RoadApple

Well, tie me to an anthill and smear my ears with jam! Sorry, I really did not mean to sound like "some people" or upset any gods, regular folk or GMRS queens. Like many GMRS users, I occasionally use CHIRP to program my radios, and I was just using the same term as used in the "Duplex" section of the CHIRP documentation and other GMRS radio manuals as well as the actual programming menu (#26) of my own GMRS radio (TIDRADIO GM-5R). Shame on me. I'll try to be much more careful in the future!!!

GMRS. You are correct that there are only 8 designated repeater channels. GMRS channels 15 thru 22 exist as simplex channels and in most GMRS radios there are also 8 pre-programmed "Repeater Channels" 15 thru 22 where the RX is the same but the TX on all the repeater channels is offset by +5Mhz

The "Repeater Channels" will use a +5mhz offset (Duplex) for transmit (TX) meaning that for repeater CH 17 your radio will TX on 467.600Mhz and receive (RX) on 462.600Mhz. This should work as desired when talking thru the repeater which listens RX on 467.600Mhz and retransmits or "repeats" the signal on 462.600Mhz. But if you are out of range of the repeater and are trying to talk directly between the 2 Rocky Talkie radios directly (Simplex) on Repeater CH 17 without the use of the repeater, then your TX & RX will be on different frequencies thus they can't communicate. If, for example, you switch your radios to regular Channel 17 rather than Repeater Ch 17 the radios will be set to TX and RX on the same 462.600Mhz frequency and they should communicate with each other as desired. Also, you only need the CTCSS tone on the TX to activate the repeater. It really isn't needed on RX, so it might be easier to remove the CTCSS tone from RX for now.

Got it. Thanks for that clarification of "quirky". Admittedly, I have not used many of the CTRL key sequence shortcuts so that may be why I've not experienced the same issues.

Interesting to hear, as I've had no issues with it on Windows 10 or 11. Using it to program 4 different radios. Perhaps I've just been lucky so far...

I see/hear a lot of folks taking great joy in knocking the Baufang brand and Cheap Chinese Radios in general, but the proof is in the pudding, and quite often these cheap little radios can surprise us!

@amaff Very Nice. The bright colors were a great choice for such a setup.

As I read this thread, I'm now trying to figure out which issue is causing the burr under the saddle, the product(s) or the product support? I'm a simple guy, but it seems to me that unless extra $ was paid to a reseller for some level of warranty beyond what the manufacturer offers, you cannot expect the reseller to do much of anything! Now, for the sake of trying to cultivate some future business maybe the reseller could be a little helpful and talk to you or try to walk you through the setup to rule out operator error, and that would be nice, but that is not a responsibility on their part. You certainly cannot expect a reseller to fix or replace a product for free. Then there is the product itself not being of the quality you want or expect. If product quality is the issue, then it really doesn't matter which reseller you go thru for the purchase. For me, the lesson here is that when you buy a new product, you need to take the time to put it thru its paces and identify issues within the warranty period or forever hold your piece! Almost everything will fail eventually, and I've thrown away my share of failed equipment over the years. That is just the way it is....

Can't argue with an Admiral!

Sounds like that may just bring the unlicensed, non-radio folk, one step closer to getting onto local repeaters... welcome or not. Modern GMRS radios in the hands of "FRS type" users will no doubt continue to blur the lines between the two services.

I've often wondered about the practical reality of "we don't allow...to use our GMRS repeater" when all they need is the correct tone. Notwithstanding the reality that many can't figure out the tone, for those that can and do, then what? If they are locals and are doing it on a regular basis, as opposed to some unknown random person or group passing thru the area, it isn't difficult to figure out who they are. Clearly that would be the first step in any sort of enforcement action. But what a PITA. Then what? Report it to FCC and cross your fingers, I guess... IDK, the whole thing is based on the honor system and as we see, or rather hear, with some degree of regularity, some folks just don't care about rules.

Your assumption about 5-watt HT's being used without a license is probably correct. I hear farm workers on the radio (simplex) that I very much doubt, based on their conversation, are within FRS range. They never ID themselves. I'm not sure they know the difference between FRS and GMRS radios, and if they do, I doubt they care. To them, it is just another radio that works a little better.

Agreed. An eventual reduction to zero is feasible. After all, as was pointed out there isn't a big operational gap between FRS and GMRS and FRS is already not licensed. GMRS was $70 for a 10-year term and is now $35 for a 10-year term. IDK, perhaps I've got the wrong perspective, but at a rate of $3.50 per year it sure doesn't seem like money is the FCC's motivation for GMRS licensing. Otherwise, they would be charging more and wouldn't have recently lowered the fee. I think that at some point the FRS/GMRS chaos will reach critical mass, and the FCC certainly has bigger fish to fry. I too had one of them there CB licenses back in the 70's that soon became irrelevant. I also had a cheap Kraco radio, and it worked great!!!

Ignore the crass comments here on the forum. Everyone is a beginner at some point and sometimes if you are not at all familiar with something, the manual is not as intuitive as we would like. Asking question is okay! Like @WRYS709 Said: Welcome to MyGMRS.

Thanks for that info!!! I will definitely take a closer look at the WP-9900 product. And for the modest $115 price tag it is probably worth getting one to test out in person! It really looks like the Btech 20V2. Maybe, it is made by same company with different branding. The Btech 20V2, which I like a lot, is also a "cheap chinese radio" so that really doesn't bother me. I think a lot of folks (read: "Radio Dorks") get totally wrapped around the axel on that stuff or see the brand name of their radio as some kind of freak'in status symbol, as if anyone in the real world gives a rat's ass. I will concede that the specs, when measured with test equipment can differ, and some radios may even be noticeably better than others, but the average dude, like me, using a radio just doesn't care. As long as I can communicate with others around me with reasonable clarity and reliability that's all that matters. When I hear someone else talking, I don't know, and I don't care, what kind of radio they are using. It's a moot point! It is interesting that you speak of the volume control being a PITA because that is for me the biggest negative in the basic operation of the Btech 20V2. The orange button on top of the mic that you use to turn the radio on/off is also used to open the squelch to put the radio in monitor mode. Long press vs short press and I always manage to hold the button for the wrong amount of time for what I'm wanting to do. Then while in monitor mode, you use the up and down arrow keys to adjust the volume. To me, this is a little clumsy, but it works, and I really don't have to adjust the volume that often, so it is a quirk I can easily live with. It is also funny that you mention how some hams might like the aesthetics of visible radios. HA!!! I think what you say is true. They like having all the knobs and meters etc. on display. Besides, if you can't see the physical radio box mounted proudly and prominently in front of you, how would you possibly be able to admire the expensive brand name? I recently went to a local ham radio club meeting for the first time. I was the new guy, and they knew nothing about me. Surprisingly, the very first question I was asked by one of the members; "What kind of equipment do you have?". My answer; "Oh, just cheap Chinese junk..." I understand the value of technical quality, but form factor and aesthetics is important for different reasons. I like being able to keep things clean, low profile, somewhat unnoticeable whenever I can. It is a matter of personal preference and for me these small form factor radios with controls on the mic seem to work pretty well in that regard. Anyway, thanks again for the lead on the WP-9900, I'll check it out....

I'm a little late to this thread and it appears that you have already received an answer to your question but thought I might chime in anyway. I have a BTech 20v2 and use it to receive many VHF/UHF frequencies outside of the GMRS frequency range. It works great. IMHO, the receiver selectivity is not the best, but it is a good little radio for the price. I really love the form factor and that all the controls are on the mic and that I can stash the radio in an out of the way location. I wish I could find a small unlocked dual band ham radio (like the Btech UV-25X2) with a small display and all the controls on the mic! That too would be handy! Anyway, YES, you can receive ham and various public safety traffic via the radio and use the scan feature to scan thru all of it. I do it all the time. That Btech 20V2 is a compact little unit and will give you the capability you are seeking.

You did nothing wrong. Someone was just trying to bamboozle you. Ignore them. Remember - GMRS shares frequencies with unlicensed FRS where, for all practical purposes, there are no rules, protocols or norms and people will say or claim just about anything. Not that all GMRS users are well behaved either...

I'm glad you were able to get your radio programmed! It would seem silly to not allow tones to be assigned to any and all channels on a GMRS radio as some folk use tones (so call "privacy" codes) to filter out noise on simplex in addition to activating repeaters. I've yet to encounter a "fully locked down" radio, but I guess they are out there.....

Hey Nokones, Thanks for the general heads up about dual band antennas. My dual band seems to be an okay compromise for 2m/70cm although the SWR is notably better on 2m than 70cm. I actually have 3 different antennas I can swap in/out as needed depending upon what I'm doing at the time. While SWR is certainly not the only measure of performance, on GMRS, the antenna that gives me the best SWR (1.0 @ 462Mhz & 1.12 @ 467Mhz) is this tiny little low profile 6" quarter wave Tram 1126-B. It works surprisingly well, and I love that most people don't even notice that it is up there....

It took a while, but after looking at a variety of other options, I finally decided to get that 3rd brake light antenna mount purchased and installed. It was a little expensive, but it is working very well and I'm pretty happy with it so far! The pics below show it with a dual band 2m/70cm antenna. I've also used it simplex on GMRS with a very small Tram antenna with good results. Thanks again to all who provided constructive feedback on the topic!

Oh... that explains why HT's work better for us fat people! Especially on lower frequencies. Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

Really ?? I did not infer that "Code Talker" is mentioned anywhere in the FCC rules. I'm merely using that as an example to point out that "Plain Language" is an ambiguous term, not all foreign languages are commonly understood, and that perhaps the FCC's definition is not as clear or definitive as it should be!

___ @JHENRY, yours was a very good question. I'm fairly new to this forum, but I'm quickly learning to just ignore the regular trolls...

Just like the word "unreasonable" is arguably the most important word in the 4th amendment of the U.S. constitution, the definition of the term "Plain Language" is the key phrase in the FCC rules. Actually, the precise definition wording of section 95.303 as shown above poses a very interesting question as it is being presumed that all foreign languages, by definition, are not considered coded or secretive. It says: "Foreign languages and commonly known radio operating words...". It does not say; "Common Foreign languages and ..." The public at large cannot be expected to understand the wide variety of foreign languages that may be broadcast over the air. Clearly some recognized foreign languages are not at all well-known and in fact our own military has used this strategy expressly to create "secret communications"! "CODE TALKER" Wikipedia: "A code talker was a person employed by the military during wartime to use a little-known language as a means of secret communication. The term is most often used for United States service members during the World Wars who used their knowledge of Native American languages as a basis to transmit coded messages." As @UncleYoda pointed out, it is the FCC's responsibility to make the rules clear. At this point, I'm not sure they really are.

Great information... Glad to hear that it is working well for you. THANKS!