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GMRS has only 22 official channels to use. Out of those 8 are reserved for repeater operation, with the matching 8 input only frequencies. If there is no traffic on the output frequencies they can be used for simplex. Normally the purpose built GMRS radios have the channel frequencies builtin by the firmware. At best you can select which access tone to use. Various radios allow duplicates of the repeater channels with different tones to accommodate traveling around different areas. Also the repeater channels you find the builtin ones are set for a +5MHz split. However the current FCC rules allow any of the 8 input frequencies to be paired with any of the 8 output frequencies, which results in a non standard split. Most repeaters stick to the standard +5MHz.

Was having a great deal of difficulty accessing the programming for my new 935G Plus. After some searching, I found there is an actual program zip file for the 935G Plus on the buytwowayradios.com website as well as a driver that needs to be installed for the programming cable. I have included the buytwowayradios.com popular download link. Thought this might be helpful. Popular Downloads

There are no universal tones. By regulation GMRS repeaters are individually operated, unlike ham radio with its club licensing. As such each GMRS repeater operator can choose whatever tone they want. When traveling, a person should research what repeaters are available and program DIY channels for them. This site is probably the best resource for repeater information. Look at the map or the repeater database. Welcome to the forums!

Sorry if this topic has been discussed before, but I didn't see it covered exactly. Forgive the intrusion, but I see you are very active on the forum. I am a HAM operator and new GMRS user. To that end, I am curious as to the function of the 8 built in GMRS repeater channels. Is there a common key or input/output tone these need to be programmed with? Also, how does that work if there is not an established nationwide repeater network for GMRS? Meaning, how does one travel from State X to State Y and use the set repeater channels? It is merely luck of the draw if you happen to be close to a repeater or am I missing something? Thank you.. WSJL651

You are no doubt correct. The ham tests can be intimidating to some people. There really is a very, very, low barrier to entry in GMRS and no barrier at all for FRS. Honestly, the folks in the local amateur radio club near me have thus far been very friendly and welcoming. I've not met him yet, but I understand that there is a high school student in the club, so that is a positive sign... Still the majority of the membership seems overwhelmingly north of 60.

But the folks that put their cash and effort to put up Nesses 625 are having a gathering this weekend for the Hams & GMRS folks in Salley, SC for what I think is a equipment swap meet kind of thing. You going? They were just publizing it tonight. Vance 600 was mentioned also.

Why are you telling this to OP who already IS a licensed Ham?!? I am convinced that some of the members of this Forum think they get paid by their sheer number of posts!!

the lack of volunteer frequency coordination to manage the GMRS repeater spectrum will kill any chance the FCC will even come close to consider permitting linking. And i honestly don't think it would take to many complaints about bandwidth hogging to awake the FCC sending out a few letters to the BIG abusers. Especially with some of these guys whom blatantly advertise what they are doing while taking money to do it. They don't affect me so i quite making noise about it, but i have been in cities where these guys operate and i can see the problems they create.

...because too many of them tell lies and fairy-tales to make themselves look more important...

Not to mention that this thread is 2 years old.

Marc, while I believe that you had that conversation (I've never had reason to doubt you) and find it interesting, it isn't however the official reason the FCC put forth with their clarification. Thus I think using "sending voice over POTS / Broadband is considered theft of services" as an antiquated idea argument wont go very far. Perhaps that was the genesis of the reason some time ago for not linking GMRS but it's clearly not the reason they put forth recently in writing despite what this engineer says. It certainly is an easier argument to fight in this day and age it just isn't the one I think would sway the FCC because it dosn't address what they have publicly stated as the reason. In addition to violating Commission rules, linking repeaters is not in the public interest. Because GMRS spectrum is limited and used on a shared “commons” basis, the service only works well on a localized basis when users can hear each other and cooperate in the sharing of channels. Linking repeaters not only increases the potential for interference, but also uses up a limited spectrum resource over much larger areas than intended, limiting localized availability of the repeater channels. GMRS and the Family Radio Service (FRS), which share many of the GMRS channels, are intended for individuals such as family members and friends, scouting troops, emergency response groups, and hobbyists to communicate with each other over short distances, directly or through a repeater station. Linking repeaters, via the internet or other networks, undermines the purpose and usefulness of the GMRS and FRS.

Nice; appreciate it!

This ^ is correct. It's menu setting 21 & 22. MDF-A and MDF-B, hit the Menu button again to get the cursor down and then push the up or down arrow to toggle between Channel and Name. ETA: I see this has already been answered.

But that's in Chirp! You asked how to do it after uploading, so the answer was referring to using the radio's menu, i.e. pushing buttons. [Everyone should read the regs carefully yourself, not take advice from random internet people.]

Disclaimer: I'm still on CHIRP Legacy, so this may be different on the current/new CHIRP Open your UV5R file in CHIRP, click the Settings tab, then click Basic Settings, you'll see Display Mode (A) & Display Mode (B), click there, you'll have the choices of Name, Channel, Frequency Select Name, save your file, re-upload, & you won't have to go into the menu settings It's been my experience that on some, not all, radios, that if you change something in the settings through the menu, the radio doesn't/won't keep it If you make your edits in the software & upload them, the edits are remembered & kept YMMV 73

There is no rule or regulation that says these frequencies must be "transmit blocked", and, nobody asked anyway..Stop making up lies, its making you look ignorant.

Thank you OffRoaderX and Uncle Yoda. Its in Basic Settings, under Display Mode A and Display Mode B. Using the pull down menu, the selection is now set to NAME.

On my oldest UV-5R: menu 21 MDF-A, menu 22 MDF-B (A & B correspond to the 2 displayed channels) *All those things you mention need to be transmit blocked to stay w/in regs. And you need a ham license for talking on ham frequencies.

I do not recall the exact name of it, but there is a Menu Setting that you can change to show name, frequency or channel.. Might be called MDF or something like that.. Find it, then set it to 'name'.

Programmed a UV-5R using Chirp. The MURS, FRS, NOAA Weather Frequency, and GMRS and names are displayed on Chirp. In the MR setting, how may the names be displayed on the UV-5R after successfully uploading the image to the UV-5R? Thank you! WISC904

it is an investment,, But not as bad as you think. RVing is all we do for entertainment.. We don't spend money on airfares, ships or hotels, so we look at it as a tradeoff from one or the other. Also, RV's can be written off on your taxes, like a home and i also took advantage of Californias Solar program, 30% off a 1600 watt systems and even qualifed for a PG&E rebate beacause i was temporally living in an RV Park when i installed it ..

Not to mention all the Priate VOIP companies whom are actually stealing form the telephone companies and raking in billions with offsohre scams

I 100% agree. The rules are no where near in line with the times and tech of today. If I am paying for a data connection, the ISP really doesn't care what I put over the connection. Otherwise millions of people would be getting fined and sued for using apps like Skype, WebEx, Teams and free internet phone apps from companies like Google. Think about when the internet was young and we had dial-up. We had SpeakFreely in '91, and VocalTec. No one was accused of theft of service then, either.

i heard that same theory a few years ago and it came from an AT&T Engineer.. But,, today with all these different Broadband providers, not incluidng the old POT companies, its prretty hard to establish a theft violeation because most ISP could care less, they're only interested in selling their serice. Personaly, because of this, i think the FCC needs to redo their deffination of Plain Old Telephone Companies..