blastco2
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Posts posted by blastco2
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On 11/9/2023 at 3:20 PM, WRZF587 said:
I purchased the Btech GMRS Pro for it's built in Bluetooth capability's. I'm looking to use it mounted to my 4 seater OHV and ATV. My current helmet comm is a Cardo packtalk. This works great for shorter distances. I'm now looking to run the Cardo VOX for just talking to my family inside the OHV. ( Side by Side is kinda noisy so the headset and comms help)Then have the GMRS pro with it's Bluetooth PTT connected to the second phone option in my helmet. This way I can have a private conversation with the cardo and a PTT for people in other vehicles.
If there is a better radio with headset Bluetooth options please fill me in. I tried the Rugged Radio G1 but the mic did not work with my helmet mic.
I've played with the bt audio a little. It will pair with a bt headset ear buds ect. I used a shokx open run pro, also used it through the phone. Connected to the phone then to the headset there was a bit of a delay in the audio. Seemed like a lot of hassle just to get rid of a Mic cord. In case you are not aware, most of the speake mics have an earphone Jack.
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I have not. Based on the performance of avalanche beacons, tx 300 hrs on 2 AA batteries with a range of 300' when buried in snow, I would imagine that a 5 watt uhf radio would TX up to a mile. In the scenario I outlined, 4-500 yards would be far enough
This is the rescue equip that I carry. Scroll down for the Beacon specs.
https://backcountryaccess.com/en-us/p/t4-turbo-avalanche-rescue-package-2024
Here is the avi-pack and chest protector that carries all the stuff inthe above link in addition to a gmrs-pro w/speaker mic, some hand warmers, spare gloves and goggles, spare key for snowmobile.
https://backcountryaccess.com/en-us/p/bca-float-mtnpro-vest-avalanche-airbag-2-0-2024
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On 9/22/2023 at 1:37 PM, OffRoaderX said:
I was just using mine today and i was thinking how many people will love it, and many will not love it, very much..
I very much do not love mine because I use my HTs primarily when i'm adventuring/off-roading and I need something that I can see in the bright sunlight and that has quick/easy to use unambiguous controls.. This radio does not fill those needs.
However people that love to tinker and use the radio from their couch to 'make contacts', talk on the local repeaters or learn new stuff/etc, will love it.
Yep, I primarily use mine while snow surfing on my 12' long 160hp 2 stroke couch.
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On 9/22/2023 at 1:12 PM, WRYU759 said:
Does anyone use the BTECH GMRS-PRO? If so what are your thoughts?
I love the radio. Primary use is snowmobiling and ohv. While on snow I wear an avalanche backpack/vest affair. It is considered life safety equipment. Has an hpa (3000psi) bottle that is used to inflate a 150L balloon. It is manually triggered by the user if caught in an avalanche. The radio lives in the backpack and the Mic cord snakes around the folded balloon emerging through a zippered trigger access port on the left front shoulder. All of that to say the radio is not easy to access while in use. So my phone is used to control the radio. Volume, channel, ect. Also the btech app has a topo map that will show me your location and I can send your radio a request for that information. Really cool features from a snow safety point of view. Keeping in mind that snowmobilers are their own 1st responders. If a rider with the pro were buried in and avalanche, I could poll his radio for location info, ride to that point, then do the fine search with the avi beacon trancievers (short range direction finding Beacon TX rx) that we all carry, speeding up / saving time in the rescue of the buried rider. Time limit for a live rescue is 15min max. 20 min is body recovery. And I also carry an 8' avi probe and a telescopic handled shovel.
All of that is a big reason that I like this model radio. I've been working to get this radio adopted by the snowmobile community. We'll see how that goes..... You can go to Backcountry Access to see the avi equipment and the cheesy type accepted frs radio that is currently in wide use by the snowmobile community.
The gmrs pro does have very nice audio quality. Batt will easily last all day and can be charged/tethered to a charging power pack thing a ma gig.
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Feature request for the gmrs pro.
The channel screen boxes will show if you have a tone set on both TX & rx. Ctc is displayed in the lower left corner of the channel box. If you only have a tone set on the TX side there is no indication in the channel box. Would be nice to have a T displayed.
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On 3/3/2023 at 2:45 PM, blastco2 said:
The channel group thing needs some correction. I was able to program 144.390 into group 2 and change to that group with the app but could not get the app to change back to group 1. Had to use the radio onboard menu and buttons to get back to group 1.
My bad on this one...
Channel groups are very easy to change from the app. On the channel screen, near the top. There are 4 icons, 1st one looks sort of like paper with 2 folds, tap it to change channel groups.
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I bought these radios for the combination of voice and GPS functionality. Without the GPS it's really just another radio. Having said that, I'm loving this radio for motorized recreation. For those of you that don't snowmobile in the mountains on public land, ( state, blm, Nat forest) there are groomed trails that will lead you into the play areas where, riding becomes a "free for all". It is allowed to ride anywhere. Keeping track of your riding buddies is a lot like herding cats. Then someone gets stuck in a place where he cant be seen easily. This radio is a very useful tool. I can look at my phone and see him on the map showing direction and distance. Priceless!
Here is an EXTREEM example of radio use in the Backcountry.
http://www.tetoncountysar.org/latest-news/2023/3/6/qk29lnp7936s69wiw56idtnp8ll4jj
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Yes, I believe that is correct.
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The scan in settings is a search scan. The scan on the app channel screen is a memory scan.
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Just a couple of thoughts about the gmrs-pro. Very nice audio quality for an Ht. I have been able to TX/RX id, location and text 7.5 miles. Really like being able to control most functions and settings through the app.
The channel group thing needs some correction. I was able to program 144.390 into group 2 and change to that group with the app but could not get the app to change back to group 1. Had to use the radio onboard menu and buttons to get back to group 1.
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I have three of these, and yes you can program multiple radios from 1 device. My advice is to mark each radio so you can tell which is which. I put white paint dots on. 1, 2 and 3. When you "pair" each radio, name it in the app according to the mark you've used. There are 2 different places in the app for names. The 1st and most important that you find will be when you pair the radio to your device.
In the app under settings there is "ID Signaling". Every time you connect a radio to the app you will need to change this to the name of the current radio. If not all of your radios will display the same name.
An interesting finding with this radio: it will receive and display aprs signals. Aprs will not receive gmrs-pro data. Thinking that the baud rate must be north of 9600.
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I've been playing with this radio for a while and thinking it's a great idea very poorly executed. The activities that I can think of, where this radio would shine are hunting, snowmobiling and possibly atv'ing. The nearest thing to this is the Garmin Rino at $650 each.
I have been unable to figure out how to make the team's function work and the "ID Signaling" function is also fubar'd. If you have more than 1 radio connected to the app on a device (phone or tablet) the app will change the ID to the same on all radios.
Then there is the map part of the app... Really btech? Why did you even bother. Where to start? It's as bad as can be.
If anyone in se Idaho would like to do some field testing, please get in touch. I am near Rexburg.
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On 9/18/2022 at 11:51 AM, KPDoucette said:
The Wyoming Sheriffs and search and rescue organizations have initiated a program they call "My 307", Based on Wyoming's state wide telephone area code 307.
Under this program back country and wilderness users are urged to switch their FRS radios to channel 3 with PL tone 07 if they become lost or have an emergency. While the sheriffs do not routinely guard this channel, in the event that search and rescue is looking for someone the use of the low power FRS channels will allow search crews in the air and on the ground to establish direct two-way communications which they feel will speed the search effort.
https://hls.wyo.gov/programs/search-and-rescue
Bad idea.... Sub-audible tones just cause problems with inexperienced users in an unusual or scarey situation. If the sar folks want to promote an emergency channel thats fine. But promoting the use of a tone is not a good or helpful thing. And if you are going to promote a tone then use the actual freq. Not all sub channel tone freq combos are the same across the different brands of radios.
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Using a tone on an emergency channel will just make comms more difficult.
How about this, at the trailhead/parking lot, place a 3x5 card in the window of your vehicle with the FREQUENCY that your group will be using. First thing SAR is going to do is find your vehicle.....
As for sub channels/tones, your best choice for simplex comms is to leave it off.
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Ever ride a snowmobile in the Backcountry? Off trail? It's very common for a rider to leave the group and head up a side hill through the trees and get stuck out of sight. Or into a draw then end up not making a creek crossing, again out of sight. Keeping snowmobilers herded up together is worse than herding cats. We all ride with avipacks, radio in the pack speaker Mic on left shoulder. Usually have phone handy for the photograph oportunities. Might as well combine the 2 taking advantage of the technology. The new btech radio will help with locating efforts. Might even prevent needing to call sar. (More likely for sar to call us to get them out) BCA sells an frs radio for snowmobiles as does Oxbow and a couple of others.
Here is a video of what I'll be doing while carrying/using the btech gmrs pro this winter. I have no connection to this video and gain nothing by posting this link....
I am presently trying to get "backcountry navigator" to support the btech app in the same way that they support Aprsdroid.
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On 3/17/2022 at 10:09 AM, MacJack said:
I agree on price... I have used ones from old owners who could not figure it our and make it work.
That would be the only way that I could afford an rf finder. Sheesh, $1k each, that's crazy expensive.
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I'm not much interested in aprs on gmrs as a replacement for aprs/ham. Aprs/gmrs would be handy for my off-road non ham friends to use in the Backcountry.
Aprsdroid and Backcountry Navigator work together to display an object's location directly on to a topo map that lives on your android device, eliminating the need for data service to keep the map in aprsdroid updated. Myself and a few others poked at Crittermap software to include that feature in BCN. Works very well on the ham side. Have yet to try it on gmrs.
For snowmobiles, hunters, ATV, hikers, mountain bikes, I think that a gmrs radio with a GPS function that will give the direction and distance to other individuals in your group would be amazingly helpful. I found such radios about 4 years ago. Zastone 889g. Could not get the location transfer function to work. Was supposed to answer automatically when polled and also send send manually. Never could get them to work. The voice side of the radios worked very well and 10 watts.
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I'll chime in here.... I snowmobile a lot. We use ccr's programmed with gmrs/frs freq. There are also a few type accepted radios. BCA Link, Oxbow as a couple of examples. Most of the users have no idea of what and how concerning ctcss. The sar people will all tell stories about listening to the victims radio traffic but, are unable to talk to them because of the ctcss sub channel that all the users think is a cool must have accessory on any given channel.
When sar gets called for snowmobilers, atvers, hikers, hunters, 1st, sar is going to locate tow vehicles/trailers. It would be very helpful to sar if people would post their radio info on a piece of paper and hang it in a window....
Having said all of that. I recommend that folks use no ctcss in the Backcountry. I will also say that, in my opinion, designating a channel for emergency use, with a sub channel/tone/ctcss is not a good idea. Just set the sub channel to off.
- Sshannon and PACNWComms
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I use a couple of comet c&a 2x4's and 2 of the tram 1181's. All 4 antennas have <2:1 on 2m, murs, 440, gmrs. For my money the tram 1181 is the antenna of choice....
Sent from my SM-T700 using Tapatalk
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There is a private repeater in my area that ID's every 15 min. I've listen to it for years and have never heard a human voice on it. I can only believe that it was set up that way to channel camp. 462.7 110hz.
BTECH GMRS-PRO
in Equipment Reviews
Posted
I did not know that little fact about uhf. Thank you!
Have you ever walked on a fresh avi burden field? It sets up concrete hard instantly.
Btw, concerning all of the avi gear I carry, I'm happy to say, we've been careful with where and when and checking avi forecasts, that I've never had to use it. Seen the aftermath of quite a few slides some small some huge but never been caught in one.