PACNWComms

+1 on the protection of cellular providers. Much of my current interaction with the FCC involves the use of Bi-Directional Amplifiers (BDA) and Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) that allow public safety radio coverage in large commercial buildings, to ensure that they are not impacting cell phone operation and location capabilities for 911 Public Safety Answering Points. Regulation of cellular phone amplifiers is also an issue, as older Wilson amplifiers did not discriminate between cellular phones and 800-956 MHz portable radios. Some amplifiers have been burned up when they get their front end burned by an in-band 5 watt handheld radio.

Looks like mystery solved then. It could still be used if you wish to monitor 800MHz public safety radio. I still keep and use some old cellular band antennas for that purpose, but now often using a USB stick receiver, or one of my Realistic Pro-2004/5/6 scanners. However, I also tend to use a lot of NMO antennas, as they get thrown out often at work, once a forklift driver bends one too far, or parts get corroded. It has been deemed too expensive to repair (hourly rate of technician pay vs. replacement), and replaced with a new antenna more often than I like. Glad you found out what it went to.

A few months ago, I made a trip to a friend's place in Montana, and equipped my new car with a magnet mount CB antenna/Cobra 75 WX ST, and a Radioddity DB20-G VHF/UHF radio. I knew that many long haul truckers still have Cobra 29 LTD Classic CB's in their tractor's, from the factory in many cases. These are still used, as they were in the 1970's a la "Convoy" to talk amongst themselves and others. As mentioned above CB is 5 watts, AM and 27MHz (-ish). GMRS is FM, higher power and UHF band, and with the cost of radios coming down, becoming much more popular. I used both as I knew that there is a different demographic using each, and spoke with both on my trip. The reason for my trip, to help install a Yaesu FT-991A HF/VHF/UHF radio base station, and appropriate antenna to allow for Wireless Message Terminal (WMT) software for email and instant messaging between sites in Idaho and Montana. Even now in 2022, there is a need for both, and more. One issue that did come up though was the term "citizen's band" as all of us were world travelers, and, outside of the United States, many countries use 27MHz/FM or (450-470MHz) UHF/FM for their citizen's band radio systems. At one point someone handed me a Uniden FRS radio when I said I would try to talk to them via CB, when I meant 27MHz AM Cobra CB, not Uniden FM/UHF CB.

Short answer, yes. Long answer, I used to work in the oil industry, providing emergency communications services through a sort of "insurance policy" funded by many oil industry corporations that pooled their budget for response efforts. During: larger oil spills, a few floods, and some hurricane aftermath response periods, the Federal Communications Commission would check licenses of: vessels, corporation repeaters and radio infrastructure, and personnel. On several occasions this impacted how things were done: no more portable repeaters on ships for example, no more portable repeaters placed on roofs of buildings (each site had to have its own license), and all personnel working on vessel comms needed to get GROL's (General RadioTelephone Operators Licences), as previously there was an "emergency exemption" granted. At the beginning of 2013, all licenses and some radios were checked for narrowband in the appropriate bands that now required 25kHz to be changed to 12.5kHz spacing. When Motorola Trbo series radios were becoming popular, licences were checked for correct emissions designators. However, it was most often the U.S. Coast Guard that checked radio licenses, personnel training records, and with some of the fleet being in Puget Sound, information was also given to Candian authorities, where many of us had to get Restricted RadioTelephone Operator Licenses, essentially the Canadian version of a GROL to take radios into Canadian waters, with all the issues with operating along the border and associated waterways. Besides those instances, I sometimes had airport TSA wonder why I had a better radio than they did when traveling for work across the nation, carrying a multi-band Harris Unity XG-100P handheld. Packed next to it was a copy of the NIFOG (National Interoperability Field Operations Guide) and I still had a military affiliation that kept them at bay, but you could tell they just wanted to jack me up to paw through my gear. It appears you may have some power tripping people in your area. But, as others have mentioned, the FCC lacks funding for enforcement, and seems to go after those that have money and hardware, and then only when something else regulatory is taking place, such as an oil spill or refinery incident. In that case, they may even rely upon other government entities to do the work, such as with the Coast Guard and commercial vessel inspections. In my current work,with many counties public safety radio systems tied into large corporate radio networks, the biggest inspection element comes from the cellular phone companies making sure we are not impacting cell phone infrastructure with public safety radio infrastructure, while merging the two under FirstNet (Band 14).

Thank you for sharing this. May come in handy should I want to connect to my own Radioddity DB20-G radio via the microphone connector. This was a recent purchase for me, as I prefer to re-use commercial radios for GMRs use, but bought a new car and the only thing that seemed to fit the dash storage space was a DB20-G dual band radio. Having used some other cheaper radios, I had programming cables for handheld radios like the GM-30 and Anytone AT-D878UV but not for the mobile. Luckily, mine shipped with a programming cable,but I always tend to tinker, so having this pinout, and knowing that it compares to the AT-779UV helps.

Have used RTL SDR USB sticks for years with SDR# (SDR Sharp) software for years, and recently had a co-worker show me a setup he bought for WSPR (Weak Signal Propagation Reporter) monitoring with an Internet connection. I then spent some time sniffing around online and found out how to add that to my own SDR# software. The dedicated WSPR receiver/reporter modules are frequency specific, where SDR# and an appropriate receiver are not. Which means there are "plug and play options" and ones that may work better for less money, if you are willing to play around and figure things out. Great point on using SDR as a possibility. Link I used to add in WSPR with SDR#. https://www.rtl-sdr.com/a-tutorial-on-receiving-wspr-with-an-rtl-sdr-v3/

All great examples given above, then you get the SignaLink interface for the specific radio and put it to work. While I have been partial to Yaesu FT-817ND for QRP and Yaesu FT-991A for QRM, a recent meeting with members of the Air Force Military Affiliate Radio Service AFMARS, they seem to prefer Icom radios, as they are easier to link with WinLink and other software created specific to Icom model radios. I may have to add an Icom HF to my list of radios to buy as a target of opportunity if they are found at a great price. In the maritime industry,I used older Icom HF and IC-M-602/608 models that worked well with software for Wireless Message Terminal (WMT) email and instant messaging. This is where Software Defined Radio (SDR) also comes in. There are many options, with some dependent on the specific radio you choose. That makes this hobby fun and interesting. With some of the proposed changes to GMRS and data, this may expand the options available over time.

You have many options from what you described. That Motorola Astro Spectra UHF could be used if you have software and cable to program it. I know many people currently buying the Yaesu FT-991A for about $1200.00, a solid VHF/UHF/HF rig that can do what you describe. Budget, software, other items you will need that you already have, what brands you prefer, and needs all come into play. I tend to keep separate radios for each band, and for GMRS, find that I use an old Motorola CDM1550 LS+ with an Astron power supply the most. For VHF there is a Vertex VX-3200 and Duracomm power supply. For HF there is a low power Yaesu FT-817ND. CB radio is covered by a Cobra 2000 GTL base station. Good luck on your search and whichever direction you go with this.

Very nice. It looks like the logical replacement for the Rino 120 is the Rino 700, and with that monochrome display, should still work with image intensification night vision, while still having the location sending option, adding in text messaging. I for one am glad that Garmin pushed for this back in 2003, that was very helpful in the past, and some of us still use this when out and about in the wilderness. Thank you for sharing the info. Expanding capabilities through the FCC would be a good thing for those that understand the limitations and capabilities. I may keep my eyes out for some being sold cheaper, by those that get frustrated when they only get a few miles range, expecting to get 14-22 miles on a 5 watt radio/GPS.

Yes, the legal issues with Rugged Radios was about licensing and commercial frequencies. Unfortunately, this is a problem that will continue to take a long time to modify many licenses to become legal, ceasing their use by a large corporation with hundreds of UTV's being equipped with their radio packages in the meantime. Although, on this same note, some smaller radio shops have a problem with loading programmable radios with frequencies that may be in use with other licensed users as well, or selling time on repeaters they do not own. Commercial radio can be a little crazy at times, and marketing is a huge influence. Seeing second generation Chinese GMRS handhelds being sold tells me that there is a market, and it does bring more people into the radio hobby.

While I have not been on here very long, only the front end looked different....so if it helps ease of maintenance, great. I am enjoying this website, and it has been fairly easy to navigate. Happy New Year.

That looks a lot like the many "cellular" style antennas, that often work well around 806-896MHz, or a harmonic of that 403-448MHz....however, measure that antenna and do the math, and use a wattmeter to check SWR before transmitting too long with it, you do not want to damage a radio by guessing and being off too much with high SWR. I have a box of those that came with many different emblems molded into the bottom, but none with that particular branding. Larsen and Laird look the closest though, you might be able to browse Tessco's website and find a match. They were a combination of UHF (450MHz) and cellular (800MHz) antennas or use with Wilson cellular amplifiers around 2005, before the regulations changed on cell phone amplifier usage. Be sure to update us if you find out for sure what that is.

I continue to use older Garmin Rino 120 and 530 radio/GPS's, as they work great for my needs. As for repeater support, my older versions (pre-2017 FCC change for FRS and GMRS) allow for tones to be set manually. The software was updated at least once on mine, as I also experienced Garmin locking down the number of hardware devices that could be updated on one $100 software license, while a few of us managed to update hundreds of Rino's and Nuvi's until that software change was made. While I only use the location function on occasion, it is nice to have. Many people say the radios are lacking in the Rino series, but I work in radio, and understand the limits of FRS/GMRS and terrain issues. As you mentioned the series is still being produced and sold, albeit at a much higher cost now. My Rino 120 cost about $265 when it came out in 2003, and many were issued to me and others in the military at the time, for use in Afghanistan, as a second check on Rockwell AN/PSN-11 GPS devices. That was a lot to spend on a small radio and GPS combo. But, considering the 120 and 530 still works today in 2021, I will continue to use them until they fail, to include the data transmission feature. Then, I may spend some money on the newer versions with camera, SD cards, and more memory. The topo maps might make me buy a newer version at some point as well. I am glad to see that the 755t has an antenna that appears to be molded around the case, the 530's had a huge problem with cracked antennas, or they would pull out from the casing. Mine has been repaired with black sealant and heat shrink tubing a few times now. Thank you for the response on the 755t, may have a look at one.

Just like any radio I own, it seems like the "go to" ones have the keypad on their face or in the mic. Menu's become a mess after a few levels in, and I get tired of remembering programming trees for so many different devices, to include actual radios. For my entire professional career, dealing with radio equipment, I tend to prefer those that have keypads over those that do not. For front panel re-programming, on the move programming, and quickly changing channels, frequencies or memories a keypad helps a lot. I also tend to prefer actual buttons over touchscreens, as they just show fingerprints, and tend to have more layers of menu's to them. Whichever way you go, enjoy your radios.

While I sometimes still use magnet mounted antennas, yes, that rubber boot is acting as an insulator. But if it works, don't worry too much about it. As mentioned above, check SWR.....this can be done with the boot and without, but it most likely works better touching the metal, with les distance between the antenna and the metal of the car. A true ground plane would have metal to metal contact, as in grinding off the paint and finish to get that contact, but then also not using a magnet mount antenna. For casual use magnet mounts work "well enough"or "not at all" depending on the quality and frequency band/radio in use. Expect to have some impact to effectiveness just by using a magnet mount, ground plane will help, but it is still a compromise between effectiveness and convenience. For GMRS, I use a trunk lip mount, using it to keep my antenna in the middle of the front edge of the trunk on my car, this means the most metal around it as possible, but still no NMO hole that may leak at some point in the future.

I still have an Amiga 2000 that looks a lot like and old Apple Macintosh desktop screen wise. Too bad it does not program radio, or I would use it more often. Nothing I own my self requires Windows 10 to program, (only at work) so I have topped out at Windows 7 for radio programming computers. XP works great with older software to log what is scanned by my old Uniden BCT15, and BCTools.

I used to run a Comet CA-712EFC 460-470MHz antenna, mounted to the edge of my roof for GMRS/commercial UHF. However, last summer I had my roof replaced, so right now, I am using a Laird NMO magnetic base mounted B4505CN half wave antenna (about 32 inches long) on top of a six foot wooden fence. I mounted a metal bracket to the fence to have my VHF, UHF, and 800 MHz antennas mounted somewhere besides the roof or to brackets mounted to the roof. Even with the lower height, lower gain antenna, and shorter cable run.....I only lost a few miles range in UHF. This is most likely due to the wet weather and the numerous pine trees/needles that wreck havoc on UHF anyways. Seeing that most of my local repeaters are still in range, and VHF and 800 MHz is still usable, I may leave my old mast/brackets off, as this setup is a lot more discrete. Glad the Comet antenna is working for you, SWR of 1.25 and hitting what you need to is a good thing, and what works for you is what matters.

Yes, mostly Motorola....but some Icom, they still make great HF/VHF Marine and Aviation radios. However, the two Icom IC-M602's shown do not work well together, they lack internal shielding. This of course was found out after a dozen technicians placed a pair on each vessel in a fleet dedicated for oil spill cleanup. Luckily the metal cased Motorola Triton/Triton II/Triton II+ radios had not been thrown out. They were one of the best marine VHF radios around, but lacked Digital Selective Calling (DSC). We ended up having each ship with one Icom IC-M602 and one Motorola. Put two Icom's together and they desense each other if used at the same time.

Get good and knowledgeable with the Midland radios first. Then move on to the repeater if you still want to. There is a great thread already on here that talks about that. For a house antenna, +1 from me for Tram/Browning and Ed Fong. Dr. Fong has sold antennas for a very long time, having his students cut them to length for specific frequencies, and were a mainstay for emergency management use in a former life. They ship with: wire, connector and two PVC pipe end caps, you then supply the PVC tube and brackets. Get a quality antenna, as it will make even a mediocre radio work better than the reverse. Many people spend a lot on the radio and then wonder why it does not work well. Stay below a 100 foot coax run and LMR-400 and RG-58 will work, but the RG-58 will have more loss. Online reviews of antennas and coax can be useful. Good luck with your radios and installation.

While I would never use Wikipedia for anything scholarly, this link describes FRS/GMRS after changes made in 2017. Long story short, you are not breaking any regulation, just working within them. There are shared FRS/GMRS frequencies, with power and bandwidth changes for FRS versus GMRS. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Mobile_Radio_Service

Thank you for the warning on the DB25-G, I also like to have channels pre-programmed for my area. For many years this meant a Vertex VX-3200, as I had 128 channels and also used many of these for work on board a fleet of vessels for oil spill and emergency response efforts. With a smaller car now, I did buy a Radioddity DB20-G (the Wouxun would not have fit), as it actually fit a cubby hole in the dash perfectly. But, ruggedness is not the same as the Vertex. However, it can be made to work in most of the VHF/UHF band, which is useful to me now.