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The Midland MXT275 discussion has drifted off-topic to include a discussion of used commercial quality radio equipment for GMRS use. I thought, perhaps, there might be a benefit to have a listing of specific radios, accessory requirements (programming cables and software), availability and resources. It would be nice to have this information in a database of some sort, but a thread, perhaps sticky, might also do the job. The goal would be to give people a place too look for options to buying new GMRS equipment. The basic information, as noted above, would be: Radio manufacturer, model, and, if applicable, variants.Price range for used equipment, and potential sources (usually ebay)Warnings or tips on what to look for or avoid.Programming hardware requirements. (I.e. programming cables) and, if available, sources.Software. Application name; most recent version; download location; and price. (for legally available software only) Any other usage and programming notes that would be helpful to users.Part95 compliance information.Recent radios discussed were: Kenwood TK880-1 (25 watt) or TK880H-1 (40 watt) TK863G (25 watt) Motorola M1225Motorola XPR7550Motorola CDM1250Motorola HT1250

You're gonna make a good ham!

Definitely try to be ready to take the General in your first test session. If you don't pass it, no biggie. There will always be next time. You're in for a whole world of fun with your ham license, even if it's just Tech to start with.

Yes all my friends and family are baffled as to why I have added radio as a new hobby at 50 years old. I am absolutely hooked! Fun is what it's all about. I can't wait to get my HAM technicians license in January so I can join up with my local SOTA group and go up on the mountains and learn all about mountain top activations. I'd better start studying for my General class so I can get in on all the HF action.

That video also explained my next forum question topic, which was about bandwidth. I see now why the frequency needs a defined bandwidth to take care of the deviations from the carrier frequency. The radio is simply using the deviations from the carrier frequency to determine how the speaker should vibrate. The vibration of the microphone causes fluctuations in the carrier frequency and these fluctuations are "de-coded" at the other end so that the speaker reproduces the same "vibrations" (sound). It's brilliant! I think I'm very close to understanding this entire mystery. Correct me if I have totally mis-understood bandwidth. So when I hear people talking about how the FCC has narrowed the bandwidth allowed from 24ish down to 12ish, to make room for more frequencies to be allocated for use, this explains why the sound quality goes down. Because there is less elbow room for the audio signal to be squeezed in. So its kind of like the resolution of a digital photograph. The lower the resolution, the less detail of the original image is visible, thus effecting the quality of the image. This is really fascinating stuff.

That was a great explanation, and I think it just took hearing the explanation presented in a variety of ways, but I definitely understand this much better now. This explains why my radio is able to communicate with the repeater without any T Sql settings programmed. I only have "Tone" selected in my program. So, if I want to filter any and all other traffic on that frequency, (and only hear signals going through the repeater), then I would have to change my "Tone Mode" from "Tone" to "T Sql". I can read back in the thread and see now that this was explained already several times but it just wasn't sinking into my thick scull. haha

How about video? I found this on YouTube: https://youtu.be/DAQYfpETDdM

Just to state the same thing a slightly different way, in case it helps your understanding: Tone squelch is a filter that is applied to the receive side of a radio or repeater. If it's turned on (as it is with most repeaters), the receiver or repeater will ignore anything that doesn't transmit the proper tone. So you have to program the proper tone in your transmitter, or you won't be able to get into the repeater. Likewise if you are trying to call another station that has a tone squelch programmed. To recap: to transmit to any station or repeater that has a tone squelch programmed, you must have the same tone programmed into your transmitter. Tone squelch is optional. Even if you have to have a tone programmed to talk to a station or repeater, you don't have to program a tone squelch at all. You will just hear any and all signals on the frequency, whether they are transmitting a tone or not. If you do decide to program a tone squelch, it must be the same one the repeater or other station is transmitting. Otherwise you won't hear them. Personally I leave the tone squelch off most of the time, so I can hear any activity on the channel regardless of tone.

According to the Cambridge dictionary, squelch means:to stop something quickly and completely: One professor claimed that the university tried to squelch his criticisms. So, yes, you are correct!

If there's two repeaters with the same tone, using TSql will prevent the other repeater from unmuting your receiver. Simplex activity is probably on a different tone (like CSQ or 67.0) and wouldn't unmute your receiver. If the simplex signal happens to have the same tone as the repeater's output, both will unmute. Not all repeaters transmit an output tone, so some require Tone mode.