SteveShannon

I really wasn’t recommending it. It was a theoretical response to a theoretical question. ? Personally, I would go with a yaesu ftm-6000.

https://www.qytradio.com/vhf-uhf-75-55-watts-dual-band-mobile-ham-radio_p13.html

The extra length of the section of all-thread makes for an antenna that is even more susceptible to buffeting by air currents. Any distortion due to Doppler or picket fencing will be more noticeable on weaker signals. You might try a higher gain antenna, such as a no ground plane roof mount antenna mounted without the all-thread.

If the all-thread were 1/4 wave and not connected to the vehicle it would be a true dipole. In a true dipole both halves are balanced radiating elements. But since it is connected to the car chassis (ground) it’s just a quarter wave vertical with a vertically extended ground plane. I don’t expect it to hurt but experience will tell you. Having part of the ground plane be a vertical element may be beneficial, but I have no idea how much. Certainly getting the antenna higher up will help.

@WRVJ335 See if you can remove them from “My Listings”

In order: 1. Yes. If necessary you can always add a fan. 2. No. 3. Not at all. No, you are not better off setting up a repeater and using an HT, especially if you’re trying to hit another repeater. 4. Sorry, I haven’t. Please share your pictures though. 5. No, being in a wooden cabinet will not cause interference.

I looked at Nesbit 304. The problem is that you appear as the owner, even though in the map it appears that WRPN902 is the owner. I’ll report your post to Rich (owner of the site). It’s obviously a problem with the software that allows people to somehow appear as owners of repeaters. We saw it happen last week also.

Try swapping antennas to see if that helps. Your UV9px is a dual band amateur radio and not optimized for 472.700 (and if you really mean a GMRS frequency that’s 462.700 MHz.) Antennas can make a huge difference. I bought two Radioddity GMRS 20 watt radios and Midland GMRS antennas. I unlocked one of the radios so I could use it on 70 cm and 2 meter. I tried talking to a ham friend five blocks away on my street on 2 meters using the GMRS antenna. He could hear me, but I couldn’t hear him. I was transmitting using 20 watts. He was using 5 watts. On 70 cm I could hear him and vice versa. I bought a Comet dual band antenna and now, on the lowest power setting on my radio, which is only a few watts, he hears me perfectly and I hear him perfectly even a few more miles away in city buildings.

1 - improved testing conditions which don’t reflect your actual needs are not helpful. Have you tried changing the squelch? 2 - see bold portion below: c) No GMRS transmitter will be certified for use in the GMRS if it is equipped with a frequency capability not listed in § 95.1763, unless such transmitter is also certified for use in another radio service for which the frequency is authorized and for which certification is also required. No GMRS transmitter will be certified for use in the GMRS if it is equipped with the capabilities to operate in services that do not require equipment certification, such as the Amateur Radio Service. All frequency determining circuitry (including crystals) and programming controls in each GMRS transmitter must be internal to the transmitter and must not be accessible from the exterior of the transmitter operating panel or from the exterior of the transmitter enclosure.

Clearer, perhaps, because of signal to noise ratio, but I have never heard anyone tell people to turn up their power if their audio is simply low. We’ll tell them to turn up their mic gain, or maybe engage compression, or to speak more directly into the microphone.

Finally, these are the prohibited uses named in the GMRS section (Part E): § 95.1733 Prohibited GMRS uses. (a)In addition to the prohibited uses outlined in § 95.333 of this chapter, GMRS stations must not communicate: (1)Messages in connection with any activity which is against Federal, State, or local law; (2)False or deceptive messages; (3)Coded messages or messages with hidden meanings (“10 codes” are permissible); (4)Music, whistling, sound effects or material to amuse or entertain; (5)Advertisements or offers for the sale of goods or services; (6)Advertisements for a political candidate or political campaign (messages about the campaign business may be communicated); (7)International distress signals, such as the word “Mayday” (except when on a ship, aircraft or other vehicle in immediate danger to ask for help); (8)Messages which are both conveyed by a wireline control link and transmitted by a GMRS station; (9)Messages (except emergency messages) to any station in the Amateur Radio Service, to any unauthorized station, or to any foreign station; (10)Continuous or uninterrupted transmissions, except for communications involving the immediate safety of life or property; and (11)Messages for public address systems. (12)The provision of § 95.333apply, however, if the licensee is a corporation and the license so indicates, it may use its GMRS system to furnish non-profit radio communication service to its parent corporation, to another subsidiary of the same parent, or to its own subsidiary. (b)GMRS stations must not be used for one-way communications other than those listed in § 95.1731(b). Initial transmissions to establish two-way communications and data transmissions listed in § 95.1731(d)are not considered to be one-way communications for the purposes of this section

FRS has similar language that permits business use: Family Radio Service (FRS).A short-distance two-way voice communication service, with limited data applications, between low power hand-held radios, for facilitating individual, family, group, recreational and business activities.

It depends on what you’re doing commercially. First, these uses are forbidden for all public radio services: § 95.333 Prohibited uses. No person shall use a Personal Radio Service station: (a)In connection with any activity which is against Federal, State or local law; (b)To transmit advertisements or program material associated with television or radio broadcasting; (c)To transmit messages for hire or provide a common carrier service; (d)To intentionally interfere with the communications of another station; (e)To transmit obscene, profane or indecent words, language or meaning; or (f)To transmit a false or deceptive communication. So clearly you cannot spam listeners or charge to deliver messages.

Yes: § 95.1731 Permissible GMRS uses. The operator of a GMRS station may use that station for two-way plain language voice communications with other GMRS stations and with FRS units concerning personal or business activities

Here’s a pretty good test of several. If you want greater range it appears the Long Ranger or similar are tops. Signal Stick was okay.

Somehow I missed the first period. ? I read: Nowhere in the CURRENT rules does it say that FRS can use up to 2 watts (depending on the channel). Definitely my mistake.

Maybe I’m misunderstanding your point, but here’s what the FRS rules say about power: § 95.567 FRS transmit power. Each FRS transmitter type must be designed such that the effective radiated power (ERP) on channels 8 through 14 does not exceed 0.5 Watts and the ERP on channels 1 through 7 and 15 through 22 does not exceed 2.0 Watts. It’s true that output power may be different from ERP.

For MURS it’s very clear: § 95.2733 Prohibited MURS uses. MURS stations must not be operated as repeater stations or signal boosters. This prohibition includes store-and-forward packet operation. For FRS there’s a similar prohibition that says: (d) Packet mode. FRS transmitter types must not be capable of transmitting data in the store-and-forward packet operation mode. Perhaps the reference to packet here only applies to data?

If you’re talking to each other through a repeater, you will both tune to the same repeater channel (22-30). Each repeater channel is preset with a transmit (uplink)frequency (transmission from your radio to the repeater) which is in the 467 MHz range. You will need to match the CTCSS or DTCSS tone the repeater expects or your transmission will be ignored. The repeater relays what you transmit by transmitting it on a frequency that’s exactly 5 MHz lower, so if your uplink frequency is 467.550 MHz then the downlink will be 462.550 MHz. Using separate frequencies like that is necessary for full duplex operation, which is what a repeater does when relaying a message as it receives it. The repeater channels are already configured for the offset frequencies. Many repeaters list downlink tones, but a tone is not needed to hear them. If you just want to talk to your friend you would both tune to exactly the same frequency in the 462 MHz range (15-22) which are the simplex channels. 15-22 channels receive and transmit on the same frequencies as the receiver channels for repeaters.

If you’re looking for a GMRS radio, I certainly wouldn’t even consider the Anytone 878. I have the same basic radio with the Alinco nameplate. It’s a fine DMR radio, but you really have to learn how to build codeplugs in order to get anything to appear as a channel for selection. Most of the advanced features of the radio are useless in GMRS. Why spend the extra money? Here’s what’s involved: For analog channels it’s a little easier than for digital. You enter each channel by hand. The radio isn’t capable of the 1/2 watt PEP requirement for some of the interstitial channels, so you cannot cover those channels, at least not in full compliance. Then, after entering the channels, you must enter them into zones. You can have one big zone or multiple zones. You could have a different zone for each different repeater or city or any other way you want to slice and dice. Zones are a bit like memory banks and channels may be included in multiple zones. The CPS has some inconsistencies as well, mostly poor English translations that appear in some spots. In use, you use the up and down buttons to select the zone and then you use the rotary switch to select channels within the zone. I have added both analog and digital channels from the front panel, but it’s not really intuitive, requiring you to be deep within the menu to do so. Scanning is absolutely unintuitive. You can create a scan group in the CPS, but when the radio asks you to select the group, and you do, you’re presented with a list of all the channels within the group. You must also have added the channel to the scan group when you defined the channel. That’s the most frustrating part of the radio. I suspect the same thing is true of both of the commercial radios you have listed; you must use the dedicated CPS before anything appears on the front panel to use. If you’re trying to avoid Chinese GMRS radios, I really like the Garmin Rinos. They’re made in Taiwan, rather than China, and they are well built. Now, you cannot change the antenna because they transmit GPS coordinates. They can also be used to send text messages, to another Rino, but that’s not why I would buy the radio. They are type 95e certified. Honestly, I would just recommend getting something like the Wouxun KG 805 or 905, or even the 935 or the new plus model. By all accounts they’re easy to use, very reliable, and don’t require a background in commercial radios to care and feed. The experience won’t sour you on radio. If you still are interested in either the Motorola or EF Johnson you’ll find they are nearly bomb proof. I don’t have either, but I understand the desire to have really high end equipment. Others can advise you on other type 90 alternatives such as Kenwood TK-3270 etc. Good luck!

I have not. Personally I would stay with a recognized brand, such as Midland, Comet, Diamond, Tram, or for more money, Laird. Are you thinking about putting an antenna in your attic, or on a roof, or what?

First, I need to say that I have no idea how to calibrate it. I have never read the instructions. I assume that you can do that. Second, what values were you reading? Third, what were the readings? Fourth, why do you think they are wrong?

A purely resistive (no reactance) 50 ohm dummy load should give you a 1.0:1 SWR, meaning all the power is forward and none is reflected. It should read 50 ohms, not 49. But it’s difficult to say whether it’s your dummy load or your Surecom meter. Or both.

@WRWM850 - Gortex2 is correct. Eventually you’ll find it’s easier to use a radio that has been designed to use on GMRS. The repeater channels are already established so all you have to do is enter any tones needed. Also, as part of the certification process they are tested to ensure they don’t cause interference for others. GMRS radios must be certified to Part 95e standards. However, the FCC usually doesn’t enforce that unless something bad happens (like severe interference)!and they receive complaints. Even then they would begin with a warning letter. For most people using a radio that’s lacking type certification for the service they’re using, nobody even knows. Just be aware of the rules. The UV5R is a radio that many of us have. It’s flexible in ways that bend or even violate the rules. The original models were very bad at generating off frequency signals. The FCC came down on Baofeng and forced them to tighten up their standards in order to continue selling their radios for the ham radio market. They also have radios for GMRS, including one that’s physically identical to the UV5R. It might be called UV5G. Anyway, we’re glad you got your radio working. That’s a great first step!

I actually do care about the rules. I care that we explain them accurately when asked and that we explain why we have the rules we have. But I don’t like to see us whip them out as a scolding remark to someone who is just getting started and has just asked for help.