WQZV555

Yes - but REAL radios don't have chips - just tubes to light your cubby hole at night and warm your hands over the chassis during the winter months. Due to my background - if it's got chips - I want to CONTROL it.

Yeah - I started coding about 51 years ago in the 9th grade. Then did it for a living starting about 45 years ago. Its hard teaching someone "how" to code properly, assume YOU (the young coder) is the weakest link, etc. They get a couple things done, get cocky and think they are God's gift to programming (some of them). Fortunately, I was brought "under" the tutelage of some very wise and seasoned programmers, and did research on my own WAY beyond job requirements. I carried those lessons forward to all younger programmers I had under my wings and supervised, and within a couple days, you could tell who was going to be good, maybe great (extremely few), and who was just "cannon fodder". Once upon a time, it was fun - making the stupid thing "dance" and do what you wanted. Doing things no one thought was possible within the hardware being used, or the language things were coded in. The last 2-3 years before I retired, was mostly just "unfun".

Just leaves me feeling very uncomfortable. What else didn't change or changed to "something else" that I can't easily confirm even via the handset? A bit "shocked" that it doesn't do a read-after-write verification of what the data file has. Or did it jack up reading the file? Strikes me as an extremely JUNIOR programmer left to their own devices on their very first "application" with no oversight.

Yeah - the software is pretty.... "less than desirable". Looks like something I would have done back in Win 1.0/1.1 as my first Windows program... Not the worst coding/UI I've seen, but it's close.

Have a new DB20-G I've been setting up. Seems no matter what I do the power on message doesn't become what I set. Unit has NOT been hacked or "opened" (yet). BEFORE I wrote back to the radio using the supplied cable - it would power on with the message "DB20-G". Once I wrote to the radio, it ALWAYS powers up now with "WELCOME!!" (line 1) "ANYTONE!!" (on line 2). That is NOT what is in the CPS software in the "Function Setup" dialog box, option "Define Starting Display" At first, it would also power on in VFO mode, but suddenly, after writing to it 4-5 times, it will now power on in the last mode it was in when it was powered off. But alas, the power on message doesn't change from the "WELCOME!!", "ANYTONE!!" Not a huge deal, but there doesn't seem to be a manual way to change it either, and I'd like my callsign to appear when it powers on.

Well, I scanned the entire thread, and could have missed it, but I see one use that no one else has mentioned the use I intend (that I could see). Where I live there is NO repeater. There are also NO users active on GMRS. Why did I get it? Useful emergency comms with my family - what I consider an emergency - not what the FCC says one is. So, 3-4 licenses handle me and all of my adult kids who live 12 miles away (as the crow flies). So, I've set up a parrot simplex repeater using one GMRS HT connected to an SR-112. This allows me to do a few things: Map out the xmit/rcv locations on a map - how far I can reach, etc., etc. Test various antenna mobile against various antenna at base - see what works best on what radio, and at what distance for MY area. This test will occur at the same height/location that one would be holding the HT at my base Test various setups and variations of what HT at the base seems to work best with what mobile HT - brand and model. (I suspect that brand-brand with same model probably works "best", but we'll see) This isn't expensive, and if all HTs work "equally well", then they get handed out to the family. I don't need to involve someone else who isn't all that interested, and will be THERE to answer (wife has a habit of doing "other things" for "just a minute", and 30 minutes later...) Eventually, this could lead into more of a "proper" base station mobile, with antenna mounted on my roof, etc. This is NOT a permanent repeater - just for my use for these purposes. I guess I could take it out with me traveling, and set it up somewhere to extend reach - but most likely I won't. It was a cheap setup to do testing and see what actually happens vs. theoretical what should happen. If it doesn't do what I think it should, then I can research that. While there will be some variations in ground (different people, different ground), and the way that it is held - it should be more reflective than many other things I can think of. And most importantly - it COVERS THE AREA I INTED TO USE IT IN. Sorry, if someone mentioned this earlier - but I missed it if they did.

I've heard/seen the issue of linked repeaters, and have read the rule - and haven't seen any apparent changes for running a simplex repeater on GMRS channels/freqs. Anyone see/hear anything different? I've got an SR-112 and will hook up to a BF UV5G Plus (all I've got right now), for antenna testing in my area. I'm in KS, and there's a dearth of repeaters in my area (Wichita). The only repeater shown in the area is ICT700/R, and I've received permission to use it, but can't reach it from the Augusta, KS area (at least not yet, but doubt I'll be able to ever reach it and get a response at my location). I've done scanning, and seems no one is really on GMRS in my area. So I think I'll need to set up my own device to do some basic testing with various antenna. I just want to make sure before I start setting the thing up and receiving a letter.