I'm still a newb but a big update for me - I'll have the KG-1000G installed in my Jeep in the next few days!

[WRFH675]

I purchased the KG-1000G a while back, but never got around to setting it up or installing it. I didn't feel comfortable running the wires and whatnot. So I found a place that will do it for me in the next few days. And no, it wasn't cheap. But I don't care. This will be my first mobile radio, so I'm excited.

I'm currently using two of the KG-935Gs and I like them a lot. They're able to hit my local repeater about 30 miles away, which is pretty awesome, but I can't reach any other repeaters. Hopefully this new mobile unit will help out.

That's all I have to share. I didn't really have anyone else to share it with. This stuff is super neat to me for some reason, so I spend money on it without any real world use for it and without any people I know IRL that's also into it. I suppose I need to start making friends through the repeater soon.

[marcspaz]

I'm glad you found someone to help get the radio installed! Sounds like you are having a great time and adding a mobile to the toolbox will just expand the fun.  We have a good group around here (Northern VA).  It's fun to get on the radio and chat with friends, coordinate get-togethers, and have someone to talk to when driving.

 

You are creating the real-world use case for it by simply wanting to enjoy it.  That's all that matter... so,  enjoy!

[Drumbic]

On 8/1/2022 at 7:56 PM, WRFH675 said:

I purchased the KG-1000G a while back, but never got around to setting it up or installing it. I didn't feel comfortable running the wires and whatnot. So I found a place that will do it for me in the next few days. And no, it wasn't cheap. But I don't care. This will be my first mobile radio, so I'm excited.

I'm currently using two of the KG-935Gs and I like them a lot. They're able to hit my local repeater about 30 miles away, which is pretty awesome, but I can't reach any other repeaters. Hopefully this new mobile unit will help out.

That's all I have to share. I didn't really have anyone else to share it with. This stuff is super neat to me for some reason, so I spend money on it without any real world use for it and without any people I know IRL that's also into it. I suppose I need to start making friends through the repeater soon.

No pictures of the install?   

[WRFH675]

Here are some photos. The main unit is under the passenger seat with the face unit velcro to the phone charging cubby. I can still slip my phone back there to charge easy enough. The hand mic is the only thing that got screwed in. Although, it’s not the best position since I’ve been bumping it with my knee. Luckily it has a quick to use lock switch on it. The magnetic antenna base is a lot bigger than I thought it would be. A bit of an eyesore but it is what it is. 
 

I went out with it this morning but couldn’t reach anyone on the local repeater. 10 minutes before that I was loud and clear on my HT. So I’m not sure what the problem is with it. The wire is crimped a bit from where the hatch closes in on it, would that be an issue? I wanted to test it out some more but my dogs were going crazy barking so I just headed home after three attempts at reaching someone. 
 

 

[marcspaz]

Looking good.

[KAF6045]

4 hours ago, WRFH675 said:

Here are some photos. The main unit is under the passenger seat with the face unit velcro to the phone charging cubby. I can still slip my phone back there to charge easy enough. The hand mic is the only thing that got screwed in. Although, it’s not the best position since I’ve been bumping it with my knee. Luckily it has a quick to use lock switch on it. The magnetic antenna base is a lot bigger than I thought it would be. A bit of an eyesore but it is what it is.
 

I went out with it this morning but couldn’t reach anyone on the local repeater. 10 minutes before that I was loud and clear on my HT. So I’m not sure what the problem is with it. The wire is crimped a bit from where the hatch closes in on it, would that be an issue? I wanted to test it out some more but my dogs were going crazy barking so I just headed home after three attempts at reaching someone.

Addendum: Forgot to actually respond to your conditions...

If you don't have a UHF SWR/Power meter or antenna analyzer, I'd recommend obtaining one. That would let you check the antenna situation. An analyzer provides its own signal source, which will be fairly low power -- no chance of "offending" anyone; you just take the cable off the main unit and connect to the analyzer, run the frequency up to GMRS (check both 462 and 467MHz ranges, as the latter is your signal to the repeater, and the former is simplex/receive). An SWR/Power meter will go in line, so you'll need a short piece of coax to go from main unit to meter, and connect the antenna to the other side of the meter.

A thick coax getting crimped could be a problem -- it will create a bump in the impedance of the cable.

I rejected the under-seat location for my recent installation (of too many radios)... The "passenger air-bag" sensor board intruded into the space, and the transfer case for front-wheels results in too narrow a space under the driver seat. As the vehicle is a 14 year old "rust bucket" with nearly 200K miles  (vs the nearly pristine, 22 year old, 75K miles unit that rolled over on a damp highway off-ramp), I was willing to drill all sorts of holes to fit cable runs (the former vehicle had been "no holes" -- I used double sided carpet tape to hold the transmitter under the passenger seat! And it held through the roll-over!).

 

The Icom ID-5100 main unit is all the way in the back. This Jeep Liberty had a small storage compartment under the bed (it serves as access to the crank that lowers the spare tire). I put the main unit into that, and ran remote speaker, microphone, control head, and power cables through split plastic "conduit", along the left side floor (attached with cable clamps). The Icom microphone is not visible (that black bit just off the steering wheel is, I believe, the hanger).

The MXT-115 and Cobra CB (yes, all the circuits are in that heavy speaker/mic, just an interface block for power/antenna/mic-cable down low) power leads are spliced together and then spliced to the heavy-duty wiring of the Icom -- thence direct to the battery. Difficult finding places where the air-bags aren't going to blast microphones or radios into one's face.

 

{Still not sure how the Niles D-STAR repeater got on that -- nearest to me is a south Grand Rapids unit}

 

[WRFH675]

Thanks for the info! Would this be a good analyzer? https://a.co/d/3mNnb22

[KAF6045]

Unfortunately, I have no experience with dual port VNAs (nano or not). My analyzers are the somewhat clunky looking MFJ 266C and 269C (the 266 appears to have been discontinued, the 269 is now up to a D variant https://mfjenterprises.com/collections/mfj-analyzers/products/mfj-269d ). And that's the only one that covers UHF.

For SWR/Power meter covering VHF/UHF they have https://mfjenterprises.com/collections/meters/products/mfj-847 which show forward power, reflected power, and resultant SWR.

A sidebar from the April 2022 issue of QST reviewing has:

Quote

Watch out for NanoVNA clones!
Unfortunately, there are a number of NanoVNA clones on the market. Some of these either perform poorly, or have software or firmware incompatibility problems. As an example, I was originally supplied a NanoVNA-F V2 that was supposedly able to operate up to 3 GHz and cost about $150. A card that came with the unit gave a link for documentation, and software and firmware downloads. But the link didn’t work! And while the unit did seem to perform all right, it would not interface with the NanoVNA Saver program. As of December 2021, only NanoVNA V2 Plus and NanoVNA V2 Plus4 versions are not clones.

NanoVNA web-site: https://nanorfe.com/nanovna-v2.html

Yes, all the above are more expensive than the one you linked to... Though the Nano VNA V2 Plus 4 is still half the price of the MFJ analyzers. (I really shouldn't have, but I decided to see what the hype is and ordered one. The graphics alone may justify it -- MFJ analyzers require one to manually sweep the frequency while watching the SWR meter and/or the LCD display to find, say, 2:1 bandwidth limits).

 

 

[WRFH675]

Thanks for the info. Those are indeed more expensive. I think I'll hold off on them for now. I did manage to reach the repeater finally. Turns out, I didn't have the offset programmed in yesterday.

[KAF6045]

The NanoVNA V2 +4 came up around $210 with the cheap Tindie shipping option. Would have been around $230+ with the more expensive shipper (though maybe more trust-worthy).

Having as many radios* as I do, I can sort of justify the gear. Especially given the aging 40/20/10/6m OCFD hanging between house and garage roof ends. And now that I've put up the 2m/70cm antenna that's been in my garage for 8 years, another one to be checked (I really hope I don't have climb up to tweak it).

 

* partial list GMRS Amateur

• Kenwood TS-590S (sharing OCFD via switch with)
• Kenwood TS-2000 (which NOW is able to use the VHF/UHF features)
• ICOM ID-5100 (in rust-bucket)
• Midland MXT-115 (in rust-bucket)
• some Cobra CB (also in rust-bucket)
• Kenwood TH-D74A, TH-F6A
• Icom ID-52A
• Yeasu VX8R
• Anytone AT-D878UV-II Plus
• BTech GMRS-V2, GMRS-V1, MURS-V1
• Wouxun KG-935G
• Tyt MD-390, MD-2017

And a Retevis RT-97 on order with pair of RA-85s Will need to get an antenna/mount for RT-97. Not listed are older mobile rigs pulled from previous vehicles, a QRP unit, Bubble-pack stuff, CB HTs, and the slew of things I put price tags on hoping to sell some day.

[WRFH675]

That’s quite the list you have, it’s going to take me awhile to catch up lol

 

I also ordered the RT-97. Should be here this week. I’m looking forward to learning more about repeaters with it. 

[KAF6045]

20 minutes ago, WRFH675 said:

That’s quite the list you have, it’s going to take me awhile to catch up lol

Well, I did start when the No-Code Technician license was created... (those Kenwood stations -- and predecessor TS-570SG -- supported 6m, which No-code Technician was allowed to use).

20 minutes ago, WRFH675 said:

I also ordered the RT-97. Should be here this week. I’m looking forward to learning more about repeaters with it. 

My payment cleared credit union on the 5th, I've not seen any emails regarding shipping yet.

 

[gortex2]

Personally I'd also order a $15.00 UHF !/4 wave NMO. Those pepper shacker transit antennas dont work well. 

[aa7jc]

On 8/7/2022 at 6:34 AM, WRFH675 said:

Thanks for the info! Would this be a good analyzer? https://a.co/d/3mNnb22

I have a similar one and it does a good job for me.. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B085CFHTBM

There are some good Youtube videos like this one that explain how to use them: 

 

[KAF6045]

On 8/7/2022 at 2:27 PM, KAF6045 said:

My payment cleared credit union on the 5th, I've not seen any emails regarding shipping yet.

Found the email for the RT97 shipping... Lost in GMAIL, which I only have for my Nook tablets and phone as the Google Play Store wants an account. I don't normally check it for emails. Tracking implies arrives tomorrow. (I don't have an antenna for it yet -- not a problem as this is intended for potential use if the extended family ever gathers somewhere. Heck, I could connect it to the mag-mount from the MXT-115 and leave it in the rust bucket for that situation)