This weekend I drove up to the Four Peaks in the Mazatzal Mountains, Arizona just outside the Phoenix metro area. At the saddle between the peaks at about 5700' I was able to hit the Arizona GMRS Repeater Club's PHX 550 repeater with my Btech GMRS-V1. The repeater site is 75 miles away atop the White Tank mountains at about 4000' on the opposite side of the Phoenix metro area:
I was facing west with pretty much a direct line of sight of to the White Tanks. As soon as I turned on the radio I heard a club member loud and clear and gave him a quick hello. I received a good signal report back from him, and I also contacted another club member. Reception was a little bit spotty, but moving around along the western face of the Four Peaks from about 5000' and above allowed me to have decently clear RX and TX to the AGRC 550 repeater. I camp and do some off roading in this area, and I'm glad to know that I can have reliable GMRS radio contact once I get above the smaller hills.
At this elevation, just about the entire GMRS band was active. I was looking down around multiple camping and recreation areas at the base of the mountains, and heard the usual family chatter on quite a few channels.
I was facing west with pretty much a direct line of sight of to the White Tanks. As soon as I turned on the radio I heard a club member loud and clear and gave him a quick hello. I received a good signal report back from him, and I also contacted another club member. Reception was a little bit spotty, but moving around along the western face of the Four Peaks from about 5000' and above allowed me to have decently clear RX and TX to the AGRC 550 repeater. I camp and do some off roading in this area, and I'm glad to know that I can have reliable GMRS radio contact once I get above the smaller hills.
At this elevation, just about the entire GMRS band was active. I was looking down around multiple camping and recreation areas at the base of the mountains, and heard the usual family chatter on quite a few channels.
