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I'ma have to agree.. The OP is a great example of "some people" over-thinking what should be very simple and carefree.

Nobody in Arches National Park is listening for a call sign so they can call back to a criminal they have on speed-dial in Atlanta to burglarize your home so they can split the ill-gotten gains. Nobody hearing your call-sign in Atlanta is going to assume that your entire family is out of the home just because you use the radio to talk to someone five miles away while driving home from work. These licenses are family-oriented. If you're concerned about the address being public, switch your record over to a PO box. But again, this is not a very useful attack vector. On any given day the FCC website probably doesn't even load. Anyway, your choice. But call signs being linked to mailing addresses has been the standard since the early days of ham licensing.

This has always worked for me.

People have used a P.O. Box when they registered for their license. So, if somebody looked it up on the FCC database they still wouldn't have a clue where your house is located.

I thought it was the Midland radios that you, and everyone you know has issues with? Seems like you and "everyone you know" has issues with a lot of radios...I recall you once posting a comment proclaiming that "everyone you know" always throws their Midland radios directly into the trash right after they buy them.. So I am pretty sure that anyone that has read your previous posts (including before you changed your forum-name to hide from ridicule), already disregards anything you say.. I have owned 30+ Wouxun radios, Wouxun radios were my primary radios in both of my Jeeps for several years, and I have a dozen or more friends/off-roading acquaintances that that use them - probably around 100 in total, and never, once, ever, have I, or anyone I know had any significant issue with any of them.

Unfortunately call sign has to be given in English. But you could use Morse code as an alternative to English phone identification.

I'll add to the anecdotal Wouxon thread here. No PL issues with these Wouxon radios I've had, KG-UV3D bought new at the Dayton hamfest 12+ years ago. Charger base croaked after 5 years though. KG-805G bought new around 5 years ago, everything going great even with a cracked screen. KG-935G bought new around 2 years ago, no issues.

Most 50Watt GMRS radios do indeed put out 50Watts, within an acceptable +/- % tolerance.. Further important information: You can add a user to your IGNORE list by hovering your mouse over their avatar and then clicking the IGNORE button. When done with the right users you will limit your MyGMRS experience to only actual helpful replies.

He likes those old commercial radios that you have to dig up an old MS DOS or Windows 3.1 computer in order to program them. And yes most of us do not pay much attention to him no matter what user name he uses. Plenty of people in my local club have Wouxun radios for both amateur bands and GMRS. No one has had any issues with all of the different Wouxun radios.

I get it that people do not like having their address and info listed for anyone to see on the FCC website. But if you true want to stay off the map and be untraceable then you would have to totally go off grid which means no cell phones, computers, tablets, etc along with no bank accounts and paying cash for everything. We get tracked everyday if we have a cell phone on us or even by our vehicles if you own a newer one with all of the computer modules onboard. PS: If you have ever had any type of government issued security clearance then they already know your life story. And the government ALSO has your DNA on file if you have served in the military since 1993. IF you are that worried, then get a good home security system and a big dog that roams the house while you are gone.

I understand your point, but in order for that to happen, a number of things would have to occur simultaneously. 1) Someone would have to hear your call. 2) They'd have to know they could look up your address from the call sign. 3) They'd have to know a criminal near where you live -- because by definition, if you're away from home, the miscreant is somewhere near you, not near your house. 4) They'd have to go to the effort of contacting their buddy and telling him to burglarize your house, which they'd have little incentive to do because criminals don't burglarize a house and send part of the ill-gotten gains to a friend 100 miles away. The odds of all that happening simultaneously are so astronomically small that I don't even consider it. I just periodically check the security cameras on my phone and go on enjoying my vacation.

I couldn’t remember this myself so I had to look it up but English on the identification is required. 95.1751 GMRS station identification. (b) The call sign must be transmitted using voice in the English language or international Morse code telegraphy using an audible tone. You can use a P.O. Box as stated. With GMRS if someone can hear that you are no where near home than they are also not likely anywhere near said home. While you do bring up a valid concern here are some ideas. Use an alarm system, camera security, house sitter, big dog, a pleasantly noisy neighbor, Burmese tiger traps (affiliate link below). Pun intended

If you have a callsign (GMRS or H.A.M.s radios) anyone can look up your name and address on the FCCs website - so basically, every time you say your callsign, you are also saying your full legal name and address.. ....unless when you applied for your license you used a PO box or a service like HamRegistry that lets you use their address to keep your address private.

I think your home would more likely be burglarized due to mail/newspapers piling up in an obvious area, trashcans unattended, or lack of vehicles/activity seen at the home more so than someone hearing your call sign and doing the research to figure out where you live and making arrangements to steal your belongings. Just because you and your wife are away from home doesn't mean that there isn't someone else living there that would be home at the time of your absence.

As 928 pointed out; a lot of stars would have to align perfectly for there to be a problem. And a lot of dangerous assumptions would have to be made by the dirtbag. Could it happen? Yes. If that probability is more than you are comfortable with then it is good you figured all of this out now. Whether we realize it or not, we all determine what chances in life we are willing to live with. I would not give this scenario a second thought.

Well I finally saw it. I thought the lowering temperature sublimed the SWR but it was just a rapid decrease. I only saw one reading in between but that was enough to tell me it decreases not switches. Came home to find the SWR at 2.04 and the temp was just under freezing. At about 24.5º I checked and it was at 1.83, half hour later it was at its low of 1.15 again. At 1.83 most of the function of the radio returns. At 2.04 I couldn't hit the Holyoke repeater. I did a long key and some signal must have reached because I was able to hit it. No response from anyone so I assume no audio was transmitted from the repeater. Plus the received signal was very weak. At 1.83 I have access to the repeater and a good received signal. Same with my own repeater. Gotta find some time to heat up that lightning arrester to see if it kills my signal.

So you imagine a scenario like this? : Dirtbag "I got my gmrs radio on, let's do us some listenin!" You: Okay honey, lets stop at the next rest area, WABC123 Dirtbag "That's it, we have his address, let's drive 300 miles and hope his house is empty and unsecure" Yeah, I think you're worrying about the wrong stuff. Much more likely to have a neighbor kid break in when he sees you driving away all loaded up on what's normally a day off.

The thread in question is not for the faint of heart… only the bravest knights seek this knowledge… what is your name? What is your quest? What is a fixed station - ahhhhh

They’re considered mobile radios when not called out separately and subject to the 50 watt limit.

Another helpful comment chock-full of details and data. At this rate it won't be long before you have to change your user-name again to hide from the ridicule/people laughing at you.. Just like you had to do a few months ago.. as to the question: If you have the newer model, it lets you switch between Wide/Narrowband ONLY for the channels that allow Wideband.. Channels 8-14 are narrowband only per our friends at the FCCs.

I need to get hands on with the new IC-7760 and a TS-890. I'm not sure I'd ever pull the trigger on either unless I'm convinced I like them and they would be significant improvements over my 7300. I won't say I would never spend that much money on a radio because I have, but those two interest me. I'd like to see the 890 and 990 refreshed though.

This is a totally unsound scenario with zero re world issues. I’m going to bet that no one’s home has ever been broken into because they used a call sign on a radio. It amazes me what some people have the time to think About. I can’t imagine being this paranoid.

I think you need a speaker that is designed to have two sides input into the one speaker, like the Yaesu MLS200.

Not worth risking the heavy-fines or possible jail time ! SOURCE: "some people" right here on this very forum.

Welcome to the new forums! Unfortunately, over the last year or so we've had serious problems with our previous board software (phpBB and vBulletin), so I did some shopping around and decided that Invision Power Board is the way to go. Between vBulletin and this new software, I've had to lay out over $400, so I didn't make the decision lightly. While it's possible to migrate the posts from the previous software, I decided it wasn't worth the effort. I prefer having a clean platform and I will be tying the forum software to your main user accounts, so you no longer need two accounts for the site. This extra step will take some time for me to implement, so I'm going to lock down user registrations so we don't have duplicate accounts everywhere. Keep a look out for an update in the near future! So without further ado, welcome to the new forums! I hope this will be our last migration for many years to come, and donations to help offset the software licenses would be very much appreciated.

and risk a hefty fine or jail time? It's your choice, but is it really worth it?! SOURCE: "some people" on this forum.

Don't get it. Who's announcing over GMRS there address and that they are away and there alarm code to there house? Besides who is going to go though that kind of effort to figure out your call sign and additional info and immediately go to your home? If this has you paranoid, your in real trouble when we tell what the internet gathers, your car gathers and what the government has access to...

Hi Rich, I am sure the admins will get on it soon. I'll check with some of the club leaders to see if they have seen your request yet. Welcome to the club (When they get you signed in) ... good group of people and worth the wait. Hope to hear you on the air with us soon. Glenn "579"

I'm sure the only reason that they are not mentioned is the fact that most are only 5 watts with a few being 8 or 10 watts.

I wouldn't have bought a 1000G if there was only one speaker output. While the OP is wanting to merge both VFO (in Wouxun speak "Area") speaker outputs into one speaker, a lot of us want to have each them separated. For my base station I have a external speakers on ether side of my computer monitor and a different scan group setting on each side of the radio. I can quickly tell without looking what side of the radio is receiving based on what speaker is outputting. It's kinda like having two radios in one.

mouse and dvi monitor added, here's the current shack set up -

Look through the posts in this thread. https://forums.mygmrs.com/topic/8037-kenwood-tk-8180-vs-tk-8180h/ While the 400-470 band split isn't certified for GMRS, just Part 90 business band use, the FCC seems to ignore people using them if programmed right. Also this band split is perfect if you want to get your Ham license later. The radio can be programmed for the full Ham 70cm UHF band too. With one radio you would have access to both Ham and GMRS. The thread above has the programming software for download if you go this route. https://www.ebay.com/p/1200813129 You can use the same radio for both a base and a mobile radio. You'll just need a good 13.8 VDC 20 amp regulated supply for base use.

Last month I passed the Technician class amateur license exam. With some studying, the test can be successfully passed on the first attempt. I scheduled my exam with the Greater Los Angeles Amateur Radio Group that was held at a Sizzler restaurant in Fullerton, CA. It cost $10 to take the test. They submit your license to the FCC electronically. I took the test on Saturday, paid my fee ($35) on Monday, and had my ticket and call sign by 1:00 AM Tuesday. It is very quick with their system. Those who pass the exam are given a 5W TYT TH-UV88 handheld radio, already programmed with the repeaters for the Papa System repeaters. They provide it to welcome you to the world of amateur radio. The whole environment was welcoming and fun. The Papa System has repeaters all over the southern California area and they have many modes, analog and digital. It's a great system to gain experience with your new license. They even hold a new hams net every Wednesday night at 7:00 PM. You can talk with others from the Mexican border, out to Yuma, all the way north to Ridgecrest and Santa Barbara on the coast. All of the repeaters are linked, so you can hear/talk over a very wide area. Just wanted to let people know that you can obtain your license in the LA area in an easy, convenient manner if you are in the area. The whole process was smooth and easy.

I am opposite of @SteveShannon, I use the Wouxun KG-1000G as the extra power helps me. Part of that is because of where I live and the local terrain. Plus I like having a removable head unit both in my vehicle and at home. I can install the main unit out of the way and have the smaller head unit elsewhere. I would have considered the DB20G for my SxS if it would have been IP rated. But since it is not, I went with the Wouxun KG-XS20G since it meets my needs better. There are a lot of different radios out there. Most people that have the DB20-G are happy with them and they are inexpensive. Most people that own Wouxun radios have not had issues either. But the Wouxun radios do cost more. Again, more details will help us recommend a radio for you. You won't go wrong with the DB20-G or either of the Wouxun mobile radios.

In my case I got the Radioddity db20g for both (even though I now use them exclusively on ham bands). They’re easy to use and very small and I’ve heard almost nobody complain about their quality, although a few people have had an issue where the squelch remains open.

I ended up buying the Midland MXT275. It's a 15 watt radio and comes with everything you need to get started. I did upgrade the antenna to a MXTA26 for some more range.

you should read the rules my friend. § 95.1751 GMRS station identification. Each GMRS station must be identified by transmission of its FCC-assigned call sign at the end of transmissions and at periodic intervals during transmissions except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section. A unit number may be included after the call sign in the identification. (a) The GMRS station call sign must be transmitted: (1) Following a single transmission or a series of transmissions; and, (2) After 15 minutes and at least once every 15 minutes thereafter during a series of transmissions lasting more than 15 minutes. (b) The call sign must be transmitted using voice in the English language or international Morse code telegraphy using an audible tone. (c) Any GMRS repeater station is not required to transmit station identification if: (1) It retransmits only communications from GMRS stations operating under authority of the individual license under which it operates; and, (2) The GMRS stations whose communications are retransmitted are properly identified in accordance with this section.

The DB20G also wasn’t supported by RT Systems until just a few weeks ago, but now it is and it works very well! I would suspect Chirp support will follow.

They're also well into the San Joaquin valley as well, with the Joaquin Ridge machine; I can hear that one in Fresno area, and if the range is anything like the CARLA machine, it's likely got some coverage to parts of the Sierras.

Like our Sat Nite NCS, his French Bulldog's name is Toast, so he always calls him KT0AST, and adds a couple arf' arf's for him. Dunno what he'd do if somebody grabbed that as a vanity call...

Depends on what model and year it is.

No, but the amateur rules expressly allow third party communications under the constant supervision of a control operator (97.115). GMRS regulations have nothing similar to that.

Liking it very much! Took a bit of playing with the Mic settings to dial in the transmit audio on Phone, but getting good reports on that now. Very easy to configure for the digital modes I use (PSK, VarAC, JS8, etc. etc.). Like the waterfall, 3DSS display and the Oscilloscope display. Using the touch screen took a little learning curve for this knobs n dials kinda guy, but that was a fun one, and still working on that a bit. On the SW Bands, really has great RX audio, that also took some adjusting to dial in to my liking. AESS is a bit of a gimmick, but the SP40 speaker does sound better than the one on the rig, and really shines when listening to AM broadcast and SW bands. Only dislike is trying to use 60m band on digital, as there's a bit of changing settings on the programs to get it to work. My FT-450D is MARS modded from the dealer, so 60m is wide open to use there. So far, so good!

I have both and can't tell a difference. Now most baofeng's and even the Icom IC-T10 have wide open front ends that are easily overloaded and pick up more interference.

Why not? These aren’t nuclear secrets.

GMRS Emergency channel = Any channel that answers the call.

No, there WAS a travel channel 30 years ago. There is no travel channel today.

A friend of mine does. I have the Yaesu FTDX10. It has a “measurably*” better receiver than the IC-7300, but the IC-7300 has what I think is a better user interface and features like the ability to sweep the SWR of an antenna, not just report on the instantaneous SWR while transmitting. Another friend of mine has the Yaesu FT-710, which is the radio that’s closest to the 7300 in terms of construction. I think either the IC-7300 or the FT710 would be ideal radios for a new ham interested in HF. *Measurably - based on the Sherwood Report which tries to evaluate the performance of receivers analytically.

I have a Midland MXT275 and its been good for my off roading with all the standard GMRS features. Not great with repeaters but unnecessary for off road prepossess in most cases. Has NOAA too. The display on the Mic is really nice and its super easy to use and i have an upgraded MXTA26 6db antenna as well as the ghost antenna when i'm not off roading so my 4R will fit in the garage. But now that i have revisited upgrade options im thinking of going with Wouxun KG-1000G Plus.

Another DB20-G user here. Nice compact radio that will reach out as far as I need it to. Simple to program, once you figure out the Radioddity software, and is unlockable to use for other frequencies (if you have a HAM license) or just to open up ALL the slots for a buttload of repeaters if you go past the limit in the GMRS version of the software. WSFC997 Jeff