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According to the FCCs, if you are using a GMRS radio, no matter what channel you are on, the answer is YES.. In the real world, and knowing that nobody listening cares, the FCCs dont care, and nobody will know what kind of radio you are using, the answer is NO.

The issues are the constitutionality of deportation without due process, presumption of guilt (again failure to abide by the constitutional requirements of due process), wholesale “roundups” at locations based on “Hispanic presence”, etc. I would go further except I wish to respect the forum rules against debating politics. And don’t get me wrong; I wish to see actual criminals and criminal behavior punished after due process. But none of those issues imply that a person who disagrees with you and your beliefs is stupid. In fact many of them are pretty intelligent.

To limit range. FRS is intended to be used for short distances using handheld radios and no licenses. As soon as a high gain antenna is installed the range for two watts is basically the same as GMRS radios.

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

I want to thank all of you for you help. I fiddle with my cable bit and tried the Radioddity UV-5G setting and it worked. WSJF239

It’s sad that it’s always so much easier to simply condemn people as stupid rather than trying to understand the actual issues…

I'm not getting anything either. But I'm in Connecticut.

I wrote the CPS for the BF-F8HP Pro and co-manage firmware development, as well as dabbling in manuals and marketing. The BF-F8HP Pro has user-upgradable firmware and the upgrade tool is integrated into the CPS. There have been 3 public releases of firmware (V29, V33 and V44) and there will likely be ongoing future releases. The radio you bought on the first day it was available (October 1, 2024), today, and at some indefinite point in the future will all be able to run the latest firmware. Feedback from users here, on Facebook and elsewhere gets evaluated and often results in new features and/or bug fixes. I don't know anything about the UV-28 Plus - I stopped collecting random Baofeng models once I got involved in the BF-F8HP Pro project. BTW, you can get 20% off the BF-F8HP Pro (radio only, not accessories or other models) on the https://baofengtech.com web site (not Amazon) by using coupon code "CPS" at checkout. * It should be obvious that I'm involved with the BF-F8HP Pro project, but here's a disclaimer anyway.

I have to look away so I'm not buying a new radio every 6 months.

Interesting that there is, apparently, no limitation on using the HT in foreign ports. Then again, perhaps they have done their homework and know there would be no problems in ports they visit. You have to go to the bridge to get the answer. I once asked a non-officer crew member what frequency was being used for port operations at our next stop. He responded, "We don't use frequencies, we use channels".

I see these statements often on forums (rhetoric or not) and am always curious what motivates the speaker to leave the confines of his (rarely a her) otherwise busy day to NOT answer the question, but yet criticize its asking! I always answer: 1) Some people like or need to be spoon-fed information and concurrently some people get gratification and are well heeled at researching and reporting the information. 2) Technical topics tend to get out-dated with time, so reviewing them with a new question (and response) gets an up-to-date answer; and 3) Posting on forums helps answer the question for others, too. One person's looking up his own answer, helps no one else! But at the end of the day, there is always someone like @UncleYoda who has a need to raise that inquiry and I am happy to fulfill that need with MY answer!

Do you mean where you said this? I linked to a standard-capacity battery for the UV-5r which is USB-C chargeable. If we're being semantically pedantic, you didn't specifically say there were none; you said you didn't know of any, so I provided a link to one. The one I linked to doesn't need to be attached/detached via screws. Use whatever battery works best for you. Fortunately, there are plenty of options.

It all depends on how long you want to use the radio before having to recharge the battery. How much you transmit will also determine what size battery you will need. I would start out with a minimum of a 10 amp hour LifPo 4 battery. That will last you from 5-6 hours or longer depending on how much you transmit on 20 watts.

This is the part that everyone wants an answer to, because it makes zero sense.

If you’re using a GMRS radio the regulations require you to identify every 15 minutes when talking and when you stop talking. For most people that really only requires you to say your call sign once at the end of the conversation. There are no FRS channels that are not also GMRS channels.

The GMR2+ is a GMRS radio so you dont have to worry about, or even think about offsets - you just select the correct "Repeater Channel" and enter the TX tone and (optionally) the RX tone.. Steps for that are outlined in your user-manual. HOWEVER - To use a repeater the radio must be GMRS repeater-capable, and based on the Rugged Radio Product page for the GMR2+, it does not appear to be repeater capable - and if that is the case, then you bought the wrong radios. EDIT/UPDATE: After reading the user-manual for you i can see that this radio is repeater capable.. I can also see that this is probably the most confuckulating to use GMRS radio I have ever seen. I give it two thumbs down and would NOT recommend this radio to someone that does not know anything about GMRS, Tones, or repeaters..

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.

As has been said, you may get SOME additional punch through trees and what not at 20W over 5W, but the biggest thing is putting the antenna outside of the big metal box. The nice thing about it though is that with the antenna on the outside, not only does it improve your transmit range, but you'll be able to hear them from further away than you otherwise would as well, with a handheld inside the car without an external antenna. All that said, if staying in touch is super important to the group....if a large separation happens, have a plan for correcting that / regrouping.

I know there's at least a couple others here running GMRS radios in race / track cars. Whatcha running? Up until now I've been making do with a handheld based system in my car (with an external antenna). Nerdie racing car harness with Fuze molded ear plugs / buds, and a KG905-G on the door bar, but I've never been thrilled with it. It's performed fine (100% coverage at most tracks I run, 80%+ at worst), but it's something extra to manage and care for and the only decent mount I could find for it had it rotating around to where the screen wasn't visible (did I just bump the channel knob? uh oh...) and if I was lucky I would just be able to reach the volume knob to adjust it while belted in the car w/ a helmet and HANS. Always had to make sure it was turned off for the night, always had to make sure the battery was charged. Before: So I wanted a mobile radio solution. But most mobile radios obviously won't work with a K1 connector based car / headset harness. Cut to learning this weekend about the BTech UV25X2. Compact 20W radio, but has an adapter with a K1 connector to plug a headset in. It is technically a ham radio (actually, I don't know how they get away with it, the thing near as I can tell is WIDE OPEN, not just restricted to 2m / 70cm ham bands), so, caveat emptor and all that, know what you're doing when you're messing with it because it definitely WILL let you do things you maybe shouldn't be. Changed the power connector on the back over to a more weather resistant 2-pin deutsch connector. No I'm not using the cigarette socket in the car, this was just for testing on my desk. In the car it's wired to a switched bus-bar and battery ground in the car. Integrated the mounting bracket with my switch panel with a pair of rivnuts: I don't plan on running it at full power most of the time, but I tested with it to make sure everything works. Good SWR, and higher than the advertised 20W. (1.12 SWR @ 8.6W on Low power). I need to finish cleaning up the wiring and zip tying / wire-wrapping everything, but it's in and I got to test it out simplex with my son on an H/T, and also to a handful of local repeaters, both with the handset it comes with, and with the full helmet & earbuds setup. Seems to work great, good signal reports all round, we'll see how it holds up

Saw those the other day. Pretty dang cool. About the only DMR/Analog HT I've seen that does cool analog stuff I've been missing in HT's like my MD-380. Things like tone scan, add/remove channels on the radio without a PC, etc. It's almost like a standard analog radio with all the analog features one would want that does DMR instead of a DMR radio that can do basic pre-programmed analog but with no real analog features.

Nope, nope, nope not going to even look

Whats really sad is the amount of folks on this forum that encourage folks to break the rules. Regardless if its uncertified radios, using non gmrs frequencies like ham. Then on top of it it we tell folks dont worry no one cares or can do anything. What happened to be a stewardess of the hobby/service ? Lately this forum isn't much better than the prepper forums out there.

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.

Yes. That was similar to the remark by the VE I had talked to. He said it was a technical rule violation, BUT the FCC would simply ignore it and no action taken. I guess I should have explained it better. There is what the rules say, then there is what really happens in practice.

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.

Are you running it unlocked, or in GMRS mode? If in GMRS mode, are you using 1 of the pre-programmed repeater channels? Also, Menu 6 is Step size, not repeater offset. Step size is, when you're in VFO mode, the smallest increment of frequency change when tuning or scanning. I will say that programming the DB20-G on the face is...pretty annoying. It's still a bit clunky but a heck of a lot easier with the programming software (EDIT: I forgot this radio's in Chirp now, which helps a lot)

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.

Still is mostly Public Safety and some SMRs

I live in a small desert community with basically zero crime.. Whenever someone does something stupid and gets arrested, which is seldom, the local town makes it sound like we are biggest crime ridden community in the country.. I've lived in L.A. and Sacramento, people need to get a lesson

OP That kind of range is unlikely with GMRS, especially given the physical obstacles highlighted in @amaff’s post, but amateur radio on HF (lower frequencies than VHF and UHF) can probably communicate between Olympia and Puyallup. They also may have linked repeaters for VHF or UHF, which are allowed in amateur radio but not GMRS. Both communities have amateur radio clubs. Consider contacting them for more information: The Olympia Amateur Radio Society: http://olyham.blogspot.com/ Valley Amateur Radio Club: https://www.arrl.org/Groups/view/valley-amateur-radio-club/type:club

You would be shocked to see how many people don't know this fact. I can imagine US tourists using their FRS radios while the ship is docked in a foreign port and those frequencies are used by the local fire and police.

Not all Kenwood radios you can program out of the official band split. One notable example is the NX-411. That radio can be used on the Ham 33cm band. The programming software simply won't accept the out of band entry like most of the other KPG radio programming packages for Kenwood. This particular radio required hex editing the code plug. I wrote up the procedure and posted it on another forum. A fellow Ham, a computer professional, used that to write a custom utility to automate the process. Oh, hex editing is your only option if you're stuck with any of the Kenwood "ProTalk" radios. Those allow ONLY a limited selection of discreet frequencies to be selected in the programming software. The hex editing process is similar to the one used on the NX-411 I mentioned. That's why I stay away from the "ProTalk" models no matter how good the deal, price, looks. Not worth the trouble, unless you plan to program it once and never touch it again. How to Hex edit Kenwood code plugs - 20241011.pdf

To throw another fish on the pile, use of personal radios on a ship require the permission of the captain.

Yah, that's @H8SPVMT's fault....

Only "some people" would resurrect a 7 year old dead thread.

So only stupid people protest?

Or keep it and use it for spare parts that are common with the 880-1 version. Sometimes finding spare parts for old radios is nearly impossible. That's why a few guys keep junk chassis's around to pick over.

Definitely a problem for it to be that hot. I wouldn’t expect the voltmeter to reflect a significant voltage drop unless your battery were nearly dead. You’d have to view the current on an ammeter to see how much the radio was drawing. Let us know how the replacement works.

Used an IR gun after it nearly burned my hands to confirm the actual temp. I had to wear gloves to handle it. I agree that it should not have been that hot but it was turned off but still plugged in. I was curious about the drain as well, but I did not notice any significan draw down on the volt meter on my truck. I did box it up and will exchange it today for another one. When it did work, I was very pleased with it. I was able to hit my preferred repeater in BR from my office parking lot about 25 miles away. The small size was convenient. I wasn't sure how I would like all the controls being on the mic but I eventually found that to be one of the biggest selling points for me.

Hopefully, Jeff Bezos is back from Venice.

The radio does have a thermal-shutdown.. so if gets too hot for any reason, it will throttle-back and then stop transmitting all-together.. Wait for it to get cold tonight and then try it again.. if still no joy, send it back to the guy you got it from and tell him to send you one that works.

Too bad our GMRS friend from So.Cal isn't around anymore, he always hit repeaters in Arizona, over 200 miles away... ..whatever happened to that guy anyway?

If you are licensed amateur there are lists showing which countries the US has reciprocal agreements with regarding operating privileges. There is an official notice along with your license you need to carry with you also. You may need to get an Icelandic call sign also while operating in their country.

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.

I'll add to what Steve posted. Here is a link showing the only authorized channels for GMRS. https://www.buytwowayradios.com/blog/2022/11/list-of-gmrs-frequencies-and-channels.html You can't just pick any frequency between 462 MHz and 467 MHz and use them on GMRS. You have to stick with the designated channels. Midland radios will not transmit on anything other than designated GMRS channels. I have yet to see anyone hack a Midland radio.

Welcome! and, just FYI - if you plan on using that plate for measuring the SWR on handheld antennas, dont bother. Even with the plate, you will never get a true/accurate SWR reading that reflects how the antenna will perform when used on the handheld. Some say this is why they stopped including the (virtually useless) plates with the meter.

It's because it really is irrelevant. Unless they give you height above terrain, it means nothing. Even then, unless you're familiar with the topography of the land, it can mean very little. My antenna is 40 foot above ground. However my elevation, while not bad for 'the area' is bad for my exact area, as everything around me is taller. Found a house we loved, if only it'd been on a mountain, or at least not in depression by a river. I can run 40 watts, or 100 (only in testing) and my distance is maintained. My next hope is to buy an old tree trimming truck, and turn it in to a tower lol.

I Would Have To Disagree. Think His Story Has A Crack In It..........

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

"Well, you see, little Timmy, sometimes a man buys a radio so he can meet other men and exchange signal reports and talk about antennas." "What about talking to friends and family?" "Yeah yeah, they do that too, but first, let's talk about mag mounts and ground planes..."