SteveShannon

Now I have to google “Krampus.” Got it: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krampus

Yeah, it’s like bad parents trying to scare their kids into a pattern of behavior, or bad government trying to control its citizens opinions with a “big lie.”

It really depends on the ability of the final output transistors to dissipate power. It’s wrong to say that every radio will blow its finals immediately if operated without an antenna, but it’s also wrong to believe that every radio is capable of operating without an antenna.

This was one of the first threads I delved into when I first got my GMRS license and joined this forum. It should almost be required reading:

The same exact wording, huh? I doubt it, because no part of what I wrote came from a google search. Forgive you, because it looks like HAM equipment? The Bird is one of those tools that many commercial radio technicians are likely to own. I’m sure there are quite a few hams that buy them as well, but probably not on the new market. I don’t have one, but I wouldn’t turn one down, if someone gave me one with all the necessary elements. You can be successful with or without one, but there’s no point to having one if you don’t know how to use it. A digital SWR meter, like that SW102 you have, looks at both forward and reflected power simultaneously and does the calculations for you. Its usefulness is limited by the accuracy of its measurements. There’s a reason Bird meters cost what they do.

That was my point.

That’s a Bird 42 directional wattmeter. It’s generally considered to be one of the most precise instruments for measuring RF power flow. It measures the power flowing in one direction only. Then you reverse the element to measure the power flow in the other direction. SWR can be calculated from those two measurements, but the important thing is to maximize your flow towards the antenna and minimize the flow reflected from the antenna.

With Respect To Grindr 259

Just google “Midland GMRS repeater”. Honestly the Midland looks like it was built by the same manufacturer as the Retevis. Midland just had a big sale but I think it is over now.

It’s one way to add an external controller that can automatically identify the repeater at the proper intervals while in use. But it’s not necessary if the only people using your repeater are people who are entitled to use the repeater operator’s call sign, as long as they identify themselves. Some people argue that a GMRS repeater is not required to identify. I don’t believe the rules say that. Regardless, it’s unlikely anyone would ever get fined.

Both Retevis and Midland make one. For Retevis it’s the RT-97 or RT-97s, which has an external port if you want to add an external controller/ID board.

M&P makes good cable. They make about three different kinds for each type of cable, one with solid copper center conductor (Broadpro?), one with stranded copper center conductor (Ultraflex?), and one with copper clad aluminum center conductor (their lightweight “Airborne” coax.) On the M&P cables I have, the shielding consists of copper foil and copper braid, which should reduce the chances of intermodulation that people sometimes claim for cables that have aluminum foil and copper braid.

Although it’s not my preference, my friend with a Jackery 500 really likes his. He uses it with a 100 watt ham transceiver which draws 23 amps on xmit. They are convenient.

Is the other end still connected to the tv?

My assumption is that they’re just using it like a base station, transmitting and receiving in simplex on the 462 frequency.

When you have the TX and RX frequencies set the same, is the repeater disabled from repeating?

No, I would feel too guilty putting it up before I get the cabin main floor finished. Yesterday was a good day though. I made headway on the bathroom. I don’t see myself putting up the tower until next year sometime.

Good equipment, good planning, and Kenny has experience and understands the basics. He chose a good repeater, duplexer, and antenna. He used good quality coax. He used Amphenol connectors and he even tried to use all N connectors instead of PL259/SO239 connectors.

Absolutely! I would never argue against something that’s up and working! Ask Kenny if he would do anything differently.

I don’t feel like GMRS is lower than ham and I enjoy the people here.

I’m active in amateur rocketry and we use GMRS radios to keep track of each other when we’re recovering rockets. My GMRS radios are a Garmin Rhino 700, a couple of old Motorola FRS/GMRS handhelds, a couple Midland combo units, and one of the two DB20G radios that I have. My other one has been configured as a dual band ham radio. During the pandemic I started watching videos (too much) and I found those of Notarubicon enjoyable and interesting. Unlike some I enjoyed his dry humor. So I got my GMRS license. I had been planning to anyway, but never got around to it. That led to an awakened interest in radios in general which led me to get my ham license. I don’t really remember how I found this forum but I’ve enjoyed it. I’m not active on any ham radio forums. I haven’t even visited any other than a couple group.io pages specific to my radios. Radio is radio and I find it fascinating.

There’s no GMRS community (or GMRS repeaters) here (Butte, MT) but I’m active on 2 meter and 70 cm using a Radioddity DB20G. I am also active on HF using a Yaesu FTDX10 (160-6 meters @ 100 watts), with a short RG213 (HF has far less losses than UHF) running to my SWR/Wattmeter, then a six foot ABR400 jumper to a window pass-thru, which would really be bad in UHF). From the other side of the pass-thru is a 15 foot jumper to the 49:1 unun which is connected to my 66 foot wire which is 30 feet up on a Spiderbeam fiberglass mast. My BS and MS are in Engineering Science with an emphasis on controls, my PE (engineering license) is in electronic engineering but I worked on a section crew for Burlington Northern one summer.

I don’t have a repeater. I’m just a retired engineer and a ham.

https://www.polyphaser.com/2-ft-uhf-to-uhf-m-m-400-series-low-loss-cable-jumper?creative=&keyword=&matchtype=&network=x&device=m&gad=1&gbraid=0AAAAADuUXEAGe1sTFWw7lLUNDWSUXIcEz&gclid=Cj0KCQjwhL6pBhDjARIsAGx8D595HSFQtqWtHdumnNhUeir3UBZn6TIUWo0dQy9Ai3Wpm9FzVL1A7ocaAkCVEALw_wcB

Watch this to see the problem with 90° connectors (except silver plated amphenol ones).