WRZS512

[WRZS512]

I have an Ed Fong gmrs antenna up 25 ft on a pole and I live back in the woods. I understand that line of sight is the best way to receive and transmit, i can get about 3 miles from my base at home to my handhelds which is about all you can expect without a repeater. I plan to install one in the next month, my friend is about 2.5 miles away and he can receive me perfectly but i can't receive him on my base, but can on my handhelds. my question is can i do anything else to receive him better. i haven't seen anything that i can use to increase my receiving ability. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. I will be raising my antenna about another 15 to 20 feet soon, but these tall pines are still gonna block me out i think. Thanks for any input, Kevin WRZS512 Outer Banks, NC

[dwmitchell61]

What kind of feedline (RG-58?) do you have to the base station Ed Fong antenna and how long is it (guessing around 40 feet)? Receive will be sensitive to excessive feedline losses. It isn't a big deal at the lower frequencies of CB radio, but when you are operating at GMRS in the UHF spectrum losses build rapidly. Forty feet of RG-58 has 5.4dB of loss at 450MHz (more at 465MHz GMRS). Every 3dB of loss halves the power, 6dB halves that. So you'll end up at about 16.7W at the antenna using RG-58. Forty feet of LMR400 has 1.08dB of loss and with it you'll 30.6W out of your 40W.

In North CACKALACKY (my late wife and love of my life grew up in Havelock) you have humidity and storms. I would suggest N-type connectors and look up how to seal up the connections properly to keep moisture out of your feedlines. I use a connector silicone paste made to seal connections, it goes right in the connection. Then wrap the connection tightly with the silicone rubber "self-amalgamating" tape real good. Over that use the black vinyl electrical tape. And lastly, put a wire-tie (tie-strap) around the vinyl tape to keep it from unwinding on you. I use Times Microwave LMR-400 coax and it will cost you a "Ben Franklin" for 40 feet with N-type connectors. Don't forget a loop just at the antenna in the coax for strain relief (takes cable weight off of antenna connectors and puts it on your mast).

Shhhhhheeeewwww! Did I forget anything? Hope this helps.

 

[kidphc]

I have an Ed Fong gmrs antenna up 25 ft on a pole and I live back in the woods. I understand that line of sight is the best way to receive and transmit, i can get about 3 miles from my base at home to my handhelds which is about all you can expect without a repeater. I plan to install one in the next month, my friend is about 2.5 miles away and he can receive me perfectly but i can't receive him on my base, but can on my handhelds. my question is can i do anything else to receive him better. i haven't seen anything that i can use to increase my receiving ability. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. I will be raising my antenna about another 15 to 20 feet soon, but these tall pines are still gonna block me out i think. Thanks for any input, Kevin WRZS512 Outer Banks, NC

Outside of clearing the trees.

You could try a quality yagi and rotator. You will be giving up omni directional gain for a concentrated beam gain. So much so it's often worth putting a yagi up with an omni directional antenna above it. 2x coax and a switch at the bottom in the shack. Unfortunately, not many remote switches for gmrs frequencies. The beam will also act as a groundplane for the omni when done right.

The pine trees will still hamper things.

Another thing to try is a pre-amp.

Not sure why you can get hin with your hand set but not the base. Should be the other way around. I mean you are on the ground with the hand sets. Something isn't right with your base by the sounds of it.

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[kidphc]

What kind of feedline (RG-58?) do you have to the base station Ed Fong antenna and how long is it (guessing around 40 feet)? Receive will be sensitive to excessive feedline losses. It isn't a big deal at the lower frequencies of CB radio, but when you are operating at GMRS in the UHF spectrum losses build rapidly. Forty feet of RG-58 has 5.4dB of loss at 450MHz (more at 465MHz GMRS). Every 3dB of loss halves the power, 6dB halves that. So you'll end up at about 16.7W at the antenna using RG-58. Forty feet of LMR400 has 1.08dB of loss and with it you'll 30.6W out of your 40W.
In North CACKALACKY (my late wife and love of my life grew up in Havelock) you have humidity and storms. I would suggest N-type connectors and look up how to seal up the connections properly to keep moisture out of your feedlines. I use a connector silicone paste made to seal connections, it goes right in the connection. Then wrap the connection tightly with the silicone rubber "self-amalgamating" tape real good. Over that use the black vinyl electrical tape. And lastly, put a wire-tie (tie-strap) around the vinyl tape to keep it from unwinding on you. I use Times Microwave LMR-400 coax and it will cost you a "Ben Franklin" for 40 feet with N-type connectors. Don't forget a loop just at the antenna in the coax for strain relief (takes cable weight off of antenna connectors and puts it on your mast).
Shhhhhheeeewwww! Did I forget anything? Hope this helps.
 

I usually put the loop at the lowest point before entry into the house as a drip point. Outside that pretty well covered.

Good catch I neglected feed line loss without some swr and power level readings it could be very well be part of the problem.

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