SteveShannon

RFI coming from the vehicle electronics or charging system.

Get rid of tone squelch. By setting tone squelch you’re forcing your radio to ignore anything that it receives unless the correct tone is received. By clearing out the receive tone and/or leaving squelch mode set to tone, you hear everything.

That's still exactly right in only one specific instance (as defined in 47 CFR 95.1751(c) and simplified below) Both conditions must be true: 1. The only people using the repeater are those operating under the authority of the individual repeater operator (which is strictly limited to family or an emergency user by 47 CFR 95.1705(c)), AND 2. They ID correctly.

New Simplex or Scanner Channels:
 • Switch to the FREQ-VFO Display Mode (see above). • Use the Channel Knob, ▲▼ or 1∼9 keys to select/enter desired frequency. • Set any other desired parameters in the Function Menu. • Write the frequency to a channel using [MENU 30_MEM-CH | 001∼999]. New/unused channels will display in alternate color.
 (See Basic Operation – Function Menu instructions.) https://bettersaferadio.com/wp-content/uploads/BSR-Wouxun-KG-UV9GX-GMRS-Two-Way-Radio-SHTF-Scanner-Quick-Start-User-Manual-v1.15.pdf

I wish I could be there (and someday I will), but I just got back from Alabama for rocketry and I’m going to Wisconsin in July for more rocketry.

If restarting the Zella app on the phone allows it to work again it could be a memory leak or a buffer filling up.

I think we’ve heard of this problem before. I don’t know what the resolution was, if there was one.

First, it is possible with Chirp. The squelch types are typically: None - This means that you don't send a tone and you don't expect a tone. Tone - This means you send a so called privacy tone which (CTCSS which is also called PL, or DCS, which is also called DPL), but you do not filter based on what you receive. TSQL - This means that you send a privacy tone and that your radio will only break squelch to allow messages to be audibly reproduced when the privacy tone sent by someone else matches what your receiver expects. If you want to use privacy tones on simplex you and your partner would arrange in advance for which tone each of you would send. It's usually easiest if you both have the same tone, but you can split the tones also, so you transmit one (TX_CTCSS) and your partner sets the RX_CTCSS to match and going the other way your parner transmits a different tone (TX_CTCSS on his/her radio) and you set your RX_CTCSS to match that tone. But, you must understand something: Anyone who leaves their RX_CTCSS empty (or sets their squelch type to TONE) will hear everything transmitted on that channel. The only thing a privacy code does is help keep you from being interrupted by everyone transmitting without the same tone your receiver listens for.

Why not point the person towards them?

It’s really going to depend on what your local repeater requires. Which version of Chirp are you using and what does your repeater expect? Also, Chirp may have the ability to program itself based on Repeaterbook.

As the others said, that’s definitely adequate for most uses.

Shevo, what you’re proposing would require something like an AllStar device connected between the repeater and your internet router. It’s like a PiStar hotspot. It does all the heavy lifting. I don’t know enough about how to set them up to get into details, but it would be very easy in ham radio to set it up using a pair of pi*star hotspots.

So, maybe I missed something. Why are we down on this person for asking this question? Shevo, A linear amplifier is the type of device that increases the power output of a transmitter. There are a few that work with GMRS radios and are compliant with the regulations, but generally speaking just buying a 50 watt rated radio will be much simpler.

You’re sure welcome! Thanks for the shoutout. The learning curve is very shallow and short. You’ll enjoy it. It’s nothing fancy, but it appears to work. We just got home from our trip yesterday and I forgot that I promised someone that I would scan the specs in the instructions (assuming I can find them - I’ve had them longer than 20 minutes which is how long it takes me to lose shit).

I guess I should have been more specific. I was intending to refer to a DC/DC step up converter from Samlex. Samlex has one that accepts 9-18 vDC and outputs an isolated 12.5 vDC: https://samlexamerica.com/products/fully-isolated-converter-idc-100a-12/

Use a high quality inverter. Look at what’s available through a place like DXEngineering. Samlex is a decent brand with many different types and options. https://samlexamerica.com/product-category/dc-dc-voltage-converters/

Welcome @talljeffd!

This is one of my favorite short guides for grounding and bonding but there are lots of threads here that cover it in great detail. The Bible is a document from Motorola that’s available on a BLM site, but it’s pretty deep. Also ARRL has a book on grounding and bonding. https://reeve.com/Documents/Articles Papers/Reeve_AntennaSystemGroundingRequirements.pdf

Your question made me look for a video that would explain this better: Stan Gibilisco passed away within the last few years but I liked his videos: As for your other questions, almost all communications cable is 50 ohm. The antenna you showed is also 50 ohms. The port on your radio expects 50 ohms. But, there are lots of different types of cable and different types have losses that increase proportionally to length. Those losses are simply characteristics of the cable. Unfortunately, the rate of loss increases dramatically as frequency increases. At GMRS frequencies some cables lose half or more of their power in less than 50 feet. But, a good antenna, raised high can compensate for that somewhat. I wouldn’t select less than LMR400 and if I was going longer than 50 feet total I’d look for something even better.

Not well. TV cable and related fittings are 75 ohm. Two way radios expect 50 ohms. Using it for your radio will introduce an impedance transition that results in a higher SWR than usually desirable. But, people do it. You can use the hole that currently exists.

Yes, guilty as charged, and lawyers make constipulations. ?

Yes, I mistakenly conflated the information in your post with the situation of the OP. I’m sorry about that.

You did and I appreciate it.

Thanks! Much better than how mine read. I agree, having an additional ground rod isn’t by itself bad as long as it’s not a separate ground rod. It must be bonded to the system ground, regardless of how that system ground is provided, whether it’s a length of copper pipe, an ufer ground (rebar in concrete), or an eight foot ground rod in the ground. If multiple ground rods are bonded together, it’s ideal to space them about two times their depth apart.

I would drill a hole through the block wall. If you have two grounds you can end up with a current between them that can do anything from causing an annoying hum to destroying equipment in between them.