2017JK

I asked QRZ to delete my record from their database for privacy reasons. They did. If you look up my callsign, it says it does not exist. Funny how many hams I work on the air that tell me I'm using an illegal callsign now - as if QRZ is the official keeper of callsigns. I tell them to look it up on the FCC database and get back to me if it bothers them that much.

I believe that this debate will continue until the FCC provides a specific clarification on what "Or any Other Network" means or until some type of enforcement action takes place to make it clear. Until then, it's vague language and open for interpretation.

OP said that more hams were available (to help I assume), so my understanding is that he got on the repeater asking for help as an experiment. I could be wrong. Either way, I'm just shaking my head. Reminds me of a story involving a boy and a wolf...

So if I understand your experiment correctly, you were calling for help when you didn't actually need help? Just to see if anyone would answer your call? Got it.

I have 2 of them. No nonsense, built solid for my purposes, good audio reports.

I second that suggestion for "Nine-Eleven". Like the Porsche

Aaaaaaaand we're OFF!!!

I deleted my reply - I was off topic. sorry...

Been a ham since 1995 - his videos intrigued me to get my GMRS license. I like his humor, and I like the way he reviews the different radios. His reviews led me to my GMRS HT and Mobile radio choices.

That's what 17 meters is for...ignoring contests!

Start a morse code challenge on TikTok... Sarcasm mode: OFF Carry on

If one of the manufacturers would come out with a GMRS radio with GRINDR built in...now THAT would be something... Anyway, Im using a Retivis RA25 wedged between my seat and console (exactly as pictured in an above post) and the dual mag mount that came with it. My HT is a Radioddity GM30

Jokes aren't just a mixed bag here...I find that jokes fall flat everywhere post Covid - people just take things way to serious nowadays.

I'm happy to help - we were all new to this "Radio Thing" at one time! I'm still pretty new to GMRS but have been doing the radio thing for quite awhile now.

The PL tones, may or may not be 141.3 for the repeater you are trying to access - it depends on that repeater owners setup. But using a repeater in that situation would definitely allow your radio to be heard over a larger range and likely give you the ability to summon help faster than using a simplex channel IF someone is listening to the repeater at that time...

You can still talk to whoever you want with the squelch set to 0. It has nothing at all to do with how you transmit (TX)...it only effects the receiver (RX). So if you have 141.3 set in the RX side of the repeater channel, and the repeater is not sending out the 141.3 code, you will not hear anything on the radio - you will probably see the reception bars move, but you won't hear any audio because you are telling your radio to ignore any signal on that channel that does not have the 141.3 code embedded in it.

Setting squelch to 0 is wide open.

The squelch is the function on the radio that keeps you from hearing static between transmissions. If you turn the squelch level down to 0 on your radio, you will hear static and that gets old rather quickly. Turning the squelch level up, eliminates that static and you only hear something when someone transmits - UNLESS - you happen to be in an area with alot of interference. Sometimes electronics transmit RF (radio frequency or radio signals) that they arent intending to, and sometimes you can hear that on your radio. Adding PL to the RX side of your channel helps to eliminate that - it will only open up the squelch if a legit signal transmitting with that PL is heard. This can be used on simplex frequencies as long as your buddy is setting the same PL tone on his TX/RX (think "Privacy Channels" by Midland), but it's usually used in conjunction with repeaters. I hope my explanation makes sense!

You would want to put the 141.3 travel tone PL code in the "TX" on the repeater channels - that travel PL tone is what will wake up alot of the repeaters - not all of them, but alot of them. You "can" also put the PL in the RX of those same repeaters, but your squelch will not open up unless the repeater on that channel is transmitting with the same PL, and not all of them do that.