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Your license is the repeater license. For GMRS there are only licenses for individuals. To add a new repeater go to the map page, click on My Repeater, then Owned Repeaters, then click on the button that says Add Repeater. But I strongly suggest you not add it until your repeater is up and running.

FYI - upgrading your class of amateur license does not require a fee. Just new licenses, renewals, rule waivers, and vanity calls incur the $35 fee. https://www.arrl.org/news/new-fcc-application-fee-will-not-apply-to-amateur-radio-license-upgrades

I use and like an app called Morse Mania on my iPhone and iPad.

Jump down to the Amateur Radio section here on the Forum and throw out the questions. For the most part, you'll get good answers!

Why you had to answer like this is beyond me.

Others I see are recommending various apps, a good way to start the learning curve for CW. In additon, YouTube has scads of videos on the subject. AS you're working on it, a good suggestion is to listen, if possible, to the W1AW bulletins they send in CW, with increasing word per minute speeds, the frequency and times are listed on their website arrl.org. I learned it many a year ago in the Army starting with A, but the "di-dah is Alfa Sir!" method is a bit dated. Listening for it on the HF bands, try as you're learning to pick out what stations are sending. Contests especially, can be good, but operators are usually sending at pretty hi rates. But picking out callsigns and words being sent like "Test" will tune your ears to the music that is CW... Good luck, don't hesitate to ask more and report back with what you've found works for you.

I use Just Learn Morse Code on the desktop and Morse Code on my android phone. Beware when using wireless headphones or wireless earbuds. I think they have a tendency to "sleep" or some other kind of switching very quickly to preserve battery. This results in missing the first dit or dah sometimes and it doesn't seem to matter which program or computer/phone I'm using. Also, while you are studying for the test, think about taking the tech and general in the same session. It will save you one $35 fee and also open up a lot more privileges on HF so you have more spectrum to use for CW. Edit: See @SteveShannon clarification below.

@Whiskey363 you are correct in that the offset should be right if using a repeater channel, RPT21 in your case. Make sure that you have your TX tone set to match the repeater. And yes a 50 watt radio is more than enough to reach a repeater that close with a clear line of sight. While M&P Ultraflex 7 is good coax, it is not the best for UHF/GMRS frequencies. It will have a higher loss than LMR400 cox. But you can make up some of the loss with your 6 dBd antenna. You should not have any issues getting into the repeater even with the higher loss coax at 14 miles.

Several of us in my local radio club have had the Midland GMRS mobiles and have since replaced them with the Wouxun mobile radios. They are close to the same price and are a better radio compared to the Midland radios. And before Negative Nancy has a chance to comment. We don't care that you get 200 miles from your el cheapo radios. Most of us will never get that kind of coverage.

You should have tone on output of 467.700 not the input. The input tone of the repeater is the output tone of your radio.

Unfortunately manufactures "assume" that GMRS repeaters are using the "usual" 5MHz so that gets baked in to the radio's programming software and or firmware. For the most part it works so it's a fair assumption and simplifies the radio programming. This seems to be the case with the GMRS specific radios being sold. The options to work around that is to to use a radio that can be unlocked so arbitrary frequency splits can be programmed, or use a commercial grade radio. The later option typical requires the radio tech to program in two frequencies, a receive and a transmit, there is no entry for a frequency split, or offset. When I first got into using commercial grade radios years back, and coming from a Ham radio back ground where the radios had entries for the offset, it was a bit of a mental adjustment to get use to the idea. You do have to pay attention to which frequency goes into which column. It's easy to switch the two around and end up transmitting on the output frequency and receiving on the input frequency, oops. This is one of my preferred analog only radios for GMRS. https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/263-tk-3170jpg/?context=new This is a sample of the programming for a Kenwood TK-3170, which is what I usually carry around for Ham UHF and GMRS use.

Maybe everyone else already knows this, but... Sometimes when you use an aftermarket antenna -- especially a Nagoya -- on a Baofeng HT, the antenna doesn't screw down all the way and there's a gap where dirt or moisture can get in. I did a search and found O-rings to seal it from a radio shop online, but they were $0.49 each plus shipping. I know I'm going to lose those little things right and left and that could eventually get expensive. With a caliper and a little experimentation, I found that the ideal size is 3/8" ID, 9/16" OD, and 3/32" thick. This fits perfectly, is $5.86 per 100 from Amazon, and includes free shipping for Prime members. If you didn't know, now you do.

Yes it is the repeater owner's call sign.

Let's have a look to see the elevation plot through the desert between Riverside (at valley level) and Vegas (at valley level): Let's also assume there's a repeater at the highest point between, and look at the plots between Riverside and that highest point, and between that highest point and Vegas: It looks like the path from Riverside to this high point is mostly okay. Between Vegas and that point, though, it's looking like the southern end of the Red Rock Canyon NP and north end of Bird Springs HP mountain range are getting in the way. If both stations were 200 feet above ground at the same elevation with nothing but the curvature of the earth between them, 64 miles is going to be about the limit, plus a little for atmospheric ducting. It's not impossible that a great repeater could cover this distance with a mountain range between, but without additional information explaining the conditions that would make it possible, the safer assumption is that it's not happening. I don't mind finding out I'm wrong, but I'd prefer that enlightenment, and supporting evidence not be withheld from us; this started out a public conversation. It's fine being incorrect publicly if there's some information that should have considered. But please do share it with us all so we're all more informed.

And a good bourbon

Let me say this real slow... Creating a poll is not a voting thread the way this thread is. You can create a poll when you make a thread. Upper right hand corner if I remember correctly. I honestly thought you might be interested in trying to make the change you seem to be so keen on. As for answering the question, did you think I took direction from you? You may not understand this but I have a life and haven't even seen the question, I may get back later and have a look but I actually have other things going on. Sorry we couldn't do this better.

I think I may eventually put together a base station as funds permit. My list of hobbies is getting expensive.

Now if you live on a mountain top and the other person or repeater is on a mountain top with wide ope spaces in between then you can talk a long way when using a good base station antenna. But a hand held with a stock rubber duck antenna will not have near the range. Getting 200 miles is the exception and not the norm for most people. Again even with ideal conditions, you are going to be hard pressed to get that kind of range from hand held radios.

Been using that app for awhile now. Good recommend for sure!

This seems to be the popular consensus. Thank you for replying!

Mmmm, beer...

Yeah! Unfortunately, if you go 100ft or longer with that stuff, you will lose quite a bit of signal on xmit and receive. I wish BTWR offered hardline/Heliax assemblies for GMRS, which while expensive, is what you really want when going for longer runs. One possibility worth mentioning. I have no experience with your antenna, so I don't know if it is prone to this issue or not. Some antennas perform differently, from different parts of the antenna on semi-duplex (repeater) modes. As such, you may be where you can hear the repeater just fine but transmitting on 467 MHz, you may be in a total null to the repeater. IF this is the case, and I know this will be a PITA, you might want to try moving your antenna left or right, or forward or backward on your chimney. Just a foot or so change in location can be enough to get you out of that null. Be careful that in doing that, that you don't unintentionally move the antenna where your receiving the repeater is now in a null. From personal experience Station Master antennas are terrible about this, both the VHF and UHF versions. They are excellent for simplex, but can be wonky on semi-duplex. IF you find out the repeater you are trying to use has a Station Master, this may be your problem.

SO,,,,,,,,,turn that stupid radio OFF, unless you're talking to someone you are related to or are friends with. The Prime Minister has spoken !

Great, so far appreciating the members knowledge and assistance!

Yes, that is correct. In your comment you said channel 21. Channel 21 isn’t the same as RPT-21. They both receive on the same frequency but RPT-21 transmits with the needed offset. That’s what I (poorly) tried to explain when I said the following:

For instance, this is how it is listed in CHIRP: 29 462.7000 RPT-21 + 5.0000

It’s no problem if you do. If someone has a problem with the way the site behaves they should take it up with the owner not the people who use it.

Will do, thank you!

Thank you!

I did not know that you can't program them via software. That kinda sucks, but for a GMRS radio, you'll probably only program it once and occasionally put in a repeater. Yes, I know Midland radios are made in China, but their reputation is that they have better QC than the cheaper radios. The Chinese can build really good radios, but in general, if they adhere to more strict QC standards, they're going to cost more.

So channel 21 is a simplex channel that transmits on 462.700 MHz. Channel 29 (aka RP21 or something like that) is the repeater channel that automatically transmits on the correct 467.700 MHz frequency. Try just changing to the repeater channel and setting the repeater input tone there.

75 feet of UF 7 is definitely costing you some power, but are you certain you’re transmitting on a repeater channel? You’ll hear the repeater on both a simplex channel and a repeater channel, but only the repeater channel transmits on the correct frequency in the 467 MHz main channels.

I normally wouldn't say anything, but since this is a 'recommend a radio' thread: This looks to be the same hardware as the BTech GMRS-20V2. I had one for about a week... one of the worst experiences I've had with a radio. I hope yours is better than mine, but even if it didn't stop receiving entirely within a week (which mine did), the interface on the mic is not great. Having to open squelch to change the volume, at least on the BTech, was really annoying. And even at near full volume the speaker was no good. Maybe mine was a one off and others love theirs, but I can't recommend this one at all.

I agree with Gil (@WRUU653). Please don’t start a new thread because one person cannot adapt to the up/down voting. This is the technical forum. People have the ability to very easily choose “sort by date”. Unfortunately someone went through the responses here and downvoted almost every post, including your very reasonable questions. That was petty and shows an utter lack of respect to those who honestly try to answer technical questions. Back to your original question, although the typical GMRS repeater will use exactly 5.000 MHz as the offset, the regulations do not require it. The regulations do require that transmitting to a repeater be done using one of the eight established 467 MHz main channels and that the repeater transmit on one of the 462 MHz main channels. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/section-95.1763 But choosing an offset that is different than 5.000 MHz will result in many (perhaps all) certified GMRS radios being unable to use your repeater. All certified GMRS radios that I know of uses 5.000 MHz as the offset. So that means that people will be forced to unlock ham radios or repurpose commercial radios in order to use your repeater transmit. Whether that’s a problem, only you can determine. One way to get around that is to use a radio that can be programmed using Chirp and which supports non-standard offsets or separate receiver and transmit frequencies. The cheap Baofeng UV5R radios did this easily. Many ham radios use “Automatic Repeater Shift” which assumes exactly 5.000 MHz offset for UHF frequencies. Commercial radios, found on the used market, like the ones @Lscott refers to would be absolutely excellent for this purpose. Best wishes!

We can link repeaters?

thats because they watch videos telling them they'll never get caught.. how'd you like to be that guy????

You posted in the correct area. Some don’t like the voting system but as it was a technical question and the voting system is designed to allow the most relevant answers to move to the top. It is unreasonable to expect you to make a double post just for one person’s preferences. If you had made a second post someone would give you a hard time for that. Don’t worry about your post you are doing fine. I say all this as someone that prefers to read post in order by date but I’m not going to give the poster a hard time about it. Back to the original subject. If you tell us what the TX and RX frequencies are a determination of whether this is a GMRS repeater with an unconventional offset or if perhaps it’s an amateur band repeater could be made. Though it sounds like might have already determined that.

With my one hand, I applaud you for standing your ground.. With my other hand, i point and laugh at you for being so fragile.. ..i am honestly torn...

But it is more likely to apply more of its radiated power on receivable center frequency and less wasted on harmonics that no one hears. Your money is not wasted.

No, it has not, and never has been "illegal".. It violates the FCC rules, which are not laws and are not subject to criminal prosecution. Please take a moment to learn the difference between RULES and LAWS... I know this is a pedantic point to make, but if I've learned anything from you, it is that being pedantic is very very important..

Sorry to rile up a getting warm controversy by not understanding the system of questions used by this forum. I do not like or understand it and find it hard to follow. That does not have anything to do with my questions and is a bit of a pain that if it wasn't for the possible worth of the answers I would not continue. It seems that the proper expression of opinions could be done in much better ways, in all aspects of our life. I am not saying I do not appreciate the support for being a target of off target expression, thanks. Divide and conquer????

In many ways I agree. Where we differ is how to apply appropriate importance to the varied info/mercials, trolls, opinions and click baits. Seems like communicating with total strangers on a radio oriented forum narrows down the wheat from the chaff. Practice what and how is the crux of the question. At least that is my thoughts on why I asked here. Getting a heads up on techniques is possibly enlightening.

@prmirage don't let @Socalgmrs talk you into throwing your radio in the trash.

Did you try it? Are you in GMRS mode, or have you "opened" your DB20-G? I may have to return mine to GMRS mode to duplicate your efforts if that is your mode.

Yeah, some testing locations will charge a small fee. We don’t here. FCC rules limit the fee to actual costs. VEs don’t get paid for our time.

My Preferences For Good Mobile Antennas: 1. Laird 5/8 Wave B4503-L - Good For All Around Use 2. Laird 1/4 Wave QW450 - Good For City / Urban Or Hilly Terrain Both Have Been Outstanding Performers......

Appreciate the support and help increasing my understanding. I find it difficult after using forums forever!! Thanx

It really wasn’t a technique that you could choose. If you post in the technical discussion forum the sort by votes is the default. Unfortunately choosing sort by date isn’t persistent once a person chooses it. I do agree with 709 that it’s a pain in the ass, but like Gil (@WRUU653) I can live with it.

Okay sure I have no doubt about that but that’s trail comms for clubs. Not what I would call a “call channel” if I’m splitting hairs. I don’t doubt someone might use 16 or some other channel for a call channel but a club is really more organized within itself with the expectation of talking to people in the club which isn’t really that different to a bring your own contacts situation if it’s different at all. All I was saying is I just haven’t witnessed a lot of random calling on simplex.