WQYC236

About 2:00 AM one morning I over heard two guys planning a break in several miles away using their bubble pack radios. I started answering their transmissions, which produced stunned silence, followed by the statement "Go to the secret channel". I turned on the scanner and found the "secret" channel in about 10 seconds. I then pretended to be a hidden observer who would "keep them in sight" until the police arrived. Panic ensued and the nefarious activities were abandoned for the evening.

I have two TR-505 radios and really like them. The measurements I get on high power with my meter are 5.3 watts VHF and 5.7 watts UHF (advertised values for high power are 5 watts and 4 watts). I also purchased the 15" antenna, battery eliminator, microphone, and mag-mount mobile antenna. The only thing I would not purchase again is the mag-mount mobile antenna. You can do a lot better with an aftermarket GMRS/MURS mag-mount. I have one on my car now that is 5.5 db and works well with the TR-505 set up. As far as repeaters go I only have one in the area that I have tried hitting with the short antenna and I can hit that one from 30 miles out, inside a car (no roof antenna) but the repeater is on a 1400 ft mountain. The 15" antennas are really worth the money and will extend your range about 40% (maybe more on MURS). I can talk a good 50% further on MURS (VHF) frequencies and they really seem to move over terrain features that will block GMRS signals (even at a 5 watt to 2 watt power difference). The typical range here in Virginia for the short antennas is about 5-6 miles, with the 15" antennas about 6-7 miles and with two roof mounts on MURS as far as 12 miles. Hope this helps.

Welcome!

Interesting post and repeater.

That is a great tool that you sent! Thanks for posting!

I understand, this is what I'm using now: http://www.ve2dbe.com/rmonline.html Although I'm finding it a little overly optimistic with what I'm seeing in the field but if you fine tune the antenna gain it comes pretty close to reality.

Wouldn't it be nice if the FCC put MURS under GMRS and offered licencees those frequencies at GMRS power levels.

Thanks! Just wanted to be safe and legal.

"Since you are already "breaking the rules" by kerchunking the "repeater" you may as well give a brief voice transmission as well, such as "Testing, 1, 2, 3" and see if it is "parroted back" to your radio. " Thanks for the information guys! I didn't know I was "breaking the rules" by saying "Radio Check, 1,2,3,4" and then giving my call sign on a repeater frequency. Can you clarify?

Thanks to all for the good information!

"(I suspect hearing yourself being "parroted back" after a making a transmission just might be a give away... }" I guess I don't yet know how to make that happen. The best I can do is hear the two or three second delay carrier after I un-key the mic.

It's interesting that they approved the TR-505 for the licensed upper 15-22 and repeater channels but not the shared channels 1-7 with the FRS guys. Still it's a nice option for a combined GMRS/MURS radio.

Wow! Thanks for the information guys...I am still learning and had no clue that information was available. This is a great group of people!

An addition to my last post: They also have a nice audio voice feature that talks to you when you change channels or make adjustments (can turned off if you wish). It rally makes it nice in the dark when you are fumbling to change channels or wondering what power setting you are on. With this feature the radios also become intuitive to a "new to radio" end user. They always get the right channel and make the right adjustment because it tells them what they are doing. The radios are small and solid, they just feel good in the hand, more like a high end business radio. Dennis

I've been using the TERA TR-505's for about six months now. They were initially marketed as GMRS/MURS radios (mine even says that on the front) but have since changed the way they are marketed. They are fully programmable radios with VHF/UHF frequencies ( if you buy the cable and down load the free software) with Hi/Low power settings. VHF is 5 watts /2 watts, UHF is 4 watts & 1 watt (although the measured output seems to be a little hotter than what's claimed,more like 5.7 & 5.2 but low power is right on the money). There have been many discussions on the web about whether they are actually Part 90 & 95 certified and I never did see any real conclusions one way or the other, but like I said, when I bought them they were advertised as legal GMRS/MURS radios and I have never seen a recall issued. They come with a substantial default antenna and optional 15" antenna that is almost as good as the short, 3 db, mag mount they also offer. I switched back and forth between mag mount and long antenna at a range of five miles (rolling rural terrain of Virginia) and the other operator couldn't tell the difference. I have since switched to a proper 6db, dual band mag mount which makes a big difference. The 15" antennas are well worth the money and, from my observation, will add approximately 40% or more to your range. About any kind of accessory you could want is available for these radios at reasonable prices. The initial cost is around $90 to $100. Dennis

To answer my own question since I've been experimenting, I've been able to talk loud and clear to mobiles in and around the Charlottesville, VA area from Warrenton, VA (61.5 miles) using my mobile transceiver with a mag mount. I can also talk from Culpeper (42 miles) but not as clear. I guess location is everything. 61.5 miles is a personal range record for me on GMRS.

I just looked it up and the nearest ridge line to the East is approximately 2600 ft. If it's up there the theoretical talking distance line of sight is 76 miles. However my experience with VHF is that it will go considerably further.

HaHa! Yes, thank you. I'm always making that mistake.

Extremely helpful information all...Thanks!!

Very interesting. Questions: 1) How did you find the repeater? 2) How do you know you are hitting it? 3) Have you ever talked to anybody on it? 4) What kind of traffic do you hear if any? Since that frequency is definitely MURS I really wonder what's up?

I have a pair of GMRS/MURS Terra 505s with the optional 15 inch antenna and they work great! I can typically talk 5-7 miles over average rural terrain of small hills and forest. Having said that I was having trouble talking to my daughter who is only 1.5 air miles from me on GMRS because of terrain features blocking the signal. I even tried to talk to her on my mobile radio with 30 watts output on GMRS. She could hear me but couldn't talk back. We recently tried the same test on the Terra's MURS channels and talked fine, so I really became a believer in the VHF frequencies.

I have two 1250 ft. mountains within three miles of my location that would be great sites for a repeater. Are there any commercially available remote area repeaters that run off of solar? These places are a long way from a power source. And if we lose the grid for a few weeks or months, could be a life saver (once we pull our radios out of the Faraday cage).

A big garbage can lid is not a bad make shift ground plane for a mobile mag mount. If you get lucky it will be close to a multiple or fraction of the wave length:).

Thanks! I think the furthest one out, south of Charlottesville, is on a mountain top.

Does anybody know if this (WQWV679) or it's sister repeater (south of Charlottesville, VA) is still in operation? I can't seem to determine if I'm hitting them or not, and I've only heard one brief conversation in the last week or so of monitoring both repeater's frequiencies. I'm located 49 miles NE of the furthest repeater so I guess it's possible I'm out range,although the stated range is 71.1 miles. I would like to do a radio test with any locals who use this repeater just to see if I can hit it with my 50 watt mobile. DH