RFI: Current Radio Communication Best Buy

[whomever]

Why GMRS? It is easy to use and overlaps with FRS (so you can still talk to your bubble pack cheap radio buddies),

I was under the impression that the usual FRS/GMRS radios are not repeater capable?

As in, I set up a repeater, and buy a repeater-capable handheld, I can't use the repeater to talk to the usual FRS/GMRS (e.g. Midland GXT1000) handhelds my neighbors have. I could I suppose, talk directly to them w/o going through the repeater, but that makes the repeater not very useful.

(I was all hot to install a GMRS repeater - I have the mountaintop for it - but it's kind of a non-starter if the neighbor's GMRS radios from Cabelas don't work)

[EMC]

I was under the impression that the usual FRS/GMRS radios are not repeater capable?

As in, I set up a repeater, and buy a repeater-capable handheld, I can't use the repeater to talk to the usual FRS/GMRS (e.g. Midland GXT1000) handhelds my neighbors have. I could I suppose, talk directly to them w/o going through the repeater, but that makes the repeater not very useful.

(I was all hot to install a GMRS repeater - I have the mountaintop for it - but it's kind of a non-starter if the neighbor's GMRS radios from Cabelas don't work)

FRS is not repeater capable (on transmit at least) and midland GXT1000 gmrs radios are also simplex only. But GMRS is still compatible with FRS on simplex channels.

There are better programmable radios on GMRS that are repeater capable. Typically the repeaters are already out there set up by local HAMs or serious GMRS operators and you can find the information on them via mygmrs.com or repeaterbook for your area. You input the correct tones into your radio on the repeater channel specified and you can operate duplex. GMRS repeaters operate on a +5Mhz offset which is pre-baked into most GMRS repeater capable radios so all you have to do is add the specified DCS or CTCSS tone and you're up and running.

You can actually listen to repeater traffic on simplex channels on FRS/GMRS (if in range) as the frequencies overlap on Rx on channels 15-22.

One other advantage to the better GMRS handhelds is the ability to remove the antenna and hook them up to better higher gain antennas which is not allowed on cheaper FRS hand helds which can also extend the range greatly.

Here is a chart of the channels and frequencies for GMRS/FRS:

[whomever]

There are better programmable radios on GMRS that are repeater capable.

Thanks, I get all that, but I don't think my neighbors are going to buy repeater capable radios.


"Typically the repeaters are already out there"

Not around our neck of the woods - the nearest one is 50 miles away, in a valley, with high mountain ranges between us and it.

[EMC]

Thanks, I get all that, but I don't think my neighbors are going to buy repeater capable radios.


"Typically the repeaters are already out there"

Not around our neck of the woods - the nearest one is 50 miles away, in a valley, with high mountain ranges between us and it.

Sure, in that case you would be a simplex only operator, but you could still throw a large antenna up on your roof or barn or water tank and use a 50 watt mobile radio as a base station, or go mobile in your vehicle to vastly extend your range on GMRS. Just throwing out all the options and flexibility it gives over FRS bubble pack radios.

[Chuck Whitlock]

Get MURS (VHF band) portable and use a coax-fed, quarter- wave magnetic mount antenna centered on the vehicle roof and connect the coax to the portable so that you have a clear RF path outside the vehicle cab. Detach the coax and reinstall the flexible helical whip on the handheld when you leave the vehicle, so.you have "walk and talk" ability. No license required.

Back when I worked General Aviation avionics, my boss and I would install a belly-mounted COM antenna in a customer's aircraft, with the coax (BNC) routed and coiled up in the pilot's knee pocket. In the event of a total radio failure, they could attach it to their handheld (Terra or Bendix/King) and at least have communication. This was 25 years ago.

[RJ]

I’ve got that setup for my Baofeng in the truck. When I get back home I’ll get some details on what I bought, in case it helps.

Forgot to post back on this:

I bought a simple magnetic mount antenna, with a short adapter lead (included). I stuck this on the roof, near the entry way of the rear sliding window on my Ram ('20 Ram 1500 Crew) truck. I fed the cable down into the rear seat area and then to the front where I placed the radio, accepting there was going to be some squishing of the cable with the sliding window closed.

My basic hand held radio (Baofeng BF-F8HP) came with a rubber duck antenna. I removed the duck, leaving the female SMA connector. The magnetic mount antenna comes terminated with a female SMA, so I just used the 6" adapter cable to screw into the antenna port on the Baofeng. Obviously a quick connect would have been more convenient, but it wasn't a yuge hassle to unscrew the truck cable and than attach either the original rubber duck or in my case a separate Nagoya whip on the radio antenna input. Not an ideal solution but for something I was only going to use a few times while we were on the road that summer (last time we went traveling, which was 2022) it worked ok.

Nagoya Magnetic Mount:

https://a.co/d/5iUq6ds

Nagoya whip:

https://a.co/d/8vZ2TYR

[TQP]

You might have to point them in the right direction, and program them for them, but a quick search found some inexpensive Chinese brand names that were comparable, price wise, to Midland bubble pack units.

There's no way in hell I'd ever say this about a net that might actually get busy, but if the bubble pack users are operating on the repeater output, they can still hear everything and anyone in range of them will hear them. They just won't get the transmit range boost the cool kids get.

This will quickly turn into a cluster if it gets busy. Even if everyone is repeater capable it will still turn into a cluster, but it's just that much worse when Bob in the next holler over isn't sure anyone can hear him, but he can hear all the repeater traffic.
Either you're better off having the base station manned, at least at designated times.

This could go so much farther off into the weeds...

Thanks, I get all that, but I don't think my neighbors are going to buy repeater capable radios.


"Typically the repeaters are already out there"

Not around our neck of the woods - the nearest one is 50 miles away, in a valley, with high mountain ranges between us and it.

[HeavyDuty]

Yahoos are why I put up a dual mode repeater - P25 is a fairly high bar for LIDs (the radio equivalent of FUDDs) to clear. And encryption on biz band is another tool.

[Erik]

Some friends and I like to drive together and want some sort of communication that isn’t cellular dependent. Range up to a few miles.

My buddies and I use CB radios for this. A handheld radio and roof or window mount antenna are pretty inexpensive and work well for road trips.

[Doc_Glock]

My buddies and I use CB radios for this. A handheld radio and roof or window mount antenna are pretty inexpensive and work well for road trips.

Smokey and the Bandit/Dukes of Hazzard vibes there. Love that.