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I tried this exact thing...I even added a small duplexer...none of it worked well. I too like to tinker and learn but what I learned was the handhelds desence too much and I went with an RT97 which was far superior. They are low powered, weather resistant and with height I have used it out to 31.2 miles.

The part that's sad is when people act like it's OK. That's how non compliance starts and grows. It can simply start with those that are licensed simply refusing to communicate with those who are not and using GMRS radios. I had a buddy that thought the same thing messing around with his UV-5R unlicensed. I finally got him to get his Ham Tech license and then he got his GMRS some months back on his own. He later found out the FCC was looking for the source of the unlicensed operations and interference. He realized he was lucky he quit when he did, had no idea about the complaints made, and got legal. The reasons why people don't bother, they think nobody gives a crap, nothing is going to happen me, and finally just being lazy and cheap.

So much to unpack here: "Most folks had bubble packs that requires no license." -- End of discussion: even if they have a Ham license. "I talked to one guy last year... The issue with GMRS use is the guys who buy mobiles and either don't think they need or don't care about the license." -- Is he one of these guys?!? If he is using a bubble pack FRS no need for the debate. If he is using the mobile, how will paying $35 for a no-test GMRS license instill any qualifications for the ethical use of GMRS that he does or does not have now?!? At least a Ham has studied operational use of radios. Why not let these guys enjoy themselves in the middle of nowhere, where they are not causing any disruptions, and if they are, paying $35 for a license will not teach them how not to disrupt!

They’re in marketing, not engineering! And we know what kind of promises marketing makes….

If you are playing with parasitic radiators (metal reflectors) then the distance between the antenna and the reflector is key. The distance between the two determines if the reflected wave adds or subtracts from the primary.

Possibly even worse -- two beams: receive from one direction, send 180 degrees opposite.

For every lock there is a key.

Point well taken. Before going off the rails assuming illegal operation one might have stumbled on a perfectly legal grandfathered system. If it bothers somebody do some research before jumping to conclusions. Even in the Ham world we have to be careful since Hams only have secondary status on the 70cm band, we share it with the primary user, government. I remember doing a frequency search a while back and stumbled across some public safety frequencies between 420 MHz and 430 MHz. The US Ham band officially runs from 420 MHz to 450 MHz depending on how close you are to Canada, Line-A. The 70cm band is a mine field of various users, technical requirements and restrictions. https://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/publications/compendium/0420.00-0450.00_01MAR14.pdf https://www.chp.ca.gov/find-an-office/central-division/offices/(420)-bakersfield https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/eng/sf00049.html

No, it won't be in the database as no action was taken. An investigation is just that, someone looking into something. You may find emails talking about investigations, but those require a FOIA petition to access.

No one here acts like its OK: we're just tired about hearing all the preaching to the choir about the issue.

Cool story! So we should be able to find that in the FCC enforcement database and read up on the details - got a link? Also curious how he "found out" ...

What you’re describing is necessary as well, unless you use a duplexer, but that’s for the antennas. You still need to shield the circuitry of the transmitter from the circuitry of the receiver. If you look inside a repeater, even the little Retevis 97, you’ll see that the transmitter and receiver are separated from each other within their own metal sealed compartments.

I bought this exact unit from Amazon... I tried using it with two Baofeng handhelds. Even though they call it cross-band, the radios actually determine if its same band or cross-band. Bottom line... it ended up in the trash. It relies on the volume level of the radio, VOX operation, and if you try to use it on the same band, unless you have incredibly expensive radios with great filtering on the front-end, the transmitter wipes out the receiver and it gets stuck in a transmit loop until you turn off either one of the two radios. I am a geek by trade, so I ended up building a full-blown portable repeater. At this point, I would recommend you just buy a pre-programed Retevis.

The government agencies I work with usually ask volunteer civilians to partner with them, provide the hardware and human capital. I'm not aware of any of them doing it on their own, but my experience is obviously anecdotal. My team is in process of putting an amateur repeater on the county dispatch tower at the EOC. We are already approved for the antenna and radio install. I am going to see if we can put up a dual band antenna and see if we can co-locate the amateur and GMRS systems there.

Even then it wouldn’t happen. The beer sounds great though.

Let me review with regard to some of the other posts on this and other threads to me: I purchased a radio that has FCC Part 95 certification: the Anytone AT-779UV. Using the software supplied by the manufacturer (and presumably supplied by Anytone during the certification process), I did the following: 1) Programmed additional GMRS repeaters on the same frequencies but using different CTCSS/DTS codes. 2) Programmed the "power up" screen to say my callsign and phone number 3) Added "DIY" GMRS Repeater channels, so that I could easily change the CTCSS/DTS tone (using the onboard keys) when confronting a new GMRS repeater while mobile. 4) Changed the Frequencies selection from one of the 10 presets available to another one. 5) Added channels for 2 meters and 70 cm local repeater pairs and simplex frequencies. Now at all times, I made these changes using the supplied Anytone software with their easy to use selections; the same software supplied to the FCC. "Aggrieved" operators all aghast at my posts, have bombarded me with unsolicited posts about the FCC Part 95 Rules and THEIR interpretation of the rules! Certainly one would have to agree that if I changed the software to only transmit on 2 meters and 70 cm and not on GMRS would not violate FCC Rules. And, one would have to agree that if I changed the software back to default to transmit on GMRS only, it would not violate the FCC Rules. So the only point in dispute is my ability (using the selections available to me with the Anytone supplied software) to transmit on either GMRS or Ham radio during the same "power up" session; BUT obviously I cannot transmit on both at the same time. While the receiver can monitor two receiver frequencies, it cannot transmit on two frequencies at the same time. I maintain that how I operate my Anytone is consistent with how Anytone presented the AT-779UV to the FCC and hence how the FCC interprets Part 95 with regard to THIS radio, and until I hear from the FCC to the contrary, that continues to be my operating position. YMMV: If others disagree; they do not have to purchase the AT-779UV and allow it to transmit on both GMRS and Ham frequencies during the same power up session.

I sincerely believe that you feel that an analogy where people's lives are put in danger on our highways is the same "danger" as a licensed Ham using a Part 95 GMRS transceiver on the Ham radio bands! That being said, I will now ignore these types of comments from you in the future, as they add nothing of value to our discourse!

Another badge-carrying member of the Part 95 Police! ?

Just because YOU believe you can't do it, doesn't make it wrong!

Your beef, if you have a legitimate one, is not with me, but with AnyTone (or Radioddity, in the case of their clone: DB-20G). I bought a radio and use their software (or computer-less keystrokes) to change all sorts of parameters than those that came as the default. I bought a radio and I am using it as AnyTone knows how I am using it, and that's that! I'm not losing any sleep over how I use my Anytone AT-779UV; thank you, and I will be happy to instruct others how to get the maximum use for their investment, too!