Leaderboard

An experience last summer was useful to my understanding with respect to power. Camping east of Zion, a group took a nine mile hike, and a group stayed at camp. The hikers with handhelds kept in touch with each other quite well. Those who stayed at camp radioed to the hikers to check on them, as a storm whipped up. The hikers, later, mentioned that from a few miles out (varied, mountainous terrain) they could hear the campers calling them from 3-4 miles away. But the campers couldn't hear the hikers responding until they were within two miles. The campers were using an MXT-275 (15w) with an MXTA56 (6db antenna). The hikers were on handhelds that transmitted at a little less than 5w, with rubber duck antennas. So, sure, the extra power helped punch through the terrain a *little*. But without the hikers getting up above the terrain, it didn't matter, as they couldn't get a response back to the campers. If you're contemplating a 50w setup vs 15w, just consider whom you'll be communicating with, and in what kind of terrain. I could have had a 50w radio in camp, and it wouldn't have mattered at all; the hikers would have heard the campers from a very slightly greater range, and the campers still wouldn't have heard the hikers responding.

I needed some radios for a trip where I'll need to communicate with my group far away. I've been passively interested in radio technology for a while and so I knew I wanted something better than some toy FRS walkie talkies. I ordered the 5W Rocky Talkies thinking I made a good purchase until I started researching what GMRS was and found this thread and realized I made a big mistake. Cancelled my order thanks to you all! Thank you!

I'll take "Things that never happened because people make things up to try and make a point" for $300 Alex....

I think today will be one where Ham, GMRS and CB radio is going to get a bit of a workout. People driving around trying to beat out the traffic to find a good location to view the eclipse. With the weather forecast being crummy in some areas getting up to date viewing conditions is going to cause a lot of last minute scrambling to get to a better site.

I think that some GMRS users might be happier with a cell phone service instead of a radio service. With a cell phone you can talk to exactly who you want, when you want, and you don’t have to listen to anyone else. With a radio service it is a shared space where others may talk about things that you aren’t interested in.

Yes we have been quite happy with the performance of the Bridgecom GMRS repeater. The duty cycle is good and we haven't had any issues with it. Our coverage area is about the same as our 70cm repeater. We get abut 30-35 mile range for both when using mobile radios in vehicles. A Lot depends on the terrain and antenna being used. All of our repeater antennas are on the same tower. The 2m and 70cm antennas are at 900 feet and the GMRS antenna is at 400 feet.

Seems to me “some people” have very strong opinions about how and what people can and can’t talk about on repeaters they don’t even own. This us vs them rhetoric is ridiculous. It’s just fn radios people, not the Middle East. You can turn the knob or oh wait if only there was a way to have private conversations with people we know without all the RF turf war tensions. Google it on your iPhone. Go sports team go . If I may interject some sarcasm of my own… Sad hams? Sad GMRSer or is it antihamite? Oh life is so horrible, why can’t I control how hams (AKA other licensed GMRS users) talk on repeaters that aren’t mine? Damn those sad hams! Damn appliance operators! Geezus! Funniest thread ever.

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

Anyone else ever tried this? I bought the transformer for Ryobi 18v system but all the major tool suppliers are available. Used the suppled connector to hook the transformer to the battery adapter and installed power pole connections downstream. For testing purposes I hooked it up to a Wouxun KG-XS20G. The supplied power was 12.5V after the step down. The radio needs 13.8v +/- 15% so should be within range. Per the power meter, in RX the radio pulled about 0.2A and TX it was under 5A. Transmission was fine and did not seem to cause any issues. Left in standby for several hours and transmitted with fellow radio enthusiasts for 5-10 min. I will do more testing but it looks like this might be another acceptable power source. Thoughts?

So when I Tx the +5 is added to the 462MHz and the Rx is on the channel that listed, i.e. 462MHz. Ok, I've got things set right then. Thanks.

Actually, just the opposite. The +5 is relative to your receive frequency. You listen on the 462 frequency and transmit 5 up.

On occasion, I have dropped remote repeater at much higher elevation then where our group was spending time for this very reason. As long as the HTs are repeater ready, it makes all the difference in the world.

Randy, you're up...

Yea, plenty of traffic today on a set of ham repeaters that are not normally linked.

It's very easy to understand why a person would want to not program a receive tone and suggest it to a new person. Is it very possible why you don't understand the reasoning is that you are inexperienced yourself with the subject? I based that on the fact that you only had your GMRS license for less than a year. Is that the case? If you don't know why, don't be ashame or bashful if you don't know just ask in order to learn.

I'm beginning to understand "some people."

Often you can tell whether a transmission came from a repeater because repeaters stay open for a brief time. You leave the receiver tone off until you know your transmissions are getting into the repeater. That way you’re only fighting one problem at a time.

There are all kinds of computers, sensors, lights, etc on vehicles that can cause interference. Alternators are a known cause of radio interference. Cheap aftermarket LED lights are another source of interference. Best practice is to run the positive from the radio directly to the positive battery terminal and the ground from the radio to a good chassis ground. This helps eliminate RFI interference. After that it can be a wild goose chase to figure out what is causing the interference.

I rarely use the receive tone because anyone with functioning ears and an IQ above 80 can very easily determine if someone is talking on the repeater or on simplex. Just program your radio the way that you choose in the first place.

Wait a second. The output tone for a repeater is the receive tone for your radio and honestly you should probably leave it out at first. The Input tone for the repeater is the transmit tone for a radio trying to use the repeater.

Just installed an MXT575 in my truck and it was on constant “Rx” too when I switched to wideband. I turned the squelch up from its default of 4 to 6 and it went away. I’m a noob GMRS person so I hope what I did was an actual fix, just sharing what I think fixed mine.

Good job!

I still kinda new at this GMRS thing, but the reason I eventually got a 50 watt base station (KG1000G+) along with a base antenna 20' up in the air is because I don't live in a desert or a mountain top with only a few dozen houses/buildings in a ten mile radius giving me an unfettered line of sight. My impression is that the extra power can push the signal past the hundreds of houses, buildings and trees in my area to hit a repeater or simplex comms beyond a few miles. And I'm sure the guys with a clear, unobstructed line of sight can do this with just a pair of handhelds. But I can't in my area.

Get the two radios more than 50 feet apart, and try again.

Our club is running a Bridgecom repeater for GMRS. We are using an external duplexer which is tuned for our input and output frequencies. It would not be easy or feasible to use a Bridgecom repeater as a base station due to the duplexer. You would have to retune the duplexer which isn't the easiest thing to do without the proper test equipment.

Download and read the manual for the Bridgecom repeater to see how easy it is to change channels. Do the channels on the receiver side change when you change the channel on the transmitter side? I suspect the repeater will be inconvenient to use as a base station. I think you’re right that the duplexer will limit you to the channel pair it’s tuned to, which will severely attenuate reception on the simplex channels. I would simply get a cheap (but generally liked) mobile radio like the db20g and connect it directly to the antenna when you want to have a base station.

Actually, @MarkInTampa asked if you were using the correct port on the radio six minutes after you first posted your question.

Well I guess if everyone read the manuals we would have a lot less to talk about on these forum's LOL.

Really really hate to say it but many problems can be avoided by reading the manual. Just sayin, it's in there, page 32 with pictures.

I suggest that you watch some YouTube videos on GMRS radios to get an idea of the basic concepts. From there, you can ask questions on this forum. Many of us have that same radio. It’s not hard to program repeaters directly on the radio without having the cable and programming software. Lastly, don’t be worried about pressing the wrong buttons. It can probably be fixed with a little help or investigation.

Checked my truck radio, didn't have an AUX so I canceled the cable. Also, I'm sure that big ol' truck hood will give me plenty of ground plane.

Well, that wasn't all that hard. Power port worked with the radio so no hot wire needed. Figured out a good way to mount the antenna and run the cable. Used 3M VHB double side tape to mount the bracket. Programed it with 1-7(low power)and 15-22(high power)plus the 8 repeater channels, 3 of which had tones so I can use them AND I got my 4 DPS channels(scan only)so I can hear what's happening on the roads. I think this'll work out fine for my needs. I did order a speaker cable so I can plug into my stereo's AUX port to use those speakers if needed.

IMHO a repeater should be used however the owner (the one that used private resources to set it up) allows it to be used. A GMRS repeater is not a public utility, even "open" repeaters. If the repeater owner does not like how it is being used then there are ways of limiting access. If you want a channel where you can contact family (or who ever) then you may want to set up your own channel. There are no private or secure frequencies on GMRS but cleaver use of channel selection and CTCSS/DCS filters can give you a discrete channel to use as you want.

Yep we get the same BS here.... A bunch of HAM guys get on the GMRS channels just so they can talk about HAM radio. I don't get it either, there are A LOT more ham repeaters in the area than GMRS and A LOT more HAM repeaters on different bands that are active. Now why in the world they would want to use GMRS when they can use one of the available digital modes or even the analog modes available on the HAM repeaters completely escapes me, but im not a HAM and haven't been for X number of years so maybe I just don't understand it. And here to we get the HAM jargon on the GMRS channels too, QS-whatever, 73's, and other nonsense. With all of that I do feel that everyone that has a GMRS license is equally entitled to use of the GMRS repeaters even the HAM's, but they are two different services and which is why there are separate licenses and call signs.

Hams are 100% the issue. And I completely recognize that I just tipped the gas can and lit a match by saying so. Your profile is only 50% complete on MYGMRS until you add you ham radio call sign, so I recognize that i'm about to be in a fist fight with an upset beehive. IDGAF I know what's right and what's not. Hams don't like to be told that they're out of line in the world of radio because they've been used to being the "radio dudes". In this case they're actually the away team. This is actually not a ham band. It's not for hams. I know it's crazy to imagine. But there do exist radio people, who know and do radio, who don't hold a ham ticket. I know,.. it's nuts. Can't even be bothered to take a day off of work to sit for an exam by some self serious medically retired guy in a library and get 26 right out of 35 multiple choice.. IDK,.. We just don't do it.. Our idea of applying radio as a hobby doesn't require it. But we do have wives, sons, daughters, brothers, sister, etc who we'd like to be on the radio with. ,....and we don't want to always be like "WHISKEY TANGO BRAVO ZULU 554!!" on the radio all the time just to get on.. We don't call out CQ to eachother.. And we don't say 73's! (yuck).. Some of the parties on the license might not even know what kind of radio they have when colostomy bag Larry asks, and I don't think they need to feel weird about that. They're just trying to relay a practical message to another party on the license when someone else in town hears traffic and thinks it's the 440 net.

Yes, unfortunately, the manual is too brief, but there is a large user base of these radios given the large feature set and the relatively low price. Many of us have two. And as you note, many here are willing to share their knowledge with others, especially newbies. So you have already discovered that if you hit the FUN button, it opens up the MENU at the bottom of the screen. There are 1 through 30 MENU items available here, but as you scroll through them, some are missing due to the Part 95E certification for this GMRS radio (and are only available if the radio is "opened up" from its GMRS restrictions). You can scroll up or down through these MENU items by using the V/M key as UP and MAIN key as DOWN. As you discovered, MENU Items 1 through 3 set Tones, either Analog CTCSC or Digital DCS; and Item 1 sets the Transmit Tone; Item 2 sets the Receive Tone and Item 3 sets both the Transmit Tone and Receive Tone to the same value at the same time (sort of a shortcut from having to use Item 1 and then Item 2). I recommend that new users only set the Item 1 Transmit Tones required to access Repeaters and leave the Receive Tone set to OFF. So yes, you may hear stations or repeaters off in the distance that you may like to avoid, but, if a mistake is make with setting a Receive Tone, you will hear NOTHING! So better to hear too much for now. Here is how Menu Item 1 works: The Default state is OFF; no tone is sent. If you hit the MON button once, it turns on the ability to set an Analog CTCSS Tone, starting with 62.5 and using the UP Arrow Key and Down Arrow Key to scroll through all the available Analog Tones up through 254.1. If you hit the MON key a second time, it opens up a non-standard ability to create your own CTCSS Analog Tone, which I recommend that you do not use. If you hit the MON key a third time, it opens up the ability to set a DCS Digital Tone. There are two types of DCS Digital Tones: N (Normal) and I (Inverse) and most repeaters that use DCS Digital Tones use the Normal Tones. Using the UP Arrow and DOWN Arrow Keys to scroll from 000 to 777 in the "N" Mode and if you hit the MON Key a fourth time, it allows you to scroll DCS Digital Tones from 000 to 777 in the "I" Inverse Mode. Hitting the MON key a fifth time will circle around back to the default Tones Off again. Once programmed, push the FUN button again to exit the Menu. NOTE: Once you program a channel, either manually or with the CPS programming software, you can change the Tone for a specifically programmed channel using this method, but once you change channels or power the unit Off and then back On, it will default back to the programmed Tone. Good luck and enjoy a great little radio!

The MXTA26 is an excellent performing antenna for GMRS. Do you intend to purchase a NMO mount and cable from Midland or another brand like Laird from a supplier like Arcadian Antenna? Midland has both a standard NMO mount and cable and a NMO lip-mount and cable. Either one will get the job done. I believe for simplicity and convenience Midland installs the PL259 connector on the cable which is approximately 17 feet in length? In that case, you will have to whack off the connector and reinstall a new connector. Don't go cheap with a POS Chinese connector from Amazon. If you want it to work properly, buy a quality connector, like Amphenol, from a supplier like DX Engineering. It would be easier to just tuck the excess cable under the carpet/mat or into an interior trim panel than whack off the connector if you are not comfortable with crimping/soldering on a new connector. You mentioned that your fenders mount antenna will stick about 6 inches above the roofline. What make and model Truck do you have?

As you are facing the radio, which side of the radio are you plugging the RJ-45 jack? if you are plugging it into the left side securely (the side closest to the power button), then the only thing I can think of is,,, the RJ-45 jack termination is defective. Keep in mind, with or without the RJ-45 connection being made to the radio, Windows Device Manager will still recognize the Silicon Labs CP210x USB to UART Bridge while it is connected to the PC's USB port. I just did that on my radio. read the radio, and then got the error message "Failed connection ! Please check if powered on or well connected to the com port!"

5 minutes Actually, we hams tend to call each other by our call signs more often than our names. We often log those contacts. If we’re having a net we check in and then wait to be called back. We say our call sign every 10 minutes or sooner and at the end of the conversation. When I use GMRS it’s strictly casual on a first name basis. I don’t care what the other person’s call sign is. I use mine at the end of every 15 minutes and when ending a conversation, but otherwise I just don’t say it. GMRS is like talking on the phone to someone except simplex.

If the drivers for the communication cable isn't working in Windows, it isn't going to work in Chirp.

This article should help on installing the driver... https://www.buytwowayradios.com/blog/2021/06/how-to-install-the-wouxun-programming-cable-and-driver.html

Are you connected to the right port for programming? The programming port is the same connector size as the microphone plug but on the SIDE of the radio, not on front.

Being an American, I guess I follow the "bigger is always better" mantra, so I must have a V8 for my daily commute in the city just in case I ever get invited to a track day and, you know, need that power. Neurologists say this is the cognitive area of the brain finding a logical rationalization/justification for what the limbic (emotional) area of the brain is making us want. But in the military (where efficiency of systems is an even bigger mantra!) my limbic system trained me to get an even bigger emotional dopamine hit from impressing my military/engineer friends with an efficient system. Technically I guess the applicable formula is [TX power] / [antenna] x [budget]. Personally, I'm happy with whatever setup makes you happy. Just as long as you're getting out and enjoying it. Whether you want to use gold-plated coax to connect a 5w oscillator to a yagi antenna and hit satellites, or put a 50w blower on an omni, I say enjoy! But if you go with the 50w, you def should put one of these on your rig :

Use a handheld connected to a base antenna in the 2nd story window. 5W gets to the 20 mile repeater just fine. Once I tried the low power setting, which is 1/2W. It still got through but they said it was a bit scratchy.

There is nothing wrong with running a 20watt unit. My 20watt mobile units serve me just fine, especially when traveling in a caravan or as a loose-knit group. My 50watt base unit may or may not expand the range at which I can reliably reach those mobile units, as there are impediments, limitations, and points of diminishing returns with all things physical and electrical. but it does have many features that make it handy to use as a base unit (such as scan groups) that my mobile units do not necessarily have...and if I am paying more for those extra features that extra wattage doesn't hurt my feelings any.

I picked up a Rocky Talkie 5W radio. Some peculiarities: All channels are set to narrowband by default. You can however go through a process to change each (high power) channel to wideband, and the change persists across power cycles. Channel 22 had a CTCSS tone configured out of the box. Its "TX beep" is local only, meaning when the beep's enabled it doesn't transmit the beep. It is not a roger beep. When setting CTCSS/DCS tones you can only see a slot number, not the frequency itself. Set your repeater tones with manual in-hand before you head out! The scan feature only offers CO mode, continuing scanning a few seconds after carrier drops. You have to enable repeater channels with a special power-on sequence. Once enabled, they stay enabled across power cycles. What I like about it: USB-C charging. Solid feel in hand. Battery life should be great, I haven't tested it. Simple enough for any family member to use. Relatively small size. The clip actually is a set of jaws with teeth for traction, unlike most clips that are a single blade that just presses against the battery with a bottom lip. Honestly I didn't buy this to use it, but I make accessories for HTs and needed this for that purpose. I thought some of you may benefit from these observations.

Don't be ridiculous.. It's a LOT overpriced.

Hmmmm..... Don't know what what I'm doing wrong..... I'm hitting 46.4 to 50.8 watts on all high channels.... on a ground plane.... in the attic..... with LMR400 coax.... able to talk good and clear on all high channels and repeaters..... Checked two of the three GMRS-50-V2 units I have, and both get the same watts, etc! I guess I'll have to check the third mobile unit when it gets back, just to be sure..... But, so far, I think they're great. I also have two GMRS-V2 units, and have checked them both for wattage out...... Hmmmm... both doing about 4.3 to 4.9 watts out...... Maybe...... I don't know for sure....just maybe..... all five units that I'm running are great radios that do what they say they'll do........ I'm happy with BTech GMRS-50V2 50 watt units (I have 3 units in use) and the handhelds GMRS-V2 (I have 2 units in sporatic... sometimes use). Anyway, TMO.

If they add or even replace MURS with UHF FRS/GMRS, I will buy these for sure. I do have stock in Garmin though, as I own a lot of their products, and have for a long time. The Rino series radios are awesome! I am not even scared off with the $2k price tag for the power switch and 10" display package. I like that they are making products like this. And OP, thank you for sharing the links.

I tracked down the issue. webgl.disabled was set to true it needs to be set to false for the maps to show. Thanks for your suggestions.