WSGI647

This very well could be common knowledge and intuitive to many people but to the ones like me out there, just wanted to let you know about my epiphany as to why the radio will sometimes save tones and sometimes not. I'm a little OCD and like to double check things, especially settings. That is not beneficial in this case with this radio and checking CTCSS/DCS. If your repeater needs DCS and you put the correct tones in and want to check that CTCSS says "OFF", just entering in the CTCSS menu option will turn your DCS tones to "OFF". Like I said, this may be obvious and common knowledge to most, but it wasn't to me so I just wanted to share in hopes of saving others the confusion. If you're double checking all the tones, you're messing up. Ironically.

This is an emergency use case and not really practical but... Line of sight is a major factor with GMRS so that being said, would it be feasible to have a helium balloon with a light weight repeater payload attached to a fishing rod and line to reel it back in? You would have direct, unobstructed line of sight to the balloon repeater and it, being as high up as you have fishing line, would have line of sight extremely far. Maybe in the kit have a one time use sized helium container for portability and to be a bit more practical? Obviously this isn't something you'd go out and do every day, but it would be an extremely useful kit to have in a vehicle that may get stranded without cell service or signal to connect to a repeater. Even just using simplex, this could be a life saver, right?

Through the radio menu. The radio, power supply and antenna maxed out my wife allowed budget so I didn't pick up a programming cable

I can! It's quiet right now but I heard some chatter earlier. I have my tones set and tx that I'm monitoring so hopefully when it picks up again, I'll actually be able to communicate. I mainly got into all this for survival, prepping, camping, ect., communications but I do love the audible comradery in these peaceful times lol. My area is really hilly and forested so I'm really thankful for a communication method that is in my hands and not relying on a company's cell tower or satellite to not fail. I'm saving up money for my own public use repeater for my area. I love the idea of handing my wife a radio as she heads off to work and I want to have as much coverage as possible but also want to buy one and as cheesy as it may sound, inform my community about it and encourage them to get licensed and buy some radios for emergencies in our area.

So I did this and the signal was much stronger on the Baofeng which lends credence to what you suggested! apparently so! I am absolutely amazed right now. I have been on the edge of sanity over this and @SteveShannon, you are an absolute legend. I knew this issue had to be trivial, but I only first heard of GMRS a few days before Christmas so I have so much to learn. I can't thank you enough for you sharing the knowledge!

I am not connected to a repeater. I can record another video showing that I have CTCSS tones off just to figure out why im tx on 462 instead of 467mHz. While my initial problem was connecting to a repeater, I also have the previously stated issue. I'm sorry if I explain things poorly, btw.

apparently the video was corrupt? Here is my Samsung file share link, it should work. https://quickshare.samsungcloud.com/8etPwnG3tqYa

I am so thankful for this, I can't even tell you. I don't want to give up, but also don't want to annoy others with something most likely trivial. Thank you so much, @SteveShannon 20250102_144849.mp4

well, as stated previously, I am an idiot so you're right, probably possibility #D. They say GMRS is ham for dummies, well maybe I should just stick with a string and two paper cups lol. Atleast simplex is... well, simple enough. I wont waste any more time here, I admit defeat but thank you all so much for your time. Especially from famous movie stars like @OffRoaderX

This is the cause of much "confuculation" in my life

The only repeater I'm in proximity to requires tones and I have tried it without any tones at all and still heard the transmission on simplex even though I transmitted on a repeater channel. How could I be transmitting to the simplex channel via repeater without tones? The only thing that makes sense here is the repeater channel doesn't truly offset 5mHz by default.

transmitting to a repeater with a radio on repeater channel 15 (channel 23) would mean off-setting 5mHz to 467 though, right? If I'm supposedly transmitting on 467, how am I hearing it on 462? The only way I could is if I was connected to the repeater, and I am not. This is why I am confused. Also, because I am stupid. Thank you for your help either way.

BTW, I bought this thanks to you, NotARubicon @OffRoaderX . Followed your mediocre instructions perfectly. I'm jk, I love your channel. I always get a laugh with every video. I really have followed all instructions with this. I'm on the repeater channel but being heard on the corresponding simplex channel and I'm not even connected to the repeater. This shouldn't be happening. I should be tx on 467 if I'm on repeater channel 15 (23). If I was connected to the repeater I would be heard on simplex 15, but I'm not connected to it. My spare radio shouldn't be able to hear me. I have the correct CTCSS too.

I did not. I've done absolutely everything suggested on here, google, everything. What stumps me is that while on say repeater channel 15 on the radio, not connected to a repeater, mic checks are heard on simplex channel 15 which makes no sense considering the 5mhz offset that the radio is supposed to have automatically set on the repeater channels. I should be transmitting on 467 to be heard by the repeater that I'm not connected to so my other radio on simplex 15 (462), shouldn't be hearing me.

I loathe it and loathe me for using it lol

read the manual, Googled it, AI couldn't help. Any ideas?