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Hello Internet! It has been awhile since I've been playing around in GMRS and I have learned a lot of things over the past few months. I believe I am finally ready to try and create a repeater of my own. My location is favorable as im on top of a hill that oversees the township so I want to give it a go. The ideal use of the repeater is to provide a method of local communication within the township. Im located near and in range of the CSRA Columbia network, but I want something small and local, plus its just a fun project to try and accomplish. I have developed a rough plan and got some equipment I have looked at and will start collecting soon based on how this thread goes. So far I have got 2 Motorola GM300 UHF radios as they were fairly cheap and work well with the repeater interface I got for it. I plan to run theses radios at 25 Watt output. For the repeater interface I chose a Motorola HLN3333B R.I.C.K. as its just plug and play with the GM300's plus it adds the option of remotely shutting down the repeater via DTMF if I desire. I already have covered a power supply so that's good there. I want to get a duplexer and this one offered on MyGMRS looks good but I want some opinions about it from folk who know a bit more first before committing on buying it. If there are other duplexers out there that I should consider, let me know. The antenna I have planned to get is a Tram 1486, also offered by MyGMRS as a option and i'll have this mounted straight above the set up which is inside of the shop. From floor to antenna base, about how tall should I mount the antenna? And for coax, I am leaning towards using 100ft of LMR400 coax cabling. I herd it would get the job done well and its not too expensive. So far that is everything I have on the list. I'll worry about building antenna mounts and a cabinet for the radios later. I know i'm not making something that is perfect and i'm not trying to cover an entire county, but I want something that works well for a starter and to go from there. Im hoping to achieve about 20~ miles and I hope im making the right decisions with some of the equipment I have and plan to get. Let me know what you experts think and help guide me in the right direction. Looking forward to learning more!

Well I did done do it....Pulled out all my old gear and fired it back up ...My old Regency Land Mobile repeater feeding into my TX-RX vari-notch duplexer a old hand me down hunk of coax (sorry not sure of the type) and into a one of those antenna kits that you can use a mobile antenna for a base like you see on construction sites, but I have a 50' piece or LMR sitting here just waiting for someones fingers to wrap around it and install it. .I took an inventory of the stuff I have and it shocked me...Ritron RPM 450 mobiles looks like 6 of them not sure what shape there in, a couple of duplexers, Zetron 37 repeaterman box , a ZR 310 community panel, a 3 element YAGI antenna, 3 base antenna's,one is new I always wanted to try out one of Michael, KB9VBR, J pole antenna for GMRS, (I am using one of his other J pole antenna for my scanner for which it's got to be 5 years maybe older which it works great) the other one is Hustler G6-460, and one other that's around 6dB I think it's a maxrad ...but what ever.. still need moral support help trying to fasten the LMR to the mast I have so it won't wear thru the cover on the LMR while it's against the mast. Suggestions people ? Don WRBN575