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Hahaha . Sure do. I spend my sundays putting 1000s of these units up so I can track all the local gmrs traffic around the valley. I know when wrxr123 is getting gas, or when wwyr345 is taking his grand kids to get ice cream. One day wrop567 said he was south bound when he was really north bound. I don’t know if he is just getting older or he was lying to me. It still haunts me wondering if he was lying to me. I also found out that my son stopped for a snack one day and did not tell me. I really would have loved a taco that day. Tracking radio users is my favorite pointless waste of time thing to do.

I was able to play around with the CRFS RFeye nodes recently. Usually, another division of the company handles this, but I was out with former military units I was once a member of.....seeing how this can detect FRS/GMRS/MURS and potential use for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) detection (around airports in this case). Was fun putting GMRS radios into people's hands and having the system track their transmissions around an area. These were Motorola XPR6550 and XPR7550e handhelds. Attached is what a typical node looks like. We had three set up so the system could triangulate position. I then sent a "curveball" by transmitting from Motorola DTR410 Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) radios. I could sense them, get a rough bearing and distance, but could not "lock" onto them due to the frequency hopping aspect (902-928 MHz Industrial, Scientific, and Medical [ISM] band). Anyone else use this system or something else for finding location of radio transmissions (APRS is common and also useful)?

Why would anyone want to communicate in this fashion? What does this accomplish? If it is for privacy, you only have two options, 1) encrypt the channel and don't give out the key code to anyone; or 2) stay off the air

For manual programming of my Baofengs (UV variations) with the keypad, I know that unless I hear "Saving Memory," this channel number already has data assigned to it --- and that this assigned/occupying data must be deleted before any new data will be reliably saved. I no longer try to update any occupied channel---I simply delete the channel and program anew for that channel number. To manually create a channel memory, using the keypad menu, I enter/ define everything I want from the keypad menu options (including tones) before saving the channel memory. Again, If I don't hear "Saving Memory," ... I don't have a reliable saved channel. Hope this helps someone. Best Regards!

Damn!! I'm ready. The hell with PL-259s, its time to eat. Let's go all the way in our journey to clog our arteries and get some hot out of the fryer funnel cakes.

Seriously, why not? They are not that much different to install than PL-259. In fact with these M&P connectors you don’t even need solder:

I prefer beignets.

Maybe the repeater owner passed away and no one surviving knows anything about this site?

Agreed, and I could replace a pl259 in the field with a soldering iron and a sharp knife. I personally could not do that with an N type.

In only two characteristics is the PL-259/SO-239 system slightly better than the N connector: ubiquity and durability. A person can break an N connector, but it requires a certain carelessness. By ubiquity, I mean that I think I could find a PL-259 and SO-239 connector anywhere in the world. I don’t have the same level of confidence in the N connector anywhere. However, in every other conceivable characteristic, the N connector is superior, especially for UHF.

So yes this will work just fine with 2 radios. When you add a 3rd+ it won’t work and you would need to go to the same tx and rx tone. As for others hearing you. If they don’t have tones set yes they can here everything your saying. Tones keep other people out of your conversation they do not make it so others can’t hear you. No tones here’s everything.

I’d still prefer a good ol’ pl259 connector myself. And just replace it at 3 year intervals. The 259’s hold up for years and years on some of the toughest heavy equipment in horrid conditions and transmit cb just fine.

I haven’t successfully been able to change any privacy tones in channel mode on a uv5g pro. Hella frustrating. My uv5g’s won’t save anything I set into them from the keypad menu. I have heard deleting the channel, going to vfo, typing in the freq and entering the tones, then saving this vfo info into the save channel slot it can be done via radio keypad. . . Just heads up if maybe you’re trying to do it through the actual channel menu on the radio not in software.

Yes, using cross tones/codes will work that way. I don’t know of any benefits to doing that, but yes. Anybody nearby, listening on 462.550 with no tones or codes, can hear anything that is transmitted by either radio.

I don't understand what you are trying to accomplish with cross codes. No transmission is private unless it is encrypted. As you stated, anyone. not having a receiver code will receive and understand what is being sent. The only way to have a true, private conversation is either with two tin cans connected with string or on cell phones. NOTHING is private in shared spectrum.

So this is my Question RADIO 1 (462.5500) Tx: DCS code Rx CTCSS tone RADIO 2 (462.5500) Tx: CTCSS tone Rx: DCS code Theoretically, if they both use the same CTCSS/DCS tones/codes in that recieve/transmit pattern... it would work correct? It seemed to be working on mine unless the radios just bypassed my selection and was transmitting with no tones/or codes because the software won't allow me to do this? We tried at 3.5 miles out and still could Tx/Rx each other also. I would think this combination works fine. Also, when using tones/codes unless someone is using a scanner (wide open) or is receiving a strong signal from us and their radio is on 462.5500 without those Tx codes programmed into their Rx they wouldn't hear it correct? And or maybe they would hear it with a strong enough signal and a mixture of squelch being set low enough or a weak signal and squelch at 0?

So this is my Question RADIO 1 (462.5500) Tx: DCS code Rx CTCSS tone RADIO 2 (462.5500) Tx: CTCSS tone Rx: DCS code Theoretically, if they both use the same CTCSS/DCS tones/codes in that recieve/transmit pattern... it would work correct? It seemed to be working on mine unless the radios just bypassed my selection and was transmitting with no tones/or codes because the software won't allow me to do this? We tried at 3.5 miles out and still could Tx/Rx each other also. I would think this combination works fine. Also, when using tones/codes unless someone is using a scanner (wide open) or is receiving a strong signal from us and their radio is on 462.5500 without those Tx codes programmed into their Rx they wouldn't hear it correct? And or maybe they would hear it with a strong enough signal and a mixture of squelch being set low enough or a weak signal and squelch at 0?

My wife tolerates my radios and ham activity because her favorite uncle was a ham. Computer stuff and tools, any tools, on the other hand, are her favorite things in the world including stuff we aren't allowed to talk about here. I spend money on that stuff and she is happy.

That's one of my everyday radios.

some 30 odd years ago i mounted a NMO UHF antenna in the center of a MasterCool Swamp Cooler sitting on top of a 3 story building... Worked good and the antenna is still mounted where i left it when i left that job.

We don't have roof rights to anything else. We had to pay a one-time charge for the run of the cables across the roof and the roof penetration, plus annual inspection and any necessary maintenance. It is also the highest elevation on the roof (unless we were to construct a tower, which a) isn't needed and b) would be prohibitively expensive). If this was for a GMRS project, then getting additional elevation would have been worthwhile. But for GPS we have a good view of the sky and the cellular extender antenna has line of sight to antennas of several carriers. The L-channel was already there and provided a convenient mounting point for the antenna brackets. The cellular antenna is actually between the two units, while the GPS antenna is attached to the piping side of the mini-split but is comes with an ultra-flex N pigtail which we then connect to the LMR600 and put thick heat shrink with adhesive on the inside over the connection (as we did with the connection on the bottom of the cellular antenna). The unit to the right is top-exhaust and apparently defunct, and our mini-split has the antennas mounted on the inlet side, not the exhaust side, of the coils so they're not getting baked.

Oh I can feel my blood sugar levels spike just looking at that photo. Why tease a diabetic like that. Outside of just stocking one type of connector and keeping the prices and inventory down, there is absolutely no reason to use PL-259/SO-239 connectors for any VHF/UHF radio when N Type connectors are better. While N Type connectors are definitely more weather resistant, I still wrap them just like I wrap PL-259 connectors out of habit.

It's always a trade off when determining what type of coax to use. For the average person setting up a base station where the coax run is 50 feet or less then LMR 400 and equivalent is fine. Just like every type of antenna is a compromise. Go with what works best for your situation and that also fits your budget. Not everyone can afford LMR 600 or 1/2" Heliax cable.

Nice job, but I'm not sure why you would mount the stuff to a mini-split. Not good in my opinion.

If you can get me a baker's dozen of these magnificent French Crullers you got a deal!!! There's absolutely no legitimate use for the SO-239 and PL-259.