alanplarue

If it’s being saved as a csv (comma separated value) file, and you try to open it by double clicking or right-clicking the file and choosing “open,” the default program for opening csv files is your web browser, so it’ll open the file and you’ll see all of the data, but you can’t do anything with it that way. You'll have to go to File -> Open in your radio software and drill down to the directory where you saved the file. (Hopefully you will already be there and won’t have to change directories.) The radio software might open if you double click the file from the file explorer if you set the radio program up as the default program for csv files, but I wouldn’t count on that working.

I’m not there to be able to help, but regarding a mast, I used two 10’6” x 1-3/8” chain link fence pipe tubes to create a mast for my TV antenna. About $20 each. Anchored to the eaves.

Thanks to you all pointing me in the right direction. After some more searching I figured out that the GH7H model is an "LTR trunking radio" and it requires the CE-94 configuration software rather than CE-82. Fortunately, the CE-94 software was on the disk that came with the cable, as well as CE-82. Also: No PC time change required with this software, but I'll definitely remember that in the future. (Seems like I had to do that 30 years ago, but I don't remember why.) Once I figured out the terminology used (zone and group, because it's a commercial radio and "zone" means something like Precinct 1 or 2, and "group" means departments within the zone (solid waste, public works, etc)). So for me, zone=group and group=channel. I have it working on simplex channels now. I'm not sure if I have the tones configured correctly for the repeaters, but they were easy enough to do on my HT. Nobody was talking, though, and I tried reaching out to the nearest one with my HT hoping I'd hear myself on the VX. Nothing -- but who knows whether I could even reach it? There's a repeater near my house that I know I can hit with the HT, so I'll try that when I get home. Here's the link to the page with the answer. HAM / APRS / DMR / GD-77 / GD-73A: VX-2200-AG7H-50 Thanks again!

Can't really say how I'm liking it yet, as I haven't gotten it configured, but I'm enjoying working on it. I'm also really happy about the support in this forum! I don't know that I've ever participated in a forum where the replies were so specific and helpful, and I've been on the Internet since the WWW came into existence.

Your Google skills are excellent. That guy has a whole series on the VX-2200.

That actually worked, allowing me to create and save the config. Thanks again, @wayoverthere. Now if I can get the download to work… the radio and PC both seem to know they’re connected to the port, and the PC seems sure it’s COM3, but uploads and downloads fail. C’est la vie! Fix one thing at a time and eventually everything works.

Thanks! (I replied to this earlier but I don’t see the reply, so if this ends up as a duplicate, I’ll delete it.) It hadn’t occurred to me that the developers may have programmed in a date where the change would become effective. I’ll give that a try and report back.

I need some help from anyone who has experience with the VX-2200 being used for GMRS. I purchased a used VX-2200-AG7H-50 based on comments in this and other forums about the quality of the radio. I also purchased the CE-82 programming software and a cable. Everyone seems to complain that all made-for-gmrs radios are cheap/electronic-junk, so I thought I'd get a highly-regarded commercial radio that can be programmed to operate within FCC GMRS rules. That decision may not have been the best one. It's certainly not the easiest one, but I've spent my life making data flow from one device to another (I work on SCADA (industrial gas process control) systems), and I actually enjoy these kinds of challenges. With that in mind, I'll explain the problem and see if anyone has encountered and solved this. When I open the program, a message pops up about an FCC rule requiring narrowband after some date in (IIRC) 2013. When I start to enter the frequencies it shows "W5" in the W/N column, but then it changes to "N" after I enter the frequency for the channel. I found something online about a CE-82 Wideband Recovery Tool, and that may be the solution, but the only way I've found to get that is on vertexradiogroup.net, and that requires a $35 annual membership. I'm more than willing to pay this membership fee IF that will solve my problem, but I'm not willing to pay it if it won't help me. Catch-22. The other option I'm thinking would work would be to get a pre-2013 version of the CE-82 software. The version I have is 3.05, copyright 2016. So — go! If you have any experience, give a guy a hand. Thanks.

Well, has it been long enough since I’ve logged back on? Sorry about that. The RD-232 works quite well. No trouble hitting that nearest repeater, though I still can’t reach any others. Still haven’t gone back to the office and seldom go anywhere, so I haven’t done any more with it. I did buy a used Vertex 2200 to use as a mobile unit, but I don’t have an antenna yet nor everything else I need to install it.

Well, quick test. It does in fact receive and pass through the audio while using the tone. That doesn’t confirm sending, but it does confirm that the radio successfully processes the tone on receive.

To follow up on my previous reply, I don’t have another radio to test, but I have some amateur frequencies programmed in. On channel 58 I have the repeater on the Chase Bank Tower in Houston programmed in, 444.3 MHz. To test, I programmed in the same frequency and set the receive tone to 123.0 on channel 68. I waited for an active period on 58, and then checked 68. Sure enough, the receive light was on, but no audio. Unfortunately, I’m not certain this was a valid test. According to repeater book that’s an uplink tone, so I don’t know if it applies on downlink. https://www.repeaterbook.com/repeaters/details.php?state_id=48&ID=1477 EDIT: I changed it to the Conroe, Texas 147.02 repeater which lists both up- and downlink tones. Should be a reliable test. https://www.repeaterbook.com/repeaters/details.php?state_id=48&ID=587

I don’t have an answer but I’m interested as I have the same radio. The only transmissions I’ve made have been to a repeater that uses dpl, which works. Oh! Now that I think of it, I’ve programmed in some ham repeaters to listen to, and originally programmed in the tones and never heard anything, so I took them out since I was only listening. Because it was my first attempt at programming I thought perhaps I had made a mistake. Tomorrow I’ll try those again to see if I get the same result.

The nearest repeater to me is the Southeast Klein 550 in the northwest Houston area, which according to https://www.gps-coordinates.net/distance is 9.55 miles from my house. When I first tried to hit it with my GM-30 it replied with Morse code, so I knew I was reaching it at least a bit. I did get a radio check but was told I couldn’t really be understood. A few days ago I replaced the antenna with a Radioddity RD322 14.96” antenna. I was able then to have a successful conversation over that same repeater. So, 9.5 miles isn’t too shabby for an HT I think. That’s almost twice the claimed 5 miles. (The nearest linked repeater to me (Northwest Houston) is over 13 miles away, and I haven’t ever heard any transmissions from it. I wonder whether it’s even is service, as I’m able to hear 2 others that are much further away.) The radio came with the latest firmware version, which surprised me. Most things (smart switches, etc.) I order have to be updated. They seem to update the firmware for the GM-30 pretty often, so this was a pleasant surprise. I got a programming cable and downloaded the software from the Radioddity website. I found it to be mostly intuitive. The only weird thing is that when you do the download, the pop up box where you click “okay” doesn’t go away when the download completes… you have to click “cancel”. Makes you wonder whether the download failed. It didn’t… I clicked okay again the first time and it downloaded the program again. It has a LOT of “DIY” slots that you can program, and you can also modify the pre-programmed channels. 1-22 and repeater channels are pre-programmed. I chose to use only the DIY slots for changes so that the I would be able to listen to the channels without the CTCSS. Because you can monitor 2 channels at once, I figured that monitoring the unsquelched frequency as one and the one with the CTCSS applied as the other might be useful. In practice that may not be necessary, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. If someone is using a frequency with no tone or a different tone, your green receive light comes on even though you can’t hear them. It was easy to label the channels I programmed, as well. There’s a 6-character limit, but I’m an old FORTRAN guy so I can name anything in 6 characters! It receives on both 2 meter and 70cm, so I programmed several nearby Ham repeaters to listen to as well. I listened to part of the “Alaska Morning Net” one morning. Other than repeater traffic, I’ve never heard anyone on any frequency, so it doesn’t seem anyone near my location uses either FRS or GMRS… certainly not very often. You can also change the welcome text (two lines, 7 characters.) I put my WRKY388 on the top line and “A.LaRue” on the second. I did something wrong the first time, and when I turned it on the default welcome message said “Baofeng”… Anyway, for my first GMRS radio, and first radio of any kind in many years, I’m very happy with it.

First (only a couple of weeks ago) is a Radioddity GM-30 with the standard rubber duck. Haven't had much success communicating from my house. Radio check shows that I can barely hit a repeater 7.5 miles (as the crow flies) from my house. I've ordered a Radioddity RD-332 high-gain antenna to see if it helps. (It should, I think!) Programming with the Radioddity software was a breeze. Since I know successfully hit that repeater, at least I confirmed that I got it right. Also programmed in a few amateur repeaters to listen to. Been working from home full-time for 16 months now, but we go back to the office in September. There's a linked repeater 5.8 miles from there, so I'll maybe have some lunch time conversations. (I can actually hear that repeater from home, inside the house, and it's 21.5 miles away.) Also thinking I'll get a mobile unit soon.