TrikeRadio

Not sure... I don't have them anymore. Gave them back to my friend who bought them after setting them to only transmit as FRS radios. They will likely never use them for much more than that.

possibly... i tried setting those on LOW power for the channels, but still would not transmit. However, seeing as how it does not seem to have any restrictions about what out of FRS/GMRS frequencies it transmits on, I don't know why it would enforce the half watt FRS/GMRS restriction on those channels. it will transmit out of FRS/GMRS bands - some seem to be Marine Radio bands, others probably HAM or business bands and at least one or two I think are frequencies for the UK but not the US. The frequency/channel assignments are all over the place, and I know that the friends who bought them have not modified them... they are not tech savvy and did not have a programming cable or even any idea that these could be programmed with a computer.

Some of the friends who go cycling with me use FRS radios for communications during our group rides. We usually use an FRS/GMRS channel with a CTCSS tone. Usually this works fine between FRS and GMRS radios we have, but one of our riders bought an Arcshell AR-5 which would not communicate with other radios in our group. I assumed it was just a regular cheap FRS HT, but when I downloaded its factory setup into CHIRP it came up with this weird assortment of frequencies (and preset CTCSS tones) assigned to its 16 channels - most of which are out of band for FRS or GMRS and none that actually match FRS/GMRS frequencies! It's a 2 watt radio and also has a removable antenna, so it is like a weird not quite FRS, not quite GMRS mutant, and for sure not on any frequencies it should be on for an unlicensed transceiver! I was able to change the frequencies in it to use legal channels for 1-7 and 15-22 but it would not even transmit on legal 8-14 channels (like the firmware was not allowing it). Weird junk radio. Anyone else ever seen on of these? How can they even sell these legally on Amazon? Does anyone know if these frequencies are for some other country? UK? Europe? Elsewhere? (image shows what was in the radio when I first downloaded it on the left, compared to the legit GMRS frequencies on the right)

Fair enough.

Any success yet @iyakonboats ? any other ideas?

Another thing you can do, remove the RX tones on both radios... jsut keep the TX tones for the repeater and see if that lets you hear your transmit to the repeater coming back in the other radio.

he did say he was getting a squelch tail back from the repeaters with each radio when transmitting... so that seems to be working

hmm.. if you followed the instructions on that video for both radios, and are getting squelch tail response from the repeater on both... then I am not sure why you are not hearing your transmit from one to the repeater and back to the other. Have you just tried calling for a radio check with your id to see if someone else out there can hear you and respond?

can you reverse the process? use the other radio to transmit and see if you get a repeater squelch tail noise back on that one too?

Does your radio have a setting to turn ON repeaters? (Some do, some are set on automatically without a setting) also... there are usually pre-set SIMPLEX GMRS channels that only do simplex... an then above channel 22 there are repeater channels for those same frequencies... what channel slot are you useing? if it is below 23 you may not be able to hit a repeater.

if your two radios are too close together when you test hitting the repeater, they could be desensing each other. Move them apart... like across the room if necessary... or get someone else to monitor the other radio further from your transmitting one.

Agreed, if it does not say there is an output tone for your RX... you should only put the TX in. If they do say there is an RX tone on the output... well then you can choose to put it in to ONLY hear things from that repeater.. or leave it off to hear anything else that might be on that frequency as well.

Personally I find the squelch tail burst of static almost more "unpleasant" than a beep... but I'm so used to either of them that it really does not phase me or matter to me anymore. It's just part of using two way radios at this point.

AH! Why didn't I think of that! yeah the old NASA transmissions to the astronauts all had the beep! Funny that today the beep is considered "not professional sounding" when the origin of it was very much professional with NASA!

Thanks for the reply. Yeah I am with you... I was just wondering, did the roger beep originate in the CB world or Ham world? And was it just a gimmick or was there some real reason for it when it came about. I remember back in the early 80s was the first time I heard them in CB transmissions. Only a few radios seemed to have them. (I don't know if that is when they came about or if it was before that, just when I first noticed them) .. .at the time it seemed like it was a "cool" thing that some people had on their radios, but I guess they jsut got on everyone's nerves eventually.

I don't use it, just because the repeaters I am on don't want us to... otherwise I could care less. But I am just curious what the reasons are for it being stated by @gortex2 that "It is not needed" in GMRS and "Roger Beeps are for CB and some ham radio."

I understand that the "norm" on GMRS is "no Roger Beep" but this still brings up the "WHY". You say there is "No need for it in GMRS"... but it is more accepted or use in "CB and some ham".. so why is it "needed: in the other services but not GMRS? is that just because of more background static on transmissions in CB and long range radio to radio ham?

Years ago this guy was running a mobile HAM radio setup on his trike and putting videos on youtube. I emailed him recently and he no longer has the trike but is still on HAM radio regularly. https://www.youtube.com/@K6BBQsHamShack/videos

I have had this for about 10 years... bought it used at the time for a little over a thou.. New ones go for the $2500 / $3500 range. With electric assist more. but you can often find used ones are better prices. Catrike brand is excellent (what i have) and made in Florida. other brands like ICE Trikes have added cost because they are from the UK... which also means more shipping costs. And yeah, they are comfortable, give you a great heads up view, and yes lots o places to attach all the toys. https://www.catrike.com/ https://www.utahtrikes.com/ https://www.icetrikes.co/

Glad we could help. Enjoy!

I 3d printed a custom designed holder for my TD-H3 that I zip tied and fastened to my handlebar. I use a shoulder mic with it and a 771 antenna. It works well, and I use it to communicate with others in our cycling group (usually 8 - 14 riders) to give turn instructions, check on safety and if everyone made the right turns or got through the last traffic light.

I use GRMS "properly" I ID with my call-sign every 15 minutes during transmissions and at the conclusion of my conversations. I use a part 95 GMRS radio and adhere (because it is built in) to the channelized frequencies in the way they are intended to be used, with the proper wattage on those channels. I also do not use my radio to cause jamming or intentional interference for other users and repeaters. I talk to friends i know and new friends I have met in the repeater club that I have come to know through conversation, even if I have never met them face to face. So... is that what you mean?

LOL! yeah... hey My cell phone can talk to people around the world too!