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But really, you have two repeaters that are only 4 miles apart in the flattest state in the union and they’re on the same frequency. They’re going to interfere with each other. Use just one and get the antenna up another 40 feet.

We know, but you told us that you didn’t need to be told about the FCC rules.

It’s frequency based. For VHF such as 2 meters it’s actually 0.600 MHz offset and it can be either plus or minus. For UHF such as GMRS or 70 cm it’s 5.00 MHz and for the ham frequencies it can be plus or minus, but for GMRS the FCC put the repeater input frequencies in the regs. The frequency that’s given is always the frequency that the repeater transmits and your radio receives. For the frequency your radio transmits you apply the offset. You uplink (transmit) to the repeater and you downlink (receive) from the repeater. You really will pick it up. You’re doing great. It’s just that the fire hose is so big right now. Edited to add: most of the better ham radios automatically select the correct offset value based on frequency, but sometimes you have to override the direction.

Its cute that it's taken you this long to realize this fact.

One for a go box and one for the car or one for the house, etc. You can never have too many radios.

I went outside with my longer 771 antennas on 3 of my radios(AR-5RM, BF-F8HP Pro, and UV-K61) and the 3" antenna on my UV-5R and the longer antennas hit about 5 or 6 of the programmed repeaters, the UV-5R hit about 3 which I think is still pretty good for being in the 'burbs and miles away from the White Tanks. I can't wait to give 6M a try with the RT-880. If I could get 15 or 20 miles Simplex I'd be happy since 6M should skip a bit and not have to totally be Line of Sight like VHF/UHF is. I'm so glad I got my HAM Tech. License. This opens up a lot more Frequencies to play with vs GMRS/MURS.

I guess I've got everything programmed properly. I was getting automated returns from some of the local Repeaters and I even got a call back from a YL that said I had a weak signal with a lot of static, go figure, I'm using my BF-F8HP Pro from inside the house. I'm sure it's only pushing 5 or so watts. At least the HAM Repeaters are in operation, no deal for the Shaw Butte GMRS Repeater, it's still down and out.

He only just submitted it 12 hours ago. The electrons haven’t cooled down yet.

Agreed. There is a LOT of overlap in material between the General exam and the Technician exam and General is relatively easy if you've just wrapped up Tech. I'm a VE (we actually have a monthly exam session tonight) and I very often see the same Tech candidate pass then come in the following month for their General and pass that too.

I checked and everything was ok. I'm going to try to make my first contact. KM7BVY Over and Out. 73's.

Every once in a while you may stumble across an "odd split" repeater frequency, rare but they are out there. If you end up getting some commercial grade radios the programming is a bit different. For those they don't assume any kind of offset. You have to enter in BOTH the discrete transmit and receive frequencies. None of mine have any entries for an "assumed" offset, unlike many Ham grade radios. https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Offset

Understandable. The goal was finding a spot where those that want to use digital voice have a "home", and not impact those who are happy with analog FM. The proposed changes allows those who want to continue to use FM won't notice a difference. The manufactures would have a choice which grade of radio they want to provide. For example right now in the EU one can buy cheap simple analog only PMR446 radios, or spend more money and buy one with digital functions too. There isn't any reason to force manufacturers to sell only the more expensive combo analog/digital models. The market place will take care of that if the demand is there.

Yes I did. Yeah, it's not the best written paper I've ever done. Just tried to get my ideas down in some coherent fashion. I'm not an English major. It's easier to just attach it to a post rather than try to convey my ideas a few lines at a time over dozens of separate posts. No. The only reason for any kind of registration on Ham is for the user ID's. That's to prevent duplication. However you can use whatever ID you want, but for those that depend on the radio's builtin database it will, of course, show the wrong info. I had accidentally did that programming one of my DMR based NX-1300's. When I used it one of the Hams on the repeater noticed and asked about it. Didn't impede the QSO any however.

Here in FL there've been band openings in the winter & spring when the mornings & evenings have been cool I'm in the Tampa Bay area close to the Gulf & several times I've connected to repeaters up towards the FL Panhandle I know of ops that live on the East side of Tampa Bay that have hit repeaters on the East Coast when the conditions allow it A Tip: on those cool mornings & evenings, check the 162 MHz NOAA weather channels, if you start copying NOAA stations from out of town that's a good indicator of a band opening

..we will reserve judgement for now. With a UV9g, you dont need to think about the offset - these are the basic steps: Put the radio on the correct REPEATER CHANNEL - Probably listed as either "Repeater 20" or Channel 28 Go into the Transmit CTC menu and enter the tone IGNORE/REMOVE the Receive tone as it is optional and at this point its only going to add to your confukulation Be sure to save all your changes (you may need to resort to the manual) Push the talk-button and talk, let go of button and listen for the Kerchunk/Static back from the repeater, or someone responding If it doesn't work then either you have the wrong channel, the tone is wrong, you are not close enough to the repeater (just because you can hear it does not mean it can hear you) or the repeater is down/broken/offline. The fact that you said you "have the offset" leads me to surmise that you've done it wrong.

I noticed while programing some Repeater Channels into my radios that in 2M it's +/- 6MHz, 1.25M is -1.6MHz(didn't see any +1.6MHz on the list) and 70cm(kind of like GMRS) is +5MHz. So RX(transmit to the Repeater) is the frequency that's given then you off-set that by the given MHz for your TX frequency. Do I have that right? Of all the radio stuff Repeaters has to be the one thing that I have trouble with in regards to TX an RX. TX will ALWAYS be the one with the off-set, + or - whatever it is and RX is the listed Frequency. I think I've got my head wrapped around it. Also, just to add, "Uplink" is the Freq. I TX(send) to the Repeater and "Downlink" is the Freq or RX the Repeater sends back to me. If they'd just say RX or TX instead of Uplink and Downlink it'd be a lot simpler for me to understand but I think I've got it.

Radios are like guns or fishing poles, etc, etc, you can never have enough. I have two VHF/UHF radios in the shack, one is for daily use while the other is dedicated for WINLINK. I will be putting the second one along with a mini computer into a go box. I also have a 50 watt GMRS radio along with a spare 20 watt GMRS radio at home along with multiple amateur band and GMRS hand held radios. Plus I have dual band and GMRS radios in my Ford Escape, Ford F150 and my Honda Pioneer 500 SxS. I might end up putting one of the G90s into one of my vehicles. I haven't decided yet.

Are you using the simplex channel that you hear the repeater on or are you on a repeater channel? Power is seldom the problem or solution.

If I'm unwilling to put WiFi into my show why would I put Starlink in? I use my phone as a hotspot while I'm there. As soon as I leave no more internet. And since I'm there I could just flip the power switch.

I had been addressing my three kids as "you jokers, smokers, and midnight tokers", which was fun until my 7 year old asked what a midnight toker was. Didn't think my cunning plan all the way through. I just said "it's from a song" and played Steve Miller Band until he quit asking questions.

Yes that chart can definitely confuse people. It shows both 1.00 MHz and 1.6 MHz split for the 1.25m/220 MHz band.

Yes GMRS Live has been shut down and also why you can't download the software anymore. If you really do not care about the FCC rules then you can always try and get an Allstar node with a UHF SA818 radio to work for GMRS. But good luck with that one since Allstar Link and Allmon3 are written specifically for use on amateur bands. You are overcomplicating things and also are going to spend more money than needed. Just go with a single repeater along with a good commercial antenna. And get the antenna up as high as you can get it. Also make sure to use quality coax to connect the repeater and antenna.

Thanks....I probably should have read the submission date on the FCC site. My attention span continiues to diminish.... G

There is now an H-8 version 3 out there now that has airband and bluetooth programming like the H3. I recently bought one. It is nice to have the extra power, and the larger kepad is nice at times. But the H-8 still does not have a usb-c programming connection like the H3. It also does not have the two PTT buttons like the H3 has. Sometimes I like the larger design and sometimes the smaller H3 is more convenient. So I like and find both to be useful. Oh and I was also able to wireless transfer my codeplug in the H-3 into the H-8 very quickly and easily.

So, .600MHz, got it. It's odd that 1.25M is +/-1.600MHz, at least to me it is. I need to go double check my 2M off-sets.

OK, the Radtel 880 is back on the list. I found out you can program it via USB-C and they include a programming cable so no need for that "fancy" cable. I also like that you screw in the HF antenna instead of it being a 3.5mm plug like the TK-11 has. It'll still be a couple 3 weeks before funds become available so I can watch more YouTubes and do more research. In the mean time Thanks for all the replies. 73's

I have to agree with @SteveShannon on this. You would be better off with a single repeater and use a good quality commercial antenna. The trick is getting the antenna(s) up as high as you can. You should be able to get a 30-50 mile radius of coverage if you can get the antenna(s) up high enough and if the repeater is located on one of the highest points in your area. Hilly terrain and forested areas will cut down on the range if the antennas are not high enough. I did a search and could not find anywhere to even download the GMRS Live software. So that looks like a bust. The only other option is finding someone that can rewrite the Allstar Link software to work on GMRS. Another issue is if the UHF SA818 module will work well enough on GMRS frequencies. I haven't looked into that myself. Again, best is to use a good quality commercial antenna up as high as you can get it with a single repeater.

I don't know if you can still download GMRS Live or not. I know the website is still up but for information only. It is basically a GMRS version of Allstar Link. GMRS Live pretty much shut everything down on their website when the FCC stated that linking GMRS repeaters was verboten. IF it was me, I would run both repeaters on a different channel if you plan on linking them.

Congrats on getting your Technician Class Amateur license. I've never used 1,25m in the over 30 years I've held a license, so can't speak to that, but in addition to 146.520 for Simplex on 2m, one we use around here and especially when up north beyond cell phones (in addition to extensive use of GMRS on simplex) is the so-called "Adventure Frequency" - 146.580. Used a lot locally (TC area of MN) by hikers and bikers, etc. that are amateur operators. on 70cm, 446.000 is the National Calling Freq., beyond that I don't use simplex on 440 much, only a couple repeaters hereabouts. Definitely look into Repeater Book, a handy app for both iOS and Android, great resource for repeater info for you area, as well for travelling.

I Suggest You Do Some Further Research On The Communications Act Of 1934, Signed Into Law By FDR. It Empowers The FCC To Create Rules As Needed For The Regulation Of Radio, Television, Wire & Later Satellite Communications In The US. Chevron Limits Federal Agencies To Interpret Laws - FCC Creates Rules As Needed For Telecommunications.

Based on my understanding of the Chevron decision, your perception is wrong. Everything did not change. Specific regulations will probably have to be challenged in court or through some other official channels if any exist. (I didn't read your linked document because it requires scripts from 3rd party sites.) And the post above yours is wrong; talking through a repeater is not controlling it.

Yes.

Oh sweet summer child....

Do 10 meter SSB and FT8 before it goes dead with the collapsing of the 11 year solar cycle.

While it’s still fresh in your mind start going through the General material. It builds on the technician test and adds more technical detail. I really enjoyed the studying experience. Upgrading your license doesn’t require additional money to the FCC.

this should this should fix any antenna woes

As many times as the question is ask. I've been around since the days of bulletin boards. Newbies are always asking the same questions. We can either insult them or invite them. I've always been in favor of inviting.

Since the uv9g is a GMRS radio it is pretty hard to mess up. Some things to think about: Are you close enough to the repeater? If you know the general location you could move closer to it until you are sure you are actually opening the repeater. Have you tried simplex with another radio to make sure your radio is transmitting? Is there traffic on the repeater? I'm sure you have double checked your RX/TX tones but you might want to leave the RX tone off if the repeater has one so you can hear all the traffic on that frequency. I'm sure others will chime in with things I didn't mention. Don't give up.

Abbree AR 805S GMRS I bought this because it was $8.00. Figured I'd try it out. My BIL uses the TD H3 for inter-building communication when he is running cables for internet/phone/etc in large buildings. I figured this might be a good antenna for him because it's very small and looks pretty rugged. After I got it onto my H3 1st thing I did of course was to key up my local repeaters. From inside my house I was able to connect to one 7 miles away and another 17 miles away. No conversations as I know from inside my house my 771G antennas struggle for voice communication from inside. I was already surprised by this antenna. I didn't expect them to connect from inside my house. Next test was to connect to the repeater 21 miles away. Even my 771G antenna can't connect from inside my house. So I took a walk outside and did a radio check. Got a response and was told I was making the repeater. I explained I was testing a new antenna while I was walking about and he said I was going in and out of the repeater. So I stood still and repeated my message. So at 21 miles away using a 4 watt H3 I could connect although it didn't seem to be a great connection. But never the less I was able to communicate although maybe no what you would consider reliably. But this was never the intention of me getting this antenna. I never thought it would do distance like it has. Next, try to connect to my own RT97S repeater. This is already tough to do because my repeater antenna is below the tree line and doesn't really get to the vicinity of my house. I walked up to the top of the hill because I live half way down. I tried with the 805S and it did not connect. Again I tried with no such luck. I used the Smiley Rubber Duck and that one didn't connect. I tried with the Nagoya 771G and was able to connect. I walked one block over and this is more a direct line of sight, but still with a hill in the way. I was able to only connect with the 771G. I did the same thing later that night and was able to connect with the Smiley and the 771G but not the stubby antenna. So my conclusion is the antenna has limited range although I was able to connect to all 3 repeaters in my area. Even though I didn't do any voice tests on two of them I am confident it would be satisfactory for both since I was able to connect to the farther repeater with voice. I need to buy a 2nd one and do some simplex testing. I expect to be able to connect to about 1/2 mile clearly and maybe up to a mile without much quieting. Still kind of impressed with the stubby antenna. It's only 2" tall and I didn't expect it to do well at all. For close in communications this makes a tiny H3 even more because you don't need an antenna sticking up. With the antenna on the radio from bottom to tip of antenna is only 5.75". I did not do an SWR test because I don't have the adapters, so that's something that needs to be looked into.

It seems as though every newbie who wants to dive into putting up a repeater(s), for some reason feels the need to link it/them to other repeaters or some big network. Before doing so, please consider that there are ONLY eight GMRS frequencies which may be used for repeater or 50W simplex. More often than not, when you have multiple repeaters linked, you will have situations where a rag chew in progress is only taking place on one or two of the repeaters, but that conversation will necessarily tie up ALL repeaters linked to the used one(s) at the time, as well as the simplex aspect of each repeater frequency for anyone in range of it. The guy trying to use one of those uninvolved repeaters, another repeater in range of any of them, or 50W simplex in range of any of them, will have a difficult or impossible time connecting with his family or friends. Because someone thinks it kewel and trendy to link a bunch of repeaters together, people trying to use any of those eight GMRS channels in range of repeaters so connected, for the original purpose of GMRS, will likely be out of luck. Please take this into consideration before adding to the congestion of those eight channels with unnecessary linking. If you wish to provide a service to the GMRS community in a given area, an open stand-alone repeater capable of covering as much area as feasible will be a far greater service to a given area. I understand that in San Francisco, it is perfectly legal to relieve oneself on the sidewalks. This is probably not considerate of others who use the sidewalk for its original intended purpose. Just because we "can" do something doesn't mean we necessarily "should" do it.

If you're calling another station directly, always start with their call sign first, then yours - ex " WYYY345, WZZZ123." A good way to remember this is to insert "this is" between the call sign and you'll never forget the order - ex "WYYY345 this is WZZZ123." If you're not calling another station directly, the usual procedure is to announce your call sign and "listening" or "monitoring" - ex "WZZZ123 monitoring." If you're just monitoring simplex you might add "WZZZ123 monitoring GMRS channel 20." If you're monitoring a repeater, you might say "WZZZ123 monitoring [repeater station name or frequency here]." If you're looking for a CB-style radio check, people generally ask for a "signal report." For example you may identify on a repeater like this: "This is WZZZ123 monitoring CityRepeater1, are any stations available for a signal report?" A listening station may respond indicating the strength and quality of your signal and/or initiate a conversation. If you receive no response, you could wait a few minutes, identify with your call sign again and request a signal report. If you are not receiving any replies after one or two attempts, you should clear the frequency with something like "No contact, this is WZZZ123 clear, monitoring." Also - you should avoid just keying up the repeater and not saying anything (a.k.a. "kerchunking" the repeater) . If you just want to test if you're in range or have the radio properly set up, still identify - ex: "WZZZ123 testing." Here is a link with some good info about amateur repeater etiquette, but a lot of it still applies to GMRS as well. Radio involves a lot of listening, so keep yours on often and see what you can hear - hope this helps!

You’re right. 1.25 meter is 1.600 MHz. It can get really confusing. Here’s a link to a chart that makes it even more confusing: https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Offset