KAF6045

Channels 1-7 are referred to as "interstitial" channels. They OVERLAP the edges of "main" channels 15-22. 1-7 are low power (5W max) channels. 15-22 are allowed up to 50W max. If you are near such a transmission, it is quite possible that the interstitial is locking onto the edge of the main signal. (If close enough, it is equally possible for the interstitial to "leak" into a main channel). GMRS is authorized a 20kHz bandwidth. (Though few of the common radios here implement it -- they use a 25kHz bandwidth for signal input) .650 +/- 10kHz means the channel is .640-.660; .6375 +/- 10kHz spans .6275-.6475.; .6625 +/- 10kHz spans .6525-.6725. Note the overlaps -- add/subtract another 2.5kHz if allowing for a 25kHz filter. FM has what is known as "capture effect" -- the receiver will lock onto the strongest FM signal and follow its deviation. The (formerly) FRS (only) 8-14 are also interstitial frequencies, but they are interstitial to repeater inputs, and by regulation are narrow FM and 0.5W ERP to avoid leaking into repeaters.

Any tall object is a lightning attractor. If there are other taller trees around it it is still a risk -- lightning could run down a tall tree and then jump to the antenna (it may appear as a better path to ground). Install a "lightning arrestor" with a GOOD ground connection -- though they don't stop an actual lightning strike; they work on EMP and induced surge currents from a nearby lightning strike, a direct hit would likely melt the coax and the arrestor, and merrily go on to the rest of the cabin wiring. Better to disconnect and ground the antenna coax itself when storms are nearby.

I'd be concerned at having a "cross mode" specified, but that may just be how CHIRP shows it. The key criteria is "Tone Mode". The displayed window (I've never used the "property" page, just edited in line on the spreadsheet layout) shows you have "TONE" selected. That choice means you are SENDING a CTCSS tone, but do not expect one on receive. If you need a receive tone, the mode needs to be TSQL. DTCS entries are ignored. "Tone Mode" of DTCS would mean the DTCS entries are active, and the tone/tonesql entries are ignored. That looks to be the Tone-Burst setting (menu #40 on my BTech units). I don't know of any GMRS system that requires tone-burst (and don't even know of a US Amateur repeater that uses it). Tone Burst is common in the UK and likely the rest of Europe on Amateur repeaters (they don't have GMRS services). To "wake up" a repeater, one has to first send (often using a dedicated button on the radio) a few seconds of the required tone-burst (1750 seemed to be the value used for most UK repeaters). After the repeater is awake, regular PTT activity keeps it alive. After a pause (no PTT) of a few minutes, the repeater goes back to sleep. On the BTech, the tone-burst is sent using [F]+[PTT]

If ALL the users are operating using YOUR call sign (which essentially means all users fall into the "immediate family" category), and are IDing using your call sign, then a private repeater doesn't need its own ID system. When you ID your transmission, you also ID the repeater. If any users are operating under their own call sign, you will need a repeater specific ID system; those other user's ID do NOT ID the repeater licensee, and hence lead to confusion as to what call sign/license is responsible for it. Allowing other licensees to use the repeater means it is not a "private" repeater, but what the Amateur community would call a "closed" repeater (usable by a selected list of users).

Not really -- VHF & UHF (and microwaves) are used for satellite control BECAUSE the wavelengths PASS THROUGH the ionosphere with minimal effect. 6m skip is somewhat rare except at solar peak, and 6m is considered in the "VHF 'octave'" (30-300MHz, HF is 3-30MHz, UHF 300-3000MHz). HF frequencies, OTOH, are affected by ionization, and are why many AM broadcast stations have to reduce power or change antenna directionality at sunset/sunrise -- to avoid having nighttime propagation affecting other stations on the same frequency (and the few clear-channel stations that are allowed full power at night now cover multiple states rather than just a few counties). If you are seeing a difference it is more likely due to industrial and business activity generating increased background RF noise which swamps out low powered GMRS signals. Though I will concede I encountered something that I think was a tropospheric ducting event a few months back. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropospheric_propagation

Just to confound matters -- the Peoples Republic of California used to also issue CB plates (up until 1983) Amateur plates fall into the "Special License Plate" category -- not generic Vanity plate (which are ordered on the same page as regular sequential plates) -- Special includes historic vehicle, disabled/veterans, "horseless carriage" (either manufactured before 1922, or 16+ cylinders manufactured before 1965), Historical (manufactured before 1922, or at least 25 years old and of historical value), etc. CB plates were easy as they were Kxx9999 (the site implies also a Kxxx9999 but I'd never seen or heard one of that format). THAT would have been the opening for GMRS plates... Back when GMRS licenses followed the same pattern (reference my call), but with the influx of Wxxx999 formats, I suspect the PRCA wouldn't have a reserved block of plates available.

And on some variants, that RPT button would be toggling simplex vs duplex on the existing channel -- doubt that works on the GMRS mode (I should try it on the unlocked mode, which I set mainly to have more than 9-10 "custom" channels -- after all, an RT97 has slots for 16 configurations, and that doesn't count any "local" GMRS repeaters).

ALL have a + offset -- the FCC defined the 467.xxxMHz block as solely for repeater inputs. Simplex and repeater outputs are on 462.xxxMHz (ignoring the former FRS only interstitials, which attempt to squeeze between the repeater inputs). ALL hava a 5MHZ offset.

Technically, there are 22 simplex FREQUENCIES, of which 8 ("GMRS Main") can operate in simplex (radio to radio) or duplex (radio to repeater to radio, simplex frequency +5MHz on transmit). In the old days, when a license only authorized two Main frequency pairs (duplex), channel numbers were meaningless -- many business band radios used for GMRS only had "A"/"B" (or 1/2) to have the licensed channels programmed into; it was common to refer to them by the suffix (.550, say). With the reorganization of 2017, the FCC defined a standard "channel number" for the basic frequency list: 1-7: original GMRS interstitials 8-14: originally only FRS, these are interstitial channels using narrow band and only 0.5W ERP; they are now available on HTs with a 0.5W low power setting. 15-22: original GMRS main channels -- were NOT legal for FRS usage prior to 2017, and are now limited to <2W FOR FRS; with a GMRS license one can go to 50W 23-30, 15r-22r, etc.: Repeater mode, transmitting on 467.xxx, receiving on 462.xxx (again, in the old days one would have a button on the radio that just toggled the channel between simplex/duplex (and maybe reverse -- where you listen on 467.xxx to see if someone else is in range to go simplex). As has been stated, "custom" channels are memory slots in which you can specify a desired GMRS frequency, CTCSS/DCS, power level, name, wide/narrow (if you have a group using NFM-only FRS units, you may want to match narrowband -- GMRS is wideband). Depending upon the radio, you may also be able to enter non-GMRS frequencies for scanning purposes, but will not be able to transmit on those frequencies.

Sounds a bit like a broken PTT... A compatible speaker/mic could determine if it is the actual PTT switch, or something later in the chain -- but I wouldn't go to the effort of buying a speaker/mic just for testing. As for display color change -- have you checked the colors defined in the menu system? If it is similar to my BTech units, there are three menu entries on which to set idle/Tx/Rx colors.

As mentioned, the UV82HP is Amateur 2m/70cm. Per the manual it receives broadcast FM, and transmit/receive on 2m and US 70cm. " BTECH GMR2" -> do you mean GMRS-V2? Other than mine not producing much more power than the 2W V1 version, have had no problems with receive. Could have been a matter of having a CTCSS tone specified that did not match anything you were tuned to. BTW: messages in all CAPS is traditionally seen as someone SHOUTING. Please turn off the caps lock key.

Based upon the manual -- NO (just like the lower-end Midland MXTs -- FRS NFM only) With a 2W max power, that unit would qualify as an FRS unit but for the antenna...

Better to save those for ad-hoc connections, in my opinion. Program your local repeaters into channel slots 31-up... (yes, access to a computer, programming software, and programming cable will make it a lot easier -- especially when it comes to giving those channels meaningful names). I have the software, so haven't actually tried programming a repeater via front panel. Based on skimming the manual: Set mode to VFO/Frequency Set desired receive frequency (462.xxx MHz -- see manual for 15-22) Set bandwidth (menu 3: Wide is normal) Set "Repeater" (menu 4: enables repeater offset) Set Rx/Tx tones (menu 9/10 for CTCSS, 11/12 for DCS) Add a channel (menu 38 -- can't tell from manual if you get to pick the slot, or if it takes the first empty memory) Set mode to Channel Name Select the new channel Edit channel name (menu 37)

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/part-17#17.7 There is more, of course. Under 20 feet appears to be exempt.

Common in the UK and probably much of Europe. Most common tone is 1750. After a period of time, the repeaters basically turn off the transmitter and wait for a wake-up tone to be received before they'll pass traffic. May or may not use CTCSS during traffic...

Skipping a channel during scan should be accomplished by turning ScanAdd OFF.

Not really. Birdies are generated internally, when tuning to frequencies that heterodyne with the processor clock resulting in a tone in the audio range. Beat shift is found in my Kenwood TH-D74A (and an older TH-D7), TH-F6A; those weren't cheap radios when new (D74A: $610; F6A: $390). The TS-2000 doesn't have a shift entry, but the manual does document the most likely frequencies for birdies (especially as it has a secondary VHF/UHF receiver besides the main transceiver circuits); similar for the TS-590SG.

It would help to know WHICH Baofeng radio (to my knowledge most of them rely upon CHIRP for computer programming, and I've not seen a "jumpcode" entry in CHIRP -- granted, I just have BTech labeled HTs).

From what I saw -- it runs continuously with a two hour sleep IF the "retry" count reached 50. There is a "break" statement near the bottom, but I didn't try to match it up with any indented loops (assuming there is an indented/sub-loop within the "forever" {while [1]} loop).

Based upon the manual, the US version of the Maxon is also NARROW FM ONLY.

Okay... No need to make a wire grid layout for roof modeling ? Does the vent have enough of a lip to fit an angle-adjustable clamp-on mount? https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-009011 (May have to flatten part of the vent to allow the clamping surface to fit) You'll have to fit a proper mount/coax system (NMO, double-ended SO-239 bulkhead fitting, etc.) to match an antenna (if trying to use HT style whips, you may need a PL-259<>SMA (of proper gender).

Same make, or different? Same antenna? If different, you may just have run into a difference in receive sensitivity. (A Retevis cheapy [2 free with RT97 package] is 0.25uV, BTech unit shows 0.2uV -- for comparison, a Kenwood D74 in the Amateur bands is 0.18uV).

Based upon https://github.com/dl9rdz/asterisk-apprpt/blob/master/allstar/rc.updatenodelist this script, once started, loops continuously (lines 20-22) retries=0 while [ 1 ] do and has a two hour sleep before rechecking things... (lines 74-104) if [ $retries -gt 50 ] then sleep 7200 # doze for 2 hrs to lighten network load else sleep 10 fi break fi else $RM -f /tmp/rpt_extnodes-temp if [ $verbose -ne 0 ] then echo "Problem retrieving node list from $i.$TOPDOMAIN, trying another server"; downloads=0 retries=$((retries+1)) fi if [ $verbose -eq 0 ] then if [ $retries -gt 50 ] then sleep 7200 # doze for 2 hrs to lighten network load else sleep 30 fi else sleep 5 fi break fi done done Based upon this -- I have to wonder why a repetitive cron job is being used? At least, one that doesn't check to see if a copy of the script is already running (and either force kills that copy before starting a new one, or just exit without starting a copy). NOTE: the 2 hour sleep appears to be tied to the retry count. That could mean you have a network problem preventing you from retrieving the list(s). Edit the script to turn ON "verbose" and restart -- then after a while check the system log files for any messages.

DCS : Digital Coded Squelch CTCSS : Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System Motorola "PL" : Private Line (which is anything BUT... Anyone not using tones can hear everything, it only means the user of the tones does NOT hear anything except transmissions with the required tone). Listings with a number with N or I (normal or inverted) are DCS. Depending on the radio programming, turning on a CTCSS or DCS setting should turn OFF the other -- but you may want to to double-check. If the frequency is "noisy" (kiddies with FRS noise-makers) you may also want to enable the corresponding Rx tone to block them out.

https://www.eznec.com/ Model the roof as a wire grid (spaced for the frequency). Probably start with a vertical half-wave dipole for the antenna (~12.6 inch -- could probably make one out of a wire coat-hanger; tricky part is a non-conductive mast to hold it and small balun) {I don't have enough experience to model what ever internals the Nagoya's have to get those lengths}. Half-wave dipoles don't need ground-plane (but should have a balun, which may be relatively large for the antenna). Quarter-wave (~6.3 inch) does need a ground plane, so may be more difficult to model (you'd need on wire segment connecting to the roof, most likely). Don't bend the antenna... Better to rig a mounting plate that corrects for the slope -- heck, make the plate large enough to be a flat ground-plane for the frequency for use with quarter-wave, while you are at it. Do you have sewer or furnace vent tubes? You should be able to rig a clamp-on mast mount to one of those.