[Your Portable Setup?]

Yaesu 2m, 20Ah LiPo battery, 30w solar panel, roll-up ladder-line J pole antenna. 30' telescopic mast (painter's extension pole).

[GMRS in North Carolina]

I'm in far western NC; I hardly ever pick up GMRS traffic on scan. My frequency selection is usually wide open.

[Emergency Solar Power Source]

I've got a 30w panel and a 20Ah LiPo battery, a deep-cycle marine battery, and a pickup truck, any of which can power my 100w 2m radio in a "go box", which also has a couple of USB ports to charge something like my phone or HT.

[Your First and current GMRS HT]

My first were a pair of Midland GXT's.
My current ones are a Baofeng UV9R+ and a F8HP with the 3800mAh battery and a dual-band Signal Stick for 2m and Nagoya NA-701G's for GMRS. Even though the stock duck on the F8HP is apparently the same one they supply with their GMRS radios, I just wanted a better antenna.
I've also got a VHF mag-mount antenna for the truck.

[So did you get your $35 GMRS License?]

On 4/22/2022 at 5:44 PM, WRFP399 said:

Side bar question: Do you think your family would benefit from a HAM license? What can do you on HAM that a basic user of UHF/VHF can't do with GMRS/MURS?

1: Yes, I'm licensed.

2: There is absolute zero chance that my mate will ever sit for a Technician exam. Therefore when we need family coms, it's GMRS.

3: My 2m and GMRS HT's both work in similar fashion, but my 2m radios require a ham license for both parties, and there are lots more 2m repeaters around here. If I had a GMRS base station, I'd be limited to 50 watts. On HF, I'm limited to 1500.
So, if we're at a festival and my presence is suddenly required at the beer tent; GMRS. If I want to chat up Australia; ham radio.