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I'm running MX-Linux, 23.3 which is a Debian based Distro with the KDE Desktop environment. I've been on it for a few years now and it's the longest I've stuck with a Distro because it's been rock solid stable, the desktop environment is light weight and looks and works well and I can update my entire system with a couple simple commands in the Terminal. I'm sure it all had something to do with the way Linux handles devices vs the way an actual Windows install handles things.

So has anyone been able to unlock the BTECH GMRS PRO?

Welcome! Sounds like a nice collection of gear to start with, for sure. Its always fun to scan the channels and see what i hear when im traveling. Its always good to have some kind of radio on a common/popular radio service when you are someplace where cell service is spotty or non-existent, too.

I did a little coding when I was young, but I can’t imagine what aspect of a DMR CPS, which is fundamentally a relational database, is causing you such fits. But to be honest, I have no interest in Linux just to solve a puzzle when so many alternative solutions exist on my Mac that just work! Although I am a happy camper with Parallels, I am intrigued to solve your Virtualbox problem and attempt to install Win10 and then program my non-OpenGD77 DB-25D on it, so… Which flavor of OS X are you using and please link me the VirtualBox you downloaded to run in it, so I can emulate yiur setup and then attempt to get Win10 and DMR COS running in it! I will acknowledge that COM ports in Windows is a “dark science!!”

As far as the CPS for the MD UV380, I have used both it and the OpenUV380 CPS on a Mac, in Parallels, remotely accessed using RIM without any issues. I have also used RT Systems native Mac CPSes with various radios. All have worked. I don’t think your problem is the CPS software. I think it’s the translation between the hardware USB port in Unix and the port, whether USB or comport, in the Windows virtual machine.

I hear people talking on it but I have not been able to key it up in a few weeks now. Shaw 525 went down also about the same time. (HAM)

I downloaded a copy of Win10 and tried to install it in VirtualBox but VB couldn't read the activation code so it wouldn't install. It has been exhausting, I get excited about DMR only to be let down by CPS's that won't play nice with WINE. I've not had that problem with any of the CPS programs for the analog radios I have.

Thanks…will do. Stopping by Devil’s River and Seminole Canyon on the way. Looking forward to it.

Yep, just look at it wrong and it dents.

Whew: it’s been exhausting! I have no experience with Linux, but it sounds like you are beating your head against a wall for no good reason. You know, Windows 10 and 11 do not require activation and hence are free?!?

Analog really wasn't that hard to program WHEN the radio would connect to the radio. The DMR part does require a bit of a learning curve though. I had such high hopes for the RT3S but if I can't connect yo the computer then I can't program it.

And yes on that radio

Oh researched it. It dosnt work for privacy. For some reason I thought it might sorry about that

i'm thinking i would use this on the Ford Aluminium Cab. Even on steel made bodies. My Ram is steel tin and it aint' the asme steel tin cars used in the day, stuff now is Very flimsy

There are adhesive back steel plates that can be bonded to a fiberglass surface to provide a decent ground plane.

Well that does make sense now that I think about it! I just assumed in order for it to bounce off and receive it would need to have a direct mechanical bond to the plane. So I should be good there. Now maybe I need to investigate the combine mounting because I’m not sure that the fiberglass rooftop that the NMO is mounted to there is a good option. I’m sure they have a ground plane under it but I would think a metal surface up top would be better

If you’re really not interested in pursuing DMR, don’t buy a DMR radio. None that I have seen are fantastic analog radios. The interface of DMR radios are not as easy to use for analog configuration as a decent analog radios

Remember that 'ground plane' isn't the same as electrically grounding something. You need a big piece of metal for the signal to bounce off of, you don't need the antenna to be electrically connected to the panel. I don't know that I'd trust double sided tape on the exterior like that, but OEMs hang body panels off with that stuff now so what do I know

Hey everyone. Had a quick question about using one of the dreaded magnetic hockey puck NMO mounts in my 17 F350 which is of course aluminum. Obviously magnet won’t stick to the top of the cab so I’ve put some felt down with double sided tape to stick it there for my ground plane. question is the felt and double sided tape interfering with good grounding of the antenna? I really don’t want to screw anything through the top of my cab to secure the antenna mount to. Right now radios work in excess of 5 miles but if somehow fixing this would get me some more miles that would be great. I don’t have an SWR meter to check any of the specifics. Just bought MXT500 radios for farm use so communicate is kinda important at times. what’s everyone done to remedy the aluminum cab issue? Thanks I’m new here btw so bear with me as I learn these things. We’ve had business band radios for years but they have stopped working and now going another direction since we can’t fix and program our own radios. WSJV395

More necro-posting.

That's it, I give up. I'm not going to worry about DMR as cool as it sounded. It's just too much hassle trying to get my computer to "read" the dang radio. I'll stick with Analog and be happy I have it.

Howdy. Also from Texas. Been wanting to do Big Bend National and Big Bend Ranch State parks myself. Let us know how it goes.

Thank you very much….yes, synchronization. Very helpful work around you suggested.

I'm having the same issue with the RT3S as I did with the DM-1701, no way to select the COM port so it won't "read" the radio. It says usb my be unplugged or in use. I've unplugged everything but my mouse and keyboard so there's only 2 things plugged into usb. I'm going to try downloading a .iso of Win10 and run it in VirtualBox to see if it'll "see" the radio there. If I can't get it working then I'm just going to give up on DMR. It really sucks that the CPS software doesn't work better or isn't set up better so as to let us select a COM port. None of my Analog radios give me this many problems.

You are.. kinda.. Dual-Watch/TDR only disables the active-monitoring of both the A channel and the B channel. On most radios, when you disable Dual-Watch/TDR, the B-channel still shows, it's just silent. What you want is "Channel synchronization", which most/many radios do not have. A work around is to set A to display as "Channel" or "Name", then set B to display as "Frequency" then always keep both A and B on the same channel.