SteveShannon

So, based on the manual, it looks like added channels are for scanner use only, not transmit. Why they allow you to add settings for transmitting on them is confusing.

I don’t see anything wrong with channel 31 that csv file, but I don’t know how the UV9G handles those added channels.

There is no channel 31 in GMRS unless you made one. Look at page 41 in the manual. Notice how the repeater channels go from 23 to 30; see how those channels have different transmit and receive frequencies:

That’s strange because not too long ago a guy complained that his requests never cleared and he couldn’t delete them. Obviously the root cause is that requests are not being processed, but a secondary issue is what should happen if no response happens?

As @KAF6045 mentioned, an antenna analyzer is the better tool for what you’re doing, but unless you intend to do this more than once it really doesn’t make much sense to buy one. The most common truly inexpensive type of antenna analyzer is a NanoVNA, but they require a certain amount of fiddling around. Hobbyists like me enjoy that kind of thing, but if a person just wants a good antenna with a reasonable SWR, I would encourage you to just buy a Midland MXTA26 antenna.

The Klein crimper and dies arrived yesterday. The quality appears very good. They’re made in Taiwan, which is a massive step up in my mind from the unknown brands made in China. The finish on the dies is very much better than the finish on some of my Chinese dies.

Okay, first thing, remove the receive tone. Having a receive tone means you only receive whatever is transmitted on that frequency with that tone. If you get it wrong you receive nothing. By clearing the receive tone, you will receive everything transmitted on the channel as long as you’re in range. Our first step is to make sure you can hear the repeater. You might have to get closer. Then, once you can hear the repeater, we’ll work on transmitting on the right channel. So, on the UV9G you want channel 28. That automatically sets the offset frequency for transmitting. Receive CTCSS (R-CTCSS)set to OFF. That’s menu 11 according to the manual. Transmit CTCSS (T-CTCSS) set to the tone you mentioned before.

I might be able to help. What kind of radio do you have. How are you programming it? 1. Can you hear the repeater when others use it? 2. Are you using a tone for receive? 3. What happens that frustrates you?

Welcome, Henrique, As long as you got a decent quality GMRS handheld radio, the rule regarding bandwidth and power limits on individual channels are baked in. So, if you're going to talk to another member of your family, simply tune both of your radios to anything other than 23-30 (which are sometimes called RP15 - RP21). Then, the one who wants to talk pushes his or her PTT (push to talk) button and speaks. When you're done, you should identify yourself by saying your call sign, then let up on the PTT and let the other person talk.

I’m kind of half joking. I actually like the idea, and the Klein quality is very good, but numerous times the square bit stuck a little too tightly in the heads of screws for an electrical breaker box that I was rearranging and pulled out of the shaft too easily. It was frustrating and eventually it fell to the floor, bouncing off several other things along the way, and became lost. Of course even though it was the middle of the day in a daylight basement I was using a flashlight and the room lights were all off because I had killed power outside at the service box, so I had no idea where it bounced! Then, I couldn’t find a way to order the same replacement bit that both would fit in the handle and had the same missing opposite end. When you lose a bit you lose two ends, right? ? Several months later I found it, right where I thought it should be that day, but I swear I moved furniture, swept the floor, and even aggressively went through the couch that normally sits there, including tipping it over. I feel better now. Thanks for letting me vent. ?

I ended up ordering a Klein crimper frame and Klein dies for LMR400. It may have come out of the same factory as the iWiss crimper I have for Powerpoles; but I’m hoping that Klein at least exercises some QC. Based on Amazon reviews the dies have a better finish than some of the alternatives. I’ll add other dies as needed. I know that’ll be more expensive than one of the $30 crimper tool plus six dies, but I’ve had decent luck with most Klein tools. Except their 11 in 1 screwdriver.

First, remove the RX CTCSS Code. Then see if you hear the repeater. Without a code you receive everything. You will need the right code to transmit, but solve one problem at a time. If you cannot hear the repeater, and you’re on the right frequency, then either it has no traffic or you’re out of range. Yes, PL is the same as CTCSS. You might hear a GMRS repeater ID itself using Morse code. That is allowed. If you hear Morse code right after you tried to hit the repeater, you might have succeeded. There are different LMR sizes, such as LMR 240, LMR 400, LMR 600. I’m just curious which you got. Also, I don’t know what you meant about using two mounts as a wind brace.

I searched eBay for Motorola 100 watt uhf. Here’s a starting point. Consult with the commercial radio guys on this forum if you want more info: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&_nkw=motorola+100+watt+uhf&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&loc=9021317&mktype=&sitelnk=&poi=&cmpgn=18791967966&rlsatarget=dsa-1680301660446&geo_id=&network=g&mkscid=102&gclid=CjwKCAjwrJ-hBhB7EiwAuyBVXdBClxBs9xhu2a0-AnkHKV1O60k8uu8lsJSQRr5QaZZcKQ3D-0GmOBoCUWcQAvD_BwE&mkcid=2&_odkw=motorola+xpr+5550+e+uhf+403+470+mhz&norover=1&MT_ID=&adpos=&adgroupid=141477363565&matchtype=&abcId=&keyword=&mkrid=711-153677-346401-4&crlp=632513917133_&device=t

Or you can buy a Baofeng that's already setup for GMRS.

When I look at the repeater for Joplin, looking at the details, in the corner it says this:

Good points about finding repeaters! The OP has the UV5X, the X is the factory configured version (type 95e certified) GMRS Baofeng.

Have you looked at the repeater directory on the mygmrs website? There are 47 repeaters in Missouri. That’s where to start. https://www.mygmrs.com/repeaters

I see what you did there ?

That’s correct. All “privacy tones” do is filter out anything else to reduce interruptions. They do not make your conversations private.

This is absolutely correct. A lot of people assume that if a tower is grounded at its base, it provides some level of protection, but it must be bonded to the electrical service ground system as well. It's not uncommon to measure a voltage between two different points in the ground and without bonding, that voltage is being carried on the shield of your antenna feed line and through your radio equipment. A simplified and illustrated reference that's pretty understandable is this one. It refers to "Radio Telescopes" but don't let that hang you up: https://reeve.com/Documents/Articles Papers/Reeve_AntennaSystemGroundingRequirements.pdf but the ones WRUU653 posted above are good to have as well. A denser article is the one I've attached below from Polyphasor. It's not as easy to digest (at least for me), but it's more specific for some things. Some of the most important points, such as the importance of a single point ground, can be too easily overlooked. Steve 1485-013.pdf

You're running in circles. Diagnose one problem at a time. Analyze the RFMax cable without the antenna to see if you have a cable problem. You'll need a 50 ohm dummy load to do that. If you find out the cable is crap, get rid of it. Once you have a cable that gives you a nice low SWR going into a dummy load, then try different antennas. It really doesn't take much ground plane for GMRS frequencies. The ground plane provides balance to the radiating element.

If you do a thread on this I’ll subscribe.

The Midland MXTA26 is a decent antenna, and arrives well tuned for low SWR on GMRS frequencies. The mount is separate.

It’s not a bad idea. I think every state should designate an emergency channel. But it would possibly be more useful if it were a common channel everywhere and if there were no privacy code. In an emergency the last thing you want is for a message to be missed because somebody couldn’t set the tone correctly. Just look at how many people on this forum, which is dedicated to GMRS, ask how tones work. And those are people who are interested in GMRS.

For the clamp style connectors the center pin can even be crimped instead of soldered.