WRFF247

Here's what I've found so far. With Motorola, they are proprietary in their programming software. Do a quick search on Chirp, nothing shows there. You can official buy a subscription to the software direct from Moto but for the cost you could buy a new radio set up for GMRS, no programming needed. Not to mention, you would need a computer running NOTHING newer than Win 8 to run the software. Too many hurdles, headaches and work arounds for me. I contacted usedradios.com and luckily caught them before finishing my radio. They did some additional programming for me (no charge) and it shipped today. This is going to be a simple base station unit and I don't need to be making changes to the programmed "channels" or frequencies. If I do, I'll eat the cost and time to ship it back to them and have them take care of it. Looking back (hindsight is 20/20) I wish I would have gone with a Kenwood. It seems that programming for that is much simpler. Oh well, for what I have into the Motorola, my intended use and it is a solid radio, it should work fine. It shows up on Saturday. I'll post and update after I get it connected and on the air.

Anyone got a source for the software and cable I would need to program one of these?

I think if a repeater requires a tone, if you don't have that tone assigned to the repeater channel, the repeater won't open or activate to re-broadcast your TX. It will recieve all transmissions on that channel, it just will ignore those not having the correct tone added to the TX. From what I've been able to read, they do this so the repeater doesn't just re-broadcast everything it hears on a channel, only those TX's that are trying to use the repeater. If a repeater is "open" then you don't need to add the tone. If it lists a tone, then you will need to choose accordingly. So in your example, If you have a repeater on say channel 16 and it says it requires a tone of 141.3, you would have to program your radio to add tone #22 to that repeater channel. SO, I think the CTCSS "codes" are for setting up your repeater channels. The DCS digital code is used on non-repeater channels to filter out other users on a particular channel. Lets say you are on channel 8. If you don't assign a DCS code, then you would hear every TX on that channel. If you are in a group and only want to hear the TX's from your group, lets say the are all going to agree to use channel 8 AND code number 132/code 20 (from my Midland MTX40 manual), then your radio would only "open" or hear those transmissions from channel 8, number132/code20. EVERYONE on channel 8 would be able to hear all transmissions if they don't have any codes assigned. It's selective hearing if you will. Not a privacy code by any stretch.

Please bear with me here, totally new. I've got an MXT400 installed in my Jeep for mostly trail coms. It's repeater capable and there are a few within range of my home, I'd like to get those set up. I know about "turning on" the repeater channels on the radio but am confused about the tones. When a repeater requires a "tone" to activate, is that the CTCSS or the DCS? I don't know the difference between those 2 things. I know that for every channel the radio is programmed for you can set a CTCSS or a DCS code or number. Could someone help to clear that up for me?

NEW to GMRS. Got my license, purchased a Midland MXT400 AND the 6db antenna. I'm mounting this opposite my CB antenna on the hood-one is passenger side, the other drivers. Do I need to tune this setup like I did my CB once its installed? The antenna came with a small allen wrench and a set screw where the whip enters the spring base. I have a SS bracket made for the Jeep hood contour but it's drilled out at 1/2" for a CB style antenna mount. The GMRS antenna comes with a plastic insulator bushing that requires a 5/8" hole. I assume I can enlarge the bracket and that should be good. My goal for this setup is off road comms and maybe some casual station monitoring and playing around with repeaters. I'll have to do more homework on that once I get things installed and operational. I am pretty familiar with the CB world but GMRS is something new. Not looking to go full HAM but that is always a possiblility down the road. For now, just want to get the GMRS up and running.