Antenna - Lots of Trees/Old School Roof - Can you offer a suggestion? {Radio Wave Sensitivity Question also)

[WRTJ223]

I live in a historic area with an old roof (I think its tin) and have lots of huge heritage live oaks. I am new to GMRS and also test for my Ham license soon. What do y'all recommend for an antenna? I am working with our municipality and businesses to develop a repeater infrastructure for our area as we have experienced the freeze (I live in Texas), if we get black outs from the heat (predicted) and live in flash flood alley. Thanks for any help that you can provide. Have a great week! 

PS I am also VERY sensitive to waves. Even got my city to enact a Smart Meter Opt Out Ordinance (it took me five years to accomplish). I hate my BaoFeng (it emits nasty energy) and have ordered some other hand held Han radios and also working on selecting a GMRS radio. I can even feel the waves from the little two way radios my neighborhood is setting up a comms system. So, any thoughts on this would be appreciated. 

I would like to set up a GMRS base station so that is why I am waiting on ordering a hand held for now until figure out the antenna situation. 

[axorlov]

Dude!  Dear lady! Drop this GMRS habit and stay away from ham license if your health and sanity have any value to you and yours. Hams attract waves just like lightning rods attract garden flies. Take care of yourself and your family! Health is first! Maintain the purity of bodily liquids, for God's sake!

[KAF6045]

If you are that sensitive to RF energy, you will not have a comfortable time with any transmitters. Do you use a cell-phone or microwave? How about WiFi? Those generate RF too. If you don't react to those, it may be that microwave frequencies are short enough to not be sensed. GMRS (and the 70cm Amateur band) are just below the OLD UHF TV channels (14 up).

GMRS base and/or mobile run 15-50W power output depending upon model (5W mobiles are basically a handheld in a big box with a vehicle mounting bracket, and a mag-mount antenna on 10-15 feet of coax). GMRS handhelds theoretically top out at 5W.*  However, handhelds put the antenna at, well, hand position from the body (if using a belt-clip with a speaker/mic, the antenna is within 2 inches of the body). For a base, the antenna will be 10-30 or more feet from the transmitter -- BUT if you don't have a perfect SWR (and between simplex 462MHz transmission, and duplex 467MHz transmission you will NOT have perfect SWR on many of the channels), you will have radiation reflecting back down the coax, and some may be reflecting down the /outside/ of the coax. You'll want RF chokes at the antenna end, and maybe also at the transmitter end. You'll want a good system ground (something I don't have myself -- I have had times when my HF transmitters had enough RF on the outside to "tickle hairs", at least I didn't draw sparks before making adjustments to tune the antenna system).

Unfortunately, I don't know of any "common" GMRS radios that offer "remote control": putting a microphone/speaker near the computer, running a serial (old days)/USB cable to the radio in another room, and using control software on the computer to change settings of the radio. There is also Internet remoting for some models of Amateur HF rigs (a laptop near the radio connects to it, and accepts control commands from a computer somewhere else on the network.

 

 

 

 

* Since the 2017 reorganization, FRS units with non-removable antennas top out at 2W, though the former FRS-only 467MHz interstitials [8-14] are restricted to 0.5W. FRS cannot do duplex (repeater mode) but now can use the GMRS primary channels too [15-22]. [1-7] are the GMRS 462MHz interstitials. "Interstitial" in that these frequencies were shoe-horned into the mid point of the primary channels, and power limited to prevent interference with repeater usage (that was the intent, at least). As a result -- radios with non-removable antenna, channels 8-14 at 0.5W, channels 1-7&15-22 at <2W, and no repeater capability are now FRS! If you can change antenna, or run at more than 2W on channels 1-7&15-22, or select repeater channels, it is a GMRS radio (if it has channels 8-14, they MUST be at 0.5W -- which is why many mobile and base GMRS do not have those channels: they run at full power, or 5W for low). I have a pair of Midland GXTs, and a pair of Motorola <somethings> with non-changeable antennas: The Midland's have high/medium/low power -- the high is >2W, low is 0.5W -- but does not have repeater access. The Motorola only has 0.5W low and <2W high, does have repeater access. Both are now considered GMRS radios (they date to the period the FCC allowed "FRS/GMRS" mixed approval. FRS NFM for 1-14, GMRS for 15-22).

 

[WRTJ223]

Thanks for all the help. No I have never used a microwave. 

I cannot use blue tooth head phones either, someone gave me a nice pair for Christmas and got a migraine, I never get headaches even. So, I gave it to a friend.

Ok, ill have to reflect on all this.

Well this is to bad, im really enjoying studying for my ham and also all the youtube videos researching. 

Thanks you KAF6045 for all this great info. 

Y'all have a Blessed Week. 

[wayoverthere]

What are your local codes like for masts and such? I would expect the tin roof to somewhat work in your favor in terms of reducing rf into your house, and getting the antenna up would also help, along with improving range.

Radio wise, perhaps the best option in gmrs may be the wouxun kg1000g, in that you can have the control head at your desk (with microphone), and place the actual transmitter a bit away. You'll find similar option on the ham side, both the kg1000g's ham cousin (uv980p), and from a variety of manufacturers (icom, yaesu, Kenwood, and others).

The ham side does also have some remote operating gear that pairs up with remote head radios, though I don't know if either option has been tested with the wouxuns. Swapmyrigs uses a VGA cable for the connection, and if I remember right, the limit is 150ft. Remoterig goes further (fully remote) via the internet, though like some of the other remote options like echolink (ham) or zello (somewhat common in gmrs) apps, or the remotehams option, being internet dependent isn't a good emergency plan.

In the interim, you may see if someone you know has either a ham or gmrs mobile they could set up temporarily, with a mobile antenna on the roof, and see if the rf from that is an issue...that may be a good starting point to decide how close will work for you. As @kaf6045 mentioned, there are measures you can take to further reduce the rf as well, if need be

Edited June 27, 2022 by wayoverthere
corrected model# typos

[WRTJ223]

Thank you so much for all the guidance!!  Researching codes is actually my "hobby" so Ill find that out. This is great news about the tin!

Thank you for the recommendations ! I REEALLY like that KG100G and now you are really persuading me.

Ill take a look at the ham cousin as well, thank you!! Ill check out the Swapmyrigs, this is awesome!! 

Great suggestion about going to my friend's house with the antenna.

Thank you so much wayoverthere And, still very much digesting the sagely advice of  KAF6045

Y'all have a rocking day! Thank you for helping me, this means allot!!!! I feel so much better now that have some "marching orders" to make this work. Im so happy signed up for this group.

Thank you again!!