wayoverthere

Argh. If it's just not hearing them with the squelch fully open (you should be hearing static/dead air when no signals.are present), that would point to it just not being as sensitive. That it was receiving out of the box seems to say something in the settings though...

That may well be true, though I've also known my Midland handhelds to desense pretty easily. What is the default squelch level on the v2? If you go to monitor mode (squelch completely off), can you hear the weaker stations the Midland can? Miklor.com does have a couple articles about adjusting squelch settings on some of the other baofeng models (to have more of an adjustment range) so that may come into play here too...I'll see if I can find it and add the link Edit: https://www.miklor.com/COM/UV_Squelch.php

This would be where I'd be looking as well. If there isn't a specific one made, a generic bracket may work as well; I'm using a comet bracket for one of the two antennas on my truck (no model specific brackets available), and conveniently the bolt is bare metal because it also mounts the fuse box.

What channels are there after the reset? Some radios don't have a default configuration they reset back to, it's just empty. The easiest would be getting it connected to the computer and reading it with CHIRP to see what channels are there, or if you need to reload the Gmrs channels.

There's nothing about additional gmrs channels that breaks compliance. Look at wouxun...my kg805g let you fill all 128 channels with whatever gmrs transmit frequencies you want, and receive anything in the 400-470 range. The kg1000g also allows lots more channels of tx within gmrs, and all the Rx you want in multiple bands, no issue. Unfortunately, for some radios (like the at779uv/db20g), the unlock to get those additional takes it out of the state it was certified based on. I really think this "no additional tx channels" was just an easy path to 95e compliance.

Yeah, I wasn't thrilled (putting it mildly) when I figured out what was going on...there are a couple repeaters in range on channel 16 with different tones...loaded them both via chirp...no transmit. I haven't been able to find it again, but I stumbled on something once that implied locking them down that way was kind of a "easy pass" for FCC certification.

I'll say it's not much help, but that's pretty status quo for most of the btech gmrs radios as well. You get 30 hard coded channels, 1-7, 15-22 (simplex) and 23-30 (repeaters) are hard coded. 8-14 and everything custom is Rx only. The version 1 of the gmrs-v1 and the Gmrs 50x1, same deal. Got a service menu password that semi worked, but all I succeeded in doing is breaking the vfo scan (it only scans uhf now, no vhf, though I can type them in). Version 2 of the gmrs-v1 apparently comes with the ability to program some custom channels. It seems to be a lockdown at the firmware level, and I haven't found a way around it, and I've done quite a bit of searching...though the uv5g may have brighter possibilities there.

I feel like that goes for a fair number of their products though...ra25 (anytone at779uv/radioddity db20g), rb86 (tyt th-8600), rt9000d (tyt th9000d), rt95 (anytone at778uv, Midland dbr2500) rt99 (vero vnr7500)

I'll be honest....while kind of nice, I would say you aren't missing a ton. It does repeater and map searches, but the app doesn't have forum functionality, so nothing really that you can't also get via a mobile browser.

Nothing model specific for mine anymore, so I'm using this one with a Midland nmo cable, a rubber spacer, and a comet sbb-5 https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004Z8RT3O Valley enterprises mounts are well regarded, afaik, and available for the common trucks (big 3, and Toyota, primarily)

Wouldn't be my first choice. They're finally starting to make some progress in their recent gear (2nd gen gmrsv2), but a lot of it is overly restricted in terms of tx channels. My gmrs 50x1, the factory channels are it for tx, anything else you add is Rx only, even if it's in band for gmrs. It also doesn't seem to be holding power on high...starts high and drops.

I would suspect mic ground, and that at least some of the"incompatibility" may be inability to access all the functions on the normal mic. I'm thinking it should be possible,nwith the right wiring, to have ptt and audio working though

Good to hear they're still hanging on. ?

First, welcome @WRQL415 ! I will second @Borage257to say go ahead and throw out the questions;there's a good base of collective knowledge here, and the collective "we" will likely have answers for most things short of maybe vehicle install specifics for a given vehicle model. That radio comes pretty thoroughly set up, programming wise; the main setting you may need will be t-ctcs (or t-dcs) to access a repeater. The gmrs01-gmrs07 and gmrs15-gmrs22 are your simplex (radio to radio, like cb) channels, while the REPT15-22 are set up with the appropriate offset for repeaters. You just need to put in the t-ctcs or t-dcs based on the repeater information (listing or from the owner/trustee) and that's it, programming wise. Physical setup, you will need a power supply of you're using it as a base, and an appropriate antenna. The group can definitely offer suggestions for both once we know what kind of setup you have in mind.

The research helps too, so i can be more specific rather than generalizing. Wabash doesn't list the tones, but Vincennes is CTCSS (t-ctcs in the menu). Receive tone is optional, and can be skipped till setup is confirmed good or just left off altogether.

Use the arrows or channel knob to select the appropriate "Rept" channel that corresponds to the frequency you want to use. Hit "menu" and scroll to t-ctcs or t-dcs as appropriate (if the tones have a decimal, most likely ctcss...if it's 3 digits only, sometimes followed by N or I, that's dcs). Hit menu on the appropriate option, them scroll through to the appropriate tone number from the repeater listing or other info source. Hit menu to confirm the code, and then exit. You should now be good to go. You can get into things like adding custom channels or names via computer (and programming cable) but this will have you up and running; from there it's just "am I in range? And "is anyone listening?"

You bet. I totally get people not wanting to have Facebook, and don't blame you for not wanting to take on someone else's problems...hope the link at least let you see the full post. Interesting tidbit from retevis, though

I was able to locate the relevant posts, which mention leaving a comment or dropping an email to (n1usa at ARRL dot net). post link

Unless they've changed how it ships (which...I don't think so), all you need to do is dial to the channel named "rept16", push the channel knob in (which opens the menu, dial till you find "t-ctcs" or "t-dcs (as appropriate), push the channel knob again to choose your code (more scrolling with the channel knob, and one more push to confirm. Then hit 'exit". The "rept" channels are all preprogrammed with the appropriate +5.0mhz offset, and unless they've updated the firmware, those preprogrammed (30) channels are the only ones that will allow you to transmit, everything else is receive only.

Looking end-on, I think it's one space after yellow, then the black...it's hard to tell though.

Tagging this for a later look. I currently have one of the radios out of the car; I may have some time on my hands tonight, and if so i'll see if i can crack the mic open to at least see what the colors are coming in from the cord, and where they go.

Was one of them this group? https://m.facebook.com/groups/338406913899977/permalink/807291797011484/ There's also a link their webpage, in the linked Facebook post. https://okgmrsclub.org/. The first, the email is his callsign at outlook.com, if you can't get it from the qrz page. The 3rd is similar except with the number spelled out, and it's Gmail rather than outlook.

I'd be curious about the power outputs, though, especially on the yaesu. I know there's been some reports of reduced output on gmrs on mars-modded ft-5dr, at something like 1.3 watts, iirc. Power in the ham bands apparently remained unaffected.

I'm seeing the same from my 2730...rather than a separate run, I wired the radio to the same 10 gauge cables that feed the audio amp, direct off of the feed from battery to underhood fuse block...seeing 14.1 there as well (I over-spec'd the wiring to the amp in case I wanted to bigger in the future, it's only ~140 watts rms to the sub) I do trust that a little more than the btech, which reads 14.2v when the digital display on the alinco psu in my shack shows 13.8v. I think I trust my multimeter a bit above both, though.

No experience with that specific alinco, but I've had a dm30tr powering 3 and sometimes 4 radios at a time without a hiccup. That aside, I'll also agree with the others that the PSU is something to use to power a mobile on 120v at home, it won't be necessary in the truck. Realistically, a healthy alternator is going to be feeding right about 14 volts to the battery (plus or minus a couple tenths...was just checking mine at the battery last weekend, 14.1v) to charge it, which the wouxun will be perfectly happy with.