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Why create scan groups? Well as a departed friend used to say to such comments, "because I can". The cougar crouch lives. RHIP Bestlever.

More on talk around. If ‘talk around’ is engaged you will see an ‘R’ on your screen to the right of the W+. This can be engaged or disabled by one of the side buttons or a quick tap of the scan button. When you press the PTT it should show you on the screen what frequency you are transmitting on if you select frequency mode for that channel. Press mode three times to get there from channel name. I hope some of this info helps you out.

They look the same so a couple thoughts on what to check for… What location (channel number) are you programmed into? What’s your squelch setting? Could it be preventing the radio to open on receive? Are you using the factory GMRS tuned antenna? Any change if you swap antennas? If you transmit on simplex (channel 17) can you hear and be heard on another radio? Make sure they have some space (50’) between so they don’t desense each other. I’m not sure what’s happening but there’s some ideas of what to check. edit: one other thought, do you accidentally have talk around engaged? This would cause you to transmit on the receiving frequency and would prevent opening the repeater.

Don’t worry about it. Someone will always have an opinion about how you should word something. I’ve done it myself. Just be yourself.

Kind of like forum members that don't work very well.

Getting past the basics of GMRS I have been trying out creating various channel groups with corresponding scan groups. This is part of my overall project to create a single common configuration across my HTs and mobiles. Channel & scan groups I've created for my HT's and Mobiles, so far are: 1) Basic - Channels 1-7 and 15-22 with no CSTSS/DCS Use: General monitoring and communications 2) Repeaters - Channels 15-22 with no CTSS/DCS Use: General repeater monitoring 3) Usable Repeaters - Channels of repeaters with CTSS/DCS available for my use. Use: Repeater monitoring and communications 4) Family - Channels 1-7 and 15-22 with family CSTSS/DCS codes Use: Family simplex communications configured to minimize interference 5) Repeater Simplex - Channel R15-R22 (467.5500 - 467.7250) without CTSS/DCS. Use: Inspired by the THE QUEEN OF ALL THAT IS GMRS, I created this group to determine if repeater users might be close enough for simplex communications.

But but “if he had read the rules that he agreed to read when he got his license”

I'm beginning to think that when brains were being handed out, Negative Nancy though someone said "trains so he said "no thanks, I'll take the (short) bus". Unfortunately I have had the same argument about GMRS repeater ID requirements with fellow members of my amateur radio club. I had to break the regulations down for them so they would understand that a GMRS repeater does need to ID per Part 95.1751 quoted above. When they kept bringing up family members I had to remind them that we are in Missouri and not Arkansas. Plus the fact that most people that use our repeater are NOT related and they have their own GMRS licenses.

I have yet to hear them transmit but some people I know have hit the repeater while I was listening and that was cool. I rarely seem to be zeroed in on when it’s passing. As for the scan groups I look at it like tools in a tool box. I like to keep it organized so I know where to find the tool I need when I need it. If you decide to go for your ham license give HamStudy.org a look. The app will help you prepare for the test.

I do use scan groups so I can scan specific things at specific times. This can be real handy if for instance (and yes this has happened) if there are fires near your home and you want to only scan fire agencies. I may choose one local repeater frequency on the bottom and let the top scan GMRS and local Ham repeaters and simplex but mostly I don't do a lot of scanning but it's nice to have the control. My scan groups are typically as follows. Group 1. GMRS. Only Group 2. GMRS and Ham Local channels/frequencies/repeaters. ^^^(This is what I mostly have the top section preset for). Group 3. GMRS, Ham local and non local including out of area repeaters and ham simplex as well as the ISS. Group 4. Local Sheriff, Medical, SAR, Coast Guard, Fire, Park Rangers, Local High School (we've had two lockdowns at the school and they are close so... ) ^^^This would be what my lower section would be preset for. Mostly so if I hear sirens close by I'm set to hear what's up, is there a fire or possibly police with an active shooter at the gas station (this also happened). Group 5. LEO and Medical only. Group 6. USCG - Coast Guard. Group 7. Fire this one is key and is all local fire from two counties as I'm near the line. Group 8. Air Band almost never listen to this but it's in there on the radios that do it. Group 9. Rail Road Local I have about five frequencies in this. Group 10. Rail Road ALL I have somewhere near 150 in there but I'm quite sure there is more to be had, I thought trains were cool as a kid and I guess I still do.

Sounds like we’re getting somewhere. Double check that but if you are seeing 462.700 and not 467.700 when pressing the PTT then you are transmitting on simplex, not the repeater input. The repeater channels are 23-30, 30-38 and so on. If you have changed their locations on a GMRS radio like the 935 it’s possible that it might not transmit on the correct frequency but rather the simplex frequency. I haven’t tried moving them from their natural order. If what you are saying is correct and you are seeing 462.700, that’s what’s happening and is the problem. You will likely have to put things back in order. edit: A factory reset would certainly put things back with the repeater frequencies back where they were intended. I guess it all depends on how much you have programmed in the radio and what’s the most straightforward approach to putting things back in. I use Chirp and it allows the ability of cut and pasting which is great because like you I keep my radios mostly programmed the same so the same stuff is in the same locations and I can transfer from one radio to the next. Good luck I hope this is the fix you need.

Wow, this is also very helpful, Ill try all these suggestions, thank you for helping me Ok, I just did all these things - here is the report No R is appearing next to W+. When press PTT [after pressing mode three times I see 462.7000]

This just might be a great radio. Nothing comes close to the features of the H3 and if this has been improved and be made to be more consistent it can be a truly great radio. I haven't had any issues with my 3 H3 radios, but i wouldn't deny the quality/refinement could be improved for the more technical user. It also appears TidRadio listens to its customers and has done improvements and refinements even if they have fell short. But i guess we will see.....

Welcome! Only you can answer those questions. Things to consider: whom do you want to talk to? Have you heard them on the radio? For myself I wouldn’t put an antenna on the house unless I was certain there were people who I would be talking to. Spend some time with the radio and see what you’re lacking before spending money.

Because it’s a GMRS radio you may only transmit on predefined GMRS channels. As I recall from previous threads Baofeng enforces that by preventing transmissions while in vfo mode. Edited to add: the manual shows that the 22 GMRS channels and 8 GMRS repeater channels are modifiable and RX and TX capable, but they specify that the RF ranges are receive channels. Nothing in the manual indicates that you can transmit in VFO mode.

The FCC regulations define 22 specific frequencies with power and bandwidth limits as numbered channels for FRS. The FCC regulations also establish limits on those same 22 frequencies for GMRS and add eight more for transmitting to repeaters. Read the regulations. Then consult the manuals for your radios to see how the manufacturers refer to them.

I just got my Gmrs license a few weeks ago. Trying to decide what radio would be best for a base station and for a mobile unit?

Nope. Not what it says You have to read the whole thing. Only communications operating under Individual license under which it operates = the owners call sign, meaning people of the same family And (not or) Those same people (family members) identify using the aforementioned call sign

I really appreciate you helping me. It will be no problem if I have to do a reset - I just love Chirp and have everything backed up. =) I usually am in the mode where can see the name of the channel. So, at your advice I double checked - So, when I look at the frequency before PTT it is 462.55000 when I push the PTT it is 467.55000. So, I'll give it one more go for your advice and then do the factory reset. It's just so strange I just copied and pasted the files in chirp in the the Radioditty UV-5G Plus and it works like a charm. Hmmmm - Thank you again for your patience. I really appreciate you helping me. I miss that repeater

Thanks again!

Ooo.. I like that idea need to do that one. Great idea.

Thanks for the comprehensive list of scan groups. Perfect! Part of my GMRS emergency uses is achieving and maintaining situation awareness, so your post made me realize I mostly overlooked the guns, hoses, and boat people comms. I'll investigate what's available in my area. Completely overlooked by me is local railroad comms. That would be good too since I am close to a major rail line that moves lots of hazardous materials. I believe most of the local law enforcement comms in my area are encrypted, so I need to check that. Chicago PD does transmit in the clear on 8 channels, but since I'm well out of effective range of Chicago small arms fire it's of little interest. I'm starting to think of GMRS as my gateway into Ham Radio so you just gave me another reason to get a license! Question: Are monitoring ISS comms as cool as it sounds?

I have a pair of UV-5G Plus radios. Using Chirp, you have to set the radio as a Radioditty UV-5G Plus to program the radio. I have added many 2m and 70 cm ham frequencies for monitoring, unable to transmit on the channels. You can also add as many GMRS coded simplex channels, or ham band channels and GMRS repeaters, up to all 1000 channels. The 5W power is nice, as I can hit many repeaters from my house using a mag-mount on a pizza pan. They come in clear. For dedicated GMRS radios, they work well.

This made me laugh. The child me completely understands that logic. Fun fact, here we use red button to stop machines but in Europe red means the machine is running so danger! and green for off therefore it's safe.

Thank you guys for the replies and help. @SteveShannon I think you are right about not being able to transmit from frequency mode. I was pretty disappointed in the UV-5G, so decided to return them. Got the UV-5G plus today and they work as I expected and I'll be keeping those. Have a great rest of your weekend everyone!

You should not be transmitting in simplex mode. If you have your radio programmed correctly then you should be transmitting on 467.650 and receiving on 462.650. That is if you are talking about the Sara650 repeater in Florida.

Whatever surge suppressor has the correct connections that match your heliax and coax. Typically you want the surge suppressor as close as possible to where the feedline enters your house. This is a good concise guide to the requirements: https://reeve.com/Documents/Articles Papers/Reeve_AntennaSystemGroundingRequirements.pdf

You do and you remediated the problem!

The ONLY strange men anybody needs to worry about is YOU !!

Not entirely. Politeness should prevail. If no one is using the channel, use simplex if you want. If there is other traffic, pick another. That is why there is more than one channel in the service.

Does it transmit OK on low power, or is it completely silent? All bands, or only UHF or only VHF? The assembly of these radios often requires manual soldering of the antenna connector's center pin to the PCB, and I've seen some bad solder jobs. I've also occasionally seen defective SMA male connectors on radios - no center pin, they forgot to thread the connector, etc.

Some of the frequencies are shared with FRS which doesn't need a license, just a type approved radio. Weekday afternoons there's a lot of itinerant traffic on .700 which seems to be school bus dispatching (I'm within 2 blocks of several schools). There are also some legacy business GMRS licenses. Although new ones haven't been issued in years, they're still renewable as long as they haven't lapsed. You can always set a tone if you don't want to hear unrelated chatter. I recommend to my users that they don't set a RX tone so they can make sure the channel is clear before transmitting, but that's a decision each of them can make for themselves.

Unfortunately, I hear more unlicensed business chatter than GMRS license holders making random contacts - would be nice to see that change considering the money I put into setting up a base station. I have been monitoring most of the day and heard a man tell a couple children NOT to use HIS business frequency. Jerrod (J-Rod) Grand Junction, Colorado WSBY849

Hello, We did have an issue with the FCC licenses not being updated due to bad data from the FCC. We have fixed the problem and processed all the available license updates. Your license should now be in our system. You can sign up here: https://mygmrs.com/register

Just because he can hit the repeater does not mean anyone wants to talk to him.

Why are you here? We all already know what an A-hole is, there is no need to keep giving us an example. Shouldn't you be busy talking to all your friends on a repeater 200 miles away.

The green camo photo above is a F8HP. About 75 cents in paint will make your black one not so bland

I'll add to what @SteveShannon said. It is sometimes easier to keep antennas separated vertically versus keeping them separated horizontally. A lot will depend on your locating and setup. Think of the radiation pattern of vertical antennas as a beach ball. The lower the antenna gain the rounder the pattern will be. The higher the gain, the flatter the pattern will be. An example would be comparing the pattern of a 5 dBd antenna and a 9 dBD antenna. The pattern with the 5 dBD antenna will look like a donut while the pattern of the 9 dBd antenna will look like a thick pancake. Keeping the antennas separated vertically works. As Steve said, you can always move the lower antenna down some if you do get some interference.

Same mast. No fancy calculations needed, just increase the distance if you detect interference.

Hi Frank, What is your call sign? Sometimes it takes a few days, but I have also seen where people read and input their call sign incorrectly and go for weeks or even months before figuring it out. All GMRS call signs issued in the past several years are four letters followed by three numbers: waaa000 to wzzz999. One person had a call sign that ended in I776 and he kept trying to enter it as 1776, not i776, getting more and more frustrated when the system failed to recognize it in spite of the amount of time since issuance. Most people using GMRS do so to have family communications while doing family activities. That’s what the licensing favors, but there’s nothing wrong with random contacts with people you introduce yourself to online. As you have seen a few people get their panties in a wad over that. Ignoring them is easiest.

I'm actually amazed at how well it's done. Each radio group (a-n or something like that) has around 10 users and a group leader for those groups. They pre-check in the group leaders first before the net starts to make sure they are there, start the net and start check-ins starting with radio/user Alpha-1, Alpha-2, etc to the end of the group, ask for relays and then proceed to the next group. Very organized, especially for non licensed users. Some ham nets could learn a thing or two from them.

The REAL fun will begin when the temps start rising and we get some Tropo Ducting happening, along with some solar flares ! then 100-200mile hops will become commonplace.

Well....I'm sitting almost exactly 30 miles from the top of Mt Bachelor here in Central Oregon. I was setting up one of my mobile radios with a MTA 26 antenna and noted that I was hearing 'ski chatter'. We're getting some good snow today and there are folks up on the mountain making the most of it. You can actually see the mountain from my house (when it's clear), so no real surprise, but I can bet they are all using blister pack HT's! Turned on one of my CCR's (UV-5G Plus) and was still hearing it with that although a tad more crackly. So yeah! A little altitude and a clear line of sight does a 'lot' for communications. There's a HAM repeater on top of that pile of dust, but not a GMRS repeater. Not that I'm too worried as I am a licensed HAM, but even so. Would be useful to have both options!! Image below taken with one of my long lenses. you can see the chair lift to the peak.

If anyone other than a family member operating under the repeater owners license the repeater must self ID using the repeater’s owners call sign.

Ultimately it’s up to the repeater operator but that’s exactly what GMRS is for.

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.

Seems like nobody you know keeps much of anything.. Based on your posts, everyone you know has also dumped their Midland radios and their Revevis radios. Do you guys get together every month and build a big bonfire out of all the things you dump?

Should probably point here: https://forums.mygmrs.com/guidelines/ The other link was from before a pretty big site/forum upgrade, I suspect things have shifted around a bit. They're also in the menu in the top right, under the "browse" submenu, at least on mobile view.