GMRS Radio Variables

[CrazyCooter]

I don't have a lot of experience with GMRS radios aside using hand helds a few times. I've decided to get a mobile for my truck and have done a lot of reading about it. I've decided to get the Wouxun (pronounced ocean) Kg 1000 g plus. It's a 50 watt that cost almost exacly the same as the Midlands 50w but has more capability and more physical features. It seems that the vast majority of people on the radio forums recommend that particular one and specifically recommend it over Midland. The KG1000 has way many more settings options (dual frequency) than midland and they are there if I get more advanced and want them. I like that the medium power can be set to 10 or 20 watts and I think the midland has only one "medium" setting that is 15w if I recall. It also has a total of 3 speakers and a fan. It's got a lot of presets to save preferred channels. It also can display two different channels which each has their own speaker and their own volume knob. At first that was puzzling but there's good reasons for that after doing a lot of reading. You can also set it up to display only one channel. I actually went with the midland antenna, the mxta26 which is a colinear 5/8" over 5/8" wave that quadruples the signal (6db gain). I'll probably also carry a 1/4 wave antenna for if I'm in hill country or in the mtns. The NMO connections are really easy to change antennas out. There's lots of benefits to having a mobile/base radio installed in your vehicle and I don't think you'll regret it. I'm buying mine from "Buy two way radios" and they don't seem good at answering questions. mygmrs dot com is another option to buying the Wouxun KG1000 G plus. I hope this input helps.

Wow.....Wouxun has gotten pretty proud of their radios? I was using a lot of TYT's back in the day too.

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[FL Robert]

This is my go to on the JT since it has such a wide band and can cover ham, GMRS, MURS, and public safety bands all in one. It's not short or indestructible, but it works. I can swap out to something shorter and indestructible if needed in seconds.

Comet CA-2x4SR

Great wide band antenna! Get the spring kit for it.

 

[Gvsukids]

My experience with the short dual band Tram antenna is is lacks range. It is not a NGP antenna so mounting it right is a necessity.

Agree about the range. It's mounted off the side of my hood.

 

[LostWoods]

@CrazyCooter, @cranbiz, Thank you both. Follow on for you. Antenna, got it. Any recommendations for just a solid all around? I was hoping to pull a couple of pros like you guys, but I don't know I'll be in a scenario to have multiple choices. My max is a few day overland deliberately away from people...

I use the stubby MXTA25 and high gain MTXA26 from Midland and it's a good combo. The stubby is good in the mountains and the high gain gives great range in the desert. As was said, it's about 15 seconds to swap them so I just keep the unused one under the seat.

 

[CrazyCooter]

Note: I was using the Midland MicroMobile® Low Profile Antenna Cable - MXTA24 for my MIdland MXT575 - 50 watt. I was having problems, and I changed out the cable for another MXTA24 RG58U cable. This seemed to fix it maybe a little for a while, but, problems were always persistant. Tuning the antenna was also an issue. I changed to a LMR-240UF ultra flex cable and it was a game changer. This cable is very efficient and has great shielding. My radio operated fantastically, I could easliy tune my antenna with with SMR meter, and I was hitting repeaters that were far, far away. My simplex channels were also working fantastic. I can highly recommend LMR-240UF ultra flex cable. It is only a tad thicker than R58U, but, it is very, very flexible. I had no problem pulling it through were I had the R58U. You can buy it at DX Engineering at any length you want - the shorter the better, and you can buy coax connectors to build your own cable. LMR-240UF was really a game changer for my radio.

Note2: My brother has a Wouxun 50 watt GMRS, and he had the same experience with LMR cable vs R58 on his Van. He went with LMR-600 for a fairly easy run and it was also a game changer for his radio. LMR-600 is way, way too thick and too stiff for our Jeeps, and the LMR-240UF is a great compromise and gives great performance.

I order my NMO bases with the LMR240UF for all of my UHF/VHF/900Mhz installs....I figure why not reduce the losses for a few bucks more?

LMR400 is hard enough to deal worth in a mobile application, but LMR600 is ultimate insanity for most of us even for a base station install where the run is 50'+. I did have a guy come in for some work who did LMR400 for his install though........

 

[cranbiz]

Wow.....Wouxun has gotten pretty proud of their radios? I was using a lot of TYT's back in the day too.

Got to watch the TYT's and any of those almost identical radios that are small and have the 4 channel display. Those all state they are 25W radios. Unfortunately, that all have 16W finals in them and inadequate heat sinks. Plus the radio's low power mode is 20W.

I have replaced several of them for people I know and upgraded the heat sink but I also have the hot air rework station to replace it with. It's not easy to get either. I have only found them thru Newark. There is a 25W final available but that being in stock is almost impossible to find.

 

[CrazyCooter]

Got to watch the TYT's and any of those almost identical radios that are small and have the 4 channel display. Those all state they are 25W radios. Unfortunately, that all have 16W finals in them and inadequate heat sinks. Plus the radio's low power mode is 20W.

I have replaced several of them for people I know and upgraded the heat sink but I also have the hot air rework station to replace it with. It's not easy to get either. I have only found them thru Newark. There is a 25W final available but that being in stock is almost impossible to find.

It's been a while since I played with any of this stuff.....Burned out long ago, but keep coms in the vehicles.

This TYT TH-9800 was my favorite in the UTV's as it was cheap, wide open,and operated identical to our now discontinued Yaesu FT8900's. Never put one on a bench for testing, but was never dissatisfied either.....Is this model a weak clunker? Obviously a type accepted radio, but it did get it done!

 

[cranbiz]

It's been a while since I played with any of this stuff.....Burned out long ago, but keep coms in the vehicles.

This TYT TH-9800 was my favorite in the UTV's as it was cheap, wide open,and operated identical to our now discontinued Yaesu FT8900's. Never put one on a bench for testing, but was never dissatisfied either.....Is this model a weak clunker? Obviously a type accepted radio, but it did get it done!

I don't have any experience with the TYT8900/9800. The TYT8600 and the likes are the radios I'm referring to.

Most of what I have heard on the 8900/9800 is positive though.

I have a Kenwood TMV71a in my JK, a Yaesu FT8900 in the motorhome and a Yaesu FT2000 in the Gladiator. I won't comment on if they are open or not.

 

[hjdca]

I order my NMO bases with the LMR240UF for all of my UHF/VHF/900Mhz installs....I figure why not reduce the losses for a few bucks more?

LMR400 is hard enough to deal worth in a mobile application, but LMR600 is ultimate insanity for most of us even for a base station install where the run is 50'+. I did have a guy come in for some work who did LMR400 for his install though........

Yeah, you are right. My mistake, I double checked. My brother put in LMR-400 not the 600. Sorry for the mistake. I will fix my post. Thanks again.

Note: Besides the decrease in losses, I think the LMR-240UF has great shielding that is much appreciated in Jeeps. Seems to me to be much better that RG58u...

 

[bd100]

Going back to the original question, I'd say the power doesn't matter as much as the antenna, which doesn't matter as much as height, but none matters much when a mountain or forest or buildings are in the way. Typically you either get through or you don't, and the power level might just mean a little less static if you actually do get through. Also, antennas and cables help for receive as well, but power level doesn't.

Using my 5W handheld hooked up to a base antenna in the 2nd story window, I can easily reach a repeater 30 miles away with a clear signal, largely due to the repeater's antenna height. As an experiment I changed it to low power, half of a single watt with the base antenna, and it still got through but with more static. And at 5W with a handheld 1/2 wave antenna I still get to the repeater, but again with static.

On our JT I have one of the Midland radios with the controls and display on the hand set, plugged into a removable ethernet cable extension cord, going to the control box under the steering column. The mike hook is on a dash rail arm, leaving plenty of room on the dash for other gadgets. Mine is the 15W model, and I think they make a 50W version as well. My only complaint is that these don't have banks of named presets. If they ever come out with a version with presets I'll swap. But in the meantime the dash real-estate is why I like this model.

The antenna is Midland's small 1/4 wave mag mount stuck onto the metal hood with an adhesive metal disc, with an extra radial wire aiming backward where the cowl is plastic. I also trimmed the thin coax after it ducks under the hood and ran RG58 the rest of the way. Works great, and I can pop the hood and pull it off and hide it under the cowl if I wish. Being a 1/4 wave it doesn't matter if the Jeep is tilted up or down or the other party is above or below.

 

[Gvsukids]

Mine is the 15W model, and I think they make a 50W version as well.

Yes.

My only complaint is that these don't have banks of named presets.

The radio remembers the privacy channels that are set on different frequencies.

 

[sarguy1941]

What is your real intendand purpose. If its close by trail comms the MTX 15 watt radio is ideal with the ghost style antenna. Battery is never dead and the mic is on a cord. I run them in all my vehicles. When out of the jeep I use my T600 hand held.

 

[HorsesRear]

I have had my license and radio for two years and have yet to hear anyone talk on it.

 

[Gvsukids]

I have had my license and radio for two years and have yet to hear anyone talk on it.

Helps to turn it on.

 

[HorsesRear]

Helps to turn it on.

Funny you should say that. I recently went to a jeep jamboree. Had the radio turned on but the volume was turned all the way down.

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