Mobile GMRS Radios and use in vehicles

[srbecker]

So I am kinda combining a few different threads here to collect information specific to my interest. 

 

I am debating adding a mobile unit to my truck, but I have so many questions before I commit!

 

1. What is a good unit if I am to install one?  Midland MXT115 or MXT400?

2. What is a good antenna?

3. Can I use a drive through car wash like Delta Sonic with the antenna on my truck or do I have to remove it everytime?

4. What is the usability of GMRS in a vehicle? By this I mean compared to CB? Is there a designated channel people use on the road like truckers used to use with CB?

5. What kind of setups do people have  (specifically in a Silverado if possible)? Any photos of your radio or antenna installs? Wire management?

 

I apologize for all the questions.  I have handhelds currently and I am kinda enjoying using them, but I find reception poor sometimes with the handhelds especially in my truck, so having one in there seems like common sense, but at the same time I worry about a mobile unit being installed and then getting a new truck or it being permanently installed and only useable in the truck...  I am also considering just an antenna to connect to my handheld while in the truck, but I am a wire freak and cannot stand exposed wiring, so that seems like a much less likely scenario.  We do camp often with our travel trailer and I hunt, so having a radio in my truck may not be the worst idea.  I just want to do my research, make sure it is a smart investment and usable before I do anything.

 

Thank you everyone in advance for any assistance!!!

 

Sean

WRMG408

[OffRoaderX]

Of course, most replies will be much opinion, so here is mine:

 

1) IMHO, the Wouxun KG1000G is a great radio - it has a 50W output, but the best feature is being able to throw the chassis under the seat (or wherever) and remotely mount the very small faceplate anywhere.  I have also used the BTech GMRS 50X1 - actually 2 of them, but that radio does not output anywhere near the advertised power output and the screen is tiny/hard to read.. but, it is cheaper..sooo...

2) any GMRS antenna is probably "good enough" - on both my Jeeps I use the Browning BR-450 which is a UHF antenna and must be cut/tuned (not a big deal) - but a "GMRS" antenna should not need to be cut/tuned

3) it depends on the antenna & where it's mounted, but to be safe I would remove it.  Assuming you mount it where you can reach it, the GMRS/UHF "NMO" mounts are easy screw-off, so its very fast/easy to remove. Tram makes a very small (6 inch?) that works great, and would probably survive the carwash just fine..

4) There are no designated GMRS channels (technically there, are but, like you, nobody knows about them) and in most areas the airwaves are dead - its not yet like CB as far as activity.

5) I dont have any pics, but, dont overthink it.. Mount the radio where you can see it, and mount the antenna where it works - be warned that experts will tell you that if it's not mounted in the "right" location, "it wont work" - dont belive it.  Jeeps are notorious for not having any "good" mounting locations (due to the lack of a metal roof) and both mine are mounted where the experts say "is terrible/wont work" - and yet I can talk to my wife in her Jeep, also with a "terrible" antenna location, 25 miles away, and I can easily hit a repeater 70 miles away while sitting in my garage with the door closed.

[srbecker]

Thank you sir for your input! I appreciate that! I follow your YouTube channel and you are a big influence as to why I chose GMRS over HAM, also why I have a UV9G on order, and own the GM-30.  I think GMRS was the smartest choice for 90% of my uses, but part of me questions the need for the UV9G when I already have GM-30s, and I also question the need for a mobile station AND 3 handhelds....  I also question their uses in a true SHTF scenario as none of said radios will communicate on anything other than GMRS as far as I understand.  It makes me think I should maybe pick up a CCR like  BaoFeng for a SHTF bag so I can communicate with people if needed outside of the GMRS bands. 

 

Im a mess, I know and maybe confused at the same time as to what my true intentions are, but I am pretty confident that GMRS was the best choice based on camping, local repeaters, hunting and so on.

[Lscott]

A cheap Baofeng  is not a good choice for a SHTF radio. They're OK for a cheap "beater radio" so when it breaks it's so cheap you won't cry over it. The main reason you see so many people suggest them is because of one thing, they're dirt cheap. You buy a $25 radio you get a $25 radio reliability and performance. I purchased a cheap BTECH tri-band hand held radio a while back. Dropped it on the hard floor at a sports bar while out with some friends, the speaker quit working. Oh well, it was a CCR.

 

What you really want is a radio with a heavy duty case that you could drop on concrete and not have it die, drop in the water and not short-out the innards etc. In a SHTF situation you don't know where you'll be and under what conditions, but the radio must still work, hot, cold, driving rain, dusty or smoky air, mud coated etc.

[n4gix]

If you do remove an NMO mounted antenna for safety while using the carwash, please do be sure to buy a screwon cap for the NMO mount...

 

[WyoJoe]

Thank you sir for your input! I appreciate that! I follow your YouTube channel and you are a big influence as to why I chose GMRS over HAM, also why I have a UV9G on order, and own the GM-30.  I think GMRS was the smartest choice for 90% of my uses, but part of me questions the need for the UV9G when I already have GM-30s, and I also question the need for a mobile station AND 3 handhelds....  I also question their uses in a true SHTF scenario as none of said radios will communicate on anything other than GMRS as far as I understand.  It makes me think I should maybe pick up a CCR like  BaoFeng for a SHTF bag so I can communicate with people if needed outside of the GMRS bands. 

 

Im a mess, I know and maybe confused at the same time as to what my true intentions are, but I am pretty confident that GMRS was the best choice based on camping, local repeaters, hunting and so on.

 

I would also recommend the KG1000G based on what I've seen and read about it. I have one on the way, but haven't received it yet. Like you, I also have the GM-30 (a few of them actually), and recently purchased the UV9G too. The GMRS radios are what I pass out to family members when I want us to be able to communicate. I think this is a great solution for family communications when hiking, camping, bike riding, etc. They may lend themselves to an SHTF situation, as long as there aren't too many others trying to use the same airwaves at the same time.

 

A cheap Baofeng  is not a good choice for a SHTF radio. They're OK for a cheap "beater radio" so when it breaks it's so cheap you won't cry over it. The main reason you see so many people suggest them is because of one thing, they're dirt cheap. You buy a $25 radio you get a $25 radio reliability and performance. I purchased a cheap BTECH tri-band hand held radio a while back. Dropped it on the hard floor at a sports bar while out with some friends, the speaker quit working. Oh well, it was a CCR.

 

What you really want is a radio with a heavy duty case that you could drop on concrete and not have it die, drop in the water and not short-out the innards etc. In a SHTF situation you don't know where you'll be and under what conditions, but the radio must still work, hot, cold, driving rain, dusty or smoky air, mud coated etc.

If you get a Baofeng for SHTF scenarios, my recommendation is to get more than one. They provide much more capability than a GMRS radio by virtue of the frequencies on which you can transmit. GMRS is limited to the standardized channels (actually specific designated frequencies), and in many cases you don't have the ability to transmit "out of band," so to speak. With a dual- or tri- band ham radio, you have a lot more frequency space to work with and you're not limited to specific (channelized) frequencies within that space.

 

While it's true that a $25 radio will generallyget you $25 worth of performance, it's functionality will be largely dependent upon the ability to contact someone with it. If there's no one on the other end to talk to, it won't matter how much you paid for the radio. CCRs are great to use for learning purposes, and if you have several of them, you can pass them out to your friends and neighbors in a SHTF situation. As you familiarize yourself with the Baofeng, you will likely also become more interested in getting your ham license, which I would recommend anyway, since it would allow you to transmit with the Baofeng to communicate with others.

 

If you like the GM-30, there is another CCR that has slightly better specs than the Baofeng, and is similarly priced. It looks nearly identical to the GM-30, but comes in a ham radio variety. Take a look at the TYT-UV88 if you're interested.

 

The other nice thing about the CCRs is that as your interest grows (and likely your inventory of better radios), you can use the CCRs as backup radios.

[srbecker]

Thanks everyone! I kinda took advice here and over at radioreference and decided to consolidate my radios in a sense.  I am going to keep my UV9G on order and use that as my main handheld that I use to scan and carry when camping, hiking and hunting.  That offers more than the GM-30's in terms of features as well as water resistance.  I also plan to return my GM-30s since I am still in the return window with Amazon, so that will put $80 back into my pocket that I can put towards a mobile unit, if/when I am ready to make that purchase.  My big dilemma is that I am not 100% sure I will use a mobile unit all that much.  A handheld might suit my uses better unfortunately.  The mobile unit is just enticing to me because of the added power it can put out over a handheld.  I still have my sons Retevis radios and my Midland hunting radios that both can be used on GMRS and FRS and also be used as lenders to family and friends when needed.  I really have no use for 3 handhelds such as two GM-30s and the UV9G, so it makes sense to just keep the better of those radios.  Good plan or nah?

[HDLS]

I drive an 01 Silverado and here is my setup. For daily use locally I carry a Wouxon KF 805G, attached to a roof mounted antenna and powered by the battery eliminator.  When I go in a store or whatever I disconnect the coax, slide off the eliminator, attach the "rubber duck" antenna and slide in the regular battery and off I go.  For "road trips" I fashioned a mobile mount out of some plywood and "L" brackets for a mobile CB and mobile GMRS. While driving it sets on the Trans tunnel, If I'm staying in a hotel I disconnect both radios and carry the set up into the hotel room.  

The KG805G isn't high powered but it works for me locally. The mobile setup isn't pretty, but I'm not in a truck  show.

 

Hope this helps and enjoy!

[jgillaspy]

I drive an 01 Silverado and here is my setup. For daily use locally I carry a Wouxon KF 805G, attached to a roof mounted antenna and powered by the battery eliminator.  When I go in a store or whatever I disconnect the coax, slide off the eliminator, attach the "rubber duck" antenna and slide in the regular battery and off I go.  For "road trips" I fashioned a mobile mount out of some plywood and "L" brackets for a mobile CB and mobile GMRS. While driving it sets on the Trans tunnel, If I'm staying in a hotel I disconnect both radios and carry the set up into the hotel room.  

The KG805G isn't high powered but it works for me locally. The mobile setup isn't pretty, but I'm not in a truck  show.

 

Hope this helps and enjoy!

 

Pics or it never happened. .  .   

[HDLS]

Pics or it never happened. .  .   

Tried the files too large.

[Extreme]

Tried the files too large.

Taptalk on your phone and choose medium size.

[OldRadioGuy]

Like one of the other posters, I just use a Wouxun 805G for everything and use a mag mount when in the car.

I don't talk enough to even require a batt. eliminator.

I do have a speaker mic to make it more convenient.

 

I think GMRS is mostly for talking with people "in your group" who your are traveling with.

So you don't need a lot of range or power.  Just an external antenna.

I have never found much general activity "out there" - but our highway travel is somewhat rural.

 

I don't think you will find a lot of "strangers" to talk to along the highway.

 

Vince