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You're right about the PO box option. Many people I know, many people I look up on QRZ.com, and my own club repeater, N6CRA, all have PO boxes instead of street addresses. But these days, even without the help of the FCC, anyone can Google your name and probably find out where you live, and buttloads of other information you probably didn't even know was out there. Displaying your name on the FCC database isn't giving people any confidential information, it's just making things a little easier for them.

Sadly many repeaters talk out better than talk in. With a portable you may be able to hear but will not be able to talk. Its normal.

Fortunately there are only a few of those kind of people here.

There are 12 year olds with an Extra Class license. You would be in good company.

Most likely this repeater: https://mygmrs.com/repeater/6281

The problem we are running into is, not all repeaters in our area are on the standard -1 MHz shift. I have 7 repeaters stored and two of them are 0.5 MHz shift. I can save them in memory, but the shift isn't variable. Every time we change the shift, it changes for every memory in that band. So, I saved 7 6m repeaters on my radio. 5 with standard offset and 2 as simplex, and just use the quick-shift feature to get the right input frequency for the non-standard offsets.

Proposal [1] is a good request. The others don't personally interest me. Radio has been so strangled by HAM restrictions that it maybe too late to fix it. Hence the desire to turn GMRS into what people want, which is a way to send off grid messages to family and friends who are not radio freaks. That has always been the problem with HAM, it is a club of people who like to talk about radios but don't actually use them. The people who actually use radio for important things are GMRS users or Public safety, etc. But as more HAMS use GMRS, naturally, they make it about saying your callsign 10 times a minute, talking about radios, yadda yadda.

Ham operators have from 420MHz to 450MHz to experiment and do what they want with it (with some exceptions due to shared agreements and line A and C restrictions) and now they want to take over something else? On top of this, let me make clear, that in many parts of the country, Hams not only do not use the 70cm band as it is, they flat out refuse to use it and will actually verbally spit on it. In many areas of the country, Hams barely use anything above 2 meters (144-148MHz) because they claim "it doesn't get out far therefore you cannot do anything with it". Hams do not need anymore frequencies. 420-450 is in the same band that behaves the same way as 462 and 467MHz. There is absolutely no difference between the two except for the numeric frequencies. If Hams want more to experiment with, go petition to allow more capability within their own 70cm band. Stop trying to ruin other services. DO NOT BE FOOLED! Ham Radio operators are not lacking in bandwidth to experiment and talk on surrounding the GMRS band. Something many people, Hams included, do not realize is that Ham Radio operators have the following bands outside of the contesting bands to fully operate in, experiment in and do what they want in with, in most places, a 1500 watt power limit - 50-54MHz (little activity except for band openings once or twice a year) 144-148MHz (Utilized the most for short range communications across the country) 220-225MHz (little to no activity if not totally dead and abandoned in many parts of the country) 420-450MHz (small amounts of activity depending on the part of the country) The same band that GMRS (462 and 467 MHZ) sits in. 902-928MHz (little to no activity) 1240-1300MHz (little to no activity if not totally dead and abandoned) 2300-2310MHz (little to no activity if not totally dead and abandoned) 2390-2450MHz (little to no activity if not totally dead and abandoned) 3400-3450MHz (little to no activity if not totally dead and abandoned) 5650-5925MHz (little to no activity if not totally dead and abandoned) 10-10.5GHz (little to no activity if not totally dead and abandoned) 24-24.25GHz (little to no activity if not totally dead and abandoned) 47-47.2GHz (little to no activity if not totally dead and abandoned) 76-81GHz (little to no activity if not totally dead and abandoned) 122.25-123GHz (little to no activity if not totally dead and abandoned) 134-141GHz (little to no activity if not totally dead and abandoned) 241-250GHz (little to no activity if not totally dead and abandoned) and all above 275GHz (little to no activity if not totally dead and abandoned) I have personally heard Hams come out on the air and identify 50-54, 144-148, and 420-450 as being the only bands Hams have to operate on above 10 meters and how Hams dont have any room to play. GMRS operators have 8 repeater pairs and 14 simplex channels to use. Not chunks of bandwidth like Hams, only channels! So, no, Hams do not need "...allowing Ham Radio users more flexibility when operating on GMRS Channels." You want more flexibility, go back down on your own 70cm band and start utilizing it!!! GMRS is for people who need a means of communication and dont want to be hassled with becoming a licensed radio hobbyist. I personally hope the FCC laughs at this and throws it out. Hams do not use the bands they currently have and it is the reason the FCC is taking portions of their bands away. If Hams would get off of the HF bands and stop doing contesting and start utilizing the bands above 50MHz, they wouldn't have a reason to steal from GMRS, but that will never happen.

Every time I read posts like some of the ones on the previous page I am very thankful that my experience has been diametrically opposed. By an overwhelming majority the hams I have met have been generous and helpful. Although I don’t have the experience some of them have they have adopted me and others like me, encouraging us to learn, showing us how they have built their ham shacks, how they have constructed their antennas, and telling us about their own histories. I’m truly sorry for the people who have not had such a good experience. I feel even sorrier for those who have become embittered.

It does depend on what part of the country you are in. 2m and 70cm is pretty active here in Missouri. But no one uses 6m or 1.25m (220MHz) around here. There are weekly nets on different repeaters within a 100 mile radius of me on every night except Friday and Saturday nights. Plus there are the rag chewers on all the time too.

He has CB in the blood. Why you would want more power on UHF is beyond me. I should know because I have experimented with UHF and found that in many cases, more power is not going to do squat for your signal. A better or different antenna, and above all, height is what will make the difference. The guy who proposed this is probably the typical Ham who memorized the right answers, passed the test and thinks because of a slip of paper, he is an expert in radio. Sadly, Ham Radio is filled with these kind. None of them are smart, they just have a good memory. If I had a good memory, I would have an extra class license............just because I can have one.

Thank you for that info. Maybe someone more local to you (or the repeater) can help you out.

I ran into a crap storm today with the kids (quick onset sickness), so I didn't get to try much. I found the quickshift setting. How to turn it on quickly is what I need to try. I just need a few free hours

Welcome @Nighthawk01, try Trigger/ed 700 maybe. Not sure if you are already aware or acquainted with the repeater map page but even though it is associated with the forum you still need to log in separately over there.

Try to get close to the repeater and listen on the input. Sometimes repeaters use different tones for both encode and decode.

I was really hoping that the separate menu choices to change the repeater shift for 10 meters and 6 meters would help, but I see your point that whatever is set there affects all the 10 meter (or 6 meter) shifts.

I'm not seeing like 7 different shifts. The 705/7300 don't care what the shift is, you program it per memory. I need to probably swap this for my 7300 and actually play around with it on the air to figure out how best to program this.

First, make sure you are transmitting on a repeater channel. They’ll be labeled either 23-30 or RP15-RP-22. If you’re on one of the Simplex channels (15-22) you will be able to hear the repeater but the repeater will never hear you. Second, make sure you’re transmitting using the correct access tone, whether CTCSS or DCS. Otherwise the repeater will filter out your transmission. Finally, it’s entirely possible that you can’t transmit that far from inside your house on a 5 watt handheld.

OK: attached is my generic codeplug to program it back to GMRS and still allow the other channels to continue to be open. Once you add your specific channels, you will want to resave it with a new name or date, so as to have a backup. Anytone AT-779UV GMRS 202310130140.dat

Welcome, Nighthawk01, If you look in the repeater database, at the map, you should be able to spot the repeater on that frequency.

I don’t have mine here to test, but repeater operation is covered in the Advanced manual on page 26:

Looks like it's going to have to be saved as a split. So, save the repeater output as a memory, and then program the quick-split button for the offset you want to transmit on (menu 05-13). That way, you can just go to the memory, and then press the Split button and you are good to go. Almost all of the 6m repeaters programed into my radio are -1 MHz ... but there are 2 that are -0.5 MHz and that is how I ended up setting up those two.

I have the KG-UV9PX and this also works in Chirp. That said I chose it because I have my ham. @WRWE456 has a good recommendation though if you just want to be able TX on GMRS. It's essentially the same radio but certified for GMRS.

I recommend you try it. I have used other emulation solutions and they were all far too fiddly and a PITA, but Parallels made the entire process so easy, painless, and idiot-proof I was very impressed and ended up buying it and finding other reasons to use Windows programs on my Mac.

Several in the ham clubs I belong to have the Cotre 001D and the 004D we use on our local DMR net. They aren't the best on the market with a very low power output (around 2W) but they can access the local repeaters most of the time. They don't replace a good DMR radio, but they are fun to play with.

I get redundancy, but I would rather have a car charger for my portable than another radio in the glove box that I need to maintain the battery on. The portable I carry is the redundant, the mobile is primary.

I use mine for off-roading.. any time I want to "make contacts" and find anonymous men to talk with, I use the Grindr app.

I have an amateur general license and GMRS license. If I want to use digital modes I get on one of my amateur radios. I like the simplicity of GMRS and do not want to see it change.

@WRZZ755 Welcome.

Hello all, New to this site and new to the world of radios.

Who sits around and thinks up this kind of stupidity? No! Not just no, but hell no! This is another hairbrained attempt to make GMRS into "ham radio lite". I am an Extra class ham, and I am 100% against this. GMRS (Class A CB) was originally another means of personal (and at one time, business) communication. It should remain that way. It should remain 100% analog. GMRS allows for reliable communication with a short wavelength (think being able to use an ht in a car without an outside or excessively long antenna). It is great for families, friends, and even properly licensed hams, to keep in touch, especially with family and friends who just do not want to be bothered with testing, radio theory, etc. If someone wants to enjoy the hobby aspects of ham, play with digital, etc; then let them get off of their dead behind and study and take the tests or shut up! Those who are already hams and who want to turn GMRS into ham lite or other extension of ham radio, please use the privileges you have on ham or upgrade if that is not enough. People are continuously trying to wreck a great thing that GMRS is with these bright ideas.

@WSAA635 Welcome. GMRS is great for a lot of things. As far as random contacts, it's hit and miss depending on where you live and if your local repeater is linked. Where I live, there are lots of linked repeaters and therefore lots of people to talk to. Others aren't so lucky. Hopefully you will find a good group to talk to.

Just getting into GMRS and found the forum so I joined. Just wanted some Comms for Family Outings/Hunting/ETC. and GMRS looked like a good way to go because there was no Test needed to get my License. Still not made any contacts and just did give programing some Repeaters a try using CHIRP with my BTech GMRS V2. Anyway, I see ya' in for forums and hear ya' on the air. WSAA635 Signing Out.

Welcome! Lots of good info here. Don't forget to make use of the search feature. Most beginner questions have been asked and answered many times.

Welcome to the forum @Rox

Nobody does that.. There are hams.. and there are asshats that also happen to be hams. Anyone that is unable to understand the difference is an asshat.

I completely agree with you regarding the "radio police". I also think that the guy who proposed this just wants to turn gmrs into ham on different frequencies. He suggests raising the limit on certain channels to 100w. I could totally foresee the overly obsessed ham guys scolding a gmrs user because they're trying to see how far apart they can talk. IMO. Ham is great and so is gmrs, but they are separate and should stay separate.

This proposal can eat dirt. GMRS is GMRS, amateur is amateur. I don't want to see some powermonger trying to grub up a whole different radio service with the admonition of the FCC because they think being certified in a different one makes someone better. That's a Reddit Moderator level of self-importance.

It amazes me in some areas hams are all over GMRS, crying over usage but on the 70cm band its crickets. Maybe we should petition the FCC to give us the 70cm band for GMRS use ? The only UHF repeaters I hear around me are linked repeaters and 90% of the folks talking are not in the area I am in. The others are crickets.

I concur. There is a lot to unpack in that filing, and it will likely go nowhere with the FCC. As a ham, I find this desire to by many of our fellow amateurs to "change" GMRS a bit disturbing. I've run into this "attitude" with several hams local to me. All license classes of amateurs have full privileges from 420MHz - 450MHz (70cm). Most everything outlined in that filing we already have available to us in the 70cm band. And for you non-hams out there, guess what? The 70cm band goes largely unused! The only thing that filing does is further annoy the FCC when it comes to amateur radio operators. My eyes were rolling reading it, and if I were the FCC it would be targeted for the circular file. Allowing digital voice modes (DMR, etc..) is a very bad idea. This would be very confusing and annoying to existing GMRS users. To another point, most hams can't figure out how to program their DMR radios. As for the random joe-ham or the VM (Volunteer Monitors) performing band police duties? Seriously?!?