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You would need to reset it to GMRS mode before you can transmit on GMRS. (in HAM mode if you enter GMRS frequencies/channels it will not allow transmit on GMRS. To reset a TID Radio H3 to GMRS mode, 1. turn the radio off, then hold down both the Top PTT button and the star button while turning the radio on 2. this will bring up a menu where you can select "GMRS" mode 3. and confirm the change by pressing the blue "yes" button, causing the radio to reboot in GMRS mode The radio will reset to GMRS mode, and it should have all GMRS channels already programed in it ready to use. you don't need to update firmware... just follow above procedure. One other thing to figure out. if you bought the HAM version, thenn the antennas you got may not be ideal for GMRS. but that is ok, the stock antennas are not the best anyway. Order a GMRS specific antenna like a Nagoya 771G, or a 701G... or there are many other good GMRS specifically tuned antennas. Even the Tidradio 771G is very good. (but the 771s are longer than the stock anteannas.

Well, if you are afraid the eff sea sea is going to come pounding on your door because you have a non compliant radio that you are operating properly then by all means go ahead. Myself I'm not worrying about it at all. Not sure if their IDs are different between the radios. The one on the left is the GMRS version and the one on the right is the Ham version. They don't differentiate between the two.

SocalGMRS has a long history of scolding newly joined people about reading the rules. Although it is a good idea to become familiar with the rules, I don’t think it’s effective to answer a first (or even 21st) question by scolding. Eventually you may decide there are some people here who should be ignored (me included) and the forum software allows you to place them (me included) onto an ignore list. Not only that but you can ignore specific aspects of another user without ignoring them completely. It was a good first question. I hope you stick around and ask many more.

You can reset that radio to be GMRS. Just reset it and you will be gtg. I think you press the ptt and the blue key at the same time while turning it on. Then select gmrs.

Thanks Marc, I didn't know you did this. Very generous of your time! Now I have something to watch tonight. Also have something to point people to when they start asking the "radio set up" I have.

As far as I can determine, in the history of the FCC, nobody has ever been cited solely for transmitting on a radio which was not type-accepted for that frequency. Of course, if you were being an ass and causing problems, they'd probably throw that charge in as well "just because". That said, the power and bandwidth restrictions exist largely to keep someone on that frequency from interfering with other users. If you decide to use the 5RM on GMRS, please be a decent human and set the bandwidth (wide/narrow) and power to the "legal" GMRS limits. The 5RM won't go below about 2-3 watts, so you should probably block transmission on channels 8-14, which are restricted to 0.5 watt. You can program them in and then set duplex to "off", then if there's some urgent need to use one of them, you can turn duplex back on fairly quickly from the keyboard on the front.

While power usually isn't the deciding factor and line of sight typically prevails, in your situation I think you're overcoming the attenuation of the foliage, which is why the power IS the key parameter.

It’s against the rules to transmit on GMRS frequencies using a radio that hasn’t been certified for GMRS. But unless you’re doing far worse things nobody will probably ever know or care and the FCC will not cite you.

This is the only thing in your post that gave me heartburn. RG8x is terrible for GMRS. If you’re using more than just a very short length you’re attenuating a significant portion of your RF output in the cable before it ever gets to the antenna. Fifty feet of RG8X attenuates 62% of the signal. 50 watts out of the radio becomes 18 watts delivered to the antenna. https://kv5r.com/ham-radio/coax-loss-calculator/

You and your wife don't need to be yelling your call sign back and forth to eachother. In fact, the frequent yelling of callsigns on GMRS is a learned dork habit of all of the ham radio people who've moved in on GMRS.

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 use GRMS "properly" I ID with my call-sign every 15 minutes during transmissions and at the conclusion of my conversations. I use a part 95 GMRS radio and adhere (because it is built in) to the channelized frequencies in the way they are intended to be used, with the proper wattage on those channels. I also do not use my radio to cause jamming or intentional interference for other users and repeaters. I talk to friends i know and new friends I have met in the repeater club that I have come to know through conversation, even if I have never met them face to face. So... is that what you mean?

LOL! yeah... hey My cell phone can talk to people around the world too!

Here are some links for you. DX Engineering Max400 stranded core coax. $71 for PL259, $72 for N Type JETSTREAM 400FLEX25A $40 at R&L Electronics I have used both brands without any issues.. The R&L Jet brand uses Amphenol connectors which are top of the line if that matters to you. I get trying to save money. But sometimes it is worth spending a little more for the proper coax. Standard RG-8 is better than RG-8X and LMR-240. Per the coax loss calculator linked above. At 25 feet. you are getting 2.2 dB loss with RG-8X, 1.4 dB loss with LMR-240, 1.2 dB loss with RG-8, and 0.7 dB loss with LMR-400. In reality, you won't notice much difference between LMR-400, LMR-240, or RG-8. But why limit yourself if you don't have to. Getting as much power to the antenna with the least amount of coax loss is more efficient. Plus the Jet brand is pretty cheap and still good coax cable.

Would a handheld with a good antenna and a shoulder-mic in a backpack or hydration rig work?

Now it's 210 miles instead of 200 miles. The tale grows with each telling. Oh and don't forget to tell us the 796 reasons why every dedicated Part 95 certified radio that is made overseas is total junk. Or are we up above 800 reasons now. You happen to live in the ideal location in the wide open desert of the southwest.Most people will NEVER see that kind of coverage due to location, local terrain, forested areas, urban areas, etc, etc. @WSEZ those repeaters are linked even though linking is against the regulations set forth by the FCC overlords.

Wait until Gary finds out about license plates...

It's not prohibited.

They’re easy to build: https://edsantennas.weebly.com/uploads/2/9/3/5/29358461/dbj-2_qst.pdf

GMRS is great for family communications. And, if by clubs, you mean GMRS groups which give you access to regional repeaters, that's a solid plan. If you are also looking for a hobby and are interested in chatting and making contacts add a ham license to you plan.

Well, I may have found the lower limit. This afternoon, I tried to work that repeater 20 miles away with 1 watt and a 2.5" antenna. I could key the repeater, but nobody responded to my call, which usually means nobody can hear/understand you because there's always someone listening to that repeater. I have done it with 5 watts and a 2.5" antenna, but for 1 watt, a 701 seems to be as low as I can go. It's been a fun experiment, though. Just now, I got into the 70cm repeater 20 miles away and the signal report was "almost full quieting" using a 2 watt Arcshell AR-5 with its stock rubber duck antenna. The Arcshell is practically disposable, so if you spend $300,000 in the right location, you too can work a 20 mile repeater with a $10 radio.

Thank you. I appreciate that. I have seen many people in the radio realm like that. It kept me from getting my license for a long time. But I'm kinda proud that I did now. It just came through last Saturday. I know it didn't require a knowledge test to get but, I feel a bit more legit now. Thanks for being cool. And don't worry, it takes more than a keyboard warrior to scare me. I do run a YouTube channel... LOL

it is

Thanks. That's good advice.

Welcome to the asylum. Now ask about linking repeaters...

Thank you for your suggestion. I did read the rules, however, not everything I read gets committed to my long-term memory. Also, I was hoping that this topic would make an interesting first thread for me, since I am new to this forum.

My experience has been that two supposedly identical radios may prefer different antennas. That's why it's hard to answer the question, "What antenna should I buy?" or "What's the best antenna?" I usually say that most name-brand aftermarket antennas are better than the stock antenna and throw out some brands I've had good results with. Nagoya, HYS, Signal Stick, to name a few. Unfortunately, you can spend quite a bit of money before you find one you're really happy with, depending upon what you want to do with it. However, for what you're trying to do, the stock antenna may be fine, so I always recommend people try it before they replace it.

@gortex2 I feel the same way as you do on this. By the time you buy a mobile antenna then spend as much if not more to try and make it work better as a base antenna yo have spend enough to buy a good base antenna. The only saying to buy the proper tool for the job comes to mind. It is usually better to just spend a little more and buy the correct base antenna to begin with. That being said, yes I have used a mobile antenna with mag amount attached to a cookie sheet in the past. But that was only a temporary setup until I could get an actual base antenna installed. I fully understand why some will use a mobile antenna with some type of home made ground plane in certain situations such as dealing with HOA restrictions, needing a more temporary setup, or something that can be quickly taken down for severe storms.

As said it all depends. In the end its what your going to use it for. Alot of folks on here trash midland gear but its simple to use, relaible and plentiful. If 99% of your stuff is talking to your mobile, to another user on simplex then they make good gear. If your trying to make GMRS ham lite and want 100 repeaters in the radio then its not for you. I have many midlands that are used for what they are. Never had issues with any of them and just ordered another for our new Jeep.

I didn’t notice any GMRS clubs listed near you. As mentioned it looks like you have some good open repeaters near you that you and the family can use. If you’re looking for clubs I would possibly ask the owners of those repeaters or possibly look into Amateur Radio clubs near you. Sometimes you’ll find over lap and some repeaters are hosted by someone also in Amateur Radio.

A good location is everything of course! I'm in the middle of a heavy forest on flat ground for 10's of miles around and people just don't seem to believe me when I say most HT's won't do more than a mile HT to HT here. I get "your doing something wrong...your radio's garbage" or similar stmts...ok I Invite you here with whatever HT you got I guarantee you won't do better. When people say there's no difference in a 3w HT vs 5w HT...i beg to differ as it makes a huge difference here in the woods. I've tested many brands on various services HAM VHF/UHF,MURS,GMRS,Business some expensive motoroalas to cheap baofangs. My HAM HT has a diamond SRJ77CA and the GMRS HT's have a 771G Naygoya those antennas also help quite a bit in range in the heavy forest with a 5.5w HT and one of those antenna's I can usually get 1.5-1.75mi HT to HT here before the sound quality drops off significantly. I can hit a GMRS repeater 18mi and another HAM VHF 26mi away from my HTs if I'm in very particular spots but move 5' or turn around while talking and it's all over. If I could get an antenna above the canopy I could go for miles. To get good full quieting and reliable signal on the repeaters though I have to use a 50w base station, the GMRS uses a 6 element yagi and the HAM one has a diamond base U/V ant mounted mid-canopy height to clear the ground scrub but not be in the canopy itself. To get out of the canopy I'd need 110' tower and I'm not doing that. So a "bad" location proves your point. But the reality is most people can't (or won't) do much about their location unless your really an uber radio dork and willing to move just to be in a better radio location.

Although, not packed full of foo foo features that more than likely you won't need or ever use and is somewhat channel capacity challenged, you should at least take a look at the Midland radios. They are built better than any of the cheap POS radios that come from Pandaland and they are simple to use and most likely will meet your needs.

Well, I admit it took a little ingenuity to do what I wanted… I bought a wood handle paint roller frame($5), then knocked the metal frame off. I used a large hollow wall anchor down the hole where the frame was with a little glue. I then Attached a 25lb magnet ($7) from home depot via screw to the hollow wall anchor. The pizza pan started out a 16” from a dollar store, but I went back and bought a 12” after reading about the size of ground planes, both worked equally well, but the smaller one was a touch easier to deal with. And I ended up with the below. Allows me to attach and detach everything to set it up/down. edit-Just saw you asked about the base. It came from Walmart, a 26lb umbrella stand. Has different size shaft adapters and only cost $20. Has two little thumb screws to snug everything down.

It looks like there are several wide coverage GMRS repeaters in the area near you. yes, Go look on the repeaters map on this website. I sees at least three or four and they all appear to be open repeaters - free to use.

Today they had gun show at our local Chamber. I had taken a BF UV5RM Plus with me. Since all I use it for is GMRS, I bought and installed HYS bnc antenna for GMRS. I have hit our big repeater(40 miles away) with the dual band 771 antenna on 10w, but I figured this antenna might improve it. While waiting for my buddy, I keyed the repeater on medium power, which should be about 5 watts +/- and got a good acknowledgement. I was advised I was not full quieting, but was plenty clear and staying strong while we talked. This was the distance and elevation plot I mapped when I got home.

I am certain it is not only not prohibited, but expressly permitted.

Depends on how complicated you want to get and what you are gonna use it for. Like many others, Midland is my primary base / mobile. Perhaps limited in features and extra programable channels compared to other radios, they are simple to use. Especially for my family members who rarely use radio. I bought the Midland base knowing most in the family just want to key up the mike and talk without touching other buttons, or looking at a information packed screen they find confusing. So if it is simplicity you seek Midland works fine. If you need / want a lot more features, you will find plenty of other good recommendations here. Keep in mind if you buy a combo pack of Midlands the included handhelds are generally not repeater capable. On the other hand I do have some handhelds that only I use which are packed with lots of features and lots of channels. Paid pretty good money for them and in all likely hood will never use more than half their capability, lol.

Don't pay any attention to the haters. That radio is just fine for ordinary GMRS stuff. The guys who rant about "cheap Chinese junk" probably have a money tree or something.

This morning, I checked into the daily net on a 2 meter repeater 20 miles away using 1 watt and an HYS NA-701 antenna on a Retevis RT85 HT. I was told that I was "a little noisy but not hard to understand". Tomorrow I'm going to try 1 watt and a stubby antenna. If that works, I'm going to just shout. This demonstrates pretty well, IMO, that height is might, elevation is propagation, and power is not as important as a lot of people think. I knew the "book answer" but it really reinforces it when you do the experiment yourself. There's a 70cm repeater in the same location and I was able to hear myself on another radio using that repeater. There's hardly ever anyone on that one, so I had to settle for saying "testing" and listening to myself. I know this is a GMRS forum, not ham, but the principles are exactly the same. Unfortunately, I don't have a GMRS repeater I can reach from my home. I used to have one about 25 miles away which I could easily use with a 5 watt HT, but it went offline a few months ago. There's one in Oklahoma City about 35 miles away, but I can't reach it with 50 watts -- I've tried. There are a couple of ham repeaters I can use in Oklahoma City, so I assume the GMRS repeater is in a less advantageous location. There are (I think) 11 amateur radio repeaters in Oklahoma City, of which I can hear 4 and actually use 2. Again, the difference is probably location.

You are still looking at 45% loss using 30 feet of RG-8X at 467 MHz. You would have to use a pretty high gain antenna to overcome the loss with a 30 ft section of RG-8X. 2 dBd of gain still shows a loss in power output (ERP). You would need at least 4 dBd of gain to overcome the coax loss of 30 feet of RG-8X. Getting LRM400 or equivalent will greatly improve things. Look at the DX Engineering 400MAX or even the Jet LMR400 equivalent from R&L Electronics. Both brands work well and are definitely cheaper than Times Microwave LMR400. RG-8X is fine for jumpers that are 6 feet or less in length.

Thank you all for your responses. I agree with everything you have written. In short, I get what I pay for. Once again thank you for taking the time to respond in a friendly, professional and respectful manner. 73's.

This is my newest attempt to get a better antenna up. It is a threaded extension to pool pole adapter ($9). It has 3/4x5 acme threads, same as broom handle or extension pole, then goes to 1.25 push button to use pool pole accessories and has set screws to snug it down on the threads. I ordered some push button pool pole adapters($10 pr) off amazon to use with it. I will be remounting the antenna on the black adapters, then they can be attached and detached easily, with the antenna mounted, when I want to setup or take down. I ordered some RG8X with bncs on both ends, as well as some adapters. This should allow me to have different antennas, yagi, omni, etc, and quickly attach or detach to swap them. It is still a work in progress. My goal was to be home usable, but also field usable in case.

What radio were you using before? How did you program the RA87? Are you using chirp or Retevis software? If so could we see the program? Have you checked your squelch setting??? What channel and tones are you using? Are you sure the repeater is on line? Some more info would help in troubleshooting. Did I mention the squelch?

Not all dual or tri banders are less than their single band sisters, it is just more likely that it is so. I have been lucky enough to get triband antennas that were dead on for the band I used that one the most for. With antennas, there is no substitute for testing in actual use.

In medicine, we have a saying, "When you hear hoofbeats on the prairie, think of horses, not zebras." which is a way of saying that common things happen more often than uncommon things. In radio, the most common cause of poor range is obstructions, and the way to defeat that is with elevation and a good antenna. There absolutely are people who work the repeater on the International Space Station with a 5 watt HT. The only real difference between them and the OP is what's between the two radios -- basically nothing in the case of the ISS. I'm a believer in approaching anything except an emergency in a stepwise fashion. That way, when you get it right, you'll know what made the difference. And, yes, I've been called a liar for saying that I can work a repeater 52 miles from my house with an 8 watt HT, but I have the advantage of highly favorable topography. Both the repeater and my home are the highest things for miles in that direction. I wouldn't say GMRS can't be a hobby. There are a couple of guys near me who frequently use Ch 19 to discuss their day and what's going on in their lives. They could easily use a phone, but to some of us, a radio is more fun. But, yes, in general, GMRS is a communication tool whereas amateur radio is much more focused on the equipment and how to get the most out of it.

Good to know. I have been on forums so long i remember when i manually had to type in the code with quotes, pictures ect... Now its gotten a little fancy and hides the formula so your tip is helpful. lol

It's interesting they said that. I've never seen a difference in power readings between an antenna and a dummy load. Sounds like they were just making stuff up. In my experience, Baofeng -- and by extension, BTech -- always overstates the power of their radios. I have a several-years-old f8hp (nominally 8 watts), a UV-5r "high power" (nominally 8 watts), and an AR-5RM (nominally 10 watts). They all produce about 6-7 watts on high power.

I have the prior version (GMRS 50x1) and after a year or two of use, mostly monitoring with minimal transmit time, it no longer holds power on high. It'll start at 44-45 watts, and start dropping almost immediately, leveling off at 25 or so after around a minute. It's currently living on the shelf.

I mainly have it for off road use. But i have no friends so i keep buying more radios in hopes someone will show up one day to use them with me.

Go pop some popcorn and kick back.... This WILL be a long read. So you have you license. Now you want to put up a repeater. Great,,,, maybe,, usually. But have you thought it through or do you just really want to hear your call sign coming across the airways if CW? This is going to explain how to do it right to NOT cause interference with other repeater owners and be mindful of the limited resource (8 repeater pairs) we have been designated by the FCC. This will cover planning, equipment, antenna's and everything in between. Please ask questions about the topics as they are posted, and if you see something missing you would like covered, message me and I will do my level best to cover that topic. I have been a commercial two-way radio tech for 13 years a ham for almost 30 and have been working on electronics and radios for 40 years. First thing is to listen. Listen to the repeater pair OUTPUTS. These are the 462 frequencies in the 462/467 pairs. They are what the repeaters will be transmitting on. The reason you want to listen is you want the quietest one for your area. Now that doesn't necessarily mean the one with the least traffic. So if you have several repeaters around you that are not all that busy, but the signal from them is always very strong and clear and maybe a busier frequency talks alot, but is far off in the distance 4 towns over, any your plans are for a small footprint, with a 30 or 40 foot tower, that may well be the better frequency to choose. You need to consider a couple things here. Number one is the total number of pairs available. We only have 8 for EVERYWHERE. Why is that important? Because the guys with the monsters, like me how just talked to a guy 40 miles away from his repeater, can cover huge area's with their repeaters. And some of them see the value in what they have and allow others to use it openly. That's my stance on it. I say the same thing to everyone that asks. Make sure to ID your station and have fun. But if you are sitting on an otherwise open frequency, he may not use it for a wide area coverage machine. I am thinking on writing a thread on frequency management at a state level for GMRS, but that comes later. So back to the footprint you are looking to achieve, and you need to be reasonable here. Don't decide to build a monster, tie up a pair and make the repeater closed to all but you and your wife and kids. That's not proper use of the airways. And in my opinion is a bit of a dick move. SO lets say we are going to use that pair that you can hear a repeater on but it's very weak signal and can't always be heard. You NEED to locate the owner of that repeater and verify where he is located. If he's a weak station but he's right up the road, then don't use that frequency. If he's 2 counties away, you are golden. You need to find out what PL or DPL he is using on his repeater and NOT use anything close to that. If he's running between 67 and 103 you want to be at a minimum at 141.3. This will minimize the potential of interference. You also need to verify that you are either very noisy into his repeater or you can't hit it at all from most of the footprint area you are wanting to cover. Now a quick side note. Repeater talkout (how far it talks) is controlled by two things.. first is antenna height. Height is FAR more important than power level. But power level does play a role. And you ONLY want to run enough power to provide signal levels in your desired coverage area to capture the receiver of a mobile or portable radio. Meaning, if you are wanting to cover X number of square miles and that can be done with an antenna at 40 feet of height and 10 watts, Don't set the repeater up to 50 watts. It's not necessary and again, it's not good frequency management. So you now have a pair picked out. What about a repeater? A repeater is required to ID unless YOU and those under YOUR license are the only ones using the repeater. The minute that other license holders are allowed to use the repeater, it needs to ID itself. Now this can be done with a Raspberry Pi, an Arduino or some specific module for CW ID. You have options. You can use two mobile radios as a repeater with a cable between them and an ID board. You are not required to have voice announcements, roger beeps or any of that. So it can be a simple set of radios. (Motorola CDM series work great and the 16 pin interface makes connecting them very easy). Or you can buy a repeater that is a purpose built device. There are a number of options. More to come.... stay tuned.