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Will be 4 next month. Says he's ready

So what was the verdict? Did you have any hassle taking your radios to Iceland?

Noted Sir and welcome! I'm reaching into building antennas....

Well, after double checking and making everything right I still can't get a response to any of the 3 Repeaters in the area. I can normally hit Shaw Butte easily even from my Man Cave at the back of the house but none of my radios get a response. Now I am starting to wonder if they're down for some reason.

I've had mine up and running since early September '24. I had one of the originals and I had to do an update to make the DCS tones work. A second update to make the microphone active along with some menu changes. They sent me a new duplexer because the batch that was installed in the earlier versions didn't work well. I found out they were tuned wrong by sending it to Marc and he said it was centered on 800 instead of 635, not even within the bandwidth. Since the duplexer change over I've had it up and running without much hassle. I am able to get 50 watts out of the socket easily. I have to keep the power supply voltage at 12.2 volts otherwise it'll push out more. I swapped my wideband duplexer to a single channel tuned duplexer and really haven't noticed much of a difference in reception sensitivity so the wideband tuned duplexer works pretty well.

For the members of my family we use unit numbers we are on the air together. Unit 1 unit 2...

Ok, I feel dumb, I was TX on 462 and RX on 467. I need to swap those around. I should know better.

You can also have them add a code name to the call sign to keep track of folks. My son Adam could use "Alpha" or you could just use a number so I'd be "WSAA635/1" and he could be "WSAA635/2", etc.

To be fully compliant, yes and yes. Most people don’t.

Hello, Brand new to the GMRS community. Purchased a set of radios for out door use with my adult family members. Since family members are using the radios under my license I am assuming each family member using the radio must use my call sign, is that correct? What if we are talking to each other, do we both need to sign on/off with the call sign or just one of us? Thanks for your help, CO

I only have my GMRS license but I am a "Radio Dork" for sure.

Not to totally change the subject but I can here the local Poportillo's Drive Thru radio that's about 1.5 miles away. It's crazy listening to the orders and what food costs there.

Normally I can hit the Shaw Butte repeater on North Mountain but for the last 2 days I get nothing, not even the static from the repeater opening. Does anyone know if they're still up or are they down for repair or something else? Thanks.

All 22 non-repeater channels are shared GMRS / FRS. "Need" is a strong word. Like @OffRoaderX said, no one knows you're not using FRS radios, which don't require call signs. Especially when you're out in the woods in a hollow where no one else is going to be listening in. Basically no one I'm out and about with 'doing stuff' (and using radios for comms) with is a 'radio person' and we basically use them like FRS radios.

I did end up getting the BF-F8HP and my first impressions are WOW!, this is THE radio I've been looking for. It just works,no craziness, you just program it(with your software, thank you for that) and it does what you ask of it. I'll have to pick another one up with the coupon code when funds allow. Another HUGE plus for me is that batteries are the same as my 5 AR/UV 5RM radios so I can stock up on them and use them in both radios. Anyway, thanks for the reply, I can't wait yo do a review on this radio for my YouTube channel.

Any further updates on any RPT50 failures or does all seem working as it should? My Motorola CM200 shot craps (due to low duty cycle I suspect) and am considering bucking up for the Btech repeater. Thanks… Doug

If you’re using a GMRS radio the regulations require you to identify every 15 minutes when talking and when you stop talking. For most people that really only requires you to say your call sign once at the end of the conversation. There are no FRS channels that are not also GMRS channels.

According to the FCCs, if you are using a GMRS radio, no matter what channel you are on, the answer is YES.. In the real world, and knowing that nobody listening cares, the FCCs dont care, and nobody will know what kind of radio you are using, the answer is NO.

I was very favorably impressed by the Midland Ghost antenna. If I didn't need one with multi-band capability, I'd still be using it.

Hello All, I just recently received my call sign, (WSJE500), and my two new Boafeng G11S radios should hopefully arrive today, or maybe tomorrow. I have zero experience with GMRS. The catalyst for embarking on this endeavour, was a hunting trip that I take annually. Cell phones do not work in that area, and my cheap FRS radios, sound like I'm talking to a deranged popcorn popper. In addition, I find this subject interesting. I understand that the G11S isn't waterproof, but I very rarely hunt in inclement weather and always carry a good supply of ziplock bags. I know it is only 3W, but they were only $40. Anyway, we will see where this takes me. It'll be me and my two adult sons, all on the same side of a ridge. The only available repeater is 15 miles away on the opposite side on an adjacent ridge. We will be down in the hollow. I have very low hopes of ever being able to hit that repeater. I will be ordering two additional radios, four total. These additional two will also be G11S as long as I am happy with the first two. This decision in based on the simplicity of the radios and the lack of experience that anyone in this party had with radios. One quick question: If I am using one of the FRS channels, do I really need to announce my call sign every 15 minutes? It appears that channels 1-7 are all FRS/GMRS and 5-watt, of which I only have 3 watts available. WSJE500 in Manchester, Tennessee - Out. :)

Have you tried shouting your call-sign on the repeater and seeing if anyone else can hear you? With both radios side by side like you describe, you're de-sensing the receiving radio while you're transmitting to the repeater so it won't 'hear' much of anything until you come off the button. Try talking, see if you get anywhere. Or have someone hold the other radio some distance away and see if they can hear you.

I wrote the CPS for the BF-F8HP Pro and co-manage firmware development, as well as dabbling in manuals and marketing. The BF-F8HP Pro has user-upgradable firmware and the upgrade tool is integrated into the CPS. There have been 3 public releases of firmware (V29, V33 and V44) and there will likely be ongoing future releases. The radio you bought on the first day it was available (October 1, 2024), today, and at some indefinite point in the future will all be able to run the latest firmware. Feedback from users here, on Facebook and elsewhere gets evaluated and often results in new features and/or bug fixes. I don't know anything about the UV-28 Plus - I stopped collecting random Baofeng models once I got involved in the BF-F8HP Pro project. BTW, you can get 20% off the BF-F8HP Pro (radio only, not accessories or other models) on the https://baofengtech.com web site (not Amazon) by using coupon code "CPS" at checkout. * It should be obvious that I'm involved with the BF-F8HP Pro project, but here's a disclaimer anyway.

The Wal-Mart I shop at uses 2 different models of Motorola MURS h-t's, they used to use one or two Ritron MURS base stations, but with the stock antennas on both the Motorolas & the Ritron, no roof antenna there Next time I go, I'll have to see how far away I can copy them

A repeater may not always give you the ID back. It's usually on a timer (15 min) and will only ID after that time has expired. If you are receiving a signal back pressing the PTT you are hitting the repeater.