WRQC527

How is the radio connected to the electrical system of your vehicle? We've asked at least twice.

Nice job! This very thing, making contact on a repeater, is a stumbling block for many new GMRS users. I would say it is one of the bigger causes of discouragement among new users.

I'm just curious. Can you show us where this is codified?

It looks like unless he makes a surprise appearance, the OP got disgusted and left a while ago, leaving the rest of us to debate ad nauseum. I'd like to see him come back just to see if the problem he's ranting about ever got resolved, but I'm not holding my breath.

I thought it might be malware but I clicked anyway. So far nothing bad happened, but sometimes these things unleash later.

There's always this if you want to go the expedient route for about a hundred bucks. https://midlandusa.com/products/xt511-base-camp?variant=39972162371761&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwrvyxBhAbEiwAEg_KgmrtZNG6G4zjOXdzSM4kDvgkSyjlgdsFYL2Hxyd6HWkk9NiQ4kJemhoCSLsQAvD_BwE

It's been spoken of much on these forums that GMRS is more about folks staying in touch with friends and family on the trail, when camping, off-roading, motor home caravanning, etc. Not a lot of folks use GMRS as a social media platform, although some do. It's more of a "bring your own contacts" service, a bit like your cell phone. Amateur radio is your friend if the social aspect is more what you're looking for. Many of us here do both.

I remember asking you the question to this answer over a year ago, probably in the comments section of a video. I believe I specifically asked "Who hurt you?" Now I know.

On a scale of 1 to 10, the MyGMRS repeater directory being 10, Repeaterbook is not very good. You're wise not to worry about it.

Is this your radio? The HX280S marine radio? https://www.standardhorizon.com/indexvs.cfm?cmd=DisplayProducts&ProdCatID=85&encProdID=8A20187F57E11E685F4BEB4E09111DB3&DivisionID=3&isArchived=1

"Some people".

I've come to the conclusion that flat earthers don't believe the Earth is flat. Their only mission in life is to engage people in endless arguments. The longer an argument goes on, the happier they are.

Just for kicks, set your radio (in memory mode) to channel 18. Or RPT-4, which I think on the UV-5G is 462.625. See if you hear those people talking. You would use channel 18 for simplex if you're talking directly to other folks also on channel 18. You would use the RPT channels if you are communicating through a repeater, because your radio transmits on 467.625 and listens on 462.625. Also, where do you live? You (or we) may be able to dentify the repeater you hear if in fact you are hearing one.

Curious. What radio are you using when you hear people talking on 462.620 and you "try to get on that frequency"?

There's nothing wrong with these amplifiers. There are some valid use cases. Like if you need the power but you don't have anywhere in your car to mount a mobile radio, or if you want to use the same handheld both in the car and when you're walking around. Mount the amplifier under the seat or someplace out of sight where it gets airflow. I run a Yaesu FT60 amateur radio in a cupholder mount with a magnetic mount antenna when I drive my wife's Kia Soul. The five watts is fine around town but it would be nice to have that amplifier under the seat.

Unless it consumes a significant portion of the savings on your insurance you get by using that app, get a cheap burner phone so you don't need to use the phone your app is loaded on. Seems easier than trying to find a repeater with autopatch.

The same thing applies with mobiles. Midland mobiles can be expensive, like $400 expensive, and they get mixed reviews here. In fact, some folks hate them, and they're not shy about letting us know. But there are cheaper mobile options, under $200, that people love.

More expensive doesn't always mean better or more capable. I had a pair of Midland GTX1000VP4s that retail for about $80 a pair. I got them new in the box at Goodwill for much less, but my Baofeng UV5Rs are half the price and more capable. Much better battery life, repeater-capable, the list goes on.

I'll second that. My UV-5Rs transmit just fine, but they have the worst receivers of any of my HTs. Same thing with my Juentai JT-6188 mobile (KT-8900 clone). Not only are the receivers deaf, they have extremely poor adjacent channel rejection. My JT-6188 is unusable as a mobile radio. I stick to my Yaesus for any important comms.

My wife and I are the only ones who use my call sign. We refer to each other as Popeye and Olive Oyl. So far, the FCC has not said a word.

Not really amplify, but the cookie sheet acts as a counterpoise. Your HT typically puts out about 5 watts, and the counterpoise helps to get more of that 5 watts out by providing the other half of the antenna, so to speak. The same as the roof of your vehicle would if you put the antenna on the roof. The antenna on your HT is essentially half the antenna, the other half is the metal under the antenna. Or if you're carrying your HT, your body is the counterpoise. Antenna theory is a big subject. It's sometimes hard to explain, but by God, people here will try. My suggestion would be to read up on it from sources like the ARRL, and check out KB9VBR's YouTube channel, KE0OG's channel, and others.

There's a couple of ways to do that. First, assuming the stock antenna on your HT is removeable, (not all are), you can replace it with a better one. Many folks here will pontificate on what that might be. Second, you can attach an external antenna to the radio with a few feet of coax and mount it to the roof of your vehicle, or a cookie sheet, etc.

H.A.M. (or HAM) isn't an acronym. It's a word. Ham. Like you've read, its origins are sort of varied. The reason some people here use H.A.M. or HAM is to irritate ham radio operators. Some folks here are openly hostile toward ham radio operators. It's an inferiority complex or something, I don't know.

Back when drive-through covid tests were a thing, I heard the clinic two blocks away coordinating from the parking lot to their office.

Yep, and a uniform and a ticket book.