WRMH343

Actually, the LCD layout looks identical to their KG-UV9* and KG-UV8* HTs. Those radios all have superheterodyne receivers (not radio-on-chip), so I would expect the same here.

The big benefit of this radio, is the lower cost (vs. KG-1000G). It has less output power, and a few other missing features (like a removable faceplate). But, for many people, this would be a much more approachable price for a mobile GMRS radio. Also, I'm not convinced of the benefits of 50W vs 20W in a mobile radio. Sure, in a repeater, with an antenna high above the terrain, 50W can be very useful. But 50W on a mobile antenna ~6ft off the ground, in simplex, how often does that make a difference? Anyway, my point is Wouxun/BTWR has released a very compelling radio at a much better price-point (unless one needs the removable faceplate).

The nice thing about the 980/1000 chassis is the wide receive capability. It can listen to airband, 6m/2m/70cm ham, GMRS, NOAA, Marine, non-digital LMR, etc. That said, it is a little sad, knowing that the chassis can do a full 50w, but it's limited due to the MURS regulation.

I own an 878, so I can commiserate with the complex interface. First make sure your APRS TX channel matches the APRS analog configuration, then set the APRS channel as the active channel on the radio. The other thing that tripped me up, the 878 will not transmit APRS unless there's a GPS lock. That said, AnyTone makes APRS way too complex. While all the countless options gives lots of flexibility, the interface is daunting. For GMRS purposes, easily 9/10 of those menus can be removed; greatly streamlining the setup process.

My biggest concern here is a bunch of proprietary location protocols. As seen with CTCSS codes, GMRS/FRS manufactures seem very interested in creating lock-in; forcing consumers to stick with one brand. At least with CTCSS codes, there are translation tables between the different vendors. There's no such rule for location data formats. Ironically, there already exists a protocol for location data over radio: APRS. Though as far as I know, none of the current GMRS radios with manual location broadcast support it.

That sounds like an Ed Fong antenna. Quality product, just make sure to follow his instructions (including using the correct type of PVC, and not messing with the wound coil). My first thought is the cable. 50' of RG8X might have a fair bit of loss. For long runs, LMR-400 is a much better choice. To test, bring the antenna close to the radio, use a short cord (less than 6 feet), and see what the range is like. If you get equal (or better) range with the short cable, then the problem is either the cable, or interference along the cable's route.

The trick with this radio, since it doesn't have a VFO mode, is one needs to pre-create the repeater input channels. Once those channels are created, then the CTCSS decode function can be used to determine a repeater's input code.

That looks awesome, thanks for sharing! To add onto @axorlov: I tried to use a ham-tuned antenna for GMRS, and the results are not great (hence my interest in installing a dedicated GMRS antenna). I currently have a triband j-pole, which can handle up to 75w. Testing at 5w, I get a 1.1 SWR on UHF ham bands, but 1.8 SWR on GMRS bands. Not horrible, but that's going to be a ton of reflected/lost energy if I use a 50w base GMRS radio on that ham antenna.

I disagree. By holding people accountable to their real identity, it helps reduce trolling and abusive posts. IMHO, social networks which allow for fully anonymity (like Twitter) are overflowing cesspools of harassments and hate. At the end of the day, we are all required to identify ourselves when we transmit, and the FCC publicizes our information. If you want to communicate with some level of anonymity, then GMRS is not for you.

I only have one external antenna on my home (it is tuned to the ham bands). Connected to a Ham HT, i get about 1.1 SWR. Connected to a GMRS HT, I get about 1.7 SWR. Not perfect, but very useable, and way better than an indoor rubber ducky.

BTWR processes the shipments in the order they were received. So there's no benefit in waiting until the radio is back in stock. (Except maybe that the credit card charge will happen a few days/weeks later.) My backordered 905g shipped about 3 days before BTWR reported being "in stock". They then went out of stock about 48 hours later.

I'm very curious about your setup; partially because I'm thinking about something similar. How much separation do you have between the antennas? And how many watts does each radio put out? Have you had any issues when running on Ham UHF bands causing issues between the two radios?

On the pluses: I like the CTCSS scanner, that is handy when working with bubble-pack radio users. Build quality seems sturdy, range is good, and audio quality is great. I like being able to swap out antennas. Sometimes I even connect it to my large exterior j-pole, and it works great (even though the j-pole is tuned to Ham bands, GMRS is "close-enough"). I like the large channel capacity, including enough space to store every repeater I could conceivably connect to in my region. On the minuses: The programing software is poor, I wish Chirp would support this radio, as it has a much more polished GUI. I also wish it had FM broadcast and NOAA weather support (this is due to a UHF-only design). I have a KG-UV9P as well, so that makes up for those two missing items (and it also has a flashlight). Ironically, the one thing the KG-UV9P misses is GMRS TX (it can RX it though), so for full coverage, I have to carry both radios. Lastly, I'm annoyed that it uses a different charger than nearly every other Wouxun radio, so I can't share car/USB charging accessories.

Having the two blocks is a requirement for making repeaters work. Basically, a repeater can't have it's input frequency too close to its output frequency. In UHF, 5 MHz, is the common/standard spacing. Allowing for standard/commercial repeaters to be used in GMRS (without modification, but with appropriate certification).

So, how does the Garmin Rino work? They claim to be able to send position data to everyone on the same channel as them. Sounds a whole lot like APRS... Unless they invented their own propriety standard??

Just got my shipment notification! UPS confirms receipt of package. Hopefully everyone else's will ship soon too!

Hmm, sounds like they're waiting on one big shipment to arrive. Hopefully that shipment will be big enough to fulfill all their backorders. BTWR seems to have a bunch of their Wouxun radios backordered, especially the GMRS ones. I'm also considering cancelling. Or at least switch from the 905g to an 805g. They seem to be better at keeping those in stock.

Ordered on 4/6, still not shipped. For those that finally got theirs, when did you order? Just wondering how far back in the queue I am.