shawnvanhorn

Each connector adds approximately 0.1db of loss. Other than the fact that at 50' you already have 4.4db of loss (64%) in power and sensitivity, the connector not a concern.

also in the 8180 program edit-options-common page 1 there is a setting for mic sensitivity, normal or high. 
I generally set this to normal unless the operator has a small voice.
not too sure on the 8360 but go through the  edit options thoroughly.

you want to run Wide band for GMRS, narrow band for FRS. Setting this wrong could make your volume sound low so make sure that is set correctly first.

If you still need to make adjustments I believe you'll need to do it in test mode and likely will need a way to read the signal coming out of the radio which means you may need to visit a shop.

My Kenwood radios will talk and make contacts, but everyone says my mic gain is real low. is there a way to adjust microphone gain in the programming software. i have both the KPG-89D and the KPG-135 for my 8180H and 8360 Huk respectively.

Second question is what do you set the narrow / wide column for GMRS?

As a contract radio broadcast engineer, I am on the road a LOT in Nebraska and Kansas.  I very rarely hear anything on GMRS other than my own family, but I did just a few weeks ago hear a couple of truckers on 462.675 (Channel 20) on hwy 81 north of Salina.
 
I usually monitor either 462.675 (20) when I'm on the road, or 462.625 (18) when I'm around my hometown, since my family uses 625.
 
Channel 20, with a CTCSS tone of 141.3 (Midland "privacy code" #22) is sort of the "official/not quite official/depends who you ask" traveler's channel for FRS/GMRS, so that is where like-minded people should hang out if they want to have a chance at talking to someone else on a road trip.
 
So, one-way to Kansas?? Where in Kansas, and why?

I guess that all goes back to the layman's definition of integrity being, doing the right thing, even when no one is looking.
 
As gentlemen and ladies, we all agreed to play by the rules. That's a huge plus I see to communities like ours. Most of us are here because we want to do the right thing. Many of us have been down the other path and don't like were it leads.

Funny enough, I vaguely remember learning that a while back. I'll probably forget it a few more times in the coming years and go on the same rant again. Eventually, it will save in my brain matter. lol

I never read to the bottom of this thread, just wanted to share my 1/2" Heliax plumbing job on this part 90 DMR repeater
 
http://mwgmrs.com/mygmrs/jumpers.jpg

That's not a mobile repeater in that pic, its a HAM operating HF. As far as a mobile repeater it really is a waste of time. I have done this already and it was a total disappointment.. Unless your car is at a substantial height advantage you will not have any better coverage then simplex. Again you can and will try to explain or reason away my logic without listening to what I and others have been trying to tell you. I have tried the mobile repeater, the setup was a 50W Motorola SLR 5700 with a 4 cavity BP/BR duplexer connected to a 5.5dB gain antenna on the top of my truck. After testing for about month I realized it had no practical use and only offered slightly more range than simplex, best part I ended up needing a jump after a day at the fair. Mind you this was a $2400 repeater, $800 duplexer with an antenna that was tuned using an Anritsu S331D. I promise I nor anybody on this site will try to steer you wrong, I hold a Commercial, Amateur and GMRS license, own and operate several large repeaters and have all the gear for building, testing and maintaining these kinds of systems.

the super has a different corrugation to make it more flexible as opposed to the standard,
both can go over a roof edge but make sure it is properly secured.
as to the drip loop it can be done but don't kink it or you'll have to cut and terminate at that point.
I will grab some "scraps" I have laying around and post some pics of bending radii, that way you might have a better clue as to what to expect when you do the work.

Hey and Welcome to GMRS, Your MTX115 should allow you to access a repeater! The steps can be found on page 23 of the user manual,https://midlandusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/MXT115-Owners-manual-Final-24Oct16.pdf
 
Ill walk you through step by step though
 
Press the menu button to open up the menu,
Use the channel up/down buttons to find the letters rP in the menu,
Press the monitor/scan button to open the rP menu
Select on and press the monitor/scan button to accept the input.
Clear out of the menu and scroll through the channels, you should find channels 1-7, 15-22, then 15-22 with the RP icon to the right of the channel number.
 
Now we need a repeater to go into. Well pretend your using mine, the process is the same for any repeater, you just need to plug the repeater info in where my repeater info is. Ill underline and bold my info so you know what needs changing
 
I want to use the 6750 repeater pair, Looking at page 26 of the manual we see the 6750 pair is Ch 20RP. Go through the channel list until 20RP is displayed on the screen.
Most repeaters use DCS or CTCSS/PL codes to control access to the system. You should know what codes you need to access the repeater you plan to use. Mine happens to be DCS205.
Press Menu to open the menu list and scroll to Pt. Press the monitor/scan button to open the PT menu.
Select CTCSS/PL (displays a little sideways S) Or DCS (looks like a block wave symbol) We need DCS for the example so thats what we select.
Press Monitor/Scan to accept your mode. Now you can scroll through the different codes in the particular mode.
Page 27 of the manual shows the list of codes and their corresponding display number on the radio. We need the DCS chart here.
We look at the code columns first until we find code 205. The number to the left of 205 is 30. We use the channel up/down buttons and scroll until 30 is displayed, then press monitor/scan to accept.
 
At this time, you can exit the menus and you should see the following info on your display:
The channel number you wish to use, The RP icon to the right of that number, and either a sideways S or a block wave symbol.
If all of those are showing, and you entered in the correct information, you should be able to access the desired repeater.
 
If after all this you find you cant get in, I have some troubleshooting tips:
Check all the info you have is correct, and has been properly entered into the radio. Note this radio does not support split codes.
Check that the antenna is properly connected. If using a mag mount antenna be sure it is attached to a metallic surface.
Check the power settings, if your 10 miles away, low power may not work.
 
If all else fails, try another repeater or changing your location. It could be that your information is out of date or you are just too far to reach the intended repeater.
 
Hope this all helps
 
(*** Note to admins, the PL code was changed to comply with forum rules that I forgot about when origionally typing the post, Sorry for any confusion but now this is a pretend repeater)

It is interesting that note the LT-590 and TH-9000(d) UHF versions are not available on Amazon and it is unknown if they will become available. OTOH, There is a  Retevis RT-9000D That appears to be almost identical to the TH-9000d and is in-stock.  I mention the availability of the two Bond Telecom brands (Luiton and TYT) because it may hint at an upcoming change in the MXT400. In fact, the Retevis version may represent close-out stock that they purchased from Bond Telecom.  Also, FWIW, the Retivis-9000D programming software appears to be the same as the LT-590.
 
Also, just wondering if anyone here has tried to program their MXT400? I am sure there are a lot of interested people waiting to hear.

I'd tell you that an "inexpensive amplifier" is really just a broadband noise generator. Yes, your meter might now read 50 watts - but it won't show you that you're not only putting 50 watts out on your desired frequency - you're also putting out some unknown amount of spurious energy out on adjacent frequencies (and multiples of your frequencies) - potentially interfering with other systems. Worse yet, those cheap amplifiers put out enough spurious noise that it will probably interfere with your own receiver - making that alligator system even worse.
 
You might find some used TPL or Henry amplifiers in the less than $200 range. There used to be a ton of Motorola vehicular repeater amps being sold on eBay that would do 40 watts - but most of them were VHF. I'd be very wary of using any amplifier with a CCR radio.
 
There's 100 ways to make your system talk better, and 98 of them don't involve an Amp.

Thanks for the additional information and the link. It seems there is a lot unsaid here. First of all, is use of the software by consumers even authorized? If it would allow the customer to set the radio to operate in a manner inconsistent with Part-95E.  
 
In trying to answer this question, I returned to a post from @Hans in 2018 in a discussion which suggests the MXT400 is really a Luiton LT-590 with modified settings for GMRS certification.  With the Midland software already installed, I then downloaded the Luiton software. And guess what, they seem to be essentially the same, with some functionality removed from the MXT400 version. One difference is the Luiton version includes help files. So, I was able to determine that the two settings of the most interest were defined as:
STEP = For scanning purposes, the change in frequency between activity checks. (Many options between 5kHz and 50kHz)
CHANNEL SPACING  = occupied bandwidth (narrow or wide): 12.5, 20 & 25 kHz
A few other observations:
I noticed PL tone 69.3 is still missing, I did not check for other missing tones/codes There is a compander option which might help when talking Wide to Narrow band. There is an option for voice scrambling, but it is disabled (and not allowed in GMRS) There is an Optional Signaling option that is also disabled (DTMF,  2TONE & 5Tone) So, all in all I say there are two significant learnings here:
The major limitations of the MXT400 (bandwidth and split PL) can be overcome. Any doubt that the MXT400 is a Luiton LT-590 on Prosac have been removed. BTW, I have no way of testing to see if the Luiton software will work on the Midland radio. But, I doubt it.
 
For those who want to pursue this topic, here are a few key links from the Facebook posts
MXT400 Programming software: https://www.dropbox.com/s/0lre3ljgt4nopf6/MXT400_Setup_1.05.zip?dl=1
Programming Cables. Original from Midland: https://midlandusa.com/product/dbr1-dual-band-radio-programming-cable/?fbclid=IwAR1Z-VbLD401AXmbUuGRHVHQFGKjURlY-MC709t1deGnfTDUPZQUGbPpyxI
and a general purpose cable is available from: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D6S2P59/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_tHfaFbXQ51QZK

I found the information on the Facebook group. He is located on the Pasco County GMRS Radio Group.   What I mean is the MXT-400 from the factory are at transmitting at 12.5khz, you can change them to a band within GMRS like 20khz. You can name each channel. Custom start message such as your call sign, Programming of split CTCSS/ DPL.

The more I learn about the FCC's General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS), the more I am fascinated by RF in general. It touches everyone's lives every second of every day, yet few people pay much attention. How cool is it that after 42 years and 14 billion miles away, the 22-Watt radio on Voyager 1 is still sending data back to earth every day (how important is that antenna?). So why aren't more people interested in GMRS or RF in general? There's no test to get a license like amateur (ham) radio. It's $70 for a 10-year license, and is really easy to get started. So here are some theories.
 
People don't know:
GMRS exists  Why GMRS exists  Why they'd want to use GMRS  How to envision themselves participating in GMRS  What it takes to get started with GMRS  What it takes to continue and improve with GMRS Technical information they should know about GMRS Etiquette when transmitting (TX) on GMRS What a GMRS "Net" is and why Most people within the GMRS community are helpful once you're in, but the community is very inviting in a go-figure-it-out-yourself way, and no one has assembled everything you need to know about GMRS all in one place.
 
We GMRS people are putting the onus on outsiders to sift through thousands of painfully esoteric webpages with a winnowing fork, separating useful info from useless, poorly written, or incomplete info.
 
When I first heard about GMRS on a 4x4 trip, I arrived home and Googled around and settled on a Midland MXT-275 because it seemed perfect for mounting on my truck dashboard. At the time, I had no idea that Midland doesn't manufacture a GMRS radio capable of operating on split-tone repeaters (Dear Midland, I know you're reading this: why do you squander so much potential?). Edit 6/28/2021: Midland heard our cry! They just updated the MXT-275 to include split-tone programming on repeater channels. So for example, now this radio is able to reach a repeater that receives (RX) incoming transmissions on 467.550 with a PL tone of 103.5 and repeats the transmission (TX) at 462.550 with a PL tone of 88.5.
I didn't even know what "split tone" was or even what "tone" meant, or carrier or squelch or hundreds of other little things you all take for granted. Since then, I realized that if the big, bad manufacturers like Midland, Kenwood, Motorola, and iCom can't even invite the public to learn more and provide useful content for each stage of the customer journey—Awareness, Consideration, Purchase, and Loyalty—the 2-way radio industry has much deeper problems and aren't there to help guys like me.
 
As we get involved deeper into GMRS, there's little-to-no hand-holding going on at each level of knowledge. I ending up relying on the Ham community here and there and a guy who is basically a saint at a little radio shop in Phoenix, Arizona (hope Tim over at Procomm and the others at the nonprofit AZGMRS.org don't mind me giving them a shout-out).
 
Edit 4/14/2020: By the way, AZGMRS made this awesome list of FCC-approved GMRS radios that they recommend. If you live anywhere near Arizona and are reading this, now would be a great time to become a member. Their repeater network covers some 100 miles around Phoenix with more and more repeaters joining the network (check out their sweet coverage map).
 
But it's still frustrating.
 
I wish a GMRS expert—presumably a manufacturer—would just come out and say exactly what a total newbie needs at each stage of their involvement or level of need. Two-way radio manufacturers should stop wasting time trying to sell, and start marketing and branding, which means educating the public about the 5 W's (Who, What, Where, When, Why [+how, +how much]) without trying to sell to them.
 
Most new users don't know what they need because they don't know what's possible. For example, I wish I knew that manufacturers don't typically include the best antenna on their radios right out of the box. It took me over a year to realize that the best bang for the buck for a portable base antenna to include in my go bag is N9TAX's Slimjim and that Smiley Antenna makes the best bang for the buck antennas for hand-held radios (which by the way, everyone just assumes newbies are supposed to know that hand-held walkie-talkie radios are called "HT" for "Handy-talkie" and what a "QSO" is).
 
How would a newbie know that the cheap Nagoya 771 "upgrade" antenna for Baofengs that everyone talks about actually isn't the best bang for the buck for the GMRS frequency band of 462–467? How would a newbie know that antennas work best when tuned exactly to what they call a "center" frequency that accommodates 5 Megahertz in each direction (+5 and -5 Megahertz) at the expense of hearing other frequencies?
 
I learned the hard way that in order to properly install an NMO antenna mount on the roof of my truck, I would need a drill bit specifically made for drilling NMO antenna mount holes, and that yes, it is worth the money to do it right the first time.
 
I'm still in the middle of learning how a "quarter-wave" or "5/8 wave" antenna works, the difference between dB gain vs. dBi gain, mic gain, antenna gain, because again, everyone seems to just assume I already know what all this means. I still don't understand what antenna "tuning" means and why you have to "cut" an antenna to "tune" it. Can I make my own antenna right now in a pinch with a copper wire in my garage? Ok, show me! How do I measure it or test it? What is SWR? Can I measure it myself? What do I need in order to measure it? Is one SWR meter better than another for my level as a newbie? Is there something I should learn to make it worth buying the better meter that opens up a whole new world of capability? Is it worth learning all that?
 
This graphic did a great job beginning to explain what dBd gain means for those of us who know next to nothing about it, but now I need to go find out on my own and sift through a thousand webpages to find out if dBd is something new I need to know. Speaking of dB, I know that "dB" is a decibel, but is it the same as my stereo volume? Why do I see manufacturers saying that the microphone and cable have a dB rating? What is going on here? This is madness! We can Google things all day, but which info is true and correct and the most helpful?
 
I think that the entire industry is sitting on a Gold Mine of consumers sitting at home for weeks on end who would love to buy GMRS equipment and communicate via GMRS to friends, family, neighbors, and other GMRS users. Whoever provides the most useful, relevant, and engaging content that stops making assumptions about what people know or don't know will win.
 
STOP ASSUMING. START EDUCATING.