Leaderboard

It is the remainder of the frequency for your receiving frequency and transmission frequency: after the "462" and "467" respectively There are only 8 GMRS repeater frequencies, so typically they will list: 550, 575, 600, 625, 650, 675, 700 or 725

Good now we are getting somewhere. I guess the first thing to point out it that GMRS is intended for families and groups to stay in touch and less for chatting with strangers or "making contacts". That is why the GMRS license covers your family under one call sign. Now many people use repeater's (which are special two way radios mounted high on hills or towers that receive and then rebroadcast your signal out over a wider area to allow greater coverage) to "make contacts" and have chat sessions etc. But that depends where you live. Much more activity in cities and much less to none in rural locations. You can try and find local repeaters by scanning with a GMRS programed radio or scanner or you can use the repeater finder map on My GMRS main site. Ham radio is better if making random contacts is your thing. Here are a couple of links to check out. https://mygmrs.com/ https://mygmrs.com/map https://www.buytwowayradios.com/blog/2024/01/how-to-buy-your-first-gmrs-radio.html

You should put a quality antenna analyzer on your J Pole without the cable and sweep it and see what the antenna resonates at. Then try with the cable attached and sweep it. Then put the MXTA 26 at the end of the coax in place of the J Pole and sweep it. The results should indicate where your problem maybe located. If you need to replace the cable "Do Not Buy Cheap Cable" from Amazon.

Well, this sort of nonsense is a result of a non-engaged repeater owner. As a repeater system user, paid or not, you have no real say in what that repeater carries for traffic. Ultimately, if you don't like it you can make a comment about it if you choose to but your final say in the matter is when you change the channel or turn off your radio. You have NOTHING else to do when it's not your gear. If the repeater owner allows that sort of conduct, then that's how it is. But an engaged repeater owner that pays attention to what's going on with his / her repeater should be dealing with that. Telling people that they are NOT going to argue, cuss and act the fool on the repeater and to either stop or go kick rocks is the way it needs to be handled. And if they refuse, you shut off the repeater for a while. And the repeater owner can record the traffic, get call signs if the users are actually saying them and file a complaint with the FCC. If it's a common thing for these people to act up and break the rules (causing interference) then the FCC might get involved. But end users really have no say in the content. And people shouldn't just throw up repeaters that they don't pay any attention to and let others act foolish on them.

There are many exemptions waving station identification for Part 90. Especially digitally encrypted communications where the ID is embedded in the signal, when the Commission is provided keys sufficient to decipher the data transmission.

I'm not sure why, but, I think I like this guy.

That is the Ebay one.. They are bent that way.. Had a note with it that said he has changed the radial design..Said this was better.. Told him I needed it tuned for 462.6500 and it came in 1.0 on channel 19...I didn't test any other channels as 19 is all I am going to use it for.. It seems to be a great little antenna..

I'm running a Laird FG 4605 on my roof. Fiber Glass 460+ MHz 5bB gain. (colinear design)

Ah, glad I asked. Thanks a lot!

Tried on channel RPT 5 and for grins I also tried it on channel 19 (manual mentions the .650 frequency = channel 19). No luck, no kerchunk or anything. Maybe I'm out of reach/line of sight (only 6 miles away from the "30" mile range). I might just drive there and test when I have the chance. Thanks for helping and Happy Easter to you too!!

The Comet CA-712EFC is advertised as 9 dBi. If my math is correct, 9 dBi equals 6.85 dBd.

You bet! Happy Easter!

Thank you for your time you took to give me an answer. Looks like all I have to do is match the Existing Repeater number channels to the repeater and add those nasty PL numbers when the operator gives me access. I love this stuff and once I get a good grip on this I will begin studying for my Technician license. This is fascinating!! Thank you my friend and have a good day..

Pick the RPT channel that receives on 462.650 MHz. It will have the right offset for transmitting on 467.650 MHz Set the TX tone to 192.8 Hz. Leave RX tone empty. Press PTT and ask for a radio check. If nobody answers they might be at church. Happy Easter!

Dual band HAM antennae are essentially compromised and not efficient for GMRS freqs. You need to determine what is your target freq for efficiency and get the antenna that resonates the best on that freq and take the hits on the other freqs.

I live in a hollow and am surrounded on three sides. If it is truly line of sight to the repeaters, at 20-25 miles you probably don't even need a Yagi. If you want a "One and Done" solution, then the Yagi should be your first choice. If are also planning on eventually having a mobile unit in a vehicle, you could start with a mobile antenna on a piece of 2'x2' sheet metal just to see how good your Tx/Rx is. If you haven't already done this, a web site such as www.heywhatsthat.com lets you map the elevation profile between you and the repeater to see just how straight a shot it is. This image shows the terrain between my house and a nearby repeater. A 5W handheld with the stock antenna can barely hit the repeater; a 40W mobile with a 5dB Laird antenna on sheet metal on my porch is very clear. The same 5W handheld going through 70' of 1/2" hardline coax to a 5dB Laird on my roof is very clear on the repeater. (The antenna on the porch has to transmit "through" the house to get to the repeater.)

The first real question we should ask is what are you wanting to use two way radio for? Answer that and you will get better advice.

The last thing I heard about the GM-30 was that it was shipping with one channel (15) not working. I wouldn’t order one. I would buy a Wouxun KG-805 and watch Notarubicon videos if I were you.

I guess i'm going to jail.. along with the thousands of other business/LMR users in my area. But @Radioguy7268 is correct -there is a rule and I stood corrected.

Business/LMR users are still held to an ID requirement by the FCC - but if they use a repeater most of them just allow the repeater to use the automated Morse Code ID. Most business users who are just using simplex routinely ignore the Callsign/ID requirement - but that doesn't mean the requirement doesn't exist. Call a local radio shop in the are who has experience with what your doing. Internet advice is full of holes.

If you try to transmit on GMRS frequencies using the FT-60R, the radio's display will show 'ERROR'. The FT-60R can be programmed to receive/listen only on GMRS frequencies, but it can't transmit on them.

The FT60r is a very nice radio for use on the 2 meter and 70 cm ham bands, but without modification cannot transmit on GMRS. GMRS is not amateur radio. There are some nice radios available for GMRS and they’re typically easier to use than a ham radio. Personally, I really enjoy being a ham and if that interests you I’d be happy to recommend study guides, but if you’re just looking for a radio to use casually with your family or friends without learning about frequencies and the speed of light, GMRS is very nice. Welcome to the forums and good luck whatever you want to do.

Don't think by default the 60re can transmit on gmrs. Not at least without a cap mod. Since it is amateur radio ht. Not a gmrs ht. EDIT: yup just confirmed transmit is 430-450 uhf and 144-148 vhf. Ham 2m and 70cm bands. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

It’s literally my base desk radio. I talk all over the region with it. 11 watts GMRS off of battery. USB-C and solar rechargeable. 11db gain antenna outside,.. means roughly 66 watts erp after coax loss.. I have 4 more of them. 3 in the cars and one still boxed just in case. Yeah they’re the best I’ve found yet… I try them all.

That Diamond x200A is cut for 2m & 70cm. Yes, it is very close to the GMRS freq range, but it could be making a little difference. I would look at all of your connections and the N to PL259 shouldn't make that much difference. Also those trees love to suck up RF signals. Just my 2 cents- Mike- K9YS/ WSBQ206

I would replace that RG8 with LMR400 or equivalent. You will do a whole lot better with the correct type of coax for UHF.

I was also going to suggest a Business (LMR) license - If you pay a service to do the application for you it is actually a very simple process and most only charge a couple hundred $$ - I just go my own LMR/Business license and 5 authorized frequencies from a place called Kemp Wireless in Oregon (yes, I paid full price) - I all needed was a credit card, 15-minutes on the phone with them, and I had to sign one form. But many radio-resellers can do it for you. With the Business/LMR license, you just use the radios on your assigned frequency(s) - no need for callsigns or anything.

The itinerant frequencies can be licensed nationwide. For a frequency coordinator, I would recommend the Forestry Conservation group FCCA although any Part 90.35 Business/Industrial Land Transport coordinator can license the frequencies. A commercial radio shop will be well acquainted with the necessary coordinators. I'd also suggest they shop with the different coordinators, as they will often cut prices to get the business.

I've been declared a shill and I dont even say that!

Yes, you can opt to just receive a repeater using a its freq on VFO mode. You may want to have the rig remain quiet until the repeater transmits; nothing to do with "ham radio leftovers," actually more likely commercial/business user leftovers, since many businesses shared a freq and the other users did not want to listen to constant chatter that did not concern their business! Also, you might want to use the VFO to set up a simplex frequency to communicate with another user, but only want to hear from that user, so again, it keeps the receiver quiet until the desired signal comes through. It may be easier to set up a memory channel for this, but it is not necessary, and actually to set up a memory channel manually, you usually have to set up all the parameters using the VFO mode before saving that info into a memory channel.

Recently, a local Phoenix family drove up to the mountains northeast of Phoenix several days ago and got caught in a snow storm and they were stranded for several days. The family did survive and made it out unharm. They were lucky to be found by local Payson Area residents during the snow storm. While they were stranded, they attempted to call for help using their cell phone but unfortunately, they were in an area of no cell service, which is not unusual in the remote mountain areas of Arizona. However, the area they were in was well covered by the Diamond Point GMRS Repeater which is linked to other repeaters of the Southwest Community Radio System (SWCRS) that serve the Flagstaff, Phoenix, Tucson, and the eastern mountain communities in Arizona; and throughout the state of New Mexico. If they had a GMRS radio and if they were licensed and knowledgeable about the GMRS repeater system they could have use their GMRS radio to summon for help. The point is, you can’t always rely on a Cellular Telephone for help, especially in remote areas. So, don’t leave home without your GMRS radio even in the metro areas. You can never plan when a GMRS radio will be the most valuable tool in the time of need.

Despite the government's denials, a cell phone kill switch, I'm sure in the case of some "domestic disturbance" cell phone use would be restricted or disabled completely by their order. After J6 if it didn't exist then I'll bet it does now. That's when you're likely to need your radio the most to coordinate with others to get out of an area to a safe place.

The final days of our "Delta" repeater were pretty pathetic.. After we shut it down a couple of the jammers and troublemakers moved over to the other high-level repeaters in the area. These people are absolute losers at life. i'm not just saying that - I know who they are, and they truly are pathetic nothings.

Radios seems to attract a certain type of person, often with similar personalty defects...

Military use it to give a signal report. Or the pilot on the drop ship says it to let you they are in the pipe and have a nominal profile. [emoji854] Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

I posted this before as a warning about using non-FCC-type-accepted radios on GMRS, but it seems like it's worth a re-post. This screen grab from an FCC training film illustrates just how serious the FCC is about enforcing type-acceptance regulations. I know. Scary.

While GMRS is a bring-your-own-contacts service you can bump into strangers. It's not like amateur radio but it can still be amusing. I'm new to this and when I first connected to a local repeater my radio check was picked up right away by a trucker who uses HAM, GMRS and CB. He was legit in his usage but also ID'd with his handle; “This is XXXX123, a.k.a. 'Roadrunner,'” or something similar. Since my HT was fresh out of the box the roger beep was on and he gave me the Sad Ham treatment about it. “I'm gonna call you Mr. Roger Beep.” I replied, “Yeah, I've heard that some people don't like the roger beep.” He came back, “Hey, I've seen that 'Some People' guy. He's good!” Roadrunner: Hey, Mr. Roger Beep. You out there? Me: WRYP592, a.k.a. Mr. Roger Beep monitoring. Rested and ready to beep. And we're off...

Don't count out the TIDRadio H3 and H8. They're both pretty decent for the money and IMHO a step up from the UV-82. I really do like the UV-82 though, it gives me a decent power output(not underpowered like the UV-5R) and it has a nice feel to it. You can also get USB-C batteries and a lot of different SMA Female antennas for it. Unlocked you can do MURS, GMRS, HAM and a lot of other frequencies that you'd be licensed for or need to use in an emergency. I really think the TD-H3 is a real sleeper right now and the price will probably go up once people learn how good it really is. FM Broadcast radio, Airbands(108MHz to 135MHz), VHF-136MHz to 174MHz and UHF-400MHz to 600MHz gives you a lot of range.

What do you think about adding a private forum here just for registered users? It should be used sparingly because we want the search engines to index all the posts with excellent information so others can find us. I do think it would be nice to have somewhere to unload some members-only info though. Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk