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I didn't take personally at all -- just adding to the conversation AND I appreciate it!

And can be unlocked, relocked, unlocked, etc, etc ad nauseum. [Yes, I know the FCC regs, just saying]

FWIW: I've had my 779UV for about two months now. It was delivered with version 2.26 firmware (software for inside the radio) which had its problems but I uploaded version 2.30 and haven't had a bit of problem with it. I really don't see the need for an over-featured, 50-watt radio -- 20 does me just fine. Anytone threw in the programming cable, which was a plus. Retevis is showing their RA25 for $93.99 on their own website (no mention of cable). Radioddity was my first choice, actually, but their DB-20G had been out of stock since the middle of June (the reason I got the Anytone). Hmmm... Radioddity appears to have theirs in stock now on their website (comes with programming cable, like Anytone).

No need to meet outside. We can always get together at some swanky, fancy restaurant... like Whataburger or Taco Bell.

'Fitz, Most any UHF-capable ham radio is capable of listening to GMRS or anything else up to ~ 470-MHz. Getting them to transmit is another story entirely. Your KG1000 will let you listen to more than you thought existed. If you and Nitro wanna get together sometime and talk radios, by all means, just lemme know. I'm available most any time. -Rusty-

The ONLY offset setting in GMRS, when used, is +5 MHz. Most GMRS radios will handle that. Ham radios, on the other hand, usually need to be told what offset to use, especially if set to xmit out-of-band. Even in-band ham repeater offsets vary according to which band they're operating in and what region of the country you're in. FYI/FWIW, a repeater's output tone is only useful if you're getting interference on the repeater's output frequency OR there is another repeater (or repeaters) in the area on the same frequency pair. If the repeater's output is weak, having that tone detection turned on can, per my experience, prevent you from hearing said repeater, as scratchy as it may be.

Nitro', The only GMRS repeater I've been able to bring up was in Sherman (I visit Denison every few months). There's another one that I hear from time to time which, I think, is the Rockwall machine. Supposedly, with repeaters in Denton and Greenville, GMRS really could use one right in between them along US380 right here in McKinney. Right now, I have an Anytone AT-779UV (pretty much the same hardware as a Radioddity DB20 and Retevis RA25) for the car with a gaggle of HAM HTs that will listen ? to GMRS as well. It's 20-watts which I think has more than enough power and is only about $100. I've been having fun programming it. FWIW, I'm fairly new to GMRS but I've been a ham for almost 30 years. -Rusty-

If you have an external antenna then try Channel 17 after 9 or 10pm. There a group of guys that hang out there, simplex. I'm not quite sure where they are but west Plano is my best guess from driving around. I'm over here in McKinney just west of US75 and Virginia.

It should leave deep scars!!

I've got it in my radios so I can try next time I'm up in Grayson Co. Thanks!

Is that Sherman repeater still operating? I'm down in McKinney but drive up that way every so often. -Rusty- WRQD389 (Weird Rusty's Queer Dog