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Take power out of the equation for a moment and assume that the only thing that matters is like of sight (since that's actually 95% of what matters): The purpose of the repeater is to be located somewhere that has line of sight to two remote radios that do not have line of sight to each other. So if your repeater is up high, and the two radios that want to talk to each other can see the repeater, it doesn't matter that the radios can't see each other; the repeater relays the conversation. Now to further take power out of it, consider that with a 5w handheld radio a ham operator with a rather directional Yagi antenna can send a signal through the ISS (International Space Station) repeater, and someone else with a decent antenna can hear him a thousand or more miles away. The biggest requirement is that both parties have line of sight to the ISS, which is at an elevation of 1,243,200 feet above sea level (240 miles). So when there are no obstructions at all, 5w will travel hundreds of miles to the space station which may be passing hundreds of miles to the north, for example, but still within line of sight. That's not to say that power doesn't help. It does. If you have two people in a room ten feet apart, and one person whispers, the other person might hear it. Turn on a fan in the room, and now the person has to talk a little louder to be heard. Run a vacuum and the person has to shout, and may need to cup his hands in front of his mouth while the other person cups his hand behind his ear to improve the signal path of the voice. This is like both increasing power and increasing the antenna gain. Now put a 30 foot high brick wall between the two people. At this point the only way the two people will hear each other is if someone is standing on top of the wall to relay the message.

If you suspect anyone of an infraction as it pertains to the proper use of their GMRS license / callsign, you should IMMEDIATELY call the police. Do not try to confront the person or sort it out on your own as they could be dangerous.

If you want to use those channels, it might be worthwhile to actually measure the output. Baofeng typically overstates the wattage of their radios. Additionally, the nominal power ratings aren't the same on all bands. Generally, they'll have their highest power available in the VHF bands. Your radio doesn't do VHF, IIRC, but they probably list the same power ratings as for the unlocked version. Then, there's some variation from one radio to another. For example, I have a bf-f8hp that is rated at one watt on low power, but I actually measured it at 0.4 watts in the GMRS frequencies.

The power of the repeater isn’t nearly as important as the installation of the repeater. Installed at a location that’s within range of the different handheld radios, with good cable and a high antenna it can greatly improve your communications reliability.

A 50 mobile base station will only be helpful if someone is sitting in hearing distance from that radio. The repeater would benefit all users, HT or tractor mobiles, as every one would hear every transmission.

Yes, but in cases like that it's actually best that you attempt to flag them down in the street instead of calling.

There is a good reason not to use full legal power on a repeater, especially given the situation described above. The repeater already has the advantage of antenna height and gain. Having a high power transmitter in your repeater simply makes it so the repeater can transmit much further than the radios in the field can transmit with their lower elevation and lower gain antennas.

A lot of us use Comet antennas. And for your situation, I am going to recommend the Comet CA-GMRS antenna. The best price I found is $99 theantennafarm.com CA-GMRS antenna I will suggest looking at the DX Engineering 400MAX from DX Engineering. It is good quality and will be cheaper than actual LMR400 coax. I have used JET LMR400 coax from R & L electronics and it is good stuff too. Though I have not used any JET coax longer than 6 feet. A satellite dish j mount will work fine for mounting an antenna. That is what I use for my GMRS antenna along with my HF cobweb and a vertical HF antenna. They have survived 50-60 mph shear winds along with snow and ice. Here is the mounts I have: Antennas Direct ClearStream TV Antenna Mast . I went with the 40" tall version but they only have the 20" version in stock. Or you could probably scrounge an old Dish/DirectTV mount.

Thank you for all the input, it was helpful to me. I think I will start saving for the repeater. The location I was going to put it was my pole barn. The roof height is approximately 17/18 feet. I was planning on putting a j pole at the peak and then mount an antenna to it. I am open on recommendations for an antenna. I will also invest in a good quality coaxial cable. I see how that is important.

What you're describing is an issue not of power, but of obstruction; i.e., the hill in the middle of the property blocks signals from going to one side of the property to the other. The distances you're talking about are easily attainable with 5 watts provided there are no obstructions. I've talked clearly from one 5 watt HT to another 5 watt HT several miles away on an open highway. Much more is possible if one or both radios are in elevated positions. Radio waves travel in a straight line, or close enough to straight that it makes no difference. A repeater on the highest point of the property means any radio on the property has a straight line to the repeater, which then has a straight line to the other radio(s). In my -- admittedly limited -- experience, more power can make a fuzzy signal clearer, but it won't get you any significant improvement in distance.

While there is no official national emergency channel for GMRS, some areas have announced that they monitor a particular GMRS channel. An example is the state of Wyoming. The state has this webpage instructing people to use channel 3 with privacy code 7. The state has the area code 307. https://hls.wyo.gov/307 So, before you travel, do some research to see if there’s a local effort to monitor a channel. But if you really need reliable emergency communications, consider one of the emergency satellite communications devices.

Possibly non-compliant with regulations, but not “illegal”. But no part of our government has ever been able to prevent the importation of illicit substances and radios which fail to comply are pretty low on their list of priorities. Look inside the radio for the tag that says that it’s certified and then look up the certification document. You’ll almost certainly find that the manufacturer performed the testing and represented to the FCC that they complied. Unless people complain there’s no follow up. Or maybe, although the manual settings for power only include a minimum of one watt, the firmware has the ability to hold the output on those channels to regulations.

"Sir, we're not falling for that one again."

Would this be the same police we call (911) when our Door Dash order is incomplete, like when the driver steals some fries? Asking for a friend.

How do you activate this function where you can monitor up to 4 channels at the same time? I'm missing it somehow in the manual. (I am not a fan of their manual, btw.) I just installed this radio in my old Jeep and am trying to figure out how to configure it in different ways that I might like to use it. Thanks!

A 10 watt repeater will be just fine for the OP's needs.He is only needing to cover about a 1 3/4 mile radius. The key for him will be getting his antenna up as high as he can get it on the highest point of his property, He doesn't need a 50 watt repeater for that. 50 watts is overkill for such a small coverage radius. Plus he can save a lot of money by getting a Midland or Retevis 10 watt repeater.

Try turning the volume up more on the radio - if you are doing it with the volume up all the way, try turning it down.. and be extra-double-dog-sure that the plug is pushed all the way into the radio - when you think it's pushed in all the way, use both hands and push it in more. If it still does not work, stand by for more suggestions from others.

This is almost certainly a Windows "driver issue", and if it is, good luck.. But maybe if you gave us a little more info/details like, what steps are you taking, what is happening/what error messages are you seeing, what operating system you are using, which, exact version of CHIRP you are using - really, any actual details at all, maybe someone can help.

There was another guy who literally changed his GMRS license several times (at a cost of $35 each time) because he kept getting called out for things. He’d start all over again. I know I can be an insufferable jerk sometimes but I can’t imagine going to that extreme.

What or who's rules? There are no rules on the selection of the "PL" or "DPL" tones/codes and rather they be "N" or "I". Where would I find those GMRS rules?

Out of all the radios I own, I don't have a dislike for any of them. I have a gazillion vintage Motorola radios like the Visar, HT1000, MT2000, MTS2000, MCS2000, Astro Saber, various XTS Portable (VHF & UHF) models, XTL 2500 (VHF & UHF) & 5000 (UHF) mobile radios, Vertex/Standard EVX-R70-G7 (same as a Motorola XPR8400 Repeater), and a XPR5550e mobile DMR radio, DTR700 ISM; Kenwood TK780 & 880 mobile radios, and Midland MTX500. I use specific radios for various activities. Home Base Stations (2) - XTL5000 (UHF) Dashmounts Portable Base Station - MCS2000 (UHF) Dashmount Repeater Station - EVX-R70-G7 (GMRS) Shop Portable - XTS5000 Model 2 (UHF) Office Portable - XTS5000 Model 2 (UHF) Arizona Room - XTS5000 Model 3 FPP (UHF) Bedroom - VISAR (UHF) Jeep - XTL5000 High Power Remote Mount (UHF) & XTL2500 (840 Channel) Remote Mount (VHF), Cobra 29 LTD Classic CB Radio, XTS5000 Model 3 (VHF & UHF FPP) Pickup - XTL5000 High Power Remote Mount (UHF) & XTL2500 (840 Channel) Remote Mount (VHF), Cobra 29 LTD Classic Nightwatch CB Radio Porsche - Kenwood TK780H-1 (VHF) or TK880-1 (UHF) dashmounts. Racecar - In-Car HT1000 (VHF or UHF) - Spotters - XTS1500 (VHF or UHF) Racing Administration Duties - XTS5000 Model 3 FPP (UHF) Model 3 (VHF) and DTR700 ISM Bicycle - VISAR (UHF) Golf Car - XTS5000 Model 3 (VHF or UHF FPP) Emergency Services Group Go-Pack - XTS5000 Model 3 FPP (UHF) & XTS5000 Model 3 (VHF) Wouxun KG-UV3X PRO (VHF & UHF) for RDF, XPR5550e DMR (UHF) Loaner Radios for my Radioless Jeep Creeps or Porsche People - HT1000 (VHF or UHF), VISAR (UHF), Kenwood TK780H-1 (VHF) or TK880-1 (UHF), or Midland MXT500 (GMRS)

BS - just because it's what you would do, it would be overkill for this situation. Excess power doesn't do anything for this farmer except waste money. Why use more power than what is necessary? Power isn't always an acceptable answer and usually invites trouble as it pollutes the airwaves with unneeded RF. He wants to build a system to solve his problem, not build something that provides coverage for anyone in the area,

The Midland, like the Retevis is only about 5-6 watts out. It has a 10 watt transmitter before the duplexer. Duplexer loss is about 45%. If you have line of sight then the Retevis or the Midland will work well. Put the antenna up as high as possible

Stuff I used was put inside the fitting to fill it up so what couldn't get in.

This is very true. The closest GMRS repeater to me is 21.5 miles away. I can get into it just fine with my base station even on low power. Granted my transmission is clear of any static on mid and high power. I do have my antenna at 22 feet above the ground and the repeater antennas are at 400 feet. I've also talked on the repeater from home using my KG-935G too. But I have to be in the right spot and facing the repeater to do so. The Midland or Retevis 10 watt repeaters will work just fine for @jwalsh7107 as long as he gets his repeater antenna up high enough and uses good coax. 5 watts is no issue for a couple of miles with the antenna up high.

You can use dielectric grease. Just put a small amount on the outside of the female threads only.

I have no problem with the CPS for the 878. I've built massive code plugs via exporting and using Excell to edit and build, then import back into the CPS. This saved many hours of work. Once you learn a routine, it's fast. It's easy to load every Brandmeister talk group.

Vaseline eh? I'm sure I can find that. Is there anything that is rated for this use? The stuff I used came in a tube and I doubt it was as simple as that. Ya, I know what I did (hangs head). It's SO239/PL239 for antenna and cable. The repeater has an N fitting that I had to get an adapter for. This was only a temp setup that is running long because of my failure when raising my tall mast. Decided to wait for warm weather to continue, plus work is very busy for me and I don't have time to "play".

If one wanted a cheap DMR radio to start off with the D168 looks OK. Otherwise I would take any of my commercial grade DMR radios over the Anytones. Of course you'll pay way more than $200 for the commercial grade DMR radios new, and about that or a bit more used. For example I paid $400 for a new Kenwood NX-1300DUK5, which is the low tier radio in their NX-1xxxK, NX-3xxxK and NX-5xxxK series. For Ham, and GMRS, use it's perfect, just not Part 95 certified, but the FCC doesn't seem to be interested in people using Part 90 radios on GMRS, so far. https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/290-nx-1300duk5/?context=new These are cool looking radios. https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/255-tk-d200ed300e-fmdmr/ About the only feature I really like with the Anytone is the digital monitor feature. If you have DMR traffic on a frequency that feature will show you the slot number, talk-group and color code along with the ID of the person talking. Beats needing a laptop and SDR dongle to figure it out. None of my commercial DMR radios can do that.

I have to agree. The Retevis or Midland 10 watt repeater will be a better option in your use case. Get the antenna up as high as possible at your house. Don't forget to use a good quality LMR400 or equivalent coax to connect the repeater to the antenna. A 10 watt repeater will actually put out 5 watts on transmit since the signal goes through a duplexer. But 5 watts is still enough power in your situation. again, use a good quality antenna and quality coax. I will suggest an antenna with 6 dBi of gain for your location since you have hilly terrain.

I seem to have the "magic touch" with software. Give me a software package, and it it won't take me very long before I'll find something f'ed up with it. The biggest problem I had with the Anytone CPS is editing issues. I would file a bug report. Then MAYBE in the next or so release they fix it. Unfortunately soon there after they booger it all up again. Now they've recently added satellite tracking to the D878's radio's firmware and CPS. Several bug fixes had to be issued just for that mess. You should check out this group. https://groups.io/g/ANYTONE-878/topics

I have two of the D878UV’s, the original models. They work mostly OK. The programming software is a mess. It has a lot of features jumbled together on some of the screens. The worse part is that the editing isn’t consistent. Some table entries you can cut and paste between cells, other tables you can’t. They seem to have a habit of fixing some editing bugs in the next release, and then f-up something else. Just for fun I installed the programming software for the D168 when it first came out. It took me only a few minutes before stumbling across various bugs. Strange the exact same screens and features are in the D878 software, but don’t exhibit the same bugs. I guess the programmers for the two radios don’t talk to each other. Typical poor Chinese quality control. They would be far better off concentrating on fixing firmware and radio programming software bugs over adding more features. Features that don’t work are no features at all.

This is, in no way, related to, or even similar to an "emergency channel" as asked about by the OP. This advice should be ignored as it relates to a GMRS "Emergency Channel", unless your plan in a serious emergency is to die alone.

They do, but you have to be clear when you speak to them about what the issue is. You have to state that "you'd like to lodge a GMRS radio complaint".

Are you suggesting that the police have something to do with enforcement of FCC regulations? Or, did I miss something?

Nothing is over your paygrade, it's about finding what you enjoy the most. Do some research and ask questions and you would be amazed at how much you can do with little money and effort. Buy used gear and learn how to make your own antennas and you'll get addicted to learning more and more. There's way too many avenues to take within ham and GMRS.

Windows 11 killed the ability to use some cables that were made using counterfeit chips. Maybe that’s what happened.

I have a table of interoperability from NOFIG of the DCS codes, and which normal means an invert (i.e. 023N = 047I). It is in excel format. It also has CTCSS tone to P25 NAC for what it's worth. One heck of an OST (operator selectable tone) list.

I realize now, that the channels 15-22 are not pre-programmed gmrs repeater channels. When I made my initial post I for some silly reason thought they were repeater channels set with an offset. So essentially this ENTIRE thread is pointless.

You must load the driver software. It is specific to the cable and creates a virtual serial port that the programming software can use. Look on the software download page for the right cable driver. You can see some listed in the center of the screenshot below:

If you’re referring to the OPs original question about using channels 15-22 for simplex, channels 15-22 are the 462 MHz Main channels not the 467 MHz Main channels. 462 MHz main channels. Only mobile, hand-held portable, repeater, base and fixed stations may transmit on these 8 channels. The channel center frequencies are: 462.5500, 462.5750, 462.6000, 462.6250, 462.6500, 462.6750, 462.7000, and 462.7250 MHz.

The charging bases will not interchange. There is enough differences between the 935 battery and the Q10 battery to keep this from working. The 935 battery is thinner and narrower so it will not lock into the Q10 charger. The Q10 battery is too wide and too thick that it will not even fit into the 935 charger. Yes I own the Q10H and 935G and tried. It's a no go. The nice thing is that both radios can be charged using a USB C cable.

Yes, it's fine. If you want to use more than 5 watts (5w on 1-7, 0.5w 0n 8-14), it's your only option if you wish to remain compliant with FCC rules. As others have said, try not to use channels that are used by local repeaters. That may be easy, or they may all be busy. In my area, there's only one, and in your area, you apparently won't have difficulty either. However, if you want to use repeaters when you travel, that may not be the case. If you're in an area with lots of repeater use, the repeaters will probably have Tx/Rx tones, so people can set their tones to match the repeater output tone and ignore your traffic if they choose. If you set "privacy" tones, try to pick ones that the local repeaters don't use for their output tones. Anyone with no tones set can still hear you, but at least the repeater users can tune you out if they want. It's really just about courtesy. The Golden Rule applies.

Yes I have an Icom IC-7300 and it is a nice radio for HF and 6m. It works well for SSB and digital modes.

I will help enable others some more. If you are looking for a good IP rated 20 watt mobile radio then go with the KG-XS20G. The XS20G pairs well with the 935G. They actually use the same screen and have the same menu layout. So if you can program one, then you can program the other without having to learn a new menu system.

My opinion on why CB isn’t used is because it’s allocated to a terribly volatile frequency range. 27 mhz is too susceptible to solar skip and this makes the CB incredibly annoying for any individual to use. When all 40 channels are receiving “9db” of a max signal because of radios tx’ing from 1000+ miles away it makes using the cb as a means of local communication absolutely impossible or at best unbearable. I have the patience and “skill” to use cb and get around a lot of the skip most days but that’s because I’m a radio hobbyist to a degree(not an advanced one that is )and I’m willing to learn the details on when the best time to talk on them is and what channels not to pick, as it seems at least half the channels are now designated skip calling frequencies. Anyways that’s my take and as mentioned the antenna length is absurd and nobody wants a 106” whip on their vehicle.

I must not have had enough coffee yet. Is today April 1st?

Thanks for trying, but this is incorrect. GMRS/the FCC rules fully support "i" or inverted DCS/DTC/DPL tones. In a case where N or "i" is not specified, it can always be assumed to be "N" (Normal).

I just picked one up yesterday. The "green" channel looks to be the last channel(s) that were received. Hard to tell as there aren't many people transmitting. Update 10/25/21: Green means most recent RX on that line (s). I have seen up to 2 lines at a time turning green. If you then transmit on that channel and don't get an RX back, it turns to the color you set as default. Also, if you change the channel on that line, the characters will also change back to your default color. I am quad monitoring though. I haven't tried it with monitoring off for all channels.

Looks like it's listed as option 0 in the menu, on pg 21 (reading it in pdf from radioddity's site). The menu item is called "TMR", and you tell it which ones you want to monitor (a, b, c, and/or d), and then used the abcd button to cycle through the 4 lines and set each one to the channels/frequencies you want to monitor. If I understand it right, it treats whichever one you have selected as the "Main". I tend to set a channel I might want to transmit on on main. The setup and functionality seem similar to my btech 50x1, which makes sense because it the db25g looks to be based on the btech 25x2 and 25x4.