SteveShannon

Step has nothing to do with the PL tones. The column marked “TX QT/DQT” is where you program the Encode PL tone. I advise leaving the RX QT/DQT blank at first. Putting a PL tone in there will filter everything out that doesn’t include that specific tone. These tones are also called CTCSS.

I downloaded the MFJ 884 zip file from the manuals page and it was empty. I’m traveling but if nobody else finds it I’ll scan my printed copy next week. I think there’s one common file for the 882, 883, and 884.

If it doesn’t measure below one watt, then it might not be able to measure the reflected power of less than one watt. That’s not much of an issue for a 50 watt radio, but it’s 20% of the forward power for a 5 watt radio, assuming you’re getting all five watts. It’s just something to consider. I’ll try to add a link to the specs for the MFJ-884. I know I found them.

Brand is important, but some power meters will not register below a certain threshold. I suspect that’s what’s happened with the SW-102. At low power the meter was capable of measuring the forward power, but not the reflected power. Whenever reflected power is measured at 0, SWR will calculate to be 0, even if it isn’t. I looked at a lot of different power meters when I recently made my selection. A few of the MFJ models are marketed as their “Grandmaster” models which have accuracy claims of 5%. That’s the same accuracy Bird claims. I selected the MFJ-884, and I did so after making sure it was rated to read down into the milliwatt range, but I have no reference against which to compare it, so it could be inaccurate. There are videos online showing people comparing two Birds. The Birds have interchangeable elements which are factory calibrated for a specific frequency and power range. They frequently read quite differently. They end up picking one as the reference and calibrating the other to match so they can place two Bird meters in-line to see power before and after some piece of gear. I’m okay with the 884; it seems to do everything I needed. Again, I want to emphasize that I have no point of reference. It looked a lot bigger in the pictures, though. ?

eBay has Bird wattmeters for about your price range.

I offered some suggestions in your other thread.

Three conditions must be true: 1. You must be within range, 2. You must be transmitting on the correct frequency which will be in the 467 MHz channels, and 3. You must be sending the correct tone of CTCSS or DCS or the repeater will simply ignore your transmission. Furthermore you must be within range and listening on the right frequency, which will be in the 462 MHz channels. If you have the wrong tone for receiving, you’ll never hear the repeater. You’re better off leaving the receive tone blank, which allows you to receive everything.

I’m in Montana so I can’t really help but hopefully if anyone here is within range of the Lincoln repeater the will help. Again, welcome!

Welcome to the forum. Unless I missed something,you’ll need to also provide the location of the repeater (city, county, and state or the call sign of the repeater). There can be a repeater on 462.700 MHz in many cities.

I have two radios that can be configured to transmit and receive on the 467 main channels. One is a Part 90 certified (an Alinco) and the other is Part 95E (Radioddity DB20G), so that’s not a problem. Even if it were, that would have been a technical problem, not to be confused with regulations. As Marc said, the regulations are very clear. * Fixed Stations may transmit on the 467 MHz Main frequencies. * Fixed Stations may only communicate to other Fixed Stations (which may be singular or plural), which means they may not communicate through repeaters. * Fixed Stations may transmit only on either the 462 MHz Main channels or the 467 MHz Main channels. Therefore, in order to receive signals from a Fixed Station, a Fixed Station must be able to receive on either the 462 MHz Main channels or the 467 MHz Main channels. Enough portable GMRS radios have been made into repeaters that apparently they are able to receive on 467, so it’s not quite the hole you think. Therefore, Fixed Stations may operate in either simplex or duplex. * Fixed Stations are defined to be in a fixed location. (That is not affected by what the radio was marketed as, as long as it’s compliant with Part 95E certification.) * Fixed Stations are required not to transmit greater than 15 watts power output. Your statement that I don’t care about intent completely mischaracterizes what I said. The regulations do not specify an intent and I’m just not going to go into analysis paralysis about what the FCC might have meant with an unspecified intent or whether they even had such an intent. We only have the general Personal Radio Service definitions and regulations and Part 95E definitions regulations to work with. Past regulations that no longer exist are meaningless. Regulations or definitions for other services are meaningless. Guessed at or imaginary intentions are meaningless. For GMRS Fixed Stations, the FCC created the definition and established limits around it. We simply need to work within the limits in order to be compliant.

This one's on me. I should have just left it at the other thread.

Good job! It's satisfying when that happens, isn't it?

I agree with that mostly. My two disagreements are these: Fixed Stations may communicate with more than a single Fixed Station, but I agree that they may only communicate with other Fixed Stations. Perhaps I'm being too picky about your wording. I'm that way. Stations are no longer licensed under GMRS. Individuals are. There may be some "fixed stations" that are grandfathered and include a location on their license, but the only licenses issued now are to individuals. "Fixed station. A station at a fixed location that directly communicates with other fixed stations only." That clearly doesn't say "licensed to a particular location." I don't doubt that for other services it could mean that it's licensed to a specific location and very possibly even grandfathered GMRS licenses might include a location on the license.

Fixed Stations may transmit on either the 462 or 467 MHz Main Channels, but they're limited by definition to communicate with other Fixed Stations only, so they may not use repeaters. "(a) 462 MHz main channels. Only mobile, hand-held portable, repeater, base and fixed stations may transmit on these 8 channels. The channel center frequencies are: 462.5500, 462.5750, 462.6000, 462.6250, 462.6500, 462.6750, 462.7000, and 462.7250 MHz." "(c) 467 MHz main channels. Only mobile, hand-held portable, control and fixed stations may transmit on these 8 channels. Mobile, hand-held portable and control stations may transmit on these channels only when communicating through a repeater station or making brief test transmissions in accordance with § 95.319(c). The channel center frequencies are: 467.5500, 467.5750, 467.6000, 467.6250, 467.6500, 467.6750, 467.7000, and 467.7250 MHz." "Fixed station. A station at a fixed location that directly communicates with other fixed stations only." As far as intent, it can only mean what the code (regulations) reflect. It cannot say one thing and mean another. And it cannot be mum to intent and be interpreted to intend something. You want an example. I used my imagination and gave you one that complies with the regulations. You reject it because it didn't come from FCC. The thing is, the FCC could not possibly provide examples for every use case and shouldn't be asked to. They provide limits, we stay within them. Everything that fits within those limits is fair game.

Fixed Stations are not a special case of base station usage. As such it wouldn’t make sense to mention Base Stations when defining Fixed Stations. Both Base Stations and Fixed Stations are required to be located in fixed positions. That’s why base stations are not mentioned in the definition. Fixed Stations do not have repeater privileges; they may only connect with other Fixed Stations (that’s established in the definition https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/section-95.303) Probably the chief benefit of being a fixed station over a base station is the access to the less cluttered 467 MHz channels. I don’t believe you could “seamlessly switch back and forth.” I think you have to make a choice but the FCC doesn’t define that part well. It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks the FCC meant if it’s not spelled out in code. As long as my imaginary example or anyone else’s complies with regulations and fulfills a need it’s relevant.

Then I think we’re in agreement. The thing that I think hangs folks up about Fixed Stations is that they don’t seem to fit any particular utility commonly identified with GMRS. But one of the ideal uses for GMRS is for communications on the family farm. The entire family can be covered under a single license even though they occupy multiple households I worked for such a family right out of high school: four brothers and their parents. This family could each have a Fixed Station, dedicated to communicating only with the other households on their Fixed Stations. Now under the regulations they could not communicate with any other radios, but for dedicated communications between houses or barns, shops, or other outbuildings on the farm, on the less monitored 467 MHz channels, and possibly using directional antennas, and a pretty effective family communication network could be established

I’ll try to rephrase my response from the other thread. The FCC gives us this much: A Fixed Station is a station in a fixed location which communicates only to other Fixed Stations. 95E defines GMRS usage of Fixed Stations in these areas: 15 watts or less and may only be used on certain channels. Fixed Stations are explicitly permitted to transmit on the 467 MHz channels A station is defined by its usage. So, a radio sold as a portable, can be repurposed as a Fixed Station as long as the operator complies with the rules.

I agree. Fixed stations are clearly not intended for communicating with unknown stations. I’d be happy to continue this discussion in your other thread.

You’re wrong. Any station, installed in a permanent (fixed) location, can be a fixed station. A fixed station is a station installed in a fixed location which communities only to other fixed stations. Whether the manufacturer designed it for use as a base, portable, or hand held makes absolutely no difference as long as the operator follows all the regulations for a fixed station.

I do too!

Great first post! Welcome to the forum.

A mobile station installed in a house (fixed location) and communicating only to other mobile stations in fixed locations would be fixed stations. Of course all those mobile stations would have to comply with the other rules regarding fixed stations, such as power output.

Your understanding is incorrect. You may only transmit on the 467 MHz frequencies when communicating through a repeater, for doing very limited testing, or between two fixed stations.

Specs and drawing of Pasternak N barrel connector. VSWR maximum of 1.3:1 from DC to 11 GHz. https://www.pasternack.com/images/ProductPDF/PE9006.pdf They have others at up to $96 apiece that are 1.2:1 up to 6 GHz. Unsurprisingly, their UHF bulkhead connectors are rated 1.3:1 but only up to 300 MHz. We really should all be using something other than UHF connectors for GMRS or 70 cm.

Yes, I knew exactly what you meant when you discussed using air as the dielectric. I could do a two port analysis also from one end to the other. But probably not today. ? Also I would want to look at N barrel connectors.