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Thank you all again! I appreciate all the feedback and yes, I will probably hang onto the GXT1050s and if I see a need, pick up additional radios with repeater capability. I did check the repeater info and it does have a "Request Access" button, which I may pursue. If everyone on this forum are as helpful as you good folks, that's a wonderful thing! Thanks again!

Both of my Anytone AT-779UV, which are twins to the DB20-G came with the cable. Heck, I even program them with Radioddity's version of the software. And yes, I started with one, and liked it enough to buy a second. Both are now on the shelf for the moment, since both vehicles I had them in have left; one is packed up in a travel kit, along with a mag mount NMO base, while the other will either go into the new truck, or into better half's car.

It has nothing to do with the brand of radio. It is simply not a GMRS frequency and therefore a GMRS radio of any brand will not transmit on that frequency. Many brands have radios, business or ham, that will transmit on that frequency not just Baofeng.

I bought a pair of GTX1000 radios before any of my repeater-capable radios, not thinking I would care about repeaters. Here's where they excel: They're weatherproof, they're rechargable, they came with a 12v and a 120v charge cord, and they're simple. So if I'm going on a hike, camping, or skiing with my kids or my brother, I'll set one or two of the GTX1000s to my preferred frequency and tone, LOCK them, and hand them to the kids. We don't need or even have access to repeaters within range for those activities, so they're fine for this sort of thing. The kids (13 and 15) don't want to be bothered with anything besides pressing a button and talking. We have access to a cabin that has spotty cell phone coverage, too, and is about a mile off the paved road. Again, no repeaters in sight, but these work fine for simplex. They also have weather alerting, which can be useful. I think this claim on the Midland website is funny: "X-TRA TALK Power - Maximum allowed by law." What does that mean? Are they saying that channels 1-7 are a full 5w, channels 8-14 are a full 0.5w, and channels 15-22 are a full 50w? They might come back with "Well, it's the maximum allowed except for channels 15-22." But then I really doubt that channels 1-7 are a full 5w with these radios. So what exactly are they saying?

No it doesn’t, unless you’re one of those who feels better about himself when ridiculing others.

Do keep in mind that even higher-powered radios often have some sort of a plug near the radio. My RA87 (40w), for example, has wiring that is permanently installed. At one end of the wiring it came with bare wires to be wired-in however you see fit. But the radio-end of the wiring uses a plug: This makes the radio removable almost as easily as with a cig lighter, after initial install. However, I do like the ubiquity of cig adapter-compatible radios. The Wouxton KG-XS20G is the radio to beat, in the 20w category, from what I understand: https://www.buytwowayradios.com/wouxun-kg-xs20g.html It's $200. You can find 20w radios for less, though. The MXT275 comes with a bracket that allows the radio to snap in, snap out. It's really simple to remove, and uses a cig adapter. I have one, and move it between my RV, my boat, and my wife's car depending on our needs. But the 275 is a GMRS radio for people who don't want to work multiple repeaters, since it only allows for one set of CTCSS tones per channel. And it's 15 watts (which was never a problem for me, with a decent antenna).

I like my DB20-G. The software to program it is a little clunky and the manual is *thin*, but there's plenty of user support out there (there's a few good thread on here regarding the DB20-G and the other Anytone 779uv clones). It's a bit restrictive in how it wants you to program it in GMRS mode but if your needs are for something a bit more open, it's easily unlockable if you're comfortable programming in the GMRS rules yourself. (EDIT: Note that there are versions that do and versions that don't come with the programming cable. The DB20 did. I believe the Retevis did not. Just keep an eye on the listing to make sure it includes the cable) I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT recommend the BTech GMRS 20v2. The interface is a mess, changing the volume involves hitting the MONI button and then tapping down the volume while listening to the speaker scream from static, and the speaker sucks so it had to be near full volume for me constantly. That was before it just stopped working after a couple weeks. So...that one went back to the rain forest from whence it came.

All of this helps, thanks.

@thenols GMRS is allowed to transmit a very short burst of digital. See this radio for example.

I think they were defunded back in 2020 after the GMRS Matters rallies.

I was initially thinking about a portable system that could be set up post hurricane. Then someone mentioned it could also be used daily by our maintenance personnel, so a permanent clubhouse install may be in the offing.

Are they or you licensed for that frequency? As others have said it’s not GMRS. That KG905G is a very good GMRS radio but it is not a radio programmed to use commercial frequencies. It is programmed to prevent you from violating regulations. Some Baofeng radios are also but people are attracted to the models that allow them to operate on oddball frequencies. The fines for operating like that can be steep but it’s highly unlikely to be cited. If your club has a commercial license for that frequency then you will need a different radio. If your club wants to operate in the GMRS service, they’ll need to use one of the channels that the FCC set aside.

The OP simply struck me as someone who didn’t know much about radios yet. They might only have a couple FRS radios which don’t require licenses. With no license they could not register. That’s not necessarily an expectation to be coddled. The OP just didn’t know what they didn’t know and let’s face it, many of the manuals for the least expensive radios are nothing better than poorly translated lists of menu functions rather than a how to get started resource.

Racer math says if you otherwise like them but you want repeater capability, you could keep these to hand to friends and family when you're out and about doing stuff and just need to talk amongst yourselves, and get a repeater capable radio for yourself in addition. Is repeater capability a big deal? That's pretty much up to the individual. It does open up a lot more range (if you have repeaters in your area). Some people use them all the time. You're a lot more likely to find a random person to talk to on the repeater if that's what you're looking for. But if you just need radios to talk radio to radio among a small group, there's no reason these couldn't be part of the arsenal.

Amaff said it all; I’m just trying to offer something helpful. If you change your tone to 0, you should be able to hear your club members and anyone else on frequency 22. That’s because having no tone set for receiving, means you hear everything. That allows you to verify the channel. Then try stepping through the tones until you hear them again. Now can they hear you when you transmit?

When I go up to Lake Crawley and fire up my portable repeater it gets a hell of a lot of use from boaters and campers, young and old alike. Kids even love it, they have a lot of fun with radio and i get a kick out of listening to them. . When i pack up and leave everyone misses the heck out using the portable repeater. Camping families are able to take their radios and keep in touch with camp from the lake all the way into Mammoth.. When someone needs to make a shopping run, they always use the repeater.. It was always hard for me to shut it down when i left. But someone has finally erected a permanent repeater in the area and it works great.. I hope it attracts the family side and it gets good use.. GMRS can be fun for everyone if it is used for the right purpose.

"RTFM" is a really common answer but when you're NEW new, a lot of it is just gibberish until you learn the 'language' of radio jargon it's written in. So, don't feel too bad about that one. Is this a "you can hear them, they can't hear you" situation? When you say "22-2" that implies channel 22 with "privacy tone 2". Those privacy tone charts aren't standard across the industry, so knowing what actual frequency that tone is could be helpful. Have you tried setting the TX Code (looks like menu 2) on your radio to the 2nd option? Tho, what the 2nd option is might vary. With no tones set on your radio, you should be able to hear them without issue, but they won't hear you (as their radios are listening for the correct tone in order to actually play a transmission on that channel through to the speaker). Your radio doesn't appear to have tone scanning, which will make this harder, but if you can get with one of your club members and sit down with your radio and theirs, and then scrolling through your first handful of transmit tones until their radio wakes up when you key up yours, you should be able to sort it out.

Had CBs when I was a teenager. Bought Motorola talkabout radios when driving across country with family in a 2nd car for more range. Read the manual and it mentioned needing GMRS license to talk on some of the frequencies. Went to FCC site and registered for one. Few years later, ran across some Youtube videos on GMRS and bought cheap BaoFeng to play with and learned about repeaters.

I live in upstate NY and I have my call sign (WSCD480). I have read the manual (not very helpful) and have read others replies on there questions. I have attempted to use my radio with members of my car club and I can't seem to connect even though we are on the same channels (22-2) I will continue to monitor this forum and look forward to learning more. Thank you. PS: I believe I'm very proficient at reading...just wanted to get that off the table.

Correct 462.525 is in the industrial bussiness pool block and requires a part 90 license and part 90 radios to operate on. That is not a GMRS frequency.

Reminds me of a line in a WWII movie I saw. A bunch of pilots sitting around drinking, one of them lifts his glass and says "Here's to our wives and girlfriends... May they never meet!"

This thread may be dead, but Troy repeater is pretty much alive. I just got new mobile antenna today and decided to test repeater from my driveway (15 miles away) and I got response from repeater. And it is open system now.

There is a local guy selling his extra Anytone AT-779UV for $75 complete with programming cable, software and willing to pre-prgram a code plug to your specs. PM me if interested.

I went through this a few summers ago in my former residence. It was 120+ degrees and I spent almost a whole day (This place had a BIG attic) finding the best position to put my antenna. Felt like I sweated a gallon of water before the day was through. Good Luck!

Thanks, much appreciated. I remember thinking about that in the beginning, could it be another letter that is cut off? Makes sense now.

In my case, originally, strictly and only to provide mobile and marine mobile (not maritime) to base communications in far northern MN where we had no cellphone service. Wife has never had any interest in amateur radio , so figured GMRS was the way to go. Thought about FRS, but then figured it wouldn't give us the range we'd need out on the lake. While Cell service has improved, it's still not 100% all over the lake. Later on, got to using it more back in town as have a few friends who, also being hams, are involved in one of the better GMRS repeaters in my area. As well as using it around our slightly larger than most city lots to talk to my wife and son when there or out mobile. Although I don't seek them out, if I hear a callsign being thrown out on one of the repeaters or GMRS simplex channels, I will reply and engage in conversation, even if it's just a short "radio check" type contact.

They actually included their license in the header, so great deduction there. People aren’t required to join to ask questions. After such a warm welcome maybe they are less inclined to join. What a load of crap given for someone seeking help, why would they even come back. Gee isn’t that why Randy decided not to get a ham license. Not everyone is operating at the same level, understanding or perhaps even ability. Randy once said there is no such thing as a Sad GMRS but clearly he is wrong. We agree.

He's a Ham, and was likely programming it in Amateur or Normal (IE: unlocked) mode. That's fair. You can see my post above about how I have mine set up and why. But if you're new to GMRS and not comfortable manually programming in all the rules, you can leave it be and run it the way the GMRS 'programming' wants it to be and not run into any issues. Then once you've got a better grasp for it, if you want to expand its capabilities some, you always have that option. Just know that changing modes WILL blow away your entire configuration, so be prepared for that.

The BTECH GMRS 20-V2 is a 20 watt radio with a cig lighter plug. Sent from my SM-S911U1 using Tapatalk

Actually there was woman using an Original Deluxe in 'headquarters' and James Coburn (Derek Flint) was using a Standard when telling where the island was -- and it was real code.

Yup.. I got 38W IIRC, then 5 minutes later, it died. .....save the box...

Com'n people. What if it's a 10 year old asking on behalf of the licensee?

Using a radio like yours is not complicated nor difficult - if you can read, you can use the radio and honestly everything you need to learn is right here in this forum, on other websites, and in Youtube videos.. Using a GMRS radio is not like becoming an amateur-radio operator - you basically turn it on, pick a channel, tell the person you want to talk with to put their radio on the same channel, press the button, and talk.. using a repeater is only slightly more difficult.

That's a nice way to get a repeater in your area; convince the HOA that it's good for the safety and convenience of all homeowners. And ask to be allowed to put an antenna up on the clubhouse roof, and maybe even get it funded. The downside is residents will get their licenses and proceed to carry HOA-style feuds into the airwaves. -- just a joke

Successfully completed an en masse copy and paste of all channels from one RT Systems radio app to another. Worked perfectly. The software is totally worth the money.

I use GMRS for Trail Comms with my Jeep Clubs and for other highway group travels with the Corvette and Porsche Clubs. I am a member of the Arizona GMRS Repeater Club, Southwest Community Repeater System, Texas GMRS Club, and the Crest Communications GMRS Club. For my Race Comm, I use the Part 90 Business Radio Service freqs. throughout thd country. This allows me to use the P25 Digital Feature of my radios.

Thanks for the advice, folks.

I have both the UV9PX and the Q10H and I feel they are both good radios. Dispite the tri band vs quad band here are a few things I like about each. What I like about the UV9PX. if you plan to scan a lot it has faster scanning. I like that if I am monitoring two channels and I here a transmission I can look at the radio and there is an indicator that tells me if it was the upper or lower display that receaved the last transmission. It's also a bit more in wattage. What I like about the Q10H. As mentioned the display is better. I like having the upper and lower PTT (note while it didn't come set this way you can set these so the top is always the top display and the bottom is always the bottom display) it makes it easy to not transmit on the wrong frequency by mistake. It's rated IP67 so it's good for going outdoors. I also like how solid it feels. I have dropped it pretty hard and not a scratch. It has room for more characters when naming channels. I have yet to really use the GPS other than testing but if that's somthing that appeals to you the Q10H has it. To sum up, if I'm in my kitchen or out in the garage and listening to a couple of local repeaters while otherwise engaged I'll use the UV9PX so if a call comes in I can easily see which repeater it was so I can respond. If however I'm taking the dog on a hike or going to the lake or off-roading than the Q10H is what I'll grab. Hope this helps you decide what your needs are and which radio to get.

Which “He” used a vibroplex?

I met Robert Vaughn back in the 70's - we didn't like each other...... I was always a fan of "Derek Flint" in Our Man Flint' multi use lighter He also used a Vibroplex Original - I have one of those.

You may be on to something there. I like the way you think.

I can’t imagine using someone else’s equipment without asking first. It’s so simple it’s crazy. Doesn’t matter if it’s a mower, chainsaw or a repeater. JUST ASK . It’s the proper thing to do. Why is this so hard for people ?

Amateur Motorsport comms, and now lots of other Activity Comms. Hiking or road tripping with the family. Talking to my kid on the pit-wall (or talking trash to another buddy on track). Talking to friends or family on a road trip in the other vehicle. I'm fortunate to be somewhere fairly repeater heavy, so it's also nice to have as a backup when hiking in case someone gets hurt where there's no cell service but I can probably hit 1 of the repeaters on a mountain top, which is nice. And sometimes I go overlanding. I'm new to it though, and I doing this right?

I apologize for the late response as I'm just seeing this several months later. I understand the issue of weight pulling down on it and causing it to separate. To relieve the strain on that joint, tie the knot below it, at the base, below the radials. To keep the antenna vertical tie a loop in the rope near the top. This loop won't hold the weight of the antenna and cable, but it will keep the antenna upright. Diagram attached.

Could be it was listed incorrectly, but since it’s privately owned it’s always best to show appreciation. Arguing with the owner seems like a bad idea…

Spectral purity info would be nice. As well how sensitive receive is. Maybe a flir/thermal image after some usage. I am curious about were energy is most wasted in the radio. Only to see what part may fail first. Edit to add flir request. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

He already stated that the used Motorola he would buy rather than a CCR has quality, longevity, and features. But in a real SHTF scenario (rather than a Red Dawn style farce) having the durability and especially the receiver quality of the Motorola far outweighs the inclusion of “face programming, no noaa, no am/fm broadcast radio, no vhf,uhf monitoring”.

Fashion by La Bare

I did download APRSDroid, tried to get to work with my GMRS radio using my phone connected via APRS adapter that changes from k1 format to 3.5mm. Maybe I am missing something, I'll have to mess around with it a little more. I was trying to see if I could see the messages to show up through my GMRS radio to the GMRS Pro Radio. Just wasn't sure if there were other software to try like Xastir on a Raspberry Pi that might work. Figured this would come in useful in emergency conditions to get a message out quickly to someone listening along with GPS data etc. I am working on studying for Technician Class license but got my GMRS license couple of months ago and have been tinkering around with it.

You have to use the Motorola CPS specifically made for the XTL5000.