dosw

Well, my apologies. Feel free to stick around. Strange that three questions came in with nearly identical topics.

What repeater is configured that way? That's very non-standard, to have anything that isn't a 5MHz offset.

Is this your third post, under two different accounts? https://forums.mygmrs.com/topic/7974-chrip-help-with-dpl-tones/#comment-82463 If you're using CHIRP, which is often much easier, there's a response in that thread that should help.

This isn't your first time posting, you posted the same question seven minutes prior. Anyway, I can't take a screenshot of CHIRP right now, but you would set "Tone Mode" to DTCS, you would set the DTCS column to 464. For a repeater you would set the "frequency" to 462.575 and set Duplex column to +, and offset to 5.000000. However, in your strange scenario, you want to set it to an offset of 5.075, which seems kooky to me, but whatever, it's the question you asked. And again, for the repeater you use DTCS mode, and typically polarity will be NN.

Well, I asked Midland a question about what "X-TRA Talk Power - Maximum allowed by law" means: With "type approved" 8w handhelds on the market, I don't think the answer is actually accurate; that there's a 5w limitation for handhelds. Maybe, though. And at what point in time was 3w the legal limit for handhelds? Maybe it was. I probably missed the memo. Anyway, they're "in the process of updating our website", so maybe that claim will be removed.

General class has these additional features. Operate digital modes. Generals can operate all digital modes on HF, including FT8, which has become the most popular mode--not just the most popular digital mode--on the HF bands. Operate SSB phone on HF bands below 28 MHz. Operate on the 20-meter band. The 20-meter band is arguably the best band for “working DX,” that is to say making contacts with stations in foreign countries. Operate in more contests. Because Generals have more operating privileges, they are able to more fully participate in amateur radio contests than are Technicians, Administer amateur radio examinations. Generals can become Volunteer Examiners (VEs), although they are only allowed to administer Technician Class exams. There are other frequencies available to General class that Technician class can't use: 2200m, 630m, 160m, 80m (Tech can use CW in some portions of 80m), 60m (5 channels), 40m (Tech can use CW in some portions), 30m, 20m, 17m, 15m (CW available to Tech in 15m), 12m, and 5x more space in 10m. If you only want 2m and above, there's not as much difference.

The OP did register an account. He just didn't use it to ask the question. Nevertheless, just asking for more information to add clarity to the question is a reasonable response. No need to make it rude. "Help us to help you" is not an attempt to be rude, it's trying to draw the OP into understanding why we're asking for more information.

I bought a pair of GTX1000 radios before any of my repeater-capable radios, not thinking I would care about repeaters. Here's where they excel: They're weatherproof, they're rechargable, they came with a 12v and a 120v charge cord, and they're simple. So if I'm going on a hike, camping, or skiing with my kids or my brother, I'll set one or two of the GTX1000s to my preferred frequency and tone, LOCK them, and hand them to the kids. We don't need or even have access to repeaters within range for those activities, so they're fine for this sort of thing. The kids (13 and 15) don't want to be bothered with anything besides pressing a button and talking. We have access to a cabin that has spotty cell phone coverage, too, and is about a mile off the paved road. Again, no repeaters in sight, but these work fine for simplex. They also have weather alerting, which can be useful. I think this claim on the Midland website is funny: "X-TRA TALK Power - Maximum allowed by law." What does that mean? Are they saying that channels 1-7 are a full 5w, channels 8-14 are a full 0.5w, and channels 15-22 are a full 50w? They might come back with "Well, it's the maximum allowed except for channels 15-22." But then I really doubt that channels 1-7 are a full 5w with these radios. So what exactly are they saying?

A 1/4 wavelength at 462MHz is a touch under 6.4 inches. Any ground plane is better than no ground plane, I imagine, but using a 14 inch pizza pan would be better.

That's a nice way to get a repeater in your area; convince the HOA that it's good for the safety and convenience of all homeowners. And ask to be allowed to put an antenna up on the clubhouse roof, and maybe even get it funded. The downside is residents will get their licenses and proceed to carry HOA-style feuds into the airwaves. -- just a joke

Do keep in mind that even higher-powered radios often have some sort of a plug near the radio. My RA87 (40w), for example, has wiring that is permanently installed. At one end of the wiring it came with bare wires to be wired-in however you see fit. But the radio-end of the wiring uses a plug: This makes the radio removable almost as easily as with a cig lighter, after initial install. However, I do like the ubiquity of cig adapter-compatible radios. The Wouxton KG-XS20G is the radio to beat, in the 20w category, from what I understand: https://www.buytwowayradios.com/wouxun-kg-xs20g.html It's $200. You can find 20w radios for less, though. The MXT275 comes with a bracket that allows the radio to snap in, snap out. It's really simple to remove, and uses a cig adapter. I have one, and move it between my RV, my boat, and my wife's car depending on our needs. But the 275 is a GMRS radio for people who don't want to work multiple repeaters, since it only allows for one set of CTCSS tones per channel. And it's 15 watts (which was never a problem for me, with a decent antenna).

Will it change anything? Signs point to yes. Will you be able to tell a difference? My sources say no. Will it matter? Very doubtful. Can we be sure? Don't count on it. Best thing you can do is try. But here's my experience: I have an MXTA26 on a lip mount attached to the aft-end of the hood of my old Bronco. That gives a flat metal plane all the way around (older vehicles had a cowling between the windshield and the hood), minimum radius eight inches. This also means that the antenna is probably 2/3rds obstructed in some directions by the windwhield and upper-body of the vehicle. I can easily hit a repeater 63 miles away. I've also tested simplex three miles away with the vehicle transmitting in every orientation relative to the receiving antenna, and really can't tell a difference, either. Yes, a portion of the signal will be attenuated by the roof of your vehicle. And yes, you'll have your antenna 18 inches lower. It's hard to know for sure if it will make any difference at all, but under anything but the most pessimal of conditions, I doubt you would notice a difference.

Somehow I feel this is probably your fault.

Help us to help you by at least telling us what radios you're using. Then we can try to narrow things down.

A repeater will take whatever signal it is receiving that opens squelch on an input frequency, and will retransmit it 5MHz lower on an output frequency. 467.7000 would retransmit on 462.7000 for example. It turns out that 462.7000 is also a simplex frequency (a regular channel), so when you hear a conversation on 462.7000 but they can't hear you, it's because that repeater is listening on 467.7000, not on 462.7000. And it's using tones that you probably don't have programmed into your radio. You can hear them, but you're neither transmitting on the correct frequency, nor with the proper tone to make them hear you. I don't know what you mean by only two people being able to use them at a time. Group conversations happen all the time. People just have to be patient and take their turn. Only one person can be talking at any moment in time, or there will be some strange interference.

I guess my fascination with radio started in the 70s when, as a kid, I had a Radio Shack kit from which I built a crystal radio. About that same time, a friend's dad had a CB in his Chevy truck that we would listen on once in awhile. My parents got my brother and I a couple of toy walkie-talkies back then also, which were in the 27.1xx MHz range. I built a kit that could transmit to them, as well, and got in trouble for bugging my sister's room. In the early '90s I got my first RS scanner and did a bit of experimenting with various antenna configurations. Got into listening to aviation, first responders, and whatever else sounded interesting. In the late 90s I was a buyer for a 14-store electronics retailer, and I remember this new type of two-way radio, FRS, just came out. I presented the idea of buying 50 units from Sony (ICB-U655) to our GMM who was underwhelmed with the idea. His recollection was around how poorly kiddy walkie talkies performed in that 27MHz band when he was a kid, too. Nevertheless I went ahead and ordered 50 units and put them in our "A" stores. They sold out the first weekend, and from there it was off to the races with that product category. In the mid-2000s I picked up a couple of Motorola combination FRS/GMRS radios and used them only on the FRS channels, which at that time weren't entirely aligned with GMRS, if I recall. Eventually I wore those out from years of camping and travel, and forgot about FRS and GMRS until, as I mentioned earlier in this thread, my kids got to an age where we were enjoying exploring skiing, but they were too young for cell phones. I was worried that we might get separated. So I got a GMRS license and bought some Midland GMRS handhelds. Then it was pretty natural for me to add one to my car for a little more punch, in case the kids really did get separated at a ski resort. That turned out to be really useful for guiding the vehicle back to hook up with my RV, and also for caravanning multiple cars on road trips. And before I knew it, I was fully into GMRS.

That one is listed at 12v, not 13.8. I never find 13.8v power supplies in 20A or more for less than $79

I appreciate the ruggedness. For a NGP antenna I have a Laird TE B4505CN (N for no ground plane). It's on my window air conditioner right now but next time I get the RV out it's going on the RV's roof rack.

Entirely possible. I meant to say "this weekend I noticed..." Not "I noticed that this weekend they added..."

For a few years there were four options in the Midland antenna lineup: MXTA13 - 2.1dB, All-in-one magnetic mount, often bundled with MXT105, 115, and 275. $19.99 MXTA51 - 2.1dB, NMO with included NMO magnetic mount. Often bundled with MXT500 and 575. $44.99 MXTA25 - 3dB, NMO, "Ghost" antenna. $49 MXTA26 - 6dB, NMO, Whip antenna, $59. The one to beat, for mobile GMRS. I noticed this weekend they've added a few more to their lineup. (edit: I mean to say this weekend I noticed, not I noticed that this weekend they've added.) MXAT01VP - 7.5dB, Fiberglass at $159 MXAT03 - 3dB, Spring mount Bullbar, $179 MXAT04 - 6.6dB, Heavy Duty Bullbar, $189 MXAT04VP - 6.6dB, Heavy Duty Spring Bullbar with mount and coax, $259 MXAT05 - 3dB, Heavy Duty Bullbar, $159 MXAT05VP - 3dB, Heavy Duty spring mount with coax Bullbar, $229 The prices seem a little out there to me; none of my mobile antennas cost more than $80, and none of my mounts were over $30. Their new MXTA48 heavy duty spring base is listed at $99 (included with several of the antennas above). Seems like some hype. If I thought I might be trashing a whip antenna or its mount offroad, I'd buy a spare set of a more reasonably priced antenna and mount, and still be under $100. ...Ok, I'll admit it, I already have a few backup options in the garage. What's the appeal of bullbar antennas? I saw a Reddit thread where the consensus seemed to be putting the antenna on the bumper was a step backwards in performance: (https://www.reddit.com/r/gmrs/comments/1cbbi0u/finally_bullbar_antennas_in_us/) Is this fashion over function? https://midlandusa.com/blogs/blog/gmrs-antennas-and-understanding-db - The Midland lineup $159-259 seems a lot to spend on an antenna and mount. I see something from HYS listed as 6.5dBi for $120 that appears to be pretty sturdy, and with a spring mount and cable. I'm not in the market for *yet another* mobile antenna, but it's interesting to see what's out there and what drives the pricing.

Kids were too young for cell phones, and we did a lot of skiing together at six different ski resorts. Plus they were getting old enough to visit neighbor friends as I worked from home. GMRS was a good way to find each other if we ended up at different lift bases, or took some wrong turn skiing. It was a good way to be able to say, "time to come home", it was great around the campsite, backing up to the trailer, that sort of thing. They're older and have cell phones now but we still use them skiing, hiking, camping, backing up to the trailer, at outdoors events and parks. We use them where cell service is unpredictable, or predictably absent. And now it's sort of a fun hobby, and probably a gateway to amateur for us.

That's unfortunate. Id be surprised if Retevis didn't swap it out for you pronto. Do you happen to know that its antenna and coax are healthy? And the battery connection is in good shape? If those two things check out, it sounds like a straightforward warranty claim. I sold electronics in college and despite my best efforts to recommend the brands that I believed had the best defect ratios I was always embarrassed when someone would come back the next day with a dead on arrival device. I suspect these radios, at these prices aren't the lowest defect rates around but they'll probably take care of you, and in the end they're a fantastic value.

Nobody NEEDS some technology that could save them trouble. All you really need overlanding is a backpack full of water, map, compass, and some nonperishable food, along with good hiking boots so you can walk out for help. As for GMRS vs cell, one will reach whoever is listening, which may be nobody, and one will reach the party you call if there's a cell tower in range. In both cases getting to high ground can help. GMRS isn't the only safety communication option, and in a given situation it may not even be the best option. But it has a lot of uses in group activities, and the added benefit of possibly allowing you to call for help. Or you can try smoke signals.

It seems apparent that the custodian of that repeater had a friendly/professional relationship with someone who warned him, take it down because if you don't the FCC is going to crack down. If the FCC also asked for call signs, the custodian is unlikely to be in a position of pushing back against such a request, because of that friendly/professional relationship. So, by now the repeater has been taken down, and most likely, call signs have been shared. I guess the moral of the story is stay away from hard-linked repeaters (it sounds like gmrs to gmrs links are still ok?). The problem for end users is it's hard to know what sort of linking may or may not be implemented beyond their view. But also, we haven't see any evidence of individual licencees having action taken against them for using a repeater in good faith. And I doubt we will. This isn't gmrsageddon. Probably what it is, is the end of repeaters being linked to the Internet or to non-GMRS networks.

Ah, from my phone I got a "Page doesn't exist", from the computer I see more information, including the link you mentioned. Thanks.