RCM

I can not address that question directly because I have no 'ham' radio experience. However, the Kenwood commercial radios are just that - designed for Part 90 and Part 95 Commercial use. That may answer your question.

Keep us up to speed on your progress... and as with all used equipment, the transmitter should be tested 'officially' for frequency tolerance compliance before connecting to a broadcasting antenna.  (Part 95.1765).

Looks like you will also need the Kenwood KPG49D software. Really easy to use...  Since it is a firmware 1.5, you may see an alert that it is not a software target radio.  Disregard that alert and continue.
 
Hint: when you get the software loaded, the radio connected to your new USB cable and the COMM PORT checked as active from  the setup tab... hit the "MODEL" tab in the software menu screen. Click on "Model Information" and a drop down menu appears.  Normal settings would be -

Model Type: TK880
 
Frequency:  450 to 490

Radio Format:  Conventional

Option Board:  none
 
Fleet Sync Enhanced Function:    (Important that this check box IS NOT CHECKED)



 

I had been looking at various Kenwood TK-880s and also a TK-863G, when the Motorola M1225s popped up for a good deal and I bought one of those. Then 2-3 days later one of the TK-880s (this one a high power version) had its price reduced and I jumped on it.
 
It arrived today. The M1225 still hasn't arrived, but hopefully it will be here tomorrow. The TK-880H powers up, shows Version 1.50 and then "unprogram." I was hoping it would still have some frequencies in it so I could test it into a dummy load. I was also hoping (but not expecting) that it would have FPP enabled. No dice in either case. Oh well.
 
So I ordered a usb programming cable from Bluemax49ers. When it gets here I'll see about programming it, and also enable it for FPP. Although with 62,500 possible channels (250 banks of 250 channels) it's doubtful I will need FPP very much.

Outstanding! Congrats.
 

Ours is similar right now. It's running a near dummy load $32 Browning in the third floor workshop, atop a PVC pipe in a Christmas tree stand. We're planning on an Andrews DB404 (need to keep it light and small for the location) when we get the antenna outside.
 

We were shocked to consistently use the repeater miles away at 10W with the location and cheeeep antenna. It really shouldn't be working this well. Had a crazy buddy hit it from high elevation ~70 miles away. He was very scratchy and not able to open the repeater via PL but I could hear him break squelch and speak. For all I know, he's running kWs (j/k, he's not that crazy). lol

I'n currently running a Uniden BCD996P2, a Kenwood TK-8180 (GMRS), and a Kenwood TM-281a (2m) in my 2013 F-150:
 

Aaaaand, it lives! Right now the receive antenna is a homebrew 1/4 wave ground plane above my house and the transmit "antenna" is a dummy load in the house, but it functions and I can hear it in my HTs. Sometime in the next few days both tx and rx will get better antennas.
 
I could actually still hear it on my HT a couple hundred yards down the road, with about 12 watts into a dummy load near floor level in a back room of my house.

Not only is this the busiest time of year for the postal service, it is a busy time for most people as well.  Keep in mind that the HamGadgets company is actually only one man, and he has a lot going on.  Dan Magro, W7RF, is the ARRL Technical Specialist for the Colorado Section, the Rocky Mountain DX club President, as well as NCARC, WARC, past President.  He's also a 6-meter band fanatic, and with all of the recent aurora activity, he is probably banging out Morse code DX contacts on 50.125MHz.
 
If you order a kit, he is the guy who counts all the parts, bags them up, and ships them.  If you ordered a product assembled and tested, he is the one who solders it together, and tests it. ...then re-packages it for shipping.  I've never had bad service from the guy, but I can see how he might get behind schedule a bit.

It's a TYT model that has been all over. The original has a WP version (water proof) and a regular version. I've used them and heard them being used (pre-95 certification). They aren't bad little radios, IMHO.
 
It looks to me like they just submitted it for certification with little, if any, modification.

That is indeed, a very neat looking little radio! It's rated as being waterproof too, and the advertising specifically mentions using it on motorcycles and ATVs.
I wonder if the low power setting can be adjusted to 2 watts for MURS?
 
Btw, the manual specifically states that it does offset for repeater operation.

You do realize this is the busiest week of the year for USPS, right? I wouldn't assume the problem is with Hamgadget just because USPS can't provide tracking info yet.

I believe the term "wireline" here refers to use of the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) to control a station or interface to a station (voice in the case of GMRS).  The typical use case of a wireline interface was to provide a phone patch.
 
You have to go back in time to understand the use of the term "wireline carrier." It was initially used to differentiate from other forms of communication, such as RCCs - Radio Communication Carriers and later differentiated between the legacy wireline carriers and their (at the time new) wireless (I.e. cellular) offshoots.
 
 I do not think the quoted Part 95 paragraph was intended to, or does, prohibit interconnection of repeaters or repeaters and receivers by use of dedicated circuits be they from the phone company, competing local exchange carriers (CLECS) or even Internet.

As you quoted a rule "wireline". My understanding is that is TELCO line to a transmit site. I know many GMRS systems that use Microwave on a voted system.

If it was Midland it would cost twice as much and only work "their way" instead of what their customers want.
Example 1, Mxt400 for $249.00
 
Example 2, repeater pl tones must match tx & rx.
 
Thanks for listen, Keith T

I'll agree about Kenwood...  Our Chaplain Response teams in 6 states use Kenwood exclusively.  In the 12 years that we have used Kenwood equipment, we have never had a failure.  Numerous TK880-1, TK-880H-1, TK863G mobiles (Part 90 and Part 95 certified) as well as TK-370 and TK380 portables - also Part 90 and Part 95 certified.  We also have VHF licensed operations using TK-760 and TK-780 mobiles and TK-260G-1, TK-270 and TK-280 portables. All equipment listed above is easy to program for simplex or ALL types of repeater access and are wideband or narrowband as needed.   Software and cables are available from many sources and the software works with operating systems up to Windows 10 (no DOS requirement for the models listed above)..  I would also recommend the PCTEL mobile 5 db, center loaded NMO antennas -  MUF4505  or the  ASP76551.

 

Oh, and AFAIK, the M1225 is Part 95. It's been a while since I looked but I specifically remember it being so before which is one of the reasons I picked them.

Yes, I think so.

I'm not sure if rules permit me to discuss it much here. Want me to PM you my email address?
 
I hear tell that the CPS for the M1225 might be free from Motorola with a signed-up free account.

Just to state the same thing a slightly different way, in case it helps your understanding: Tone squelch is a filter that is applied to the receive side of a radio or repeater. If it's turned on (as it is with most repeaters), the receiver or repeater will ignore anything that doesn't transmit the proper tone. So you have to program the proper tone in your transmitter, or you won't be able to get into the repeater. Likewise if you are trying to call another station that has a tone squelch programmed.
To recap: to transmit to any station or repeater that has a tone squelch programmed, you must have the same tone programmed into your transmitter.
 
Tone squelch is optional. Even if you have to have a tone programmed to talk to a station or repeater, you don't have to program a tone squelch at all. You will just hear any and all signals on the frequency, whether they are transmitting a tone or not.
If you do decide to program a tone squelch, it must be the same one the repeater or other station is transmitting. Otherwise you won't hear them.
 
Personally I leave the tone squelch off most of the time, so I can hear any activity on the channel regardless of tone.

Thanks, Hans!

Get a hold of BlueMax49ers to buy a USB cable and all should become clear. The highest Windows I used for CPS was XP but some might have used more recent Windows versions.
 
https://www.ebay.com/str/bluemax49ers/

All the love here for the M1225 has convinced me. So I made an offer on one. This morning, my offer was accepted.
 
What's the easiest and cheapest way to program this puppy?

You're gonna make a good ham!

Just to state the same thing a slightly different way, in case it helps your understanding: Tone squelch is a filter that is applied to the receive side of a radio or repeater. If it's turned on (as it is with most repeaters), the receiver or repeater will ignore anything that doesn't transmit the proper tone. So you have to program the proper tone in your transmitter, or you won't be able to get into the repeater. Likewise if you are trying to call another station that has a tone squelch programmed.
To recap: to transmit to any station or repeater that has a tone squelch programmed, you must have the same tone programmed into your transmitter.
 
Tone squelch is optional. Even if you have to have a tone programmed to talk to a station or repeater, you don't have to program a tone squelch at all. You will just hear any and all signals on the frequency, whether they are transmitting a tone or not.
If you do decide to program a tone squelch, it must be the same one the repeater or other station is transmitting. Otherwise you won't hear them.
 
Personally I leave the tone squelch off most of the time, so I can hear any activity on the channel regardless of tone.

Definitely try to be ready to take the General in your first test session. If you don't pass it, no biggie. There will always be next time.
You're in for a whole world of fun with your ham license, even if it's just Tech to start with.

You're gonna make a good ham!