GMRS Fara-J Antenna. Now we really need it!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.พ. 2025
- A lot of information recently was clarified by the FCC regarding the General Mobile Radio Service or GMRS with regard to linked, linking, or internet based GMRS systems. I present their clarification right from the fcc.gov website and then proceed with demonstrating a way to enhance your GMRS handheld or HT coverage as well as try it out with my mobile radio in my vehicle as well. I feel this information will be helpful as people realize that most GMRS systems will be unlinking from multiple repeaters and websites, and it will go back to limitations of 5 -50 watts and that's it. Ben VE6SFX from VFComms was nice enough to send me his new GMRS Fara-J cloth antenna for me to review and try out in the field.
Even though this antenna was free for me to use, I did do a thorough assessment and will present the results here in the video. I have an affiliate link below if you order from VFComms. Thanks and enjoy.
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Looks like a great traveling antenna. Should work well on the balcony of my hotel.
@@bulldogbrower6732 yeah I think so. I am going to test it with a different size coax soon to make sure I didn’t lose too much signal with the smaller one in this video. Stay tuned. Ham-Solo K0FYR WRMV759
Did the other video on different coax types. Don’t remember if we talked about it but here is the link. th-cam.com/video/4gW1fU7fDyk/w-d-xo.htmlsi=OKzC1BcS1Arufj0m had a mishap in the video as well. Ham-Solo K0FYR WMRV759
WRXK576 here - Haiku owner! I appreciated the radio check as I haven't had anyone south of fountain do any tests and I was curious how well south it went. Interesting to see both sides of the conversation as well!
Yes the repeater is 50W, the BTECH RPT50 to a Yagi antenna. Verified reach to Monument, Falcon, Yoder, and now about half way to Pueblo!
Great to see such a portable antenna be able to reach that far! Definitely will add that to my camping radio gear as that seems like a great way to get some extra height.
How well do you think it will handle weather? Does it seem like good material that can withstand all the flexibility?
@@rubehickscube Thank you as well for coming back to me while I checked out this antenna. The ribbon material itself seems like a standard nylon or rayon type material and should easily be able to withstand some use. The farm-j cloth and stitching is also very pliable and I haven’t seen any wear or fraying on the older antennas that I have had in the wind. Ham-Solo K0FYR WRMV759
Just read somewhere that you’re getting stationed somewhere else as of Jan of 25. Hate to see you and the repeater go but I had many duty stations so I get it. Hopefully at your next location you can offer the same setup to the users in the new location. Ham-Solo K0FYR WRMV759
@@Ham-Solo Yep! Heading on out. Glad to hear you on the air and awesome to see your videos. Keep them coming! Very great content, and you were one to get me in to radios here, and hope to hear from you in the future next I'm in town! WRXK576.
@ sounds good brother. I travel so much I might be at your next place soon. I just left Indianapolis this morning, I’m currently in San Antonio. Have to hit Colorado tomorrow and then back to San Antonio on Monday. Houston on Thursday and Hawaii on Friday. Let me know where you end up and I’ll see when I get there in the schedule. Ham-Solo K0FYR
My dude… you are absolutely throwing away any gains you would get out of the additional height and better antenna versus just your HT antenna. That LONG length of tiny coax is a no-go on GMRS frequencies. Either cut it way shorter or upgrade to something with less loss. I know the larger coax is less portable, but what you are using now is killing your range. Look up your loss at 462MHz on that coax.
@@redacted2763 I agree. In keeping with the idea of quick setup and portable w/BNC connectors I will do another video to evaluate loss in my 3 different portable coax’s for use with this antenna and then run the field test at the same locations again to compare. Thanks for the idea and stay tuned as I go through that process and do another video. Ham-Solo K0FYR WRMV759
At 30 ft with rg58, you are essentially lost 50% of your transmit power. That rg174, that I suspect you are using, loses 76% of the transit power at 30 ft. At those amounts you are better off standing by the antenna with that rubber ducky antenna on that radio.
Another day. another $60
@@2148aa The radio hobby has set me back some in my savings. I am grateful when a vendor sends me items to try out but I also buy many things to use for myself as well. All in good fun as a hobby I guess. Ham-Solo K0FYR WRMV759