ChaseTruck
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- Thread starter
- #41
Sounds all great but for my trucks I want radios that are certified for use on GMRS frequencies.
Time to move on to GMRS (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter ChaseTruck
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Then grab just about any Motorola UHF radio.
I bought one of the Midland GMSR radios for wheeling here in southern New Mexico.
It fit perfectly in my radio delete spot. Just wired into the old cigarette lighter for now.
I do not have my license yet, but i am merely listening to trail instructions.
Bought the kit with upgraded ant, and just magnet to the front cowl while on trail. Desert likes to pull stuff off the fenders
It fit perfectly in my radio delete spot. Just wired into the old cigarette lighter for now.
I do not have my license yet, but i am merely listening to trail instructions.
Bought the kit with upgraded ant, and just magnet to the front cowl while on trail. Desert likes to pull stuff off the fenders
You can use an old microwave magnet on the underside of the top, allowing you to mount the antenna on the fiberglass. What Midland model did you go with?I bought one of the Midland GMSR radios for wheeling here in southern New Mexico.
It fit perfectly in my radio delete spot. Just wired into the old cigarette lighter for now.
I do not have my license yet, but i am merely listening to trail instructions.
Bought the kit with upgraded ant, and just magnet to the front cowl while on trail. Desert likes to pull stuff off the fenders
View attachment 3505871
ChaseTruck
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- Thread starter
- #45
…or off the roof. Running trails in AZ, I can’t count the number of times I’ve scraped a mag mount off the roof of my K5. Granted, the 80 has thicker metal, so a magnet works better.… Desert likes to pull stuff off the fenders
I had good luck with a super flexible 2m antenna on the right fender. We’ll see how that’ll work for GMRS.
This is what the antenna looks like with the unit I purchased.
ChaseTruck
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- Thread starter
- #47
That’ll hold, but won’t ground the antenna. For best performance an antenna needs to be grounded to the vehicle, either electrically (metal to metal) or magnetically. So the mag mount ought to be attached to a conducting part of the body; fiberglass ain’t it. Will it work somehow - probably. Will it work well - probably not. Just saying.
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MXT275-WHIP Extended Range Bundle
$203.99
This is what the guys with all the equipment suggested.
Works great. But i don't know how much distance i get.
Price was nice too.
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It is common practice to ground mount with copper tape. A lot of magnetic antenna mounts have a plastic insulator on the bottom to prevent scratching the surface it is mounted on, and they work just fine in this configuration.
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The VX-6000 I referenced in a previous post transmitted 75 miles straight line with a 6" antenna on 100 watts.
ChaseTruck
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- Thread starter
- #52
Because it is the magnet in the base that couples the antenna electromagnetically to ground. For that to work, it best sit on a metal piece of the vehicle body. The plastic scratch guard won’t interfere with the magnetism.
Look. If everyone converts business radios to GMRS, and goes on to transmit above the 50 W limit at high output all the time, then pretty soon we’ll end up in the same mess where CB radio ended up (like getting to listen on CB to the guy from Del Rio TX while on a trail ride in AZ…). Granted, it won’t be just as bad because of the wavelength difference between CB and GMRS. But it’ll get pretty crowded on the GMRS channels.
From my experience with HAM radio, I’d say sure it’s nice to be able to connect over long distances. I’ve managed 45 miles with just a 2m quarter wavelength antenna in a not-optimal spot on the vehicle. And maybe that’ll be good enough in case of an emergency. But that’ll only work if someone is listening on the other end. And in my experience that isn’t a given anymore.
You completely misunderstand me. The radio I am referencing was removed from an ambulance that had an FCC license to transmit at that output level on their own frequency. When I acquired the radio, those frequencies were deleted, and all the GMRS channels that were programmed, were programmed in at an output of 25 watts. We hold both GMRS and Ham Licenses and ALWAYS follow all applicable laws, rules, and regulations.
If your antenna is a ground plane antenna, give it a ground plane to reflect off of. You can use copper tape laid out in a circle, or a piece of sheet metal. There are ways to make the antenna work on top of the fiberglass roof, it just depends on how creative you want to get.
Temp installed my system today. I was able to program it to a local repeater and had a brief conversation with a few people before I had to leave. I'm lucky to have the strongest repeater in the State about 5 miles from my house. Before I was able to program my radio to transmit, I was listening to the conversations. Many people were over 60 miles away and came through clear. I was pretty impressed with the range of that repeater.
ChaseTruck
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- Thread starter
- #55
Ok. Some more experiences with GMRS on the trail.
At nearly line of sight, 15 miles doesn’t seem to be a problem, even at 5 watts.
The 440 1/4 wave flexible antenna -from signalstuff.com; on a mag mount on the roof with a SMA/259 adapter- on GMRS channel 15 gives SWR between ~1.4 (5w) and ~2.0 (50w). The 1/2 wave mag mount I bought is between ~1.1 and ~1.6.
Reception with the 1/2 wave antenna on the HTs is better than with the 440 1/4 wave on the roof. Next time out I’ll try the antenna of the HT on the roof as well as on the fender.
On one of the days, GMRS was just like CB - I picked up a lot of transmissions from others. Of course it varies - the next day, the was more chatter on CB. I’ll try out setting up one of the channels with DCS tones and see how that will work out.
I haven’t tried repeater channels. AZ has several listed around Phoenix but my understanding is that they are for AGRC club members, not for the public.
At nearly line of sight, 15 miles doesn’t seem to be a problem, even at 5 watts.
The 440 1/4 wave flexible antenna -from signalstuff.com; on a mag mount on the roof with a SMA/259 adapter- on GMRS channel 15 gives SWR between ~1.4 (5w) and ~2.0 (50w). The 1/2 wave mag mount I bought is between ~1.1 and ~1.6.
Reception with the 1/2 wave antenna on the HTs is better than with the 440 1/4 wave on the roof. Next time out I’ll try the antenna of the HT on the roof as well as on the fender.
On one of the days, GMRS was just like CB - I picked up a lot of transmissions from others. Of course it varies - the next day, the was more chatter on CB. I’ll try out setting up one of the channels with DCS tones and see how that will work out.
I haven’t tried repeater channels. AZ has several listed around Phoenix but my understanding is that they are for AGRC club members, not for the public.
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I think the VX-6000U is FCC part 95 certified.
FCC ID
Grantee Code: | K66 | Product Code: | VX-6000U |
Equipment Specifications
Line Entry | Lower Frequency | Upper Frequency | Power Output | Tolerance | Emission Designator | Microprocessor Number | Rule Parts | Grant Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 450 | 490 | 50 | 2.5 ppm | 16K0F3E | | 22,74,90,95 | |
2 | 450 | 490 | 50 | 2.5 ppm | 11K0F3E | | 22,74,90.210,95 | |
3 | 450 | 490 | 100 | 2.5 ppm | 16K0F3E | | 22,74,90,95 | BL |
4 | 450 | 490 | 100 | 2.5 ppm | 11K0F3E | | 22,74,90.210,95 | BL |
Anyone use these?
rockytalkie.com
I'm tempted to pick some up but thought I'd ask first
5 Watt Radio
A GMRS radio with IP67 waterproofing, 5 days of battery life, and 5-watts of power for optimal range (35+ mile max range). Designed and tested in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, the 5 Watt Radio is ideal for adventures that require maximum range or submergible waterproofing, like white-water...
rockytalkie.com
I'm tempted to pick some up but thought I'd ask first
Another option Wouxun KG-S88G GMRS Two Way Radio - https://www.buytwowayradios.com/wouxun-kg-s88g.htmlAnyone use these?
5 Watt Radio
A GMRS radio with IP67 waterproofing, 5 days of battery life, and 5-watts of power for optimal range (35+ mile max range). Designed and tested in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, the 5 Watt Radio is ideal for adventures that require maximum range or submergible waterproofing, like white-water...
I'm tempted to pick some up but thought I'd ask first
The one thing I like about the rocky option is that is is IP67 rated and much simpler for family members that are not so technically inclined.
Go on ebay and look at motorola radios that are UHF. They are tough, rugged, usually waterproof, and can be programmed to GMRS channels, repeaters, and even some HAM bands. You can listen to HAM without a liscence. Stay away from cheap GMRS radios. The quality of the microphones and speakers are not good. Motorola radios have technology to filter out background noises, some are digital capable, and have a ton of features, like encryption. I use the XPR7550e and it can even text message. Comes in handy when you're in an area where theres no cell service and you need to operate quietly.
