PACNWComms

Very nice. Some people give me a little bit of flak for using a Harris XG-100P, a radio I used in the oil industry and emergency management comms, with one "Mission Plan" loaded for GMRS as well. Enjoy that APX radio, any way you decide to use it. Some may consider it overkill, but that may also be jealousy talking too.

Very true, handhelds are already less efficient. What gets me are the UHF RDM series Motorola radios that have GMRS frequencies in them, but need to be programmed for what each channel uses, sold for up to $400 that seem to have proliferated corporate use. Find of few of those and admonish the users as they could have had an XPR series handheld that meets internal standards. My employer tries to keep to standard models for ease of repair and service, as well as licensing. There is one site I put on mobile radios for everything, and they do not need repeaters, and I never get the complaints of sites trying to use handhelds for everything. Luckily, those people do not leave their site, so they do not gripe about the lack of portability with their mobiles.....

I see a lot of Motorola RDM20X0 series radios in use in y area, 2020/2050/2080 radios. Every now and again I see a reprogrammed HT-750/1250 though. I know that even on low power some HT-750/1250 radios can become a little unstable, and may actually be putting out slightly higher than 2 watts output, but they do work well for this purpose (MURS).

This comes up often in some use cases, such as the bridges of ships, where the radios are mounted overhead, and the antennas are only a few feet above them. The higher the power of the radio, the more separation you want between the radio and its antenna and any other radio/antenna combination that could interfere with it. More so with radios that have plastic cases and minimal shielding often only being the heat shield fins. You risk damaging the radio by using them too close to the antenna or another radio and its antenna. As for cable, thirty feet is not much, and as long as it is shielded with low reflected power, checked with a meter, that power is going out the antenna....you do not want your radio next to that.

In my area, I recall when Cert (Community Emergency Response Teams) bought blister pack Motorola Talkabout FRS/GMRS radios, and taught people how to use them in their community, along with having a survival (then a 72 hour kit). I now see many Baofeng radios, and dollar store or thrifty survival kit items, of course new in the wrapper. My inject here is to go camping, or without power for a day, and see how the gear works. Can you stay warm, hydrated, fed, and sane. The local public utility replaced a transformer and there was a known 2 hour outage, and one neighbor of mine ran a generator the entire time to watch football. (No health issues or medical devices that need power, just wanted that TV). I know people that need that television, or latte, and any interruption could be a problem for their survival.

I have experienced the scrounging, budget conscious builds as well, mostly when making portable repeater "flyaway" kits during hurricanes: Katrina, Rita, and Wilma in 2005. I also swore that I would never buy a Chinese Baofeng radio, untill all of my Yaesu, Icom, and Kenwood amateur, and Motorola and Harris commercial radios failed and parts were no longer available. Then I went to work at Zetron, a division of the JVC/Kenwood Group at that time. There was EF Johnson, Viking, and some interest in Tait, with affiliation with Harris for a few months, until they went of to find another affiliate to collaborate with. Icom America was right across the street. New Zetron engineers with little to no radio background (Zetron also makes call taking systems for Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP's) and SCADA equipment as well), often bought Baofeng radios to get into the radio hobby. Then they would buy something better once that radio failed, or they realized it performed like a cheap radio. This appears to be happening again now, and even with those on this site, more are coming into the fold due to cheaper hardware, even if it may not last. This state EOC could have bought slightly used XPR4500 mobiles, one VHF and another UHF (about $600) instead of buying the $250 DB25-D Anytone, and maybe they will at some point. Another issue I have experienced, was an Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) site that put all Motorola radios in a van as a mobile communications suite / radio van. However, they also put the same 800 MHz antennas on the roof, connected to 800 MHz radios, as well as the VHF and UHF radios. They spent the money on great hardware, but messed up the final execution. In the end, anything is better than nothing, but I will strongly recommend that if life safety is involved, spend the money and do it right. If it is for fun and hobby use, do whatever you want.

May benefit from adding a counterpoise (rat tail) as well. https://baofengtech.com/improve-the-performance-of-your-rubber-duck-with-a-rat-tail/

Recently toured a state Emergency Operations Center communications room. Having taxpayer funding, of course there was the generator, UPS, and redundant power supplies....spare parts and radios, and stashed food and water. What I did find interesting though, was the infiltration of TYT/Anytone/Radioddity radios, augmenting the Yaesu, Icom, and Kenwood amateur radio gear. There was a DB25-D set up for DMR VHF and UHF use. Right next to a Costco sized contained of animal cookies and bricks of coffee.

As for the idea that FCC regulations do not matter if they are not enforced, some of us use GMRS for family use,but also have other FCC licenses that could be impacted. Annoy a federal agency that can and often does impact professional situations, and you then lose your source of livelihood. In another life, working radio networks for the oil industry and anti-pollution work, many of us were impacted when oil companies had spills, and the FCC monitored everything, checked licenses, and then imposed fines and directives based on the poor decisions other corporations. Like ripples on a pond, throw a stone and it may still have ripple effects on many others. I know a few P25 system administrators that lost their commercial licenses for what would have been minor infractions for someone that only had an amateur license. It does happen.

I saw this thread here on this site from 2018, has discussion of FCC regulation and discussion of this subject, just by searching a bit. "Responsibility of Repeater User vs. Repeater Owner."

Good point on every city thinking they are the hub and prime target. Reminded me of the target list released by the Russian Federation a year or so ago, where a VLF radio station at Jim Creek MWR Station in Washington State was listed as target number one, for being a communications hub for ballistic missile submarines. From my own work in the nuclear triad, that is somewhat realistic, but less likely than the threat of both apathy and entropy. Apathy has meant that many people do not prepare for anything, thinking the "government" will save them from disaster. In the 2016 Cascadia Rising exercise in Washington State, the Emergency Management mantra was changed from "Three Days, Three Ways" to "Two Weeks Ready" when it was realized how a large earthquake/tsunami could cripple the region. For others it is entropy, the collapse of infrastructure, morals,the economy, whatever. From my own practical experience in war and emergency management, most people would do well to have their: phones, radios, and medical alert devices and hardware charged, programmed and ready, as heart disease and medical emergencies are still the most realistic threat.

Kenwood ProTalk TK-3230 and TK-3302 models can be added to the list for Part 90 and 95. Dealt with some of those while working for the JVC/Kenwood Group (Zetron) as well. This topic seems to come up in every radio related forum and website eventually. Every few months on another forum as a matter of fact.

I am a bit outside of Seattle, but go there for work. When in Seattle, it is usually the Seattle #6 Repeater (462.675 MHz), and then I work on many UHF commercial sites in the area. My employer had to have a shield room built, so we could test UHF radio equipment in the Seattle area, as there are so many FRS/GMRS and other UHF users, we had trouble testing licensed frequencies at that location. For internal company use, we use Motorola DTR, 1 Watt 900 MHz frequency hoppers to minimize interference. I now also run SDR# (SDR Sharp) software and a USB dongle to check for other users on all frequency bands that need to be tested. Which repeaters do you use in the area? I would have to get permission to use any of the others in the area.....still need to ask, but not sure which ones are active, unless they all are.

I liked the catalytic converter part, as it reminded me of a neighbor that mentioned that the crazy local rumors about my own radio equipment on vehicles and house. That, and being dropped off by people in a "tank" (camoflaged HMMWV, retired military) a few years back. MDC1200 does tend to keep people away, or cause them to wonder, as it has been all over shows like "Cops" and "Real PD" etc.

Commercial wise, many Motorola Trbo XPR5xxxe/7xxxe series and APX7/8xxx APX series radios have voice announcements for more than just channel selections. APX radios made for law enforcement use have ViQi (Vicki), to assist in settings and changes. However, I am not aware of a specific mobile or base-station that would have this. However, when connecting an Icom PCR-1000 receiver to an old Windows XP computer, the settings for the visually impaired included some features that worked well with that black box receiver. Might be a way to go, using the computer for the interface and voice instead of the radio.

Project 25 (P25) was an offshoot of Project 16 (3600 baud data and common air interface etc.), setting standards for public safety radio. P25 began in 1989 with 9600 baud data transfer, common air interface among manufacturers, and the requirement for individual radio ID's, with analog conventional or FDMA (Frequency Division Multiple Access) trunking. 2012 led to Phase 2 with Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) trunking. To affiliate with a P25 network, there is a need for a System Key, which there is generation software out there. As you mentioned, it is possible to have a non-affiliate scanning radio, and the XTS-5000 is a good one for that. Key Loaders can be software or hardware, and there is a need for appropriate hardware and software, Motorola calling it a "Flash" with specific options. Keys can then be loaded via a Key Variably Loader (hardware), or via Over The Air Rekey (OTAR) if hardware, software, and network configuration is correct and appropriate. Have fun with Kenwood and Motorola equipment, it can be fun, and educational.

902 MHz is quiet in my area as well. I use Kenwood TK-941's, as I used to work for Zetron, then a division of the JVC/Kenwood Group and could get surplus cheap to free. My current work involves a lot of XPRxxx/e's, and while a great radio, the fun factor goes away working with them and then using them as a hobby. I also have to tie P-25 Phase 1 and 2 radios to Trbo networks, and bang for the buck Trbo is great, for professional and amateur use. UHF is very popular in my area, and my XPR6550 gets a lot of use, but an Anytone 878 is also beneficial for VHF/UHF use, and as a weather radio. I can see how antenna connectors are an issue, many people use handhelds in a mobile capacity and being able to connect to a roof mounted antenna is beneficial. Thank you for the response.

Very nice. Was an Army brat myself, but was also the only person in my family to retire from the Air Force.....in Air Force Space Command before the whole Space Force part. Worked in nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, then satellite control, then ground stations and last Land Mobile radio and radio networks. Starting young helps and it will be a constant growth area for employment for a very long time. Radio and wireless technology is ever present in command and control, to include utilities, critical infrastructure and other areas of our technological society. Thank you for sharing the PDF.

I currently use Aeroflex 3920 Radio Communications Service monitors for many types of digital radios. I also hear at work how some radios are junk because of cost, name or function. Some say the Kenwood 5300's are junk, others Motorola Trbo series radios, and many Icom, Yaesu, Wouxun, Baofeng, etc. Then there is the buy American crowd, where I pull out my personal Harris Unity XG-100P.....that I use for both FRS/GMRS. Recently, I bought both a Radioddity GM-30 and DB20-G. Virtually everything made in China is "sloppy" specification wise, because it is made to a cheaper price point. If everyone had to use a Harris XG-100P/Motorola APX8000, or something high dollar a lot less people would be in this hobby, and possibly profession.