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Maybe try to set a password via the radio setup menu, then hook it up to the programming software. Then use the password you created on the radio. 7.3.7 Power-on Password Allows the radio to set a power-on password to protect device security and settings. Press >> Radio Settings >> Password. Prompts “Input password”. Enter 1-8 digits (0-9), ******** will be displayed. Press the # key to display your entry. Press the key to save and return to the previous menu. To cancel the power-on password Press the key >> Radio Settings >> Password. Prompts “Input password ********”. Press the key to delete until all are deleted. Press to save and return to the previous menu. When the power-on password feature is enabled, the radio will prompt “Input Password” when turning on the radio, and only after entering the correct password will the radio turn on properly. The power-on password can be read and modified by CPS software.

I dont publish the actual/*exact* elevation of my repeater antenna because its connected to my house and knowing its exact elevation would make it easier for all the mentally-ill people that send me threats to locate it.

Interfering with police/emergency communications violates criminal law and is a police matter, very unlike violating FCC Rules.

Last week I bought a Baofeng AR-152 Pro GPS. I wasn't surprised that it isn't supported by CHIRP, but I was surprised that there's no factory CPS either. Maybe that's because it's allegedly programmable via Bluetooth, but I haven't experimented with that yet. i have input a few channels manually, and overall, I like the features, so I won't be sending it back, but it's probably going on a shelf until there's a more efficient way to program it available. I'd be interested to know if other people are having your problem because I was considering the 5RH Pro GPS. I downloaded the 5RHPG program and tried it with the 152PG because the features are similar, but it wouldn't read my radio. Now I wonder if it's an issue of quirky software instead of radio incompatibility.

Except that they dont.

I'm pretty sure most states have laws pertaining to interference with emergency services operations. The local police can slap that stuff down pretty quickly. A hefty fine and a realistic threat of jail time can serve to modify one's behavior.

It's not "advice" -- it's just a statement of fact. I care if people are exceeding the bandwidth and power restrictions because that has the potential to interfere with other users' enjoyment of the airwaves, but I don't care at all what type of radio someone is using. The evidence suggests the FCC doesn't care either.

I sign on and off with my callsign and use it frequently throughout the conversation. I don't know why people refuse to believe my callsign is BR549.

That sounds really nice! Mine sounds more like I made it! lol

Did you not include the call sign?

It work great on my system. They are super friendly guys at Repeater ID. This is what they made for me. ident.mp3

Three years ago some clown in our city programed an HT to local Police frequency and started to clown around on their frequency. It got a lot of local attention by our HAM groups and on day three of this nonsense the HAM group isolated the location and along with the police were knocking on the clowns door. Never heard what happend to the guy, but problem went away..

Exactly. The only time a person might be cited is if they do something really egregious (like monkeying around with public safety communications) and these violations are tacked on.

I picked up the RepeaterID Universal mainly out of curiosity. You can create the outgoing message using a couple of easy techniques to insure it is in the correct format; Have them create it for you Create your own and use an online system to convert it for you. I opted for this one. I assembled a temporary indoor test setup using a few CCRs as shown below. The YiniTone RC-108 I got from AliExpress provided the "repeater" functionality. I have type-accepted radios, but am considering setting up a real full-duty repeater with duplexer external antenna... this was just for a test. The apparently 3d printed case is nice, but a little surprised it is not metal to protect the board inside from RF overload which they note as possible in the instructions. Although they mention using the TOT in case it gets stuck in transmit mode, I found that using an external antenna a short distance away from the RepeaterID resolved the problem. As seen in the picture, using a dummy load does as well! The included transmit and receive patch cords are quite short. They are separate so connector spacing should not be an issue. Overall, I found the RepeaterID Universal simple to set up and deploy.

I will guarantee the FCC knows about all the issues with ham/GMRS radios on the GMRS/FRS channels. Are they going to do anything about it? It's extremely unlikely because the issues are 1) low power, 2) local to a small area, and 3) it's not worth the effort to enforce the rules for something this trivial to the majority of the users.

Yeah, this. Since the FCC's enforcement operation responds to complaints, the effect is that it operates in a "No harm, no foul" mode. As a taxpayer, I'm fine with that. I would be nice if the rules were formulated to regulate the results, not the process, but that's not where we are.

You asked why they’re resistant to disclosing the height of their antenna? Good job! What did they say?

I have asked.

There's no good reason to not publish height. If the repeater is using a directional antenna, the primary direction should be reported too. But even worse to me is not giving a general location for the repeater. Like height, being able to determine distance and bearing is fundamental to radio comms. Towers can't be hidden anyway so there's little if any additional threat from vandals by letting the users know where it is.

I actually have been in that station a few times.

Ask when you request access. Also, when testing, plan to drive closer to the repeater until you definitely know you’re hitting it.

It's not advice. It's a statement of the current reality. So long as you're not egregiously breaking the rules and interfering with others (...and even then...), they don't seem to give a care. hey quick question: ..........what?

Topographical maps for your area are Very useful for this !

Just curious why some repeater operators are resistant to disclosing how high their antenna(s) are. I guess you can hit it or you can't, but it can be useful to know sometimes if you want to know what is or isn't in the way. Say you're testing and know you should be hitting a given repeater but can't and you're trying to figure out if terrain is a factor. Just wondering.

Just don't feel like messing with these radios. They're getting sent back. I guess that low price for a GPS enabled radio WAS just Too Good to be True.