WRHS218

Thanks for elaborating, Michael. I assumed the KG-905G worked like this but since the manual it isn't as clear as it could be and I had not tried it I didn't want to state it as fact. Also, good point about proximity to the TX radio for repeater operation. Sean

You have to initiate the scan while receiving a signal. If the signal stops the scan will start again when/if the signal is received again. When you start the scan you can watch on on the screen as the tones are scanned. It will stop when it finds the tone. You can set up the radio to save these scanned tones to memory. The signals I have scanned have all been on simplex. I can't answer if it would work on a repeater as I haven't been close enough to a repeater when I had time to scan.

One that serves many. There is a list of supported radios on this page: https://chirp.danplanet.com/projects/chirp/wiki/Home

In a nutshell: CHIRP is an open source radio programming tool that in many cases is better than the manufacturers programming software. The software will program a lot of the more popular radios. Newer radios will normally be added to the list, but sometimes takes a while. Use your favorite search engine to lookup CHIRP.

The pros for me are: The build quality is great. I need a radio that is water resistant and dust resistant. I carried Motorola radios for the last 40 years in my jobs and the 905G feels almost as solid as those. The radio is simple to use. I have had a HAM license for decades and when searching for a GMRS radio I wanted something simple to use. Repeater ready. Very easy to use on repeaters. I like the channels groups and the ability to scan groups. CTCSS scan. A function I find useful that I didn't think I would use. Audio quality is very good. The cons: You can only add repeaters having the same tones into a group via the computer. I like that you can build other groups for repeaters, but, not from the radio end. I wish the screen would accommodate "Name" "Frequency", and "GMRS channel number" at once. I understand it would take a bigger screen and I will eventually learn the channel numbers. Coming from the HAM side I am just so used to it all being about the frequency. I have tried other GMRS radios of lesser price but the quality just wasn't there for me. I was going to get the 805G but when I saw they were going to come out with the 905G I waited and I am happy I did. Sean

I prefer to use screen protectors on all my handheld and mobile screens because I spend a lot of time in dusty environments. Do anyone make their own? I guess I could cut down an old cell phone screen protector to fit. Any DIY screen protector ideas out there? Sean

I live in a mountain area a few miles from the South gate of Yosemite. Most of the listed repeaters in my area are no longer active. One nearby repeater is still active but I can't hit it from my house. The gentleman that owns the unit told me to keep it in my radio and use it if I am in the area which is nice. I cannot see the highway from my house due to trees but I can hear traveler conversations for less than a minute at a time. I use GMRS with extended family and for traveling. I have several 2m HAM repeaters I use occasionally but I don't enjoy talking about weather, radio brands, and new medications so I don't talk much. I got my Amateur license over 20 years ago so I would have reliable comms when a group of us went off roading in the Mojave desert. I have moved to GMRS for that now as a lot of people aren't interested enough to take the test. Can't blame them. This is a good forum to learn from.