mbrun

One minor difference is that the 935G display will be a tad easier to read outdoors than the 9G. This not because of different display technology, but because of the different color schemes available combined with increased brightness. Like the 8H, the display is oriented horizontally and shows large text in the active transceiver area larger than the other area which also is of some help. While these fancy displays are not my ideal for an outdoor-use radio, at least there is some improvement here. With regards to SHTF channels, this should be an easy thing to overcome if it is truly a need. We just need one person to create a suitable code plug and upload it somewhere for public use. I would image RTSystems will also be making software for this radio which should result in easier customization. Having had the benefit of evaluating an engineering sample of the radio many months ago, I think many will like the feature set and improved menu system. Better organized, making it easier to use. Related functions are more closely grouped together and more commonly used functions grouped earlier in the menu rotation. The radio takes the same form-factor as the 905G which means that batteries will be interchangeable. That will certainly be a consideration and benefit for some. The 9G MAY have slightly better receive performance than the 935G, but that will need to be confirmed against production units. Subjectively speaking, the 9P (on which 9G is based) seemed to have a slight edge over the 935G when listening to signals on the absolute fringe of reception. As always, the real test is in how it performs in a higher-noise environment than where I live. One thing that should be obvious now is that Wouxun seems to be taking the GMRS market seriously which I think is good news for those of us using the service. I anticipate, and I am hopeful for, even more and perhaps even higher performing products in the future. On an off-the-subject note, can anyone explain why Midland has chosen to stay out of the repeater capable GMRS HT market? OK, don’t answer that. That is speculation that belongs in a different thread. Perhaps I will have more to share after I have received a production unit. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

I doubt it will be a long time before we see them based on my current knowledge. My understanding is that the radios already exist and are in use in Europe. The FCC ruling I believe merely opens the doors for some of the existing radios being manufactured to be certified and sold in the US. In effect, I see radios receiving dual certification for use on both sides of the pond. If my interpretation of the current state of things is correct, US and UK residents could take their radios across the pond and operate legally. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

For now I would have to second Yaesu System Fusion. But that is base entirely on how easy it was to make it operational on first attempt. Quite the stark contrast to the stories from others I have heard regarding getting alternate digital modes usable. I must admit too, I love the repeater’s interop capability with standard FM. That is appealing. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

Welcome to myGMRS Stone. Glad you are already finding the forum useful. I was up near you just a few weeks ago. Enjoy. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

I agree with what wayoverthere and michael before me said, so it does depend. The only way to know for sure in you environment is to test it. The terrain and the density of trees and buildings (aka obstacles) are the major factors. I have never had a case where HT to HT did not work at least 1/2 miles. That is my personal minimum in outdoor use over 20 years. The theoretical max distance of HT-HT communications between two people standing on a perfectly smooth round earth without trees, buildings and other obstructions would around 6 miles. However, when one uses a radio with an external antenna that is raised above high above the roof-line, range nearly always increases. The theoretical distance increases commensurate with height, as does the real-world distance. I my case, I have a GMRS high-gain antenna mounted at 40’. At that height I have reasonably reliable communications with mobile units around me out to about 3-4 miles with hit-n-miss communications in different directions out to about 7-8 miles. When I raise the antenna to 56’, my range numbers increase by several miles in all directions. If I could get the antenna above the tree line my range would increase further. Putting it into context. I live in area I estimate is 60% trees and a mix of homes, light commercial, and fields. Terrain is mostly flat to mildly rolling. My home is located at near the highest elevation in the immediate area. Hope this helps. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

Consider driving out very near the repeater once you feel you have your radio configured correctly. I mean less than a mile. Once you have confirmed you have communication through the repeater at close proximity, travel back to your home to see what range in your direction you can get. Most, but not all, repeaters continue to transmit a few seconds after you stop talking. If the repeater in question does this, you will hear the repeater transmitter for a brief period after each time you key up. Some things to consider are that the repeater in question may no longer be in service. If that is the case, nothing you do is going to make any difference. If you are hearing traffic from the repeater, clearly that is a good sign. Traffic on the repeater will vary depending upon how high-profile it is, and how strong the GMRS user base is in your area. I live in an area with quite a number of repeaters that I am authorized to use. Oddly enough, the three repeaters closest to me (10 miles +/- ) I cannot communicate through because their antennas are not high enough (they are not “High-Profile”). Yet, I can get into 4 repeaters that range in distance from 22-50 miles away (these are “High-Profile”). One of the close repeaters has a usable range of under 2 miles. When you are questioning your settings, it is always good to get close to the repeater so you can rule out poor repeater coverage as the reason you hear nothing. Assuming you have repeater channels active on your radio and you have selected the correct tone/code for transmit and receive, you should be good to go, so long as you are in range and the repeater is operational. Hope this helps. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

There is a variety of information on this forum regarding linking repeaters. myGMRS also sells (to help fund this site) a repeater now that is preconfigured to connect to the myGMRS network. Linking of repeaters for better coverage can be a bit of misnomer. While through a coordinated effort with other repeaters in your area you could conceivably create a group of linked repeaters that cover a larger area of your town, it seems to me it is used more often to provide some coverage in other towns. I imagine some of those that have chosen to link their repeaters will jump in and share their thoughts. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

It means PL/CTCSS value of 141.3Hz. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

In a SHTF situation, the best I currently hope for is local comms with locals, either simplex or through repeaters that may remain online. A couple of local repeaters on located on hospitals and are known to be powered by emergency power. Although I am on the fringe, in an emergency situation I can listen to and get into both with marginal audio. I have no family members within radio range, only radio-enthusiast friends and acquaintances. I figure bench depth in this area will be a huge help in keeping information flowing. Once I have my HF antenna up, effective comm range will improve. My original focus for radio has been simplex communication with my wife. Both HT to HT and HT to base for when one or both of use if one or both need to wonder out for a while. I have SLA in my shack but with limited capacity. I also have additional large SLA on float to power the sump pumps in grid down. I know I have limited capacity and no recharge capability in a GD situation and also no generator. Note to self…Improve this. We always keep loads of spare batteries, battery packs, flashlights, lanterns, food and propane on hand for cooking and heat supplement. Propane would be my source of energy if I added a backup generator. We have plenty of NOAA radios, including those with solar capabilities. We have some external LiPo batteries to help with cell phones in the event cell service remains up with available capacity. I have been hoping to move my shack into the basement, but if I do that I know I need have even more need for extended runtime capability on the sump to keep basement dry and usable to protect the shack and food stores in an extended GD scenario. Overall, on scale of 1-10, I feel I am only prepared about to a level 2. Good for a few days in some areas and a few months in others. But honestly, not very well balanced. Note to self…Improve this. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

I have experimented with the interconnect cable but as of yet have not tried to figure out a max length in my environment. Here is the functionality of the connectors/cable in repeater modes. Because the audio carried on the cable is unbalanced long lengths of the cable makes ground loops and RFI more likely, but it will be location specific. Ordinarily, one should try to keep unbalanced audio cables short (20’ or less) but I have seen hundreds of cases of success with runs of 50-100’ and just as many of that length that did not work well (audio suffered). I recommend that you give a longer cable as shot and see what you get. If it were me I would use shielded cable for any extension I used. While you reported you have desense, which is not uncommon, I am curious what your simplex performance was using the same base radio and field HTs before you configured that KG1000Gs repeater operation. The delta in range between the before and after can be an important piece of information. OffRoaderX on this forum (NotARubicon on YouTube) has experience using the KG1000 for repeater use, in both dual antenna and single antenna configuration. Perhaps he will jump in. But if I recall he had better success with dual antennas, and has since switched over to a bonafide commercial repeater. One consistent theme with the duplexers is that cheap and improperly selected duplexers consistently yield poor results, and all duplexers must be meticulously tuned for optimum results. Most of us do not have the quality equipment necessary to tune them, this means a quality radio shop needs to do that for us. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

Welcome to myGMRS Dan, glad to have you here. Enjoy! Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

You just nailed it and it could not be said any better. GMRS is the radio service that “the whole family can use”. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

I don’t have an absolute answer for you regarding the license, but it would seem to be an easy thing to find out. Go through the motions of applying for the license online at the FCC website. Answer all questions accurately and enter your home address in country of origin. I would imagine that if the decision to issue a license or not is based objectively on the information in the application that you would not make it to the payment stage if the answers are not conducive to receiving a license. Don’t know about the Zello issue for certain either. I could see that going either way. On one hand, as a GMRS license holder you are limited to there you can “Operate”. This is basically in the US territories and over international waters with restrictions. On the other hand, when using Zello you are not operating your station, but instead someone else’s and you are controlling it outside the permitted locations where operation is permitted. So that may put operation in a gray area. A letter to the FCC with specific questions may be worth your while. BTW, I appreciate that you are seeking the legal way to do this and I hope you enjoy your visit to the US when it happens. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

Same here, sorry to hear of your loss. As a former victim of loss I can relate. Had a Buick century stolen once (from my house) and all the tools from my vehicle in another incident. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

Very cool you got to experience first hand. A similar thing happened in recent weeks on a repeater here in Cincinnati. I listened to a QSO between a local ham and another one that was operating just southwest of Louisville KY. About the same range as you. No line of sight there either. Just a limited window of the right conditions. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

No, a stubby antenna will not hurt the radio so long as it is designed to operate within the GMRS band. You will find that most smaller antennas are rated for a pretty wide frequency range. Check out BuyTwoWayRadios.Com, they may have one that suits your needs. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

From personal experience, the 771G offers only about 5-10% more range than the stock antenna (on my radios at least). This means that unless you are working in the absolute fringe zone of the repeater or another simplex user, you are likely to notice little or no improvement from the longer antenna. I own the 771G but have switched back to the shorter stock antenna. The minimal added benefit of the longer antenna for me did not outweigh the convenience of a shorter one. The 701 is a shorter alternative to the 771. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

Great explanation and graphics to make it understandable. The contents of your post belongs in a sticky of GMRS basics here on the forum. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

Chirp does not yet support the 905G. RTSystems reportedly plans to release a version of its software that does. So the only option CPS I know of for configuring the 905G is the manufacturer’s software. Running the manufacturer software using windows emulation software on MAC is the only way I believe there is to do it yourself. BTW, the 905Gs firmware is substantially different from other Wouxun radios supported by Chirp, so attempting to use a driver for a different model may lead to undesirable results. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

Welcome to GMRS Dan. Glad to have you here. GMRS after ham is not backwards all. Two different services for different needs. I wanted to be a ham nearly 30 years before I learned of GMRS, but obtained a GMRS license long before I obtained an amateur one. You’re in the good place for local family (and friends) short range comms. Enjoy! Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

I saw the midland unit, and may try it with one of my bubble pack radios to see how it works. But since that is not my goal I was inclined to hold off on trying it until I heard about others experiences. Thanks for the cardo info. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

I am looking for first-hand experience recommendations for a headset, with PTT switch, that works well inside a full-face motorcycle helmet. Unit needs to have Kenwood style plug. I see a lot of these on the market and would like to know which one(s) folks have found to perform well and are reliable. Thoughts? Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

While that could be true, since that same piece of coax is still being used in part of the circuit the items added are the probable candidates. Cases like this are what make a portable antenna analyzer so, so beneficial. Regardless, still takes trial and error measurements until the culprit(s) are found. Regards Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

So if I understand correctly, everything from the lightning arrestor to the antenna is what is different? New cable, plus either a connector you applied to the coax or an adapter you applied to adapt the cable to the arrestor. I recommend breaking this down and testing one thing at a time. Take your radio and SWR meter outside. Connect the SWR meter directly to the coax that feeds the antenna (no lightning arrestor, no adapter) and see what you get? If it is not good, try your piece of LMR400 between SWR meter and antenna. If it is better with the LMR400 you have an issue with the new piece of coax you are using. If you are using N-Connector to PL259 adapters, you might have a cheap/bad adapter. I have had a number of them that were horrible. If you applied the connector to the cable itself, human error and lack of experience is common issue. Bottom line, you really need to work the issue starting from the antenna using the shortest possible piece of coax and add in one piece at a time and check SWR each step until you find the item or combination that is failing you. Easier said then done I know if you are short on cable, adapters and other test equipment. I would also make sure all is working well with antenna down low before raising antenna up, first for convenience, second so you learn what the difference is in performance between when the antenna is low and when it is up. Environmental factors can and do affect antenna SWR performance. It would be good for you to know what the difference is in your situation when everything is 100% the same, except elevation. If you need help, you can contact an amateur radio club nearby, big cities can have many dozens of them. I am certain that if you shared your issue with someone at the club they would connect you with a member that would gladly come over with some added test equipment, adapters, and cable at no charge to help you diagnose your problem. I would do that in a heart beat if you were in my area. Just need to ask. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

A scanner antenna can be thought of as a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none antenna. This means the antenna, by design, prioritizes utility on many frequencies over optimum performance on any frequency. Since a scanner may have only one antenna input yet it can scan a wide range of frequencies, the ideal scanner antenna can be thought of as one which provides equal performance over a wide frequency range. Yes, a scanner antenna can be used for transmit, just as any piece of wire can be used for transmit. How well it works, and how long you radio will last using it is purely a function of the antenna’s electrical and radiation characteristics on the frequency in question. If the SWR it presents to the transmitter is within acceptable range for the transmitter, you are good to go. The simplest and most foundational of all antennas is the dipole antenna. Such an antenna resonates quite optimally at one frequency and thus performs exceptionally on it. Near that frequency it does OK to, but its performance degrades commensurate with the difference in frequency from its resonant value. The range of frequencies in which the antenna presents a certain range electrical characteristics to the radio that is deemed acceptable is referred to as its bandwidth. For example, my commercial GMRS antenna as a bandwidth of 10MHz and it only performs well in that range. If you measure the performance of any antenna over a wide range of frequencies you will see an electrical pattern that mimics a mountain range. The wider the range measured the more mountains (variation) you will see. And each design variation will exhibit different patterns of peaks and valleys. Designing antennas to work over a wide range is a major exercise in compromise. Sacrifice this to get that. That will include cases where some frequencies, even ones near one another perform quite differently, most notably in specialized antennas. A scanner antenna is a specialty antenna. Hope this helps. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM