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WRXP381

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Posts posted by WRXP381

  1. Th biggest problem is going to be when the retivis takes a dump. I’d never own a retivis anything.  It’s only 10w also.    Plus do you really need a repeater?  Is there a big hill or mountain in the way?     You didn’t even mention the important part.  Antennas.  They mean more than anything else.  I’d skip the repeater and make sure every house has a good quality high gain antenna up as high as possible with good feed line.  A comet712 running Lmr400 and a 5w hand held will easily do 50 miles line of sight.   The repeater doesn’t sound like it’s needed at all.  A nice base station at every house would run about $250 total for a 20w radio antenna and coax. And a trickle charger and 12v battery.  

  2. I’m betting it transmits the same fars as any other ht.   And if you don’t mind no face programming it will be a fine radio.  I’d bet not much different than any other radio in the end.  I’d bet like lost adios it will come down to personal preference and budget.  

  3. Well the kg1000 is a great radio if you have the budget.$400-$450ish?     I run tyt 8600 radios $100-$135 depending on sales,  in all the ranch trucks and as base stations. .  I’m cheap and have many radios to buy and I only want to learn one radio so this is the one we use. I need the water proof function of them as well They are only 20w but I get 200miles from my base station because of location coax and antenna.  My trucks all have utg72 cheap mag mounts.  They do about 40miles but again I live in the foothills of a flat valley so line of sight works out great for me. 

  4. 36 minutes ago, Davichko5650 said:

    The MIdland I get being the owner of the reasonably crappy MXT275 (older version, no split tones just when I started using repeaters) But have been mulling over the Retevis RA87 vs the Radddddioity Da40. More budget friendly at this time that a Wuoxun 1000.  What's the story one these two?

    Personally I have known many people that have retivis and I wouldn’t touch one with a 10’pole.  But that’s just me.  I don’t have and don’t know any one with a radioditty of any kind so I can’t say.   I can say the kg1000 is a very good radio but it’s way out of my budget.  I get along fine with 20w tyt 8600s in the trucks.  But I need the water proof ability.   They get abused, run and dirt roads all day in old harsh trucks, windows get left open in the sun heat and cold rain and snow.  Remember also antennas are your friend. 

  5. Unfortunately I’ve heard many many many stories like this about midland radios.  I counsel people to never buy a midland because of things like this.  Every one I know that had a midland junked it after a few months or so and spent 1/2 the money on a much better radio. 
     

    I do have to ask is the squelch turned way up?   Is it just the one repeater channel?  Is it the simplex traffic that it is activating your radio but the tones are keeping the squelch closed?  

  6. 9 minutes ago, IndyGMRS said:

    I am a newbie and have some general questions.  Would any of you care to weigh in on the following questions:

    1. I am aware of the standard 22 channels plus 8 repeater channels (frequencies, power, bandwidth).  Is it allowable to add an offset if the resulting Tx frequency is a standard GMRS frequency (so, half duplex)?

    2. There is no standard for PL tones on the channels, right? Is a standard practice for different manufacturers of bubble-pack radios to set their channels up differently in regards to PL tones?

    3. If a manufacturer allows for a scramble mode (beat shift, ie. frequency shift) instead of, or in addition to PL tones, could this take the frequencies outside of the allowable bandwidth?

    4. I understand that HAM radios are not supposed to be used for GMRS.  If a GMRS radio can have the channel setups (other than PL codes) changed, is it really a GMRS radio?

    5. Another way of asking #4 is...are GMRS radios allowed to have aspects of channels setups (except PL codes) customized? Does this technically make it a HAM radio in the FCC's eyes?

    6. How many people just take Baofeng radios (Radioddity, Tidradio, inexpensive Chinese radios, etc.) and program them for GMRS? What effect does this have on others using GMRS?

     

    Thanks for your input!

    1.no

    2. Yes there are charts that show pl tones used for different bubble packs. 
     

    3. No. Gmrs is not a band width it is 22+8 specific frequencies (channels)

    4.a “gmrs” type accepted radio is certified by the fcc so if it’s certified it’s a gmrs radio. If it’s not certified then no it is not a gmrs radio

    5. Sam as above.  As long as a gmrs radio only transmits on the 22+8 frequencies and has a fcc cert then it is a gmrs radio

     

    6.many people do and it has zero effect on any one.  A radio is a radio.  Just some are certified and some are not.  No one will ever know if you are on a uv5r or a woxoun kg-uv9g and they all transmit the same distance. 

  7. 7 hours ago, WRYZ926 said:

    Baofeng and TYT hand mics have the same issue with the mic hole being too small.

    Not in my experience.  I have several boofwang and tyt radios in the trucks. None of them have these issues. The Tyts do especially well on signal reports.  I think 1/2 the time people need to just speak up.  I’ve used radios all my life.  Some very expensive professional radios and some extremely cheap junkers that make uv5s look really nice.   The biggest thing I’ve always had to tell people is speak up. 

  8. 8 minutes ago, WRFT961 said:

    I bought two of the H3's to replace my Cobra Microtalks. I only used them on the FRS channels for several years because I was worried the Men in Black would show up and cuff me. Got my GMRS license and was slightly upset the GMRS channels on "high" power didn't work much better.

    We'll see how 5 watts and a better antenna work.

     

    -Dan

    What setting were you running when you were using them for FRS?   FRS and gmrs are all the same. FRS is only limited but wattage.   Sooooo I’d bet you were actually transmitting on high not 2watts or less.  So you would experience no difference since if you were on high 5watts you were actuall using gmrs all that time. 

  9. 7 minutes ago, WSCF738 said:

    The Comet wasn’t available so I ended up with the Tram 1486. My antenna will be 40 feet off the ground. Which will be higher than anything else around, as far as my eyes can see. Just have to remember not to look down when I’m installing the antenna.

    That’s too bad about the tram. The comet 712 is available from several retailers ready to ship. It’s about twice the antenna for $30more.  My comet 712efc does over 200miles it’s 30’ up with a 20w base.  My neighbor had a tram. He was lucky to get 20miles with his 50w. 

  10. 26 minutes ago, Hockeydude said:

    I have confirmed, when transmitting that it is changing from 462.xxx to 467.xxx with the offset being at 0.00.

     

    I took that radio out to lunch and someone did respond back they could hear me, so I am thinking that it could me my home area and his work location causing interference for transmitting since we can hear others on the repeater channels.

    This is what I’ve been saying.  Something is in the way.   I have locations I can talk 50miles on my hand helds and other locations I can’t get 1/2 a mile.  It’s all about line of site.  

  11. 36 minutes ago, Hockeydude said:

    Good morning, We have tried three sets of Baofeng radios and setting them up the same way with either CHIRP or directly on the radio and it's always the same result.

    So it’s not the radio or the programming since they can hear you it’s just static on their side.   I’m betting you have something in the way. Hill or trees or buildings or even interference of some sort.   Again I fully recommend you jump in the car and drive the 2-3 miles closer to the repeater.  Maybe even meet with the owner if possible and see how things go.   If the radios are working in every other way (simplex), you break squelch on the repeater (tones) and they can hear a static filled transmission from you(frequency and tones) and you can hear them on your repeater channel(offset) then your settings are correct.   Any other repeaters in the area?  Jump in the car and take all your radios with you.    You may need a better antenna or one on the car or house up high.  

  12. So I’d first get the offset to stay.  Can you download chirp on a computer and get a programming cable to make sure your programming is correct?    Also a uv5 transmits just as far as any other hand held that is 5ish watts. For 2-3 miles your well within the range of a hand held.  I would not get any other radio untill I got this figured out.   Then if you find you have trees or something in the way a 20w car/truck unit MAY be in order.  If you have mountains or lots of homes or buildings in the way a 50w may not work either.   If your thinking of a home base unit then it may help to get a good antenna up as high as possible.   But even that you could hook to your hand held and you should easily make 20-30 miles line of sight.   

  13. Well.  If you’re on a uv5g that transmits correctly on simplex and you’re opening the repeater squelch your tones are right and they can hear your static then the frequency is right.   I’d personally say you’re just too far.   Can you transmit 2-3 miles on simplex?    That’s all you’re doing with a repeater is transmitting into it on one frequency and listening in another.  Personally I’d drive closer and closer untill I could be heard clearly.   Also talking to the repeater owner may shed some light on areas that work and areas that don’t.   Repeaters are not magic.  They dont make your transmissions go further.  
    it takes time to know what areas you can transmit from and what areas you can’t.  Again line of sight is key. 

  14. Just now, Hockeydude said:

    @WRXP381We are, we can hear others on the repeater without issue.  We are using the antenna that came with the unit.  We did try simplex and that worked without issue

    Just because you can hear them does not mean you are close enough for them to hear you.   You may be right on the edge of the uv5s ability where you can open the squelch but not get a good useable transmission through.   I’d try moving closer to the repeater first.   A better antenna may help as well.   A hand held has anywhere from 1 miles to 30 or more.  But it’s all about line of sight and antenna 

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