What's your GMRS mobile setup, and how does it work for you?

[WRFN864]

I am running an XTL5000-UHF remotely mounted in the back of a 2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door.  There is an O5 head connected to that radio, mounted on the passenger side.  The radio is connected to a Rugged Radios GMRS-Point5 NGP Tuned Whip antenna mounted on the front mirror.

I also have a second XTL5000-VHF on a second O5 head that I use as a P25 scanner.  That radio is connected to a Rugged Radios VHF 1/2 Wave NGP Antenna mounted on the spare tire mount.

Each radio has its own speaker mounted behind the front seats.

The VHF antenna works terrific but the UHF antenna setup doesn't work well at all. With the radio set for 50w output I can't get more than a few miles. I know that NH terrain plays an important role here in the sucky range but I think this mount/antenna combo is trash. I just don't have a better place to mount a UHF antenna with a ground plane.

[SpeedSpeak2Me]

1 hour ago, WRFN864 said:

I am running an XTL5000-UHF remotely mounted in the back of a 2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door.  There is an O5 head connected to that radio, mounted on the passenger side.  The radio is connected to a Rugged Radios GMRS-Point5 NGP Tuned Whip antenna mounted on the front mirror.

I also have a second XTL5000-VHF on a second O5 head that I use as a P25 scanner.  That radio is connected to a Rugged Radios VHF 1/2 Wave NGP Antenna mounted on the spare tire mount.

Each radio has its own speaker mounted behind the front seats.

The VHF antenna works terrific but the UHF antenna setup doesn't work well at all. With the radio set for 50w output I can't get more than a few miles. I know that NH terrain plays an important role here in the sucky range but I think this mount/antenna combo is trash. I just don't have a better place to mount a UHF antenna with a ground plane.

For the UHF antenna for GMRS, yeah, that’s not a good mounting location, even for a NGP. You’re basically blocking 90°+ of your transmit RF due to its position next to the cab corner. It’s also shorter than the roofline, so that’s hurting propagation as well.  The antenna itself is a curiosity, as there doesn’t seem to be too much information about them. Just that they’re wide band 406-470 MHz. If it is truly for covering all that in one antenna without changing the tuning, you’re going to be sacrificing performance, especially at the edges, like where GMRS is at.

Best case would be a 5/8 wave dead center of the largest metal portion of the roof. Or better yet a 5/8 over 5/8 colinear. But that will be a good 32” in height. You can get single 5/8 wave about 11”, and tune it for GMRS, if that is the intended usage.

The biggest goal is to get the antenna in a position where it is not obstructed by parts of the vehicle.

[gortex2]

Bronco is like a jeep. Fiberglass roof so not many options for mounting. The antenna from RRR is very similar to the Laird B4502NS. They are supposed to be wideband but I found tuning them with a VNA can help a bit. In the end I'd probably swap the UHF out to a Laird B4505CNS which is a 5/8 wave antenna. However with that said I run a 1/4 wave UHF in a similar location on my jeep and can get over a couple miles in the mountains but not in the valley. UHF is line of site. All I car about 90% of the time is the jeep in front of me or behind me so its not a huge deal. When I use my repeaters I can hit them with a handheld so dont need a great setup to use mobile. 

Kudos on a good radio setup in the bronco. 

[jbkalla]

In my RAV4, I have a ProClip for the KG-1000G faceplate and mic. It takes up the middle vent.  For an antenna, I use the Nagoya NL-770G-NMO in a hood lip mount.  The radio is wired directly to the battery and I have a smallish external speaker mounted below all this.

This setup seems to work just fine for me.  Haven't noticed any issues at all.

 

 

[Guest]

On 9/5/2023 at 11:29 AM, OffRoaderX said:

  If someone is looking for strangers to chat with, I always recommend using the Grindr app. 

If one of the manufacturers would come out with a GMRS radio with GRINDR built in...now THAT would be something...

 

Anyway, Im using a Retivis RA25 wedged between my seat and console (exactly as pictured in an above post) and the dual mag mount that came with it. My HT is a Radioddity GM30

[WRUU653]

@WRFN864 very nice install, this speaks to my OCD .

@jbkalla That’s a really nice practical solution where space is an issue. I like that the screen is in an easy place to view and operate. 

[WRXB215]

@WRFN864 and @WRUU653 All I noticed was the small additive funnel. What does that say about me? 

[WRKC935]

On 9/5/2023 at 12:29 PM, OffRoaderX said:

 If someone is looking for strangers to chat with, I always recommend using the Grindr app. 

Sounds like you must have experience with such things. 

[WRYD530]

My setup is a Midland MXT575 with a mag mount MXTA26 center mounted on my Sierra 3500. I can hit a repeater approximately 40 miles away. I’m in NE Ohio and it’s pretty flat with lots of trees. I custom mounted it under the dash by my left foot with an aluminum bracket. I can still access the usb-c plug if needed but the unit is pretty much out of sight. The mic is mounted on the left of steering wheel with a ProClip mount. It’s easy to see the mic without taking my eyes off the road. 

[WRZD727]

I'm running a Midland MXT 275 with a 6 db antenna. works great for what i need it for.

[WRUU653]

 

When I installed my new radio it was clear it wasn't going to fit the way my previous radio did. Here is what I came up with. Perhaps it will help someone with ideas for their next install. 

Radio- I installed a mobile radio (Icom IC-2730A) in my truck (2015 Tacoma).  Some things I came up with could just as easily be used with a radio like the KG-1000.

The radio has a remote head and I ended up installing the main body under the passenger seat. I attached a layer of speaker cloth around it with velcro to keep dust out. It is attached to a piece of leftover fake wood flooring that is basically 1/4” plastic with a rubber backing which prevents it from sliding around. The head unit is installed with magnets to a bracket that is screwed to the same flooring material and was painted black and cut to fit into a cubby and attached with 3M tape. 

Mic Cable- I installed a cable with a cat five jack in the center console box to the radio base for the mic. The mic can easily be stored away in the box without having to unplug it and the remote face can be unplugged and stored away as well.

Cool thing for removing and storing the head unit is a case I had for glasses that it fits perfectly into to protect it and is made of metal so the magnets on the head unit hold it in the case. 

Mic Holder- I am not a fan of the hanger style mic holders so I found a button style on Amazon to attach to the mic. I didn’t want to drill holes for screws to mount the mic clip incase I wanted to move it so I cut a piece of aluminum, tapped it for some 6-32 flathead screws for the mic holder then 3M taped it in place to the center console. 

Speaker- The speaker under the seat was less than optimal. I tried installing a remote speaker in the cubby behind the head unit but this was too muffled. I played around with other locations like in the overhead console but when I was waiting for the speaker I had ordered I had thrown a small speaker I had laying around loose into the cup holder and it sounded great. So I decided that was the best route to take and installed it permanent.  I have plenty of other cup holders. I drilled about an 1/8” hole to run the wire in the bottom of the cup holder. I lined the cupholder with some foam and hot glued the speaker in place (keeping holes to minimum). I found a speaker grill on Amazon that looks like it was meant to be there and attached it with more 3-M tape (again no holes if I can avoid it). 

Someday when I feel like busting the board for the head unit mounting loose from the 3M tape I would like to put the bracket on a hinge so you could access the space behind it for storage. A project for another day. 

[gortex2]

Still debating on what to do with the 2 mics but got my heads mounted in my 2024 Nissan Frontier. Just enough room for dual E5 heads.