wrtq652

Hi @OffRoaderX,
 
If your question is actually "How do I get drivers for my radio software to run on Windows 11 emulated in Parallels on MacOS with M1 hardware?", then you might be in for a bit of trial and error and I'm excited to know what you or someone else in our group can find!  If I read your question slightly differently, as "How do I get radio software which only runs on Windows (7/8/9/10/11) to work with drivers for radio software to run on may MacOS M1?" I may have an alternate solution from the open source emulation community.
I'm also curious, are you using the Windows 11 ARM preview or the x86 version of Windows 11 inside the Parallels Virtual Machine (VM) environment?

Issues with driver versions and binary compatability
If you're runing the ARM version of Windows 11, it stands to reason you'd need an ARM version of the driver.  If you're running an x86 version of Windows 11, its stands to reason you'd need an x86 version of the driver.

Trying an alternate solution:
For the alternate solution, have you considered using UTM (https://mac.getutm.app/) for the emulator on the M1 mac?  It uses QEMU under the covers which emulates x86 on the M1 ARMs. Is the parallels solution going thorugh Rosetta as a translator?  That may be a good question to help perform a situation apprasial on if the problem is driver related, guest operating system related, or x86 driver on ARM related.
According to Parallels, "To run Windows 11 and its applications on a Mac with Apple M Series Chip, you need to install Windows 11 on ARM that can run the majority of Intel-based Windows 11 applications by using a built-in emulator." (Parallels, 2022)
I could see where an x86 driver might not operate on the ARM version of Windows 11. 
If the goal is, "programming radios with Windows based software running on a Windows based Guest OS, on a MacOS host OS, running on Apple M1 hardware", the UTM approach may better meet your needs.
I've come across lots of issues with the cables on certain radios, for example the cable for the Radioddity DB-20G on Windows 11 has well documented driver issues, there is a developers version of Windows (10 day temporary license for x86 version of Windows 7, 8, 10 that may be of use) if you need that magical version of the prolific driver on x86 or if you need a version of windows old enough to run the driver you are using to temporaily identify the problem on.  There have been some issues where an older prolific driver may work, this is only known to work on x86 versions of Windows 7,8,9,10 (Duffy, 2022)
If you choose the alternate solution, or have any successes with the path you've chosen I'd like to hear about it!  Good luck!
 
References:
Parallels. (n.d.). KB parallels: About parallels desktop for mac with Apple M Series Chip. Virtual machines created on Intel-based Mac computers have  that is fundamentally . Retrieved November 19, 2022, from https://kb.parallels.com/125343
Duffy, O. (n.d.). Prolific PL-2303 problems. Retrieved November 19, 2022, from https://owenduffy.net/software/ATB/PL2303.htm
   

I only have one problem with this video. He said it doesn't receive as well because it's a ROC. Not only that, he went on the say that every other type approved radio is better than the Midland, but did nothing to demonstrate that.
 
I'm a little confused by this guy (and others I have seen) complaining about the Midland and others being a ROC instead of a superheterodyne.  There are ROC systems that outperform some superheterodyne systems all day long and cost as much as $10,000 for amateur transceivers. Flex SDR is a great example. 
 
There are POS superheterodynes and POS ROCs.  The style of tech shouldn't be automatically discounted as junk or awesome based on design style alone. 

Somethings to keep in mind is that height above ground of an antenna has a huge effect on gain.
Although gain patterns look pretty regular; gain is not.  It can look like tendrils emanating in all kinds of directions.  Here's an idealized picture from https://www.netxl.com/blog/networking/antenna-gain/:
 
But here is a pattern generated from EZNec, an antenna simulation tool:

Since I have little to no knowledge of what is best for a repeater. I initially used what I could find that was "gmrs tuned". Optek UH-2401.
Now after many forums search's I find that maybe a Dipole might be better.
If a person tried to look for the best universal direction output, best gain, and working on antenna altitude, but may not be able to fix that much.
Are my assumptions from my reading even close to reasonable?
If I had the money,
ASP705K might be the best answer.
DB420-B May be next best.
DB408-B Then this.
DB404-B Then this.
Compared to the radiated energy of a Optek UH-2401 like antennas.
Am I missing ground plane / grounding complications?  Other things I am too stupid to know?  Keep in mind altitude is not an option more that 20'9" change to 33'2" mast. Hills North and South.
My assumption is DB404-B in elliptical layout should be better than Optek UH-2401 like antennas.  Is this reasonable  understanding?
Thank you,
Royce
 
 
 

a DB404 will work fine. I run a 404 on 3 of my repeaters. 2 are on tower sites 1000' higher than the surrounding area. 1 is on a 60' tower. I also run a DB408 as a receive antenna at one tower site with a DB404 for the transmit thru a combiner. The 408 and 420 are higher gain so if your way up may over shadow the area you are trying to cover. In the end all three are commercial made antennas used by Public Safety and LMR all over the US and are built to last. 

Theoretically radio waves would be radiated from a single point at exactly the same strength in all directions, forming a perfect sphere. That’s unity gain, or no real gain.
However, in real life that sphere may take on other shapes, with more strength in a specific direction, or flattened at the top or bottom. But there’s just as much RF energy being emitted, so just like a water balloon, if you flatten it, the circumference becomes larger. That’s said to be gain in that direction. 
When there is gain in a direction, other directions suffer. Those may be directions that don’t matter. For instance, directly above or below the tower. 
The size and shape can be simulated using antenna simulation software or it may be estimated using past experience or it may be measured using a field strength meter. 
Most commercial antennas have some kind of published information. 

I never thought about using Fixed Stations to connect two different Repeaters.  If that's correct (I don't recall anything in the regulations that prohibits it) then you might as well use full duplex.  Fixed Stations may transmit on both 462 MHz main channels and 467 MHz main channels, thus they could communicate in full-duplex. They are limited to lower power, but that helps with the technical challenges anyway, as you pointed out. The technical challenges you mention are the biggest challenges.
[Repeater] <--- wired connection ---> [Fixed Station] ((((((RF)))))) [Fixed Station] <--- wired connection ---> [Repeater]

No - it really couldn’t.  A repeater works by transmitting while it receives.  If you disconnect the receiver while it’s transmitting you prevent the repeater from repeating; it has nothing to transmit. 
Repeaters are only able to work because
transmitters transmit on a completely different frequency from the receiver AND duplexers (or antenna locations) filter out the high power RF that is being transmitted to prevent it from entering the receiver and causing feedback or actual damage.   The input stage of a receivers must be very sensitive to “hear” a signal at any distance.  Being connected to the same feedline as a transmitter is like having a gun go off right next to your ear.
Turning off a receiver after the transmitter has completed transmitting does nothing but prevent future use of the repeater.

Usually the roger beep is overdeviated and can nearly blow your eardrum out if you are using a bluetooth earpiece. I've had that a few times where I ripped that thing off my ear cause it hurt. MDC & FleetSync tones are much more subdued, as are courtesy tones, usually at 80% deviation or less, and much easier on the ears.

If there was ever a place for the old Venn Diagrams we learned when we were kids, this would be the place. It would be fascinating to have everyone here draw their own  diagram of GMRS, Ham, FRS, CB and MURS.

Every repeater in a given state, for now. Later on I will add a zip code radius search so you can narrow it down further. 

Don’t let this bleak response convince you that an SWR sweep is of little value. Dummy loads look completely different to a VNA than antennas 
He’s right that there’s more to measuring the effectiveness of an antenna than just SWR, but if an antenna has a very high SWR, that must be addressed. 

asterisk -rx "rpt fun 25312 *3177"
This did the trick it now shows that I am connected to the 177 hub.
Thanks for the support

Well played M1chael ?.

WRQI685 welcome aboard mygmrs.com!  Let us all know when you go from Guest to Member!
-VVRTQ652 (wrtq652) Everyone typos some times ?‍♂️

Well played M1chael ?.

WRQI685 welcome aboard mygmrs.com!  Let us all know when you go from Guest to Member!
-VVRTQ652 (wrtq652) Everyone typos some times ?‍♂️

Well played M1chael ?.

WRQI685 welcome aboard mygmrs.com!  Let us all know when you go from Guest to Member!
-VVRTQ652 (wrtq652) Everyone typos some times ?‍♂️

Please check your call sign format. It should be four letters followed by three digits. 

I can see from the post above a Standing Wave Ratio (SWR) meter wasn't available at the time and checking the SWR was suggested. It would be worth taking a look at the SWR when a meter becomes available.

I'm curious to know if anyone is checking the Standing Wave Ratio (SWR) between the BTECH-U25 AMP and the antenna after swapping the feed line from the handheld to the BTECH-U25?

Having an antenna with a low SWR would allow the most output power to be sent through the antenna.  I'm curious as to what reflected power the BTECH-U25 is able to handle and if it has any protection circuitry built into it, for example to reduce the output power if the reflected power at the transmitter is too high.

It's reasonable to say a high reflected power for a handheld is going to be under 5 watts, as we go up in power closer to 40W, the reflected power of a poor SWR match may be enough to damage the amplifier.  A properly matched antenna/feed line is going to be important as the wattage increases so the reflected power will not damage the finals of the amplifier.  (Also be sure the SWR meter in use is rated for the GMRS band (~462MHz - ~468MHz) / (UHF)).
 
A good description of safe ranges for radios SWRs is posted on the CB World website.  The article describes best practices for SWR common to antennas.
SWR 1.0-1.5: The ideal range!
SWR 1.5 - 1.9: There's room for improvement, but SWR in this range should still provide adequate performance.
SWR 2.0 - 2.4: While not good, this likely won't damage your radio with casual use.
SWR 2.5 - 2.9: Performance in this range will be noticeably decreased, and you might even damage your radio if you transmit frequently and for extended periods.
SWR 3.0+: Performance will be severely affected, and you're likely to damage your radio with extended transmission use.
 
The second item worth mentioning is having a stable input voltage and power delivery for the amplifier power supply.  The BTECH website lists the power draw at "13.8 VDC (±15%), 5.5 A maximum" (BTECH, 2022), another test indicates 13.6V 30A power supply was just under 6A (Miklor, 2022).  Two of the most common problems with installing radios and amplifiers are SWR and proper power supply voltage (Shannon, 2022).  Testing the voltage at the power supply to the amplifier to be sure it's receiving the proper voltage at 13.8 volts would allow the amplifier to deliver the most power to the transmitted signal. 
There's a good discussion of the input voltage to the radio, related to a different transmitter, and how a 3.5volt to 4 volt drop was seen when transmitting at the radio/amplifier side of the connection contributing to undesirable transmitting results (Spatz, 2022).
A direct to battery connection would make it more likely the amplifier is operating at the correct voltage, at least the power connection would be isolated to power draw from the amplifier.  A fused power connection directly to the battery and into the passenger compartment or to where the BTECH-U25 amplifier is located would be ideal.  The connection to the battery could have a cigarette lighter input adapter attached to it, to make the install of the BTECH-U25 easier to plug in or move to another location.
 
Thanks @WRVG593 for sharing your install story and I wish you the best in getting the BTECH-U25 installed. Keep us updated if you decide to move the amplifier again and how it all works out for you! I'm curious to know how the 2nd choice for the install location works out if you decide to go that route?
 
 
References:
BTECH AMP-U25 UHF analog amplifier. BaoFeng Radios. (2022, December 12). Retrieved December 19, 2022, from https://baofengtech.com/product/amp-u25/
CB World. (n.d.). What is SWR and why is it SO important? . CB World. Retrieved December 19, 2022, from https://www.wearecb.com/what-is-swr.html
Miklor, J. (n.d.). Review btech power amp. Miklor. Retrieved December 19, 2022, from https://www.miklor.com/COM/Review_DMR-Amps.php
Shannon, S. (2022, December 19). KG-XS20G Plus problem. myGMRS.com Forums. Retrieved December 20, 2022, from https://forums.mygmrs.com/topic/4932-kg-xs20g-plus-problem/#comment-48811
Spatz, M. (2022, December 19). KG-XS20G Plus problem. myGMRS.com Forums. Retrieved December 20, 2022, from https://forums.mygmrs.com/topic/4932-kg-xs20g-plus-problem/#comment-48819
 

The guy is a recent licensee so the historical background is not relevant. 
The guy should pay attention to what Rich suggested and review what he entered. If he entered the same thing he used in his Guest name it’s a mistake. 
Sometimes the difference between a lowercase L and the first ordinal number isn’t always obvious (especially for us old farts that learned on manual typewriters where a single character represented both). 
 

The two things I would check for are 
High SWR or Insufficient power supply. Some radios have protection built in that will temporarily shut down rather than transmitting into a high SWR.
But it may simply be that your power supply simply cannot provide the power your radio needs when it’s transmitting at high power, resulting in the voltage sagging and the radio resetting itself.
 

Measuring at the radio, does the voltage stay at 14.1 when you key up on high power?
I think your next step would be to call customer support. 

My First U25 pooped out too! Then my second one makes strange noises when plugged up to a 12V that isnt a full 13.8V power supply which didn't happen on the first one. Strange, crazy, and annoying. Maybe i'll just keep the U25 in my Garage and hopefully it will be okay and hook up to my House Antennae okay.

So I'm Brand New to GMRS, but let me clarify a few things. 
I Unfortunately do not yet own an SWR Meter, Working on that, so when i say power I didn't mean Wattage or even a measured amount of anything. I realistically meant the ability to hit other repeaters, reach people in the area, etc. 
The Antennae in question was one of 3 that work roughly as good as each-other. I Have a stock 5(?) inch Antennae, a 48 Inch Antennae, and A 15 inch Whip Antennae, all of which work about as well as each-other. I receive and transmit better when I'm not using the AMP/UT72 Combo. I have yet to place another Antennae up to the U25. I am going to hook up the UT72 to the radio later today and see what happens. Maybe then I can diagnose it as being an antennae issue rather than an amp issue. 
There was a while the microphone i was using was causing bad transmission, but I ended up using the radio itself instead, and that cleared up part of the issue. But even when I found the repeater, for Test purposes I used the radio right underneath and to no surprise got great results and got a repeater tail as well as a human copy. But when I plugged up to the U25 Amp, it almost seemed as a threshold more than an Amp, dimming the power instead of increasing.  
TLDR; I don't yet have a way to measure power, but after testing the radio in the field, the radio by itself transmits and receives better without the U25/UT72 Combo. 

What do you mean by "I get more power?"  How are you measuring the "power" you're getting?
Or do you simply mean that others receive you better?  Clearer? Louder? Or are you actually measuring the power output where it feeds into the antenna?  
So: GMRS Radio -> U25 -> UT-72 gives you less power than GMRS Radio -> UT-72?
Or GMRS Radio -> U25 -> UT-72 gives you less power than GMRS Radio -> Unknown stubby antenna
Have you tried using GMRS Radio -> U25 -> Unknown stubby antenna?  How does that compare?
What's the SWR of the UT-72 at the frequency you're transmitting?
What does the amp's SWR look like to the radio?
If you're truly measuring power (watts) using the U25 and UT-72 combination, and it's less than measured power going into the stubby antenna, where are you measuring?  
Assuming they're both the same measurement point (right at the antenna) then it could be bad feedline, bad amp, or bad antenna: high SWR on antenna (reflected power subtracts from forward power).
 

This step always tells the real story.  I have seen some mobile installations that have had 20+ feet of 16 or even 18 gauge wire with crimped extensions and crimped eye-loops at the battery.  On the radio side, they experienced a 1.5v to 2v drop when in standby and 3.5v to 4v drop on the radio side when they key up.