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The NATO phonetic alphabet use is not required and not expected. Just spell out callsign in English.

We actually discussed this here on this forum exactly a year ago, and I promised to find the wording. I still owe this to the community. One day (or night) when all booze is gone I'll do it. What I remember, is a specific prohibition or repeaters (with the word "repeater" explicitly used) for FRS, CB and MURS. But I also remember about store-and-forward not allowed either for 95E or for all of 95.

I was just looking through Part 95 looking for such a GMRS exclusion. I found only two references to store and forward (e.g. Simplex Repeater). Both were prohibitions in non-GMRS services. FRS and MURs. One is 95.2733. The other is 95.987.d. Since repeaters are allowed in GMRS, and since there is no express exclusion of S&F devices in 95e, I conclude they are legal for use, but only when using the 462 main channel frequencies. BTW, I too own the Argent Data SR1. Nice little box. Actually bought it to facility one-man simplex radio testing. It is programmed to give my callsign both in CW and in Voice. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

I just downloaded, installed, and used the updated GM-30 Software (V2.06) to update the firmware and programming of my three GM-30 radios. The new firmware allows you to save additional repeater channels with modified PL tones, so you no longer have to change it from the front panel. This makes the radio much more user friendly in my opinion, especially for those that use repeaters extensively. I used the software to program 8 repeater channels with no PL tone, and 8 repeater channels with a PL tone, in addition to the other 22 channels. With the update, you are no longer limited to only 30 channels on which you can transmit. The link below was provided by Radioddity on the radio's Amazon page: https://radioddity.s3.amazonaws.com/Radioddity_GM-30_Firmware%2020210402%20%26%20Software_V2.06_20210414.zip

I just ordered this radio. I am pretty excited for it and will follow this forum so I can learn of any tips or tricks you guys post about.

I got Gordon west's book for tech on Tuesday. I read Tuesday evening, and yesterday, and have taken several practice exams on QRZ. I am averaging above 85 percent, where I was in the 70's yesterday morning. If I miss a question on the practice exam, I go back, re read the material and take a test again pretty simple.

When in the Jeeps simplex. When around one of my repeaters we use the repeater for range. Its mostly to talk to family or friends, not a chat line. If I wanted to listen to that I'd turn a ham radio on.

Thanks. I ended up just fabricating a mount from some 3/16” x 2” aluminum stock I had. Just drilled a 3/8” hole and it worked great. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Anyway getting back to the topic of this thread about call signs. I wish radios in general had a way to program in your call sign and have it transmitted per the FCC rules. This would be purely for convenience of the operator and a feature that could be enabled/disabled as desired. I've looked at the various builtin tone signaling options in the various commercial radios I have collected. The goal was to get a Morse Code transmission of a call sign with some "creative" setup of the signaling options. The only tone signaling options seem to be 2-tone, 5-tone and DTMF on my radios. There are also options for a PTT ID on Key-Up or Key-Off too. So far I don't see a way to do it. I think using your call sign encourages others to act responsibly on the air. If one can justify not using it then its not a stretch to justify ignoring other rules. To see where that leads a simple monitoring tour of the spectrum between 26.965 MHz to 27.405 MHz AM should prove educational.

There seems to be two camps on FRS vs GMRS. Some like that FRS overlaps GMRS because it allows licensed users to talk to license free FRS users. On the other hand FRS is mostly kids playing around or folks who just refuse to pay to play. Soon the fee for GMRS will drop to $35 so maybe more will not see the cost as a big factor and more will join the big boys on GMRS. This does nothing for the lack of usable channel/frequency space available. I am in the camp that FRS should be on separate frequencies and GMRS expanded. As a Ham operator I like Digital radio but also have seen it almost make FM analog extinct in my area. I live rural and local analog 2m & 70cm repeaters are rarely used accept in times of emergencies. I think Digital GMRS would make it less appealing to the average user and the added cost for equipment for digital be a bad thing. If you really want to do digital radio then just get a Ham Tech license and do it for real. The License fee for a Ham ticket will soon cost the same as a GMRS license and the Test is not that hard . What I really wish is that Ham and GMRS be merged into one where NO test GMRS be only allowed to use limited frequencies at low power and Licesed (tested) users be given full power, full frequencies privileges. This would put some life back into the vastly unused Analog Ham repeaters and leave FRS all to itself. A Novel Idea that will likely never happen because most Hams would hate it but worth thinking about ? Dave

My grandfather worked for NASA.

Hey Skyline, does the NASA sticker represent anything particular, or just a sticker?

Has anyone had any luck in using the Radioddity GM-30 GMRS programming software? When downloading, the percentage increases to 100%, but there are no frequencies shown on my PC. Any suggestions? Thanks, Randall Bonin Amateur: N5UNG GMRS: WQYW855

I'm just wondering if these "letter of the law" guys are the same guys that do 65 in the high-speed lane then turn the highbeams on when 15 cars swerve around to the right and then cut them off one after the next.

Success! Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

That may be a very good thing. Let’s us all be good stewards of the GMRS service by our example so it does not run away from us and turn into trash like CB did in so many places. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

There is very little science or craft in using GMRS as a tool. Just press a button and yada yada yada till batteries are empty. 5yo can do that. GMRS designed this way, as a service. There is a lot of science and craft into radio, in general. One of possible good first steps (only if you're interested!) is ARRL study material for Technician license. Most of regulatory stuff does not apply, all technical stuff directly applicable to GMRS.