Don't presume that because someone near you has a license, that they are active. I have GMRS and HAM General licenses, and I hardly ever turn my radios on
I started with the Baofeng UV-9G, which is good for the price. Then I went to the Wouxun KG-935G Plus, and that changed everything. Now I am addicted to Wouxun (my HAM HT is a Wouxun KG-UV9D Mate). You have to decide if waterproof is a goal and/or signal clarity and/or features, etc. It is a quite a rabbit hole to go down.
No, the cable is attached to the NMO mount itself. I got it on Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CRBV71V/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1