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Icom, kenwood thd74a, anytone 878uvii plus (current winner for me) have a near repeater function. Not all repeaters are in the database. Using the onboard gps it will try to locate a repeater that is near by. Some of the manfacturers have also implemented a feature it will then try to connect to it, if you want to. It's a feature that I wish it was in all higher end mobiles and hts. Currently, got to walk around with a repeater list, or have it preprogrammed. Me I have repeaterbook link on the homepage of my phone. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

Alinco DJ-500TB Analog $140 Alinco DJ-MD5XTG DMR/Analog $196 Both are Part 90 radios, so no diode clipping, resister removing, or magic power-on sequence needed. They ship with a 136-174/400-470 antenna, which certainly must be better at *some* of those frequencies, but usable at all of them.

At least for the FT4X, Yaesu's software isn't bad..there's a couple things that could be improved, but miles ahead of any of the wouxun, radioddity, or anytone software I've used. I wondered the same about the menu layout on my Icom 2730...To some extent things are at least grouped well, but I can't discern any particular order, or why some things are hidden in an extended menu. That one, i bought the RT Systems software for, so I haven't used Icom's software for that one. It also ended up coming in handy later when I picked up a vx7r from ebay, which came with an old version of RT for that radio, along with a serial cable and adapter to the particular headphone port the vx7 uses. Had no luck getting the serial cable working on my win10 stick pc and usb port replicator, but the RT systems usb cable from the Icom, paired with the yaesu adapter, worked great, and works with the VX7 Commander software as well (which allows MARS mod via software instead of messing with physical components on the board.)

I do have a radio that I am currently using that is similar to what your are suggesting. I am using the BF-F8HP. It does have FPP although at times makes me want to cry. If you have FPP programmed you understand the pain, mostly for me is "is why did I program that again?".

Thank you! I contacted them to see if they either had something that would work or steer me in the right direction. Also sent an email t buytwowayradio.com where I’d purchased the radios to see if they could give me a lead as well. Thank you for the inspiration to look further!

Thanks...I was trying to think of what it was called, and couldn't go look in the app at the time

Think it only works with bluecat. Which is for like 2 yaesu units Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

I went for the Repeaterbook app...the proximity search based on your location is kinda nice, but I don't have anything it can push the presets to over Bluetooth (I think there's just a couple models that can). I've also programmed common stuff in the common areas/routes i travel. I do have the luxury of time, though, since I don't travel all that much. With the LMR radios, I have banks of out of town stuff by region (sf bay, slo coast, coast p25, etc)

Hmm.... interesting. Just to need to find out it if has near repeater functionality. I REALLY would like that in my next radio. Sigh a Kenwood THD74a would of worked, but it would be nearly the cost of some commercial radios used. Hence the start of the thread, for an all around radio that could do it all, but not perfect, just close. For most part i will try and carry a dedicated radio for that service. But would be nice say at the beach to work the ham radio and still listen to the little ones on their gmrs radios. I currently have multiple SDR cards for my FTM400XDR so I could travel and load up repeaters on the route. Thought about doing that with a FT5DR. But that 1.3 watts kinda destroys so of the flexibility of the radio for me.

Yaesu’s good about publishing free CPS for their radios. The FT5DR is really nice in that you can put the programming on a micro sd card and pop the card into the radio.

Definitely, easier on the FT"X"dr series then on something like the FT-65/uv5r style radio. Only because of the menu system vs touching different things. I have manually programmed repeaters on my FTM400 and will say I think the UI designer was drunk when they designed it. So yes mass programming repeaters RT systems all the way. I would of killed myself on any of the radios if I had to program 400 repeaters using FPP.

I'm in such a dead zone for GMRS that I normally have the mobile in SCAN mode... So, yes, I end up on the kiddies shrieking between rings... The KG935's tone scan did let me identify the one repeater with traffic in Grand Rapids -- in a 25 year-old GMRS repeater guide book. A grandfathered City of Grand Rapids "business" use -- at the time it was allowed to be used by the public for Emergency & Traveller Assistance unless one obtained written permission in advance. Book states it has a 30 mile radius, but I think it's down to 15 mile (30 mile would reach Lowell with plenty in excess). I suspect if one tried to use it for E/TA these days they'd be hit with "What, you don't have a cell-phone?" Primary use for the system seems to be for the downtown paid parking lot operators... I've heard discussions of people wanting refunds because they'd bought tickets for x-vehicles, but their friend came in through a different gate; resetting machines so they'd start accepting plastic again, etc.

I bought Yaesu’s cable for the FT-65. I haven’t tried it yet though.

Unsurprisingly, that looks like the same antenna as came with my ft4x. Mine is opened up as well, but I haven't tested power output out of band...I think I've seen the same info as @kidphcon the ft5dr's lower output on gmrs. Have done FPP on the ft4x, and it's not the top of the list of things I want to do. Not much ahead of a baofeng...again, unsurprisingly. Both are doable with some practice, for that occasional new repeater you might want to add, but not something I'd want to do from scratch with a massive list.

The antenna for the FT-65 lists a range of 400-470 MHz. The antenna for the FT5D has no range markings that I have seen.

Start simple: If in simplex, someone transmits within a half mile of you with no squelch tones set in your radio, do you hear them? If in simplex, someone transmits using a squelch tone, and you have the same programmed into your receiver, do you hear them? If in duplex at a repeater output frequency, with no squelch tone set, do you ever hear anyone hitting the repeater? If in duplex at a repeater output frequency, with no squelch tone set, plug your receiver into a digital recorder (your phone, your computer, or a handheld digital recorder), or set a digital recorder next to its speaker. Use VOX mode. Take another radio 150 feet away and transmit to that repeater using the correct squelch tone to open the repeater. Does your receiver receive it? (do you hear a recording when you get back to listen to your recorder?) Now swap the radios and do the same. Did it still work? ...again, with the transmitting radio set with appropriate squelch tones to open the repeater. Now program squelch tones for the output frequency on the receiving radio and record. Again go 150 feet away with the transmitter. Do you record anything? Notice how at each step we're trying to add only one additional thing that could go wrong. By the time we arrive at the final test, we're fully configured for typical repeater use. If you find it fails at one of those stages, you at least have eliminated the other layers as an issue. It's unlikely though possible that your radio doesn't transmit at all, or doesn't receive at all. I once had a Motorola T355R that, for whatever reason, lost its ability to transmit. So while it's unlikely, it's possible.

At least 7 inches, but try to avoid the first 3 even multiples of 7. After 2 feet, it doesn't matter. If you want to have them on at the same time and be able to use one without turning the other off, put them as far apart as possible.

1st..your relating CB & Ham radio even in the same sentence is ludicrous! CB was doomed from the get-go for many reasons. And Ham radio is for thoughts who want a hobby and learn the inter-workings of radio per sic. Most of use just want dependable, clear and static free commo…period! So putting up repeaters to provide dependable service to cover larger areas/communities makes since. I, myself; want something…mobile, low wattage for family camping/fishing trips or shtf sinario. Just my $.02. WRUE648 RicD

I am a Ham, but had my GMRS license long before my amateur radio license, going back to 1988. It was an individual license back then and gear was primitive at best, but that is part of what made it easy. Me and my Ham friends (whom actually do appreciate GMRS) very rarely use VHF/UHF ham frequencies anymore and are almost completely GMRS. Many of us got sick of the club politics. We just use GMRS to chat while we are heading to meet up, stay in touch on the road, and in touch while offroad. Be it in 4X4's, on foot, small boats, etc. Anyway, I wouldn't let it discourage you. While some clubs have linked GMRS repeaters and have Nets, there are way more causal users and families with handhelds, mobiles, as well as base stations or repeaters in their garage so they can talk to family and friends.

No.. Although many hams do slum on GMRS in many areas, the main use for GMRS is utilitarian communication - ie; when off-roading and in a group, hiking, traveling with multiple vehicles, etc. Sadly, it sounds like in your area many of the rag-chewers have taken over.. But once you get out of reach of their basements, like out adventuring in the desert or mountains, all their noise goes away. I run a repeater, partially run another repeater which is one of the largest/most used in Southern California, and run a group - not only am i not a ham, most in the group are not hams either.