Looking To Get A GMRS Or HAM Radio, Or A Single Radio That Can Do Both

[Dr. Zaius]

I'm going to be getting a radio and I'm pretty much a complete noobie on mobile radio.

I read several threads on here but they all seem to at least a couple of years old.

I did Satellite Communications in the military and I've looked over the HAM exam. I have zero doubts I could pass it.

I know that now GMRS is becoming more the standard and it's only a license fee.

So what's a good radio to start with? It will be permanently mounted in the truck. I'm kind of leaning toward the models that have the radio body mounted remotely and the face plate mounted separately, or the controls are all in the mic.

Some of the things I'm seeing that I would like to get more detail on:

CHIRP programming: How necessary is this capability? I've seen some of the Chinese radios that don't have this and users almost universally complain about how bad it is to configure them. I'm leaning toward getting one that can CHIRP unless there is a specific model recommendation.

How much power is enough? The closest repeater to me is around 20 miles away. Will a 25W be enough or do I need more? This is north GA so very little flat topography here. I will be mounting a 3dB ghost antenna.

Any recommendations will be appreciated, and especially any details on how yours is mounted and how power/antenna cables are routed.

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[Tremor_13]

I just ran across this thread and my situation is VERY similar. Prior military here, with a background in tactical communications. I also live in N GA, about 20mi from my closest repeater. I’m getting into the HAM/GMRS world and obviously have a 5g Ranger. (2021 Lariat Tremor.) I have several cheap handheld that cover both HAM & GMRS, but I want something of better quality for my truck and home. The idea is to have a solid way to communicate with family w/o relying on cell communications. Hopefully someone will be able to give you (us) some solid advice. My email is [email protected] if you’d like to share info.

 

[Rrrr-Anger19]

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[Superspirit]

@Tremor_13, I would remove your email address and send it to him in a pm.

 

[Frenchy]

I have been running Midland GMRS for a few years now(a little over 3 to be exact) and I have been happy. Why GMRS? Because it can communicate with FRS as well. I first had a MXT275 15 watt radio in my 93 Pathfinder. It did well in general. Now I have the MXT575 50 watt radio in my 2012 Frontier. It is way more powerful when compared to the MXT275. It also has a USB-C charging port built in that does fast charging.

GMRS vs HAM? I guess it depends on what you need. For me GMRS works well enough for the trail runs I do.

 

[ScarzRanger21]

I'm going to be getting a radio and I'm pretty much a complete noobie on mobile radio.

I read several threads on here but they all seem to at least a couple of years old.

I did Satellite Communications in the military and I've looked over the HAM exam. I have zero doubts I could pass it.

I know that now GMRS is becoming more the standard and it's only a license fee.

So what's a good radio to start with? It will be permanently mounted in the truck. I'm kind of leaning toward the models that have the radio body mounted remotely and the face plate mounted separately, or the controls are all in the mic.

Some of the things I'm seeing that I would like to get more detail on:

CHIRP programming: How necessary is this capability? I've seen some of the Chinese radios that don't have this and users almost universally complain about how bad it is to configure them. I'm leaning toward getting one that can CHIRP unless there is a specific model recommendation.

How much power is enough? The closest repeater to me is around 20 miles away. Will a 25W be enough or do I need more? This is north GA so very little flat topography here. I will be mounting a 3dB ghost antenna.

Any recommendations will be appreciated, and especially any details on how yours is mounted and how power/antenna cables are routed.

I run a Btech 50w in my truck, plenty of power. As far as ham vs gmrs, it really depends what YOU want to do with it. With gmrs being the most common type of setup people use, I went with that. I don’t need to be talking to people in Russia lol all the guys I train with who also have radios are local. We all run gmrs comms (either baofeng or anytone) and they work fine for what we do. I live up in the mountains with a lot of geographical obstructions but they seem to function fine. There’s a couple dead zones where I don’t get anything but it’s not too bad. Worst case, I drive 5 mins up the road to the top of a hill and can usually hit one of the repeaters around here. From my back deck, I can hit the repeater near my house and reach all the way down into the Central Valley 40 miles away. I can sometimes hit guys on the coast if they’re monitoring. We used to do a Friday night comms thing until it got boring and guys stopped calling in. The point I’m making is that if you know where the repeaters are and have access to them, gmrs can actually reach out a lot further than most people think.

I also have my radio jailbroken so it can access freq’s and digital channels that factory settings won’t allow you to use for legal reasons. (Disclaimer: the group I train with got permission from the FCC to use these channels, that’s the only reason I mention it. Otherwise it’s illegal. You could hypothetically use these channels in emergencies but I wouldn’t recommend it for daily use.) As far as chirp goes, yes. It makes it 100x easier to plug into your laptop and download freq’s, rename channels, etc…

https://a.co/d/aLoFv7p

 

[canyonslicker]

I just got my ham license last Tuesday, KO6KPZ. I only have a handheld Yaesu FT5D but I have a mobile magnetic antenna and microphone on order. This way I can decide if I truly want to get a dedicated system which can be pricey!!

I recommend getting a ham license vs gmrs for more access to other frequency bands. The only thing is ham licenses don’t cover family sharing use where gmrs licenses do allow it. The ham basic technician test is fairly easy to pass with a little studying. Morse code no longer required.

 

[canyonslicker]

Bump for interest..

 

[Colo_Ranger]

alright - here it is. I have my ham ticket and a GMRS license. The rules are very clear that an amateur radio is not allowed to operate on GMRS channels.

Now that that is out of the way, I have the Icom 2730a that has been MARS modded. Basically, it opens the ham radio to more frequencies. HAM Radio outlet will sell you the Icom already MARS modded for an additional $30.

The Icom runs at 50 watts and is a fantastic radio. Its dual receive, which means I can chat on one channel and listen to the local airport tower for fun.

I have an antenna mounted to my hood, which gives a good ground plane. I'll snag some pictures later. I love the fact that the head disconnects and can be mounted away from the chassis. The chassis is under my passengers seat the the head is mounted in the cubby under the radio (though I may move it to the overhead console again. I am never satisfied.).

 

[Colo_Ranger]

First picture is the chassis and the second pic is where the head used to be. I am pretty sure I am going to move it back there but I have to take the passenger's seat out again, remove a ton of trim and run the wire back up to the roof.

 

[canyonslicker]

The hood antenna mount has my interest. How is it mounted? Ditch light mount?

 

[Colo_Ranger]

The hood antenna mount has my interest. How is it mounted? Ditch light mount?

This is the mount I used. I don't like the ditch light version.

 

[canyonslicker]

The coax seems a little light for power transmission. Any issues?

BTW thanks for the info!!

 

[canyonslicker]

I’m kinda liking that ICOM, HRO is only a few miles from me. Looks like they’re gonna get a few bucks from me next week. Again this forum is cleaning out my wallet..

 

[Colo_Ranger]

The coax seems a little light for power transmission. Any issues?

BTW thanks for the info!!

I bought it all in the local store. No issues at all. This may not be the exact model I got, their website sucks for searching. Mine has the NMO mount and works flawlessly.

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