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I dont know that there is a "right" or "wrong" answer, but if storing anything for a long period (more than several months), I would, and always do, remove the batteries.. ..and, upon reflection, i think that is actually the "right" answer..

I have a $18 WiFi electric switch connected to my repeater so I can shut it down from my phone from anywhere (with internet connection).

Shame on you Randy, you got Marc hooked on 4 wheeling. His kids will starve now.

I didn’t say it was easy. That’s an absolute modifier. I was making a comparison. I said it was easier than getting a license for ham radio. Navigate FCC site + $35 = GMRS Navigate FCC site + $35 + Test = Ham

That only works to the extent you can keep the tones secret. The weakest link in any security method are the people. Sooner or later someone is going to tell a buddy what the odd tone is so they can talk. Then you’re done.

Voice scramblers (inversion scrambling) won't prevent the tones from being scanned. Audio will just noise, but the tone still gets transmitted in the same place.

They do use both digital and analog tones. So, yes, D026 will work on a Baofeng.

That was the primary purpose the FCC had for GMRS. Simple communication for the general public.

Haven't dealt with that website lately, have ya?!

They only put out 5 watts on TX. I run the VHF version for some of my SAR sites and they all run thru a TPL 100 watt amplifier. Thats how they would ship when purchased new. They are a solid little unit so If your looking for a commercially made unit that will last this is one to use.

Most of the Baofeng radios have analog FM transmissions. Digital access codes can be used on analog radios. The type of modulation is different than digital DCS codes. Simply go to the DCS menu, select it, and then select the code.

Nickel and lithium based batteries should be stored at a 40% charge and not connected to anything. I personally also put tap over the connections, to prevent anything from touching the contacts and shorting or discharging the batteries further All batteries will eventually discharge to zero if they are in a radio or a charge cradle that isn't on and in a charge state. This damages batteries and can cause the battery to never charge again. Some highend batteries with electronics in them will sleep after they have been out of a radio or charger for some time. Those will appear to be dead, but just need to be reactivated. Storing batteries in the radio will not only discharge the battery, it could damage the radio. There are issues with corrosion, battery leaks and expansion.

In Ham mode, it only allows transmitting on ham frequencies. On GMRS mode, you can only transmit on the pre-programed GMRS frequencies. In normal mode, you can transmit on every frequency from 136 MHz to 520 MHz. That's pretty much it.

I find throughout the day folks use all manner of methods of identifying themselves to include just using the last 3 numbers of the call sign as a conversation unfolds....Not having a problem keeping up with chit chat....

That’s what I tried to explain the other day. Xmit frequencies are fixed but it doesn’t matter because a person can still edit the receive frequencies. Just pick a channel with the correct xmit frequency and edit everything else.

Hi Bob, For each repeater you’d like to use, go the repeater part of this website and request permission. Welcome to the forum!

This… I have to say that I’m pretty happy with the ability to have the whole family able to access the airwaves.

It’s the same for both ham and GMRS so it cancels out.

Ham radio is aimed at people who are interested in the science and technology of radio communications. People who just want to communicate have to jump through some hoops to become a ham. GMRS is easier, covers your entire extended family, and doesn’t require jumping through hoops. Just pay your $35.

That’s too bad. There should have been and it should have been just as public as the insults.

As others have mentioned, you really can't prevent someone from finding the tones or even testing their way through them. Short of turning the repeater on and off depending on need, you can implement security through obscurity. Though, the more obscure you get, the more likely you are to need a non-compliant repeater and mobile/portable user radios. Split-tone is one means of obscurity. Have the repeater transmit a tone that is different than what is used to unlock the squelch, or no transmit tone at all. Use DCS in and CTCSS out. This would make it much harder to guess... however, if someone is close enough to someone using the repeater, you can always scan the users transmission. Additionally, you can use what is known as "user defined CTCSS". For example, I could use 300 Hz or 2.9 KHz. If you want to get really extreme, you can also configure some units to require the presence of two tones or digital ID's at the same time, in order to open the repeater squelch, known as paging. Some other obscure configurations could include non-standard splits. There is nothing that says you have to use a +5 MHz split for your repeater. There are specific frequencies that we can use, but no mandatory use of any given pair. Meaning, you could have your repeater input on 467.650 and your repeater output on 462.550. So, if you want to have a ton of fun, configure the input of the repeater to be on 467.700 MHz and have the squelch open with a paging tone group of 67.0Hz/1.9KHz, have the output on 462.575 MHz with a DSC of 754, and then use a voice scrambler.

You are still limited to the GMRS frequencies for TX. You can add a different tone to get into a repeater. If you have more than one repeater (in say a different location) you could put that into the DIY section (above channel 31).

It makes financial sense. Why print two different boxes when you can simply add a sticker.

That also limits the folks who use your repeater to very few radios I would imagine.

That’s sort of useless too. The only tone that matters is the one for transmit. Myself I never use a tone on receive. All my commercial radios can be programmed that way. So, in that case I couldn’t care less what tone was used on the output.

This is only true if you are trying to use a scan feature built into a radio. If someone is using a standalone decoder or if their radio has a decoder, they can decode any custom tones if they are close enough to a user or if those custom tones are used on the output. Radios as little as $35 have decoders in them and you can buy a standalone decoder for just a few $$$.

TK 353 I meant. Too many radios ...Grrrr.

I believe that’s patented Motorola technology. In that case you’re limited to Motorola radios. I guess if it’s just for your family it’s likely no big deal. You can program the radios for them.

I wouldn't bother. I heard on the 40 meter net he has a small jeep.

GMRS is the sweet spot for many who want to get into radio. I've been surrounded by radio most of my life. Dad and I were both in comms in the military. I have family, friends and neighbors with mega ham licenses and have always enjoyed watching them work the airwaves. I'm a PE with a masters degree, so the tech is not intimidating. Folks who don't know assume I have an amateur license, which I don't. FRS works but is very limited while amateur is fantastic but requires jumping through hoops. GMRS is a good compromise.

Oh boy....

Voice Scramblers works well, especially in the Hytera radios.. But problem with that, everyone needs a like radio. Other problem, if anyone worries about it. FCC Illegal for GMRS. But still quite a few still use it.

Yes for many people No for many people. The moral of the story is: Buy what best suits your wants, needs, and desires in a radio, and don't worry about what other people prefer.

No, because scanning for the input tone isn’t as easy as scanning for the output tone. Make them different. Also, most people are honest and will honor your rules. But if you’re thinking about making your repeater a money making scheme beyond costs you might want to review the regulations.

Did you insult him in a PM?

HOW DARE YOU SIR!! Any lack of enforcement is not the fault of the FCCs!! It is obviously the fault of some guy on Youtube daring to point out the fact that the FCCs don't care/does nothing to enforce the H.A.M., CB, or GMRS rules!!!1

Where there is a will, there is a way. I've seen plenty of ideas to hide antennas from overbearing HOA's.

Sadly. Don't use the repeater is the answer. The only way to stop a tone decoder is to not have transmissions with the tone encoded. Hell we have one local guy, sits in a tow truck between calls and tries to find repeaters. He is proud of finding hidden repeaters. He has every tone programmed on every repeater pair. Basically tried to brute force method to find repeaters. He gets a repeater tail and he is happy. Just be prepared to change tones if someone starts interfering. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

After years in the military after having NATO beat into my skull...Alpha Bravo, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. Then I left the military and went into law enforcement where NATO was "frowned upon" and APCO required .. Adam Boy, William Tom Frank. Now I get beat up by "some sad people" for often inadvertently mixing the two ... Alpha Boy I mean Bravo, William I mean Whiskey Tango Frank, I mean Foxtrot. Just what I need. Another phonetic alphabet.

You’re absolutely right about higher frequencies. It’s because of the additional losses in the feedline that occur as a result of high SWR at those higher frequencies. An installation with a super short feedline, such as a cell phone or handheld radio isn’t bothered nearly as much by high SWR. And I completely agree that we shouldn’t be giving poor advice to newcomers; that’s why I think we should de-emphasize the myth of 1.0:1 SWR and help people understand why and under what circumstances SWR is important and where SWR should be measured.

I have tested several against my RigExpert AA-650 and they always come in within ~1%-5% .. Weird.

I second that. There are really only two choices for this task, a Bird 43 meter with appropriate slug on the high end of the price scale, or a Chinese NanoVNA for about $60. I have both and highly recommend Mr. Chung's NanoVNA as I use it for all my antenna building endeavors and checking SWR. I'll even go as far as saying it's totally and utterly foolish and breaks every terrestrial and celestial bounds of human stupidity relying on these cheap meters as I've found them to be off anywhere between 10 to 20 percent off. This even applies to Daiwa meters as well. For the budget minded hobbyist that want fantastic accuracy for only a few bucks, the NanoVNA is the only choice.

@WRYS709 the ham version just might be my next purchase.

Here is the set up. I was able to TX and RX once I was closer to the repeater. I haven't yet tried swapping antennas. The UV-5R antenna does say, "AR-771 VHF/UHF" where the GM-5RH says "AR-771 GMRS".

They are going to be close to the antenna and in what is known as the "near field" so it couples into the driven element. That can booger up the impedance match, SWR issues, and the radiation pattern. It's not a guarantee you'll have problems but keeping the antenna away from from structures like that will at least avoid the potential for them. You read through the past comments over time here and you'll see this mentioned from various people.

Not sure what your experience is. I have two Retevis radios within a meter of me right now, and while the RT76P shipped with a fairly serious firmware bug, they fixed that. My experience with Retevis has been somewhere between generally and overwhelmingly positive…

Mine was like that too. I think it’s normal for the “c” gmrs version

My Comet GP-6NC was labeled that way. The package said GP-6 witch a NC sticker added to the end of it. The standard (2m/70cm ham) GP-6 has SO-239 connectors and the GMRS/MURS version has a type-N connector.

Not just saving on packaging, but probably the same antenna as well, just tuned for what you ordered perhaps?

I might suggest getting Chirp next software. It's free and it helped me to program my Baofengs. You'll need a programming cable to connect your radio to usb port on your computer. You can get that cable here: https://brushbeater.store/products/pc03-programming-cable I would also suggest this video on Chirp programming: This helped A LOT. hope it helps you as well. Thx.