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Hello everyone, I am a new GRMS licensee and this is my first post on this forum. So, it’s good to meet you all. I have been a computer network engineer for 23 years, worked in video streaming and conferencing, telemedicine, backend systems of all types, and I am now venturing out in the mystical world of RF. I have had very limited experience with the RF side of 2.4 and 5GHz WiFi and 4GLTE systems, and have loved two-way since I was a kid, but now I have the budget to really get into it. I have been researching how to link GMRS and stumbled onto this site and the grms.network videos. Then I looked into what the amateur radios folks were doing with Allstar, EchoLink, and the like. I am pretty handy with a soldering iron, know enough to be dangerous with Linux, and understand the IP side of it very well. So, I thought I would try my hand at building a deployable linked repeater system. What would be the use case, you say? Mostly because I am a geek and I think it would be cool. Beyond that, I can see it would be useful for events like marathons and adventure races, desert rally races, etc where someone was traveling in a linear distance and aid and comfort stations along the route needed to maintain comms. Distance in the desert, the ability to address terrain obstacles in adventure races in the mountains. That kind of thing. You could set up at night points along the route and blanket it with linked coverage. Or, that’s my idea for it anyway. A lot of it is pretty straight forward, and I have really appreciated the information many have shared about GMRS linking. I have a good handle on the I{P requirements and how to use LTE to provide the private IP control and repeater interconnection network. But a couple of things have really hung me up. How to interface the radio hardware to the node computer. There are some great videos online about how to modify a BF-888s to create a hotspot node, and I can extrapolate the connection to radios that have a 14pin, 9DB, or 25DB control connections, But how can you get into other mobile radios at 50W that don’t have a control port in the back? I have bought a KG-1000g to play with and I think it’s built in repeater capability through a control cable to an identical radio would keep the system pretty compact. You would need a duplexer, but not a repeater controller? So, the question is how to wire in to what the URIx (ideally) or modded USB sound card needs? If it can be done on the BF-888s, then I think it’s a question worth asking. The other thing is the Allstar server backend. Is it in the node package, or is that a separate package? If I can get these two issues moving, I think I can make something cool. At any rate, I will be around if anyone can use what I know. I am happy to tell you what I know and tell you if I don’t know.

I set up a repeater with my KG-1000's using an XLT-50 duplexer from BuyTwoWayRadios and the performance was not good. I used a Tram 1486 fed with 55ft of LMR400 with a height of about 50ft. The receive range was only a couple of miles. Thinking about two antennas and separating the two radios by extending the coupling cable that came with the radios. I would like to separate the radios by about 70ft or so. Each end of the house. Question, does anyone have any experience in such a situation, and if so, do you have any info on how far you can extend this connecting cable without affecting the performance of this repeater configuration? I'm thinking this would help greatly reduce the affects of desensing.

I have a 2021 Toyota Rav4 and my KG-1000-G GMRS mobile radio main unit is located in the luggage area (rear). I didn’t want to have to drill or glue the head unit to my dashboard but I wanted it in clear view. In the attached pictures below you can see how I used some parts from a cell phone dash mount and the back plate of the KG-1000G head unit to fashion a lean but sturdy mount that attaches to an air conditioner vent. Photo 1: Head unit is in clear view with other OEM mobile interface devices. Note: The handheld mic cable does not perturb the head unit. Very sturdy. Photo 2: Yes. Head unit cable is not discretely tucked away but head unit, head unit cable and mic are easily removed from vent and hidden under a beach towel on passenger seat; out of view while unattended. Photo 3: Rear view of the mount. Photo 4: Left or right holes are reasonable attachment points for ram style phone mount receiver. Countersinking with 1/2 drill bit helps to make original screw lengths usable. Photo 5: Green arrow = existing mounting holes 1 of 6. Red is left hole of 2 closest to center mass balance point. Photo 6: Superglue ( cyanoacrylate) nearly the entire periphery of the ram style phone mount to prevent rotation during assembly. Give it at least an hour to cure. Photo 7: The ram style mount only blocks head unit cable exit hole slightly. Connecter may be still be easily threaded without interference.

I am new to GMRS and trying to get back into the ham hobby. I was involved with CB overseas for many years but when I came back to the U.S. everything has changed including my memory. ? I am living in an association and or course antennas are not permitted. (Let's leave it at that). I am up in Farmington MN and there is a repeater about 2 miles as the crow flies in an open direction on the side of my house that my deck is on. I currently have a Wouxun KG-805G that won't reach the repeater from my basement window even though its a straight shot to the repeater. I just ordered a Midland MXT-400 for my truck but would like to base-station it until I can get my hands on a KG-1000G. I want to try and put up an antenna, on my deck, that is so low to the rail that it is very hard to see so that the association won't complain. I was thinking of a small yagi antenna to point at the repeater and would like to hear your opinions please. I chose the yagi for the gain and small size. Also, If I had to run 50 foot of cable what would be your recommendation for cable. Many thanks! WRMG216.