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rdunajewski

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Posts posted by rdunajewski

  2. New Forums

    in myGMRS.com

    Posted

    There is/was something strange happening with certain accounts, I think where the email address stored in the forum did not match the email address on your myGMRS account. It would try to create a new forum account for you, then because the display name (username) was not unique, it would not allow it.

    I made some changes but it's difficult to tell if it works for everyone now. Hopefully that fixes it all.

    I merged your old and new accounts so you don't have the username with the "2" on the end anymore. 

  6. Radio Transmission Delay on Radio to Smart Device

    in Technical Discussion

    Posted

    This could be one of several issues. Sounds like they're using a gateway to take the RF radios and send the audio to an app like Zello running on network radios (the smartphone style) as a bridging of two systems. Zello is known to have audio delays because the audio is sent to the server first, then it's delivered to the client (app) once it's able to. This way if you lose network connectivity, once you get it back you'll still get the message (you didn't miss it). So there's always a little delay there based on the network. They guarantee delivery but not real-time communication. This is a problem with bridging busy networks because the RF side could be replying but now Zello is behind the game and trying to step on the RF traffic. We have the same issue with Zello users on our myGMRS Network, nets are especially problematic.

     

    However, it could be that there's something on the RF or gateway side that isn't detecting your signal for a while (although 10 seconds is way too long, so I doubt that). Some repeaters for instance take a while to decode your PL tone, begin transmitting, and start passing the audio. But this is usually a second or less.

     

    Any info you can pass along on the types of radios or the app can help us figure out where this delay could be coming from.

  7. Can’t Register after three days of receiving my GRMS license

    in Guest Forum

    Posted

    There is a new issue with the FCC database not updating. They have put a notice up on their site about it, but it's not resolved yet. The last update from 3/23 included new and updated licenses through Monday, 3/22. Anything after that date is not in our system yet. 

     

    We check hourly for the daily update files, so once it's available we'll be quick to process it.

     

    Please check the FCC website for known ULS issues: https://www.fcc.gov/licensing-databases/system-notifications?system=uls

     

    It's very frustrating, but we can only use what is made available to us.

  8. info required when applying for GMRS license ?

    in Guest Forum

    Posted

    Hi Mike,

     

    No, you don't need to list the family members on the license. Your immediate family members can use it if you extend permission to them to use the license. They would just use your GMRS callsign when they operate under the authority of your license.

     

    The FCC defines "immediate family members" as the licensee's spouse, children, grandchildren, stepchildren, parents, grandparents, stepparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and in-laws. (see 47 CFR § 95.1705 ( c ) ( 2 ))

  15. Range

    in Guest Forum

    Posted

    Hi Jerry,

     

    I own the Fort Pierce repeater which covers the Port St. Lucie area very well and with a good base station you should be able to get to West Palm Beach.

     

    For your house, you would need a UHF base station antenna outside as high as you can practically get it (ideally on your roof if that's possible). Elevation is the key to getting better range. For a base radio, you can use a mobile radio and a power supply hooked up to the antenna. Some form of lightning protection for the coax that comes from the antenna is advised, especially in Florida. There are Polyphaser surge suppressors that you can buy which will protect the radio from a surge in the coax caused by a nearby strike.

     

    For your mother's house, depending on where she's located she might be able to use a handheld radio which would be good for mobility, but you'd have to try it out and see.

     

    I'm not sure if you have a GMRS license yet, but a license would cover yourself plus your immediate family members which includes your mother, so there's only once license to purchase from the FCC. Once you have a license you can register for the main myGMRS.com website and you'll see the frequency and PL tone information needed to program your radios to the Fort Pierce repeater, and you can try it out.

     

    I actually put up this repeater for my elderly aunt and uncle who live on the island. Their cell service isn't great and they have become stubborn and don't like to evacuate when there's a hurricane. I wanted a way to reach them by radio, or a way for them to call others for help if they ever need to. I live in NJ so I have linked that repeater over the Internet which allows me to talk to them when I'm not in the area.

  20. Bubble pack repeater capable radio?

    in Guest Forum

    Posted

    Here a 10 watt repeater that may work...  Put it in your vehicle and hike into the woods and see if you and wife can reach other.

     

    https://www.retevis.com/rt97-portable-repeater-power-amplifier-uhf#A9150C-C9082A-C9123A

     

    I did email them to see if Part # 95 approved and have not heard back for over a week, so I would say no.  

     

    Jack

    WRJX754

     

    We carry the RT97 GMRS version which is FCC approved (FCC ID 2ASNSRT97). The problem is that while the label says it's 10W, it's really set to 5W (for the GMRS version). I believe this is done to allow any of the 8 repeater channels to be used with the included duplexer without having to retune it (although the desense will be getting worse the further you get from the center frequency of the duplexer). At 10W, the tuning of the duplexer is even more critical and they wouldn't be able to get away with this.

     

    https://shop.mygmrs.com/collections/featured-products/products/retevis-rt97-gmrs-repeater-5w

     

    People seem to like them, they are very simple, there's a dedicated TX/RX board (not just 2 HTs inside), a DC/DC converter, and the LCD display/button board on the front of the case, plus a 10W-rated notch duplexer inside tuned to somewhere in the middle of the GMRS primary channel range. Comes with a AC power supply, a 12/24V cigarette lighter plug. Antenna connector is a UHF female (SO-239). The case is die-cast metal, not plastic.

  21. FCC Rules - NOT!

    in FCC Rules Discussion

    Posted

    The rumor I've heard is that there's no FCC rule, but the OET (Office of Engineering and Technology) at the FCC has put out manufacturer guidance about 30-channel limits. These guidelines help a manufacturer determine what will be certified by the OET and what will be rejected.

     

    If true, it's a major issue because new GMRS radios are following this "standard" and there's really no justification for it in the Part 95 rules.

  22. NETWORK NODE FOR KENWOOD

    in Technical Discussion

    Posted

    Hi Joe,

     

    As long as those radios have an accessory connector that provides PTT, COR, and RX/TX audio you should be able to interface it with a URIxB from DMK Engineering. We sell linking bundles that give you the Raspberry Pi and the URIxB, you just need to add your own cable to connect to the radios. Depending on the type of interface required, we can make custom cables for $40-50.

     

    Asterisk nodes aren't exactly plug-and-play, but the ones we sell are pretty close. We configure the software for you so once you plug in the Raspberry Pi it'll already be "on the network", but you'll still need to tune your audio settings to get the volume levels correct and make sure the PTT polarity is correct, for example. Many people buy these kits because they get you 90% of the way there and only a little fine tuning is required which is going to vary with each person's individual needs and hardware, so that's why it can't be 100% plug-and-play.

     

    For those who are interested in a DIY setup, we have the software image available or you can buy an SD card with the software preconfigured with your node information for a nominal charge.

     

    All of these can be found on the myGMRS Shop:

     

    https://shop.mygmrs.com/collections/repeaters-and-accessories/products/repeater-linking-bundle

     

    https://shop.mygmrs.com/collections/repeaters-and-accessories/products/sandisk-8gb-microsd-card-mygmrs-link

     

    https://shop.mygmrs.com/products/custom-repeater-cable-25-pin

  23. Zello Setup Info for the Net

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Hey Jim,

     

    You can check out the Bronx Zoo GMRS channel on Zello. The NYC guys run that and it's usually linked into their repeaters. We had a few Zello check-ins on the regional net last night.

     

    Hoping in the next week or two I can make it down to Woodbury and get it back online. I'm building a redundant setup so I can go and swap out any component that failed and I'm working on a better Internet solution as well, since that has been flaky.

  24. Moving software from Pi to VM

    in Technical Discussion

    Posted

    Hi Bob,

     

    The main part is the /etc/asterisk directory which has all the config files. As long as you overwrite the ASL ones with the myGMRS ones you should be good to go.

     

    There are a couple of extra services that run which would need to be installed under the VM to have the full benefit. One is for adding your node to Node Manager (web-based control of linking commands) and the other is a script that runs every 10 minutes to update your local list of nodes which is basically your whitelist of other nodes that you will allow to connect to you.

     

    I can help you set that up once you're ready, we can do a TeamViewer session and I'll show you the steps -- it should take less than 10 minutes.

  25. Hotspot

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Just for my info what FCC rules are they violating?

     

    They are selling modified Part 90 Baofeng radios (poor quality ones at that) as the simplex transmitter. That's in violation of the Part 95 certification requirements, for one.

     

    I also don't know the legality of holding bingo over the air, which it looks like they removed mention of on the website. I don't recall if they were playing for a cash prize or if it was just "for fun" but that brings interstate gambling rules into question.

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