H8SPVMT

Heard you participating on the NET last week. I', getting better at it too.

Good to see another "Spring Chicken" here trying new ideas while rubbing ole bones together for communications! I've got four years on you using GMRs for a practical form of communications while running down the freeway... My best help to offer would be to just slow down and read, then re-read the owners manual. You're not going to break or ruin anything as long as you a somewhat gentle with the radio. Learn the sequence to reset the radio back to "factory setting" until you get the hang of programming with those lil' buttons.... In watching a video about your radio I can only suggest that you go thro the owners Manual and number each page. Then write up a Contents page to help you with where all the information is located. HAPPY NEW YEAR and Best Wishes for many more...

It was funny seeing Kirby's big head under that hat! But last I saw of him he was wearing it and proud!

Seems we rode the same trails but on different days! JP the tail gunner on Redbird fired that thing up as I walked by surprised the crap out of me! I didn't remember it being so loud last year... He had to perform some last minute work on the starter system Thursday and ended up replacing the started and battery too. Never ending maintenance cycle......

The Midland MXT-400 ran fine the whole trip and off road this past weekend on the Cumberland's Jeep Jamboree in Kentucky. Knocked the magnetic mount off once tho going too fast to the brush! Rained the night before we left and the dang Jeep filled with water! My fault, I left the drivers door partially open. Red Bird trail took out only one Jeeper this year on Saturday by breaking a control arm. Indian Creek is getting washed out on the way to the meadow and we all had fun the whole weekend.

That's wonderful! Had that happen to us as well a couple years ago!

CH.16 has caught on pretty heavily within the Jeepin community. So, if that is crowded I would say, just try CH 17 or CH 18. Just a guess.

I put repeaters in the same category as automobiles. They are as different as the owners. If they don't respond to your request in what you think is a reasonable time, just move on. Just because we have have radios don't mean people with repeaters "have to" respond to our request. Obviously, it is unlisted for their purpose(s) and they invested in the equipment for their own use until the owner wants to respond to request.

I felt like that in the beginning but after all, my major intent for the radio was for off road communication. Having it mounted in the Jeep made me curious when I would hear repeaters and realized / "felt like," I was missing something. But I think I have outgrown that now. I do write down all the repeaters I will come in contact on a travel route and sometimes actually listen to others talk but don't engage. I do have the necessary info incase I have an issue and need to call for help.

Is that event actually held in the forest or on private grounds? Never been to one tho I use to get up there in park quite often. I did a SFWDA Dixie Run many years ago at Windrock and had a ball! Lot's of good people there!

Virginia 4 Wheel Drive Assoc. (VA4WDA) held their Oak RIdge Off Road event this past weekend. Think we had a full crowd of 200 vehicles over the Friday and Saturday. We have been a "CB" user group from 2000 on and this years event was mainly done with GMRS for comms. Some still used CB's but I think there was enough handheld GMRS units to cover those that are resisting the swap. I missed the Saturday ride due to a faulty tie rod & stabilizer that I repaired. Sitting back at home now I realized, I should have left the radio on (scan) while doing the repairs and could have at least (maybe) listened in on the various conversations while working on the front end.

It may sound silly by it worked for me on my MXT 400 A full reset to factory setting.

It may sound silly by it worked for me on my MXT 400 A full reset to factory setting: To restore the functions on a Midland MXT275 radio, perform a factory reset by pressing and holding the PTT (Push-to-Talk) and Weather buttons simultaneously while powering on the unit. How to perform a factory reset Turn the radio off using the power/volume knob. Press and hold the PTT and Weather buttons on the microphone at the same time. Turn the radio back on while continuing to hold the PTT and Weather buttons. Wait for the reset confirmation. The radio will reset to its factory default settings. What a factory reset does A factory reset returns the radio to its original, out-of-the-box settings, which can resolve various issues such as: Programming errors. Incorrect channel or privacy tone settings.

First do a, "Factory Function" (reset) on the Midland and then re-enter all the pertaining setup fields like: Rep - select "ON," etc. Set "TALK" - OFF Now go to CH.Rp 17 (467.600) and listen for someone to communicate on it. Personally, I would wait on putting the privacy tone in until I actually hear the repeater operating myself. Then input the privacy tone 90, if that is what you need.

"Having donation options would be one thing, but there is zero chance you're convincing me that you need to collect a membership fee to cover costs, imho" And I agree. At 70+ years old. I have seen a lot and when money is involved, there is a paycheck in the background for many issues like to, "JUST COVER EXPENSES."

Very good point ! I see it mostly in reaching out to other Trail Leaders when trails are being used used by several groups.

As it was explained to me, "Talk Around" is to be used when the repeater temporarily unavailable or has dropped out for "whatever reason." Using Talk Around on the MXT400 continues to use the simplex channel and any tone set, the repeater would have output on so, your group can continue to communicate but, without the use of repeater. In essence, the radio just drops the input signal to the repeater when you select Talk Around. This way the group does not have to swap channels or tones in absence of the repeater. So, to use the "Talk Around function" everyone in the group as to be, or get, into that mode in order to communicate. It's not like the leader of a pack in the woods is the only one to switch. All has to switch. My question for Midland also was, How do you get everyone to switch into a talk Around Mode" Past the word to the closest behind you. "Once, everyone goes into "Talk Around" mode you can stay in it or if the repeater come back, swap modes again to use the repeater.

YEP, that did the trick! Don't know, "why it worked," but can guess there was something in the internals that prevented the access either to the channel selection of the Tone selection. After recording all my setting in the MXT-400, I did a RESTORE function. The RESTORE function reset the internal components back to factory setting. I input all my previous setup options and it works like a charm!

MIDLAND AI said: "When you enable the Talk Around function, it only affects the individual channel you’re on—not all channels at the same time. It uses that channel’s RX/TX frequency and its stored Privacy Tone settings, so you can chat directly if the repeater’s out of reach." And if that is the case, I don't think the problem is with my setup. I am inclined to think it is the repeater then.

I was trying to reach a repeater that should have been nearby (in reference to it's mapped location) but not in sight by any means on my an older model MXT-400 (NOT programmable). I had spoken on another repeater (different frequency) that overlaps the signal of the one I was looking for and see if anyone could hear my transmission after changing frequencies. They could see my signal (Repeater busy) but could not heard any output from the repeater. I did some research on my unit and was reminded of the "Talk Around Function" allows one to talk to a group of other radios in case the repeater is temporarily out of range or no longer activated. This function allows "you to continue" using the RX/TX frequencies, PL, code to communicate with the group. That is how I understand it. I checked my Operations Manual and went thru the motions to insure this was not set for Talk Around on the frequency I was using and it wasn't. Could this function be set on another frequency and affectioning all the other frequencies? I wouldn't think so but.... Maybe I just need to reboot the whole kit & caboodle.

But the folks that put their cash and effort to put up Nesses 625 are having a gathering this weekend for the Hams & GMRS folks in Salley, SC for what I think is a equipment swap meet kind of thing. You going? They were just publizing it tonight. Vance 600 was mentioned also.

Where is it written a repeater installation by a private citizen MUST cover a population the size of Charleston, SC? Geezz...

17 miles ain't bad at all...

You got ten grand?

As far as I know, there are two possible but time is needed in getting material and testing completed. People seem to be kinda harsh in these parts from with I have seen as of late. Got to remember, these people are forking out their time and money. I agree with UncleYoda, "I suggest you change the title to "Charleston SC repeater?""