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I'm glad I can help! Definitely my pleasure. We do still use 73 to send someone Best Wishes... it's much appreciated, and 73 to you too, my friend. Looking forward to following along with your most recent radio journey!

Also, keep in mind, as you switch between GMRS and Ham, the memory channels and custom programing gets completely wiped. While you can switch between the two on the fly, keep the phone handy so you can quickly reload your settings after the switch. Wow! Thats REALLY great to know! Maybe I'll just talk to the "Minister of Finance" (My wife) and see if I can just keep these for GMRS, and buy the other set for Ham. They're much more affordable than back in my Ham days. I remember saving up for months just to buy Yaesu or Icom radios. marcpaz I appreciate your patience with me on this one. You've taken a lot of the frustration out of dealing with this. Do people still say "73's"? If they do, sending them your way! Have a blessed Sunday!

Posted 9 minutes ago My bad... I did mean PTT/*/Power on in the original post. (Humble apologies). I've been using the mobile ODMaster app to make changes. I downloaded it from the Google Play store a couple of days ago, so hopefully its the most up to date version. I did purchase a transfer cable so I could use the website to update from my pc if needed. What you're saying makes sense. Being new at this I may have inadvertently loaded the wrong firmware in the mobile app. I was going to try that cloning suggestion you gave me last night and use the unprogrammed radio to restore the one I've been playing with. I do want to have the capability of using Ham and GMRS at some point so I am going to return these radios. However, you've piqued my curiousity, and I am going to give your most recent suggestion a shot here in a few minutes. I greatly appreciate all the help! I'll let you know how it goes!

@nokones he did state that he enabled USB programming. Unless the radio is defective then the problem most likely lies either with a bad USB cable, with the computer and/or not selecting the correct communication port number. @WRXJ624 The easiest way to determine the com port number in Windows is to open up Device Manager. Then plug the USB cable into the computer and radio to see what new com port shows up. Once you know the port number, make sure to select the correct port number in the Midland programming software. Another issue might be that the programming software did not install correctly and may need to be uninstalled and then reinstalled. This doesn't happen very often so I would double check what com port number is showing up in Device Manager and/or try a different USB cable.

This is exactly correct. It doesn’t matter which of the GMRS/FRS channels 1-22 you’re on; if you’re using a GMRS radio you’re required to be operating with a license. If you’re using an FRS radio you do not need a license.

You are incorrect. The FCC rules list them as part of the allocated GMRS frequencies, although the power and bandwidth restrictions are the same as for FRS. I understand that to mean that if you are using a Part 95-accepted radio to transmit on those channels, a license is still required.

FRS and GMRS frequencies are the same.. If their radio is tuned into GMRS, it is tuned into FRS..

Yes.. Review and comparison coming in a week or so.

I have to cancel my trip California. I was looking forward to doing some wheeling on the Rubicon Trail and (possibly) wheeling with @OffRoaderX in Southern California... but 2 years in a row, my job has taken priority. I did get out and play on some East Coast trails last weekend. Of course, GMRS was our primary comms method, which was a great asset as always. I'm going to put a full-length video together soon, but wanted to share a teaser video with my radio-dork friends who are also my offroad-dork friends. LoL Mine is the white Gladiator. Can't wait to share the full video.

i completely forgot that was there as well lol

There should be an option in the menu for naming the repeaters, i have my ar-5rm set up this way, witha ll the repeaters names... then it was just changing a setting in the menu of the radio, or in chirp for the name to show instead of the freq...

Oh nice, read through the manual 5 times but must've missed that setting. Thanks!

itll look like this when done..

You could try to use ARTEMIS Offline Signal Identification to identify it. Download at ARTEMIS Download . Set a filter to 462MHz to listen to signal samples known (76 at the moment) to be available in the band, click through them and listen to the audio sample and hopefully you will find a match. Listen in particular to the samples of the obvious choices first - NXDN, DMR, P25, Motorola. Ignore obvious ones that are not relevant in the US like NMT, PAL, RTS-9TS, etc. Here's a Techminds video of how to use ARTEMIS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_8Y_4FvoHI

This sounds like a text message being sent via rattlegram from a phone through the radio. We do it all the time when we are in a tactical mode, but encrypt the transmission with AES 256 so we know no one can break the code without the master key. Just an observation.....

With a 30 second period it sounds like it’s part of some signaling system. For a while various devices were sold that used FRS/GMRS frequencies for non personal radio purposes. Baby monitors, home weather stations, etc. Perhaps it’s something like that. Nothing prevents transmitting multiple CTCSS tones simultaneously with strings of data that include DTCSS codes, especially if those codes are being used to carry other data rather than access codes. Because they’re very short and audible CTCSS tones and DTCSS codes are extremely simple to inadvertently include in a transmission if a transmitter isn’t explicitly filtering them out. Our radios do that; they intentionally filter them out before adding specific ones in while transmitting. Someone’s home control system easily might not. Given the fact that you are able to anticipate when it’s going to be heard you should be able to track it.

Sorry... I was not implying you did change the firmware or that there was/is a firmware issue. I mentioned what I did as a caution, advising against possibly changing the firmware that is preloaded on the device, as a possible solution. Also, there are three different firmware versions loaded on the radio's permanent storage, and you can pick which three you want to use... which you obviously already understand that. At least to some degree. In your original post, you said you tried pressing the Bluetooth button, the * (lock) button and turning the power on, which is not the correct method You have to press and hold the primary PTT and the * (lock) buttons while turning the power on, and then hold those buttons until the boot-loader loads the firmware menu. So, can you confirm which method you used? Also, I have read in several groups that some models of the TD-H3 Plus do not support the aforementioned method of switching between modes/firmware. I have read repeatedly that PTT/*/power only works on the Amateur Radio version... not the GMRS version. New approach. What version of the ODMaster software are you using? The web-based version or did you download the mobile app? You can force the App to load the program data for the wrong radio and all kinds of odd stuff can happen. If you are using the app, that is likely what happened. I would open the app and create a fresh/new GMRS program file for the radio that is blank, using the TD-H3 Plus template. From there, connect to the radio with the ODMaster app (not the web version), connect to the radio with whatever model from the drop-down allows a connection, and push the blank GMRS configuration to the radio. Do NOT do a read first... just push with a Write function. That should fix it and make it so you have the proper boot screen, too. Then you can program as desired. Now, if you want to switch from GMRS to Ham, you have to use a programing cable and download the TIDRadio CPS software. You can't switch the GMRS version on the fly.

Is it possible to capture a recording as previously asked by @SteveShannon and upload it here? I also was wondering if the noise breaks the squelch with an antenna removed from one of your HT radios? Just curious if the noise is really close by or not.

Some pople can't figure that out

Wide bandwidth is authorized for GMRS users on 1-7 and 15-22 per FCC rules.

I think most hams who also have GMRS licenses have amateur and GMRS frequencies on the same radio. It's so much more convenient than carrying two radios...I've heard... Regardless of the radio used, I'm a proponent of sticking to the authorized power levels and bandwidths because I don't want to interfere with someone else's enjoyment of the airwaves.

Someone please tell him.....

I have a buddy who did that on some public safety frequency using a Baofeng while mobile some years back. When he told me I got him to stop explaining it was the quickest way to get nailed. Now he’s now a licensed a Ham and has his GMRS one too. He’s very happy with both now. He showed me an article in the local town paper a year or so later where his actions were used to justify moving to a digital radio system for the affected agency. Plus it went on to say the FCC was actively DF’ing his signal at the time. He’s lucky.

Did you program with Chirp?? When your Tidradio H3 Plus shows "H8" on the display, id's likely indicates a confusion or malfunction in the radio's programming or the firmware, causing it to incorrectly display a different model designation or to attempt to operate in a mode or with settings more appropriate for an H8 radio. If you've recently programmed your H3 Plus with software like CHIRP, there might be a conflict in the programming, potentially leading to the "H8" displays. Solution: Try deleting all channels and reloading your configuration file or using the CHIRP software to re-program your radio and upload the correct settings for the H3 Plus.

Using an external antenna gets the antenna up higher and out of the metal box of the vehicle. I set up my wife with the Nagoya UT72 and a handheld microphone with an H3 radio. Makes using it much easier and gives much better range than the short antenna on the HT.

They either mean what they say when they label it open or it’s not really open. I would use it without seeking permission but if you get a chance contact the owner to say thanks.

Many of us have used hand held radios with an external antenna with good results. As others have said, getting the antenna outside of the vehicle is the biggest improvement you can make. Adaptor cables that go from SO239 to SMA are cheap and make connecting an external antenna to most hand held radios easy to do.

If nothing else the 20w radio will sound louder. You will have the clear commanding voice.

Nope, nope, nope not going to even look

You need one of these. You won’t regret spending the money. https://www.amazon.com/Upgraded-TinySA-Spectrum-Frequency-Generator/dp/B0BBGK9QJB/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.E2AAv7H7z2PGLOgyJTAO-jFyX5El88briZR7abomJlt6lrN42NjxPUaKIc37w3hBUbBh_ZQs88keonNdxBj2tmSDY6qZPoT1yzD3N4i7oAF8JqLLJ919K2ka6MUwIHRhhGxf84NA519KaW2ymkv3Druf5x1ODuooPRLZZR5r_0JEAVykbfeMWCoo677OWPN_8XDeycpVtmpwi8N9lcPYAAo08cF4Luy0fvCTRpaYnME.uF1TvflqM_sedTmU2VZSBh_uHbIBjR5HKXL5-YeS_hY&dib_tag=se&hvadid=694399657356&hvdev=t&hvexpln=67&hvlocphy=9031792&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=8588421908655988712--&hvqmt=e&hvrand=8588421908655988712&hvtargid=kwd-950925853801&hydadcr=13153_13399500&keywords=tiny+spectrum+analyzer&mcid=273461ec36b53e08a9a40d42412c327f&qid=1753502082&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

It really helps to know which port to choose if you’re watching the ports in Device Manager when you plug in the cable. You’ll see which virtual port is created by the driver.

I have had to go thru as many as 5 virtual ports in software to find a compatible port for some software. The ports aren't the physical plug in ports on your machine, they are the virtual ports in the software. As the Grand Master points out, different drivers can have their own preference for one port over another - and Windows sucks.

Two issues here: Mustering the posse and/or just getting the Kraken antenna array setup on the car and getting said car to your general location can take time -you could very well be long gone by then If you are SMART about it, keying only a few seconds at a time, then moving, it would be very difficult - if you only did it 2 or 3 times, it could event be impossible.. BUT - if you are having an ongoing conversation, even while driving or as in the case of the guy that I caught jamming one of our repeaters, continuously keying while driving, it gets easier. TL;dr: If you're smart, its nearly impossible.. If you're an idiot that thinks you are immune to being caught, it gets easier when using a Kraken. Luckily all of our repeater jammers have been idiots.

Actually, yes.. If they are using a doppler type locator like the KrakenRF, it's fairly easy to do. I've done it myself. But again, the next question is "then what?"

If it's some sort of digital interference, maybe the opposite would be true. Maybe it can slip through a digital code but not a subaudible tone. I'll try setting a CTCSS receive code on channel 15 on a radio and see if that blocks it.

Yes, if both radios are programmed correctly, that's how it should it work. The repeater picks up the signal from one HT and retransmits ("repeats") it with more power from a more advantageous position. Typically, a repeater is situated in an elevated position, meaning it can receive and transmit more effectively than a radio at ground level. If there are GMRS repeaters open to public use within range, that would give you the communication capability you want. That's the primary reason I put up a repeater. I have a couple of buddies living to the east of me where I can reach their HTs with a base unit and tall antenna, but not with an HT. The repeater gives us HT-to-HT capability over a wide area. GMRS repeaters are privately owned, and some owners allow public use while others don't. As a general rule, if the repeater is listed in public databases with the CTCSS/DTCS code, it's available for public use. You're not permitted to use a repeater (or simplex, for that matter) on any service for which you do not have the appropriate license. Some repeater owners are pretty casual about the license requirement, while others are strict, but FCC regulations do require that you be licensed for the frequencies you use.

Sure, just use the GMRS repeater frequency. And welcome to GMRS!

Yes. get them at least 50 feet apart and try again.

It doesn’t matter as far as a ground plane, but if you use steel you can use a magnetic mount.

You will need to use two antennae, one for the 70cm freqs and one for GMRS. You should mount each antenna on the side of each cowl near the "A" Pillar using the Rugged Radios mounting brackets and NMO mounts. Don't use the cheap stuff get the Laird Mount and Cable from a reputable Radio Electronics Dealer. As for the GMRS antenna since it appears you are only concerned with GMRS for the trail, you should get thd Midland MXTA25 or the MXTA26. Attached is a picture of my Highband VHF antenna on the side near the cowl and "A" Pillar. Also attached is a Laird Lip Mount NMO mount I use for my UHF DMR freqs. The Phantom antenna is a Laird. Just make sure that the mounts have chassis ground continuity without the coax cable connected to the radio.

A repeater may not always give you the ID back. It's usually on a timer (15 min) and will only ID after that time has expired. If you are receiving a signal back pressing the PTT you are hitting the repeater.

The butt-prints smell fresh so your story checks out.

It's okay, man. I already know where you live. I sat on you front porch naked for two hours this morning before sunrise. If you don't believe me, check out the crusty butt prints near the top step.

Per my sources at Midland there were "issues" with the company making the unit, and no longer sell it - but you can still buy one directly from the company as mentioned by @WRUU653 .. I have one and am still very happy with it after several years - although i yanked out the Midland that was in it and shoehorned in KG-1000G+ .

Well, i got the green light from the wife to build another rock crawler. This one is going to include some nice VHF/UHF comms, too. Just not sure if I'm going to stick HF in it. I feel like I won't need it, unless I'm wheeling with someone who is still running a CB. Of course, I know a few people with CBs, but no one uses them offroad. I am pretty sure I am going to install the MXT500 due to its IP rating. The Jeep won't have any roof or doors once it's done. Shoot, im not even sure if it will have a windshield when it's done. LoL Anyone aware of a different, affordable and readily available GMRS/UHF mobile radio that I should consider? IP66 or better and 20+w? This is what I picked up. 1997 Wrangler TJ. This is roughly what it will look like when its done.