wayoverthere

not to rain on this idea, as i think it's a good one. i WILL give midland a little credit, though, as they DO actually have an article on the licensing topic (and include "license required" in the product descriptions, at least for the micromobiles, though you have to "read more" to see it), and reasons to get licensed. as you said, though, their primary focus is selling product, so it isn't particularly easy for the average person to find. i did a lot of digging and reading before i pulled the trigger on radios, and stumbled across it. https://midlandusa.com/why-do-i-need-a-gmrs-license-how-do-i-get-it/ i definitely think there's still room to expand on the topic, and make the information a lot more accessible than they have (get it more up-front), also know it's a balance being careful not to "borrow" or end up too similar to theirs. this site (and forum) are one of the places i did a lot of reading before jumping in. on the main thread topic, though, one small idea that comes to mind...maybe i missed it, but i didn't see an actual designated spot for "(New) Member Intros", just a few scattered in the general discussion and the private discussion areas.

Adding photos below, but i'm seeing the same; what i see definitely has bigger lobes than the UHF in your photo. I'll add a couple links of what i was looking at, but what i found in FCC's databases, shows both VHF and UHF at this site, while the other site (#4 on the fcc link) was VHF only. if the UHF isn't there, that definitely adds a hurdle or three. it might still be worth reaching out and seeing if i can get some concrete answers on what's there before writing it off. i'm kind of curious what the actual setup of everything was when it was operational, as there was VHF in both sites, and only this one with UHF. this one is a bit closer to the hills though, and pretty much the tallest thing around for a few miles. given the dual frequencies here maybe there was a repeater involved here after all? FCC was one of the places i was digging (i think i started from antennasearch.com, wondering what it was). If the links don't work, it's listed under callsign KDW613, and primarily location 2. it's the corner of the parking lot at a AAA office. https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/license.jsp?licKey=1773256 http://www.antennasearch.com/sitestart.asp?sourcepagename=antennachecktxreview&getpagename=pgtxdetail&cmdrequest=getpage&ipos=15&isubpos=1&strtxtype=lmpriv&unique_system_identifier=1773256&location_number=2

if you're really against drilling the hole, midland DOES sell a better mag mount (with better cable than what the radio came with); it's a NMO mount, and they currently have a unity gain (6.5") antenna to go with it on clearance for 7.99, or you can do the new 3db gain (3.5" tall, apparently) one for a bit more. https://midlandusa.com/product/mxta9-unity-gain-antenna/ https://midlandusa.com/product/micromobile-mxta25-3db-gain-ghost-antenna/ https://midlandusa.com/product/mxta12-antenna-mag-mount/ photo is the unity gain next to a 12 oz nyquil bottle (if it loaded); it's very close in length to the stock one, but fatter at the base. (i also have the 3db version that's the same design, but a little longer)

(moved from the "So you just got your GMRS license and now you want to set up a repeater" thread) So..a little pie in the sky thinking on this topic; hoping to draw on the collective knowledge and experience of the community (i know there's a bit of general radio, antenna/repeater, and ham knowledge out there) as to how realistic the idea is, any ideas on potential costs, and possible pitfalls. That said, onto the idea: How feasible would it be to repurpose an existing site as a GMRS repeater?There is a site not far from me that was previously used as a base site for commercial radio (roadside assistance dispatch); the licensing shows cancelled in 2018 from what i can find.the antenna and mast appear to still be intact. from what i can find, they were on 452.600mhz and 152.920mhz from this site, with 75 watts output. From what i can find, it'd be a stacked folded dipole setup (found a similar photo online, added below) with a total height of 75.5 ft. i realize this isn't exactly GMRS bands, but is it close enough to be usable?Given that it was most likely a dispatch site, repeater hardware probably would probably be needed.From the design/permitting/licensing side, how much of previous work could be carried over, since the structure is already in place? Any educated (or wild) guesses on how willing an organization like this might be willing to work with/lease for something like this?My area is pretty sparse with repeaters according to the database; there's a couple "permission required" that don't appear to be responding to questions on the listing, and one open that doesn't appear to be operational; the listing hasn't been touched since 2009, and questions posted haven't been addressed. There's a couple others around, but appear to be out of range as well. with that in mind, setting up open repeater initiative compliant is a thought as wellall thoughts and opinions welcome. http://www.starantenna.com/images/home/Stacked-Folded-Dipole-Omni-Directional-Antenna.jpg

Edit: moved content to its own post. https://forums.mygmrs.com/topic/1708-repurposing-for-a-repeater/

even the MXT115 has the channel buttons on the mic. on a side note, i wonder if you could get away using a handheld with a remote mic, such as this one (comes to mind because i have one, and a couple uv5r that work alright for listening) :

very cool! kicking myself that i didn't hold of just a hair longer ordering, though i went direct from midland (mxt-115 bundle, plus a mag mount, all on sale).