Linus
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Posts posted by Linus
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Did you pay with a credit card? If you tried in good faith to resolve the matter, that you did, you should open a credit card dispute. Refusal to return the sales tax is a reason to open the dispute.
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You could use the Wouxun KG-805G. The newer model is the Wouxun KG-905G. The radio is repeater capable. It also is pretty easy to program. I like the fact that this radio has the capability of storing many different channels in its configuration. In the link below I have illustrated a unusual split tone split frequency used between two of these radios.
https://greyscale.zone/split-frequency-and-tone-operation-on-gmrs.html
I have used the Wouxun KG-805G during skiing trips and bike rides. They radio has a mic and headphone port that allows for hands free operation. For example, with skiing, you can use a motorcycle headset inside of your helmet, and have a push to talk button wrapped around a glove. We did that a few weeks ago, and it allowed us to talk to each other while skiing. We could tell each other which branch of a ski path to take if we were separated from each other while skiing.
You can also find great use in hiking in areas where there is no cell service.
The radio does not fit the price point that you mention, but it makes up for it with lots of options.
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GMRS and Amateur radio are different. Amateur has lots of bands and open for experimentation. It is a hobby. For regular communication it may not be the best. I find it more challenging to encourage others to talk on the amateur bands about subjects other than radios. My experience is that radios are the main topic. Outside of that it is challenging to go into other topics with others. When you do get into a conversation outside of radios it can be rewarding. I have made some good friends on the air.
GMRS to me is much better for those who wish to use it for its intended purpose of communication. When on the GMRS side, it is a tool. The focus is the person in the other end and the purpose of the conversation.
I really enjoyed participating in ham studying sessions on the GMRS band. Yes, the topic is radio related, but the main focus is in education of others not how much power and antenna types with a 599 report. During covid those sessions brought a lot of people together.
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I have been to the radio astronomy facility onsite in 1994. When I was there, we went from the office area to the radio telescopes is diesel buses. Diesel engines do not have spark plugs. There was a big sign prohibiting gasoline engines past a gate.
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A few comments to address here. Previously I stated "I understand that there is no expectation of privacy in GMRS".
Commercial Radios: Thank you for the comment above, commercial radios may offer that option, but I am not seeking privacy. The use case is a remediation method that makes it more difficult for malicious activity to reach two radio users during a conversation. I am not talking about kids using a bubble pack radio as a toy. I am referencing a radio user honing in on the context of the conversation and interrupting with creepy and objectionable comments. The use case (rarely needed) sets up predefined TX and RX pairs that can be switched a few times until the two radio users are in contact with each other via cell phone or in person. Think hiking or camping in an area without cell phone connectivity and a radio user out there is potentially a threat (preferably just an annoyance).
Regarding the repeater input comment. Others may try that, but it is not permitted in the use case that I describe. I am referencing a simplex conversation. The repeater inputs are used for repeater contacts and part of a conversation to a wider audience.
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Good Point! Three or more radios turns this idea upside-down.
Any thoughts on scaling up to more users?
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HYS makes a Bluetooth connector for Wouxun Radios. I have a set for the Wouxun KG-805G. They cost as much as the radio. Do not expect any support from HYS. I had to return one due to an issue with pairing. I use them for sporting applications. They are okay, but see my warning above on support -- it is non-existent. Hold onto the manual, it is not available online.
Search for the following.
HYS Bluetooth Headset with PTT Rechargeable Wireless Finger PTT and Ear Piece with Mic for Baofeng Kenwood 2Pin Connector Suitable for Cycling and Outdoor Sports
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All,
Has anyone set up their radios to operate on simplex using split frequency and tone operation? I wrote up a use case here:
https://greyscale.zone/split-frequency-and-tone-operation-on-gmrs.html
Basically, two radios are independently set up to transmit and receive on different channels and tones. The reasoning is to make it so that outside listeners hear only one side of the conversation, and it makes it harder for them to interfere with an ongoing conversation. I understand that there is no expectation of privacy in GMRS. A user can make it harder for outsiders to interfere with a conversation by removing context (one sided conversations) and the quick ability to scan tones and interfere. Assume in this use case that both channels are checked for the presence of others before starting a conversation.
The example below illustrates the programming for two Wouxun KG-805G radios.
Radio One Program Setup
| Radio Slot | Radio Receive | Radio Decode | Radio Transmit | Radio Encode || ---------- | ------------- | ------------ | -------------- | ------------ || 39 | Channel 3 | DN174 | Channel 6 | DN205 |Radio Two Program Setup| Radio Slot | Radio Receive | Radio Decode | Radio Transmit | Radio Encode || ---------- | ------------- | ------------ | -------------- | ------------ || 39 | Channel 6 | DN205 | Channel 3 | DN174 | -
— Deleted. Duplicate. —
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How popular is GMRS with the people that you communicate on a regular basis? I think that is the important thing to consider. Think locally. Out here, my girlfriend and I get a lot of use in non-cellular areas. We also find it easier to use for a quick call while in a store.
I like GMRS because it is not amateur radio (I am licensed in amateur radio). GMRS gives us some utility that the whole family can use beyond what amateur can offer. GMRS roots are commercial. Amateur is great, but it is more hobby centric in my opinion. I have used both services in an emergency situation. I am glad to have both licenses.
- berkinet and wayoverthere
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You may want to remove the PL tones from your message so that casual Internet searchers do not uncovered this information from the post. They should be contacting the repeater owners or registering to see the PL tone.
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Pete
Based on your license address the SeaTac repeater association repeater may be your best bet. It has a very wide coverage. This is a newer repeater than the Seattle repeaters. I think what repeater owners do is look at the existing repeaters in the PL tones and they choose a different PL tone so they do not cause interference.
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Knowing hams, he was shopping for a pair of gloves.
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I have always felt that we do not need laws for this. We need people to think about reasonable actions. Such as not using a radio while you are driving on an icy curvy road at night time. It seems like lawmakers feel that we need laws in place of reasonable thinking.
At least there are proper exemptions in place. For phone texting and driving, that is a significant threat to others.
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All
I read a statement earlier from the FCC. My assumption that all states have an exemption is not correct. The FCC states that their rules do not preempt state law.
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Less is more. I would concentrate more on power for emergency uses. You could go for a longer antenna such as a half wave but you’re taking a valuable space in your emergency bag that is needed for other things.
Some of the radios that I’ve seen lately can be charged with a USB charger. That is attractive if you have a solar panel that has USB output. You can use that solar parallel to charge your radios.
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Welcome to the forum and the GMRS realm. I think you will enjoy using the radio service and the advice here.
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I recently went on a 5 hour road trip in the Pacific Northwest. There was not a lot of activity on GMRS. Occasionally I would hear FRS users talking to each other or kids goofing around with the radios. I did pick up a few conversations on some repeaters that I am not familiar with along the way. One of the repeaters that I am familiar with I called out but did not receive any responses back. I was not really surprised about this.
My experience with GMRS is very similar to amateur radio along the same route on I-90. There is not very much radio chatter on repeaters or the calling frequencies for amateur radio.
Next time I might have a few magnetic decals that I can stick to the back of my vehicle that show the channel on GMRS that I am monitoring or the frequency that I am monitoring for the amateur radio service.
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Based on what has been written here I’ve done a lot of research and understand the calculations required for dB. Thank you for all that. Here is a website that does an excellent job of describing when high gain antennas are needed and when they are not. I have seen similar information in the sailing world.
https://www.daywireless.com/blog/2019/03/30/to-gain-or-not-to-gainthat-is-the-antenna-question/
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Hi there. So far our use of these HTs is pleasant. Very easy to use. The audio quality is good and communication is what you would expect from UHF. I find that this handset is far easier to manage without chirp and other Chinese manufacturers. I have yet to find a push to talk system that allows me to use my finger to push to talk and have a microphone and headset all attached in one. There are plenty of offerings were a headphone goes into your ear and the microphone and push to talk or a separate item. That is not easy to use with the bicycle. There was a throat mic version that has a headset for hearing and a push to talk button that is separately wired for your finger. In theory that product it was great when I tried it out it would not work and it was choking me.
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I just got the MXT275. I laughed when I saw the antenna that came with it. I Purchased a Midland 6dB antenna and mounted it in the center of my vehicle roof. I like the magnetic mount. It comes with a nice rubber boot that protects the finish of your vehicle. In my case I am driving that much older car that I don’t care too much about. That’s the way I roll: high end old low milage cars and no car payments.
Lowes has the mxt400 available with a bundle that contains a 6dB antenna the mounting hardware and the radio for $249. The antenna of that they supply with this bundle is slightly different than the ones that is seen made by Midland. I think it is an older model but it has a better SWR response. I bought the MXT400 for use as a base station. That antenna that comes with the bundle needs a ground plane if it is not installed on a metal roof.
GMRS channel plus CTCSS or DSC tone a new real channel?
in General Discussion
Posted
I have used the CTCSS and DCS codes I’ll skiing in biking so that I do not have to hear other people’s conversations. It is harder when you are skiing and biking to change your channel because your radio keeps breaking squelch caused by a far away user that is nothing but static. I would not go as far to call that a channel but I do like the term programmable slot. Calling It channel is leaning towards false advertising. I have seen radios like that in the past that are marketed as having thousands of channels which is not correct.
What is nice about programmability is you can also change the channels for send and receive. In other words one channel is used to transmit and another channel is used to receive on one radio. The other radio has the opposite configuration. The idea behind this was to have at least 1/2 of a conversation is less likely to be interrupted by others. I wrote about it earlier in a previous post along time ago.