DominoDog

February 23

On 2/19/2024 at 11:33 AM, RayP said:

Sorry, but I must disagree. Given the original intent of Class A Citizens Band/GMRS radio, of facilitating reliable local area communications between family and friends, linking is neither normal nor expected in this radio service. In areas with cellular dead spots, or where people may wish to have backup comms for the possibility of a cellular outage, a well-engineered and fortuitously located stand-alone repeater can be a real blessing to the community, county, or larger area that it provides coverage to. A cellular outage lasting a few hours could create a minor panic if a family member were not heard from in some time when they normally call or "check in" by a given time each day. Likewise, emergencies such as severe weather, missing persons where a community fields volunteers to search an area, etc, could be well served by such a repeater. Linking to other repeaters outside of your area, especially across the state or across the nation provides no practical or necessary comms for your local area. Instead, more often than not, they jam up one or more of the only eight repeater/50W simplex channels with inane and pointless chatter from other areas which have little or no bearing or interest to your local area. Frequently, chatter on only one or maybe two of the linked repeaters, ties up multiple repeaters and frequency pairs unnecessarily, hampering efforts to use the remaining repeaters in their local area, or just someone wanting to use 50W simplex to communicate locally, only to be washed out by the linked repeaters. The only real purpose I have seen in linking to distant repeaters and networks is to give the repeater owner doing the linking a level of Freudian "compensation", as they imagine the masses gathering to admire how far theirs can reach. In reality, most who are not newbies are not impressed.

The technology used in linking is the same technology that allows most cell phones to make long distance calls. If you really get your jollies talking long distance over a commonplace network, call a friend or relative in another state. If you have no friends or relatives in another state, call a motel desk clerk elsewhere and ask them questions about their rates. You have just achieved the same exact thing as you do talking to or listening to a bunch of ratchetjaws many states away on a GMRS linked system, but without jamming scarce spectrum. If you really want to do VOIP DX, talk with the nice man or woman in India who calls to help you get a better rate on your credit card, next time they call. YEEEE HAW!

IF that still leaves you dissatisfied, do the minimal studying required to get your Technician Class ham license and put up or utilize one of the many VHF/UHF networks there. While the linking there is annoying too, they at least have a lot more pairs (than our GMRS eight) to do these networks on.

Well, I won't say that every repeater needs to be linked, or that they should. In fact there are some linked repeaters that I wish were not linked for the reasons you mentioned. But I do not think we should have laws that say it can't be done. If people want to do that and think they need it, then who am I and who are you to say they can't?

I really just want to give your comment a dislike because I didn't really see much benefit from it. You compared repeaters to phone lines and tried to be funny. Not really impressed.

The bottom line is it needs to be up to the repeater owner, not Bill or Joe on the Internet that likes to make jokes and pointed comments. If people have a community that could be better served with a linked GMRS repeater, then they should have that option and not have their hands tied by unclear rules.

WRXB215 · February 19

I get "can't read radio" error in Chirp when my programming cord isn't plugged in all the way. The connector and radio don't mate exactly well, and have to push it snug.

EDIT: Are you sure you even need the repeater? If you didn't, that would cut out some complexity.

February 19

From what I can gather as a layperson, the rule needs clarification. People want/need to link their repeaters. That is a normal, expected use of repeaters. "Hey lets get together and talk over a broader area." That is a clear cut normal use of radio and falls within the expected use of GMRS. The rule shown very strongly leans towards "We don't want you putting autopatch on GMRS" more than "no you can't link repeaters"

February 19

I have the 230911 firmware and am having no problems. Kind of wanting to hold off on updating to 230923 now, perhaps there are issues.

I will agree on CHIRP / ODMaster software not wanting to play along. CHIRP doesn't like the settings menu, doesn't seem to be able to align completely to the radio. Something doesn't line up right. But if all you are doing in CHIRP is managing channels, it should be fine. Just understand the CHIRP radio settings tab doesn't line up with the radio's actual options. Probably will be fixed in a later version of CHIRP.

But overall I do like the radios, and so far I like Tidradio.

February 5

I would love to have one, but jumping from a $50 Tidradio H8 to $750 Kenwood D75 doesn't seem wise just yet.

Maybe I'll find a bucket of hundred dollar bills, though.

kapoijerj334 · February 5

My main thing is, I'm the radio enthusiast. I'm the holder of amateur and gmrs licenses. I know (or to be more precise, I am learning) the rules, they are just here to hike or ride bicycles. I want them to have fun, not worry about identifying on the air because they made no agreement to do so. I'm the agreement holder with the FCC. And I don't even mind identifying on the air. If I ask my family, who rarely even uses the radios, to identify, it would go something like me identifying, then them trying, then them forgetting halfway through what the callsign was, then them asking me what it is, then me replying that it is on a little label on the bottom of their radio, then they will say it poorly, and several minutes and much more unnecessary radio chatter later, we are all happily identified. Or I could just say it once.

kapoijerj334 · February 3

Well my license reads as "radio station license" so the grant holder, the radio station licensee themself should only need to identify once every fifteen minutes, not every one of us adding up to four or three or two or twenty times every fifteen minutes. I think we assign more rules to ourselves than is even required. No where did I read that this was expected. I'm not even about to ask my family, who does not even know or care about the rules, to come on the air and try to remember my callsign every fifteen minutes right after I do it. Just so we can keep in touch while hiking. I do not think that is the purpose or intention of GMRS. I'll identify every time as required, as we use the radios.

EDIT: What I have been doing is when I first start using the radios, I'll find a channel that is suitable and seems clear. I'll then identify "WRZS227 and family operating on GMRS channel (whatever)" and will basically just yield to any other traffic, and then we just talk as we need to and as conversation dies off and comes back up I'll give the call sign "and family" again. So far the FCC hasn't rained down hellfire or sent any kill commands to our walkie talkies.

WRUU653 · January 17

Well it seems like the interoperability is more useful than I may have realized at first glance. That makes sense.

ULTRA2 · January 16

There is no quick, easy, simple fix for everything. GMRS is almost universally-agreed upon to be a mess with the FRS interaction. If we want to clean up GMRS then FRS will suffer. Personally, I say we remove FRS completely out of GMRS frequencies. GMRS then loses one of its voice channels to strictly APRS-like digital position reporting, etc but gains all of the FRS shared channels for its own use.

What do we do with FRS, then? If I were in charge, it would be merged with MURS. All the little blister-packs of FRS radios are hereby banned from manufacture. Those on store shelves can be sold and those out in the wild can be used, but no more can ever be made and none can be repaired. Once they're gone they're gone. We will just need to bite that bullet and deal with thirty years of FRS blister pack radios till they all naturally break or get lost, etc.

My suggestion is basically that we delete FRS. Anyone that doesn't want a license and doesn't want to fool with one can go buy MURS. The only issue was that we "already have so many FRS blister packs" to that I say we just need to rip the bandaid off and ban their manufacture and hope people just lose them or break them quickly.

I agree, there is nothing wrong with discussion.

There won't be a clear path. One will have to be forged and any direction anyone chooses will have others naysaying the whole decision. Look at Amateur radio, they can't even figure out their digital modes. There's Fusion, DStar, DMR, several others and apparently none of them play together well. Interoperability is not something humans do well. They don't do it at all without careful planning and only then if compelled by government to do so.

Sab02r · January 10

I have a little Bluetti EB3A and contrary to popular opinion, it has done pretty well for me. If you can work it within its limitations, it does really well. I haven't checked it for noisy output. That might be my go to unit for radios, if it ends up being quiet and clean. I can't say anything bad about Bluetti. I wouldn't even have an Ecoflow unit if I didn't fry my own Bluetti by accidentally giving it too much voltage when experimenting with panels. Dumb mistake. But they chose to repair it for free and ship it both ways on their dime. I can't complain at all.

I have definitely watched a couple of Hobotech's videos. I like the personality he puts into the videos.

WRNN959 · January 7

My daily solar rig is a "just do your best" approach. It's very simple but there isn't much that can go wrong. My maximum input is 220w and I have three 100w panels. But their max voltage never goes above the max input volts so I am good. But my panels are just laid flat to the ground, so I don't get any benefit of tracking the sun. It's fine, though. If I get a perfectly bright moment I can see the inputs maxed out at 220w which is perfect for me. Most of the time it hovers down around 160 which is also just fine.

It's a rainy Sunday here and is good to see others' good ideas with their solar setups.

WRNN959 · January 7

The LiFePo4 batteries are my current favorite. Everything a lead acid does, these can do better. Lighter in weight and smaller in size for the same capacity as lead batteries. You can't overcharge or over-discharge them because they have their own built-in cutoff circuitry. They last longer, too. They hold more usable capacity than a lead acid battery. They last many more charge/discharge cycles as well. The only area I think they fall short of lead acid technology is that they have extremely poor performance in freezing temperatures. But, they also make self-heating types that will keep themselves above freezing.

WRNN959 · January 6

The only problem I have with power stations like this is the amount of noise they put out. They are so buzzy. I have two Ecoflow River2 Pro's that I swap out for my camping setup. Use one while the other charges, etc. They put a loud buzz into the 12v power output that I can hear thru the audio on handhelds that are powered on while charging, and they put a loud AC inverter buzz on audio equipment if it has an amplifier. I'm not even going to test how noisy they'd be on a radio transmitter. For general use, they have been a game changer for camping and for keeping my tool batteries charged for work. But noisy for sensitive electronics. Far noisier than I expected them to be; the River 2 Pro is one of Ecoflow's flagship models. It's their biggest small one. Well, I'll say they are noiser than I *wanted* them to be. But it has to be very difficult to make something like that quiet.

The best thing I've found for backup power is just a battery. You can use the solar power station to charge a good backup battery, but I don't know if I would use the power station to run the transmitter directly, unless I just had to.

January 4

Ok so what I keep seeing pop up is reference to the "Communications act of 1934" so... that's how they do it I guess.

I like to ask the hard questions, especially if I find the topic interesting.

WSAE510 · January 4

Conversely, the gas station at the top of the hill has been broadcasting about 1600w of wide band energy in the 400-700nm range onto oncoming road traffic for the past decade. Can the FCC look in to that?

January 4

Does anyone remember item number one on their FCC GMRS license application?

I sure do. I might not remember it word-for-word, but I remember the premise. Rule number one basically ties an individual to the FCC's assumed authority. Remember, government of the consented. In order to be issued a FCC radio station license, the very first requirement is that you waive any right or expectation to use naturally-occurring electromagnetic phenomena, such as radio waves. The FCC controlling radio waves is essentially a government entity coming forward and declaring "OK GUYS we are going to control every flashlight that can shine blue light" radio waves are electromagnetic phenomenon, same as visible light.

So can the FCC come after someone who isn't licensed? I'm not asking your opinion. I'm asking for cold hard past history. Someone with no FCC license has never ceded their right to manipulate naturally-occurring electromagnetic phenomena. Like the color red. Or blue. I have never waived my right to shine the color green.

Now if someone were to blast a bright green light at an airplane, that is very much illegal simply because it endangers normal operations. But the color green is not in and of itself prohibited, or limited to licensed users only. Causing interference to other machinery that utilizes the color green, making it operate poorly or dangerously, can bring consequences. Shine a green light causing interference and you might have the sheriff show up at your door. But Bill or Bobby out in the woods shining a green light at another guy on a hill with a red light, that cannot be legislated because it is natural phenomena. Visible light energy. And no one has waived their right to anyone to use the color green as they see fit.

But apply for a license and you waive your rights and consent to operate under the organized rules set forth by an agency appointed by us to regulate the use of that phenomena, and you subject yourself to their rules. Never do that, and how can they mess with you if you aren't endangering life or normal operations?

Just some thoughts...

January 2

The REPORTS feature seems to offer a bunch of garbage info. For example, if I export a list of repeaters, it fills in the tone data with what appears to be garbage. Maybe I'm reading it incorrectly, but for repeaters near me with tone info that I know is "CTCSS 141.3 TX / 141.3 RX" it will have that info as well as figures in the DTCSS TX/RX fields which does not seem to correspond with anything I was given from the repeater owners. It has this info filled out for every repeater, some of which is definitely different than the tone info I have from the repeater owners.

I can try to replicate this if needed.

EDIT: Maybe I am unfamiliar. Am I being dumb about something I should already understand?

Sab02r · January 2

I've gone almost completely solar for my little projects. So it has been a shoe-in for getting involved in radio stuff. Just a natural fit. Solar panels are going down in price. I saw a 100w 10 bus bar panel on sale for $55 on black friday. I have 300w of solar on my work van and another 300 watts of portable solar that can go anywhere I need it.

I've also been nerding out on youtube looking at microhydro setups. I was watching one guy's video who has a steady 600 watts of power coming in from the little creek running through his land.

Batteries are still expensive, though not prohibitively so. I was looking at a self-heating 100Ah/12v LiFePo4 battery for $340 plus tax, etc. Self-heating so it could keep itself above freezing temps. I bet I could wire up enough solar to keep it going.

WRTL946 · January 1

There are already repeaters linked up for emergencies. The system in my state is found at mtears.org

I would be surprised if other states/countries/planets don't have something similar in place.

Someone else suggested it and I agree; ham radio would be the main system used for getting information spread across a region, but it would fall to GMRS and FRS and similar services for last-mile dissemination of info.

January 1

It has to be an interesting position to find ones self in. But yeah, I noticed it, when I was watching whichever video it was. I said to myself, this guy has got a radio company's ear. It's really interesting, to me, to see at least an indirect influence on a hobby's market happen like that.

You know what they say about having great power.

It exacts a heavy toll.... wait, no... wrong Marvel movie...sorry

January 1

If I have learned anything from my few months observing the GMRS hobby before diving in, it is that things are not set in stone. Set in hardening concrete, perhaps. I like metaphors.

It was mentioned that ham radio favors open source while gmrs is embedded in the proprietary, corporate realm. That is not good, however, I have noticed one thing...

These companies pay attention to their "Influencers" - I had always gotten the wrong opinion about influencers. They are a double edged blade, and one we can use too. What influences the consumer, also influences the manufacturer. I have seen it happen WITHIN the GMRS realm.

The FCC also will bend its ear towards what gets determined to be the best course for a specific service/spectrum, etc. If I have been informed correctly, we have already seen brief bursts of data being allowed on GMRS. We saw it happen (FCC changing its position w rules) with the CB licensing situation back when.

December 31, 2023

[ Generic placeholder text intended to convey my seething hatred of the Apple iPad OS ]

OffRoaderX · December 31, 2023

The question was, how to get younger people interested in amateur radio.

I read four pages of what seemed like everything but, and no one has mentioned the obvious.

Hold a field day and advertise that you will be bouncing signals off the moon and let people have a chance to hear their own voice being reflected off the moon. Talk about bouncing signals off of the auroras. Talk about meteor scatter. Talk about satellite work. This is what will excite young people.

Young kids these days are stuck in their apps. They know all about the online world and they were born in a digitally interconnected world where everything is and was always already connected. What is going to interest them is the older tech, things with transistors and weird antennas. Tropospheric ducting and yes, moon bounce.

WRHS218 · December 30, 2023

That is interesting. I never realized it was based on MURS. I have a Garmin Xumo XT for my bike, it's been great. I looked at the group ride radio but honestly, I just never ride in groups. Now that I know it is based on MURS, it opens up the ability to talk with others using that system. Good to know it isn't some closed "Garmin" system, but based on a free to use, unlicensed public frequency.

It sure is expensive, though. But, I would feel awfully cool if I had a MURS and a GMRS mobile rig on my motorcycle. I bet all the pretty girls would think I was all right at that point.

Report · December 29, 2023

If I ever heard any activity on the repeater, and they had an open net asking for people, then sure. But to reach the repeater I'd have to be told the tones or scan the tone as it identified and that just feels like trespassing. Plus, I have sent a request on here and have sent the guy an actual request letter via actual real life mail. No response, so at this point I can only assume they don't feel like sharing the system at this time. Believe me, I'd love to be using it since it is so close to the house. But, I'll have my ham license soon enough and there are ham repeaters I can reach. GMRS would be cool too for when I'm hiking/exploring with family, but it is what it is.

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