UncleYoda

You could try Baofeng K5+ ... they seem very close and it is 10W tri-power, aircraft ban RX. I can't tell what if anything is different. The extra battery being sold for AR fits them both. It has 5RM as part of the ID #s on the inside back label. https://www.baofengradio.com/pages/download

I don't know who he is, but... President Trump Announces Brendan Carr as Chairman of the FCC: https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/11/president-trump-announces-brendan-carr-as-chairman-fcc/

It has some issues you should be aware of. The BTWR owner would not post my review where I explained all this. When setting tones or just changing channels, holding down the arrow keys does not work to cycle through like it does on every other radio I have. Starting a scan takes 3 button presses instead of holding down one button. The channel numbers on the right are really small - I need high magnification glasses to read the chanel numbers. The extra info across the top is tiny too but that is less important usually than channel number. The mic port went bad on mine in less than a year. I usually listen on earphones with a mic button; the speaker port still works and I can still talk by using the PTT button as I would without the earphones. Not a big deal but I expected better quality from TYT since my 12 yr old UV5Rs never went bad. It does receive well, better than the newer UV5Rs which have somehow been modified to not pick up weak signals as well as the older ones did. Transmission sound is good too. I believe it's supposed to be good as far as harmonics but I can't test. One feature I like is the screen backlight can be set to stay on - I hate radios that go dark just to save battery power, I want to see that my radio is on and be able to glance at the screen. I leave mine on 3, the middle setting, brightest is too bright and dimmest is too dim. The battery eliminator which I got started having problems - somewhere inside or in the cord there is a loose connection. I use battery eliminators indoors whenever I can. Other people may not care. And I've only had this one so I don't know if it's a common problem. The battery release, on the bottom, is really hard for me to operate. It's a good, mostly well built HT. But overall I was not impressed enough to buy more. As it ships (AT LEAST WHEN I GOT MINE), VFO mode is locked out, which is ridiculous for a ham radio (but common in Part 90 radios). The key sequence for unlocking VFO is posted on the BTWR site.

REACT HQ would not even give me a contact for my state

We don't have one group hogging everything, but all the frequencies are in use or at least claimed except maybe the 550 (off-air but still listed). I'm not sure what the best choice is for the next one to be put up. Is that private 600 one ever used or are they just camping on the frequency?

Yes, the main reason given was the risks. It's a typical attitude for emergency management people; they think we're incapable of doing basic things everyone can do. A 911 dispatcher told me that same kind of thing - getting in the way or needing to be rescued - when I was a volunteer. But people don't need FEMA cousres, Red Cross courses, or an AUXCOMM approval to do basic shit that we've all done when needed. [There is possibly something much worse than this happening but it's not verifiable with reliable sources yet, so I prefer to hold off on discussing it. It isn't radio related anyway, but like always ham (and GMRS) operators could help spread the word when MSM doesn't cover it.]

Which repeater(s) do you monitor most? And later, if they're in range for me (Gilbert and Batesburg-Leesvile is not the best direction for me), it would help to get your callsign to know I'm talking to the right person - PM me that later if you are OK with that. Based on what I learned about Andy's location, it will be difficult for me to make contact with him. I'm not sure if I understood. Is that private VHF repeater you want to put up for SCSG and CERT a different effort from this GMRS repeater you're looking into? Would the GMRS repeater be open?

It would've been helpful to say that up front. Since you're down that low, there's nothing we can do to help. If you get to a high spot in that area, you'd probably be in range of 625 from high ground. And Hopkins 675 may line up well with the downstream river valley. Even 650 maybe, although it depends on exact line to the repeater. But from down in a hole, all you can do well is sky reflection, meaning HF ham.

A beam type directional antenna would be best if Gilbert is your main focus. "Yagi" is a common beam type but not the only one. A yagi for GMRS does not need to be big. I know guys in HOAs use attic antennas, but if performance is an issue, you want an outdoor antenna as high as you can manage (with good coax). Your numbers for elevation look off. Lake level full pool is 360. The sandhill ridge is around 500. You should be in between those.

I'll let him explain if he wants to. The details he's leaving out do matter. But he asked for a video to watch and that is different than asking for advice.

Amp would not be a good idea where he has the antenna (too much RF exposure).

Yea I have one. I've left it in GMRS mode so far. Having to redo the channels each time is why I'm not eager to switch back and forth. The other thing they could've designed better is allowing more channels to be programmed for TX.

Has there ever been a case of being fined, warned or whatever FCC does for using a ham radio for GMRS where POWER and BANDWIDTH were correct?

As far as I know, there is no oversight. FCC has a minimum membership number, as I recall, for ham club call signs. But GMRS uses an individual's ID. So, unless someone says otherwise, anyone can start a club just by saying so. Tower owners may have their own requirement, however, and I'm not going to speculate on that. Max probably knows more about that. Another possibility is an existing club centered farther away expanding its coverage into Lexington and surrounding counties. Less administrative overhead that way. As far as not getting a reply on the Gilbert repeater, that's probably due to reduced activity without the links. I can listen if you let me know when you're testing it. I can't transmit back though so I would have to post here or something. I could reply on one of the ham repeaters though - you can listen without a license. Or just wait for Max to help you test.

I don't know of a GMRS club specifically for Lexington. The CSRA club includes the members-only Columbia and Gilbert repeaters and does have members from the area ($30/yr). There are ham clubs in Lexington that could, if they wanted to, also support a GMRS repeater. I'm not in Lexington Co. (close though) and what I can reach there depends on the details. I think it might be better to accept members beyond that one county if they are in the coverage area. There are some issues I would need to discuss before I would participate in a club. But that would need to be discussed elsewhere.