SpeedSpeak2Me

Follow the @OffRoaderX advice. Get a factory pre-made one with PL-259 connectors on both ends, and an SO-239 to N adapter. You will never notice the insertion loss, and if you need to reuse the cable later for something that doesn't have a N connector, like a different antenna, you can.

Would need to know which part of the VHF band the antenna is for. If it was for an amateur radio 2m (144-148 MHz) repeater, it probably won't work very well for GMRS, since the GMRS frequencies are not a harmonic of 2m. If it was used for MURS, you might be able to get away with it, but performance will still suffer. Also, I wouldn't use a radio with an inline SWR meter to do your testing. You really don't know what you're transmitting into. I would find someone with a quality antenna analyzer (like a RigExpert) that covers a wide range of frequencies. You also don't know the state of the hardline, it might have a break in it. Probably don't want to be keying a radio into a broken coax. An antenna analyzer can also tell you the length of the coax, so you'll have a good idea if the entire length is still good. As for knowing which antenna the hardline is going to, aside from tracing it, I don't know of a good way to test that. More seasoned forum members might have some ideas.

Something to keep in mind with that model, is that even when Repeater mode is enabled, and you are using the RP channels, it will be set to NFM (Narrow FM). You have to send it to Midland to ask them to change it to WFM (Wide FM) for the repeater channels. They don't charge you for it, but still kind of a pain. Will it prevent you from using a repeater? No, but the audio won't sound as good. The repeater will sound quiet to you, since you're hearing only 1/2 of the bandwidth. When you are transmitting to the repeater, others will hear you fine, but your voice won't sound as full, since you're transmitting using only half the bandwidth. If you do send it in to be updated, the WFM is only for the RP (repeater) channels. So if you're on CH 16 simplex, it's going to be NFM. One of the shortcomings of the radio. Other than a goofy menu system (including their listings of CTCSS/DCS tones), the radio itself is just fine for simplex communications, and actually sounds decent.

No. The batteries are different sizes (width and thickness), and the contact plates are in different locations: Battery on left is for the UV-5G Plus, on the right is the standard capacity battery for the UV-5R.

What is the antenna? If it is a dual band that includes 2m, it is not likely to be resonant on 64cm (GMRS), especially repeater input. Being seven 5/8λ stacked for UHF it'll have an even tighter operational bandwidth, but will give much higher gain. The SWR reading from the meter might not be accurate.

OOC, which meter were you measuring with, and what was used as a test load?

Interesting... I'm glad someone else analyzed the N9TAX Labs antennas. I also have both the 2m/70cm and MRUS/GMRS versions, both with 16' of RG58U. For the MURS/GMRS (on GMRS) using a RigExpert Stick Pro, with the antennas hanging about 12' AGL (away from vegetation), I got slightly better results: 2m/70cm (UHF) I also found that the Surecom SW-102's (mine is the "S" model)l are wildly inaccurate. I know they are popular, but the readings they give can be very misleading. As an example, it told me my Browning BR-6155 (fed with 50' of LMR400UF) has an SWR of 1.01:1 at 467.6000 MHz. My RigExpert Stick Pro, and my friend's AA-1400 both show 1.37:1 at that frequency.

No problem, sir. Hopefully the brain-trust at DanPlanet will be able to add it to their ever-growing list of supported models. It's a nice little GMRS only HT, with a few flaws, but overall it's decent.

Just a note, contrary to what most of the internet experts are saying, CHIRP-next does not work with the UV-5G Plus, even if you select a different model to "fake" it. You will get a read error. If anyone says that it does, ask for the actual proof. The request to support this model was submitted back in December (2023). To program via computer, you have to use the proprietary CPS (Customer Programmable Software), and it is Windows only. It's also not very good.

Would it be safe to presume that you sent an access request to the repeater owner, and received the private PL tones (either CTCSS or DCS) ? If not, you will need to do that before you can access the repeater. If you do have that information, verify that your radio (transceiver) is set up correctly (input/output frequency (offset), and tones (decode/encode)). If everything is set correctly, are you within range of the repeater? Crete does have a very large footprint. Also, was the net already in session? Were they asking for check-ins? Is it possible you doubled (keyed at the same time) as someone else, and weren't heard? Let's get through these questions before going further.

As @wayoverthere stated, the Midland MXT115 is not computer programmable. In order to use it with repeaters you have to use the FPP to enable the Repeater menu, so that you can set the CTCSS or DCS code. Midland also uses a LUT (Look Up Table) for the PL Tones. So you can't just program in 67.0 or DCS023N, you have to know what their value in the table is. Additionally, as of last year that model comes from the factory as NFM (Narrow FM), even on the repeater channels. So unless they are now shipping them out with WFM enabled for repeaters, you have to send it to Midland for them to update the firmware. That's only with the USB-C models, as the USB-Type A are not upgradeable to WFM.

You're quite welcome for the information, and don't feel bad. When I first got into GMRS I picked up one of the Nagoya UT-72G antennas based on other people's recommendations. I got two from two different resellers and they were both junk. The SWRs for simplex were 1.77:1, and at the repeater inputs it was almost 2.10:1. Some will say anything under 2:1 is okay, but i just wasn't comfortable using something that was that far off, when I knew there was better. I did have people tell me I got the wrong antenna, that I got the UT-72 (2m/70cm) by ignorance. However I have that antenna as well, so I had a direct comparison (at the end of this post). The UT-72 performs slightly better than the UT-72G on GMRS. Having invested in the quality equipment (the RigExpert), it really lets me know exactly what is going on. I did my testing on three different vehicles, all with more than enough area for a ground plane, and got the same results for both antennas (UT-72G) on all three vehicles. Where some initial mistakes were made was using an inexpensive inline SWR meter, the Surecom SW102. It's good for confirming your TX frequency and power (when used with a 50Ω dummy load), and that's about all I trust it for. Others have had measured success with them, but when compared to a quality antenna analyzer, they just don't hold up. At least that is what I have found with my use of them, YMMV. I use 3.25" bases with both of my 32" antennas and have no issues, even at highway speeds. You have to be careful with the base size, as I have found that too large of a magnetic base will impact your tuning. For example I helped a person that purchased a 6" mag mount, and from experience I could tell before we did any trimming of his Laird BB4503 that something was wrong. The SWR's were way too high, and the "shape" (peaks/valleys) were in the wrong places. We switched them to a 3.25" base and the antenna went to where it should have been. The reason is, I believe, and more knowledgeable persons on here can correct me if I am wrong, is that due to the requirement of needing at least 1/4 wavelength ground plane (about 6.3" / 16cm), the diameter of the base was interfering with the ground plane itself. For reference, this is the mag mount that I use, which has 12' of RG8X, and is paired with the BB4505CN or BB4502N. Laird TE Connectivity GB8X I also have this base with 12' of RG58/U, with the removable rubber boot, and pair it with the BB4505C or the BB4503. Laird TE Connectivity GBR8PI The GB8PI is the same as the GBR8PI, but without the rubber boot. So you're basically being charged $7-8 for the boot, which isn't required, nor does it hurt its performance. Now, I do say "as a reference" because The Antenna Farm is closed until Summer of 2024, but they are still an excellent resource. An alternative mount, which I have yet to hear anything negative about is the Midland MXTA12 mag mount. It is also more readily available, and is 3.5" in diameter. To go further with that, Midland's MXTA26 GMRS NMO antenna is also an excellent performer, and requires no tuning. These two items are very often paired with each other. I have Midland's MXTA13 mag mount, which is a 1/4λ, with a 1" magnet, 6" mast, and 20' of spaghetti (RG-174) for coax. It performs better than I ever would have given it credit for, even with the massive amount of attenuation from the coax, which is about 20dB per 100', which is a lot. However it works in a pinch for temporary use, and over flat terrain I can hit repeaters 30 miles away with just 15w. As mentioned above (both antennas on the same vehicle, positioned in the same place). Sweep is 400-500 MHz. Red - Nagoya UT-72G Blue - Nagoya UT-72

I have one of these, without the spring, so the BB4505CN. IIRC, they make two "spring" versions. One has a steel spring, the BB4505CNS/B4505CNS, and one with an elastomer spring BB4505CNS(R)/B4505CNS(R). The springs are not-so-much for wind loading, but in case you hit something with it, like a garage door header or tree branches. I intentionally got the "no ground plane required" version for a car that has very little area for the ground plane. The antenna works great, since the bottom half serves as the ground plane, with the signal propagating from the top half above the coil. The trimming chart on the package is accurate, and I've found that my final trimmed length is usually within 0.0625" (1/16th) to 0.125" (1/8th) listed on the chart (typically longer). That is with 12' of RG8X on a mag mount, and using a RigExpert Stick Pro (antenna analyzer). I have mine cut to favor repeater inputs rather than simplex, since that is where it is used most. In reality I could have aimed for center-band and would never notice a difference. My SWRs are 1.5:1 or less from 457 MHz up to 478 MHz, the lowest being 1.06:1 @ 465.6000 MHz The Return Loss chart shows a more accurate reading of the tuning: For this vehicle I also have the BB4502N, which is also a very good performer for its length (~ 10"), but it is 1/2λ, not 5/8λ. Additionally I have the BB4503 (5/8λ) and the BB4505C for another vehicle which does have sufficient area for the ground plane, and those also have excellent performance. In the event that you (or others) are curious, here is a direct comparison of the BB4505CN to the BB4505C, covering a 30 MHz bandwidth. Green line is the BB4505CN, and the orange line is the BB4505C. Some people say I like Laird antennas, and they would be correct.

Not that I would, but the OP could do what they wanted, but performance on Tx will still suffer, as they’ll lose the counter poise. I can’t see the external speaker/mic combo’s cable serving as the counter poise. Might help Rx a bit, but that’s about it.

For the UHF antenna for GMRS, yeah, that’s not a good mounting location, even for a NGP. You’re basically blocking 90°+ of your transmit RF due to its position next to the cab corner. It’s also shorter than the roofline, so that’s hurting propagation as well. The antenna itself is a curiosity, as there doesn’t seem to be too much information about them. Just that they’re wide band 406-470 MHz. If it is truly for covering all that in one antenna without changing the tuning, you’re going to be sacrificing performance, especially at the edges, like where GMRS is at. Best case would be a 5/8 wave dead center of the largest metal portion of the roof. Or better yet a 5/8 over 5/8 colinear. But that will be a good 32” in height. You can get single 5/8 wave about 11”, and tune it for GMRS, if that is the intended usage. The biggest goal is to get the antenna in a position where it is not obstructed by parts of the vehicle.