Here in WA state there is a repeater 52.5 air miles from a parking lot in Lacey that I can hear traffic on and bump the repeater but I can not talk to them. The reason is the BTECH GMRS V1 hand held in my Jeep with the factory antenna and low power just is not strong enough which is what I expected. I am interested in a mobile unit as there are more repeaters going up in our area that I travel in. So to help you I make a log of the 8 frequencies and then list the repeaters in any area I am going to with the PL code for each one. I can always pull over and change the PL code then as needed. Of course I would prefer the ability to add the same frequency to different channels multiple times so all I have to do is change channels on the road. The GMRS map on this site is a big help in my learning curve.
Despite what Midland Marketing would like the world to believe, by marketing non compliant radios, GMRS is wide band baby.
The modulation is +/- 5.0 KHz, the channel bandwidth is 20 KHz and the channel spacing is 25 KHz. Example 462.600 and 467.600 MHz. The exception are the GMRS interstitial channels at 467 MHz which are narrow band +/- 2.5 KHz, on 12.5 KHz channel spacing. Example 467.5875 MHz when used by GMRS radios.
All FRS interstitial channels 462 and 467 MHz are narrowband. Example 462.5875 and 467.5875 MHz when used with FRS radios.
Wide band is what the God of FM Radio Major Edwin Armstrong intended:
Wideband is tremendously better than narrowband: 3 dB better which translates to much greater area reliability. If you have a narrowband radio trying to use a wideband repeater or simply talking directly, the loss is greater ~ 6 dB.
YOUR REPEATER SYSTEM WILL PERFORM MUCH BETTER IF ALL COMPLY WITH WIDEBAND AS INTENDED. THERE WAS NEVER AN FCC NARROW BAND MANDATE FOR GMRS NOR WILL THERE EVER BE AS FRS ALREADY OCCUPIES THE INTERSTITIALS.
See the maps wide vs narrow. Green good, yellow nope.
http://www.leikhim.com/page13.php
FCC Rules:
§ 95.1773 GMRS authorized bandwidths. Each GMRS transmitter type must be designed such that the occupied bandwidth does not exceed the authorized bandwidth for the channels used. Operation of GMRS stations must also be in compliance with these requirements. (a ) Main channels. The authorized bandwidth is 20 kHz for GMRS transmitters operating on any of the 462 MHz main channels (see § 95.1763(a )) or any of the 467 MHz main channels (see § 95.1763(c )). (b ) Interstitial channels. The authorized bandwidth is 20 kHz for GMRS transmitters operating on any of the 462 MHz interstitial channels (see § 95.1763(b )and is 12.5 kHz for GMRS transmitters operating on any of the 467 MHz interstitial channels (see § 95.1763(d )). (c ) Digital data transmissions. Digital data transmissions are limited to the 462 MHz main channels and interstitial channels in the 462 MHz and 467 MHz bands.
§ 95.1775 GMRS modulation requirements. Each GMRS transmitter type must be designed to satisfy the modulation requirements in this section. Operation of GMRS stations must also be in compliance with these requirements. (a ) Main channels. The peak frequency deviation for emissions to be transmitted on the main channels must not exceed ± 5 kHz. (b ) 462 MHz interstitial channels. The peak frequency deviation for emissions to be transmitted on the 462 MHz interstitial channels must not exceed ± 5 kHz. (c ) 467 MHz interstitial channels. The peak frequency deviation for emissions to be transmitted on the 467 MHz interstitial channels must not exceed ± 2.5 kHz, and the highest audio frequency contributing substantially to modulation must not exceed 3.125 kHz. (d ) Overmodulation. Each GMRS transmitter type, except for a mobile station transmitter type with a transmitter power output of 2.5 W or less, must automatically prevent a higher than normal audio level from causing overmodulation. (e ) Audio filter. Each GMRS transmitter type must include audio frequency low pass filtering, unless it complies with the applicable paragraphs of § 95.1779 (without filtering). (1) The filter must be between the modulation limiter and the modulated stage of the transmitter. (2) At any frequency (f in kHz) between 3 and 20 kHz, the filter must have an attenuation of at least 60 log (f/3) dB more than the attenuation at 1 kHz. Above 20 kHz, it must have an attenuation of at least 50 dB more than the attenuation at 1 kHz.
This is a demo of some custom and built-in emergency light patterns in the Tazer JL Mini, as installed on a Jeep Gladiator. There are 15 different combinations, depending on if the engine is on, the headlights are on, or if the engine and headlights are off.
I am an amateur radio operator and I am a volunteer emergency staffer with Amateur Radio Emergency services, serving Prince William County Government, and other government agencies. Current Virginia law allows amateur radio operators to have and use safety strobes on their vehicles while both stopped on public roads, as well as in motion, depending on the service being provided.
Regardless of if you are in Virginia or another state, consult an attorney and your served agencies, to be sure you adhere to the laws in your state and rules of your served agency. This information is for demonstration purposes only and should not be misconstrued as legal advice. Strictly use at your own risk.
The Trailblazer I drive has virtually no dash mounting options and the floor console mounting would have been hitting my legs or whomever was in the passenger seat if I mounted it there. That and having to take my eyes off the road more than I would like to adjust volume or change the channel, etc. almost had me ordering the MXT275.
But I discovered the Kenwood KRK-10 remote conversion kit for the TK-8180.
I was lucky enough to find a listing on Ebay that had the TK-8180 with the KRK-10 kit together for a good price (Still less than what the MXT275 would have cost so I grabbed it.) and popped it in the Trailblazer. The main unit sits under the passenger seat which make the run to power fairly easy since the Trailblazer fuse panel is under the rear seat.
The last piece I added to this was 16 key mic that Kenwood offered. Well it was a clone of the TK-686 mic. It's keys can be programmed for any function that is available on the front panel. It did not take long for muscle memory to kick in and now I can change/adjust anything I want and my eyes never leave the road for more than an instant IF I want to verify the change on the display.
Absolutely, finding higher ground should be the first step towards improving a setup. Running more power only matters on fixed setups where the antenna is already as good as it can get, or on mobile operation where there is no 'finding a good spot'. Even then, there's not a huge difference between 15 and 40 watts.
Here's my first piece of advice for new users (and I have a bunch, fair warning): use scan mode on a radio that will tell you the active CTCSS tone or DCS code if you're looking for repeaters to use. RTL-SDR is also a good tool, and makes the entire 462 MHz band visible with good sensitivity and excellent selectivity.
Especially on fixed setups, grounding is important. Noise will get picked up along the coax and travel up to the antenna, where it enters the receiver. The effect is very apparent on SDRs, where the noise floor is directly visible. When grounding a setup, check for ground loops with a multimeter.
Learn to recognize the busy-channel indicator on your radio. When the radio detects any activity on the channel, regardless of correct CTCSS/DCS, it'll turn on the busy-channel indicator. It'll help you to know if you have the correct CTCSS/DCS for a particular system. Some repeaters use multiple CTCSS/DCS, so this indicator can be useful on those repeaters to make sure you aren't interfering with a different conversation. On Baofeng's radios, this is the green LED on top of the radio. On Motorola's commercial radios, this is a blinking red or green LED near the antenna; on their FRS/GMRS radios, this is the red LED above the display.
Some repeaters transmit CTCSS/DCS back to you, but only while someone is transmitting to it. If you're hitting the repeater but can't hear it come back to you once you finish transmitting, this could be a possible cause. Use the monitor feature on your radio or check the busy-channel indicator to check for the repeater's tail.
Don't be afraid to try simplex. If you hear a callsign with variable signal strength, they're probably not going through a repeater. It's rare to find contacts that way, but that's largely because hardly anyone calls for contacts on simplex. 462.5625 (channel 1), transmit and receive CSQ; and 462.6750 (channel 20), transmit CTCSS 141.3 and receive CSQ are good places to try calling CQ.
People who use MDC-1200 on their radios don't actually have to hear the data bursts, the radio can detect the burst and mute it. It gets annoying so most people with MDC-1200 radios have their radios like that.
This forum sure does love their Kenwood TK-880s and Motorola M1225s. They're great radios, but terrible general-purpose radios. Virtually all commercial radios can only be programmed by computer software, so you have to know ahead of time what you're going to talk to. Speaking of commercial radios, used Motorola HT1000 radios are incredibly durable and inexpensive. They use the same programming
Don't waste your money on the BTech GMRS mobiles, the quality control is practically absent. The GMRS-V1 is apparently alright and Part 95 accepted. Use CHIRP for programming; it will save a lot of time and headaches, while allowing for named channels.
When buying a used radio online, make sure the frequency range actually includes 462-468 MHz. For handheld radios, make sure that you are getting (or already have) a charger and antenna. The battery is probably shot, so include a replacement in your budgeting. I like to have at least one spare battery, so I can continue using the radio while a battery is charging. Don't transmit on a handheld radio while it's charging.
Counterfeit antennas are a thing, especially with Nagoya. Buy from trusted sources, or find a friend with an antenna analyzer or VNA who'd be willing to show you how to see if an antenna is good or trash. Be willing to learn how to use test equipment, or at least be aware of what that test equipment is testing. It'll help greatly in the future when you are faced with new problems.
GMRS isn't ham radio, but it's often used pretty similarly to 70cm. Ham radio clubs are still a useful resource where you can make lots of friends with lots of knowledge. If you don't have a ham license, they'll pressure you to get one. A Technician-class license is easy to get, costs much less than your GMRS license, and you may even be able to use the same antenna for 70cm. Different clubs have different focuses, so don't get discouraged if you don't feel a particular club is right for you. Depending on the area, hams may not like GMRS for one reason or another; but recognize the common interest in establishing reliable communications between licensed operators.
There's a 30 MHz gap between 70cm and GMRS, so most 70cm antennas with appreciable gain don't work on GMRS (and remember you're usually transmitting at 467 MHz, not 462 MHz). Check your antenna's documentation to see how much bandwidth you have. Most handheld antennas are broadband enough, and most commercial-band antennas actually work better on GMRS.
Don't put up a repeater until you know exactly what you're doing. There's enough deaf GMRS repeaters out there. Don't take on the task alone, either. The more support you have, the better (and, for you, cheaper) the repeater can be. Even a low hilltop provides significantly more coverage than a rooftop repeater. Sites cost money, but can cost a heck of a lot less if you get to know some repeater folk and can make a good sales pitch. Don't use LMR-400 for repeaters.
Getting above the roofline makes a big difference in suburban areas, particularly when trying to work hilltop sites. For more rural areas, try to get above the treeline if possible. If you're the only one-story house in a block of two-story houses, ouch.
Be it ham radio or GMRS, remember that the radio hobby is about communication. This includes, but is not limited to: rag chewing, technical talk, emergency communication, repeater building, proselytizing the wonders of properly configured radios, and being willing to help the confused. A lot of people out there try to assert their dominance over a channel and run around with a better-than-thou mentality, and over the course of your license you'll find at least one of them. They aren't out to improve either service or what each service stands for, so stay away from them. Don't let them change your perception of the radio hobby, either.
If you hear confused FRS users on channel 1 that can't get their radios to talk to each other, offer to help. Transmit CTCSS 67.0 and receive CSQ. They'll probably need help configuring CTCSS on their radios. Ask for the model number and look up the manual on Google. Stuff like this happens more often than I'd like to admit, and half the time those people spent a lot of money on those radios. Be a good citizen.
Some repeaters will beacon out their callsign. That doesn't mean there's anyone using it. Repeaters aren't supposed to do that, but not everyone has a good repeater controller. It's almost universally agreed upon that such repeater behavior is super annoying.
Not all repeaters identify, and that can make it a pain in the rear to figure out who owns the repeater. It's usually private repeaters that don't identify, and some legally don't even have to. It's another fact of life that makes frequency coordination difficult for repeater owners.
The FRS channels, especially 1-14, are flooded with business users. They're allowed to be there, and aren't looking for conversation. Let them be. They're close enough together (a few hundred feet, typically) that they won't even notice you're on the same frequency as long as you're on a different CTCSS/DCS code.
Not everyone is following the rules. Report egregious violators to the FCC, but don't expect enforcement action. Report criminal activity (eg. terroristic threats, use of radios in a crime) to law enforcement, not the FCC. If you happen to know who the perps are, tell the FCC as well. You probably won't encounter any such activity.
If you start getting involved in the commercial radio users crowd, be it on 70cm or GMRS, you'll see a lot of brand loyalty. I'm a Motorola guy, since those are the first commercial radios I got involved with and those radios meet all of my needs. We have a lot of Kenwood folk on here, and boy do they love their TK-880s. Both make rock-solid commercial radios. There's other brands out there, too. Stay away from cheap Chinese radios, those are markedly not rock-solid radios and may not have any type-acceptance whatsoever. It's generally accepted that radios with commercial (Part 90) type acceptance are fine for GMRS (Part 97E) operation, since Part 90 requirements are more stringent in terms of RF performance. While the FCC is yet to make an official exemption, they allude to it frequently in the 2017 rule change discussion.
Directional antennas (mostly Yagis or log-periodic antennas at these fequencies) are terrible general purpose antennas, since you need to know the direction towards the stuff you want to talk to. Commercial omnidirectional antennas covering 460-470 MHz at a minimum make the best general-purpose antennas. Browning's BR6157 is a good starter antenna, with some gain and a wide bandwidth. If you spend more than $60 on one before any sales tax, you've overspent.
Use FakeSpot when shopping for radios or accessories on Amazon. Don't get ripped off by fake reviews.
Monitor channel 1 (again, transmit CTCSS 67.0 and receive CSQ) during disasters. You may save someone's life. Prioritize your safety highest; you're still a victim.
Don't be a dillweed on the air that hides from consequences behind a microphone; respect is reciprocal. Not everyone you'll meet understands this.
When you got your GMRS license, your whole family just became GMRS licensees as well. Come up with a separate simplex channel for them and them only. It's useful when outdoors, communication between vehicles on road trips, or during disasters. Having a nationwide license to operate a radio without frequency coordination, and with unlicensed operators on FRS, is a beautiful luxury we have on GMRS that you will get nowhere else. Make sure to test your channels ahead of time, and check them regularly if you don't use them often.
I mentioned it earlier, but I'll elaborate on it: RTL-SDR is an excellent tool for GMRS. All of the output channels are visible with a spectrum analyzer-type visualization. Interference becomes easy to spot and identify. CTCSS and DCS decoding is straightforward and nearly instant, and works with hardly any signal strength at all. Signal strength readings can be calibrated against an absolute scale (dBm), which allows for comparison between antennas and locations. A fancy setup of them, Kerberos SDR, can do direction finding with real-time map plotting, but requires some technical knowledge. SDR is fairly recent, and there's plenty of user groups online (like Reddit's r/RTLSDR). When shopping for RTL-SDR, don't spend more than $30 for a bare unit, and don't buy anything that doesn't have a 1.0ppm TCXO or better. If the item description doesn't say TCXO, it doesn't have one. RTL-SDR Blog v3 is a good unit, and the Nooelec NESDR SMArTee performs the same. Throw the RTL-SDR Blog 20dB LNA on there as well, life will be much better. Use a USB 2.0 extension cord with SDRs.
Talking on a handheld radio while driving a vehicle is illegal in California under the cell phone laws. Mobiles, with a simple PTT-only hand mic, are fine.
Don't get a 16 or 48 channel radio as your first real commercial or commercial-grade radio. Go for something with at least 128 channels and a screen. Get the programming software and cable before you get the radio so you aren't stuck with a paperweight. Don't give money to HamFiles.
If you have a lot of long conversations but all you have is your handheld radio, get a mobile radio and a power supply. Use a proper antenna (as discussed earlier) and some low-loss coax (RG-8, LMR-240, or better). PL-259/SO-239, also called the UHF connector, is a terrible connector at UHF. Avoid it wherever possible. Use TNC or N for permanent or semi-permanent connections, and BNC for connections you switch out a lot. Keep your connectors clean and seal any outdoor terminations. Assume each adapter adds 0.5-1dB of loss, so use as few adapters as possible. Get your coax terminated in whatever connector your antenna has; don't leave the adapter outdoors. Mastic tape gums up over time and future you will hate present you. If you use cheap non-outdoors coax like I did, it can get water ingress. SWR will still show a rather normal reading, but the wet insulator will suck up all your RF (easily 99% of it).
Good coax is thicker than you think. Take that into consideration.
Folk at your local ham radio club, or GMRS club if you live in an area with one, have done enough fixed radio installations to be able to help you with yours. Don't go out alone and do it, but take some notes so you can eventually help others. Honestly, they're not that hard.
If you're in a place that gets thunderstorms more than a few times a year, lightning protection is a real concern. Nothing will stop a direct strike, so unplug your equipment during such inclement weather. That's another reason to keep portable radios around.
Repeaters almost always use hardline instead of flexible coax. Hardline is expensive and requires special tools. Good feedline is critical on repeaters because you usually have a 40-watt transmitter on the same antennas as a sensitive receiver. Slight non-linear effects, even a rusty fencepost nearby, can cause issues with receiver performance.
If you have an opportunity to visit a hilltop repeater site (an opportunity you may get if you're involved with repeater groups), take it. The first trip to one is an experience, and you'll get to see a variety of real-world installations. Hilltop sites are surprisingly dirty; nobody's up there keeping the floors clean. Some sites are cleaner than others. It's often a long drive and fair distance from civilization, so bring a lunch and go to the bathroom before the trip. Some sites require four-wheel drive and an experienced driver to get to. Buy their dinner.
Flat areas can get significant coverage from a low-level repeater. Rooftop repeaters actually have decent performance in those environments.
Even on rooftop antennas, your simplex range to a five-watt mobile/portable can be as short as two miles. GMRS is heavily influenced by line-of-sight propagation. Building penetration is better than MURS or 2-meters.
Since this topic was posted in the Equipment Reviews forum, I guess a review of the product itself (as opposed to sales and service issues) is appropriate.
The ID-O-Matic is a very basic station ID and repeater controller offering a minimal set of functions including: Automatic periodic ID in CW and optionally, with an extra module, voice. An optional "Courtesy (Roger) Beep" when the incoming carrier is dropped.The "beep" consists of one or more characters sent in audible morse code. A separate "beep" is available for input timeouts. The speed, volume, and pitch of the beep and ID are controllable Timing controls for maximum talk-time (PTT) hang time, ID time, etc. Option for one alternate ID message (based on the state (high or low) on an input line. Beacon control functionality. An option to control an external fan. Programming is via a terminal connection over USB using a simple menu based system. The following common repeater control functions are not available: Other than a gain control, there is no processing of audio. There is no processing of CTCSS (PL, DPL, etc.).This means any use of CTCSS on Rx or Tx must be done in the radios themselves. There is no provision to trigger an ID with an external signal. There is no provision to have an alternate "beep" or "beeps." (For example, when on battery power.)Note, while sales material states it is possible to have an alternate "beep," such an option does not appear in the programming menu and is not documented in the manual. There is no logging. Other than for backup power, it is specifically not recommended to configure the controller or to even leave the USB control line connected during operation. This means you should not plan on being able to alter the program remotely. However, In practice leaving the controller connected to a PC during operation does not seem to exhibit any problems, as long as you take care to Quit the programming menu after use. For the price, for a very basic repeater system, this probably cannot be beat. However, do consider the design, documentation and firmware are now 5 years old and the original developer Dale, N0XAS, is no longer with the company having sold it to the current owner, Dan, W7RF in 2017. As noted in posts above, this change may impact the level and quality of support available.
While browsing Midland's web site, I saw their HAM radio offering, it is the same as a lot of other CCR's with a Midland sticker. I'm off of Midland for GMRS now because I don't want to have to deal with trying to use a narrow band radio on my local repeaters networks which are all using wide band.
Be on the lookout for a TK-880H (1) if at all possible. The "H" indicates it is a high-power (45 watt) version, and the "1" indicates the band coverage of 450-490 Mhz, which includes all of the GMRS frequencies.
I've been working on a new map replacement which will hide old and offline repeaters by default, but still gives you the option of showing them all.
https://mygmrs.com/map-new/
I still have a lot of things to add to make it ready to replace the current map, but I wanted to share the progress now and get feedback from the community here. Some outstanding issues are: The label below each icon needs to be styled, so it stands out against a dark background. I'm having trouble getting this to work with the library I've chosen to use on this version of the map, but I'm sure I'll be able to find a way without scrapping anything. Clicking on the repeater icon should modify the URL to point to the repeater ID that is selected. Repeater details (the description field) aren't visible yet. Several repeaters do not have GPS coordinates and show up at 0, 0 which is off the coast of Africa. This is mainly a problem with the database that needs to be fixed, but the map should hide them since it's obviously wrong. At least the performance of loading that many repeaters and toggling the switches on and off seems to be quite good. Let me know if it's slower for you than the current map.
I have big plans for a complete site redesign to make it more modern. I've headed down this path several times but got bogged down between work and my personal life, so I never got a complete redesign done. I've been making small changes here and there to support this big effort, so I'm hoping we can get a better site off the ground which will solve some of the pain points like the stale repeaters.
Motorola gear is a pain to get programming software for but not impossible. I can take a week or longer to navigate Motorola's process but in the end you will have legal software and you can get the entitlement for wideband operation for free after some quick online training. I use Motorola for the options alone, in the truck I run handheld control heads and a long range Bluetooth speaker mic so I can use the trucks radio well in restaurants our friends houses. The same mic is also on my base paired with a desktop mic, its nice being able to go anywhere in the house and just carry a small mic that allows the use of the base. This gear is a little pricey but can be found used on ebay reasonable, its all comes down to personal preference.
Bluetooth Mic that can be attached to most of the newer Motorola XPR radios including portables.
http://mwgmrs.com/mygmrs/handmic.jpg
This is the handheld control head, it is also the speaker and mic, 4 years old an not a single issue.
http://mwgmrs.com/mygmrs/truck1.jpg
Radio Head unit is installed under the back seat.
http://mwgmrs.com/mygmrs/truck2.jpg
The control head cable comes thru the map pocket allowing it to tuck away nicely out of sight.
http://mwgmrs.com/mygmrs/truck4.jpg
Simple 1/4 wave gives great performance, i am able to hit repeaters 30 miles away and simplex 10 miles easy in the freeway.
WRAE660 got a reaction from RCM in Same radio, different company.
WRAE660 got a reaction from marcspaz in GMRS-50X1 Features Review
