SteveShannon

Marc Spaz is one of the nicest guys on these forums. He never beats his own chest or blows his own horn. And he does have some serious technical skills. So when someone who has been here for months attacks him as posting something that’s “not real” and does it in a way that simply reveals his own ignorance, it’s a chickenshit move. Then you doubled down on it as if you were somehow an expert. You owe Marc a sincere apology, not “got a little silly. Sorry folks.” Learn from your mistakes and move on. Perhaps seek counseling. If you make an honest attempt at an apology and don’t act like that again the forum members will get over it quickly. But, I owe you an apology also. I made fun of your name. That was a cheap shot. It was mean-spirited of me and completely unacceptable. I apologize for that. Steve

Two days ago you didn’t know how to waterproof your coax connectors and today you’re lecturing Marc Spaz on receiver sensitivity measurements. You posted a picture of a radio installation that looks like what Randy discarded last week. (Edited to remove mean-spirited attempt at humor.) In any case you’re just one more wannabe on the ignore list.

I don’t know if the chipsets used in those hotspots support analog and I don’t know if the RF stage can be adapted to GMRS frequencies. If they do, then possibly it could be done.

What metrics do you use?

The description at DX Engineering says: Times Microwave Coaxial Cable Hoisting Grips Times Microwave Coaxial Cable Hoisting Grips provide an effective method for lifting coaxial cable to the top of a structure, where it may then be tied off to support the cable's weight. Cable hoisting grips will not crush or deform the cable being lifted, but easily release the cable when desired. They are available in several sizes to hoist a multitude of cable types. An excerpt from the manufacturer’s instructions are included below. They say something similar in their description.

That’s why i buy kits with multiple variations. So now I always have 48 that I’ll never need.

I thought it had a good beat and I could dance to it.

Chessy68, Randy (@OffRoaderX) has put together a metric buttload of videos about almost entirely GMRS radios. They’re available under the name “Notarubicon”. Not everyone appreciates his humor, so if they don’t appeal to there are many others. Welcome to the forum!

Both of those hotspots are designed to join to a pre-existing network. For DMR that’s the Brandmeister network. There are also networks for YSF, DStar, NXDN, and P25. All of those are networks designed around digital voice modes. The hotspots expect to receive and transmit digital data, not analog FM. My hotspot wouldn’t know what to do with analog FM. Currently GMRS is analog FM.

Not necessarily. The repeater might have 50 watts of RF power and a great antenna on a tower.

Rain in antenna connections is a fairly common occurrence if the connections aren’t waterproofed. PL-259/SO-239 connections are not weatherproof. Worst case you might need to replace the cable or at least shorten the cable to get rid of damage caused by moisture in the dielectric layer.

If your computer blocks YouTube that’s a configuration error in your security settings, nothing to do with @OffRoaderX.

You need either a “barrel adapter” with an SMA female on one side and SO-239 on the other, or a jumper cable with a PL-259 on one end and an SMA female on the other. Eventually you’ll have every combination of adapter ! Here’s a kit that might help get you started: https://a.co/d/1Bzh3h4 Don’t worry about what wrxp381 says he has never felt the need to do. He says that sometimes, but his “needs” are irrelevant to your question. It’s nice to know the output of your radio and it’s simply not true that you can’t test SWR with a handheld. He may have meant that testing the SWR of a handheld’s antenna doesn’t mean much and I would agree with that.

Hi Leo, Welcome to the forum. Congratulations on navigating the FCC licensing site. You’re right that it is not easy. It can take a few days between the time the FCC issues your license and the time the bulk download is done for this site. It will eventually happen though. If some people here seem like jerks you can add them to your “ignore list.” Then you won’t have to see their posts. If there are repeaters preprogrammed in your radio they’re probably just there as examples. Or it may just be that they’re the eight established repeater channels that have the offset programmed in but are waiting for you to program the correct CTCSS tone or DCS code on transmit. Again, welcome!

You really don’t have to buy another antenna. An SWR of 2.5 isn’t really very high and isn’t going to cost you much. Most people don’t understand how little an SWR of 2.5 means. As an example, the SWR in your cell phone may be around 4 or 5. Just try your antenna and see if it works for you. At an SWR of 2.5 82% of your power goes out of the antenna without being reflected, but that other 18% is reflected back to the transmitter where it’s reflected back to the antenna again. Then 82% of that portion is radiated and 18% of the reflected power is reflected again. That happens over and over until all the power goes out the antenna or is absorbed as loss by the coax cable.

Yes; it’s just fine to put a Yagi on a metal mast.

Yeah, nothing is ever perfect, but as a relatively new ham I’ve been more impressed than I feared after hearing the negative comments.

Although GMRS is in the name of the site, the site also caters to ham radio interests. Radio is radio. If you’re so up-tight that the inclusion of helpful information about a radio triggers you, then you probably aren’t getting much enjoyment out of anything. Learn to ignore posts about non-GMRS radios.

That might be true for some of the technician class hams, but most of the people I know who progress to General (and all of the ones who progress to Amateur Extra) work hard at understanding how everything works, propagation, etc.

First, why do you think you want a repeater instead of just a base station? In either case any modifications you make while building will work well for either. If it’s going to be a long run of feedline, consider using hardline to minimize cable losses. Second, this is such a great opportunity to include structural and electrical support for an antenna, lighting protection, and proper bonding for your radio electronics. If you go on to become a ham you’ll be set. Third, closely review your HOA agreement and state and county laws to see what they say about antennas. Not all HOAs ban ham radio antennas and some government entities prohibit HOAs from infringing on certain types of antennas. Also the ARRL is constantly supporting legislation that restores some level of antenna freedom to people affected by HOA restrictions. Although I agree in principle with your disdain for HOAs banning antennas, you are victim blaming. He said he’s a noob to GMRS and asked us to take it easy. He might not have known that someday he would want an antenna. Lately some of your answers have been way out on the superior judgmental horse’s ass end of the spectrum.

Fixed it for you:

Nice job documenting the problem. Ignore the naysayers. They’re just upset because you’re smarter than they are.

Yes, and having many zip ties like the photo shows definitely reduces the need to tighten each zip tie individually and reduces risk.

Nice video. 10 meters from Death Valley to Ohio is pretty impressive. That’s the potential of HF radio propagation.