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AdmiralCochrane

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Posts posted by AdmiralCochrane

  1. Buttons vary more between manufacturers and models as much or more than between GMRS and ham versions from the same makers.  The only time you have training advantage is when a manufacturer makes a ham and GMRS radio with the same hardware and only the firmware differing between the two.  A clue to this is a GMRS model that ends in G that appears physically the same as a ham model with the same beginning model nomenclature without a G suffix. 

     

     

    GMRS is essentially the same as the Technician class UHF 440 aka 70cm band. Some ham radios similar to GMRS radios may also be dual band 2m/70cm radios.

     

    Here's a graphic that shows how much more a Tech gets vs GMRS with arrows pointing to the similar 70cm band. I blanked out the bands that require higher ham licensing. 

    Tech band plan.jpg

  2. 20 hours ago, MichaelLAX said:

    I think they are quoting the GOOGLE Machine result and not searching within YouTube...

    Neither am I.  It does not occur as such in page 1 of my searches.  Note that GOOGLE changes your search results based on cookies; the results you see ARE NOT the results everyone sees.

     

     Its probably a bigger data chaser than Facebook. 

  3. I guess my search engine use is deficient. 

     

    Another info source these days is Reddit.  Some of (maybe close to half) of my younger friends that are in the age group most likely to be off road fans ignore Google, Youtube and Facebook and instead rely on searches and discussion on the Reddit platform that is not always found by search engines.  I have not looked into what the prevailing opinion on Reddit is for this question. 

  4. The math presented appears correct to me.  1% of 65cm is approximately  ¼".   Just a WAG, but I would present that the data provided suggests that either both SWR readings are showing a slightly longer than optimal antenna or possible difference in accuracy of the meter with different power output.  OP did not confirm that readings were taken with the same output.

    This is one of the advantages of the nanoNVA tool vs a transmitter and wattmeter.  Without an analyzer, cut and see if the 1.3 goes up more than the 2.0 goes down, or if both go down. 2.0 SWR isn't going to hurt anything on GMRS, propagation will vary more with where you are standing, how straight up you hold the antenna (polarization is real) and how well charged your battery is. 

     

  5. 4 hours ago, DownEastNC said:

    Just curious, why are you using a mobile antenna for a base station setup?

    He's asking if the MXTA26 will work.  It will work but there are better dedicated base station antennae.  Many hams start out with mobile antennae on their first low budget rigs, since he is already dedicating more money than first low budget, he's probably pointing toward a better dedicated 65cm band antenna.  Internet search is his friend; search for GMRS base station antenna. 

    I would do all I could to get the antenna up higher. Another 10 ft could make the difference between useful and not so.  Unless I am mistaken, the harder the surface rocks are the better chance of signal propagation into shaded/non line of sight areas via "knife edge" propagation.  Soft soil and trees - dead zones in the non LOS regions. 

  6. Most HT's come with a budget antenna to hold down the price.  Another $30 worth of aftermarket antenna is usually a good investment.  In fringe areas, antenna polarization is important.  The transmitting and receiving antennas need to be exactly in the same plane (hold the HT with the antenna pointing straight up).

    Outside of that, we would need more details. 

  7. In the 65centimeter GMRS band, height means more than anything else for your antenna as long as your coax length is less than 50 ft, then coax quality begins to inch in, but height is still the prime consideration.  

    If your area isn't generally flat, even a well elevated antenna will not propagate well in the obscured directions; a repeater does not overcome this unless it is located at a centrally located high ground location.   The advantage of a repeater is to generally double the range of 2 mobile radios.  If the repeater antenna can be located on a tower over 150ft high and the tower itself is on a locally high elevation the range between the repeater and regular stations can be 20 miles under perfect conditions. At 50 ft elevation the range of a repeater is more likely to be less than 10 miles, probably 5, sometimes even less with buildings and trees around. 

    Good brands of antenna are Diamond, Comet, Browning, Tram, Ed Fong.  There are many to choose from among these brands. 

  8. I worked on a demo job at a three letter agency building once, it was isolated as described above. The laborers carried literal tons of copper screen to the recyclers. One floor, maybe 20,000 sq ft and 10,000 - 15,000 fully wired telephone connections.  Desks with headsets and typewriters - old school telephone intercept building. 

  9. 23 hours ago, DanW said:

    So I'm glad I could get you guys excited about a discussion beyond your normal tech-talk induced state of arousal around here.

    I must have missed all that chatter on channel 20 when rolling down the interstate.  Not sure how that could be, with the level of common knowledge you claim is out there.

     

    So, you heard more traffic on 19?

  10. A crappy rubber duck would also inhibit longer distance propagationand can limit it to UHF/GMRS wavelengths.  

     

    example:

    My very nice Kenwood ham tribander is super with a good antenna, but near worthless with the rubber duck that came on it. I can hit repeaters over 20 miles away with proper elevation and the good antenna on all 3 bands, but only UHF under a mile away with the rubber duck. 

  11. 5 hours ago, kb2ztx said:

    "A GMRS travle channel should not be a repeater channel simplex only"

    So what do you mean by this. We only have 8 repeater channels. Are you proposing to use channels 1-7 which are 5 watt low power ? 

    For me I dont want someone camping on my repeater pair or using it as a  "road" channel. If your set on a designated channel I'd pick a 1-7 channel. 

    Its not an option, you don't have any more rights to the use the frequency than any other licensed GMRS user. 

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