SteveShannon

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.

I just randomly came across this review of the RT97L that was published about 3 minutes after you made this post:
 

We have limited stock of the new Retevis RT97L repeater available and ready to ship before the tariffs are in place. Like most things we sell, these will undoubtedly be bumped in price, so hurry up and get them before May!
Purchase the Retevis RT97L
Like the RT97S, these are waterproof (IP66 for this model), have an all-metal chassis, a built-in pre-tuned duplexer, and a DB9 accessory port. 16 channels are supported, in wideband or narrowband mode. CTCSS and DCS codes can be programmed with the included USB cable, but default to 136.5 Hz with the built-in channels. The antenna connector is a UHF (SO-239) connector. There is also a built-in heater to allow cold-weather operation, and it will reduce output power if it's starting to overheat, so it can stay running for longer. The transmitter duty cycle is 100%.
RepeaterID will also support these with a model specifically for this repeater. The pinout is slightly different than the RT97S series, so the original RepeaterID is not fully compatible.





 

The payment should be associated with a FRN and show up as unused funds. If you apply for a new license using that FRN, instead of paying through the payment portal you should see your $35 there and a balance due of  $0.

I would check/confirm but mine is all boxed up and ready to give away to someone on Youtube.
You should email the BTech Support with your questions - they are very good and very fast/responsive.

You know, having seen that graphic many times, I just noticed a couple things I hadn't before. First, there's no rating for a hood lip or fender mount, just a mag mount. Second, the permanent trunk mount is actually rated more loss (-2.8db) compared to a mag mount on the trunk (-2.1db).

The problems are that it's on a small phone screen and it seems like I have to be logged into something before it's usable.  Not sure if that second part is a requirement but it's damned irritating and smells like some sort of click-bait.  If worst comes to worst, I can do that, but I'd rather use CHIRP.

I've used a UART gizmo in the past for connecting stuff to my home theater PC with good success so it's good sign that the K1-USB cable has that in it.

It  (scanning for codes) is now common for most all radio's to have this feature, as I understand it.  Interestingly, while my Midland MXT-400 has this feature to scan channels, my Operators Manual is moot about the feature to scan codes, which it can also. 

Call customer support at the FCC 

If it’s just a USB cable, there’s nothing to recognize in the cable itself.  That doesn’t mean something isn’t working.
If the radio is plugged into a regular USB cable and the USB cable is plugged into the computer Windows will attempt to recognize the chip that’s in the radio itself.  That can only happen if a driver has already been installed that is appropriate for the radio. Windows has some drivers pre-installed but not always the right ones. If the radio manufacturer recommends a driver, the driver must be installed before plugging in the radio.
The cables that work with the K1 connector have a chip built in, called a UART, that converts USB level signal to audio signals that are connected via the earphone and microphone connection.  It is that UART chip which requires a driver on the Windows computer.

And not just any radios nowadays.  My Jeep (2015) in dash radio failed on me and I found it too was suffering from the same issue on at least one chip (AM).  I used a heat gun to run the solder and all was good...  for now!

Here it is, from ARRL:

Good morning,   The serial number is a sequential number, starting with 1 for your first contact, 2 for your second contact, and so on.  In the case of the 10 Meter contest, stations located in the US, Canada, and Mexico send their state or province abbreviation, not a serial number.    In the ARRL International DX contest, as a US station, you'd be sending a signal report and your state abbreviation. It's customary to just give a 59 (or 599 if CW) as a signal report and then your state. The DX stations will send a signal report and their serial number, when then goes in your log for cross checking (we check to see if you receive the number they sent you correctly by comparing the logs.)   I can add that term to the glossary which is located at the end of the contest rules PDF files on the ARRL website.   73,
Paul Bourque, N1SFE
Contest Program Manager

Copy and paste is your friend.  That was the only way I could get anything in there.
 
Low power on the repeater is 5 watts I believe.

Here are the rules for the 10 meter DX contest. https://contests.arrl.org/ContestRules/10M-Rules.pdf
Yes, a serial number is required and apparently serial numbers are required for some DX contests, but unfortunately I couldn’t find where the term is defined.  It might be as simple as the serial number corresponding to your logbook or to a log of contacts for that particular contest, in which case, since he was your first contact it would have been simply ‘1’. But I don’t really know.
There are FAQs, glossaries, and “Getting Started” articles and none of them (that I could find) define “Serial Numbers” even though they use the term.  I think that’s a stupid oversight.
I have written to the contest director at the ARRL asking for such terms that they take for granted to be added to a glossary that the rules reference.

I absolutely agree. 

Okay, found this definition on the ARRL website: 
Actually, after everything I have read in the ARRL 10M Contest Rules pdf and learned reading other ARRL website stuff, I probably should not have responded to his CQ.  I was not in the contest and so would not have submitted a log to ARRL, which they would have compared to his log. So he would have lost the QSO.  So this rookie has learned a lot today.  Thanks for all the input and help!!!

For GMRS, the FCC allows plain language voice communications:
95.1731 Permissible GMRS uses.
The operator of a GMRS station may use that station for two-way plain language voice communications with other GMRS stations and with FRS units concerning personal or business activities.

Earlier, in the overarching Personal Radio Services definitions (which apply to all of the personal radio services) the FCC tells us what is meant by plain language voice communications:
95.303 
Plain language voice communications. Voice communications without codes or coded messages intended to provide a hidden meaning. Foreign languages and commonly known radio operating words and phrases, such as “ten four” and “roger,” not intended to provide a hidden meaning, are not considered codes or coded messages.
Even with an executive order to establish English as our official language changes to the above rules would need to be made if the government determined that radio communication must be done in English.  Of course legislation could do it, assuming it withstood a constitutional challenge.

Which is exactly the how the comm went.  I think perhaps (after scanning the ARRL pdf page 3 item number 4.3) looks like a "foreign" DX station is sending some kind of serial number.  Perhaps he thought I was in the same boat as he.  But we did exchange callsigns, I sent him a 57 and "Delaware USA" as I normally do with a DX station.

That’s how I read it also. 

That’s how I read it also. 

This is especially true if the license that the OP seeks to renew is one of the grandfathered licenses.  FCC has made it very clear that those licenses, which carry with them privileges that newer licensees may not exercise, must be kept up. Once expired they will not be renewed.

For GMRS, the FCC allows plain language voice communications:
95.1731 Permissible GMRS uses.
The operator of a GMRS station may use that station for two-way plain language voice communications with other GMRS stations and with FRS units concerning personal or business activities.

Earlier, in the overarching Personal Radio Services definitions (which apply to all of the personal radio services) the FCC tells us what is meant by plain language voice communications:
95.303 
Plain language voice communications. Voice communications without codes or coded messages intended to provide a hidden meaning. Foreign languages and commonly known radio operating words and phrases, such as “ten four” and “roger,” not intended to provide a hidden meaning, are not considered codes or coded messages.
Even with an executive order to establish English as our official language changes to the above rules would need to be made if the government determined that radio communication must be done in English.  Of course legislation could do it, assuming it withstood a constitutional challenge.

For GMRS, the FCC allows plain language voice communications:
95.1731 Permissible GMRS uses.
The operator of a GMRS station may use that station for two-way plain language voice communications with other GMRS stations and with FRS units concerning personal or business activities.

Earlier, in the overarching Personal Radio Services definitions (which apply to all of the personal radio services) the FCC tells us what is meant by plain language voice communications:
95.303 
Plain language voice communications. Voice communications without codes or coded messages intended to provide a hidden meaning. Foreign languages and commonly known radio operating words and phrases, such as “ten four” and “roger,” not intended to provide a hidden meaning, are not considered codes or coded messages.
Even with an executive order to establish English as our official language changes to the above rules would need to be made if the government determined that radio communication must be done in English.  Of course legislation could do it, assuming it withstood a constitutional challenge.

Here it is, from ARRL:

Good morning,   The serial number is a sequential number, starting with 1 for your first contact, 2 for your second contact, and so on.  In the case of the 10 Meter contest, stations located in the US, Canada, and Mexico send their state or province abbreviation, not a serial number.    In the ARRL International DX contest, as a US station, you'd be sending a signal report and your state abbreviation. It's customary to just give a 59 (or 599 if CW) as a signal report and then your state. The DX stations will send a signal report and their serial number, when then goes in your log for cross checking (we check to see if you receive the number they sent you correctly by comparing the logs.)   I can add that term to the glossary which is located at the end of the contest rules PDF files on the ARRL website.   73,
Paul Bourque, N1SFE
Contest Program Manager