jgillaspy

Actually not so much. Hear me out. . . What I've found with my CCR ham radios is they have power-on-key-press actions to "open up" (MARS mod) the radios. I have several Mirkit (Baofeng) HTs and a couple of Anytone AT-779UV II mobiles and all either were already (Baofeng) or were easily opened up. It seams the FCC is harder on the Part 95e certification that on the ham certifications. So, buying a ham version of the radio and doing the MARS mod might be the way to go. JG

Even in the amateur radio world there are only a couple of Manufacturers that produce in the USA. They are VERY expensive. JG

I love it!!! Just what I expected.

So, there is a difference between the older Part 95 and the newer Part 95e certifications. Back in the day a manufacturer could get an "add-on" part 95 certification for just about any part 90 certified UHF product. That was the Part 95 cert. Now there is a separate certification process and that is the Part 95e certification. I point that out because there a couple of Kenwood and Motorola repeaters that were certified under the old system which are grandfathered in, so we can use them for GMRS. Here are a couple: Kenwood TKR-820 repeater Kenwood TKR-850 repeater Anyway, hope this helps. JG

I've found with many radios that you have to really push hard to get the little clip to fully engage. Otherwise it will eventually pop out when you pull on the cable using the mic or vibrations work it out. JG

Yep, just read the same thing over at QRZ. Glad I got my General class and Vanity call sign before this. I may actually try for Amateur Extra sooner than I had planned. JG

If you are comfortable using a Windows PC then I'd consider a used Kenwood tk-880 or tk-8180. They can be found on ebay and often on sites like used-radios.com. They can program your radio with the GMRS standard channels so you can get started right away. The programming software (CPS) is available free online. You can buy the cable on ebay from bluemax49ers. The radios are built like a tank, so moving them from car-to-car-to-house would present less of an issue. You can buy multiple brackets and power cables so you unhook power and antenna, unscrew the mount and off you go. This was my plan until I got my Technician ham license and went to Anytone at-778UV which does 2M, 70CM and GMRS transmit and receive. I bought my tk-8180h (high power) from used-radios.com and had them program it. worked right out of the box. JG

I don't think there is much of a way to clean up a mag-mount antenna. You will always have the wire showing. You might want to look at using a lip-mount and mount it on the upper side of your rear hatch. You can then route the cable in through the hatch and hide it under the interior trim. Just make sure to stay cleat of any curtain air bags. Also make sure you get one with a sealed mount cable. JG

Make sure you have the SWR meter connected correctly. I had this issue when I had the meter connected backwards. . . Really made me feel stupid when I realized it later. I lost several hours of troubleshooting to my mistake. Mine read 19.9 as well. The meter ports are labeled - verify your connections. JG

My next purchase will be that same antenna. Currently I'm using a mag-mount dual-band on a cookie sheet in my house. Works great on 2M, nothing on 70CM or GMRS. JG

I'm' over near Sea World and can't hit anything. Looking to setup my own repeater at this point. Only traffic around here is a couple of kids and Chick-Fil-A. Looking for a good base antenna at this point as well. JG

Like any of the bad guys care. JG

After last years power outage here in SATX I got a gas/propane negerator (10KW) and 2 x 100# propane tanks. Couple that with a manual transfer switch I can keep everything except the stove and HVAC running. JG

The DB-25 is on sale as well, $96. https://smile.amazon.com/Radioddity-Repeater-Scanning-Receiver-Overlanding/dp/B09C7JBBVY?ref_=ast_sto_dp

That was awesome! Keep up the good work on your channel. I really enjoy it. JG