SteveShannon

I used to feel that way but I gradually realized that it’s not up to me. It is a hobby for many. Just like Citizen Band many people use GMRS as a way to chat with people who they might not know.

Exactly my point!

Thinking that perhaps the Times Microwave calculation page just didn’t work for short lengths of LMR 400 I increased the length to 250 feet, on the theory that I could then just divide the attenuation by 10 to get the attenuation for 25 feet. Unfortunately, the calculator shows a number for 250 feet that’s just as obviously outside of commonly quoted loss values. The calculator shows that at 467 MHz 250 feet of LMR400 will only have a loss of 3 db. I also tried 1000 feet: 3.9 db. I filled out their “Ask an Expert” form and told them their calculator appeared to be giving results that were outside of commonly quoted loss values.

You might want to check that number. Here’s a screenshot of the Times Microwave calculator page at 467 MHz frequencies for 25 feet. It almost looks like their calculator doesn’t work correctly for LMR400 for short lengths:

Some people say they only use GMRS radio for communications while pursuing their hobbies. What if their hobby is talking to random strangers?

CW is allowed for Call Signs. A GMRS repeater is identified by nothing other than its owner's call sign. WSFL951's comment about something not being permitted was directed at the use of a P.O. Box for the license address.

It's not prohibited.

They’re easy to build: https://edsantennas.weebly.com/uploads/2/9/3/5/29358461/dbj-2_qst.pdf

SocalGMRS has a long history of scolding newly joined people about reading the rules. Although it is a good idea to become familiar with the rules, I don’t think it’s effective to answer a first (or even 21st) question by scolding. Eventually you may decide there are some people here who should be ignored (me included) and the forum software allows you to place them (me included) onto an ignore list. Not only that but you can ignore specific aspects of another user without ignoring them completely. It was a good first question. I hope you stick around and ask many more.

The characteristics tested for are listed in the regulations, but a lot of it has to do with transmitting at the right power, no more than the correct bandwidth for the channels you’re on, and repression of harmonics (signals that poorly designed radios transmit on frequencies other than where they’re supposed to transmit). Here’s the GMRS specific language: 95.1761 GMRS transmitter certification. (a) Each GMRS transmitter (a transmitter that operates or is intended to operate in the GMRS) must be certified in accordance with this subpart and part 2 of this chapter. (b) A grant of equipment certification for the GMRS will not be issued for any GMRS transmitter type that fails to comply with the applicable rules in this subpart. (c) No GMRS transmitter will be certified for use in the GMRS if it is equipped with a frequency capability not listed in § 95.1763, unless such transmitter is also certified for use in another radio service for which the frequency is authorized and for which certification is also required. No GMRS transmitter will be certified for use in the GMRS if it is equipped with the capabilities to operate in services that do not require equipment certification, such as the Amateur Radio Service. All frequency determining circuitry (including crystals) and programming controls in each GMRS transmitter must be internal to the transmitter and must not be accessible from the exterior of the transmitter operating panel or from the exterior of the transmitter enclosure. (d) Effective December 27, 2017, the Commission will no longer issue a grant of equipment authorization for hand-held portable unit transmitter types under both this subpart (GMRS) and subpart B of this part (FRS). (e) Effective December 27, 2017, the Commission will no longer issue a grant of equipment authorization under this subpart (GMRS) for hand-held portable units if such units meet the requirements to be certified under subpart B of this part (FRS).

That’s a really good,point. A lot of people recommend LMR 400 without explaining that there’s the original LMR400, which has a thick solid center conductor that makes it inflexible. It bends easily enough but it doesn’t flex. There are also flexible equivalents such as the Ultraflex mentioned above or my favorite Messi & Paloni equivalents: Ultraflex 10 or Hyperflex 10 (10 in the name stands for 10 millimeters which is the same as the 0.400 inch diameter of the original LMR400).

It’s against the rules to transmit on GMRS frequencies using a radio that hasn’t been certified for GMRS. But unless you’re doing far worse things nobody will probably ever know or care and the FCC will not cite you.

A heavy forest and flat ground is almost the worst case for uhf. And although I’m one who over generalizes that a person will typically not notice the difference between 3 watts and 5 watts, that’s not in all instances. I could definitely see it making a difference getting through woods or other material that attenuates the signal rather than outright blocking them. If power were completely meaningless we could all get by with 100 milliwatts. I made a contact hundreds of miles away last night on ham radio. I was using 800 milliwatts on 10 meters when I did it. It was an accident and I was busy trying to figure out why my RF output was at 0.8 watts at the time. Of course conditions must have been just right and once I figured out my mistake and started operating at nearly 50 watts I was getting contacts faster than I could handle.

This is the only thing in your post that gave me heartburn. RG8x is terrible for GMRS. If you’re using more than just a very short length you’re attenuating a significant portion of your RF output in the cable before it ever gets to the antenna. Fifty feet of RG8X attenuates 62% of the signal. 50 watts out of the radio becomes 18 watts delivered to the antenna. https://kv5r.com/ham-radio/coax-loss-calculator/

Not all repeaters have squelch tail and some radios have squelch tail elimination. If the repeater beeps after it repeats a signal that’s sometimes called a courtesy beep. If the repeater did the courtesy beep before you got the new radio but makes no sound now I agree with you that you’re not activating the repeater. That can be caused by you transmitting on the wrong channel, being out of range, sending the wrong TX tone, or filtering out the signal by using the wrong RX tone. New radios always introduce new peccadillos. Try getting rid of the RX tone if you’re using one. With no tone you’ll hear everything on the channel. Then double check your channel and your TX tone. Finally, try getting closer. Try the radio that previously worked just to make sure. Good luck!

Not all repeaters have output tones. Instead, ask if anyone can hear you.

In engineering we refer to Occam’s Razor. The simplest reason is usually right. I like the way you said it better.

I discovered it accidentally, but it has made my life easier.

The technique I described above can also be used to break a single quote box into multiple boxes so that the original statements may be commented on separately. For instance, a series of statements like below: By placing the cursor inside the quotation block where you want to break, and then giving two returns, then backing up to the blank line between statements and giving three more returns, the quote block is divided: Of course the same technique can be used between the second and third statements as well: becomes: So you can reply to the statements separately.

Hi and welcome! Sometimes it takes a few days for your call sign to be recognized by the forum software. It’s not a daily update. Don’t panic!!

About 14 miles as the crow flies, but I would probably have to ricochet the signals off a mountain.

Try moving the power cable and usb cable away from each other to see if it makes a difference.

Maybe, but if I wanted to establish a dedicated wireless intercom or SCADA system between my home and my cabin, setting up two fixed stations is a good solution. I could set it up a full duplex system using the 467 MHz and 462 MHz main channels, using only 15 watts to minimize interference with Yagi antennas pointing at each other.

There’s an entire thread about Fixed Stations, but the definition of each in the regulations is the place to start.

The Input Tone is the tone your radio must send (your radio’s TX CTCSS) along with your voice in order to open the repeater. The Output Tone is the tone the repeater transmits. You can program it into your radio as the RX CTCSS, but it’s optional. If you don’t program an RX CTCSS in your radio it will reproduce all signals on the receiver frequency. For the repeater you show the tx frequency should be 467.550 MHz.