mbrun

Excellent point my friend. It should be a frequency that works throughout the US. Since 19 is out for the state reason, then one of the 462 interstitials is the next logical place to look. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

If you’re looking for simplicity, familiarity, ease of remembering for the masses then what about FRS/GMRS ‘19’ (462.650) simplex, no tone. Those from the CB world can easily relate to it because 19 has been engrained in our culture for 50+ years. Simplex to keep the radio traffic mostly local to you and ensure greatest pubic participation (FRS and GRMS) and because it does not rely on repeaters you may need permission to access. No tone because the masses will struggle to remember it and how to set it while traveling and because a tone is also not set in most radios on their channels when purchased. The downside to this frequency choice is that it is one of the high-power repeater frequencies and it will at times interfere with some folks being able to receive the repeater. A downside to not using a tone is that cheap legal radios will have no standard squelch control. As radio noise picks up, the users will be faced with more un-squelched audio they may find undesirable. All-in-all, I would predict 19 could have the greatest chance of success for the reasons I gave paragraph one. If some individuals repeater owners wish to specifically support travelers, they can either choose to support it on 650 (PL in, No PL out), or in the form of the alternate 675 with the 141.3 traveling tone as a quiet room for licensed traveling users to side-bar. For me, in reality, I would likely not monitor the channel once radio traffic picked up substantially, and definitely not once the CB trash-talk emerges, except perhaps during extended traffic slow-down situations. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

Press and hold the ‘Exit’ key until the lock icon appears. Press and hold again until the lock icon disappears. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

You bringing this up got me to investigating. I was thinking too that all functions on the mic were in-fact available from the function menu on the radio. Turns out that is not the case on the KG-1000G. Oddly enough, things like Tx Power, Squelch and Toggling through between VFO and Channel Mode are not available using the navigable function menu like they are on the Wouxun HT models. So, if one did had a desk mic to the radio they would need to find a solution for those functions they want access to that are not on that front panel menu. Things that make you go Hmmmmm? Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

Failed to switch amp meter setting from AC to DC. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

OK, I stand corrected. Cockpit error on my part. Double checked my work and discovered a parasitic drain of 1.04mA. So indeed both of my radios are discharging the batteries at exactly that same rate. Good catch on your part! Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

Good day Vince. I put a microamp meter (Fluke 87-V) in circuit between a power supply and one of the 805G that I have. I measure zero current flow when radios is off, but ample current when the radio is on. I am wondering if perhaps you have some bad product or if there has been some form of design change that might be a contributor. LiPo batteries with their internal circuits can draw a battery down as they sit idle. Some can do so far more more rapidly then others. I am wondering how the same pack fairs after a full charge and being left disconnected from the radio compared to being left in the radio in a powered off state for the same period of time. I did check battery voltage on the two units I have. Both were stored will a fully charged state about 2-3 weeks ago. However both batteries where in a completely different state of charge when I just checked them. So you may have stumbled onto something. At least on my end this would suggest battery self-discharge. Just goes to show you can’t rely on rechargeable batteries being ready for use after a long period of storage. Regards, Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

Nice tip. Thanks for sharing that. A similar procedure can be performed on select tools with engraved markings in the workshop. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

In my continued understanding of the rules, Yes. If a repeater is used solely for communication by the owner and others covered by the owner’s license, my understanding continues to be that it does not need to ID. At the moment it switches from owner’s family communications to use by members of the public/different license then it is suppose to ID. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

I don’t currently see an issue operating the radio closer to the antenna, but that does not mean one could not occur. But like @kb2ztx I see nothing notable to be gained by doing so. In the real-world you will never be able to objectively quantity any performance gains unless of course you are using sub-standard inappropriate feed-line in the first place. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

And when the license goes away, I predict civility and adherence to rules go away too as anonymity is officially sanctioned. While there are those that use GMRS now that ignore the rules, removing the license opens a flood gate I hope does not get opened. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

The KG-1000G I own boots up to VFO mode after having done a factory reset. The user has to switch it to Channel mode after resetting. For a GMRS radio it should boot up into channel mode not VFO mode. Be that as it may, changing to Channel mode is just a press away by using the #6 (VFO/MR) button on the mic. This needs to be done for both the A and B receivers. You will know you are in Channel Mode (aka Memory Recall mode) when you see three small numbers ranging from 001 and 999 in the upper right corners of the left and right halves of the display. See image below. Once the radio is reset and in Channel mode, you should have 30 channels available to you for both receivers. You are not the first on this forum to have been bitten by this issue. Hope this helps. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

Very good point. Pressing the ‘Menu’ button operates as the ‘Enter’ function when navigating the function menus on Wouxun radios. If one gets in the habit of only pressing ‘Menu’ only when intending to make a change and ‘Exit’ in all other cases the problem of upsetting the codes can be eliminated. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

Yes, and I agree with BoxCar. The further you are from the transmitter (repeater in this case) and thus the weaker its signal the more this phenomena will be perceived. The reverse is true also. Not only will you experience this when receiving, but others may experience this when you are transmitting. From time to time may hear on the radio someone tell another to stand still, stop moving or the like when their signal is varying to much to copy it well. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

There sure is: https://repeaterbook.com That resource is also one used by Chirp and RT Systems as a datasource for programming radios. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

Those menu function have been exercised on my radios. I can confirm definitively that, on my radios, these functions change only the color of the little LED next to the channel knob. They have zero affect on the display backlight color. I would not be surprised me to learn that some factory firmware update has been made since mine were manufactured. Given that the back color on at least one Wouxun radio I own can be changed, it is quite possible that the hardware is actually capable of it. I would love to learn if anyone reading this post owns a KG-1000G in which they are able to change the display back color. And if so, what firmware version does the radio have? Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

I personally would want to confirm potential coverage by doing simplex testing from the house to mobile and again from house to HT units before I would invest in repeater hardware, regardless of whether I choose to do a repeater for GMRS or amateur service. Doing so would help to solidify just how good the vantage point of home site truly is for radio. The hardest and typically the costliest part of delivering good usable coverage is achieving and maintaining antenna at suitable elevation. If the range you can achieve from your house roof (using just 5W HTs) to mobile and HT units impresses you, then perhaps your cost to achieve elevation will be insignificant and very doable. There is a huge difference in cost between 40’ AGL and 200’ AGL. If you are blessed with a property with a great vantage point, by all means, take advantage of the opportunity if you can afford it. If it were not for the total cost of ownership of a 100’ + AGL antenna and tower at my home I too would own a repeater for use by the family and surrounding community. The repeater electronics cost is small in comparison. I agree with @BoxCar that no one is likely going to be beating down you door after you put up your repeater unless you live in an HOA or have obviously violated some zoning rules or codes. If you have the means to do so, put it up and get you family in the habit of using it. Then, if you’re wanting the public to use it as well, list it on myGMRS. If you really want the word to get out, perhaps connect with your local government and begin discussion of its use as a public resource during local emergencies. It may get listed on their website and other public communications if they believe enough in it. Communities benefit from both GMRS and amateur radio service repeaters. Whichever service you go with you would be doing a public service. If your community is already well served with amateur repeaters, perhaps getting a local one up on GMRS would be a huge asset for the average citizen, particularly if you achieve high-profile coverage. Good luck with your decision. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

Here in Cincinnati there have been two new young people that I know of that have joined the ham ranks recently. Ages 10 and 11. Both appear to have been mentored by their grandfathers. On 2m they operate like pros. Listening and talking to them is a joy. I can imagine the joy you feel watching and listening to your GD on the radio. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

I second @kb2ztx ’s answer. No. In the real world, the small amount of loss that those few feet of extra cable represents is like the proverbial “drop-in-the-bucket”, you will never be able to tell it is or is not there. The only reason I can think of for trimming would be vanity. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

I can confirm that frequencies associated with channels 8-14 are receive only on all Wouxun mobile radios as well, where as you can transmit on those frequencies when using using any of their HT. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

“SPeakerMute”. A poor choice IMO. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

Really a topic for a separate thread in the ham/amateur radio forum. Yes, the 1000G will allow you to listen, but you will not likely have any success listening using a vertical antenna. Because the ISS is moving, and because it is overhead, you will at minimum need a handheld yagi antenna (or perhaps an articulating stand-mounted yagi) that can be aimed at the station as it moves overhead. You will need to know where it is at a given point in time so you can indeed aim it in the correct direction. A satellite tracking app for your phone can be of some assistance here. I participated in an event this past summer where a radio club did just this. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

BTW, something to keep an eye on as you evaluate your KG-1000G radios is a changing audio level issue. Since I obtained my radio early this year I have had multiple people report that periodically the audio level will change dramatically during a transmission. Not consistently, but randomly, and seemingly without regard to speaking level or proximity to the mic. It occurs most frequently (but not always) at the beginning of a transmission. As the person transmitting I have not been able to experience this in normal use. However, having recently played with a simplex repeater module connected to the 1000G in my shack I can now confirm that the issue is real. When the issue occurs It sounds like the radio is going into full audio compression and then gradually ramps back up to normal. Very annoying for any listening party. If anyone else has similar experiences, I would like to hear about them. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

There is no ability to change the color nor brightness of the display in the manufacturer’s software or via the radio that I have found. I have only confirmed the ability to change the colors of the little LED located beside the channel knob. I have yet to hear of any firmware updates being offered to update any of model of Wouxun GMRS radios. I too wish that were possible as it would make to possible to remediate short-comings. As best I recall, BTWR said even they have no means to update firmware in a Wouxun radios. If anyone has new information to share on the subject I would love to hear about it. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

That is my preferred mode of operation too, there are reasons one might want other modes. One such reason for continuous scan is when you are most interested in hearing communications from a specific person or persons that might be operating on different frequencies. If the scanner stops and holds on a single frequency for the duration of a long QSO, you run the risk of missing comms from those other parties while the QSO takes place. While this might be best handled by a dedicated scanner, it is a capability that would benefit some. Regards Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM