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There are a number of other ways to link your phone or another node to your repeater. It's just not as easy as downloading a program, installing it and configuring it with some basic information. All the repeater linking that was done on GMRS, or at least a vast majority of it was done with Asterisk which is an IP PBX with an add in that allowed it to pass E&M and PTT. E&M in a phone system existed from day one. Before dialing a phone was even a thing. E&M is Ear and Mouth. Or for radio people TX audio and RX audio. Then you add a bit of 'telemetry' in the form of COR (carrier operated relay) and PTT. All that software needs is a destination address and that destination address to allow connections. With the system that was hosted by MyGMRS, there was a server that applied updates to the nodes to maintain the list of active nodes. But if you go into that list on the node and manually update it, then it will work fine without the database server feeding it. There are a few systems still out there that are GMRS related that are running the same node software and allow you to connect via certain phone app's that were designed for ham radio AllStarLink and other RoIP (Radio over IP) systems that are using Asterisk as there back end. Now setting that stuff up and getting it working is more involved than just getting a radio interface from Amazon and connecting it to a Windows machine where there is a web server out there managing all the linking and simply allowing you to find your node in a list and connect to it. You will now have to work at it to get it to happen but it's certainly possible if you put your mind to it and want to learn some Linux and Asterisk configuration along the way. And it can absolutely be done in a full stand alone manner that only requires a phone with internet access and a computer or Pi connected to the Internet with some fiddling with your router / firewall to allow the traffic in from the web. If you have carrier grade Internet access, then it becomes a bit more complicated, but still not anything that there isn't a solution for.

Let's see if I can clear any of this up for you. GMRS radios set to a repeater channel will always transmit (output) on 467 and receive on 462 (input). It will be just the opposite on a repeater. The repeater will transmit on 462 (output) and receive on 467 (input) For your question on Tone vs Tone Squelch. Normally when Tone is selected, the tone is only set on your radio's transmit. Tone squelch will set the tone for both transmit and receive.

Nope they start with a M as in the M38, M38A1, and M170. The CJ's are just tamed down versions for civilian use

+1

I tried the tones on that repeater and it didn't respond. I went through the set and still nothing. I don't think it's running anymore. Said it was put into the database 16 years ago, so it may be defunked. Looks like the owners GMRS license had expired in 2011 https://mygmrs.com/license/WQFG755

Oh come on now! What was it some sort of play Jeep like a YJ or worse yet one of those JK's? Real Jeepers know real very extremely manly Jeeps start with CJ

Its confusing!

It is very extremely manly!

I was going by the info given for a few GMRS Repeaters in CT Area Like Greater Hartford Repeater that one has Both input and output Tone at 192.8. but it has in the notes Output is at 462.650 which is same as Freq. that's where the confusion came in for me. I did program my Ham UV-5g manually then went back and added all the Names in via CHIRP, so i am familiar with programming. its just how the info is listed in the database on here

So which was it, very manly or extremely manly?

I only use CHIRP if i am adding a BUNCH of stuff, or i need to do something that can't be done directly on the radio because 1) i like to do it the manly way and 2) things like Tone and TSquelch are confusing.. You can put your radio on the correct Repeater-Channel, hit the menu button, select the CTCSS or DCT/DPL/DCS tone and save it, all faster than it takes your computer to boot up. It should literally take no more than 15-20 seconds to program a repeater on a GMRS radio.. 30 seconds if you are fancy and add the optional RX tone.

Jeepers are weird.

So we go out shooting today in are fine hot desert.. Packing up and starting to leave a caravan of jeeps with all types of advertising on them parade by us. Something big even going on with outlanders in our desert this weekend. As we are watching, one guy in his jeep parks up on a hill within eye site from us.. All of a sudden we are hearing an Air Raid Siren, Louder than hell.. Turns out the guy on the hill has some sort of a hand crank air siren mounted in the back of his jeep and he is up there cranking away... Then the GMRS radios let loose.. Everyone was enjoying the nosie and their fun.. We left them behind in their dust.. It was actually kind of neat. They all defiantly had GMRS Radios and they gathered on 10, 11 & 12

ok thanks, now my other question is if you are using chirp to do your programming? it Tone Mode has only Tone, TSquelch. i chose TSq. and entered the provided tone. but not sure if i'm connecting or not. I hear nothing. yes, I am using a GMRS Radio UV-5G.

All GMRS repeaters have a +5 offset from the receive frequency. So if the RX frequency is 462.575, the transmit (TX) will be 467.575. (the receive frequency always starts with 462, the transmit frequency always starts with 467) BUT - if you are using a GMRS radio, you dont need to worry about, or even think about that. Just find the correct pre-programmed "Repeater Channel" on the radio and enter the TRANSMIT (TX) tone.. You dont need the Receive (RX) tone for now because it is optional and it is only going to confuse you more. Save that for when you know what you're doing. If you are trying to do this on a non-GMRS radio, aka a H.A.M.s radios, then you bought the wrong radio.

Hello All I am trying to connect to a few repeaters in CT area. I am not able to connect with the info provided. I am wondering if the Tone is with Offset + 5 ? I read somewhere that all repeaters have offset + 5 in order to use them. Is this correct?

I reset ch 22 and 38 to TONE and TSQL and that worked. And then set to fake DCS values, which worked. And then put the original DCS values back and it's still reading correctly. So, it's OK for now but I can't be sure it won't reoccur because it did occur on new channels I added for testing.

Yeah: it is from the format you chose to use for your original post. I suspected it was inadvertent! its a true PITA! I avoid most of the threads that use this style, but I am committed to following up on DB20-G support.

Oh interesting, I've been using the forum for awhile and never realized this. Maybe I should have posted this thread somewhere else. My apologies.

Sort by vote is default for Technical Discussion section. And it resets to that every time you open the topic.

Vote on each response? Please explain. I'm not sure I follow. I didn't think I put a voting poll above the thread? I saw the up down carrot on the left of each post. If that is something I added to this thread it was totally by accident.

Got it. Thanks for that clarification of "quirky". Admittedly, I have not used many of the CTRL key sequence shortcuts so that may be why I've not experienced the same issues.

OK, but it doesn't work for me! There's not much to see on a screen capture - the lines are blank except for the channel number higlighted in red. I looked at Dan's requirements for submitting an issue and I don't agree and will not be doing that.

I gave you an upvote for that. I have done more testing but I get the impression that no one here would care. And I don't see a pattern.

It would also help to know which dated version of ChirpNext he is using. He was not very cooperative when I asked him for more specifics about his situation...