I think a good antenna makes a big difference on these radios. The one that came with my 275, well, went straight to the trash.
New GMRS radio
- Thread starter tnjeepguy
- Start date
Looking at getting the big antenna and the little stubby one also. Then where to mount them.
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.Looking at getting the big antenna and the little stubby one also. Then where to mount them.
As I recall, I did not see much love for the Midland antennas when I was looking.
This is it:
BB4505CNS 32 inch Black Base Coil Antenna - NMO Spring - 450-470 MHz NGP
The Laird B4505CS is a 32 inch black base loaded mobile UHF whip antenna with NMO base and spring. This antenna does not require a metal ground plane. This omnidirectional antenna offers 5 dbi gain and 100 watts max power and operates in the 450MHz - 470MHz range. Compatible with GMRS repeaters...
www.arcantenna.com
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:
BB4505CNS 32 inch Black Base Coil Antenna - NMO Spring - 450-470 MHz NGP
The Laird B4505CS is a 32 inch black base loaded mobile UHF whip antenna with NMO base and spring. This antenna does not require a metal ground plane. This omnidirectional antenna offers 5 dbi gain and 100 watts max power and operates in the 450MHz - 470MHz range. Compatible with GMRS repeaters...
Overwhelming to say the least.
This radio is on my list, but I'm not ready for one, yet (still months away from completing my build). These have been in-stock, out-of-stock, in-stock for as long as I've been looking at them (admittedly, not that long - maybe a couple months). Anyone looking for one, I just got an in-stock notice from buytwowayradios.com.
You can do better. Wouxun at www.buytwowayradios.comIs anyone running Rugged Radio Gmrs?
Radio Kit - GMR45 High Power GMRS Band Mobile Radio with Antenna
Complete radio kit features the GMRS 45-watt radio, UNI-MAG antenna mount, and Point-5 GMRS Antenna. Go the distance with Rugged's most powerful GMRS radio, featuring 45 watts for maximum GMRS performance, giving you the power necessary to make those long-distance radio calls. Performance and...www.ruggedradios.com
If at all possible get a 1/4 wave 'ground plane' antenna. It is a challenge to find a good ground plane on Jeeps tho.
Maybe you've seen mine. I don't see a high rise 3rd brake light on your rig tho.
Yup. Antenna and placement is more important than power.
I thought I had read that you dont need a ground plane if a mobile unit. I got the 6db gain antenna and was going to mount it on a Teraflex tail light mount.
Correct, you don't need one but a unity gain 1/4 wave GP will perform as well or better than most anything else. Nothing wrong with your choice, especially with the constraints of the Jeep mounting options.
Added advantage is the 1/4 is only 6" long. And there is no "antenna tuning with a 1/4 wave. (CB 1/4 wave is 102" whip).
I got lucky with a spot to mount mine on the LJ. I have one on the roof of the XJ as well.
As for a mobile unit, I run used commercial Kenwood radios that are getting hard to find. If I were to buy a new one it would be this:
www.buytwowayradios.com
I'd give up the extra power for the small size for a Jeep.
Lots of options and they all work fine. We use the snot out of them on the trail, including repeaters. I've hit a local repeater from 50 miles in the Jeep with a 20w radio and talked to my wife in the kitchen 20 more miles away.
Added advantage is the 1/4 is only 6" long. And there is no "antenna tuning with a 1/4 wave. (CB 1/4 wave is 102" whip).
I got lucky with a spot to mount mine on the LJ. I have one on the roof of the XJ as well.
As for a mobile unit, I run used commercial Kenwood radios that are getting hard to find. If I were to buy a new one it would be this:
Wouxun KG-XS20G GMRS Base/Mobile Two Way Radio
the Wouxun KG-XS20G takes the best features of a full size mobile radio and puts it all into a very compact package that fits into most any vehicle with ease. And it does all this at a price that won't wallop your wallet.
I'd give up the extra power for the small size for a Jeep.
Lots of options and they all work fine. We use the snot out of them on the trail, including repeaters. I've hit a local repeater from 50 miles in the Jeep with a 20w radio and talked to my wife in the kitchen 20 more miles away.
Wouxun KG-1000G GMRS Base/Mobile Two Way Radio
The Wouxun KG-1000G is a new GMRS base/mobile two way radio packed with a plethora of features at an unbelievably affordable price.
The Wouxun is more expensive than the Rugged, can you touch on why it's better? Due to our trees and lots of ups and downs im think more powah is better, so I'm looking for 50w. Is 1/4 wave with ground plane like by far the best option, i.e. is it absolutely worth the extra effort of finding a ground plane? I'm at the phase i don't necessarily want to learn a ton about radios i just want what works really well.
From MyGMRS forum:
"Rugged Radios is another vendor that caters to the off-road crowd and also sells rebadged radios. Would anyone care to guess what Rugged's $75 "GMR2" handheld radio is based on? It sure looks a lot like one you can buy on Amazon for between $30 and $40, so why pay $75?"
Wouxun are superhet receivers, many cheaper radios are "on a chip", far inferior (I dunno about RR). Many consider only TX power when buying a radio, when in practice it's often the RX end that falls short. You might boom out there with 50W on a 6db gain antenna but if your receiver isn't sensitive you won't here any replies. Baofang radios are an example. I can hit a local repeater with my mobile and hear my buddy on the other side of the mountain on his BF HH but he can't hear me. I've tried to tell him it's not my TX that's weak, it's his RX. Kinda of a horsepower v. torque kinda thing.
@bobthetj03 might chime in. Not sure if that's his moniker on here but he is a member who's done a bunch with GMRS.
"Rugged Radios is another vendor that caters to the off-road crowd and also sells rebadged radios. Would anyone care to guess what Rugged's $75 "GMR2" handheld radio is based on? It sure looks a lot like one you can buy on Amazon for between $30 and $40, so why pay $75?"
Wouxun are superhet receivers, many cheaper radios are "on a chip", far inferior (I dunno about RR). Many consider only TX power when buying a radio, when in practice it's often the RX end that falls short. You might boom out there with 50W on a 6db gain antenna but if your receiver isn't sensitive you won't here any replies. Baofang radios are an example. I can hit a local repeater with my mobile and hear my buddy on the other side of the mountain on his BF HH but he can't hear me. I've tried to tell him it's not my TX that's weak, it's his RX. Kinda of a horsepower v. torque kinda thing.
@bobthetj03 might chime in. Not sure if that's his moniker on here but he is a member who's done a bunch with GMRS.
Read some of the threads on MyGMRS.com about the Midlands. The receivers on them are less than stellar. For the price they are asking for them, there are much better options out there. I had Wouxun's KG-XS20G in my jeep for a spell. It worked well, and you didn't have to be a rocket scientist to program it. I prefer radios you can field program if needed. Options, more are better. For antennas, I have several, but find Nagoya, Diamond, and Comet are the better brands out there. I have the Midland 6db antenna as well, and it doesn't perform any better than the previous mentioned ones. Placement is tough on a TJ. I had mine on the tail light mount, but found it worked better and gave me a better SWR on the A-pillar mount. @NOTNSUV's mount would be the ideal location.
First location attempt,
Current location,
First location attempt,
Current location,
SkylinesSuck
TJ Expert
I have a 1/2 wave no ground plane Larsen antenna on a taillight mount. I was told 1/2 is the way to go since it's real damn hard to get an effective ground plane on a Wrangler. I think it works pretty well.
SkylinesSuck
TJ Expert
Funny. I literally just got an email saying the KG1000s are in stock and ready to ship. It's a sign.
I'm going to run the KG1000g when it comes back in stock.
Is there an article someone can link that talks about what an ideal antennae mount is? front of jeep / back of jeep, above roof, below roof, ground plane requirements, length requirements?? I can think of a lot of potential mount locations but i only want to do it once, so i want to make a good choice.
Is there an article someone can link that talks about what an ideal antennae mount is? front of jeep / back of jeep, above roof, below roof, ground plane requirements, length requirements?? I can think of a lot of potential mount locations but i only want to do it once, so i want to make a good choice.
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.
They sold out within a few hours. When I got my email at 2:39pm, I was sitting at my computer, so I clicked the link and they were shown in stock. When I got home from work, they were backordered. From what I've seen over the last weeks/months, they get shipments in every few weeks, and the sell out within hours. If you're on their notification list, and you react quickly, you can snag one. However, they also seem to manage their backorder list pretty well, so if you want to reserve one from the next available shipment, you can place an order and wait. I think the last time I looked, it gave an expected ship date in 1 week, so they must be expecting that next shipment soon.