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Well, if there is 'FCC WORK REQUIRED' forget it. And DMR or NXDN is gonna tear up the analog guys. P25 will as well but not to the degree. If you are 'issued' area's of operation, then very little to any of the lower power, limited coverage stuff applies, unless it's in place and running all the time and used as needed. If you can't get the users to license for ham, that's a training / group requirement thing that needs enforced. You set down rules for training and other certifications and REQUIRE it to be a member. It they don't comply, let them be someone else's problem to deal with. Using the MONITOR button. No, program the radios to check for activity on the frequency BEFORE they transmit. Most radios will monitor for a carrier on the repeater output and bonk the user when they attempt to transmit. Second, the monitor button, that is a TRAINING ISSUE. You train for first aid and other skills to certify and then participate in group functions and activation. Train on radio operation. If they don't want to train, again, make them someone else's problem. I am gonna be as honest and frank as I can be right now. YOU HAVE ZERO OPTIONS There is NO OPTION to get others to operate in a proper manner. There is NO OPTION to get a system built that will support what you are trying to do. There is NO OPTION to get cooperation from the other groups to get this ironed out. And there is NO FUNDING to do it right if you can't even get people to take a damn ham test. Of course they will not want to train for anything else either, so why bother with them to begin with. SO, here is what YOU and YOUR group does. Follow what others have said here. Forget GMRS all together for communications during an activation and get an LMR pair and figure out a portable repeater on that pair. AND screw the rest of the clowns that don't want to fall in line and work together to get a communications plan together so these problems go away.

I forgot to mention something. And this WILL draw the attention of the FCC and get new rules put into place. Long abut the time that a situation does occur that puts these guys in harms way and the repeaters are overloaded and a group can't communicate out on their repeater because of the others the FCC will step in. Not to help, but to create a ruling that bans the use of GMRS for these types of groups. It's gonna require a group getting up on a mountain somewhere and someone getting killed for it to happen but it will happen. GMRS is NOT for public safety and is NOT to be relied on for life and death communications. It's a shared resource that we are provided by the government for personal and family communications. Go read the rules and see where it says anything different. Using the service for SAR is stretching it and using it for fire fighting or other life safety activities is certainly not what it's for. Those activities are clearly meent for the public safety bands of the LMR allocations. And if the groups are accredited and registered, I am not sure that there is even a licensing fee for them to get frequencies. But there again, these are most likely self appointed groups that aren't serving any specific agency or jurisdiction.

Well, I am NOT going for the short answer. And this reminds me of something said about ham radio operators. I there were 2 ham operators in a city, that city would have 3 ham clubs so each of them belonged to a club that the other one didn't. That being said. I fully agree with what has already been said. Problem is that these groups are the self appointed types that have little to no outside support and do little to support government entities. Reason I say that is simple, if they were working FOR some agency, the agency would provide them the ability to communicate. If they have setup shop on GMRS, then they are one step removed from ham radio and wanted to go their own way and not deal with hams either. Which brings about the second possible cure that will never work due to mentality. And that is SHARED resources. One big repeater that multiple groups use for communications. And if you run a community repeater controller that is multi-PL enabled, then they don't even hear each other talking. We did this for YEARS in the LMR business. Put a few high profile repeaters up that were setup as community repeaters and sold air time on those repeaters. Not real common any more but it was effective. But we are back to the problem of getting people to SHARE. And that is where you are gonna get stuck. The third way to begin to deal with it is system design with limits on coverage area in mind. Directional antenna systems, down tilt, decreased power (which ALWAYS pisses people off when you mention it) and getting the system owners and users to spend money for real radio people to design and install their systems. Problem here is again money. Ham radio is by far the cheapiest way to communicate for SAR and similar groups. You are using repeaters that are typically owned by others, the license are cheap and the radios are just as cheap. But unless it's YOUR ham repeater, you can't have exclusive use of it. GMRS does get you a bit closer, has no test to pass and can be a cheap. But again, if it's not YOUR repeater, no exclusive use. So they spend as little as possible to put up as much repeater as they can so they have exclusive use of it. And I know that's how they treat it because if they were sharing use with other groups, we wouldn't be having this discussion. Actual designed and implemented systems that are tailored to cover a specific area are expensive. Not so much the hardware as the design of it. That requires knowledge that a typical GMRS operator frankly doesn't posses. And that's not a dig on GMRS operators,,, it's just a fact. So by the time you pay for all the design and increased cost for the antenna system you could have dropped 500 bucks and gotten a LMR license and been done with it. Then you have exclusive use of your own repeater pair and can do what ever you want. But they are too cheap to pony up the 500 bucks for coordination and a license fee. You are NOT gonna get more frequencies for GMRS. And license holders have equal access to the allocated frequencies. And contrary to popular belief, putting up a repeater with a different PL or DPL on the same frequency is NOT purposeful interference. By putting a different PL on it, you have shown effort to mitigate interference and you have just as much right to use that repeater pair as the other guy does. Now this of course requires that the other repeater is closed access. But at that point, you are left with no other choice. So letters to the FCC are pointless.

I saw that page, but it is for MacOS. Since I'm using Windows 8.1 I had to download Bluestacks and then find the Windows version of Hexfiend, then open it through Bluestacks. The Mac version won't work I did edit the only set of frequencies I found in the T11 software (using Hex-Works) which put the new frequencies in both the TX and RX ? This may take some time.

Take a look at these items in the Code Plug Hex file (through Hex Fiend) for channels 7 & 8 and 14 & 15, where it goes from High power, to Low and then Low to High: It goes from 1 1 1 0 to 0 0 1 0; so perhaps one or both of those leading 1's are part of the HIGH power designation. Oh, but wait, the Programming Software for the T11 already has the HIGH setting for all channels except for 8-14, which are LOW (see my screenshots posted on September 10th). So maybe some other designator is needed to provide SUPER-HIGH power.

I tried to find Hex Fiend and it seems it is no longer available However, I will have a look at Hex-Works possibly over the weekend if I get time. Trying to locate the power setting could be challenging but that will be after I get the frequency fields changed successfully.

@wrtq652 The DB20-G can be easily "opened" up so that you can use ALL 500 channels to receive and transmit on GMRS. Technically it probably does not continue to comply with Part 95 rules, but many of us use it in this opened mode. If you continue to use it exclusively for Tx on GMRS; I do not see the problem. We open it up to use it on the Ham bands 2 meters and 70 cms and even MURS. @NC654Which Hex program are you currently using? 4.82 watts would surely make these HTs more usable especially to repeaters!

For the kids I would get some of the floating FRS HTs.

On your Radioddity DB20-G, try this: Turn off power Hold down the V/M key Turn on power Note the version of Firmware at the bottom of the screen; which version is it? The stock DB-20-G with updated firmware allows for DIY repeater channels:

I did about the same thing with 3 nearly useless Kenwood TK-3200 2-channel ProTalk radios a buddy gave me for free. He had no use for them. These radios "officially" have 56 per-configured frequencies you can choose from in the programming software or in the radio's firmware when field programing the radio. Non of the frequencies are for GMRS. Further there didn't appear to be anyway to set the TX frequency different from the RX frequency in the software either, so repeater operation was impossible. Using a hex editor, and some lucky guesses, I figured out where and how the RX and TX frequencies were stored in the code plug. Now I have them programmed for the local wide area GMRS repeater and a simplex channel. Now they are usable for something practical. TK-2200_3200 Brochure.pdf

Not a big fan. Was sold on it when I watched the notarubicon review. Bought one sight/review unseen. Got through about 3 minutes of the review and ordered one. IMHO, the radio is just OK as far as RX and TX. It has some nice features (bluetooth, texting, etc) but those (for ME anyway) don't overcome the poor radio performance. I even tried it with a 771G antenna, didn't improve it much at all. I have also both the Wouxun KG-935G and KG-UV9G Pro. Both of the Wouxun radios transmit and receive clearer than the BTECH. My favorite is the KG-935G. Your mileage may vary...

The current licensing and band planning done by HAM operators & volunteer coordinators is 100% necessary for the cooperative use of the HAM bands. I think many probably don't realize it, but this website is doing a decent job of that for GMRS, whether intended or not. Allowing us to post our frequency use and coordinate with others around us does some of the job of those frequency allocation volunteers, be it passive or active, either way we tend to not want to step on each other. GMRS is a small band and there's not much room on it so this serves a really important roll. I've noticed even on CB; people will use self-appointed handles and even have use specific channels, there are unspoken rules. Seems like those who use radio have a tendency toward coordinating and cooperation, similar to what is followed by ham operators. All that said, I think GMRS users should agree that GMRS use should be limited to one of if not the final circle in your encompassing circles of communication. Meaning GMRS should be used in and around your community. In my head this basically looks like this: GMRS/FRS Simplex around the neighborhood, GMRS Repeaters for the community, 2M/70cm for community to community, 10m/CB/6m for county wide, and you're looking at a general ham license for anything beyond that. Sorry if this is a bit of a rant, I've been thinking about this for some time and needed to get it out.

My wild guess why this happens is due to the fact no license test is required, like Ham Radio where the above type of groups and activities are commonly found. Then, if some members are too cheap to even pay the $35 GMRS fee they try and use FRS radios. I agree with the points above with LMR radios. I'm, again guessing, that getting permission to use already licensed LMR frequencies by "affiliated" groups wouldn't be a big problem. I do not agree completely with GMRS "NOT to be relied on for life and death communications" in the event that local communication infrastructure is destroyed due to fire, floods etc. GMRS might be one of the very few ways the general public has available to maintain communications in a local area. In fact I think that was mentioned some time back in another thread.

Persuade the emergency groups to move to LMR/Business band...

How will passing the ham test make the GMRS Pro useful?

My solution would be to send it back and tell them to send me one that works.

Being TDMA with about a 50 percent duty cycle that works out to an average power of about 50 watts. Maybe that's how the FCC looked at it for the license grant.

Interesting piece, and glad that "prepping" is becoming more mainstream with the population, at least according to this 60 Minutes segment. The whole Doomsday Preppers show seemed to go for the oddball types to make this seem for fringe than reality (of course). However, I tend to go with what the local community Emergency Response Team (CERT) recommends radio wise, begin with a cheap FRS/GMRs radio instead of a Baofeng, unless you like to fiddle with USB drivers and program radios via computer, which also requires computer skills. My own neighbors were able to figure out Motorola TalkAbout series radios, tune on and place onto the same channel, then push the side button to talk. A Baofeng with a full keypad would have been too much for many of them. These are "Walkie Talkies" to them, and many non-radio geeks. Keep it simple. To OP, thank you for sharing, it is always great to see this prepping situation becoming more normal. the government at every level may not be there to help, and people need to take some personal responsibility in life.

My first and favorite radio I got for GMRS was a XTS3000. I went ahead and customized it with a neat "toxic/radioactive" (lol radio) scheme. Might not be Part95 but I'd believe we should put a old radio to use than to just have it end up as waste!

About 8 years ago, I picked up my first three pack of Motorola T200 GMRS blister-pack for simple hiking, caravan trips, and emergency preparedness. I upgraded to the Motorola T480 with NOAA, FM Radio, always plugged in (with a light for power outages!) next to my bed... then after I received my FCC license this year, I have added a pair of Radioditty gm-30s, with a Radioditty gs-5b as a SHTF ham radio... next will be a mobile/base station, like the Radioddity DB-20G... down the rabbit hole is right! WQRC299 aka Rob

Its a nifty little radio, but unless everyone else in your party also has one, most of that nifty'ness doesnt matter. As for basic use and fars, it's pretty much the same as any other radio.

I could see a pretty cool use case in which a Retevis RT97 repeater is used for a campsite (or a church), and a bunch of little BF-T11 satellites for the users

SUCCESS!!! This software creates code plugs that are unencoded XML. I used my HEX editor to change the TRANSMIT frequency on Channel 19 to the INPUT frequency for Repeater Channel 19R and used the BF-T11 software to enter the ENCODE CTCSS tone and now I have confirmed at home that these handy little units can transmit and receive on the 5 MHz split! Now 2 watts is not enough for me to actually access my local repeater from inside my home, but later today when I go driving closer to this repeater, I will confirm that this will actually allow me access to this 650 Repeater: