New GMRS radio

If you have your license and call-sign your best option is to join www.myGmrs.com. Tons of good info from good folks on there.
I don't have any of that. I'm not that interested in joining a gmrs forum was trying to find something jeep specific boiled down for non radio geeks lol. Googled around but people just show what antenna they used and say it works.

Leaning towards a mag mount on my spare carrier. I'm fine with a tall antenna if it works better too. Ill probably call that radio store and report back with what I learn for simpletons.
 
After a bunch of research when I did mine, I picked up a 5/8 wave, no ground plane, GMRS antenna from Laird. If I recall correctly, the antenna, cable and connectors cost almost as much as the radio - but it works pretty well for me. It also tuned to the 275 fairly well.

As I recall, I did not see much love for the Midland antennas when I was looking.

This is it:

https://www.arcantenna.com/products...na-nmo-spring-450-470-mhz-uhf-no-ground-plane
When I did mine, I called the company in the link and talked to them about the best approach. I got a lot of good advice - the guy seemed to know his stuff, but I don’t recall his name.
 
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This is all I picked up. Going with mag mount on top of spare tire carrier and I can make myself a little plate for the days I have carrier removed. Supports my easy change over plan being magnetic. Went with 38" whip, lady said bigger is better. She said it's pre tuned so basically plug and play.
Screenshot_20220520-102443.png
 
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Also she said they got a batch coming in early next week and they're not completely sold so get em while they's hot!
 
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KG1000G has a few features that make it somewhat unique (well other than it is most likely a rebadged radio-abet that is a different story). Some of these are not unique in and of themselves, but I don't know any other radio that has the combination of them.

It have superior sensitivity, frequency stability and selectivity over cheap radios on a chip due to the Superheterodyne receiver. They can sometimes rival high end software defined radios.

It can monitor 2 channels and multiple bands

It can be programed for a lot of relays, including multiple relays on the same channel.

It has a fairly full feature remote faceplate (as apposed to a faceplate on a mic or a connected faceplate).

It does not have features removed to make it easier to plug and use (this is 2 edged, some people will not care about the extra features and do want something extremely easy to use).
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Is it the ultimate GMRS radio - NO. If you want simple, get simple - less to fiddle with when driving. If you want a lower price, get one with a lower price. If you want something more flexibility (uhf, vhf, gmrs, hf, cb)-get a good ham radio (either an export model, or one with a MARS mod)-but understand that using that "flexibility" is illegal per FCC rules. FCC does not legally allow ham radios to TX on GMRS or CB bands (unless in a life and death situation).

Honestly, I think the KG1000G is a mobile ham radio with TX on UHF and VHF blocked and TX within GMRS restricted to comply with US law. I suspect the legal print here is you can legally own an unlocked ham radio (just not use the unlocked TX frequencies), but I bet you can not legally own an unblocked GMRS radio - and as such I have found nothing on the net on how to unblock the KG1000G.
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fwiw I have one on order - but I also have ham radios that I can use legally.
 
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If you are going to spend the coin, the KG1000G is one of the best mobile GMRS radios on the market, IMO. Part of amateur radio though is having options and flexibility. I don't like being restricted to just one band. It doesn't mean you have to TX on other bands outside of the rules, yes rules, not laws, but if you just want communications in your rig with other like minded individuals, GMRS is a great way to go. I started off with a CB, then discovered GMRS and never looked back. Another good radio, also made by Wouxun is this little guy,

https://www.buytwowayradios.com/wouxun-kg-xs20g.html
Not as powerful as the KG1000G, but has a nice small chassis, which is important in a Jeep. 50 watts in mobile rig is kind of overkill IMO. You are already limited by antenna placement, so unless you are trying to communicate long distances, I just don't see the advantage of that kind of transmit power.
 
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