SteveShannon

For more about 3/8 x 24, maybe this will help. I haven’t watched it. 
 

HamStudy.org is free and interactive. I really enjoyed using it to the point where I bought it as an app for my phone/tablet. 
The Hi-Line has a lot of hams. I hear from some of them almost every night when they check in on the Montana Traffic Network.
And if you see Helen Inabnit please tell her hi from Steve Shannon. 

Welcome!  

You're not a dummy!
Users of GMRS should never feel that they are somehow inferior to hams.  I've seen some really stupid hams and I know some really smart GMRS people.  There's shouldn't be a comparison.  The two services were created for different reasons.  GMRS is for facilitating activities.  Amateur Radio is for learning about and extending the use of radio. Both are valuable for emergencies.
The stated purpose for GMRS is as follows:
§ 95.1703 Definitions, GMRS.
General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS). A mobile two-way voice communication service, with limited data applications, for facilitating activities of individual licensees and their family members, including, but not limited to, voluntary provision of assistance to the public during emergencies and natural disasters.
The stated purpose for the Amateur Radio Service is as follows:
97.1 Basis and purpose. (Of Amateur Radio)
The rules and regulations in this part are designed to provide an amateur radio service having a fundamental purpose as expressed in the following principles:
(a) Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications.
(b) Continuation and extension of the amateur's proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art.
(c) Encouragement and improvement of the amateur service through rules which provide for advancing skills in both the communication and technical phases of the art.
(d) Expansion of the existing reservoir within the amateur radio service of trained operators, technicians, and electronics experts.
(e) Continuation and extension of the amateur's unique ability to enhance international goodwill.

Do you still see the ads?  Disregard TCP2525. There's nothing wrong with your browser. It's a hiccup in the database syncing to your membership status. The ads are a symptom, but you probably don't have access to the Premium features either so it must be fixed.
As a Premium member here is what I see at the bottom.  I just use Chrome with no ad blockers or anything of the sort.  If you still are seeing advertisements and you're not seeing the blurb thanking you for being a premium member let me know and I'll report it to Rich again.:

You're not a dummy!
Users of GMRS should never feel that they are somehow inferior to hams.  I've seen some really stupid hams and I know some really smart GMRS people.  There's shouldn't be a comparison.  The two services were created for different reasons.  GMRS is for facilitating activities.  Amateur Radio is for learning about and extending the use of radio. Both are valuable for emergencies.
The stated purpose for GMRS is as follows:
§ 95.1703 Definitions, GMRS.
General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS). A mobile two-way voice communication service, with limited data applications, for facilitating activities of individual licensees and their family members, including, but not limited to, voluntary provision of assistance to the public during emergencies and natural disasters.
The stated purpose for the Amateur Radio Service is as follows:
97.1 Basis and purpose. (Of Amateur Radio)
The rules and regulations in this part are designed to provide an amateur radio service having a fundamental purpose as expressed in the following principles:
(a) Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications.
(b) Continuation and extension of the amateur's proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art.
(c) Encouragement and improvement of the amateur service through rules which provide for advancing skills in both the communication and technical phases of the art.
(d) Expansion of the existing reservoir within the amateur radio service of trained operators, technicians, and electronics experts.
(e) Continuation and extension of the amateur's unique ability to enhance international goodwill.

You're not a dummy!
Users of GMRS should never feel that they are somehow inferior to hams.  I've seen some really stupid hams and I know some really smart GMRS people.  There's shouldn't be a comparison.  The two services were created for different reasons.  GMRS is for facilitating activities.  Amateur Radio is for learning about and extending the use of radio. Both are valuable for emergencies.
The stated purpose for GMRS is as follows:
§ 95.1703 Definitions, GMRS.
General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS). A mobile two-way voice communication service, with limited data applications, for facilitating activities of individual licensees and their family members, including, but not limited to, voluntary provision of assistance to the public during emergencies and natural disasters.
The stated purpose for the Amateur Radio Service is as follows:
97.1 Basis and purpose. (Of Amateur Radio)
The rules and regulations in this part are designed to provide an amateur radio service having a fundamental purpose as expressed in the following principles:
(a) Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications.
(b) Continuation and extension of the amateur's proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art.
(c) Encouragement and improvement of the amateur service through rules which provide for advancing skills in both the communication and technical phases of the art.
(d) Expansion of the existing reservoir within the amateur radio service of trained operators, technicians, and electronics experts.
(e) Continuation and extension of the amateur's unique ability to enhance international goodwill.

Welcome!  

Great to have you here!  GMRS is a great place to start you comms journey.  Back in my day, it was CB (which is making a comeback but I like GMRS more).  I've had my ham license since the 90's and, while it's much more on the technical side of things, it also gives you a lot of capability.  There's tv transmission, data, all sorts of things you can do.  So, while you're getting your feet wet here, I encourage you to get into ham, as well. 

Most GMRS users use them in pursuit of other activities rather than listening and hoping to talk to other, unknown, GMRS users.   They usually just use their call sign occasionally to comply with the regulations and their first name or position in a family “This is grandpa.  There’s a huge grizzly in the area. I want you to come back to the cabin. I’m sorry I let you play with the salmon guts before going into the woods.  Make a lot of noise while you’re walking. Scream if you need me. WROM258.”
But some GMRS users do listen for others on local repeaters, hoping to strike up a conversation. That’s much more of a ham thing, but it definitely does happen in GMRS as well.
I have never heard someone use a handle on GMRS.  Even calling them “walkie talkies” rather than “handhelds” could be fodder for some good natured ribbing.  
Get your license and jump right in.

As mentioned, GMRS requires one to have a license and also to use their FCC issued call sign.  
No one will really care if it is just a few of you and you are out in the middle of nowhere talking on simplex. But it's a different story when you use most repeaters, The Repeater owners will expect you to follow FCC guidelines as far as using your call sign.
If you don't have your license, then I suggest getting it. It's only $35 and good for 10 years. One license will cover the entire immediate family.

Most GMRS users use them in pursuit of other activities rather than listening and hoping to talk to other, unknown, GMRS users.   They usually just use their call sign occasionally to comply with the regulations and their first name or position in a family “This is grandpa.  There’s a huge grizzly in the area. I want you to come back to the cabin. I’m sorry I let you play with the salmon guts before going into the woods.  Make a lot of noise while you’re walking. Scream if you need me. WROM258.”
But some GMRS users do listen for others on local repeaters, hoping to strike up a conversation. That’s much more of a ham thing, but it definitely does happen in GMRS as well.
I have never heard someone use a handle on GMRS.  Even calling them “walkie talkies” rather than “handhelds” could be fodder for some good natured ribbing.  
Get your license and jump right in.

About as close as we get on the group of us that hang out on Ch 19 hereabouts is using our Firstname and then the numbers on our call signs,  as in, "hey Joe 690 are you out there?"  "Yo Dave 283, yeah, what's up?"  After that we converse and then ID at the 15 and EOT as required by the regs.  That way if there's more than one Joe or Dave out there (and there usually is) we can differentiate who we're looking for.

Most GMRS users use them in pursuit of other activities rather than listening and hoping to talk to other, unknown, GMRS users.   They usually just use their call sign occasionally to comply with the regulations and their first name or position in a family “This is grandpa.  There’s a huge grizzly in the area. I want you to come back to the cabin. I’m sorry I let you play with the salmon guts before going into the woods.  Make a lot of noise while you’re walking. Scream if you need me. WROM258.”
But some GMRS users do listen for others on local repeaters, hoping to strike up a conversation. That’s much more of a ham thing, but it definitely does happen in GMRS as well.
I have never heard someone use a handle on GMRS.  Even calling them “walkie talkies” rather than “handhelds” could be fodder for some good natured ribbing.  
Get your license and jump right in.

Ordered a second pair of green TD-H3's. Bluetooth Copy from one of prior black pair to both. One hits two repeaters like the other two, but this problem green one will not.
Checked programming and it matches across all four for required tones. Swap Smiley antenna from known working from factory antenna (that works on the 2nd) and same result.
It works on GMRS ch 11 'in house' - but won't trigger the repeater. Performed a Reset ALL and no change after reprogramming channels.
Updated firmware from factory to latest June, no change. Other three running that same firmware. Repeaters are distant mountain but no problem for the other three where line of sight to the mountains is clear.
Sent email to 'support' on 6/27/24 and no reply. Got online contact to work finally but no response from TidRadio. How quickly might they respond? Seems the radio has some fault?

Once I got the right folks at Tidradio they were prompt with a full unit replacement - hopefully are still responding the same way since they are still sending some out acting weak like that.
I have not used them much - but they do work when I do, including a repeater 55 miles away. Turned one to HAM and it works as well with the right antenna. Have done some firmware updates without issue here too. Nothing helped that 'weak' one though.

UPDATE - Tidradio replaced the non-tranmitting one, no questions. So 

You're welcome.  If I had it to do over again I would upgrade the radio to a good 40/50W unit with a Midland MXTA26 antenna.  Just depends on your budget and how much you intend to use it.

I am also sure that the antenna will do better once it is outside and above the roof. As Steve mentioned, make sure the base of the antenna is at least a half wavelength above the highest point of the your roof. That is only 1 foot.
I just noticed how close the metal rafter plates are to the end of the antenna. That can have an effect on things. I know that some people don't have much of a choice on antenna placement but an attic is far from ideal for any vertical VHF or UHF antenna.

When *I* was a boy, we had to smack together quartz crystals we dug up ourselves to send radio signals.  And we could only receive by hanging a cable on a tree and holding it with our tongues!

These damned kids, with their "electricity" and "antennas" are too lazy and stupid to be allowed to have radio!

Exactly right. Almost every car comes with a power port that accepts the cigarette lighter plug. Although the cigarette lighter plug isn’t what many of us might eventually use, it’s the closest thing there is to being universally available and works well for these low power radios allowing them to be used immediately.  

So the difference between one S-unit and the next is 6 db. So an S9 signal is 6 db or four times the power of an S8 signal, yet makes little audible difference. S7 would be 1/16 the power of an S9 and you’d be able to easily tell the difference. 
I think (hope) putting it on your roof will help, but be sure you get it at least a half wavelength above your roof. For GMRS that’s not very much distance. 

Not really. I enjoy knowing who else is a ham. I use an alerting software when I do FT8 that watches for specific call signs. I might run into them on the air sometime. 
Like most aspects of life folks should simply ignore it if it doesn’t apply to them. 

So the difference between one S-unit and the next is 6 db. So an S9 signal is 6 db or four times the power of an S8 signal, yet makes little audible difference. S7 would be 1/16 the power of an S9 and you’d be able to easily tell the difference. 
I think (hope) putting it on your roof will help, but be sure you get it at least a half wavelength above your roof. For GMRS that’s not very much distance. 

Low SWR is desirable but does not always indicate or guarantee best radiation. Don't get caught up in that trap. A good dummy load has a very low SWR (1:1), but radiation is abysmal.