gortex2

@WRVS497 Here is a good link with many decent LMR units. https://theantennafarm.com/shop-by-categories/shop-all/mobile-antennas/gmrs-mobile-antennas Personally I use the Laird BB4503 on a lot of my friends vehicles if the 1/4 wave doesn't work. Its a solid little antenna.

No spring. Alot of the cheap springs are part of the RF path. A quality LMR antenna will have a braid inside the spring coil to transfer RF from the mount to the whip. The Nagoya is a CCR antenna and the only people who praise them know nothing about antenna's. Its normally hams or users who got on amazon and bought them who read how good they are. The Midland option is a decent unit from what folks say. Personally all my stuff is from LMR providers and is MSI, Laird or Larsen.

Id replace the antenna with a NMO Mount Mag Mount and standard 1/4 wave antenna. https://www.amazon.com/PL-259-Antenna-410-490-Centimeters-Connector/dp/B07NZ246YL/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1F6BCL7X9ZHB6&keywords=1%2F4+wave+uhf+nmo+mag+mount+antenna&qid=1676469393&sprefix=1%2F4+wave+uhf+nmo+mag+mount+antenna%2Caps%2C65&sr=8-3

APX 7000/7500 and APX 8000/8500 are the only Motorola radios that can be dual band. They come in any flavor. I have many of the splits in the 7500 series but have migrated most gear to 8500 to have all bands (VHF/UHF/700/800). The 7000 series only came in dual band (v/u, v/8, u/8, u/u) XPR are only single band.

The Bridgcom is one choice and if purchased from Mygmrs would most likely come programmed to what you want and ready to go out the door. You would then need decent cable and a good antenna. While you can build a repeater out of boxes normally its easier to buy a complete bult unit. I had linked some others in another post here. Remember antenna cable and antenna is am important part of the system. You want the best shortest cable you can use and a good antenna.

As stated the software is NLA from Motorola unless you have a myview account and have purchased it in the past. Then its downloadable. Depending on what you want to do it may be cheaper to drop the radio at a local Motorola shop unless you have programmed them before. Its not chirp so learning curve is pretty steep. If you plan tons of custom stuff you will need to learn it. If its a dozen channels find someone local to you.

How did you ask for access ? It says you need to go to the website - http://sdecom.org/contact

I don't have the software that I can share, but you can get it from ICOM pretty reasonable. Its not like MSI. I am old school and still use the OPC-966on my VHF radio. I know a few in SAR use the USB one but I've never had good success with the aftermarket stuff. The radios are pretty good and have pretty hot receivers.

As @Sshannon said in mygmrs store there are examples of repeaters for sale. https://shop.mygmrs.com/collections/repeaters-and-accessories You can also look at the Midland Package that just came out. Its very similar to the RT97 but in a KISS method. There is no licensing of a GMRS repeater with the FCC. Its covered under your license. Many folks list it on mygmrs.com but its up to you. Regardless of the repeater you need to manage expectations. Locations and antenna height are far more important than power. a RT97/Midland on a 5000' summit with a good antenna will talk miles further than a 50 watt mobile with an Ed Fong antenna on your garage. Repeaters are good tools when implemented properly but can be costly to do if your expectations are a 50 mile radius. My GMRS repeater at home gets about 10 miles on a mobile with a GR1225 (25 watts - 15 to antenna)/ DB404 and 10' of LDF4-50 Hardline. If I could get it up in the air I could get more but it covers my area I need to cover fine.

This is correct. But a repeater will only work if it can hear the handheld. Normally a repeater antenna is higher up than a handheld. Your case sounds like a good option for the new Midland repeater package deal.

When I was with a shop we used W & W Manufacturing. We even had our own "labeled" battery thru them. I have had great luck with them and still use them to this day for both SAR and my own personal stuff. I have some that are almost 20 years old and still working good following proper battery use. They are very good to work with. http://www.ww-manufacturing.com/Results.asp?Keywords=692&OEM=%&Product=%&Category=6&Manufacturer=48

The only one that showed up was the one you put on the page. The closest per the map to you is probably crawford but doubt you can get to it from your location. Your in an area that is almost impossible to put up a tower unless its private land and even then the APA will block it like crazy. Your only option is to find a friend on a summit of one of the hills and see if they will put one up on a roof of a house or garage. You'd have a little better luck on ham radio but not much.

We use UHF for a multi county trunking system. I have used both the laird and a 1/4 wave. In the end both my UHF only antenna's on my F150 are 1/4 wave laird black. They are not much taller than the laird and have been almost bent flat in a car wash and parking garage. I doubt the Larid would have faired that well. On car to car comms my 1/4 wave always out performs the Laird. Being all fireground stuff is simplex I stuck with the 1/4 wave. Oh and it cost $12

Found some pics in this forum - https://forums.radioreference.com/threads/low-profile-phantom-antennas.380379/

last 3 with PL. 550-141.3 or name of area. call signs are useless to me.

Not a midland but have opened up the LAIRD UHF and its just a circuit board with copper plating. Some of the other RF related forums have had guys post pictures. I'd be more than happy to break one apart for testing if someone ships me one.

This comes up often. Maybe do a search on the site ? Here is one from last month -

Are you logged into mygmrs and not just the forum ? They both have logins. If your not logged in you can send a message.

It may not be an open repeater. Just because its there doesn't mean its available for your use. The map shows one in Temple that is open. Hopefully the ham was using a valid GMRS call sign.

Uh, since when is RG58 bad for UHF on a mobile radio ? There are hundreds of thousands of Police, Fire, EMS radios thru out the US that have an NMO with RG58 on them in UHF, 700, 800 Mhz. I have 6 NMO Mounts on my truck and 4 of them are RG58 standard Motorola NMO mounts. 2 are LMR as the new multiband came with it.

Glad you got it worked out. I found a couple of sites that listed that but said "may or may not be in radio" so I didn't suggest it. Again this is due to non standard tones. Not sure why some manufacturers use them but it does add some confusion.

Both those lists were from HAM radios. I'm not at my work PC so can't really check my Vertex or Kenwood software. In the end its not standard which is why Midland doesn't list it. Here is a list from an old manual of the 275. Lookin back I dont see that tone in any of there manuals. The club may of used that tone to keep certain radios out of the system. I wouldn't think that would be best route but could be. 01=023 11=071 21=134 31=223 41=306 51=411 61=503 71=631 81=734 02=025 12=072 22=143 32=226 42=331 52=412 62=506 72=632 82=743 03=026 13=073 23=152 33=243 43=315 53=413 63=516 73=654 83=754 04=031 14=074 24=155 34=244 44=331 54=423 64=532 74=662 05=032 15=114 25=156 35=245 45=343 55=431 65=546 75=664 06=043 16=115 26=162 36=251 46=346 56=432 66=565 76=703 07=047 17=116 27=165 37=261 47=351 57=445 67=606 77=712 08=051 18=125 28=172 38=263 48=364 58=464 68=612 78=723 09=054 19=131 29=174 39=265 49=365 59=465 69=624 79=731 10=065 20=132 30=205 40=272 50=371 60=466 70=627 80=732

Those ICOMS are a solid GMRS radio. If I can figure out how to get registered think I'll at least bid on them. Many dont realize goodwill is a huge for profit company. Its not salvation army.

I assume it also depends on where the elements are on the dipole. All on one side will throw some RF one way. I have a mix match of them. On VHF I have one with all 4 elements to one side and it helps cover an area and put more gain in that direction. At home I have a single dipole on each bearing (N, E, S, W) so less gain but more omni.

BTW - standard DPL Chart here - https://www.repeater-builder.com/tech-info/pl+dpl/pl+dpl.html