tcp2525

Stick with a real quality antenna that is designed for the commercial environment or learn the hard way. If a company, Midland, can't even use stainless steel screws to hold the whip in you know you got a piece of crap. I posted about rusting set screws after having the antenna for three months. I won't be buying anymore overpriced and overrated Midland products. Toss that piece of crap and chock it up to a lesson learned.

Yep, pretty much what I said. I guess we agree. It just might be worth it to some of us to get a fraction of a db more in performance.

I would cut the cable to what is needed, which he said is six feet. Nineteen feet of crappy cable, especially RG-58, is not going to be ideal. If he properly installs a quality connector he will see some improvement that might not be much, but anything is a plus at 465 MHz range. I always use RG-400 in my mobile installations.

The problem is the impedance of the mic. Adapting it to "work" on a modern radio isn't the problem as it will sound like crap. Unfortunately you need to rework all the guts.

Yes, very easy to do. I've done them for Icom and Kenwood. You will be changing all electronics, including the cord and mic element. I totally restore to new condition, but modernized.

After looking at the picture of your current configuration, I would suggest you blow everything out of the program and start over. Set up your repeater on channel #1 only and leave everything else blank. This way you won't have any conflicts and you will eliminate the variables. This should get it working for you. Once you get it working you can slowly add the other channels. Keep it simple.

Find out what com port your programming cable was assigned in Windows and manually change it to one that the software will recognize. That's it.

At the distance to the top of the mast high quality feedline is a must. What are you using or going to use. This is more important than the type of antenna you use. A unity gain antenna will blow everything else out of the water if fed with good feedline compared to a high gain antenna with poor coax.

Stick with the MXTA-26 on the mast and stop worrying about the angle. It's not going to make a hill of beans difference. I know mine really performs amazingly well whether I'm standing still or doing 8 or 80. MPH in the truck. Only thing to worry about is to change the black set screws to a stainless steel one as salt water will corroded them quickly.

Not true. I've had to change capacitors in one were they sustained damaged due to arcing. Never assume just because they are passive devices they can't even damage or abused.

Here ya go, can't beat this deal. If you want two, offer him $500 each and he'll take it. https://www.ebay.com/itm/166729055740?i

No problem with Randy if your skin isn't thin. Plus, he's the only one with balls to stand up to Mr. Chung for not supplying a programming cable with a new radio. Also, he lives by the rule, the more people you piss off with the truth you know your message is resonating with a low SWR.

No! Absolutely no. The NMO is designed to get its ground from underneath the sheet metal it's mounted to. The top side of the sheet metal is usually painted and will insulate. If you want to assure a good ground, rough up the bottom of the sheet metal with sand paper or wire brush. I've installed dozens of NMO mounts through the roof of vehicles and none of the above mentioned is really necessary. I never had grounding issues.

I ran mine through the firewall and mounted it to the hood. This would be best for his installation as he won't have to worry about parking garages.

That's the mount I was talking about in a previous post. Great mount!

You might want to get a trunk lip mount with NMO and cable. I used one on my Lincoln as the roof was glass and that was the only option. Easy to install and remove. Sorry, I don't have a model number, but I believe Comet or Diamond made it.

If you're worried about having good numbers and it turns into an insatiable obsession, just screw a dummy load on the mount and drool at those numbers. It's all about performance. If you can talk reliably, you got it good. Don't sweat it.

I know you're really against punching holes in the ol' truck, but the best electronically and to set-it-and-forget-it is to punch a 3/4" hole in the center of the roof and install an NMO mount. When it comes time to trade or sell, just put an NMO rain cap on the mount and chance are nobody will see it. Of course, it you don't own the truck, just ignore my advice and do what others have mentioned.

Sounds like they had a bad batch! I had to send the one I bought back as well. I'm waiting for anther production run to come in before I buy another. I take it Comet no londer has their antennas manufactured in the HungLo province of China?

Why spend $30 to make a J-Pole when one can be made from scraps? I've made many antennas over the years and have been happy with the results, but I sure as hell won't put that on top of my tower. As another poster mentioned, the Comet 712EFC is a highly recommend antenna with good gain and is well built for a consumer grade antenna. The OP is planning on spending some coin to do it right because, I'm assuming he wants it to work great the first time and not have to climb a tower annually to deal with corrosion issues from an antenna that was slapped together from a person that you don't know their fabrication skills. If he's on a tight budget, get the comet, which is only $150 delivered. On a side note, I tried a Comet and got a dud, which I sent back. I will buy another this fall.

He's looking for something that is of commercial quality. Saving a "crap-ton of money" to buy crap isn't really a savings, nor is it smart.

Grab this duplexer on eBay. It's brand new and the seller is great. I have tuned one of these for a local GMRS repeater owner and it's a high quality duplexer that meets or exceeds advertised specs. Plus, the price is good too. https://www.ebay.com/itm/166729055740?

I tend to buy the items I think I need instead of what they think I need. Best to do what you're doing, asking questions and research. I see you're also looking at the IC-7300, which is a great radio too. I lean towards Icom for my station. Just stay away from package deals and get the radio you desire, a decent power supply to handle the load should you get your license. I don't know your physical situation when it comes to deploying an antenna, but a great choice would be an end-fed wire with an UN-UN. If you are unfortunate enough to be in an HOA, this is an easily concealable antenna. Calling HRO or DX Engineering and give them an idea of what you want is one of your best options. And they will gladly help you as they are knowledgeable and willing to help.

Yes, I never had any issues with Comet. I will definitely be purchasing another this fall. Hopefully by then it will come from a different production run. Plus, I prefer tower climbing in the colder weather.

Very nice! And good advice as well.