WRHS218

For both radios to operate through the repeater they will both need to be on the same repeater channel and have the correct tones for RX/TX as per the repeater set up. Sean

I have a Tram 1126B 1/4 wave UHF antenna (410-490MHz) on my vehicle and I receive the NOAA weather channels just fine. 162.400 is the only one I can get on any radio in my location, however when I travel I can receive multiple NOAA channels with this antenna, YMMV.

Did you ever figure this out? What model radio do you have? Does it indicate you are transmitting, signal strength meter, LED TX indicator light? Does it receive? More information would be helpful. Sean

I have my 905G scanning most of the time. I have local (sort of) repeaters programmed into the radio and I scan those along with the standard no tone repeater channels. I hear a lot of travelers in my area every now and then I hear a repeater that I shouldn't be able to hit. I have several radios so when I head into town I get my wife to listen for me just to see how far I reach and from where. Just scan for a while and see what/who you hear. You can always pick a channel and ask for a radio check and see if anyone answers. Keep it scanning when you are driving just for giggles and grins. You could do a search and see if there is a GMRS radio club near you. Good luck, Sean

When I search for Sacramento on this sites repeater directory I found three Open repeaters. The RECALL NEWSOME repeater shows it has been updated in Sept. 2021 (this month) so it is probably active. You would have to put it in your radio and see if you can hit it. The coverage map may or may not be accurate. The BARN-7 repeater was updated a year ago but the system status shows off line. The SACRAMENTO METRO repeater hasn't been updated in over ten years. You can try using the contact function for the repeater owner and see if you can get an answer. When you get your radio plug those repeaters in and try to hit them. That is usually the best way. Sean

There is no test for the GMRS license. You buy it online at the FCC website.

I have the KG-935G ordered (backordered). I had sent an email asking a question about the radio and before I got an answer some YouTube Hobo put out a video about it. I went ahead and ordered it before watching said video but I assume it was too late to get any they had in stock. I don't always carry a HT with me but I normally have one in my vehicle just in case. I carry the 905G because of it's functions and mainly because of the IP rating. The 935G is going to be a good emergency radio. I can program all of the local LEO and Fire frequencies as well as county road and public works and HAM repeaters. During multiple week wild fire events (been through a few in the last four years) and in the winter I can get road conditions and other info I need. A big plus with the 935G for me is it takes the same battery as the 905G. If I am headed into the back country with other people I will use the 905G. For travelling the 935G will be a good choice. I still have a 2m HT in my bag but my extended family aren't interested in HAM, and frankly, I don't enjoy chatting about weather and antennas over the air (been a HAM for 25 years).

I can hit repeaters from way out too, although there aren't any close to me. I was just pleasantly surprised that I could make the 3.7+ miles simplex contact with a hunk of mountain in the way. Simplex in the mountains can be a bit more troublesome especially when driving.

My son-in-law just got a GMRS license assigned today. He ordered a KG-905G which is what I have. I live at around 3300 foot elevation and he lives around 2600 feet elevation 3.72 miles away. There is a ridge between us that tops at around 3220 ft. Where the ridge is, it puts about 80 feet of land/rock/trees in the way of being direct line of sight. We are able to talk to each other on high power (5w) at full quieting. He has a FRS/GMRS bubble pack radio that I think is 2w and I could hear him with static while he could hear the 5w with no static. He was outside while I was on my couch. A certain YouTube hobo has shown the couch makes the difference. When my son-in-law went inside there was a little static but we were both easily understandable. I am thinking he doesn't have a GMRS couch. There is a place in the high country at around 7500 feet elevation that is a little over 12 miles from my house and is clearly visible with no obstructions. Next time I am up there I will give it a test, although I am sure 5w will cover that easily. Sean

I like the idea and think it would be a usable app. I have used the Repeaterbook app and have found it useful. Long before the app I purchased the book every year. I would probably only use an app like this for "Open" listings. Determining activity, like mbrun mentioned, would be a great help. I have found, at least in my area, there are repeaters listed that don't exist now. No fault of MyGMRS. When I first started in GMRS earlier this year I tried to contact a lot of the repeater owners in my area. Only received replies from a couple of people. One allowed me access and the other told me his repeater was no longer in service. On a recent road trip I had programmed dozens of "Open" repeaters into my radios. I didn't keep a list like you did but I couldn't reach or hear a lot of them and had no idea if they were still active. Thank you for ytechie for sharing your work. Sean

That is pretty amazing. I made a 2m simplex contact at about 77 miles several years ago. There was a scout troop on top of a 9,000+ft mountain peak. I was across the valley at 750ft and we had direct LOS. They gave me their GPS coordinates which showed 77 miles. You definitely win Ytechie! The 905G is a nice HT.

I have made the same point in some of my other posts. I use the radio as a tool, to get a message from point A to point B in the shortest, most comprehensible method. Started doing that on a sound powered phone aboard an aircraft carrier, continued in private industry and as an LEO. I never have been a chatty radio person on the HAM side or GMRS. The purpose of the post was the anecdotal result of my curiosity, a new radio, and a long trip.

This may be a stupid question as I don't have a GM-30 but I do have several Wouxun radios: Have you tried simplex with no codes on all of the radios?

From what I can tell from the manual the TM-321A transmits and receives only on the 220 MHz range (Amateur 1.25m frequencies). If that is accurate it will not receive or transmit on the GMRS frequencies (462-467 MHz). Sean

The nice thing about both GMRS and HAM is you can put as much effort into it as you want and enjoy radio. I got a HAM license years and years ago and upgraded to General. I recently got into GMRS because my family can get involved and don't have to take the test. There is not much traffic on GMRS where I live. I still listen to 2m and 70cm via local repeaters. I also still listen to SW. Enjoy whatever part of the radio world you choose to use. These days there are a lot of good resources on the web. Sean

I purchased the Wouxun KG-UV9G Pro (SHTF) radio at the beginning of June and received it July 16. I had a couple of days to play around with it and change the programming a little before leaving on a long road trip. I have seen some comments asking why anyone would want all of the channels programmed with the Pro model. I am in California and live in the area of the Creek Fire last year. While CalFire does a great job, we don't get a whole lot of information when we need it. I had programmed a scanner with all of the Fire frequencies, all local and state LEO freqs, County public works, Utility company, Air, and Cal DOT freqs. During the fire (over two months) I kept the scanner on and my HAM radios on listen to local repeaters. I could hear the pilots of the helos and fixed wing aircraft that were making water and retardant drops as well as the pilot of the air control plane that was flying overhead and directing the drops as well as ground units. Many times I could information from what I was hearing before it was made public during two daily briefings. We were evacuated from our home for a week during which I could listen to see if the fire was near the house. We were some of the lucky ones who did not lose our house. When we returned I kept listening. The more frequencies you have to listen to the more information you can get. On to the radio. Obviously I appreciate the scan functions and the scan types. I scanned all GMRS simplex and repeater channels plus some repeaters I had added to the programming during my trip. I had it sitting next to my KG-905G which was scanning the same frequencies just to test the two radios. When we swapped drivers I would scan the raildraod frequencies that came programmed and heard a lot near large rail yards. I enjoy listening to that type of thing. The UV9G comes with AM Air frequencies programmed but I couldn't get anything on the radio even when I was in a hotel near the end of a runway of a major airport. I didn't take time to look up and program other known airliner frequencies. I will do that later and try again. I did scan all 800+ channels that were programmed at times and didn't hear much. As a GMRS radio the RX and TX are good. I need to do a little more testing but on simplex it seems almost as good as my KG-905G. I was able to hit the same repeaters on the UV9G as I could get on the 905G. Audio reports were good. I really like the level of water and dust resistance. The menus are somewhat complicated with a slightly steep learning curve to learn what the abbreviations mean but it is the same convention as the 905G so I already knew most of it. I like the size of the radio as it isn't too big or too small. The supplied antenna seems to work well. The 3200 mHa battery that came with the radio as well as the extra 3200 mHa battery I purchased both had no issues with the belt clip installation as reported with some of the batteries. I scanned for over 70 hours with about a half hour of TX on my trip and never had to change batteries. Some of the pre-programmed channels are probably not needed, but then again, when there is an emergency or the SHTF you don't really know where you will get good info. I purchased the radio and spare battery from BetterSafeRadio.com and they were great to work with. On their homepage they kept a running message of what order range they were working on which was much appreciated. Five weeks after I ordered the radio I went ahead and ordered the spare battery and after talking to them via email they made sure both orders were in one box so I would get it all together in time for my trip. The Wouxun programming software is minimal for the KG-UV9G like the software for the KG-905G but is sufficient. The same programming cable works for both radios. I am very pleased with the radio and BetterSafeRadio. For my needs/wants it is definitely worth the price I paid. Sean

A note on battery life: I purchased the 3200 mHa battery and have used it off and on for a month. I charged it up before a 10 day, 4000 mile road trip. I scanned for over 70 hours and transmitted for about 30 minutes on the trip and still had 7.9 volts with the battery meter at half at the end of the trip. The regular battery has a long life but the 3200 is pretty amazing at this point. I guess time will tell how long the battery lasts cyclewise. Sean

I just got home from my return trip which was about 2000 miles total. I took the Northern route from Southeast Texas, up to the Dallas area, and then north and west to highway I-40 through New Mexico, Arizona and finally back to California. I had my KG-905G and a KG-UV9G on and scanning the whole time. I scanned all GMRS channels and repeater channels as well as many specific repeater channels found on MyGMRS.com and the Repeater Book app. I heard a couple of people talking GMRS simplex in the Dallas area. In Albuquerque I heard a repeater but it wasn't one I had access to. Outside of Gallup, NM I heard a lady on a repeater although I didn't have the codes and was driving so I couldn't search for them. A man responded to her telling her to give her call sign because she was on HAM frequencies and then a minute later corrected himself realizing he was on GMRS. I heard some back and forth on the highway from folks using what sounded like bubble pack radios caravaning. In beautiful, scenic Boron, CA I was able to access a repeater but received no replies. The rest of the trip was quite. I think I heard Chick-fil-A in one city. I was also scanning 2m on my VX-6R along the way. I hit a couple of repeaters in the Amarillo area and heard some radio traffic in the larger cities. So there you have it. My anecdotal experience on a two part 4000 road trip. I am pleased with the over all performance of both GMRS radios. I had both radios on for close to 70 hours of scanning and maybe 30 minutes total of transmitting and never had to change batteries in either one. The Yaesu had to have a fresh battery once a day, although my batteries for that radio are very old.

Good choice on radios. I have enjoyed my KG-905G. It was a good choice for me.

Hey Bishop, are you planning a permanent install or something you can remove easily. I have had both with HAM equipment. I did the temporary in my Jeep and eventually welded a box to keep the radio in between bars on an aftermarket roll cage with the antenna mounted to a top rack. That worked well. After two transmissions cratered in the Jeep I got a used Toyota FJ and got the nerve up to install an NMO mount with a spring at the base of the antenna on the roof. That set up has been great. I have been drooling over the KG-1000G. Let us know how things go when you get yours.

Time was a concern so we took the 10. I am neither encouraged or discouraged, this is just anecdotal information. I was surprised I didn't hear more in the Phoenix area both on GMRS and HAM. To me, radio is a tool, I have no emotional connection. I have had an amateur general ticket for years and had experienced the lack of use on long trips before. This is the first time I have had a chance to listen on GMRS. But, I am part of what is wrong with the HAM experience (at least that is what I have been told), as my use of the radio spectrum is utilitarian. I do enjoy the research, installation, and use of two way radios just not the way a lot of people do. Now I have brought my lack of chattiness to the GMRS realm. I'll be scanning on the return trip.

I just drove from Central California to the Texas-Louisiana border. I did the 1900 mile drive in three days. I had my handheld GMRS radio on and scanning for the whole trip. I heard one person talking on a repeater west of Phoenix, AZ. Somewhere in New Mexico I heard a couple of people talking car to car. I was stuck on I-10 in Houston for three hours due to an accident four miles in front of me and heard nothing. I also had a 2m/70cm handheld on, scanning, and heard very little traffic. Both radios, KG-905G, and Yaesu VX-6R, work perfectly. Interestingly enough, when I reached my destination I found a juvenile detention facility using GMRS radios. The facility is several miles from where I am. I was surprised I didn't hear more traffic on either the GMRS or the HAM bands. I will reverse the trip next week and will keep the radios scanning. As an aside, the 3200 mHa battery in the KG-905G lasted the whole trip scanning 12 hours a day for three days and is still showing over 8 volts.

OffRoaderX, You sound like one of my favorite youtube hobos. I am his favorite youtube watcher, he told me so. He also has a calibrated couch. Good advice, by the way. Unless nerding out on building antennas is your "thing" let someone else do the work and enjoy offroading.

Hasaf, I have a 2m mounted in my FJ. I took the head liner down enough to use marine epoxy to a attach a piece of hardwood 2x4 to the roof and install an NMO. I put the headliner back up and mounted the radio mount to the 2x4. The radio has been mounted that way for 9 years of pretty heavy off road use. I never thought about under the passenger seat. Which brings up another point: It is disturbing how clean it is under your seats! Sean

Very cool map. Thank you for sharing!