New GMRS User Questions

[Wrightsrockets]

Good. My evil plan is working.

But seriously, for guys like you and I, that's often the way it goes. Knowing it can be done better is what drives me to constantly improve my skill set. In the long run, it pays off. Knowing I've done the job correctly is rewarding.



Yes, there's a lot of options here. A set up like that can be useful. Even without the emergency aspect of it, having alternate sources of communication can be handy.



In addition to the excellent list above:
Radio Academy: Free Courses for Critical Communications (it's free, but you have to register)

Sir, Radio Academy is amazing! Thank you very much!!!!!!

 

[Wrightsrockets]

I completed basic radio awareness and radio etiquette last night. Thank you.

 

[Wrightsrockets]

Good. My evil plan is working.

But seriously, for guys like you and I, that's often the way it goes. Knowing it can be done better is what drives me to constantly improve my skill set. In the long run, it pays off. Knowing I've done the job correctly is rewarding.



Yes, there's a lot of options here. A set up like that can be useful. Even without the emergency aspect of it, having alternate sources of communication can be handy.



In addition to the excellent list above:
Radio Academy: Free Courses for Critical Communications (it's free, but you have to register)

Well sir, I installed the rugged radios hood mount, much better coax, and stealth midland antenna on the tacoma last night. Finished just before the huge storm hit. Same antenna, coax, and radio reached Gallatin repeater easy using a 5x8 trailer roof as ground plane easily reached the 33 mile distant repeater. Same truck, cheap magnetic mount antenna with tiny 174 coax using roof of the Tacoma as ground plane, easily reach Gallatin repeater in Scottsville and Bowling Green Ky.
After stealth antenna installed on hood hinge mounts from rugged radios, nothing.

I believe it is the repeater that transmits Morse code user ID every 15 minutes. Heard it faintly, partially, one time in 45 minutes.

The possibility exists that the repeater was shut down or damaged by the large lightning storm last night, I will continue to test, but I believe the hood hinge mounts, while presenting as a answer, is not a good one.

All painted metal connections sanded to clean metal, hood hinge bolts, wire brushed to a sheen, dielectric grease, used. Coax treated gently on install.

Install tested with short wire mag mount, works pretty good, only change is a known functional stealth antenna and hood hinge mount.

It looks like I am drilling a nice hole in the roof.

 

[mmckenna]

After stealth antenna installed on hood hinge mounts from rugged radios, nothing.

An extreme difference like that is kind of surprising, but not really. I'd remove the antenna, disconnect the coax from the radio, and do a quick continuity check from end to end, as well as check for shorts between the center and outer shield. I'd expect to see a difference in performance, but a huge difference like that would cause me pause and make me pull out the multimeter.

Those stealth antennas are not great performers, even when installed on a perfect ground plane. If your coax checks out, you might want to consider installing an actual whip antenna. The longer length might get around the cab shadowing a bit, and the additional gain ~might~ help.

But, ultimately, getting the antenna up on top of the cab, like you did with the magnet mount, will improve performance.

A lot of people install these fender mounts below the cab and say they are happy with it, but I think their happiness is based on not knowing what a proper antenna install can do.

It looks like I am drilling a nice hole in the roof.

That's a hard decision for many to make. It requires some time, effort and guts to do it the first time. But once you've done it and see the improvement in performance, you'll be hooked. Did my first permanent antenna install on my own truck in 1990, and never went back.

Measure twice, drill once. Practice on some scrap sheet material first to get a feel how the hole saw bites. Good idea to visualize above the headliner, I use a flexible camera on vehicles I have not installed in before.

 

[Wrightsrockets]

Yes sir, I appreciate it. Everything is working, just a dramatic reduction in transmit and receive. Even the weather alert dropped to poor reception.

I agree with the measure twice cut once. Woodworker, High Power rocket certified L2. I just didn't want to. LOL, now I want to. The hood mount idea is just not worth having. The same stealth antenna same coax, same radio just setting not even clamped hits the repeater it can't even hear with the hood mount. I will test it again, this evening. I will reconnect the magnetic mount antenna, hopefully make a contact, pull off and swap to the stealth hood hinge mounts and see if I can hear them, then swap back to mag mount.

The extra stupid part is I bought a hood mount for my wifes 4 runner before I even tested mine. Sometimes I just have to learn the hard way.

Might as well do it right.

 

[mmckenna]

Yes sir, I appreciate it. Everything is working, just a dramatic reduction in transmit and receive. Even the weather alert dropped to poor reception.

OK, well, yeah, that's the drawback of the compromise mount, lack of good ground plane, shielding, and low performance antenna.
And I'd not expect a UHF antenna to work well on the VHF NOAA frequencies.

Might as well do it right.

You'll be happy with it once it's done.

Proper antenna mounting and sourcing good, clean power really makes a difference.

 

[Wrightsrockets]

OK, well, yeah, that's the drawback of the compromise mount, lack of good ground plane, shielding, and low performance antenna.
And I'd not expect a UHF antenna to work well on the VHF NOAA frequencies.



You'll be happy with it once it's done.

Proper antenna mounting and sourcing good, clean power really makes a difference.

Ok, my daughter Zola came out with me after dinner. I took down the headliner and interior body panels, marked center, drilled a pilot hole, drilled a 3/8ths hole, deburred hole, vacuumed up the shavings, installed low profile mount, ran cable along existing wires thru factory wire holders, tie strapped, clipped ends, installed antenna, reinstalled headliners, and body panels, and tested. Clear as a bell, best reception ever experienced. Let Zola make the first transmission radio check. We spoke to 3 men in Hermitage TN, Hendersonville TN, and Portland Tn. about 56 miles transmit and receive using the repeater in Gallatin Tn.

So here is my advice earned the hard way by being hard headed. Just go ahead and drill a hole. The difference is night and day in clarity. This is just using a little 3db stealth antenna. I am going to order a nice Laird when I recover from buying two mobiles, and 3 handheld units.
Will this advice do any good if you are as hard headed as I am? Nope. However I do have a 3 gen Tacoma hood mount used for one day for sale, and a 3rd gen 4runner hood mount that also fits GX Lexus, and 2 gen Tacoma un-used for sale. You to can learn the hard way, and help me buy a better antenna?

Thank you @mmckenna I wish I didn't have to learn the hard way, but I know myself very well. I appreciate your advice, and I am using it.

Steve

 

[Wrightsrockets]

@mmckenna I looked right over your tag line. My daughter saw it. That is great! "Just drill the damn hole."

Yes that is the easier softer way, that costs less, and it is done.

 

[mmckenna]

Ok, my daughter Zola came out with me after dinner. I took down the headliner and interior body panels, marked center, drilled a pilot hole, drilled a 3/8ths hole, deburred hole, vacuumed up the shavings, installed low profile mount, ran cable along existing wires thru factory wire holders, tie strapped, clipped ends, installed antenna, reinstalled headliners, and body panels, and tested. Clear as a bell, best reception ever experienced. Let Zola make the first transmission radio check. We spoke to 3 men in Hermitage TN, Hendersonville TN, and Portland Tn. about 56 miles transmit and receive using the repeater in Gallatin Tn.

Tell Zola thank you.

Sounds like that did the trick.

So here is my advice earned the hard way by being hard headed. Just go ahead and drill a hole.

Seems like I've heard that somewhere before….

The difference is night and day in clarity. This is just using a little 3db stealth antenna. I am going to order a nice Laird when I recover from buying two mobiles, and 3 handheld units.
Will this advice do any good if you are as hard headed as I am? Nope. However I do have a 3 gen Tacoma hood mount used for one day for sale, and a 3rd gen 4runner hood mount that also fits GX Lexus, and 2 gen Tacoma un-used for sale. You to can learn the hard way, and help me buy a better antenna?

Thank you @mmckenna I wish I didn't have to learn the hard way, but I know myself very well. I appreciate your advice, and I am using it.

Steve

Nah, I look at that stuff as learning and reinforcement. Learning the hard way is sometimes the best way. I've learned way more working in the field than I ever did sitting in a classroom.

Really glad to hear it worked out. I've never regretted drilling the hole, but I can see why there are those that are reluctant. It's a big step, and taking a drill to the roof of a perfectly good vehicle takes some guts and maybe a bit of insanity for the first one. But once done, it's hard to beat and you'll no doubt be doing more in the future. It really does improve performance.

The Laird antenna should improve performance quite a bit. I don't believe that those stealth antennas do a real 3dB, but I know a good vertical antenna will.

Welcome to the club. Continue to help us spread the good word about proper antenna installations.

 

[Firebell2110]

You said 1500 feet is the typical range at site. FRS can do 2 watts on channels 1 thru 7 and 15 thru 22, which would be more than sufficient on relatively flat terrain.

Channel chart here:

General Mobile Radio Service - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

MURS is a good choice too. Two watts on five channels. With external antennas legal if desired.

Multi-Use Radio Service - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I would highly suggest using MURS instead I use it all the time, but unfortunately nobody in southeastern Wisconsin uses it anymore where I'm from and it's always dead air except for a few channels that squawk these emissions from Garmin Astro dog collars, you hear those date of burst every few seconds other than that that's all I've been hearing on MURS I was hoping to hear a lot more voice traffic to be able to reach out to somebody for a radio check if they were passing through the area or needed assistance anywhere would be nice to hear a lot more people on that as I do scan those 5 MURS frequencies on my kenwood so I'm able to get back to somebody if they are out there on the air

 

[Wrightsrockets]

I would highly suggest using MURS instead I use it all the time, but unfortunately nobody in southeastern Wisconsin uses it anymore where I'm from and it's always dead air except for a few channels that squawk these emissions from Garmin Astro dog collars, you hear those date of burst every few seconds other than that that's all I've been hearing on MURS I was hoping to hear a lot more voice traffic to be able to reach out to somebody for a radio check if they were passing through the area or needed assistance anywhere would be nice to hear a lot more people on that as I do scan those 5 MURS frequencies on my kenwood so I'm able to get back to somebody if they are out there on the air

I am really digging GMRS. I heard and understood 17 people I had never met in the span of a hour, with a improperly installed low cost stealth antenna, not clearly but I could understand and be understood. Now with the antenna properly mounted, almost everyone is very clear. With just 15watts hitting a repeater 33 miles away at my house, and 44 miles away at my work. I am slowing catching on to who is where.

I started out wanting handhelds for safety, and speed of communication when chucking 14 lb fiberglass rockets into the sky at 700 mph. I just sorta completely misunderstood what a mobile base station could do. I did not understand repeaters. I know the GMRS handhelds will accomplish the task at rocket launches. I will just start convincing my friends and the other rocket club officers to get gmrs licenses from the fcc. I expect it will be a easy sell, don't twist my rubber arm sorry of thing, since they all love the same things I do.

It will co-ordination easier, and much faster, while increasing safety.

 

[evilbrad]

Wonder what the wilson uses freq wise