Lscott

Good question.

If you're transmitting on the output frequency then that's simplex operation on a repeater channel, which is legal, even if there is one but not currently in use. Doing so might be a poor practice. However you can ONLY transmit on a repeater input frequency when using a repeater. It's not for simplex operation.

Canada has their own version of GMRS. https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/spectrum-management-telecommunications/en/official-publications/policies/spectrum-utilization-policies-sp/sp-462467-mhz-spectrum-utilization-policy-permit-licence-exempt-devices-land-mobile-frequency-sub

Depends on who you ask. It turns out there really isn't one. Before it was generally accepted to use 20. Now people are advocating for 19, and others don't use either one. It's turning into a bit of a mess since people simply can't agree on one and stick with it.

GMRS has only 22 official channels to use. Out of those 8 are reserved for repeater operation, with the matching 8 input only frequencies. If there is no traffic on the output frequencies they can be used for simplex. Normally the purpose built GMRS radios have the channel frequencies builtin by the firmware. At best you can select which access tone to use. Various radios allow duplicates of the repeater channels with different tones to accommodate traveling around different areas. Also the repeater channels you find the builtin ones are set for a +5MHz split. However the current FCC rules allow any of the 8 input frequencies to be paired with any of the 8 output frequencies, which results in a non standard split. Most repeaters stick to the standard +5MHz.

OK, then try the attached file. I clicked on the file and navigated to one of my old Kenwood programming installs. It opened the help file just fine. winhlp32.exe

Yes. It seems like it changes daily. Yes they are. I traveled to Brazil on several occasions in the late 80’s for work. The import duties and paperwork work was a real PIA. The other thing was the insane inflation rate they had at the time too. The prices seemed to increase once or twice a day. Trying to do comparison shopping was useless. The financial numbers got so big even 10/12 digit calculators couldn’t handle the number of digits required I was told.

There is a file you can download which will open the old style MS help files. I have to find it again on-line to load up on a couple of my Win10 Pro computers. Even with the utility clicking on Help in the program will fail. You have to click on the help files themselves and set the utility as the default program to open them. Once done then just create a shortcut to the specific help files themselves and keep it with the one for the programming software. I think you can try the link below for instructions on how to locate the utility and install it. https://www.winhelponline.com/blog/view-winhelp-hlp-files-windows-10-with-winhlp32-exe/

That’s why I almost NEVER use RX tones on my radios.

Yeah, it’s like one of those vampires in a late night tv show. You put it down, then a short while later it gets back up again.

I thought it was back again? The majority of the Kenwood commercial radios I have were manufactured in either Malaysia or Singapore. My understanding is the country of manufacture determines the tariff taxes. The other question is how does this all apply to used radios? Does customs still consider the country of manufacture or the country where it's being exported from if the tariffs apply? I just got, a few days ago, a used Kenwood TK-3701D dPMR446 radio from the UK for example. I'm thinking about MAYBE buying a second one so I have at least two that can communicate on FM/Digital modes on the Ham 70cm band for experimenting. The seller,on the UK eBay site,has a couple left for about $122 at the current exchange rate plus about another $33 for eBay international shipping, then there is the Michigan 6% sales tax on top of the $122. If the cost goes up another 10% to 15% because of import tariff taxes that's going to be an expensive radio. Bugger is nobody seems to sell these used radios here so buying internationally is about the only option. https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/640-tk-3701djpg/?context=new This business is getting confusing to keep up with.

Thanks for the antenna type update. Little big for mobile use. Also rather expensive too. I haven't noticed hardly any MURS traffic by me. Anyway by the time you feed in the legal limit of 2 watts, no one uses their modified 50 watt 2M rig do they, and get maybe 1 to 1.5 watts at the antenna it still isn't going to go far.

Has anyone done any research on what the new tariffs will be on imports for two-way radio equipment? The "de minimis" $800 exception on imports is set to end on 8/29/2025. The import code for radio/TV/Sound equipment seems to be HTS Code 85256011. However I can't seem to find any up to date reliable info on what the tariffs are. In fact some sites claim there is an exception, zero tax. Since this seems to change almost daily it's hard to track down any info that is usable. If there is an exception then it going to be business as usual. Otherwise might have to change "CCR", cheap Chinese radios, to "ECR", expensive Chinese radios.

What antenna was this? The results look VERY good! This is my 20 plus year old Comet Dual band SWR scan. They don't make this model any more. They should. I have one new in the green shipping sleeve. Look at the top center photo, the green sleeve on the left side. https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/469-antenna-collectionjpg/ https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/471-mobile-mount-with-antenna-rear-view/?context=new This is why I really hate to give it up. https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/282-ca-2x4mb-scansjpg/?context=new

I would go ahead and try it! Even if the results are a bit "screwy" there is some benefit if comparing different antennas on the same test setup.

When I tried testing HT antennas that was basically my experience too. There are far too many variables to control for to get good results. As a general observation I found the VHF testing is very hit or miss. Generally the antennas are a helical design, thus far shorter than a 1/4 wave. There is way insufficient area for an effective ground using the radio chassis only, they really need to be held in the hand. The antennas are "tuned" to take that into account. Whereas the UHF antennas are close to a real 1/4 wave and the metal chassis of the larger HT's come closer to a minimum size ground plane. I had fair luck testing them with a small sheet metal plate to simulate the ground plane. Many of the older HT's used hybrid power amp sections. I had downloaded some datasheets to see what the spec's are. The surprising thing I saw was the max SWR rating. Some were as high as 20:1! M67798LRA.pdf M68732H.pdf

Only quick way to find out is test it with an SWR meter. Some of these multi band antennas show oscillation in the SWR across a range of frequencies. You might get lucky where the GMRS frequencies falls into one of the low SWR valley. The link below is a test I did of a favorite wide band mobile antenna. Usable. https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/268-ca-2x4sr/?context=new And this link is for a test on a Ham dual band mobile antenna to see if it was usable. Doesn't look good. https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/283-sg7500a-swr-scans-2jpg/

The belly fat one gets from the beer sticks around a lot longer.

Well that's how the regulations work. Myself if a family member, non resident, wants to use GMRS I would "suggest" they get their own license. Legally they could use mine, but if they had their own any issue with the FCC would be their problem not mine.

As I mentioned it doesn't have to be unique. Using some made-up ID works, which defeats the purpose of having a DMR database in the radio. I've done the later accidentally, used the wrong ID when programming my radios. That happened when a guy on an out of area repeater noticed my call sign didn't match the call sign that showed up on their radio. Oops.

Yes I know. That's one reason I got it because I can use it on the Ham band. The other is to see if I can get it to communicate with a couple of Icom dPMR radios. Doing the experimentation on 70cm is legal so long as i properly ID. There are a few differences between dPMR446 and the full featured dPMR. 1. dPMR446 uses the concept of a "common ID", whereas dPMR uses a "dialing" address, 24 bits, that functions as a Talkgroup and user ID depending on the range set for the ID. The remainder of the range is interpreted as the Talkgroup. You want a larger range for ID's, you have less range for Talkgroups. 2. The CC, channel code, for dPMR446 is a fixed value depending on the channel frequency. There are only 16 unique codes, listed in a table in the dPMR446 standard document, that would be used. For dPMR the CC is calculated based on an algorithm that uses the frequency, and there could be up to 64 unique codes. Using that algorithm for dPMR with the dPMR446 frequencies you don't get the values listed in the table for the dPMR446 standard. Otherwise the two are the same protocol. Number 1 I did some calculations and can generate the required bit pattern for the "common ID" using the dPMR Talkgroup/ID. However I can only generate a valid Talkgroup/ID for about 222 out of the 255 "common ID codes" Number 2 I think is going to screw things up where the communications will fail. I suspect this was done to prevent someone, like me, from attempting to use a commercial grade dPMR radio on dPMR446. I guess that's why there are two standards. Mathcad - dPMR446 Common ID Cod.pdf Channel Codes Edited ETSI TS 102 658 V2.6.1 (2019-01).pdf

That's OK. One other point to make. You don't really need a unique DMR ID to use DMR. FCC doesn't require it, and it's not a substitute for ID'ing using your call sign. So if you're not in the official database all anyone sees is garbage. Not to mention spoofing DMR ID's. Yeah people do that and since it's not illegal the FCC couldn't care less. For those than want to register and get a DMR ID this is the place. https://radioid.net/ I also have a NXDN ID too BTW through this site. I also believe people use their DMR ID as the digital ID for P25.

I have two D878UV's with it. Don't really use the feature. The problem is when scanning, which is what I usually do, when it stops it's so brief of a time that when I pick up the radio the info is gone. https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/270-d878uv-model-1/ If I really want to read it I have to use the camera on the phone to catch it. Sort of misses the point.

My Kenwood commercial DMR radios can't download any digital ID data base, that's not their market goal, Amateur use. I don't miss it one bit. When one is running around with the radio in a pocket or on a belt, using a headset or speaker mic, I doubt anyone is going to yank it out to look at the display every time they hear something. That makes the builtin DMR database feature sort of pointless.