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Well at least you won it, and didn’t have to spend, say, $97 for it!! Sounds like it’s a DMR dud!

thanks for the reply! there isn't a mountain as high as the closer repeater but i'm located in norcal (suburbs) and there are hills, trees and several buildings towards the further repeater; no real line of sight, open fields or deserts. if i'm correct in thinking who you are; love your vids!

@OffRoaderX I'm no expert but your situation sounds like it may be what's called "knife edge diffraction."

thanks for the reply! never hear of tropospheric ducting but after looking it up, it's very possible. supposedly in area Aug & Sept have a higher probably of this happening. i'm not familiar with the linking of repeaters but from my understanding this is considered illegal with gmrs repeater but the repeater is operated by a radio network that has a few repeater near each other; maybe they are linked somehow. my radio tones are set to 162.2 in and out, so no sure how i could hear them on the receive side; that still puzzles me. thanks again for the reply!

Make sure to use a cable with the FTDI chip in it. Also make sure to download and install the correct driver before plugging the cable into the computer.

This and the other thread have the longest posts I've ever seen.

Windows 11

I want really receiving any error messages other than that it could not locate the device on com port 5 yet when I unplugged the cable com 5 would disappear off the device manager. With the apps there weren't any error messages just took forever to get the Bluetooth to connect and then wouldn't do anything... you tap "read" and the radio would say "program..." then go back to the regular screen and the app would show "failed".

Oh I have a DMR hotspot that I just put together from spare parts from other pi's and DMR hotspots. I haven't used it in awhile but it works well if you live in a place like I do. I know many other Hams who use them because they are apartment/HOA bound and cant put up outdoor antennas. I use the WPSD software on mine. Many Hams will say it isn't real radio, but what are ya gonna do? Sit there with a Ham License and do nothing? Some of us are lucky to have a place to put our HF antennas and other sticks in the air, some are not.

the same aa analog,,,(pretty good) the encryption is the issue with this radio... I'm getting ready to try 8 bit to see if thats any different.

What’s the range using unencrypted digital voice?

I agree. Don't confuse GMRS with DMR

Don't confuse GMRS with DMR

I'm not too impressed with Baoefeng's DMR and encryption. Havig both capabilities on my Hytera Radios which i have some very good experience with. These two DM32's. petter out within 2-5 miles in encryption mode. Switch over to non encryption in analog and no problems reacing out 15 miles. My Hytera radios have no issues reaching out 15+ miles in digital so not quite sure what the problem is yet with the Baofengs. Next step is to start testing the power outputs threw the different modes.. I knwo one thing for sure, these DM32's aren't going to spoil anyone. They work great in Anaglog Clarity in Encryption is very good if you are in range to communicate.

i hear you.. My businesss was starting to do that the last two years i was there back in 2022.. Kind of weird, they let people shop on Amazon all day long..

this is true.. When i left the industry in 2022 i think the overhead to underground ratio was 55%. Under grounding utilities is happening but not at an alarming rate. Because the cost is 8-25 times higher. Cities and Counties used to create annual underground districts forcing utilities to do this at their cost but utilites got smart and began to aquire their own right of ways.. And that threw a big wrench in these underground districts. Underground is the way to go thugh,, cables arent getting to dug up like they used to because repair cost to the invaders will put some out of business..

The only place I see unfriendliness is the use of private repeaters. Some of the crazy rules they put up seem odd. But it's their hardware to do so. Other than that the service is generally used for families talking with themselves, outings of people with a common interest, kids on FRS being kids and businesses that usually keep it formal. Getting into someone else's conversation isn't really a friendly things and they might not appreciate you butting in. On the other hand I see lots of friendly people on repeaters, most of them "they usuals" and if they're having a conversation and you have something to add most of the time they'd love to hear from you as long as you don't just butt in.

I had to circle back to this. Congratulations sir, you have successfully planted this ear worm. I’m walking around humming this for hours wondering why…

I feel the community at large is welcoming. There are a lot of people i have met that love to share knowledge and experiences. Especially to help new people. I will say that there are several things that happen that can make some individuals seem abrasive. One is a combination of two things, being some folks just don't do well expressing opinions in writing, and others read things that have been written and attribute malice when there was no intent. Both of these cases can lead to misunderstandings and hurt feelings. Another issue is that some people (including myself on occasion) have decades of experience, correct someone who is simply mistaken, and then the thread turns into a shit-show because ego starts to kick in. That said, i feel like those instances are far and few between. I also know for a fact that several members here argue like that hate each other, but are literally friends and spend social time together in person. (This applies to me and a small group here, too) So, not everything here is as it seems. So, generally speaking, i think GMRS operators and the community at large are welcoming and friendly. I would hope money isn't the only reason. I have seen Rich be very forgiving to people on all sides, paid members and free members. That said, if there truly is a problem with someone, paid member or not, I think there should be some grace... but if it's not resolved, definitely let them go after a few attempts.

Much less coughing up $$$ a year for a magazine, assuming they'll have one. I mean no self-respecting Nation Organization for GMRS Radio (subtle dig at Arrrrl) would not have a glossy, advert filled Magazine, would they? I can count on 1 hand for the most part, the number of people I talk to on GMRS, and we're all local to each other, no need for a nationwide group for us.

Question - what platform are you using so we can better address what’s happening.

Right or wrong, here is my take on national organizations. It is easy for them to lose their way once they get to a certain size/membership level. Two prime examples are: the NRA and the ARRL. I know my local amateur club is a non profit and they ask for a yearly $20 membership fee. The paid membership gives one voting rights in what the group does. Outside of voting rights, one can still use the repeaters and participate in meetings and other activities without paying any dues. Could GMRS benefit from a national group that lobbies Washington for us? Yes we could. But it has to be done right with plenty of checks and balances so it doesn't end up like the NRA or ARRL.

I didn’t know it was one, I just wanted to be sure I understood what you were saying and not make assumptions.

Cables with the FTDI chip are pretty much guaranteed to work with Linux, Mac OS and Windows 10/11 without any issues. One should always install the correct drivers before plugging the cable into your computer, especially Windows. The reason is that some operating systems will install a generic driver that may or may not work correctly. I have a couple of cheap Amazon cables with the Prolific chip in them. I had to manually install the correct drivers to get them to work with Windows. I never could get those cables to work with my 2018 Mac mini or my Mac mini M4.

I wanted to address this quote separately. For the most part this is correct. There is explicit additions for the use of "public service" type activities, (ie CERT and SkyWarn) - and businesses. But I also see that they are trying to push the businesses side out even though they have them grandfathered (for now).