SteveShannon

I wonder if that's because you used a cable based on the FTDI chipset instead of the Silicon chipset that the YPS was written to use. In any case, the explanations in the manual for the YPS might help you to understand what you're seeing in Chirp. If there's a way to inhibit transmission on specific channels after you deliberately open up the frequencies, I don't know what it is. I haven't looked for it either. Presumably some of the bands are receive only.

Also, here's a link to the Advanced Manual: https://www.yaesu.com/downloadFile.cfm?FileID=13235&FileCatID=151&FileName=FT-65R_E_Advance_Manual_ENG_1710-C.pdf&FileContentType=application%2Fpdf

In the Yaesu programming software (YPS for my convenience), those channels shown in red on the Chirp Next screen are on different memory tabs. At the bottom of the screen in the YPS you see six tabs: YPS refers to the content of VFO-A and VFO-B as "the default frequencies" for those VFOs. Note that only VFO-B contains an FM radio default. The channels listed in PMS are the upper and lower limits for each band on the radio. A band edge alert can be programmed for when you cross either edge. The P tab shows the four frequencies that are programmed to the four P buttons (P1 - P4) I'll upload the manual for the YPS. It was in the zip file that you downloaded from Yaesu. FT-65R_E FT-25R_E Memory_Programmer_IM_ENG_1711-A.pdf

In the Yaesu software, that column is named "Offset Direction" and has three selections: Plus, Minus, and Simplex.

No, tones don’t prevent interference. Tones are part of the received signal. A directional antenna might make it possible for you to selectively use one or the other repeater.

Off in the duplex column simply means that it doesn’t apply an offset between receive and transmit, which is required for duplex. Those channels in red might (I’m guessing) be the priority channels for scanning. You might want to download and study the advanced manual for the ft-65 before you brick it, given your track record.

And something to consider is that commercial lighting arresters do a good job of limiting static buildup on an antenna.

When swr goes erratic like that it could be a damaged connector, water absorption at the end of a cable or at a damaged spot, poor electrical connections on the antenna components or several other things.

No, unfortunately that’s not the case.

We all have opinions. For your first radio I would recommend a radio that makes it very easy (as intuitive as possible) to program tones. That’s where I see new users get confused. Second, @marcspaz has a video on this site that’s a great introduction to GMRS. Watch it. Third, I would recommend watching Notarubicon videos about GMRS basics. They really are good tutorials.

If you want to save money, get the Yaesu cable and use the Yaesu free software (or even Chirp next). That’s what I do, but I find myself switching over to RT Systems software (and cables if needed) for my favorite radios because of the ability to download repeaters from numerous sources and simply a better interface. I have given up on Chirp next following very dire warnings from Norton 360. The warnings no longer are implicit. They have changed to “you’re trying to access a site that has definitely been identified as unsafe” or similar words.

Probably not. UHF is limited to line of sight and that doesn’t change with power. However, if you’re separated from your target radio by materials that attenuate the signal, having more power can make a difference.

Yeah, not many truly good guys.

Back when I was writing software for “real-time” telemetry systems in 1992 or 93, I was assigned to write a routine that would identify stale data for electric utilities and change its color on-screen in the SCADA HMI (we weren’t very correct back then; we called it an MMI). Detecting stale data could be used to identify a sensor that had stuck somehow, such as pond level sensor in a hydro reservoir. “Pedantic” is my middle name!

When you say the setup will not talk more than 2 miles do you mean that 1. Transmissions from the RA87 cannot be heard beyond that range, or 2. The repeater will not receive transmissions from other radios beyond that range, or 3. Both.

A repeater in the myGMRS database which has had no data updates in over a year. The repeater might be just fine or not. Old data in a database is called “stale data.”

I think it is the manufacturer’s fault: https://www.amazon.com/TIDRADIO-TD-F9GP-Handheld-Upgraded-Kits-Black/dp/B091K1G9FZ

No. It’s a GMRS radio.

That’s really not “very poor.” 3.0:1 still means that 75% of your power is going out of your antenna.

Hams going out into the field sometimes lay down aluminum screen and place a ground plane antenna on the screen. They also use a product sold as “Faraday cloth.”

Yes

Why not just take the logical step from the Radio Merit Badge to earning an amateur radio Technician license?

How about menu 9: BEEP? And if not then menu 20 and tell it not to send an ID. You could be sending an ID at the end of PTT. This has several options. You want to turn it off.

Attributing this to sloppiness is presumptive. I wouldn’t be surprised if all the tone frequencies in the radio are based on a single oscillator. Components fail. That’s just a fact of life. Show me any manufacturer that has a perfect record.

There is no official channel. Some people have suggested 19, but millions of people can’t use it.