Vehicle cup holder mount

[Newb]

Need an inexpensive cup holder mount for your small GMRS mobile?  Try a 3" plumbers test plug.  I got mine at Menards.

[K7lon]

Ace had one in stock. This will work perfect. Southeast Arizona wide open space

Thanks again 

[Depreciated]

I wish this would work for me, cupholders are in a bad spot for mounting the radio, would interfere with where our arms go. While this won't work for my vehicles,  I just showed this to a friend who is doing it today, it will fit his well. 

[WRTP691]

That's a great idea! Thanks for sharing.

[labreja]

Outstanding idea! Looks more robust than the commercial one that I purchased.

[MichaelLAX]

I got my mobile AT-779UV and Amazon purchased cup-holder stolen out of my garage with my grandson's and my bikes, so this may be a better replacement when that time comes! 

They left the mag-mount and my boxed 12VDC to 120VAC 1,000 watt (1,500 watt surge) inverter**, so their priorities were right on!! 

**I now drive all the time in my Chevy Bolt_EV with the inverter available for connection, and the EVExtend.com connection kit so that I am a power station on wheels if/when the next power outage occurs! 

[WRTS290]

Genius! 

[MichaelLAX]

Just ordered one!  Your Warrensburg 725 Repeater question got me back to this post!  Thank you!

 

[Newb]

I have switched from the small light weight radio shown in the first post to an iCOM IC f221-1 which is larger and heavier.  I will post the simple mods I made that make it sturdier for the heavier radio.  When you get your plug, note that I removed the nut and turned the top cap over as I couldn't see that the taper on the bottom side did any good and the flat side seemed to create more down force on the taper at the bottom of the stem.

[MichaelLAX]

Be sure to link me ( @MichaelLAX) or quote me, so that I am notified of your post.

[Newb]

https://forums.mygmrs.com/profile/5516-wrbu527/ The white ring is a 1/2" section of 2" schedule 40 PVC.  Hit your local plumber up for a scrap OR have him cut you a piece.  Center a 1/4" hole in the top of the body of the plug.  Reassemble the plug.  I used a 3/4" - 1/4"x20 bolt, the two washers and a nyloc nut.  The big washer is 1/2" which fits the top of the body snug.  The small wash is metric, it will drop to the bottom of the hollow body yet will fit the 1/4" bolt.  Use a 7/16" nut driver to attach your radio's mounting bracket to the of the body of the plug with the nut and small washer inside the body.   

[MichaelLAX]

Thank you for this additional information; my plumber's plug should arrive towards the end of next week.

And thank you for the heads up by PM: Instead of an "http" URL, the way to link a member is to type the "@" symbol and the first few letters of their screen name.

A list will auto-generate and you can click on the correct name to insert into your message.

@Newb

How do you like your ICOM?  What features does it have over your previous DB20-G?

[Newb]

Good info, thanks much!!!  Computers I can handle, social media, not so much.  LOL

[Newb]

The iCOM is great!  Got it for $175 complete with the programing I requested.  Purchased a programming cable and software from BlueMax.  The radio is solid as a rock and and the initial radio check was all ++++++s.  Setting up scan is a little woky not but not bad.  Good speaker.

[MichaelLAX]

Yes, but what does it give you that your DB20-G didn't?

[Newb]

45 watts on UHF and more programming versatility.  I'm in the middle of Illinois where we only have one reachable linked repeater within 20 miles. I'm mobile a lot and don't have a base station. Right now our linked repeater is down so all I have is simplex.

[MichaelLAX]

Ah, 45 watts.  Sorry to push you, but what more programming versatility becomes available?

[Newb]

I am a bit of a minimalist so the XS20G had a price that appealed to me.  When I put the unit to use I found a lot of "features" that to me, cluttered the display.  I don't need the NWS channels, the second display, while driving was confusing and the programming interface doesn't have an insert function (insert key) to move an entire line down to insert a new repeater or simplex channel/frequency.  The speaker is an upshot and I wear hearing aides so I have to put a deflector on the top to point the sound toward me.  A rattle can lid works well.

The iCON has 128 memory slots,  3 power levels and a more logical programming interface with an insert function.  It has a forward facing speaker that helps me with hearing problems as pointing the display at me also points the speaker at me.  The mic does not have a ton of buttons (just PTT) and is heavier for my big fat hands to grab.  The PTT is a solid click when pushed, much better than the XS20G.  8 character alpha/numeric display large enough to read at a glance.  I feel like the receiver is tighter than XS20S and has way more squelch level options. (I have it set at 50).  I don't worry about it overheating when I become a ratchet jaw.  I assume it's the power level, but I have a much wider range of 1.3:1 and below SWR reading with my 5/8 over 5/8 Browning antenna (mostly 1.04:1 readings).

A lot is likely personal preference.  Even used, it just seems like a better engineered radio.

[MichaelLAX]

Thank you for that detailed review. Of course for that much money (used)  and ICOM's reputation I would only expect a much better radio.

I looked it up and too bad they are only UHF or VHF and not both!

Does ICOM make a Ham Radio version that mimics this radio?

[SteveShannon]

The current successor to the F221 appears to be the ic-f6011 (uhf).  New it’s only $260:

https://www.hitechwireless.com/template/pdf/ICOM/icom_ic_f5011_series_uhf_mobile_radios_productbrochure.pdf

It's still only single band, but if all you’re interested in is GMRS it could be ideal.  

[gortex2]

The ICOM 221 is a solid little radio. We used the 121 for SAR stuff prior to MDC and have since switched many out to the newer models. The advantage of the 221 is its built for UHF and UHF only. The receivers are pretty hot and the unit is built like a tank. When I was in the LMR shop work we sold hundreds in VHF and UHF. At the time on state contract you could get them for around $200. I still have a 121 and 221 in a pelican case for SAR stuff. 

ICOM rarely has any LMR / Ham versions. Back a while ago the T2A and the F3/F4 was basically the same radio. Never had a mobile that mimicked the LMR version. At one point way back when the F320/420 was around (non narrow band) they actually sold some to EFJ and we would get them to our shop as we were an ICOM repair center. Same radio just different logo on it. I actually have been running the EFJ version of the F320 for 15 years on my APRS site. Its a solid unit.

[Newb]

I believe the latest model replacement for the f-221-1 is the F5021/F6021 the F5 being VHF and the F6 being UHF.

Please pardon my ignorance but, what SAR and MDC. I don't find a viable Google definition for either.

[SteveShannon]

27 minutes ago, Newb said:

Please pardon my ignorance but, what SAR and MDC. I don't find a viable Google definition for either.

Search and Rescue 

Could be Motorola Data Communications:

https://dbpedia.org/page/MDC-1200

[KAF6045]

3 hours ago, Sshannon said:

The current successor to the F221 appears to be the ic-f6011 (uhf).  New it’s only $260:

https://www.hitechwireless.com/template/pdf/ICOM/icom_ic_f5011_series_uhf_mobile_radios_productbrochure.pdf

It's still only single band, but if all you’re interested in is GMRS it could be ideal.  

A bit limited with only 8 channels...

[MichaelLAX]

6 hours ago, Sshannon said:

The current successor to the F221 appears to be the ic-f6011 (uhf).  New it’s only $260:

https://www.hitechwireless.com/template/pdf/ICOM/icom_ic_f5011_series_uhf_mobile_radios_productbrochure.pdf

It's still only single band, but if all you’re interested in is GMRS it could be ideal.  

TBH: My AT-779UV (a/k/a Radioddity DB20-G) performs so well in the shack through my Comet CX-333 for GMRS, I just don't see any reason for the increased investment.

I've always been a big ICOM fan, although I never purchased any of their radios.

When Ham Radio went digital, I was just offended that D*Star was proprietary software and never showed any interest in Digital until DMR (based upon TMDA) became available on the Radioddity RD-5R.

I enjoy to be able to scan all of my available frequencies in VHF/UHF on 500 channels and jump on to any convo that I hear!

[Newb]

One thing I forgot to add in any of my posts, the DB20-G was replaced by an KG-XS20G which was replaced by the f-221-1 iCOM.  I went to my local communication store looking for a Motorola to convert to GMRS.  The used Motorola radios he had were in sad shape and he is an iCOM dealer and had a pristine f221-1 that he had realigned that I couldn't pass up.  I am GMRS only so it was way more than I needed.