tcp2525

Use an antenna with a spring. My Midland MXTA26 for GMRS has one built in and the Larsen 2/70B has the optional spring. Going in low clearance parking garages is no longer an issue other than the noise of them scraping the concrete ceiling. This is on an F150. As for ghost antennas, if you have an insatiable craving to endure poor performance and generate heat, definitely use one. As he old hotrod saying goes, there's no replacement for displacement. Same with using the proper antenna compared to a compromised one.

I have to agree with you on this. Of course we would all love to have MIL spec radios that can withstand a .50 cal hit or an EMP burst from a nuclear strike, but we gotta be realistic and use what we can afford or given. Admittedly, I must say that these cheap Chinese radios will fill the bill for the volunteer to complete their task without difficulty. As for putting this person on the ignore list, I don't feel the need to block anyone I disagree with as it's not the adult thing to do when dealing with "difficult" people. I have always wondered how these people cope in the real world when they have to deal with people they disagree with. And really, if I put everyone on the ignore list in this forum that piled on a newbie there would be zero traffic. Just be helpful, don't jump to conclusions, and enjoy.

Here's some resources on YouTube that will get you started and have a better understanding. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=retevis+ra87+programming

Kudos to you for deploying a repeater. It's always nice to see a new one on the air even though I'm to far away to use it. Good luck on getting it finalized the way you want it.

Can you do it?

I can get into a repeater full quieting 25 miles away with just 100 milliwatts. Does that count?

Best to just try a few different brands, they are all about the same performance +/- a few unscientific perceived gain in performance and try them yourself as they are cheap enough. The one I'm using might be working great for me, but fail miserably in your circumstances. Just remember, all recommendations are subjective.

He definitely can. I seriously was thinking of doing the same for 1296, but a nice hunk of 1-1/4" Heliax put that to rest.

I can't believe that you guys aren't debating "ground loops" How did we forget that?

Come on guys, you know it's been proven both scientificly and from an engineering perspective that dealing with OEM NITs and aftermarket NITs 0.00001 ohm difference can mean the difference between life and death when it comes to the fine art of picking NITs. Just hook the ground up to whatever place gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling. Now I am going to use my time constructively and split a beer atom.

You might want to try running the power tune tool from scratch on that radio as there might be a slight out of tolerance component that isn't in the first radio. When in doubt, start fresh.

Are you using an external speaker? If so, unplug it and see if there's any change. It's just a long shot.

Great choice as you can't go wrong with RT Systems software. I have it for all my amateur radio equipment and never had any issues.

Forget about those radios and buy the most beloved and best sub $100 radio on the market, the Radioddity DB20G. A radio that the set the GMRS world on its backside by delivering high performance and reliability in a tiny package.

Never believe anyone that has a vested interest in selling you something without checking from a reputable source first.