gortex2

I left the KG1000 off the list as its not a repeater. Its a mobile radio. The goal was to give folks out of the box repeaters.
If we got into radios to make repeaters there would be hundreds but they all require 2 radios, controllers, cables and programming. 
 
 

I currently have a DMR radio and will be getting a P25 radio shortly. I'm in the Dayton area and got connected to the P25 group here so I'm going to work through their programming guide and see if I can get up and running on that system.

NO actually he's NOT.
I have seen more than one setup where the radio and antenna system was a combined total of over 10K and they used RG-8X coax to connect it.  That was ONE.
Second was a big ICOM, huge money.  Reused cable that the braid was showing connected to a Yagi that was missing elements.  Thought the expensive radio would compensate for the broke ass antenna.  It didn't. 
 

25+ Years ago, Motorola offered a low power Systel repeater that was just 2 watts, and was designed to offer repeater service combined with telephone interconnect for small warehouses, retirement homes, and factories. Inside the box, it was just 2 GP300 portables, a controller, and cooling fans.
They worked, but they didn't last. Most got replaced within 5 years with a "real" repeater.
I'll repeat what was said above. A duplexer saves you time, trouble, and money. If you're going to use a split antenna system, you're still going to need cavity filters to make it work properly. Unless you've already got the 2 antennas, the double lengths of coax, and the cavity filters, you're spending more money just to "save" on a duplexer.
A properly tuned duplexer "eats" less than 2dB for a UHF system with a 5 MHz split. If you've been paying attention here, you should know that transmit power out is not the limiting factor in most repeater systems. People chase transmit power because they think it's what makes a repeater better. Balance is what makes a repeater system better. Duplexers provide balance.

How far do you want it to work and what power levels are you using ? Ideally you want 20-25' vertical separation for good isolation. The closer they are the less isolation you get. In the end its almost always cheaper to buy a duplexer than run 2 antenna lines and antenna's.
In the LMR world antenna's can be closer but are normally filtered to limit the exposure of each other. On one of our SAR sites we have a DB404 10' below the RX DB408. The receive multi-coupler has not only pass cavities but also notch for the TX channels. The TX combiner has pass cavities for the TX channel only. There is no noticeable decense on the system. But the combiners and multi-coupler cost more than most of you spend on a vehicle.

How far do you want it to work and what power levels are you using ? Ideally you want 20-25' vertical separation for good isolation. The closer they are the less isolation you get. In the end its almost always cheaper to buy a duplexer than run 2 antenna lines and antenna's.
In the LMR world antenna's can be closer but are normally filtered to limit the exposure of each other. On one of our SAR sites we have a DB404 10' below the RX DB408. The receive multi-coupler has not only pass cavities but also notch for the TX channels. The TX combiner has pass cavities for the TX channel only. There is no noticeable decense on the system. But the combiners and multi-coupler cost more than most of you spend on a vehicle.

So why not just get online and grab a UHF repeater premade. In the end it will be simpler and probably cheaper. You will still need a duplexer for either a true LMR repeater or a home built one. 
I don't know anyone that sells a premade cable and controller for the MCS. I'm sure you can find a controller and use some of the above cables but if you dont have the technical skills to solder and assemble complete units are easier. 
There is alot of info on the MCS here - https://www.repeater-builder.com/motorola/mcs2000/mcs2000-index.html
 

Thanks Rich. I need to get rid of a ton of stuff and rather sell here. 

They will work fine. 
 

You can use that cable but will need one for each radio. I assume your using the mid power model. You can find the plugs and pins cheaper and spin your own cable. All you need is PTT, COR, Discriminator, Ground and Mic Hi. In the end depending on what your doing its 3 wires to each radio. (RX Radio - COR, GND and RX Discriminator, TX Radio - GND, PTT and Mic)
Pinout for the Accessory Connector

1 SPKR+
2 INT SPKR+
3 SPKR-
4 DIGITAL GND
5 BUSY
6 BUS+
7 I/O 8
8 I/O 5
9 EMERGENCY
10 ANALOG GND
11 FIL AUD OUT
12 AUX RX IN2
13 MIC IN
14 SW B+
15 IGNITION
16 I/O 2
17 LH RESET
18 BUS-
19 SCI RX DATA
20 I/O 4
21 I/O 3
22 RSSI OUT
23 EXTERNAL MIC IN
24 AUX TX IN2
25 UNIV IO OUT

I'm pleased to announce a new feature available on the forums: a new classifieds system!
Premium Members can post a listing for radios, repeaters, antennas, and more that they are selling or want to buy. All members can view and purchase items from the seller, a Premium Membership is only required to post advertisements.
Purchases are handled between the buyer and seller directly at this time, but we might expand this in the future to handle payments similar to how eBay and PayPal work. There are no commissions since we are not handling the payments on behalf of the parties.
If you are a Premium Member, you will see a blue "Submit an advert" button on the Classifieds page. Click on this button and select the category to list your ad under. Listings are active for 21 days for free (less the cost of membership) and can be renewed if the item is still available. 
You also have the ability to set up shipping options for the buyer, and can paste the tracking number for the shipment once you've completed a sale.

As an unashamed ham/GMRS user, one thing I hear a lot that clearly differentiates ham radio from GMRS is the idea that old hams will make it a point of updating everyone, whether it's on HF or VHF/UHF repeaters, about their health status and that of their spouses. Strokes, heart attacks, oozing wounds, various surgeries, the entire spectrum of medical issues, are covered ad nauseum. GMRS doesn't normally include that kind of conversation. It can get depressing.

Without getting into the debate on Part 90 vs 95 figured I'd list some basic Repeaters for UHF that would be good base units if your shopping for new.
Low Power
RT97 - List Price - $536 (Sale Price - $371.99) - https://www.retevis.com/rt97-portable-gmrs-repeater-mobile-repeater#A9150CX1
Midland MRX10 - List Price - $ 459.00 - https://midlandusa.com/products/midland-mxr10-repeater
Mid Power
Bridgecomm BCR-40U - List Price $1499.00 - https://www.bridgecomsystems.com/collections/amateur-radio-repeaters/products/bcr-40u
ICOM FR6300H - List Price $1819.00 - https://theantennafarm.com/shop-by-categories/radios/repeater-systems/uhf-repeaters/11680-icom-fr6300h-detail
Kenwood NXR-810K - List Price - $1770.00 - https://theantennafarm.com/shop-by-categories/radios/repeater-systems/uhf-repeaters/9640-kenwood-nxr-810k-detail
Motorola SLR5700 - List Price $ 3700.00 - https://theantennafarm.com/shop-by-categories/radios/repeater-systems/uhf-repeaters/9581-motorola-slr5700-detail
To be noted none of the mid power repeaters come with a duplexer. That will tac on another $300 and up depending on what you purchase. 
 
Granted there are many UHF part 90 repeaters used on the market that can be had for way less money than above but wanted to list new prices. If your searching online and someone is advertising a GR1225 on GMRS for $1000 I'd think twice. For mid power I have no experience with the Bridgecomm or the new NRX (however have many of the older Kenwood) units. Just wanted to put some info in one location. 
The low power units are nice because they basically work out of the box. I also realize the prices on the mid power units look high when your comparing to some of the CCR world but they will outlast pretty much all the home brewed stuff as they are built to do what they are. 
Some used older stuff that can be had reasonably are the Vertex VXR Series, Motorola GR1225, Motorola MTR2000, Motorola Quantar, Kenwood TKR850, Midland Base Tech II (Was a solid unit), ICOM FR4000 and the Motorola XPR series.

Your point ? I said in the past I was a ham, and for many years. Just because I'm a ham doesn't mean anything. Its a service I use for a specific purpose. GMRS was never the place to be a "ham" until as of late. That's what this thread was started about. But some folks as your self can't understand the difference between the services. 
And as reference the ham came to me because I maintain many public safety and business license and am in the FCC system daily doing updates. You do realize some folks actually have paying careers in RF right ? 
 

Your point ? I said in the past I was a ham, and for many years. Just because I'm a ham doesn't mean anything. Its a service I use for a specific purpose. GMRS was never the place to be a "ham" until as of late. That's what this thread was started about. But some folks as your self can't understand the difference between the services. 
And as reference the ham came to me because I maintain many public safety and business license and am in the FCC system daily doing updates. You do realize some folks actually have paying careers in RF right ? 
 

Without getting into the debate on Part 90 vs 95 figured I'd list some basic Repeaters for UHF that would be good base units if your shopping for new.
Low Power
RT97 - List Price - $536 (Sale Price - $371.99) - https://www.retevis.com/rt97-portable-gmrs-repeater-mobile-repeater#A9150CX1
Midland MRX10 - List Price - $ 459.00 - https://midlandusa.com/products/midland-mxr10-repeater
Mid Power
Bridgecomm BCR-40U - List Price $1499.00 - https://www.bridgecomsystems.com/collections/amateur-radio-repeaters/products/bcr-40u
ICOM FR6300H - List Price $1819.00 - https://theantennafarm.com/shop-by-categories/radios/repeater-systems/uhf-repeaters/11680-icom-fr6300h-detail
Kenwood NXR-810K - List Price - $1770.00 - https://theantennafarm.com/shop-by-categories/radios/repeater-systems/uhf-repeaters/9640-kenwood-nxr-810k-detail
Motorola SLR5700 - List Price $ 3700.00 - https://theantennafarm.com/shop-by-categories/radios/repeater-systems/uhf-repeaters/9581-motorola-slr5700-detail
To be noted none of the mid power repeaters come with a duplexer. That will tac on another $300 and up depending on what you purchase. 
 
Granted there are many UHF part 90 repeaters used on the market that can be had for way less money than above but wanted to list new prices. If your searching online and someone is advertising a GR1225 on GMRS for $1000 I'd think twice. For mid power I have no experience with the Bridgecomm or the new NRX (however have many of the older Kenwood) units. Just wanted to put some info in one location. 
The low power units are nice because they basically work out of the box. I also realize the prices on the mid power units look high when your comparing to some of the CCR world but they will outlast pretty much all the home brewed stuff as they are built to do what they are. 
Some used older stuff that can be had reasonably are the Vertex VXR Series, Motorola GR1225, Motorola MTR2000, Motorola Quantar, Kenwood TKR850, Midland Base Tech II (Was a solid unit), ICOM FR4000 and the Motorola XPR series.

This whole scenario played out for me recently. My employer has Aux Communications Service radio stations spread across the country. Everett, WA wanted money to buy a new Icom IC-7851 HF/50 MHz transceiver at around $13k. Because their two Yaesu FT-900A radios did not function. I had one of my radio technicians in Seattle check the Yaesu's out, and one needed the RF Gain knob cleaned with DeoxIt, while the other needed a new potentiometer that maybe cost $20 plus technician time in pay. 
These ACS stations are essentially corporate sponsored hobbyists that bring their amateur radio mindset to the equation. Not willing to repair an older radio, but wanting to spend a lot more corporate money on their hobby when they can get it to go through the bean counters (or under their "radar"). $13k versus some repair work. Now, would they have tried this had it been their own money, I have witnessed that as well. 
A co-worker of mine bought one of those Icom PCR-1000 computer controlled receivers. But, Icom ran ads that mentioned that if you wanted the world map paint job on the outer case, to contact them direct, and the cost would be $10k. Icom had several people that paid that price for a custom paint job on a $500 receiver. I bought the standard black cased unit and still use it to this day, even though SDR USB receivers are my go-to now. 

Just like people who buy an expensive luxury vehicle and when it comes time to replace the tires buy nearly the cheapest ones they can find. Life is full of examples of this sort of things. Hams are no different.

Used P25 radios are expensive. I can buy 2 or 3 NXDN radios for what some people want for just 1 P25 radio. I'm still looking for an affordable TK-5220 VHF P25. I have 2 of the UHF TK-5320's and 1 of the TK-5220's now that didn't break the bank. In general LMR VHF radios are selling for more than the UHF models.
https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/254-tk-5320-1jpg/
 

While the RT97 and the MXR10 are very different, I don't see any real difference between the RT97S and the MXR10 besides the custom case and button placement.
Both have the DB-9 port, both have a metal custom case, and both are preset for GMRS frequencies out of the box (and FCC certified for GMRS).
We worked with Retevis to add the DB9 port to allow hooking up an external controller, for linking or IDing purposes. I see that's in this model, and I wonder if they kept those features intact.
I'd be willing to bet it's the same guts as the RT97S, which are different from the original RT97. If you care to open it up, it's just 4 Allen screws that are retained by a spring to prevent them from falling out.
Retevis and Midland use the same manufacturer, but Retevis does not make these themselves. They are produced by another factory.

The Quantar are rock solid units. Parts are still plentiful if you know where to look. Many systems are still in service with these. Our SAR simulcast uses these extensively. 

Without getting into the debate on Part 90 vs 95 figured I'd list some basic Repeaters for UHF that would be good base units if your shopping for new.
Low Power
RT97 - List Price - $536 (Sale Price - $371.99) - https://www.retevis.com/rt97-portable-gmrs-repeater-mobile-repeater#A9150CX1
Midland MRX10 - List Price - $ 459.00 - https://midlandusa.com/products/midland-mxr10-repeater
Mid Power
Bridgecomm BCR-40U - List Price $1499.00 - https://www.bridgecomsystems.com/collections/amateur-radio-repeaters/products/bcr-40u
ICOM FR6300H - List Price $1819.00 - https://theantennafarm.com/shop-by-categories/radios/repeater-systems/uhf-repeaters/11680-icom-fr6300h-detail
Kenwood NXR-810K - List Price - $1770.00 - https://theantennafarm.com/shop-by-categories/radios/repeater-systems/uhf-repeaters/9640-kenwood-nxr-810k-detail
Motorola SLR5700 - List Price $ 3700.00 - https://theantennafarm.com/shop-by-categories/radios/repeater-systems/uhf-repeaters/9581-motorola-slr5700-detail
To be noted none of the mid power repeaters come with a duplexer. That will tac on another $300 and up depending on what you purchase. 
 
Granted there are many UHF part 90 repeaters used on the market that can be had for way less money than above but wanted to list new prices. If your searching online and someone is advertising a GR1225 on GMRS for $1000 I'd think twice. For mid power I have no experience with the Bridgecomm or the new NRX (however have many of the older Kenwood) units. Just wanted to put some info in one location. 
The low power units are nice because they basically work out of the box. I also realize the prices on the mid power units look high when your comparing to some of the CCR world but they will outlast pretty much all the home brewed stuff as they are built to do what they are. 
Some used older stuff that can be had reasonably are the Vertex VXR Series, Motorola GR1225, Motorola MTR2000, Motorola Quantar, Kenwood TKR850, Midland Base Tech II (Was a solid unit), ICOM FR4000 and the Motorola XPR series.

You find out real quick just how serious people are about it when the repeater owner starts asking for money from the users to pay for it all. Not surprisingly most of the interest fades fast at that point.

a DB404 will work fine. I run a 404 on 3 of my repeaters. 2 are on tower sites 1000' higher than the surrounding area. 1 is on a 60' tower. I also run a DB408 as a receive antenna at one tower site with a DB404 for the transmit thru a combiner. The 408 and 420 are higher gain so if your way up may over shadow the area you are trying to cover. In the end all three are commercial made antennas used by Public Safety and LMR all over the US and are built to last.