wayoverthere

Some googling puts the btech and the mxt400 pretty close in size, 7.5"x5.7"x1.85" for the btech, vs 7.3"x5.5"x1.6" for the mxt400. There's other posts around the forum on programming the mxt400, software sources, and what cable is needed. On the btech, I want to say I paid a little extra for the cable, but it isn't needed absolutely needed if all you're changing is tones. it's straightforward to do from the menu/front panel, and it will do split tones out of the box.

The 115 and 275 do not allow split tones...the 400 can, but requires programming to enable that. The other minor difficulty is changing tones requires consulting a chart in the instructions for what code in the menu equates to what tone. If you're just setting up once and leaving it be, not a huge issue Can vouch for the btech being pretty straightforward for plug and go, and not difficult to change a few settings. It isn't as small as the 115 or 275, and you can't add additional transmit channels in the empty memory slots, everything past the base 30 (1-22 simplex, and the 15-22 repeater channels) is receive only

Glad to try at least. I know chirp can be a little frustrating, especially when it's trying to outthink you

It could do with better instrumented testing, but I checked the swr on my "base" gmrs antenna (5/8 wave on a mag mount) on 446.000. iirc, it showed 1.2 or so when tested in gmrs range; on 446 it was 2.4.

did some poking at chirp tonight on my netbook (linux), but none of the images on that one have tones set, so i'm looking at the possibilities from chirp's memory editor columns page. (great reference to keep around; https://chirp.danplanet.com/projects/chirp/wiki/MemoryEditorColumns ). from what you describe, the "tone mode" column setting will have it transmit a tone, but not expect one on receive (which means it hears everything, whether or not the incoming signal has a tone); this is why you can hear the other radio, and also why chirp isn't wanting to change the Tsql column (because it isn't actually using that setting, or either of the DCS settings). if you want to set the tone for both tx and rx, you want the tone mode set to "TSQL", and set the correct tone on the TSQL column. Now onto the tone numbers themselves...that the other radio isn't not hearing you points to your transmit tone isn't the correct one...while 67 may be the default tone for the Hytera, it may not be the PL the association is using. it sounds like you're mostly much on the right track with the settings, but getting the right tone is a critical one for the radios to get along.

From one new ham to another, Congrats! I held off trying for general (really debated trying), but recently passed my tech as well (got my email from fcc this past Tuesday, actually).

It sounds like you may have programmed the receive tone but not the transmit tone.

It uses the tone entered for both tx and rx.

My one experience with them seems to imply they aren't a US company; radio came with a pile of customs paperwork for it and the extra battery, and my card hit me for a foreign transaction fee on the transaction. (Caught a deal on a gd73 with hotspot for like $5 more than a hotspot normally goes for)

Only if the repeater your eyeing uses dcs for access. Dcs and ctcss are just two different sets of tones to control repeater access. Think of it like a filter on the repeater...it only hears signals with the right tone, everything else it ignores. You just have to match the tone to what it wants to hear, and it sounds like you're on track with ctcss. The mxt115 sets the tone you program for both send and receive (In your case, ctcss 103.5). Does that help a bit?

Glad to help. I had been looking for one for my mxt115 in the past too, with no luck, but this time google turned up a page of power connectors (with photos) that gave me some new leads. https://helpful.knobs-dials.com/index.php/Common_plugs_and_connectors#DC_connectors.2C_EIAJ_power.2C_coaxial_and_more

Did a little digging an turned up some possibilities. Some places call it a 2 pin molex, which turned up this: https://www.amazon.com/2-Circuits-093-Connector-Matched-Hanging/dp/B074LSHTC6 Other sources call it a taimya connector (used in rc and airsoft), which found this: https://www.amazon.com/FLY-RC-2Pairs-Battery-Connectors/dp/B07VL2B5C8/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=tamiya+connector&qid=1615396940&sr=8-5

Unless you're adding an extra listen only channel, those (I'm assuming they meant 462.550, since 462.500 isnt one of the assigned gmrs frequencies) are already programmed by default as Rept15. You'll just need to set the appropriate tone.

Glad to help! I saw the same options from pulse/larsen, but my phone wasn't playing along with being able to link the pdf brochure that showed all the model numbers involved for the sma and unterminated versions.. on the BR-195, i didn't find any actual description either, though i suspect it may be Browning's version of LMR195...it may be one of those trademark workaround things, since in researching, i found mention of the LMRXXX line being Times Microwave products.

Gotcha. Back to google and found a couple options in addition to what dx engineering offers: Antenna farm lists a rg8x mount, and this one claiming low loss br195 cable: https://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=264_265_273&products_id=8079 Arcadian inc also lists pulse/larsen with lmr200 cable and an n connector (pulse/larsen also lists a sma version and a no-connector version) https://www.arcantenna.com/products/pulse-larsen-nmommr200n-nmo-magnetic-mount-12-foot-lmr200-cable-n-male-connector?variant=32296826601603

It's a little more than the one pictured, but some googling found this laird that's a pretty close facsimile of the mxta10, though this one is 1/2 wave, supposedly. https://allterracentral.com/antenex-3db-gain-radio-antenna.html More digging also found this Tram at the antenna farm, for a couple bucks cheaper: https://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=191_192_196_214&products_id=1564

If amateur radio is your thing, they're usable for ham once you have that license. You can listen to anything and everything they'll pick up, it's just transmitting that's a no-no. So they make decent low buck scanners, either for public safety (if your area is still unencrypted like mine is), or for frs/gmrs. For gmrs, you could use those baofengs for monitoring to conserve battery on the other radios, and then jump on the approved radio to respond if you feel the need.

yeah, given the need to install drivers, and the amount of poking at the comm port settings needed to get going, i'm not wholly surprised the Antenna Farm one didn't get along with the EVX. noted on Anytone stuff though...they look SO tempting on the surface, but this, plus all the other quirks (was reading something about how they implemented scan, and another thread about ongoing unfixed software bugs) seems like a lot of reasons to pass.

I'll say wouxun's isnt stuck in my head as being horrible, roughly the same as chirp imo. My vertex stuff was a bit more challenging, but a good portion of that is due to a lot more features and settings to go through. Hit a brick wall at first with the evx, but it came down to having some out of band frequencies the radio didn't like...jumped to the vx mobile, and that went smoothly, and when I jumped back to the evx I had a better idea what I was doing. apparently what reads from the radio says they're 450-512 band split, not the 400-470 the seller indicated (unless I botched something). So not good for ham use, really, but solid reception for gmrs. The mobile is good to go though. On a side note, I took a gamble on an ebay cable (bluemax49ers) for the evx before throwing down for the oem, and is working well so far. Bluemax didn't have them in stock for the mobile, so I got one from antenna farm that needed a driver install, and some poking at the port settings, but it's been good since.

Think of it as listening to two people talk at the same time. If they're both standing side by side, it's hard to pick out one over the other. If you put a barrier between them, and stand on one side or the other of the barrier (the filters repeaters use) you can make out one easily. Likewise, if they stand far apart (vhf vs uhf), you can more easily pick out one without the other interfering too much

I will second mbrun. If you have/can get a clear line of sight to the repeater, 40 miles is doable. I have two at 30 and 60 miles out on the hills on the either side of the valley I'm in, and I can get into both solidly, though with my antenna being in the attic takes full power to get into the far one consistently.

I ran to this on my 50x1 too, though it doesn't seem to work right. Was looking for a recent post I saw about it, but didn't find it (might've been on the book of faces or reddit). Doesn't seem to work right on mine, even if I start typing in the vhf range, it jumps and starts scanning uhf. I suspect something left over from when they redid the firmware from the ham versions (50x2)

Glad his codeplug was able to get you sorted! Way to go Mac!

Vince, Thank you for taking the time to clarify.

Just found that in btwr's response here ..damn. https://www.buytwowayradios.com/blog/2020/07/wouxun-kg-805g-and-kg-805m-video.html