Lscott

Fusion and D-Star are Ham specific digital modes. DMR is used on the Ham bands, but was initially, and primarily, designed for business uses. Other digital modes, primarily designed for business band usage, you're likely to to encounter on the Ham bands are NXDN (ultra narrow and narrow), P25 Phase 1 and dPMR (typically used on the business bands in the EU). There are a few others but are almost specifically used on trunking systems, TETRA and P25 Phase 2. So far I haven't found anywhere in the USA where dPMR is used, however I have some radios that will do that mode. The first radio I purchased used was from a US seller so somebody had used it, but the radio didn't have FCC certification, so it wasn't really legal to use on the business frequencies it had programmed into it when I read the radio on arrival before reprogramming for Ham use. https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/500-ic-f3162dt-front-and-back-sidepng/?context=new

When the operator has used the phonetic alphabet when giving their call sign for years on the Ham frequencies it gets to be a habit, and those users likely don't even think about it. Personally I don't care. The rules specify when and how to ID. So long as it complies with the rules, just have to get use to it. A few of my commercial HT's have the ability to ID using a builtin CW, Morse, code feature. Unfortunately it has to be manually initiated. If it was automatic on a timer I would use it and skip the voice ID. I'm sure that would irritate a few people. I've even thought about designing a small Arduino type ID'er that plugs into the mic port of the radio and does it on a timed basis using Morse code.

That figures. I frequently monitor the FRS/GMRS channels when out walking for exorcise. I rather routinely hear traffic from outside of the area when on the Detroit and Mt Clemens machines, so the linking is still on-going, just not publicly advertised. Everyone I've heard behaves themselves, ID's etc. and no crazy topics. You might even get bored monitoring the system. The weather reports are useful at times, particularly in the winter when it might be raining, or light snow, down south and blizzard conditions farther up north.

No sh*t. I have radios I'll likely will never touch after buying them. I guess it's the thrill of getting a good deal. I have no idea how much money in radios I have just sitting on the shelves in plastic food storage boxes. The only main digital modes I don't have yet is System Fusion and P25 Phase 2, I have P25 Phase 1 radios now. The Phase 2 radios aren't of interest since it just for trunking operations at the moment and Ham typically doesn't use this. https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/249-my-radio-collection/?context=new

The main issue with commercial radios is the usual lack of front panel programming. There are some, but it's usually a paid-for option. I have one of current manufacture that the option is included for free. However after reading the procedure in the service manual I concluded it was fare easier to use the programming software. https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/290-nx-1300duk5/?context=new These are very nice radios, but sort of expensive. The cost could be anywhere from $200 to $300 plus for used to new condition. If you get one stick to the display models. Don't get anything with "ProTalk" in the description or a "P" somewhere in the model code! Those have a fixed list of frequencies you have to choose from and are not "freely" programmable. Verify the model by looking at the rear side of the radio for the FCC ID and model tags before bidding or buying a used radio. Sellers of used radios frequently get the descriptions wrong! I haven't found the lack of front panel programming to be a deal breaker for me. I have the local repeaters all programmed in so all I need is to recall them from memory. I prefer Kenwood since I've had a far easier time finding the software. Also most, a few won't, of the programming software allows one to "push" the radio outside of it's official band split. A favorite Kenwood HT, TK-3170, has an official band split of 450 to 490 MHz. I have a bunch of Ham 70cm repeaters programmed into it in the 440 to 450 MHz range along with the GMRS stuff. The software generates a warning about the out of band frequency but accepts it anyway after clicking OK. https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/263-tk-3170jpg/?context=new You can usually find these used for under $100 in good condition.

It’s hard to beat commercial grade radios. The mobiles are designed with the idea of them operating in all kinds of environments so the audio is usually loud and of good quality.

That should be an interesting review. People have had bad experiences with through glass antennas when installed on vehicles with tinted windows. Some of those use metal in the glass. Surprised nobody mentions to watch out for this.

Wow! looks a lot better than my collection of radios stuff into plastic food storage boxes on a couple of roll-around shelve units.

As the rules are written they imply any radio transmitter that is certified for another service can be used on Part 95, GMRS, so long as the frequency, bandwidth and power requirements are met at a minimum. This is the problem with using Ham radios with the MARS/CAP mod's. Your typical Ham radio only has a Part 15 certification, which is mainly to ensure it can't be used to monitor cell phone frequencies. This would also preclude using a couple of Ham only mobiles to build a do-it-yourself GMRS repeater. That seems to be one of the advantages of using Part 90 radios. There are a LOT of quality used LMR, Part 90, radios to be had for reasonable prices. There are a few currently manufactured radios that work too. The link below points to one of my UHF radios. It will operate on FM/DMR or FM/NXDN depending on the firmware loaded. I have radios setup for both digital modes. As noted the radios I tend to get cover the 400 to 470 MHz band spread since this includes the armature band from 420 to 450 MHz. One point Hams forget is we are secondary users on the 70cm band, the government is primary, so it shouldn't be a surprise the radio has Part 90 certification over the range. https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/290-nx-1300duk5/?context=new The attached FCC grant shows the radio is certified for Part 90 from 406.1 to 470 MHz, so it meets the requirements, and I'm assuming legal under the rules for use on GMRS, just can't use the digital feature there, until the FCC gets off it's arse and makes some changes first. Oh, for those wondering what's up with the weird lower band spread frequency, 406.1 MHz, should read this. https://www.sarsat.noaa.gov/emergency-406-beacons/ I would avoid operating anywhere near this frequency. Some of my other commercial radios have a builtin GPS and can transmit position info. Not sure if it's compatible with the PLB radios. FCC NX-1300 Grant-4.pdf

Yes. If you don't have a flat metal surface to use as the ground plane then you need to use a non-ground plane type. Examples would be on a fiberglass boat or some people have off road Jeeps with a plastic cap or cloth cover for the cab. Generally no.

I have an SG7900 with the UHF mount too. I guess I should stick it on the roof rack and see how well it works. It might surprise me like the CA-2x4SR and NR240CA did.

What linked NXDN systems exist out there? Here is Michigan it sucks. We have just ONE repeater. https://www.repeaterbook.com/repeaters/feature_search.php?type=NXDN&state_id=26&band=4

Florida also has the largest linked NXDN UHF Ham repeaters in the country I believe. https://ni4ce.org/nxdn-digital-communications/

I tried the Comet CA-2x4SR and the Diamond NR240CA on my roof rack mount. Both antennas are 5/8 wave designs and need a ground plane. When I tested them, just for fun, on the rack mount I didn't expect them to work for crap. Big surprise both worked rather well. Apparently there is enough coupling, likely capacitive, from the mount to the rack rail and car body to work. https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/613-nr240ca-roof-rack-mount-swr-and-photojpg/?context=new The steel band holding the mount to the rail has a sheet of rubber under it so there is no direct metal to metal contact. https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/473-close-up-of-mobile-mount/?context=new The SWR sweep for the Comet was very similar but with a bit higher values. https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/615-ca-2x4srjpg/

While this is for repeaters the same consideration applies to radios in close proximity. Crappy coax with high RF leakage can cause issues too. https://www.repeater-builder.com/antenna/double-shielded-coax.html

That's likely helping more than you think. You can test that by taking the radios and just air spacing them.

That's true of most electronics you buy today. Mostly gone were the old days where the radio/TV etc came in a metal box. Now all you get is a cheap plastic one and people wonder why they get garbage pickup from their LED lights and other crap. There is a section on an Anytone D878 site where there are instructions on how to spray a nickle coating inside the case to improve the shielding. You might try this with the IC-7300. AT-D868_D878_Info_and_mods_20240607.pdf

Everyone should review this old thread.

The attached file is an example I did to do a hex edit hack on a Kenwood NX-411 code plug to get on the Ham 33cm band. The radio programming software wouldn't allow the entry of the frequencies. How to Hex edit Kenwood code plugs - 20241011.pdf

You need to get a windows hex editor. Then you can load in the binary file and edit the specific memory location. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hex_editor https://www.av-rd.com/knowhow/data/hexedit_archivists-1.html

See attached file and read the instructions below I had found on-line some time back. ==================================================================================== KPG49D v4.02 Password Bypass -> KPG49D.exe: 0x0000418A change 74 to EB Once modified, when the Data Password dialog box opens, just hit enter or type anything and it will then go onto read the codeplug. The password is located in the .dat file at 0xB5-0xBA. KPG-49D V4.02.zip

If it satisfies your communication requirements then it was a good choice.

Without knowing what frequencies are being used locally there I think that would be a dumb idea. There are warnings all the time against taking FRS, same frequencies as GMRS, radios on foreign vacations since the frequencies could be used by local fire, police etc. services.