Extreme

Liquid electrical tape would be what I would use.

Gardner Bender 07315001126 LTB-400 Liquid Electrical Tape, Easy-on, Waterproof, Indoor/Outdoor Use, 4 Oz. Jar, Black, Bottle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FPAN2K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_X3G6JWQ2174DCBF19FZB

a UHF 1/4 wave is 6". Not sure why you say they are all over 7". Not in UHF. As for the phantom think of that as a rubber duck jammed inside a pepper shaker. If you have local repeaters that are good it will work ok but are junk for any distance. 

AB450. "Unity" gain. Zero. Work fine. Gain is overrated/misunderstood maybe.
https://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=191_192_196_213&products_id=4476

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

 

What were the error codes you got on the Kenwood 3170? I know the radios with generate a low battery alarm at some point then the radio will shut down at about 6 VDC. 
You can't depend on measuring the open circuit voltage of the battery pack to determine if its completely discharged. When batteries discharge their internal resistance increases so under load the terminal voltage is lower than the open circuit voltage.
I've used an electronic load to test a pile of used battery packs for my Kenwood radios. The test automatically terminates once the pack voltage under load drops to 6 VDC. Then when the now open circuited battery pack is checked the terminal voltage jumps up to 6.5 VDC to 6.7 VDC. The nominal battery pack open circuit voltage is around 7.2 VDC to 7.4 VDC. It will be a bit higher right after you take the radio/battery pack out of the charger, maybe as high as 8 VDC or so.
Even fresh batteries will show a voltage drop under load. Different battery chemistries have different internal resistance characteristics. Some of the worst ones for heavy loads are your common carbon-zinc types.

Move them father apart. Have somebody take one into the front yard and try.

That is called “desense”. The radio that is transmitting, although transmitting on a different frequency, is actually desensitizing the receiving radio thus rendering it incapable of extracting the desired signal. It is the same effect you and your eyes suffer when you look in the direction of a bright light. Suddenly your eyes cannot make out the detail of the less bright items around you until the bright light is gone.

The better the receiver design is within the radio the less it is affected by this.

As Skyline said, put some space between the radios so the off-frequency transmitting radio is “less bright” to your receiving radio.


Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM

Most of us use the Larsen NMOKHFUD NMO Mount. It isn't 100% waterproof but way better than the others. I normally slip a piece of self sealing heat shrink over the cable and I have yet to have one get water in them. My JK is at least 10 years old and still works fine. They work really well.
https://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=264_266_291&products_id=1125
 

I just got my RT76P and tried programming the bandwidth changes with the latest software.  It wouldn't do it, but I followed an earlier tip to load the old software, v1-4-5 setup, and it worked fine in that version.  Also, Retevis is apparently updating the software and Lucy sent me a newer version (using one of their apparently temporary links) with 'developing' in the name.  It appears that version will also let you add channels.  Here's the link to the 2MB field download that expires in 5 days.
https://wetransfer.com/downloads/9c259b5366e356b01cd5b630a3bb35d420210525101916/cc4ea3ba70abd74e27276f8a21b9273520210525102016/34bb46?utm_campaign=WT_email_tracking&utm_content=general&utm_medium=download_button&utm_source=notify_recipient_email

Got it.  From my former co-worker.  Had them laying all over the place.
Power supply works great to power the mobiles for programming.

Try Ham Radio Outlet.  They have quite a few.
Vince

You mean a coax-less nmo?

If so soldering iron and its accoutrements. Crimper(if crimping), soldering tools if soldering and cutters for the so239 side.

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One of the first things I do when thinking about buying a radio I'm not familuar with is go look for any manufacture's brochures. They are a good source listing the radio's main features. For the TK-8180 look here.
http://www.swscomm.com/kenwood/TK-7180_8180.pdf
This seems like a very nice radio.

Sean, like most "commercial" radios, the display is either the frequency programmed, or a 12 character Alpha label of your choice. With 512 channels split among 128 zones, you won't have any issue with having FAR more than you'll ever need in flexibility. None of this silly "Channel Number" nonsense unless you choose to use them for your Alpha tag of course.
A "Zone" is a way of segregating your frequencies rationally. For example you could have one Zone strictly for GMRS frequencies (which you could label "Channel 1," etc. You could also create another Zone with only frequencies used for another town... 

I have a number of commercial Kenwood hand held radios and one mobile. While it did take a bit of searching on the Internet I have managed to find the programming software on line to download. So far I have the OEM software to program the following UHF Kenwood radios.
TK-370G
TK-3160
TK-3360
TK-3140
TK-3170
TK-3173
TK-3180
TK-D340U
NX-340U
NX-820HG (mobile)
One of the nice things about the commercial radios, at least Kenwood with Motorola not so much, is the ability to program in frequencies outside of the official band split specifications. That allows using the radio for both GMRS and Ham Radio's 70cm band, both TX and RX operation, for those that are dual licensed. The purposed built GMRS specific radios typically don't allow this and could be a factor is which radio you select. Many of my radios have GMRS simplex and repeaters programed along with a bunch of Ham 70cm simplex and repeaters too. Just have to remember which call-sign to use depending on the memory channel in use. 8-)
The main problem with using free software like Chirp are some of the radio's features are not supported, or what support there is happens to be buggy. Waiting for Chirp bugs to get fixed, well some never do seem to get fixed. The developer for the module for that particular radio lost interest, doesn't have the time or doesn't have access to a radio to reverse engineer the communications protocol and code plug. Some of the developers are "loaned" radios to use for a period of time then have to return them to the owner(s).
If you want to make sure you have full access to a radio's operational features there is no substitute for the manufacture's software, and this is VERY particularly true for commercial radios.

Coming from the perspective of a radio listener, I think 1 min is a good value as well as a serves as a reminder to keep one’s transmissions short and keep the dialog moving. However, as the talker, I admit I have personally settled on 2 min. One just proved to be to short and restrictive in way to many cases.

While the TOT is a great way aid in keeping the duty cycle down, I like the security it provides knowing that if the PTT gets stuck unknowingly and accidentally that the radio will stop transmitting automatically after the TOT time has expired.


Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM

On a mobile or portable 1 minute TOT is more than adequate.

Yeah, we grabbed 16 for off-road and hunting some years ago.  I just recently watched the video and learned of my logic in choosing that channel.. used it all day yesterday out on the trails.

ACE is the place ... if you need to buy one locally.

I have run a 890 (actually 690, 790 and 890) in my old truck when I was in NY for SAR work. They were great radios. All of mine were remote head. Rock solid. I probably would still use them but we switched to MDC identifiers for SAR and didn't want to cobble encoders in them. At one point my 690/890 was dual deck single head.
 

Maybe time for me to list my 880 and 840 then...

I wanted to thank the GMRS community for being there .
At 70 I was diagnosed with Advanced Prostrate Cancer and during a 42 times stretch of Radiation the last two months you guys broke the monotony of it all. 
Been into Hand Helds for awhile on the Border but just as a means of communication between guys who were working or hunting with me but during the Radiation stuck with the you sleep or your on the couch I started playing with the radio and found the Tucson reapeater which living by myself was a real God send and a little entertainment since TV sucks 
That led to getting my license,and starting to read,watching YouTube to get on the net.
Now I got a base station and a radio for my jeep to install.
Want to say Thanks again for the new hobby and being there even though you didn't know it
Paul R
Hereford AZ WRKZ773 
 
 

Done deal, works great, owner is thrilled.  Talked from his place in town, over the mountain where the repeater resides, to my place 20 miles away.  2 open local repeaters programmed in.  He can do more regional as he wishes; he now knows how.
Tiny little radio the 115 but 15w should do fine. Will compare distance to repeater against my 30w TK8180s.  He has the Midland supplied phantom antenna mounted between his spare tire and the tailgate of his JK.  Not ideal so he's looking for better options.  Not worthless either - he got what he'd hoped for.
Thanks folks.

I agree. Having something right in front of you is a lot easier than trying to explain it to someone over the phone, etc. I'm sure you'll get it figured out pretty quickly once it's there in front of you.

All good stuff, especially the adjacent channel.. I know better.  Will be a lot easier with the vehicle here to play with instead of over the phone or DM, and with other radios available and the repeaters known to work from my place.
Thanks.

Good Day Ken.

I have all three antennas and extensive practical simplex and repeater experience with them. My conclusion is that if you are at the absolute fringe of being able to make out a transmission from another party, the 771 might make the difference between whether you will barely understand or not understand them at all. If you are not on the fringe it will make no practical difference.

I have previously reported I believe I receive perhaps 5% more range with the 771.

I used to use the 771 daily, but ultimately took if off because the inconvenience of the extra long antenna outweighed my limited need to squeeze out that extra few feet of distance. I am back to using the more convenient length stock antenna.


Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM