MarkInTampa

I'd like to run the amplified external speaker jack of my base station to my desktop computer just to mix in with the computer speakers. Has anybody got a recommendation on an adapter to drop the speaker out to line level or as a USB sound device?

One of the few radios that can be programmed without a computer.... Do a quick YouTube search for TK-880 front panel programming.

I was doing a job a few years ago and picked up 6 "Ozark Trail" FRS HT's from Walmart in two packs. Just found one of them in a box yesterday and it does have a default ctcss tone of 67.0 across 22 channels. Range sucks on them - we installed truck parking detectors at the interstate rest areas and had to validate and time stamp every truck that came in and out of the parking lot to make sure the system was working. They had a hard time trying to make it across the parking lot, had to sit outdoors in the middle of the lot to coordinate things. Battery life is excellent on them, one of the guys forgot to turn the radio off when he threw it in the back of my car. Every now and then for the better part of a month I'd hear a muffled voice when driving for a second and couldn't figure out where it was coming from before I found it (low battery chirps). At least it didn't interfere with the voices in my head.

Haven't tried Unitrunker. I thought you had to have at least two SDR receivers to track trunked systems. I just have one at the moment (DX Patrol) but looking at getting different as a 2nd SDR receiver - looking at a RSPduo but find it hard to stomach the $300.

SDR Sharp with Simple APCO (p25) and Simple DMR plugins most of the time. Simple point and click the waterfall for analog and most unencrypted DMR and P25 traffic. Kinda like HDSDR for the limited HF I listen too though. I'm a Windows guy and currently have HDSDR, SDR Console, SDR Sharp, SDR Uno, SDR++, SDR Trunk and SDR Angel installed. Spektrum is a pretty cool as well, makes your SDR dongle into a quick down and dirty spectrum analyzer and actually works pretty good.

A Hytera HR65X or HR106X repeater will link across internet out of the box.

There was one heck of a band opening this morning in Florida. My house in the Tampa area to Miami Dade 700 repeater full scale.

Two repeaters 24/7 at 30 miles. On rare occasion when the conditions are right there is a monster repeater 160 miles away. I am in Florida - not a lot of mountains.

Thanks for this! I downloaded the PC version of Zello from Zello yesterday (188mb) and couldn't get it to work right or even log in correctly with my existing account. The version you have is only 3.5mb and works like a champ.

Since I've started this thread I've switched over to SDR# with Simple APCO (P25) and Simple DMR free plugins. Doesn't do simulcast but works great for monitoring un-encrypted business and ham DMR and P25 with a simple point and click on the signal. Keep meaning to try out Fastlane, just haven't had a chance.

10-4. Right now it's not a problem and the cable feeds way low (through doggy door) and back up into a window so it's not a issue at the moment. However right next to the antenna mast base (see first picture) is a cut and orphaned CATV drop going through the wall. My radio sits directly behind the antenna and that hole. I plan on reusing the hole for the coax, just don't have a masonry bit for a hole large enough to pass a terminated coax through. Hate buying a bit for a one time use, need to bum one from somebody at work. But I will keep the drip loop in mind when I do it.

I just did a flag pole for my antenna (Comet GP-6 GMRS/MURS) yesterday, see the thread I posted earlier today if it helps you any.

Didn't think about the zip ties being UV rated, I'll take care of that. The cable actually runs low through a doggie door next to the antenna and back up into a window right next to it. I did put a loop per manufactures (Comet) instructions at the antenna mount.

I wanted a 30ft or so antenna mast/pole but didn't want any guy wires if I could help it. In walking the neighborhood with the doggo I saw a few neighbors that have flag poles and thought to myself that would make a great antenna mast. So I ordered up a 30ft telescoping aluminum flag pole from Home Depot for $160 and it came in yesterday but was kinda bummed that they shipped me a sectional flag pole and not telescoping that I ordered. It's a mixed blessing I suppose. I'd assume the telescoping pole and every section being a smaller diameter tube as it goes up is going to be a bit weaker than a sectional pole that has all the same size of tube but the telescoping would have been much easier to work with. Also with the telescoping pole there is a chance of water intrusion between each section of pole and on the sectional pole there is not. I used expanding fence post foam for the pole base sleeve, used it before when building a fence and it held up a 6ft tall and 4ft wide wood gate so figured it should work in this case and I'm to lazy to use concrete. I also decided to clamp it to the side of the house even though it could be used free standing. It made it a lot easier to level the pole when pouring in the foam for the base sleeve. Also figured it would make the pole a bit stronger and easier to work with. If I want to lower the pole, just loosen up the clamps and remove sections as needed. Not as easy as a telescoping pole would have been though like I planned. Overall I think it came out decent, just have to wait for a windy day to see how much it sways in the wind. I can guy it if I have to but time will tell.

Out of curiosity, what makes a repeater go into the stale status? A new GMRS user in my area was asking why our #1 by far repeater for the area wasn't on the MyGMRS map when I know it was there last month. It is off the map but now shows as a stale repeater when it is not. It's still a public use repeater using travel tone and the webpage for it also invites public use. It does show last updated "a year ago". Does the owner of the repeater have to check in ever now and then to keep the status up?

But you must not have known about the Tera TR-505 dual band GMRS radio with "Optional (MURS) VHF license free channels" if you buy the programming cable (obviously sarcasm).... https://powerwerx.com/tera-tr505-gmrs-recreational-handheld-radio

Mine has a 16ft pigtail with a SMA connector on it. I never ran a SWR sweep on it for MURS until just now - it is actually quite good!

I did a SWR scan on my N9TAX GMRS Slim Jim as well, a bit different than yours. Overall I'd say it's a decent antenna for what it is and the price point. Much, much better than using a Nagoya 771G on a HT but sucks compared to my Comet GP-6 that cost 5x as much. After getting the Comet I relegated the Slim Jim as a scanner antenna for my SDR setup and it actually does a wonderful job for that. I bought a MFJ Discone antenna to replace it with but the Slim Jim actually performs better than the discone on receive, go figure...

How about a grounding question. I've got a spool of 14AWG sold and a spool of 12AWG stranded green ground wire laying around, don't know if that's good enough. Would you suggest grounding just the pole, run the wire up with the coax and ground just the antenna, do both or isolate the antenna from the pole using something like a PVC sleeve and ground just the antenna?

I just ordered one up. We shall see. Pole will be located 2ft away from radios on the other side of the wall, plan on digging a hole a few inches next to the house for the sleeve the pole inserts into as well as clamping it (even thought it should not need it) on the house around the 7ft or so mark. It will never be used for a flag (in the back of the house) just for radio antenna. Cinderblock wall is only 8ft or so from the ground with a flat roof. There is a old abandoned CATV ground block and intact ground rod 6 inches away from where the pole would be. There is also another ground rod 6ft away for the AC unit I can tie into as well. I want a 30ft or so pole that I don't have to mess with guy wires for a reasonable price ($150-170 depending on color). Rohn, MFJ and other 30-40ft poles sell for well over $299, require guy wires and a lot effort. I'm not in a HOA and can use anything I want but don't want to spend 4X the price of the antenna just on a mast. I used Sika expanding fence post foam a few years ago when I replaced a fence at the old place and it worked GREAT! Didn't have to mix concrete, 1 bag equals 100 pounds of concrete. Sets up in 5 minutes or so. Thinking of using it for the flagpole sleeve instead of concrete. I was doing hurricane traffic signal repair and watched the power company plant poles with this kind of stuff instead of concrete. Any thoughts?

I was on Home Depots web site and stumbled upon 30ft aluminum telescopic flag poles yesterday. Figured if they can handle the wind loading of a 3'X5' flag without guy wires it should handle my GP-6 antenna also without guy wires. I also live in Florida where we have these things called hurricanes and would like the option to be able to be able to drop the height of the antenna if need be. Anybody try one of these?

Thanks. The company I'm doing some contract work for is a bonding company that took over a now defunct multi site DOT contractor that went under. Once we finish up some existing jobs the doors will be closed in 18 months or so. There is a onsite 120ft tower that had a 15 mile or so point to point microwave doing T1 service to a old remote office as well as having a repeater on 452.xxx. The microwave stuff is still there but hasn't been used in 10+ years and the remote site is long gone and they haven't put a radio in a vehicle in 5+ years. I turned the repeater off 3 months ago and nobody has even noticed or complained that I'm aware of. Thought it would be cool to take it over or convert to GMRS but I know time on the tower is limited so figured it's just not worth the effort.

Stupid question.. is a LMR license transferrable to a new user? If a company I work for decided to ditch LMR for cellular could I take over the repeater and transfer the license to my name or maintain the current license and just set it up for me and my buddies?

I picked up the simplex repeater and decided to give my HT's a test for range this morning before installing the new mast to check how much height will weigh in once installed. I need to get my base antenna mounted higher, have a 35ft mast but haven't had a chance to put it up yet. Home setup KG1000+, Comet GP-6 antenna approx 13ft off the ground, Argent Data ADS-SR1 Simplex repeater. HT 1 is a Wouxun KG-935G (non plus, direct conversion) tested with the stock and a Nagoya NA-771G antenna HT 2 is a TYT MD-380 superhet with a kinda stubby and a NA-771 clone style antenna - both came in the box with the radio Also used a Wouxun hand mic for both the HT's Drove over to a park 1.2 miles away... Both radios worked fine with the shorter antennas so moved on Drove to another park 2.5 miles away with a bit of a hill between the base station and the park... The TYT with the longer antenna was a bit noisy but readable in the car, the Wouxun could key with the Nagoya but audio chopped in and out. Outside of the car on the picnic bench the KG-935 could key the repeater on the shorter antenna but no audio at all when held close to my head not using the hand mic. When held out at a distance with the hand mic audio would chop in and out. With the Nagoya near my head without a hand mic audio was dirty but readable. When held out a bit with the hand mic it was fine. The MD-380's short antenna worked but was dirty when near my head without a hand mic but when held out with a hand mic it was clean. The long antenna worked fine near the head without a hand mic or exteded with a hand mic. Strange results, I expected a bit better out of the 935G with it's longer factory antenna and a brand name hi gain one but it does to the job. I do have a 2nd 935G but didn't bring it with me for testing. I guess it could be the direct conversion vs superhet but don't know. It should be interesting to retest with the antenna up another 25ft at the base.

A few of the GMRS repeaters around here are XPR or Quantar's that are capable of DMR or P25 but the digital modes are off. I just thought it was a pretty cool little repeater that has ethernet port for IP multi-site connectivity, built in battery backup, etc. Being a new product, from a pretty reputable company with a lot of nice features but only 25/10 watts I'd still guess it sells for over $1500 but I can't find pricing. A bit pricy for GMRS and there are a lot of better options around. I was under the assumption when I replied to the post about it the OP thought it was DMR only ("Then I saw this and started to get excited but it's DMR") and just wanted to let him know it was capable of analog. Didn't mean to start a war, gortex2 has been the source of a lot of good info and value his opinion.