MichaelLAX

Check out this website for some GMRS Repeaters near you: Texas GMRS Network also this repeater: Channelview 675

What I would do in your circumstance, is bring a Radioddity GM-N1 and lock out the repeater channels for non-licensed FRS use by your friends while you are visiting. Technically these HTs are not fully FRS compliant because of their ability to transmit on GMRS repeater channels, but once you lock out these repeater channels with its software; I believe that they are fully FRS compliant otherwise: 2 watt, fixed antenna. Once they get the "bug" they can then buy their own GMRS license!

Remember that rechargeable AA's are only 1.2volts whereas alkalines are 1.5v, so the output power (and range) will drop accordingly. I personally never buy alkalines anymore due to their toxicity as waste, so I have converted to rechargeable batteries myself. What that means is that I would purchase a MURS HT that comes with its own lithium ion rechargeable battery pack for optimum use!

Height (and direct line of sight coverage) is EVERYTHING. so let us know the results of your attempt to hit the Ranchito repeater from up there! I like to listen in and communicate on that repeater, out of its RF coverage area, with its link to the Zello app on my iPhone, which works really well! Other repeaters are also similarly linked! Lastly, I would like to thank you, Greg, for your kind donation to me last night of the Anytone AT-779UV mini-mobile radio. I already have one in my EV and now I will enjoy it in my shack, instead of the UV5Rx3 that I use now for Ham 2 and 1.25 meters and 70 cm, GMRS, FRS and MURS. It's 18 watts up to my Comet tri-bander on my roof will increase my coverage nicely. Thank you again and others should check out Greg's YouTube Channel for his description of the difference between Wideband and Narrowband GMRS FM coverage: Wideband vs. Narrowband I particularly like his fast food reviews! ?

To the others following this thread: I drove up to Canyon Country and Kevin and I communicated on Channel 3 successfully! ? I was unable to find a GMRS repeater up there or over in Valencia and in response to my email to the administrator of the VNC700 Repeater on Oat Mt., he told me that unit is off the air for upgrades for now. Anyone know of any clubs that Kevin can join?

No one is offended if knowledge is passed along, especially to a new member to our community! I was glad to help out. Johnny Corona, who owns the VNC700 Santa Clarita (Oat Mt) repeater, responded to my email. He told me that it is currently off the air for upgrades. So you may be hungering for others to talk to in the meantime. I suggest you put a GMRS antenna on your roof and increase the range of your Radioddity GM-30 and use its scanning feature to seek out others to talk to. Or, study up and get your Technician Ham Radio License and use the 446.82 Santa Clarita Repeater. It seemed to be off the air as I drove over to Valencia yesterday, but it is administered by Bill, KJ6EO and has a great bunch of people that use it (and listen to 101.5 FM, his LP FM station) As for permission, my attitude is that until I am asked to leave a repeater by its administrator for acceptable reasons, I use it, once I find it. Clubs would be good, and I'll let others chime in with information about GMRS clubs. I am a member of the PAPA Ham Radio System and listen to their Nets often. Try PAPAsys.com and tune to PAPA_1 at 446.58 on Oat Mt. and have a listen.

Turn off; hold down button below Push-to-Talk; turn on: what is the number that appears briefly? xxx-xx-xxx

Channel 20 is the simplex version of channel 28 a/k/a Repeater Channel 6. go to Channel 28 a/k/a Repeater channel 6 (462.675), and use menu item 30 to discover the Tone or do a manual search And check this websites Repeater search for your state and 462.675 and see if one of the listed repeaters is near you; to discover the tone where are you?

Just turn to channel 3 on your handheld

462. 61250

I’m on my way to that area now I’m on my way to that area now Turn turn on channel 3

Lets chat Channel 3 simplex i’ll drive over the hill at about 4pm! I-5 or Hiway-14?

You need to be out in the Northern IE/Eastern LA County to hit that repeater. D271N Ranchino Repeater a/k/a Notarubicon

Thank you! I just sent you an email; you can now edit yours out, so that the robots do not spam you!

[deleted by poster]

If you drive up near the repeater, and you can hear others transmitting to the repeater on 467.xxxx, then SEEKing on Menu Item 31 will give you the correct digital tone to use to transmit into the repeater.

Usually it is the "normal" digital code, D245N, but sometimes it is the "inverse" digital code: D245I. Trial and error and SEEK menu item 31 when someone is transmitting (If the transmit and receive digital codes are the same).

PS: Take a look at the Anytone AT-779 a/k/a Radioddity DM-20G a/k/a Retevis Ra-25 for your truck ($99 to $129 retail). I love mine: 18 watts Cigarette lighter plug I purchased a $20 mag-mount antenna and a $25 cup-mount holder for it:

WELCOME! Make sure that your channels have NO receive CTCSS tones set, so that your receive is wide open to listen to whatever is transmitted on that frequency. I have the clone of your Radioddity, the Pofung P15UV, purchased specifically so that I could use Menu items 30 and 31 to scan for CTCSS and DCS tones transmitted by others to gain access to Repeaters. Take a drive up to a hilltop area and see if anyone comes back to your transmissions then; you'll have better range, the higher you are! They may not hear you still, if they have Receiver tones set up to block out unwanted transmissions -- You will have to use Menu Items 30 and 31 to see if they are expecting transmission tones and even this will not work, if they use different tones for XMIT & RCVE Check out these repeaters for SoCal - Los Angeles: Crestline: 575 ("462.575"; Transmit Tone = 67.0) if you are on the more Eastern side of the County Mt. Disappointment 600 (167.9) Mt Harvard 625 (151.4) Club 650 (107.2) Especially in the San Fernando Valley Ranchino 700 (D271N) If you are in the Northern Inland Empire RT 725 (100.0) Be careful; there are Bozos on this bus! Remember to program these into Channels 31-54, so that your HT knows to transmit up on 467.xxxx and yet receive on 462.xxxx* The Morse Code is FCC required Identifiers of who owns the Repeater. Check out this YouTube video for background: We like to support the socially-challenged! ? *I assume you have the updated Radioddity firmware to allow these extra DIY Repeater channels. Turn off power, hold down the button just below the Push-to-Talk button and turn on power: a firmware number will briefly appear, such as 006.03.006, which is currently the updated firmware number.

As you noted earlier, I had use a SMA female to SMA male adapter to get it to connect to my rooftop antenna.

Mitzvah: Do you still have the Anytone AT-779UV? Here are some tips: [deleted by poster]

Here is what I did for a recent Newbie to GMRS here on this forum that lives in San Diego (120 miles from me). I drove down to a Fast Charger for my EV in his neighborhood, was delighted to try out a local Korean chicken restaurant in that mall and then spent the next couple of hours, while my EV topped off, doing this: GMRS has only 8 repeater channels. I start with GMRS Repeater channel 1 (462.550) at the CTCSS tone of 67.0 and hold down my transmitter button for 1-2 seconds. When I release the PTT, I listen for a repeater "tail." If I hear one, I jot down in my notes that CTCSS tone frequency for each GMRS Channel, and I move on to the next tone and repeat this process. It helps to have OCD! ? Doing this for all 8 GMRS repeater channels and sending my notes to the Newbie, he was able to hit a repeater and join it too! I call this warGMRS'ing. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wardriving )

You're welcome! Tom's experience is good, since he has experience with both superheterodyne and a SOC HT. I have only SOC radios, so my experience is not a good test. I will say that living in the Los Angeles area with many GMRS/FRS simplex and repeater users, I have not noticed any problems and I get what I pay for. If you can afford the difference, then undoubtedly, a superheterodyne radio is the best buy! My philosophy with a new technology hobby, is to start off reasonably inexpensively; gain knowledge and experience and then sell it off (or give it away) and upgrade at that point!

OK: It works on my Tri-Bander Baofeng UV-5Rx3 using, of course, the UV-5R setting.

What area are you located?