mcallahan

Never had an issue with radios in carry-on baggage, pre and post 9/11.

I agree and the Arizona GMRS Repeater club actively works towards the goal of furthering the adoption and use of GMRS. Practical applications of radio (as opposed to just rag chewing) is what I enjoy most, and I find GMRS to be a gret fit for my purposes. Welcome!

Yes, that is a typical (and legal) use of MURS radio.

Thanks Hans - I do like Motorola equipment and I will keep this seller in mind!

Also worth noting is that with Motorola you need not only the software, but sometimes the proprietary Radio Interface Box hardware too - especially with the older radios. There's all sorts of cheap Chinese "RIB-less" cables and other documentation about programming Motorola radios, but Motorola doesn't really care about the amateur/hobbyist/GMRS user, and the software interfaces have virtually no other programming options besides the /V\ software. Unless you buy a pre-programmed Motorola radio and don't care to make any modification to it in the future, a Motorola radio is going to cost you $$$. I have a Motorola CDM1250 programmed for GMRS - it's a great radio, but I needed a 3rd party to do the programming for me, and I don't have any ability to tweak any settings for the radio to best fit my needs. This is why I have moved pretty much to Kenwood radios for GMRS and amateur use. Lower price point and easier to program as a hobbyist.

Requests for copied/pirated versions of Motorola software go unanswered on RadioReference, but there's plenty of discussion on how to purchase from Motorola. As far as I understand, the long and short of it is you create an online account, you sign a license agreement, they approve it, and you will be able to download the software version(s) you have requested to purchase. Expect to pay several hundred dollars. I would think any proprietary software you find on hamfiles.co.uk (from Motorola or others) is likely going to be pirated, and that probably shouldn't be encouraged in this forum. Chirp is excellent free software that supports an ever-growing number of radios from multiple manufacturers, including Kenwood. This may be a better and legal option for the budget-minded shopper.

+1 for Kenwood radios - the It's not hard to find - I'm pretty sure Motorola will sell it to you. There are quite a few RadioReference forum threads discussing the legal channels to procuring Motorola software.

On a related note - does anyone actually know Rich? I've been attempting to contact him for over a month.

The inability of Midland radios to do split tones is why I will never buy one At their current price point for the 40W mobile, they really ought to..

A Radio Shack Pro-2021 I refurbished recently to use on my desk at work: More info on my blog post.

The range of a UHF radio will be pretty much limited to line of sight. If your antenna is 6 feet off the ground, its distance to the horizon is 3 miles. If the antenna for the other radio is also at about 6 feet, then you have an approximate theoretical range of 6 miles. Trees, structures, land, antenna gain, RF interference, output power, etc will all have an effect on this range. If you're currently getting 3 miles simplex between radios, that's pretty good! You are also correct in that your current antenna placement on the Jeep spare tire is less than ideal. The best location for a mobile antenna is always the center of the roof - this is the highest point on the vehicle and the surface area of the roof will provide a ground plane. Is this is the antenna you are currently using? I * think * this is a 5/8 wave antenna, which will require a ground plane to operate efficiently. Since you're in a jeep, a fiberglass roof is not a great surface for that ground plane (and you may not even have a roof at times..) so you should look into 1/2 wave antennas, which do not require a ground plane to operate. The antenna should still ideally be mounted as high on the vehicle as possible.

- Part 2 continued - Once this is complete, click Continue. The next step is to answer the following question, then click Continue again: The next step will show you a summary of the application. Verify all the information supplied is correct, and click “Continue to Certify.” Step 4: Submit the application The final step before submitting application is reading all the certification statements, which summarize the rules you are agreeing to follow as a GMRS license holder. Electronically sign the application and submit: When you submit the application, you will be prompted to complete payment. After that, all you can do is wait! Applications will appear in ULS Application Search in about one or two businesses days after the application is filed. If you made an error in the application – don’t worry! You can file an amendment to the application. See the Applying for a New License in the Universal Licensing System FAQ for more information about the application process for FCC licenses. I have read posts online where people have reported getting their license within a day, and I’ve read posts where people said it took three weeks, so I can’t give an accurate answer to the “how long until I receive my call sign?” question. I applied for my GMRS license around the holidays and it took two weeks to receive my call sign. Step 5: Receive call sign and download authorization documents Check back to the Universal Licensing System daily, and when you see the call sign under “My Licenses” you are ready to get on the air! To download or print a paper copy of the license authorization, click Download Electronic Authorizations: Select your GMRS call sign from the “Filter by Radio Service” box and add it to the “Authorizations to Download” box then click Download: The GMRS Authorization looks like this:

How to apply for a GMRS license and receive your FCC call sign Here is a step by step guide on how to obtain a GMRS license and call sign from the FCC. I originally posted this on my blog, but I want to share all the same content here for future reference for any members, guests, and visitors to myGMRS.com. To obtain a GMRS license, one must file an application with the FCC and pay a $70 fee. No exam is required, and the license is valid for 10 years. The FCC’s Universal Licensing System (ULS) is is an online portal to manage your FCC applications/licenses, and pay any applicable fees via a single account. The ULS eliminates the need for paper applications and submitting via snail mail. You may also view the status of pending licenses in the ULS. Once registered with the ULS, you will receive an FCC Registration Number (FRN). This is a 10-digit number that is assigned to a business or individual registering with the FCC, and is used to identify the registrant’s business dealings with the FCC. Once you have this ID number – save it! This will be your username to log in to the Universal Licensing System. Before continuing, I want to highlight one very important consideration when dealing with FCC licenses. Your call sign and license is public information and is easily searchable in FCC databases and other records. Should you choose to register with your home address, this will be visible to anybody if they have your call sign. Exposing personal information on the internet is a concern now more than ever, so one approach to limiting the amount of personal information in FCC databases is to use a P.O. Box as your contact address. Here is what my GMRS license information looks like when queried in the FCC database - WRAA720: I use this P.O. Box address in the center of my local metro area as my primary contact location for all FCC forms and dealings. My actual home address is not associated with my FCC licenses. Step 1: Create an FCC Universal Licensing System account If you are a first time user, create a new ULS account here (skip this step if you have an existing ULS account). Select “Register” to be issued a new FCC Registration Number: Some questions are asked before proceeding, then you can fill out an application with your name, address, password, etc: Step 2: Log in to the ULS After creating the account, or if you have an existing ULS account, log in here. Use your existing FCC Registration Number (FRN), or the FRN provided after completing the first step. Once you are logged in, you will be taken to this screen which shows your current and applied for licenses: Step 3: Begin application for a GMRS license Now we can apply for a GMRS license and pay the fee. On the left hand side menu click “Apply for a New License.” On the next screen, select “ZA-General Mobile Radio Service” from the very bottom of the drop down menu and click Continue. The next step is to answer these applicant questions. Most people can leave “no” selected for each: Click continue after these questions, and on the next screen supply the licensee name and address: - Part 2 continued below as there is a limit to the number of images in a post -

Just for clarification, the FCC didn't cite the Baofeng company or any manufacturer of Baofeng radios. This action applies to one specific distributor, Amcrest Industries LLC d.b.a. Baofengradio.us. All they have to do is stop selling this radio within 30 days of the notice and they will face no monetary fine. I think this matter will unfortunately not have an appreciable impact on the availability of Baofeng and other related radios here in the US, but I am glad to see any action taken at all around this issue. It's definitely a step in the right direction.

>Baofeng spanked Not exactly...Amcrest, Inc. (d.b.a.Baofengradio.us) was spanked. They are ordered to cease selling the models of radios manufactured Baofeng specified in the report. The citation "notifies Amcrest Industries, LLC d/b/a Baofengradio.us (Amcrest or Company) that it is marketing an unauthorized RF device—a handheld two-way radio—in violation of Section 302 of the Communications Act, and Section 2.803 of the Commission’s rules." The time delay is interesting though: "On March 14, 2013, the Enforcement Bureau’s Spectrum Enforcement Division (SED) received a complaint alleging that Baofeng radio model UV-5R was capable of (1) transmitting on land mobile frequencies using the equipment’s external controls and (2) operating at power levels above those specified in its Equipment Authorization. On October 30, 2017, SED issued a Letter of Inquiry (LOI) to Amcrest, an authorized distributor of Baofeng radios, directing it to submit a sworn written response to a series of questions relating to these allegations; follow-up LOIs were issued on January 12, 2018, and February 2, 2018. Amcrest timely responded to the inquiries on December 7, 2017, January 23, 2018, and February 4, 2018, respectively." PDF Link: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-18-801A1.pdf

I came across the North Shore Emergency Association's website recently and found their club history page interesting: nsea.com/nseainfo.htm This link briefly discusses how the "travel tone" of 141.3 Hz and the national calling/emergency frequency of 462.675 MHz came to be. NSEA was one of the very first adopters of GMRS in the early 1970s, then the Class "A" Citizens Band. Here's a quick snippet from the link: NSEA members were instrumental in bringing UHF technology to other public service groups in CB, especially R.E.A.C.T. (Radio Emergency Associated Citizens Teams). Beginning in 1976 key NSEA members spent extensive time meeting with REACT teams in more than a dozen-and-a-half different states, bringing a portable repeater, together with a number of mobile and portable units for field demonstrations...As a result, over 200 personal use repeater systems (all on the same frequency [462.675 MHz]) were set up throughout the United States. In recognition of this trend of explosive growth the Federal Communications Commission formally recognized our frequency [462.675 MHz] as the national emergency and traveler's assistance channel in the Part 95A Rules and Regulations. Pretty cool slice of radio history!

A half wave UHF antenna will not be considerably larger. I've used both on my truck and the 1/4 wave is about 6" vs 12" for the 1/2 wave. I have a longer VHF whip on the roof that will occasionally catch trees and whatnot on the trail but a UHF antenna rarely presents that problem.

Roof vs headache rack will make a difference. For a 1/4 wave antenna to work properly, you need sufficient ground plane; the center of the roof is where you would want to mount this antenna. If you prefer to mount an antenna on the headache rack, use a 1/2 wave antenna which does not require a ground plane.

A brief mention of GMRS in this article I came across today: "Berkeley group is surveying all city paths to better prepare for evacuations" by Daphne White for Curbed SF: https://sf.curbed.com/2018/7/11/17555194/berkeley-city-paths-evacuation-disaster-routes-emergency

Sorry I can't be of much assistance, I am not familiar with this radio. Based on my previous experience with Kenwood software there is likely a help section, I would read through that. The Help was complete enough in the KPG-89D software for me to figure out how to get my TK-8180 programmed with no prior experience.

Do you own the radio(s)? If so, Kenwood KPG-141D is the software package needed to program the NX-320. If not, I would probably first contact the responsible party and inquire with them before attempting to make any programming modification.

I did attempt to contact via mygmrs.com/contact but did not receive any reply, so I made a post here hoping the right eyes would see it.

These links at https://www.mygmrs.com/links are currently dead: http://gmrs.net.tc/ http://www.popularwireless.com/ http://www.centraljerseyradio.org/ http://www.garcohio.net/gmrs.html http://n3bls.com/ http://www.wpuf920.com/ http://www.k4rpt.com/ http://gmrs.w1ckd.com/ http://www.polkgmrsgroup.org/ https://sites.google.com/site/victorvalleycommunications/

As with all CCRs, I never expect the actual output power to match what the specifications state.