AdmiralCochrane

Switching to lower power and not getting in to a station that receives you on high power is most likely because their squelch was turned up too high. The signal is most likely still there, just below the squelch level setting. As Steve said, in the fringes, more power brings you up out of the noise. 1 thru 10 notches in software is harder to change than the old analog knobs we had on our CB's. Some radios have a preprogrammed button to turn off squelch (I think many of them are labeled "monitor"). Other radios will require you to assign the function to a button. You should always use this function when doing tests as described in my first sentence.

Like I said, I'm tired of Siri's shirt

Yes, I was aware of those 2 models. I bet there are 50+ 50 watt units on the market. Lossy coax, cheap antennas and low to the ground physically blocked mounting. Spend first money on a pole or chimney mount, then good antenna & coax. When I am in range of the good GMRS local repeater, signal reports when toggling between 5w and 50w are "you are readable both ways, just louder on 50". "Might" isn't going to get you much of anything on UHF.

99 & 99/100% agree. Pretty sure there are more 50 watt models available than 25 or 30. Most people are buying 50's because that's what is mostly available above HT power, not because they didn't want a 30.

"Coverage area" is only an guesstimation. Anything that remotely resembles a wall (even trees, but especially hills) will block radio waves in the GMRS/UHF frequency range.

Dear Siri, I am tired of your shirt

I found the Bluetooth feature too distracting for me to safely use and went back to just using the mic. It has been more than a year since I stopped using the Bluetooth and I think the problem was delayed reaction time and the amount of planning you had to do to use it for each transmission. You still have to have the radio where you can reach it, the Bluetooth basically only makes the mic itself hands free. The Bluetooth was easy to set up and program. APRS took a little more time to set up. Programming is pretty straight forward, identical to many other mobile radios. Chirp plays well with Anytones. Like just about every other radio sold in the US, if you want to transmit outside of ham bands, you must select an alternate control configuration (I think there are 8 choices).

OffroaderX seems to always know what is in notarubicon's heart

578 is my everyday radio, but I generally just use it on 2m

True, if you don't listen before transmitting. Far enough out in the sticks, you can be pretty certain. Suburban environment, not so much.

Ooops. Unintended dupicate.

I usually make light of the folks in Texas thinking they can write their own standards, but I see a certain company is actually in Missouri. Maybe the engineers are from Texas.

Frequency hopping is a lot more effective when you have an unlimited number to choose from. With the limited number of GMRS channelized frequencies, defeating it is even easier than "normal" frequency hopping chasing. Frequency hopping is well within prescribed use. Scrambling is not. I'm sure equipment in the battle wagon that convoys along with the presidential motorcades has equipment that defeats both instantly.

What range does your multimeter read? Some of my coworkers tell me that a circuit is open, then I find they are using meters that only read up to 6k ohms and the circuit was a 10K ... wasn't open, but their meter couldn't tell

Some Nagoyas are counterfeits made in China. If you got a genuine Nagoya that isn't superior, that is unusual. Contacts made thru repeaters are often poor for comparisons because repeater antennas are often mounted much higher than is practical with HT or mobile units AND repeater receivers are dramatically better radios than HT's. A much better test is simplex HT to HT.

Don't call me Shirley!

moot

There is nothing you can do.

GMRS band is primarily for contacting people you already know.

As the one who shall not be mentioned says, perhaps Grinder is better for contacting strange men. The intent of GMRS is different.

This. You have to buy radios and use them or there is no traffic on the band. Be one of the few - next thing you know, you will be one of some, then one of many.

I have an older mono 50 watt Alinco I bought used just because new 1.25's with decent power are hard to come by. Don't skip it just because you can't buy new

Take one of the HT's there and test it. You NEVER know without trying. His location might be golden.

Perfect! That's what the service is intended for. Most expect to find contacts when they need them, rather than cultivate beforehand.

If it doesn't have 15w or more on 1.25m, it's just another meh