New gmrs user

[WRWQ613]

I’m new to gmrs and I just wanted to say hi hopefully we can chat sometime on the radio I’m in Ohio I don’t know to much about what I’m doing so I’m learning on the fly I’m a truck driver I run mostly in the Midwest states 

[SteveShannon]

Welcome!  We were all new once.

[Guest]

Welcome to the forum !!!

Thank you for keeping our supplychains moving 

[WRUU653]

Welcome @WRWQ613 to the forum!!

[WRXB215]

Welcome! I haven't been using GMRS for very long but it's been a great experience so far.

[WRWE456]

Welcome! Are you thinking of using GMRS in your truck to talk to other truckers? And if so have you used CB radios for this in the passed?

[WRWQ613]

Hey thanks I’m still waiting on my radio to come in should be here next week sometime 

[WRWQ613]

On 7/28/2023 at 9:24 AM, WRWE456 said:

Welcome! Are you thinking of using GMRS in your truck to talk to other truckers? And if so have you used CB radios for this in the passed?

Yeah I have a cb but still looking in to getting a set up in my truck for Gmrs  not sure what to get as far a antenna? 

[SteveShannon]

32 minutes ago, WRWQ613 said:

Yeah I have a cb but still looking in to getting a set up in my truck for Gmrs  not sure what to get as far an antenna? 

 I use the Midland MXTA26 on an NMO magnetic base mount. Nothing fancy but it works well. 

[OffRoaderX]

I use an MXTA26 mounted on the rear tailgate of my Jeep, which gives me a very poor groundplane, and all the of the experts tell me it wont work.. I've hit over 30miles with it on simplex and can hit a repeater 92 miles away, so it works good enough for me.

[marcspaz]

1 hour ago, OffRoaderX said:

mounted on the rear tailgate of my Jeep

 

I've had the same conversation about my JK with some people around here. They must be right, though. I mean, William McKinley was their volunteer examiner when they took the ham test.

[OffRoaderX]

40 minutes ago, marcspaz said:

 

I've had the same conversation about my JK with some people around here. They must be right, though. I mean, William McKinley was their volunteer examiner when they took the ham test.

Its true, the groundplane is much not optimal in that location.. But "some people" really seem to confuse "will not work" with "may not work 100% perfectly as it possibly can"

[SteveShannon]

Perfect is the enemy of good enough. 

[WRXZ797]

I agree with everyone on the MXTA26. I had been using the little antenna that comes with my Midland radio but hitting repeaters across town was spotty. Now I connect with ease. 

[WRXW945]

On 8/26/2023 at 8:18 PM, OffRoaderX said:

I use an MXTA26 mounted on the rear tailgate of my Jeep, which gives me a very poor groundplane, and all the of the experts tell me it wont work.. I've hit over 30miles with it on simplex and can hit a repeater 92 miles away, so it works good enough for me.

Wife's Jeep has the spare tire bracket tailgate antenna mount with the MTXA26. SWR is 1.4-1.7 using the Midland https://a.co/d/4eu4GcG .  Not perfect but I'll take it considering finding a good groundplane on a stock jeep is a joke.