Lscott

Well this got a lot of comments from people and photos taken at the Hamvention last May. The match was about 1.1:1 or so at our group frequency of 448.5MHz. It’s a 1/4 wave design. Ran DMR at 1 watt so the average power was about 0.5 watts.

It’s a dual band radio. Using the right passcode in the programming software allows changing the band limit configuration to cover the required frequency range. The important question is it legal to use the radio to transmit on those services. Without qualification the answer is no. Anybody who does should understand this fact. After that it’s up to them what they choose to do. It’s not my job to play the part of a radio cop. About dPMR you can find info on the Internet. As far as I know there is nothing that prohibits its use here. When digging around for information on it I haven’t found a definitive reason why it’s not used in the US at least. My guess it’s just a marketing issue and more importantly which CODEC is used. The dPMR standard has THREE different and incompatible CODECS specified with an optional vendor specific one allowed. Whereas DMR, NXDN and P25 all use a specific one, AMBE+2, regardless of manufacturer. This ensures radios using the same protocol can inter communicate between manufacturers using compliant radios. That wouldn’t be true for dPMR radios. dPMR MoU tech lib Voc Bits V1 (2019).pdf

My D878 doesn’t have a problem with it either. Myself I’ve been looking for a couple of radios that can do dPMR, which is used mainly in the EU. I haven’t seen it in North America so far. It’s very similar to NXDN but the protocol is different. Anyway at least you didn’t get stuck with one of those crapy old Baofeng DMR radios.

You might want to check yours. https://radiosification.blogspot.com/2016/12/dmr-radios-to-avoid.html

Mine says “DEA” on the back. For some reason people stay away from me at concerts.

I have a load of radios. Hasn't help me any. ?

You'll need the right charge controller for that battery type. You can look at these. https://sunforgellc.com/product/gv-5/ Look under the GV-5-Li spec's tab. I think the one you want is the GV-5-Li-14.2V model for the Lithium Iron Phosphate type battery packs. The solar panels from these guys seem to be reasonably priced. The 30 watt panel is likely the largest you would want to carry around. https://www.renogy.com/30-watt-12-volt-monocrystalline-solar-panel-new-edition/ If you're looking at the folding semi-flexible solar panels, the ones that fold up and can fit in a backpack, those are nice, AND expensive! https://www.powerfilmsolar.com/products These guys are good for the battery packs. I got the 4.5 ah and the 40 ah packs. https://www.bioennopower.com/collections/12v-series-lifepo4-batteries I've purchased the items above myself, except the folding panels, so I do know they will work.

I'm going to guess the size of the radio with antenna has a lot to do it with it. A radio that fits in a shirt pocket with an antenna that's about 6 inches long is far more convent than a bulky 11M CB with a huge wipe stuck on top. Then you have the advantage of taking it and using it just about anywhere. Then there is the mobile option. If one sticks to the simple 1/4 wave antenna you can still park your ride in the garage, go through the drive through window pickups etc. without having the antenna ripped off the vehicle.

I had thought about the impact on FRS by using those channels. IMHO as GMRS users we pay a licensing fee to use the spectrum. In my view that should give GMRS users priority over FRS users who get to use the spectrum for free. If FRS users also want the perk, well they can pay the fee and buy the appropriate radio.

IMHO allowing some form of digital voice on part, or all, of GMRS is about a better quality of service. Digital voice doesn’t really increase range to a large degree but provide a near noiseless audio signal over more of that range whereas analog FM becomes difficult to copy. While people mention DMR IMHO that isn’t the best mode. In a prior post in this thread I posted an attachment PDF going into some detail on where and how digital voice could be added without a major disruption to existing FM operations. I would encourage you to read it. Particularly the last few paragraphs and links.

I’m all set. I have everything, including D-Star you forgot to list, except for a System Fusion radio. ?

I doubt they’ll be used to speed up getting your refund check sent out. ?

https://forums.mygmrs.com/topic/5720-new-repeater-channels-for-gmrs-in-2024/page/2/#comment-57605

Yeah, and our congress critters let them hire another 87,000 government employees to collect it from you too. ?

It's not just the technology. As usage changes the rules need to evolve too. That's why they were changed in 2017. The FCC was fixing their earlier F'up allowing dual use radios, GMRS/FRS, in one radio to be sold. Almost nobody got the required GMRS license to use the extra channels. So, the FCC changed the rules to make it legal, and now they don't have to screw around with the enforcement issue.

It's another one of the things in her basket. ?

It's rather unreasonable to expect any service to remain static. Analog TV has gone basically extinct, 11M CB now has analog FM, auto manufactures are trying to eliminate AM radios in cars, the FM PMR446 license free service in the EU now allows two types of digital voice modes and so it goes. GMRS was limited in the number of channels it could use and the changes in 2017 added more, and a few headaches. It's going to change again. It's not a question of IF but WHEN and what those changes will look like. Some of the proposals here have little to no chance of happening while some do have merit. If GMRS doesn't evolve it will just be another dinosaur looking for the nearest tar pit.

Maybe not, but they can use a telephone.?

The radios for the most part I have are considered "mid-tier" models. I have a few high end radios like the TH-D74A https://www.kenwood.com/usa/com/support/pdf/TH-D74A.pdf and the D578UVII Plus, https://powerwerx.com/anytone-atd578uviiiplus-dmr-tri-band-mobile-radio-bluetooth I have some low end ones too. For example I have a couple of the NX-1300DUK5's. These radios are great and included front panel programming at no additional cost. https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/290-nx-1300duk5/?context=new The current high end Kenwood HT's are the NX-5000 series. Once you add in all the optional licenses for the good feature set you're likely looking at $2000 plus for an HT. Just to add the P25 option is around $500. The NXDN and DMR are far cheaper at $40 to $50 each. You want the trunking feature for each more money. Want encryption more money etc. Then the cost for the license key to enable the programming software for the radios is about $150 each. I'm not going to that extreme. https://www.hickeycomms.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/NX5000_portable_EU_02-1016-LR.pdf

Seriously I have to quit buying radios. I have two of this model already. This last one gives me three. I also have three of the UHF models too. The only Ham digital mode I don’t have a radio for yet is System Fusion. I might not be able to resist and get one sooner or later.

I just won an auction for another radio tonight. It’s a TK-5220 which does FM and P25 Phase 1. I think I have enough radios. Now I have to find time to play with them.