PastorGary

Moderator Comment: That system has been reported by several persons to the webmaster at the main site.

Hello, Dan, and welcome to MyGMRS. GMRS repeaters are configured for their receiver to receive signals in the 467.5500 to 467.7250 mhz spectrum and transmit what it is receiving back out on a corresponding frequency in the 462.5500 t0 462.7250 mhz spectrum. In order for a GMRS licensed user to access a repeater, the radio equipment must be capable of this 5 mhz offset. Your radios do not have that feature. If you read through posts in the Technical Discussion and Equipment Reviews areas, you can get an idea of what is being used by many GMRS operators for repeater operations, Thanks for registering here at the Forum.

Welcome to MyGMRS. Please visit our main repeater listing and registration website located here: http://www.mygmrs.com/browse Once your registration is processed you can then register here at the Forum as a member. Please note that our main MyGMRS webpage database is dependent upon the FCC promptly posting license updates through the Universal Licensing System and delays have been common lately while our software has to 'wait' for the FCC info to become published. We also 'suggest' that all MyGMRS members and potential members read our forum disclaimer located here: https://forums.mygmrs.com/topic/51-equipment-technical-information-and-personal-responsibility/

Hello Dennis - Thanks for stopping by. We have found over the years by trial and error that RG8X may be OK for "CB" but the losses and the lack of broad frequency response makes it less than desirable for UHF. When you are starting with 5 watts, as advertised, getting as much power to the antenna as you can will give you much better results. The antennas that comes with the units are designed for mobile use where they sit on a car roof or trunk. That metal car surface gives the antenna something to radiate against and keeps the signal going horizontal. With no "ground plane" surface, the antenna will most likely interact with the mast and the TV antenna eating more power in the process. If you must use the antenna that the 'base' radio came with, construct a 24 gauge sheet steel circle 24 inches in diameter and L-Bracket it to the mast. Replace the RG8X with something like RG213 (for now) and stick the antenna to the top center of the sheet steel. That will give a ground plane surface and the better cable will get more power to the antenna. That should increase your range to 10 or 12 miles or so under AVERAGE conditions, depending on terrain (as you mentioned.) If this is just for keeping track of family members while on near-by errands, etc., this should work out OK. In the future, you could go with commercial gain type base and mobile antennas to extend the range even more. Good luck with things and please consider registering at our main website and then here at the forum. https://www.mygmrs.com/ `

Hello Alex and thanks for the questions and observations. I'll let others address your repeater questions - however, the radio model that you mentioned is not capable of accessing repeaters, based on the factory data page for your model. Using privacy codes in radio-congested areas allows your radios to communicate with each other without hearing other users. (unless someone else is using the same code.) Since the 'range expectations' advertised by manufacturers are under laboratory conditions and do not at all reflect real world distances, relying on low power portable GMRS radios in an emergency to get help is not a wise decision. Using privacy codes between portables is a choice that you will have to make after monitoring conditions in your area. Just a reminder from a statement in your Owner's Manual... do not use channels 15 through 22 without first obtaining an FCC GMRS license. Thanks for stopping by and if you do secure a license, please register at the main MyGMRS.com website to join us in our conversations.

Billboard next to a Kansas City, KS used car lot - "Miracle Motors" - If you buy a car from us and make it home - it's a Miracle.

STAFF NOTE: For clarity, the staff has changed the TYPO in post 1 above from "265" to "625" in bold text.

Speaking of vacuum tubes, I had the "honor" of working on an "ENIAC" [ Electrical Numerical Integrator and Calculator ] in Chicago in 1966. This one was one of the late production units having "only" 1900 tubes. It was in a room 26 feet by 16 feet and had it's own air conditioning system. Even so, the average room temperature was around 85 degrees and no joy to be in there for any length of time. It had the problem solving power of a 1982 Commodore 64. But at least it would do something that a Commodore would not do... the operator could cook lunch on the wire mesh case surrounding the power supply tube type 2X2 rectifier bank. There was a sign near the operator's desk that said, "Bring your own frying pan."

Talk about 'broadband'...

Hello, Tom... The 'immediate family' provisions can be found in 47CFR95.179 and reads in part: "Individuals who may be station operators.(a) An individual GMRS system licensee may permit immediate family members to be station operators in his or her GMRS system. Immediate family members are the: (sub one) Licensee; (sub two) Licensee's spouse; (sub three) Licensee's children, grandchildren, stepchildren; (sub four) Licensee's parents, grandparents, stepparents; (sub five) Licensee's brothers, sisters; (sub six) Licensee's aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews; and (sub seven) Licensee's in-laws." ------------------------------------------------------------------------ If you permit family members to operate under your license, it may be wise to assign everyone a "unit number". You would be unit 1, your wife unit 2, your brother unit 3 and so on. As long as you are chatting with persons operating under your license, call them this way for instance: " WQXC952 Unit 1 to Unit 3..." Your brother would then say something like " WQXC952 Unit 3 to unit 1 - go ahead". Then have your conversation. At the end of the conversation - the last person would say something like "WQXC952 system clear." If your conversation lasts more than 15 uninterrupted minutes, the call sign must be mentioned every 15 minutes. When chatting with OTHER licensed GMRS operators, each licensee must ID at the beginning and end of the conversation OR every 15 minutes if the conversation lasts that long. You can also read up on ID in the rules at 47CFR95.119 - "Station identification. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (e), every GMRS station must transmit a station identification: (sub one) Following the transmission of communications or a series of communications; and (sub two) Every 15 minutes during a long transmission. (sub three)The station identification is the call sign assigned to the GMRS station or system. (c ) A unit number may be included after the call sign in the identification. (d) The station identification must be transmitted in: (sub one) Voice in the English language; or (sub two) International Morse code telegraphy."

Welcome to MyGMRS... Please refer to ALL of the GMRS and FRS regulations in the link below before you do any planning. A GMRS repeater owner and ALL USERS, other than the owner's immediate family, MUST have their own individually issued GMRS licenses. FCC RULES LINK > http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?rgn=div5&node=47:5.0.1.1.5

Hello, Tom - Your guest username was a little confusing at first, but we checked and found that the FCC has not changed their call sign system... your WQXC952 is on file. We have a few members from the Collier County area and hopefully they will see your message. Thanks for stopping by and please feel free to visit our main repeater listing website and register there as a MyGMRS participant. Once you are registered there as a licensed GMRS user, you can register here as well to participate in all forum topic areas. Main site: http://www.mygmrs.com/browse

John - When I first read the title of your thread, I thought that you were speaking of anyone old enough to know what a vacuum tube is and how it works...LOL...

Rob - Thanks for the inquiry. If you have a moment, please go to the main Repeater List website https://www.mygmrs.com/ and use the CONTACT button in the top navigation bar to send Rich D, that inquiry. That would be the fastest way to receive info about forum plans. Thank you.

The main Repeater listing site and the forum are not tied together except that they are both owned and operated by Rich D. The Moderators at the Forum have no administrative access at the main site. Please go to the main Repeater listing site and establish a "CONTACT" memo with Rich D., detailing your concerns and he will contact you direct. The "CONTACT" button to reach Rich D. is located to the right in the top navigation bar located here: http://www.mygmrs.com/browse Thank you. MyGMRS Forum Staff

Andy - The staff at MyGMRS has separated your request for assistance post into your own thread, where it will receive many more views. Good luck on the project.

Please keep in mind that as a "club" repeater, each user or user-family must be licensed individually. You can refer to 47CFR95.3 > §95.3 License required.Before any station transmits on any channel authorized in the GMRS from any point (a geographical location) within or over the territorial limits of any area where radio services are regulated by the FCC, the responsible party must obtain a license (a written authorization from the FCC for a GMRS system).

From previous experience, don't publish the CTCSS or DCS codes here at MyGMRS or locally in your area. It may be wise to split the input and output tones or codes to help keep unauthorized users from getting in. I always ued to use a DCS to activate my systems and a CTCSS on the output side. This isn't foolproof because some scanners as well as some radios have the capability to determine DCS or CTCSS - however, unless they are physically near a base station or mobile while that is transmitting into your repeater, they will not be able to catch the repeater input code. Good luck with the system.

That can only be taken care of by Rich - the owner of MyGMRS. Please contact Rich through the "Contact Us" button at the main repeater/info website. It would take less time for you to do that direct, than for the staff here at the Forum to try to contact him for you.

The staff at MyGMRS would like to wish everyone a very Happy and Safe New Year.

Our staff here at MyGMRS was unable to verify that any radios in that series carry type certification for Part 95. User Beware. Current FCC Regulations regarding permissible equipment is listed below. Both stipulations must be met - Certification AND technical compliance - not either / or. §95.129 Station equipment."Every station in a GMRS system must use transmitters the FCC has certificated for use in the GMRS. Transmitters that have been certified for use in the GMRS may be found on the FCC Web site at https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/reports/GenericSearch.cfm. All station equipment in a GMRS system must comply with the technical rules in part 95." Disclaimer: The staff at MyGMRS takes no responsibility for licensed users of this forum making personal decisions to use non-certified equipment on GMRS frequencies.

Aw - heck - go for it... 6 meter 150 watt linears are a dime a dozen... with a little retuning, that should take care of the indoors issue... and melt your fish bowl and ceiling fan at the same time...

The radio circuit components will only respond to a SLIGHT variance up and down within the same band. I am personally not familiar with any Baofeng radios, but as a retired electronics and communications engineer for 35+ years, don't bother even trying to up - band the UHF to 800. It just isn't going to happen. If I remember correctly, the metro PD radio system in your area is P-25 digital, which a Baofeng will not receive anyway.

Moving this thread to the 'General' area now that Matty is a registered member.