KAF6045

That sounds more like a firewall problem. Especially since "LAN" normally refers to equipment on the same (inner) side of the Internet router (and which usually has IP addresses in the 192.168.x.x range, though some routers may use the 10.x.x.x block -- routers do NOT pass those IP addresses to the WAN [Internet]). You need to use IP addresses issued by the ISP to get /to/ the router from the Internet side, and the router has to translate the traffic into the LAN IP address/port. For my LAN, none of these addresses can be reached from outside... Outside traffic has to connect to the "Broadband" IP address shown Of course, the firewall blocks any ad-hoc connection coming in EXCEPT for one situation: "microdiversity" is an R-Pi running a rudimentary web-server -- and I had to configure the firewall to accept incoming port 80 connections and pass them to "microdiversity"! Also had to get a dynamic DNS service set up to translate a host name into whatever my currrent WAN IP address is (they are known to change at time when the ISP reconfigures).

I'd rounded up -- On Amazon, the HF-B8G 10MHz-8GHz model is $272. They have an HF-B3G 50MHz-3.5GHz variation for $165 (half the weight, and if one trusts the posted specs, 5x battery life). I went with the big unit to get coverage of 20-10m HF bands (the manual seems to consider anything "high frequency", where we'd use VHF/UHF/SHF/microwave). I suspect the LATNEX and TENMARS units are really the same manufacturer. TENMARS seems a bit cheaper on Amazon ($110 50MHz-3.5GHz, $253 10MHz-8GHz). The Extech cost a fortune, but appear (from posted specs) to cover a wider range (20mV/m-108V/m) -- but would you really want to be standing near an E-field reaching 108V/m! LATNEX range is 50mV/m-11V/m. Can't trust the specifications for the LATNEX shown on Amazon -- states max display of 3999, but the images show 19999. Somewhere I have the MFJ but I think one of the dipole whips cracked off at the base, and you can't really solder that shiny metal. Went with one of these designs as they give an absolute reading, not relative reading dependent upon a potentiometer setting. ADDENDUM: as mentioned, my quick familiarization run found the instantaneous display unusable. Maybe it would stabilize if I: set cell phone to airplane mode, unplugged my network router, powered down the Pi-Star, unplugged the TV, DirectTV box, Blu-Ray, and maybe the Wii-U (forgot if it has WiFi capability) -- otherwise I've got all these devices making pings at unknown intervals.

70cm probably has more bandwidth available for new repeaters compared to 2m

A dangerous thread... I dumped near $300 for... Measures "E (electric) field strength" (m)V/m directly ((m) in parens at it appears to autorange between mV and V) with options for (default) instantaneous (which seems unusable due to varying signals in my home), MAX instantaneous, running average, Max average. Memory for 200 measurements. Sensor can be set to use all three (X/Y/Z) elements or any single element. Tripod socket on bottom Other measurements are computed "using the far-field equations" with far-field described as three wavelengths -- going to make 10MHz (if I ever desire to go that low) fun, as three wavelengths is 90m (295ft -- essentially a football field! That's going to be a long PTT cable ? ). GMRS shouldn't be a too problematic -- only 6ft: put unit on tripod, set for MAX, walk to HT, PTT for a few seconds to ensure measurement is captured. MURS would be an exercise (20ft separation). "H (magnetic) field" (u)A/m, "S (power density)" in (m)W/m^2 or (u)W/cm^2 [not sure if the m/u unit is fixed or auto range). Warns that H field can not be computed in near-field (I suspect it can compute /a/ value, but not accurately). If power-density makes use of H field, it too would be uncertain at < 3 wavelength. Interestingly: the manual says the 9V adapter is optional, and the calibration certificate listed "included accessories" as TWO 9V batteries. It arrived with one 9V alkaline, and (as shown) the 9V adapter. Wonder how much background RF that switching adapter is putting out ?

They may have microphone hangers that are only in plastic panels -- not through to metal and hence not "grounded".

I suspect most people are using hotspots (Pi-Star/OpenSpot) boxes, linked to cellphones for network connections, rather than trying to find compatible digital mode repeaters that permit linking to ad-hoc talk-groups (There are something like three repeater sites between Lowell and west Grand Rapids that are part of the CMEN/Mi5 DMR network -- but they ONLY permit Mi5 Statewide-1/-2 and Event 1-4; and the latter are reserved for special event usage at which time they request users stay off the corresponding Statewide group [odd/even time-slot]). I can just reach a D-Star repeater that is normally linked to REF030C. I do consider using hotspots in a vehicle an RF risk. Many are using mobiles to access them, so which luck have a low power in the 1W range -- just to hit a box less than 6ft away. And that box is then using WiFi to reach the cellphone which is acting as an access point using cellular frequencies to reach internet. I just don't want to think about what intermodulation and heterodyning is going on inside the cabin of that vehicle. I do have a hotspot -- on top of a china cabinet near the center of my house, and a Kenwood D-74 that run at less then 0.5W for access. My house is a Faraday cage (metal roof, aluminum siding); While I can break squelch on the Lowell repeater [<4 miles as Hugin&Munin fly] my audio has been reported as poor.

You could be surprised. We had a day last summer when 2m propagation was such that a Wisconsin pair in (I don't recall the exact cities but this gives the idea) Milwaukee and Sheboygan were talking to each other -- using the W8IRA linked repeater system that basically runs along US-131 in Michigan (Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Cadillac, others)

For GMRS, I suspect 6" pine needles are a close match to a 1/4wave. It's one reason VHF (MURS @ 2W) is suggested for use in vegetation (and 2m Amateur is probably good too, but the licensing may be a pain for some, vs no license for MURS and no-test /family/ license for GMRS). You get a reverse condition in cities. Windows and door frames (in particular, the metal ones used on office buildings) tend to block VHF signals, while smaller UHF waves can penetrate. One reason many urban public safety systems are migrating even higher, to the 800MHz region.

WHAT! You're giving up 500W?

Presuming one has a ground rod at the meter. My subdivision (built circa 1970) actually runs the meter box ground wire through the basement wall where it clamps to the cold water piping (and relies upon a shorting bar to bridge the water meter itself which is about 60ft of copper pipe away from the ground clamp).

They used to -- just look at the legal usage for the pre-2017 "FRS/GMRS" bubble pack radios. Problem was, 99% of the buyers never bothered to read the license-required to use channels x/y/z. Basically, pre-2017, FRS was only allowed 0.5W ERP with fixed antenna on (what are now) channels 8-14 and originally 0.5W on channels 1-7. (Oh, and 12.5kHz bandwidth). So the FCC just redefined those bubble pack radios based on common features: 2W or less maximum power, fixed antenna, no repeater capability is now FRS. >2W and/or repeater capability is GMRS. I have two sets of those ancient bubble-packs: one set has H/M/L power levels (where M is the 2W setting), the other set has repeater capability. Both sets are thereby deemed GMRS rigs per the current regulations.

"... city ... buildings..." Well, save your money on the field-strength meter then. ? The lower-cost options (<$125) are just relative field strength (consider -- they have an adjustable "sensitivity" control and just a uA meterfor display; heck the MFJ-801 even requires one to be touching the ground screw with one's hand -- so depending upon one's skin conductivity the reading may differ! The 802 is a balanced dipole antenna so takes out the human factor -- intended for 100kHz to 500MHz [so HF to lower UHF].). They are also very wide-band detectors and will register /any/ RF -- especially that joker so proud of his 60s Mustang that he won't put suppression spark plug cables on it! ? In the $150-250 range one finds things being sold for health/safety checking, optimized for cell-phone frequencies, covering 50MHz-3.5GHz (6m, FM broadcast, TV, and microwaves). In the $300 range one finds units that span 10MHz-8GHz, which at least makes it useful for the upper HF bands (30m and up, but not the 40m band). Both of these ranges, however, have actual units attached to the measurement (in 7 choices). As for the sending unit in these tests -- don't compound matters by using two different models to do the 2W/5W (or whatever pair)... Use one radio that is selectable for power level (high/low) and use one radio for reception (I'm tempted to suggest also using a field sound recorder with a cable from receiver speaker out to recorder aux in, and with AGC turned OFF to provide raw [WAV file] evidence that can be examined in audio editing software [peak, average, etc.]) Unfortunately, none of these meters are tunable -- so your across-town test is going to measuring any cell-phone towers, broadcast radio/TV, WiFi systems, etc. To avoid all those would require a radar/radio test range -- and at that stage, you are back to unobstructed horizon distance and line-of-sight. ?

Conventionally it takes a 10dB increase (2W to 20W) to cause a movement of one S-unit And since UHF is line-of-sight, both 2W and 5W are capable of hitting LEO satellites in terms of distance. Horizon distance is much shorter than that -- and UHF doesn't cope well with vegetation (VHF MURS will get through a forest better than UHF GMRS). UHF is a bit better in urban areas, where the shorter wavelengths can penetrate windows and doorways that act as a Faraday cage for VHF).

Take a DVM between the microphone hanger (is it a loop or button, and what is is made of) and the screws on the clip itself. If it shows voltage/current (depending on mode) check the direction (if black is on clip and red on loop/button, a negative voltage says the clip is NOT grounded, but is into a 12V wire; positive indicates you have a hot microphone and need to isolate it from ground -- through-hole plastic insulation washer might help). I've not found any images showing back of microphone nor the dash clip.

Thank you -- much easier to read. Different browsers may use different fonts. At least on mine, your original post looked like something carved into a Roman temple ?

Very few companies reprint updated manuals for what qualifies as a "software patch update". At best, the manufacturer will have some document of release notes for the firmware update -- though I suspect, given the manufacturer in question, any such release notes are in Chinese and probably not even on-line.

Just for information -- in many forums ALL CAPS is considered to be shouting. Please disable the caps-lock in any future posts.

You've already been chided for the fact that you are programming SIMPLEX channels with the tones. Under the consolidated (FRS & GMRS) channel numbering scheme #1-7 are the 5W (W)FM (2W NFM for FRS) 462MHz interstitials, #8-14 are the 0.5W NFM 467MHz interstitials (for both FRS and GMRS), #15-22 are the 50W (W)FM (again 2W NFM for FRS) MAIN simplex frequencies. #23-30 are 50W (W)FM REPEATER frequencies (not available to FRS). The repeater block has 462MHz receive and 467MHz transmit You don't /need/ to have the decode tones programmed -- if you leave that blank you will hear all traffic on the frequency, whether from the specific repeater or not. You /do/ need to have the encode tone programmed in order to activate the repeater. If you entered a 5kHz offset you are splattering your transmission across two adjacent 462MHz channels. You are mixing up VFO STEP (which is kHz) with REPEATER OFFSET (which is MHz). The "step" is only used for VFO tuning, and means nothing for memory channels. The repeater channels already have the 5MHz offset programmed. Just for kicks -- the settings from my KG-935G I can put in any value for "RX Freq", but the only choices for "TX Freq" are "OFF", or a GMRS frequency (including the interstitials -- this radio allows for custom simplex channels -- so one could have two memory slots with identical TX/RX frequencies, but having different CTCSS/DCS tones VFO settings This is the only place "STEP" appears. And is meaningless for me as I don't use the VFO for tuning.

That may once have been true -- but since 2017 FRS units are allowed 2W on all but the 467MHz interstitials (#8-14; those are still 0.5W ERP) 2W is a common value for handhelds in many services (my ancient Maxon GMRS 210+3 is ~2W on battery, might approach 5W if using a 13.8V power cable, but that does restrict the "HT" capability) The difference in range between 2W and 5W is minuscule.

Presuming you are using the computer programming software, perform a screen-grab of the channels in question and paste it here (I still don't know where you are seeing the 2.5 -- since you don't state kHz or MHz; offset is in MHz and GMRS only uses a +5MHz offset. That means for a repeater channel receiving on 462.550MHz, the transmit frequency will be 467.550MHz). I'd also recommend you do NOT set a receive tone -- at least not until you've confirmed the transmit tone is correct. Monitor using the simplex channel with the corresponding receive frequency and no tones defined.

Download the manual (all 1 page of it) https://mfjenterprises.com/products/mfj-849#product-manuals Accuracy: +/- 5% Minimum Power for SWR: 1W (does not specify if that is minimum forward or reflected). Apologies -- I overlooked that you were looking for the 884

Every radio I own, "Freq Step" only applies to the VFO increment and has no use with memory channels. The only difference between 2.5 and 5.0 is that the former requires one to make two "clicks" when changing the VFO. GMRS main channels are on 25kHz steps (462.550 -> 462.575). When you include the interstitials, the steps become 12.5kHz (462.550 -> 462.5625 -> 462.757). Note that 12.5kHz is not a multiple of 5.0 but 2.5 is. For repeaters, the OFFSET is 5.0MHz (not kHz) -- and that is likely fixed in the radio programming. Misleadingly: According to https://www.baofengradio.com/products/gm-15-pro the model is preloaded with the 22 simplex channels, and the 8 duplex (repeater channels); I'd expect the only modifiable items for those 30 channels to be CTCSS/DCS codes. The other 220 memory slots are receive-only so offset does not apply, and for memories, step is meaningless -- they may support a receive CTCSS/DCS code. Step only becomes of use IF you have the ability to do a Memory->VFO copy and then use a dial to increment/decrement from the loaded VFO frequency. But one of the images does claim 24 modifiable GMRS repeater channels (can't tell if that includes the initial 8, or is in addition to them). It appears that one can select the receive frequency, the transmit frequency is automatic at 5MHz offset. Unfortunately, the only mention Google finds of "DIY" channels for the model just happens to be this forum...

I'd give the nod to Daiwa (though I wouldn't be surprised if some of the MFJ units are rebranded contract models from Daiwa, Diamond [SX-200: HF/VHF; SX-400: VHF/UHF; SX-600: HF/VHF & VHF/UHF using two sensors], etc.)

What's the price point? I'd put the MFJ-847 a few steps above that ever-popular Surecom and its elementary school colored buttons. VHF/UHF only, portable. MFJ-849 HF/VHF/UHF, benchtop; MFJ-884 Cross-needle design (one needle for power-out, second for reflected, where they cross is SWR), MFJ-874 single needle design (switch between forward and reflected, for SWR you first "calibrate" needle to full scale, then flip switch and reflected shows SWR). If it just SWR one is after, MFJ-269 analyzer covers UHF.

Note that a literal reading of the FCC regulations does not allow true "base" stations from operating /through/ a repeater Note that (c) does not mention base stations but does mention control stations (another one of the ambiguous parts in the regulations: if just being able to key up a repeater counts as "control station" there is no need for (c) to mention mobile and hand-held; my interpretation is that a control station is one that can command a repeater to change operating modes [change tone, turn off the repeat function if malicious jamming is taking place, etc.]) (a) does not mention control stations. My view is biased by the 1990s rules, and the "family farm" situation: one base station at the farm house talking to family using HTs/mobiles working out in the fields (all operating under the single callsign). This COULD be combined with a repeater colocated at the farm house (in truth, the base station would be the 462MHz transmitter side, with the repeater module listening on 467MHz). Talking "licensee to licensee" was not the normal mode of operation -- and might be just to neighboring farms, for example ("Kxx9999, this is Kyy1234; Joe, my cows knocked down the fence gate and are wandering your way. Do you think you could corral them while I send one of the boys to herd them back?")