WRYS709

One of my next steps will be to program the complete GMRS 30 channels into it and test them out with transmitting and receiving to my HT, but so far was able able to successfully have a conversation into a local repeater on one channel. There is no "Rx Only" message; it works like all the other analog frequencies, I have used so far. UPDATE: Seems to transmit properly on all 30 GMRS channels (including the 8 repeater pairs), when programmed in with the CPS software (in my case using the better MM7DPT CPEditor, provided now by Radioddity). Actually driving with this unit, and testing the "roam" feature, will be down the road, so you might search if others have successfully used this feature.

There are two options in the Repeaters Map that maybe were set differently each time: Show Offline Repeaters Show Stale Repeaters These come up when you click the hexagonally shaped widget in the upper left of the map.

Normally $109, so it is a great deal! I second that I have two of them (actually one DB20-G and one Anytone AT-779UV, the same radio) and no experience with the DB25-G (which is not the same radio at all as the DB25-D DMR Ham Radio that I just received last Monday on sale for $194). I do know one local GMRS'er who returned the DB25-G soon after he purchased it as he was not happy with it.

I suppose you could use the RJ-45 pinout to construct an audio K-1 to RJ-45 adapter for bluetooth.

Do you just want to hear (monitor) the main db20-g? Or change channels? Or transmit? Of course an HT would do all of these functions from room to room, but it would not be 20 watts and would not be connected to your external antenna. As far as the bluetooth suggestion, the DB20-G does not have a K-1 connector; it is RJ-45. Miklor has a DIY K-1 to RJ-45 adapter, but that is for data purposes for CPS programming software use of an USB to K-1 cable.

Some initial observations: So much to learn; so little time! Audio comes out of the internal front mounted speaker as well as the microphone, so in noisy conditions, putting the mic to one's ear is helpful. It's analog transmitter is not has robust as the propagation that I can achieve with it's sibling, the DB20-G; not surprising since this is a combination analog/DMR unit. Although the VFO returns an "Rx Only" message when I attempt to transmit on a GMRS channel, when programmed into the radio by using CPS software, these channels are transmissible (including repeater pairs). Radioddity now includes a 3rd party alternative CPS programming software package, MM7DBT's CPEditor, which seems to be universally recognized as easier and better to use. As far as the idea of a "backpack radio," I think you have hit it on the head here: I am starting to be more inclined to keep my DB20-G in the mobile, where analog and range are more important to me, and I will look into converting this to some sort of "go-pack" radio with rechargeable battery and hotspot to give me these options "on the road" while traveling and outside of my vehicle. Another DMR user made me aware of DMR radios with a feature of roaming and finding and tuning to upcoming DMR repeaters while mobile, and it looks like this radio has this feature; although I have not done anything with it. More to come...

Part 1 is correct so far...

Initial observations: It is actually smaller than the DB20-G; hard to believe! In that it is not as deep... I am usually a "not read the manual" kind of guy, but this radio: Gotta read the Manual! I will try to figure out a Quick Guide to Using this Radio, but unfortunately it is going to require reading more of the manual that I usually want to! And not only a printed manual, but a PDF of the Extended Manual! This may require signing up for graduate classes at the local university... There are features that I was not expecting: GPS and APRS! I am going to take this slowly...

Many Cables were manufactured with notoriously counterfeited Prolific chips. these are causing many Windows 11 problems.

Well, as many on this board know: I LOVE the DB20-G: Mini-Mobile, 20 Watts, VHF/UHF, Cigarette Lighter Plug, 500 channels and once "opened*" many other features are available for GMRS, including microphone control of various features such as Power, Reverse, etc. AND only $109 (and cheaper when on sale). So I discovered this DB25-D on sale over at Radioddity for $194 and the "experimenter" in me just could not resist! PayPal Credit (up to 6 months interest free, if paid within 6 months) is a dangerous, dangerous addition to my arsenal! More details to come... *When "opened" the DB20-G also can become a Ham Radio for 2 meters and 70 cms.

Just arrived!

This radio is NOT related to either the DB20-G or even the DB25-G. It is a completely different UHF/VHF mini-mobile radio that also incorporates DMR. Apparently earlier in its life, and before substantial firmware upgrades were made, it was also released as the Retevis RT-73

Worth pointing it out again!

I am on V2.36, but I do not think that is the problem. Also I switched all of your setting into my radio and I can still SCAN. Open up the Information of Scanning Channel menu and be sure SCAN MODE is turned to ON: When I switched mine to OFF, when I attempt to Scan, it does not work and I hear a Beep!

I don't have a Wouxun KG-905g, but I do play a 905g programmer on television. It looks like that is their implementation for how to handle multiple repeaters on the same frequencies with the same or different CTCSS/DPLs: I suspect that the "gaps" do not show up when you manually scroll (or scan) between these channels.

Unfortunately, to save money, the Chinese radio industry utilizes doves in their quality control department!

Works for me. What version is your firmware? If you hold down the FUN button (whether on the radio or the mic) too long, it will lock the keypad and the word LOCK will appear in the bottom right of the screen. A long press of FUN toggles this Lock on and off.

What makes you think he has a Ham license?!?

Interesting; thank you! I've never made it out that far north east; except driving Hiway-14 to Mojave and then 58 west to Techacipi and I-15 north!

What do you mean: "what do you mean"?? I install Windows and I just cancel the activation and move on with using it...

I have no personal experience with Midland; my only knowledge of their radios is the preponderance of negative posts about them here on this Forum. While having a focus for a particular segment of the "wireless radio" market may be their business strategy, that does not serve to overcome their deficiencies (again from posts here on this forum) to the preponderance of GMRS users here that are not farmers! "Some people" promote their use by Jeepsters and other off-roaders as being compatible with easily obtained at the last-minute FRS radios and that seems to not only be their asset, but the source of their deficiencies. In any event, the OP chose the Radioddity GM-30 and has hit a roadblock with his desire to use DIY toned simplex channels on that particular radio.

Sorry to hear that; was that based upon advice from this forum? OK: let's go back to the famed myGMRS MAP for Fort Walton Beach, FL and turn on both stale and offline repeaters (because sometimes these designations are wrong and have not been updated) and look for those on 600 and 725 (I did that mentally without looking up channels 17 and 22, so I hope my morning coffee kicked in!) So right on top of you is the FWB WRCI382 repeater on 600, which is Open and has a tone of 141.3. I'll let those here who promote midland tell you how to program that into your radio, since I do not have midland software And for 725, the SoWal WRCI382 Repeater (I'm seeing a pattern here...) on 725 is again Open and has a tone of 141.3. So program away and have fun!

"Upgrade" and "midland" in the same sentence...

All that computer libertarianism aside, I haven't paid for Windoze since XP; and even that was in a program called SoftWindows (or VirtualPC, who can remember that long ago...) to run Windows on a PowerPC (IBM-Motorola-Apple) Mac! When I discovered that various wireless radios programming software needed to be run in Windows, I sucked XP out of that program, and armed with my serial number, I reinstalled it, first into BootCamp, when Mac went Intel, and then into Parallels, when I wanted to be able to run Windows and MacOS concurrently (like needing to use copy and paste between environments). And that worked for me for years, hand in hand with Chirp for certain radios that were lucky enough to have been reverse engineered by those dedicated radio hounds! And then sure enough people started asking me questions about how to program certain radios that only had Windows CPS software and they only had Windows 10, or gosh-forbid, Windows 11, and did not even know what XP was! So I had to break down and install an upgraded version, but after some research I discovered Windows 10 and 11's dirty little secret: You do NOT need to activate it! Now I do not know if this is an after-result of the MicroSoft antitrust settlement, or some other "business reason," but it works perfectly fine if you do not activate it. Now Microsoft is not going to give you any technical support, but after all, all I am doing is programming radios! AND, I turned off Auto-Update, because, well if it ain't broken, why fix it?!?