gortex2

Yup he is pretty firm on his price. We were able to get a donation to help out and get it.
 
May be worth grabbing a 4'x4' sheet of 3//4 plywood to throw on the ground first and screw or bolt it to it. Then throw some blocks or something heavy on it ? I had spikes pounded in the ground on all three when ours blew over. They were about 16" long but the ground was mostly sand and didn't help much.

Nice setup but watch the Tripod you have. I tried similar setup for our SAR team in the past and it didn't last well in some wind even with guy wires up. We since switched to a military style mast kit we found here - 
 
https://www.ebay.com/itm/ANTENNA-TRIPOD-29FT-ALUMINUM-PORTABLE-TOWER-MAST-KIT-NEW/361384099911
 
It is night and day better and faster to set up that what we had before. It cost a bit more but in the end it was worth it. The selling point of the tripod is the custom "tripod" adapter he ships with it. Here it was last summer in the national park. This was hooked up to a mixed mode Quantar for an event we handle comms for.
 

 
 

Nice setup but watch the Tripod you have. I tried similar setup for our SAR team in the past and it didn't last well in some wind even with guy wires up. We since switched to a military style mast kit we found here - 
 
https://www.ebay.com/itm/ANTENNA-TRIPOD-29FT-ALUMINUM-PORTABLE-TOWER-MAST-KIT-NEW/361384099911
 
It is night and day better and faster to set up that what we had before. It cost a bit more but in the end it was worth it. The selling point of the tripod is the custom "tripod" adapter he ships with it. Here it was last summer in the national park. This was hooked up to a mixed mode Quantar for an event we handle comms for.
 

 
 

I actually run both on my F150. The only benefit of the 4503 is size. It works well on my local trunking systems but no antenna will work there. For GMRS its ok when on some repeaters, but simplex is junk. I since have put the 1/4 wave back on my GMRS mobile and am very happy with it. 

I actually run both on my F150. The only benefit of the 4503 is size. It works well on my local trunking systems but no antenna will work there. For GMRS its ok when on some repeaters, but simplex is junk. I since have put the 1/4 wave back on my GMRS mobile and am very happy with it. 

I actually run both on my F150. The only benefit of the 4503 is size. It works well on my local trunking systems but no antenna will work there. For GMRS its ok when on some repeaters, but simplex is junk. I since have put the 1/4 wave back on my GMRS mobile and am very happy with it. 

not to rain on this idea, as i think it's a good one.
 
i WILL give midland a little credit, though, as they DO actually have an article on the licensing topic (and include "license required" in the product descriptions, at least for the micromobiles, though you have to "read more" to see it), and reasons to get licensed.  as you said, though, their primary focus is selling product, so it isn't particularly easy for the average person to find.  i did a lot of digging and reading before i pulled the trigger on radios, and stumbled across it.
 
https://midlandusa.com/why-do-i-need-a-gmrs-license-how-do-i-get-it/
 
i definitely think there's still room to expand on the topic, and make the information a lot more accessible than they have (get it more up-front), also know it's a balance being careful not to "borrow" or end up too similar to theirs. this site (and forum) are one of the places i did a lot of reading before jumping in.
 
 
on the main thread topic, though, one small idea that comes to mind...maybe i missed it, but i didn't see an actual designated spot for "(New) Member Intros", just a few scattered in the general discussion and the private discussion areas.

I'm open to guest authors who want to help out with articles like that. 
 
Articles in general are one thing I want to add that has been missing. The site is functional for looking up repeaters, but lacking in substantive content that will drive traffic to us.

I laughed so loud I woke my wife up.
 
A friend of mine was going to put one on his Range Rover.  I told him to just give me the $10 and sell his radio, because the end result would be the same, only I will at least be able to get a cheeseburger and a coke.  LOL

Id like to see more on the linking stuff. As you said fixing the out dated repeater listings is a large task. I tend to come here only for GMRs stuff which i like. Most of the other online forums for radio stuff is all over the place. I know this is mostly GMRS so i tend to come here daily.
 
One thought i did have and maybe its been done but a spot on "license" encouragement would be nice. I wish places like midland would do thia also but they want to sell a product and not deal with this. having a page spelling out the reasons and how to get a license, with a link to start would be cool.

If anyone wants to try out Slack, I created an account for myGMRS. Here's the link to join:
 
[Link removed, moved to Private Discussion]

I recommend putting your callsign after your name in the "full name" field (first name only is okay if you prefer).

Whats the chance we can get a chat room? Is that even a thing anymore? I like the idea of ad supported, and yes I would pay 5 bucks a month to not see them!
 
1. Expand our repeater linking project!

Greetings folks.
 
I'm new here and to GMRS in general, but I'm glad I found out about GMRS.
 
I'm trying to set up emergency back-up communications between myself and my wife, for those times when power, internet, and cellular are out especially. Yes, not often, but it has happened. (We're in Virginia and have lived through 36+ hour power outages due to hurricanes, etc.)
 
My goal is to work towards simplex communications with my wife, but for now, I'll settle for a local GMRS repeater. Her office is about 3 miles away, and the terrain is fairly flat suburban area.
 
I'm working (for now) primarily with handheld radios. BaoFeng UV-5Rs. I plan to upgrade to at least having a base transceiver at home. (One that does 2M and 0.7M HAM as well.) But, for now, handhelds.
 
I have a GMRS license (WRFC813) and am sitting for my technician class ham license in a couple weeks. (I will NEVER get my wife to go ham, so don't go there. Hence, GMRS for the two of us, but ham for my own hobbyist fun.)
 
So, that in mind, here's my issue...
 
I can communicate with a nearby repeater just fine. That is, just fine from one of the handhelds when I'm outside my house. I also have a mag mount antenna on my car roof and can hit the repeater pretty much anywhere in my area.
 
But, when I step inside the house, I often can't quite get there.
 
I tried the car antenna (Nagoya UT-72) inside the house, and it doesn't seem better than the whips (NA-771). Then again, inside the house, I do not have a good ground plane steel plate on which to mount the UT-72...
 
I literally step out the front door or back door onto my deck and I can talk with the repeater. Inside, not so much.
 
Suggestions for a home antenna rig that will improve this? I'm in a HOA, so I really don't want to bother with trying to get permission from the crown to install an outdoor antenna. I have an attic crawl space, but if I'm going to go that route, I want to be pretty certain it'll work.
 
My preference is something that can sit here in my living room and still be enough improvement of the NA-771 that I'll be happy. Perhaps better mounting for a UT-72? Suggestions?
 
Thanks.
 
Cheers,
 
Ken (WRFC813)
 

Definitely VHF. They may of licensed UHF for a control link of some sort over time. I had a few construction companies that did that when they were on lowband. a local UHF repeater was installed at the building and was tied into the lowband base radio. This allowed guys in the shop and yard to talk to the trucks on the road via portable radio. 

I actually used on of these directly thru the plastic roof of a UTV. It worked well on UHF. Tried similar on a VHF install and while it worked OK, I was  a bit more challenging to install. I run one on my motor home ladder mount now with a quaterwave antenna for my on board repeater. 

I managed an MSS years ago. I took some local city admin folks on a tour of our new facility we built. When walking through the garage a woman said "Oh dear they are drilling holes in that brand new car" (Crown Vic)....I said "No, Maam, they are installing antennas". 
 
It's not a hole in the roof if it has something installed in it. 
 
As above....Drill the hole! 

As others have stated the best option is to ditch the stock antenna and replace it with a good laird or comparable antenna and mount. The stock antenna has the worst coax I have ever seen on a UHF radio. I personally am a fan of 1/4 wave antennas if you are in an urban area or operate within 25 miles of your local repeaters but only if you can install a thru roof NMO mount. I never had great luck with mag mounts, even when I bought my new GMC it had holes in the roof before it had a 100 miles on it. If GMRS is something you plan to stick with drill the hole!!!

Also run a FCC search for the coordinates. You mentioned the license was cancelled. Back in my shop days we did a lot of LMR and a few times would add a site like this to our license especially if we had a chance to sell other on the system in a fringe area. Once you determine there is nothing connected to the antenna and it is indeed UHF find someone to sweep the antenna for Return Loss and DTF to verify the line and antenna is good. Once that is determined and a deal can be made with the owner, then start assembling your parts for a repeater. As I have said other times if you do build the repeater yourself image is every thing. Most customers/site owner dont want to see mobile or portable radios wire tied to a sheep of metal or power supply. Make it neat. Quality jumpers for the duplexer with no adapters and you will have a decent repeater.
 
Site lease/costs is a big unknown. Do some research and talk to the owner. A lot of times you can work something out especially if its a local agency. If its American or Crown walk away as your going topay many thousands a year. When our SAR team first put a repeater online we worked out a deal to mow and maintain the building at an old tower site in exchange for rent. Worked great for years.

Also run a FCC search for the coordinates. You mentioned the license was cancelled. Back in my shop days we did a lot of LMR and a few times would add a site like this to our license especially if we had a chance to sell other on the system in a fringe area. Once you determine there is nothing connected to the antenna and it is indeed UHF find someone to sweep the antenna for Return Loss and DTF to verify the line and antenna is good. Once that is determined and a deal can be made with the owner, then start assembling your parts for a repeater. As I have said other times if you do build the repeater yourself image is every thing. Most customers/site owner dont want to see mobile or portable radios wire tied to a sheep of metal or power supply. Make it neat. Quality jumpers for the duplexer with no adapters and you will have a decent repeater.
 
Site lease/costs is a big unknown. Do some research and talk to the owner. A lot of times you can work something out especially if its a local agency. If its American or Crown walk away as your going topay many thousands a year. When our SAR team first put a repeater online we worked out a deal to mow and maintain the building at an old tower site in exchange for rent. Worked great for years.

The 221 is a rock solid performer. I have many of them in SAR and also for GMRS. Other than one display that went bad on a 4 wheeler they seem to tick away. 

A legend in his own mind, a super hero to all GMRS users and radio extraordinaire   guys nuts, I trolled him for about a year, I know more about this guy than he does himself.
 
Mr. Becker
 
Just so you know who I am, I'm a 66 year old individual who spent most of my working life (over 30 years) within the two-way radio communications field as a dealer, service center, tower owner, designer and mobile data public safety systems provider. Plus I have also applied for and was granted more licenses by FCC than you will probably ever be in your life time
 
William R Howell,
GMRS License Call Sign: WQYX489
CEO, USGMRS Repeater & Users Group Association

Ah, yes. Corey will have lots to add here as his dealings have gone much further.
 
Long story short, the guy is a nutcase and I had to ban him from myGMRS after constant nonsense. It started with him trying to list dozens of fake repeaters claiming he has hundreds of repeaters he was going to personally finance and put up all over the country for everyone to use for a fee. Needless to say, he lives in a trailer in the middle of nowhere and everything he said was a lie.
 
Don't send any money whatever you do! If you're going to waste perfectly good cash, at least go spend it in our store so you get something in return, and not empty promises. 

I installed a back rack on my new JT as its a soft top. It has the bracket also. It works OK, but not as good as my F150 with a drilled NMO with same 1/4 wave antenna. I mostly talk simplex and it is noticeably different although both sweeps show the same on a VNA. Its the only solution I have on the JT so it is what it is. I would prefer a roof mount NMO. In regards to the NMO mount get the good sealed mount. I run the Larsen thick mount as the standard NMO wont fit the steel plate. I got mine from antenna farm - https://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/larsen-nmokhfcxthk-1161
 
 

We have some big news regarding our new online store! myGMRS is now an Authorized Reseller for Midland Radios!
 
This means you can be certain you're purchasing original product properly sourced from the manufacturer and they will stand behind their warranty should there be any issues with the product. With many manufacturers, if you don't buy from official channels they will not honor their warranty, which puts the consumer in a very tough spot when they have a problem.
 
We now carry the MicroMobile series (which are repeater capable) and some of the X-TALKER series handheld radios! These are Part 95 certified so you will be 100% legal on GMRS.
 
To celebrate, we're offering 20% off all Midland products from now until February 1st! Just enter the discount code MIDLANDLAUNCH at checkout to get the discount. No limit on number of items!
 
Midland MicroMobile MXT400 40W Radio
 
Midland MicroMobile MXT400VP3 40W Radio Value Pack
 
Midland MicroMobile MXT275 15W Radio (Remote Head)
 
Midland MicroMobile MXT115 15W Radio
 
Midland X-TALKER T290VP4 Radios (2-Pack)
 
Midland X-TALKER T295VP4 Radios (2-Pack)
 
Midland MXTA12 Antenna Mag Mount Base
 
Thanks for supporting myGMRS.com!

I am glad you're happy with the GD77s, but if you really want to see mind-blowing performance then you should get yourself a pair of XPR7550e and see...
 
Also, if you are using the GD77s on DMR then it is not legal. GMRS is FM ONLY. Also, to be 100% compliant then you should be using 20 kHz wideband, and because I know that the GD77s won't do 20 kHz, then you should be using 12.5 kHz instead. If you're using 25 kHz then it is not legal either.
 
You speak like people here in the forum don't know what they are talking about, they are called CCR for a reason. Don't mislead people, dude, grocery store could be 1/2 miles away from home. That is hardly mind-blowing. One radio sitting on a 10 floor building to ground level, not really mind blowing either. I've reached 30 miles using a 2W VHF MURS Ritron portable... does that mean the performance was mind-blowing? Certainly not, why? b/c the receiving radio (a TYT8000E with crossband repeat) was strapped to a drone flying some hundred feet up in the air in the middle of nowhere.
 
Also, for the GD77S, at 75 dollars a pop you are being ripped off, man. If you want cheap, try the Baofeng DM-V1, which is basically a GD77s, except its 25-29 dollars a pop. The DM-V1 will also do DMR if you really want to have DMR (not legal in GMRS). Then there is the Baofeng BF-1801, 45 dollars a pop and its a GD77 clone, with a REAL screen. However, at the price you paid for those overpriced CCRs you could've bought a TYT MD380 UHF (single band, not the dual band), with a color screen and, IIRC a real superheterodyne receiver too... and have a better than mind-blowing performance over the GD77S... I think paying 77 bucks for a CCR without a screen is a ripoff, fortunately tho, it is great to know that, at least, the performance is mind-blowing. You could've achieved the same kind of mind-blowing performance with a pair of BF-888S, except for 18 dollars, and have enough cash left to purchase a used Vertex Standard EVX-531 on eBay, maybe 2 if you look hard enough.(since you seem to like no-screen DMR capable radios)
 
Also, I didn't make this post b/c I am brand name snob that just wants to bash on CCRs for the heck of it, so, without further delay let me introduce you to my extensive CCR collection, and the reason why I made this post.
 
-15 BF-888S, yep, at 9 dollars a piece, they work great for my house intercom, and if anybody destroys one, guests kids, anybody, be it by throwing it the toilet, smashing it with a hammer, etc, etc, won't be crying over it. Receiver on those is BETTER than the GD77s.
-10 Baofeng BF-1801, basically a GD77 clone. Those work great as intercoms on both DMR and FM with the signaling stuff.
-5 Baofeng DM-V1 (which is basically a GD77s, but UHF only, can be modded to do VHF, but haven't tried to do that) Great for store floor intercom, and at 25-29 bucks a pop, its hard to argue with that.
-2 GD77, I got ripped off twice before I found out that the Baofeng BF-1801 was the same radio, at HALF the price. The GD77 is a ripoff, get the BF-1801 instead.-4 Alinco DJ-MD5 DMR/GPS. Not exactly a CCR at 189 a piece, but these are usually our carry around radios, one for each member of the family (old enough to use a radio) Good balance between features and RF performance, for the price, of course.
-5 Baofeng GT-3, (3 dead now) those were the radios that got me into FRS then into GMRS.-4 TYT 8000E.
-1 Anytone INSTG8R
 
Forgot to state what I no longer own but that was also extensively tested.
-1 Retevis RT52, one of the worst, if not the worst radio front end I've ever benched, returned.
-3 Anytone 878UV. Too big, I liked the Alinco MD5 beter, returned them all.
-2 UV-5R. All dead.
-2 UV-82. Gave them to friends.
-2 UV-3R. All dead.
-Ailunce HD1. Very poor performance, returned.
 
I've tested all these radios in nearly every possible scenario you can think of, with several types of ducks, high gain antena, etc, and with the exception of the Alinco DJ-MD5/Anytone 878 (which seems to have better front-end filtering that all those CCRs) none of these radios can compete in terms of range and overall performance to my commercial grade gear, especially when operated in crowded RF areas, which is pretty much anywhere where computers operate these days. Inside a mall the difference is night and day.
 
 
G.