WyoJoe

I think the reference to 22 channels was taking into account that the repeater channels share the same output frequencies as channels 15 to 22. So yes, there are typically 30 channels, but 8 of them are duplicated, in a manner of speaking.

Since he's in Canyon Country, he's already pretty close to Dickey's and Rattlers!

If the specs are correct, that looks to be an excellent antenna for GMRS. For VHF reception, having an SWR below 1.5 isn't a necessity. I suspect it will reasonably tune a much wider spectrum that what's stated. If you were wanting to transmit in the VHF range, however, you might want something different, depending on the part of the spectrum you wanted to transmit on.

The mag mount in the picture looks quite small compared to the antenna. I'm guessing the mount is about 3" diameter, and the antenna is about an inch. I wouldn't expect that mount to work well if there were an adapter available. I wouldn't bother even looking for an adapter, and would just go with a different mount. I'd recommend at least a 4" mount, and if the antenna's more than three feet tall, perhaps even bigger, like a triple-magnet mount. Here's a 4.5" magnet mount that claims to support antennas up to four feet long. https://www.gigaparts.com/comet-antennas-cm-5m.html Here's a triple-magnet mount: https://www.gigaparts.com/mfj-336s.html There are a lot of options, but I would recommend shopping around as mounts can vary greatly in price. You might want to avoid the cheapest ones, as they may have quality issues, but you could probably get by well with a middle of the road mount.

That figures! Since I use Linux for my radio stuff, I haven't had those kinds of problems. Hopefully it's not too difficult to resolve.

I haven't used the Radioddity software for this radio, but according to the Radioddity website, it's supported by Chirp. When I checked Chirp, the QB-25 is listed, but not the DB-25. Since they appear to be quite similar, they might use the same profile. Those radios are slightly different than the QYT-7900D externally, but I suspect they share many of the same components, and possibly even the same software. Anyway, have you tried Chirp? I found it to work pretty well when I started out, and I much prefer it to the manufacturer software, or at least that of the CCR variety.

I just noticed in another post that you have a Retevis RT-76 radio. This is a model that's supported by Chirp, so you should be able to program it with Chirp. One thing to keep in mind is that you should download from the radio, and save the downloaded file as "RT-76_original" or something similar, then save it again with a different name, and use the second file to change the programming and upload that to the radio.

By the way, I'm not sure which model of Retevis radio you're using, but Chirp supports many of them. As a bonus, Chirp is easier to use than many of the manufacturer's programming software.

There are many different versions of Linux Mint, and there are different ways to install and run Chirp depending on the version you're using. On the older versions, you could just add the application from the Software Manager. On newer versions, you need to install it as a "Flatpak." To install it on the newer versions of Mint, you'll need to use the Software Manager to install the Flatpak application, and if it doesn't also include Flatpak-builder, you might want to install that, too. I'm not sure about the necessity of the second application, but it's installed on my Mint 20 desktop and works well for me. Lastly, you'll want to download the latest version of Chirp (in Flatpak format) from the download section at chirp.danplanet.com and install it from the command line with the following command: sudo flatpak install ~/Downloads/chirp-daily-20210930.flatpak The command assumes your download was saved in the Downloads directory within your Home directory. If not, you'll need to point the installer to the correct path. Finally, replace "chirp-daily-20210930.flatpak" with the name of the file you downloaded.

Reliable radio communication at 100 miles is tricky, as it tends to fall right in between short range (UHF/VHF) and long range (HF) capability. I'm not an expert on this by any means, but I thought I'd share my thoughts to add them to the discussion. Hopefully others with greater knowledge than mine will chime in also. Generally, I'd recommend using a radio that works on HF (High Frequency, or 3 to 30 MHz). This option is best realized when two licensed operators with General class (or higher) privileges are communicating with each other, and requires both to be licensed, unless you use the CB (~27 MHz) band. CB isn't likely to be reliable over that kind of distance, though, so ham licenses (and somewhat expensive radios) would be preferable to allow use of lower frequencies. Antenna configuration also plays a significant role here, because different configurations result in different propagation patterns at varying distances. Another option, if you have a high point approximately mid span, would be to install a repeater for GMRS or ham use, then using appropriate radios, communicating through the repeater. A repeater high on a mountain or tall tower might be able to work in this case, but that's only if conditions are optimal. This may or may not be an option in your instance, as it would likely be very dependent upon topography, and would require appropriate permission to install a repeater at the site.

You shouldn't need to program a receive code for your radio, unless you are trying to filter out other radio traffic. You will need to program the transmit tone on your radio, otherwise, you won't be able to open the squelch on the repeater, and your signal won't be retransmitted by the repeater.

From the looks of it, that is a "CB" radio SWR meter, designed to work in the 27 MHz band. While I don't know its specifications, I'd expect it would not work properly for GMRS frequencies.

If it gives you trouble, or doesn't seem to work, then change the receive code to "off" or whatever the radio calls it. That will allow you to receive the signal if the repeater isn't sending a code.

The main thing to consider is that there should be two charts, one using whole numbers (xxx) and one using fractional numbers with a decimal point and tenths value (xxx.x). There might even be other names used for these same functions, in which case, you want to look for the chart that uses whole numbers. Those are the digital squelch codes. The chart that uses the fractional numbers is the CTCSS chart for analog codes.

Since it looks like the antenna should be pretty well tuned to the GMRS band, I'd look at a couple of other things first. The first thing I'd check is the SWR meter you're using. Is it intended for the frequencies you're checking? Have you used it with another antenna in the same frequency range to be sure it's providing an accurate reading? Are you using adapters to connect it? If so, they could be causing a bad connection. The second thing I'd suggest checking is the mount. With a lip mount, you want to be sure there is metal to metal contact between the body of the vehicle and the body of the mount, so the screws on the bottom that hold the mount in place need to penetrate the paint on the vehicle for good contact. If you have access to another mount, such as a magnetic mount, try the antenna with that mount to see what your readings are. If you have access to another similar antenna system that you know is within the desired SWR on the same frequency, you can try switching the antennas between the systems to see if the problem follows the antenna. If it doesn't, then you know to look further into the mount. If it does, then you need to look more closely at the antenna. If it was a "70cm" or "dual-band" ham antenna, then it would likely be a little longer than desired, and it could be trimmed for GMRS. An antenna designed for the 450-470 MHz range should be about right, though, and should not need trimming.

If you don't have a chart for DPL, then you probably have one for DCS (digital coded squelch). These are different names for the same thing. The other type of codes you will commonly see are CTCSS codes, which usually include a format of xxx.x rather than xxx (for DCS/DPL).

I think a lot more information is needed in order to answer your question. First of all, there is no mention of your intended use for the antenna. Second, there's no mention of what type of radio you're wanting to use it with. Third, there is no useful information given about the antennas you currently have. SWR readings are relative to the antenna and the radio you're using it with. It is not an "across the board" value. It very much depends on the frequency at which the radio is transmitting. Please provide more information, or go back and read through the threads about antennas to see what recommendations have already been made.

In that situation, I have extra radios to share with my family, friends, and neighbors. They are a mix of FRS, GMRS, and ham radios.

I've often used the "because I can" excuse, and that's pretty similar to the original "hacker" tradition you mention, but, just because I can do something, it doesn't mean I should do it. When it comes to the hobby of radio, there are other pursuits I'd find more worthwhile (like learning about additional uses for my nanoVNA). Hacker shouldn't be a dirty word, as it refers to someone that plays with computers (particularly computer code) as a hobby. It was hackers that developed many of the early computer games. It's the "crackers" that should be frowned upon as their goal is to crack protected systems, frequently with criminal intent.

What's the point of that? If I wanted the radio for the ham bands, I'd just use a UV-5R instead. Most of them, or at least the older ones, will work on ham and GMRS frequencies, and they cost less too. The UV-5X/UV-5G models are GMRS radios and already function reasonably well for what they are. Additionally, if you want to monitor ham frequencies, you can already do that with them. As I understand it, a GMRS radio that has been modified to work on another service is no longer legal for GMRS use, so why would I want to mess up a radio I purchased specifically because it is legal for GMRS? Again, if legality didn't matter, the UV-5R would suffice. Michael, these questions aren't targeted at you. I just don't understand the reasoning behind this effort.

The scanning functionality is a little different, and I have to remember how it works on this radio compared to most of my others. I'm used to pressing and holding the "scan" button to start scanning, which works on most of my radios, but on the UV88, I have to remember to press the function key, then 1. It's not difficult to do, just different.

I bought the UV88 for ham use (mostly monitoring), since I already had the GM-30 for GMRS use. I liked the idea of having interchangeable batteries, and I wanted the drop-in charger, too, since it's very easy to use to charge my radios and spare batteries. Initially, I wasn't sure if the batteries were interchangeable, or if the drop-in charger would work for the GM-30, so another part of the reason for buying the UV88 was to satisfy my curiosity about these things. That way I would know, and could share that information with others.

Yes, I have one. It's essentially the same form factor as the GM-30, although quite a bit different on the firmware/software side. It will work with the same accessories as the GM-30 with one caveat. The UV88 batteries won't latch onto the GM-30 unless modified slightly. There are two small "ribs" in the slot where the battery latch connects to the battery. These need to be removed to use it with the GM-30. I used a set of small clippers that I bought for cutting sprues on plastic models cut out these ribs. An Exacto knife would work well also. The other thing that the UV88 has is a drop-in charger. The GM-30 doesn't come with one, but I believe the P15UV does. This one works with all of these radios. I was using a UV5R drop-in charger for the GM-30, and, with a little finesse, it worked okay, but the UV88 charger is much better. The UV88 works reasonably well, but I haven't noticed much of a difference with it compared to other radios (CCRs) in the same price range as far as performance is concerned. I think the main advantages it has over other similarly priced radios is the ability to share batteries with the GM-30, and the general fit and feel of the radio, as in my case, it fits better in my hand than some of the others.

I have a number of different radios that I use for various band segments, but don't know if any of them would fit the bill for you as they are primarily ham radios, and designed to work on ham bands, not the various broadcast bands. You will probably want an all-band or multi-band receiver, of which there are many choices. I know you mentioned not wanting to deal with an external antenna, but having one (or more) would open up your listening opportunities by allowing you to tune in a wider range of signals. I don't have any experience with any of these, but here are several options at various price points from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Eton-Classic-Clear-Sounding-Shortwave-NELITE750/dp/B08BVSCY8G/ref=sr_1_21?dchild=1&keywords=all-band+receiver&qid=1632584820&sr=8-21 https://www.amazon.com/50KHz-2GHz-Receiver-Shortwave-Malachite-Aluminum/dp/B08HRW9SVM/ref=sr_1_29?dchild=1&keywords=all-band+receiver&qid=1632584820&sr=8-29 https://www.amazon.com/Eton-Executive-Aircraft-Shortwave-Leather/dp/B000NOSCN0/ref=sr_1_30?dchild=1&keywords=all-band+receiver&qid=1632584820&sr=8-30 https://www.amazon.com/Receiver-Portable-Handheld-Recorder-Aluminum/dp/B09294KT32/ref=sr_1_26?dchild=1&keywords=all-band+receiver&qid=1632584820&sr=8-26 Of the options above, the Eton receivers seem to have the best reviews, while the others have a wider mix of reviews. I think it largely boils down to how much you wish to spend, and your willingness to accept the quirks of some of the options that are out there. Hopefully some of the other replies you receive will also help you make an informed decision.

On mine, I just back the screw off a little bit, but leave it in the antenna. That way it's there already in case I ever choose to use it again.