels, remote head (KRK-10 kit)
K4437313110

@IronArcher
 
No, it cannot be done, b/c it doesn't really matter. I've been sharing some ISO-tee tests figures here, and all I get is people arguing personal opinions, swirling personal attacks and sowing doubt, deflecting from the problem at hand, while painting me as someone who is trying mislead people, etc. So, I've decided its just better to silently laugh watching people fumble around with garbage equipment, always wondering why their ranges are only a tenth of a mile, than me getting all worked up, writing long posts trying to explain things that noone cares.
 
And why it doesn't matter to have any spec chart, of any sort? Well, its very simple: Because we are cheap. Lets just say we had a chart with a bunch of radios, so, you see that fancy XPR7550e, and everything looks great, a +18dBm better effective sens, tight selectivity, and better everything... so you quickly realize this is the radio you want, but then, finally, when you look a the last column, the pricetag... you have a heart attack.... so in your mind you quickly disqualify the XPR7550e, b/c none of things can be that much better than the 59 dollar garbage CCR special... so without having any sense of what a 18dBm difference truly means, or any of the other spec chart parameters mean, all of the sudden, that 59 dollar CCR garbage special becomes the best radio, the same radio Jesus used to call Home before ascending back to Heaven... 
 
Seriously, it doesn't matter.
 
Only way to guarantee learning is making mistakes over time, and if it has to be an expensive mistake over a long period of time, so be it. The more expensive the mistake, and the longer you've made it, the better you learn the lesson, and I can certainly attest to heart to that... until then I'll be laughing... yeah, I am a cruel person, I am gMan the heartless, the troublemaker, the troll... etc etc.
 
G.