FrankNY

Not to become guilty of posting a "me too" post, but I wanted to mention that I also didn't receive the most recent Sunday night e-mail message. I've been through e-mail problems with sites that I maintain for others, often caused by the move of a site from one server to another, and I know from first-hand experience just how difficult these issues can sometimes be to resolve. Good luck Rich! Regards, Frank.

Again, I think that someone should notify the FCC. Regards, Frank.

I don't know where it's mentioned in the rules, but I'm sitting here looking at an associate's recently issued (01-27-2018) GMRS license renewal in front of me and it states the following. Licensees who operate North of Line A and East of Line C may not operate on channels 462.650 MHZ,467.650 MHZ, 462.700 MHZ and 467.700 MHZ unless your previous license authorized such operations. So it would seem to me that those lines continue to exist. Regards, Frank. P.S. And would someone please notify the FCC that the word megahertz is abbreviated MHz, and to always use a blank space after a comma.

Elkhunter521, do you happen to have older (pre-September 2017) GMRS-V1 radios or newer (post-September 2017) GMRS-V1 radios? I believe that this can be determined by the pre-programmed channel numbers. The older units had a channel numbering scheme that began with 00 while the newer models start at 01. As currently specified on the baofengtech.com website, it says "Output power: .5W / 2W", but in the current version of the manual, the specification reads "RF power L/H: 2/5", so there's obviously a typo somewhere. The web page should probably say "5W / 2W". Also, when you took your measurements of 3.0 watts and 2.7 watts, I wonder whether the radios were tuned to a full-power GMRS channel and whether the radios were set in Lo Power mode or Hi Power mode. Do you happen to recall? Despite the measurements, are you otherwise happy with your purchase? Regards, Frank.

Steve, as already mentioned by Jones, I would suggest taking a look at the BTECH GMRS-V1, which has repeater capability. https://baofengtech.com/gmrs-v1 The BTECH GMRS-V1 is FCC certified for Part 95A (GMRS) and is therefore legal to use. If you want to learn more about this radio, Miklor, as usual, has a FAQ on the GMRS-V1. http://www.miklor.com/BTGMRS/BTGMRS-FAQ.php The GMRS-V1 can be purchased through Amazon for $54.99 with free shipping, so four of them would run you $219.96, which is well within your $250.00 budget. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LWOLZ8L And if for some reason you happen to dislike the free CHIRP programming software, RT Systems offers its BTS-GMRSV1 Radio Programming Software. https://www.rtsystemsinc.com/Articles.asp?ID=619 The RT Systems BTS-GMRSV1 software requires use of an RT Systems USB-K4Y cable, which can be purchased together with the software for $49.00. https://www.rtsystemsinc.com/BTS-GMRSV1-Programming-Software-and-USB-Cable-p/bts-gmrsv1-usb.htm You could purchase four of the BTECH GMRS-V1 radios plus the RT Systems software and cable for an amount that's just slightly over your $250 budget and you would be repeater-ready for the future. If you acquire now radios that aren't repeater-capable and later wish to use them through a repeater, you would have to purchase new radios. Good luck! Frank.

Thanks for posting about the new URL. I had received an e-mail notification about it a few days ago. As to the old name of SHTFLI, I miss it too, but I've always expanded it out to Stuff Hits The Fan Long Island, sort of like RTFM or Read The Fine Manual. Makes it family-friendly. Regards, Frank.

I use Jim's KG-UV6 Commander program. Works great and I have no real complaints. It has some capabilities that don't exist in the official Wouxun software, and in some ways is easier to use. I'm using a genuine Wouxun cable that uses a Prolific chip. No problems whatsoever with this setup. Frank.

Mine wasn't set to expire until mid-July, however I renewed it a couple of days ago, just prior to reading WT Docket No. 10-119. I suspect that the proposed doubling of the license period from five years to ten years will be approved and go into effect about 90 days subsequent to the approval date, but I would also expect that the fee will also be doubled - from $70 to $140 - so I don't think, at least at this time, that I missed out on a potential $70 saving. If one wishes to keep their currently-assigned call sign, I would think that it might be best to not allow their license to lapse. Frank. P.S. I do hope that everyone here has read the FCC Report and Order document by now. MyGMRS.com is mentioned several times therein!

Try this: https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-344617A1.pdf But do note that if you're interested in more than just the GMRS-related section, and want to stay "fully informed" and intend to read the entire document, be sure to set aside some time because it's 144 pages in length. Regards, Frank.

Thanks for posting, and thanks for your good service. Almost wish that I had been there! Regards, Frank.

409SHOP Limited in Hong Kong sells the WLN KD-C1 radio, in your choice of either black or white, for USD $19.50. WLN KD-C1 at 409SHOP (black) http://www.409shop.com/409shop_product.php?id=123982 WLN KD-C1 at 409SHOP (white) http://www.409shop.com/409shop_product.php?id=123983 Here's a direct download link, courtesy of 409SHOP, for the programming software. http://www.pic.409shop.com/software/KD-C1_SETUP_2016-05-23.rar A few weeks ago I had a text chat with the good folks at 409SHOP concerning the lack of programming software for the WLN KD-C1 and they told me that they would contact the manufacturer on the mainland (PRC), secure a copy of the software, post it on their Web site, and e-mail me a link to download it. Seven hours later, I received an e-mail with the above link. Regards, Frank.

You, sir, are obviously a mind reader (that was a compliment). I say this because I had actually been thinking of writing 22.5 cents, but then decided that that was a bit too retentive. In point of fact, the 11x multiplier that I used was roughly based upon my personal observance of the cost (of most things that most people buy) today versus the cost of those same things back when I was a teenager, which was, needless to say, a long time ago but still, in the course of human events, not really all that long ago. Computers, and computer related products, represent one of the few areas where progress, measured in terms of price/performance ratio, have really excelled over the course of time. Regards, Frank. P.S. Speaking of FCC regulations that at times may appear to the ordinary reader as being confusing, difficult to understand, or even contradictory, just spend a few hours sometime studying the IRS code. It's almost guaranteed that your head will eventually explode (at least figuratively speaking).

Which just goes to show that some of the FCC rules were likely written by a first-year communications-major law school intern who not only lacked the real-world experience necessary to write Federal Code, but also didn't consider extant rules when authoring new ones. Also, there's the concept of the spirit of the law versus the letter of the law, wherein I believe that the FCC's intent was to permit various forms of digital signaling - DCS, for example - while simultaneously disallowing the use of DV (digital voice) modes of operation. That's my two cents (now 22 cents with inflation) on the matter. Regards, Frank.

William, my sincerest hope is that you experience a full recovery as soon as possible. Regards, Frank.

The next video in the sequence was this one: Baofeng uv 5r programming for unlicensed basic use. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymcrOnH9w0Q And, yes, the comments are indeed insane. Regards, Frank.

Welcome to the forums and welcome to the world of GMRS. If I were you, the first thing that I would do, especially easy to accomplish since you have two radios, is to get together with a friend or whoever and do some testing to ensure that both of your radios are working properly. Do this while separated by some distance, a hundred feet or more would be great. Try various frequencies in both the FRS and the GMRS, using simplex (non-repeater) channels in the case of GMRS. Also do some tests where each radio is set to an identical CTCSS frequency or DCS tone to ensure that that particular functionality is working properly, as you'll almost certainly need it when working through a repeater system. If all of those tests end with positive results, then check the main portion of this site (not the forums) for repeaters in your geographic area and contact the owners for permission to use their machines. If you get the okay, then you're on the air, so to speak. And yes, you're correct that digital voice modes of operation are not permitted on neither the FRS nor the GMRS, although I do on rare occasion hear digital transmissions on a GMRS channel here in New York. I don't know where you're located and thus don't know how much GMRS activity you may have available to you. It may be quite quiet or it may be quite busy. This does seem, at least from all that I've read, to vary quite a bit by locale. And in some areas, there seem to be few to no GMRS repeaters. Please be aware that the range claims made by the various manufacturers of (especially) FRS radios tend to be rather overstated, and that's putting it mildly. Unless you and the person with whom you're communicating are both on mountain tops with true line-of-sight between the two of you, don't expect great distance. Personally, I feel that this is an area where the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) should step in and set some legal guidelines governing advertising claims, sort of like they did many years ago with regard to power output claims made by manufacturers of hi-fi power amplifiers. Antenna heights and terrain have a great effect on UHF communications. And here, in case you haven't seen them, are three Wikipedia links that may be of use to you. Family Radio Service https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Radio_Service General Mobile Radio Service https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Mobile_Radio_Service Repeater https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repeater Good luck! Regards, Frank.

Rich, thank you so much! Not only was I able to correct my post in the above referenced thread, but I was also able to edit the first post in this thread - something that I wasn't able to do earlier. Thanks again! Regards, Frank.

Rich, I can't edit Post #7 at https://forums.mygmrs.com/topic/644-midland-t-71/ Depending upon the browser, I receive one of the following error messages in a pop-up box. TypeError: ipb.textEditor.getEditor("edit-" + postid) is undefined TypeError: Cannot convert 'ipb.textEditor.getEditor('edit-'+postid)' to object Also, clicking the "Use Full Editor" button results in nothing happening. Tried changing to the "IP Board Mobile" theme but no 'Report' or 'Edit' buttons appear when I do. I'm trying to edit my post because the board messed up my original post badly. There are no blank lines between paragraphs and links are invalid due to placement of the opening and closing tags. Hope that this can be fixed. Id so, I'll go in and correct the post, else if you want, just delete it and I'll repost it when the problem is resolved. Note that I always visit the board with my browser's cache cleared, so there's nothing left over from a prior visit. Thanks very much! Frank.

I'm happy with the KG-UV6D V2 radios. Wouxun has come out with newer models since I purchased them a few years ago, but I haven't felt a strong need to upgrade. As to durability, one of them, which gets very little use, is still like new in every way. The other one, which gets a fair amount of use, and has been dropped three times, has a rotary encoder that skips, so I now use the Up/Down buttons exclusively on that one. I do miss use of the rotary encoder knob, but I've learned to live without it. In every other respect, the radio is still like new, although a small amount of dirt/dust has accumulated under the clear plastic piece that covers the LCD display panel. As to antennas, the stock factory-supplied antenna isn't bad, but I have two different Diamond antennas that I use as alternatives from time to time. For better airband reception, I'll sometimes insert an AOR ABF128 VHF Airband Filter between the radio and the antenna. The improvement is slight but noticeable. The KG-UV6D V2 supports CTCSS/DCS and split frequencies so they're quite usable with both amateur and GMRS repeaters. The newer KG-UV9D (Plus) LE has a wider reception range, adds cross-band repeat capability, and includes a number accessories as standard. http://www.buytwowayradios.com/products/wouxun/kg-uv9d-plus-le.aspx In the world of CCRs (cheap Chinese radios), I think that Wouxun is probably one of the better brands available here in the U.S. at this time. There are lots of friendly repeaters in the New York area, including some run by members of this very forum. For GMRS on Long Island, check out the SHTFLI (Stuff Hits The Fan Long Island) site. http://www.shtfli.com/ And for ham radio on Long Island, check out the LIMARC (Long Island Mobile Amateur Radio Club) site. http://www.limarc.org/ Regards, Frank.

bud, sorry but I don't own either of the Motorola models that I mentioned. I brought them up because they're inexpensive at under $100 for a pair, are genuine Part 95a products, and support repeater use. Personally, I own a pair of Wouxun Part 90 portables (KG-UV6D V2) and use them for the GMRS. Those two Motorola radios are probably okay for the price, but I wouldn't expect them to be the most durable radios made, although if forced to choose between one of those Motorola models and the Midland, I would opt for either of the Motorolas because of the repeater capability. Frank.

bud, also in the bubble-pack category, and for less than $100 for a pair, you could maybe consider the Motorola (although not actually made by them) MS355R. They're repeater capable. MS355R Specs: http://www.motorolasolutions.com/en_us/products/two-way-radios/consumer-two-way-radios/ms355r-talkabout-two-way-radio.html $84.99 per pair at Bay Two Way Radios http://www.buytwowayradios.com/products/motorola/motorola-ms355r.aspx Or for $10 less, and still repeater capable, consider the MS350R. MS350R Specs: http://www.motorolasolutions.com/en_us/products/two-way-radios/consumer-two-way-radios/talkabout-ms350r.html $74.99 per pair at Bay Two Way Radios http://www.buytwowayradios.com/products/motorola/motorola-ms350r.aspx Regards, Frank.

Okay, John, the equipment is nice, too! Next time that you're up there, bring her (I don't want to ask how you know that it's a her as opposed to a him), something to eat and she'll be your friend for life. ) Regards, Frank.

Nice bird!

It's late, but happy New Year anyway! Frank.

John, sorry to hear about the problems. Hope that you can get it sorted out. Regards, Frank.