Coms Setup & Location

I have a Midland gmrs radio under my passenger seat. I ran the antenna up to the ditch light bracket and installed an RJ45 port in the lower switch panel. Its completely out of sight when not in use.

 

Nice! Do you have a link to that RJ45 port? I like that set up, very clean.

 

Here you go, the only place I could find them was Australia, took a while to come in and was expensive for what it is but it looks so clean I had to do it. It also lights up.

Narva UHF Radio Mic Socket fits Toyota 200 Series Landcruiser 2008 to Current | eBay

 

https://www.aironboard.com/online/rj45-toyota-900-uhf-radio-remote-microphone-socket.html

 

I actually had one of these before I got the other one and it was garbage. The fit in the switch hole was awful, so bad that it would rattle when driving down the road. The rj45 port fit was awful as well, and the back half of it separated with any force whatsoever and would dangle by the wires. Look at the picture below of when I had it installed, you can actually see it angled to the driver side.

 

I’m glad you chimed in because that’s the same product I had linked earlier but didn’t have any experience with it or know anyone who had. So safe to say that’s not a great option.

 

For $40 there’s no reason to use any other antenna over the commercial-grade Laird Phantom Elite model ETRAB 4503 (450–470MHz) for GMRS trail comms. At 3.5 inches tall, it is more subtle than any of the cylindrical ghost antennas and its fin shape enables laminar airflow, eliminating the annoying wind turbulence/whistling caused by ghost and whip antennas.

 

Thats good info, thanks!

 

Good looking out, thanks!

 

I've been running the

$160 MXT275 MicroMobile® GMRS Radio – 15 watts Two-Way Radio with Integrated Control Microphone – Overland Caravanning Tractors – Detachable External Magnetic Mount Antenna - 8 Repeater Channels

MXT275 for about 1 1/2 years now, w/ the MTXA26 6db gain whip antenna mounted on the passenger side of my hood. Ran the antenna cable down the through the AC drip outlet into the cab. I've had no issues hitting repeaters or talking to others local. I am looking at upgrading to something else later that I can program more channels. But for now this works great.

 

This one is getting good reviews.

$220 BTECH UV-50X2 (Second Gen.) Mobile 50 Watt Dual Band Base, Mobile Radio: VHF, UHF Amateur (Ham)

https://www.amazon.com/BTECH-Mobile...s=btech+gmrs-50x1&qid=1641315143&sr=8-1-spons

B Tech is the US version of Baofeng or at least that's my understanding.

 

I actually looked at that one or one like it. At the time I was just getting into GMRS and had no clue what I was doing with programing radios, really still don't for lol but I am learning. So I wanted something easy, I actually like my radio. On repeaters I've been able to reach as out to Cali, WA all of the southwest and Mid west. Mainly use it for off road, camping, hunting stuff like that.

 

It looks good but for half that amount you can get a used commercial-grade part 90 (GMRS-legal) radio that is superior in every way.

 

I thought that PART 95 was the only " legal " ( GMRS ) again I am new to the whole GMRS radio thing and still learning. I wouldn't mind finding a good used commercial grade base but I would probably get lost in the programing of it. lol.

 

From my understanding BTech is the U.S. version of Baofeng, and it's supposed to be a better product. I've looked their HT's and I think I am going to go with a KG-935G for a hand held radio.

 

No worries, it took me years to figure out this stuff since the nerds are very reluctant to hop off their esoteric towers for newbies. But here's a good list to get you started.

btw Part 90 exceeds Part 95 requirements.

 

Thanks. Yeah I've found that most people in GMRS are more helpful than the Ham's. Trying to talk to anyone in a Ham club takes a act of congress or Higher to get help, or they want you to join their club before speaking to you. After trying to get info on Ham here in Abq NM I gave up on it because NO ONE would return a email or a call and when they did they were extremely RUDE like I was bothering them. So I went a different way.

 

I am wanting to mount my midland stealth antenna and was wanting to mount it on the side of my Prinsu rack like the R4T mount. Would this be ok or do I need to hood mount it for better reflection/ground plane?

 

Thats fine for offroad comms.

 

I only did a cursory glance over this thread- but thought Id throw this idea out there. I never really liked the ditch light antenna position. I ended up riggings the Ghost Antenna to my Prinsu rack using a universal Midland mount and 2 existing holes in the side bars of my rack.
Just tossing out there for an idea.