KAF6045

Plenty of links /defining/ LEERN acronym, but few actually referencing users. I find Ottawa County OHIO using 462.675 for Fire 13&14 (low power&simplex) However, all references to actual users are in Ohio, and are on VHF (154MHz -- very close to MURS frequencies, no where near GMRS).

Try actual Baofeng programmers for, say, the UV 9g? (the GMRS 9r seems to fall into the "other" category which leads to just CHIRP) https://www.baofengradio.com/pages/download (Why so much of the Chinese stuff is in RAR format when there is nothing but a Windows setup.exe inside is beyond me).

Mine showed around 4.6W, when piped through an MFJ UHF watt/swr meter and into the mag-mount antenna that came with an MXT-115.. But since I don't have a calibrated source to compare the meter against... Hmm -- that frequency readout shows a 1kHz offset, first channel should be .550 ? Meter or radio calibration?

Properly, it will be talking to an RF board connected to the Raspberry-Pi, the R-Pi handles the internet side of things, packets from the RF board into (apparently) VoIP. Unless one has some sort of configuration that is using the native sound card (microphone/speaker connected to the R-Pi) and not using a radio at all (I think I saw that configuration mentioned in a 3 minute skim of the All-Star documents).

Step shouldn't really be significant -- especially for GMRS primary channels which are 20kHz bandwidth inside a 25kHz channel spacing (.550, .575, .600, etc.). The interstitials are also on 25kHz spacing but, as the name implies, they are /between/overlap/ the primary channels. 12.5kHz step would apply if one is using a VFO for tuning, to be able to move from interstitial to primary to interstitial. As mentioned, GMRS is authorized as 20kHz bandwidth (most rigs seem to use a 16kHz deviation). The 467MHz interstitials, which used be ONLY FRS, and are still limited to 0.5W are also limited to NFM (12.5kHz bandwidth -- most rigs use an 11kHz deviation max). In fact, running a 12.5kHz bandwidth (NFM) will sound weaker/softer on a 20kHz (or 25kHz if the radio doesn't really have 20kHz filtering), since the maximum deviation is 75% (11kHz/16kHz) or less (11/20) of that allowed for GMRS primary channels. If the radio has a microphone gain control (I don't think I've seen such in a GMRS rig) you could try increasing the gain; otherwise, perhaps you need to hold the microphone closer to your mouth (though I recommend just to the side -- to reduce the pops caused by "plosive" syllables)

Worth mentioning is that you'd want that Yagi oriented for vertical polarization to match mobile or HT orientation, not horizontal (like old TV antennas tended to use).

While the base list is the "30" FCC defined/consolidated channels, the 935 supports 999 "channels" in the memory. I left the core 30 alone for ad-hoc usage, and programmed all the (non-local, unfortunately) repeaters in the state into it (channels 31-42, sparse isn't it), including names for each, and 16 channels (113 - 128; chosen as some of my HTs also support up to 128 channels -- chirp finds 128 on the "60 channel" Retevis RA85) for the RT97 (each of the primaries appears twice, once with a semi-random CTCSS tone, and once with a semi-random DCS tone -- I feel that gives me field options to find a lightly used channel and some good chance that no one will accidentally match the tone in use).

It really doesn't... What are the contents of the channel programming? WHICH repeater (is it listed or findable under the "repeaters" tab at the top of the page). What is the estimated range of said repeater if it is listed...

There is a difference between transmitting VIA the repeater, and controlling the repeater (remote enable/disable if it is misbehaving, etc.). A control station allows one to sit at home rather than have to be in the repeater-shack monitoring the use and operation of the repeaterl With DTMF signalling, the repeater controller (circuit, not operator) could accept commands through the primary repeater input frequency, and these commands could tell the controller to stop transmitting/repeating until commanded otherwise (useful if someone is abusing the repeater or is unlicensed). DTMF signals should not be propagated to the output -- mainly to keep the control commands from being captured by unauthorized persons. The operator is NOT just anyone with an HT pressing PTT. That person is in control of their HT, but not of the repeater. Just an aside, fixed stations -- different from base stations -- are limited to 15W power. Some other definitions from in subpart A): There is no mention of a base station "communicating" through a repeater -- only direct (simplex). Also note that there is no mention of a mobile communicating with a base through a repeater.

Only handhelds and mobiles are permitted to transmit on 467MHz frequencies. Handhelds, mobiles, base, and repeaters are permitted to transmit on 462MHz. Granted, you are using a pair of mobile/base units to make up the repeater, so on one aspect there is nothing to prevent you from setting either one into normal "mobile/base" mode transmitting on 467 and receiving 462 -- other than having power on the receive side blowing out the receive circuit of one when it gets hit with more than a few milliwatts of input signal leaking via the duplexer. I'm using simple antenna switches to share one antenna between two HF rigs -- and have to worry about leakage feeding back down the "disconnected" side of the switch into the other radio.

Range of VHF and UHF radios is commonly considered "line of sight". If you can see the point you want to contact, you probably can (and probably on lower power!). "Stronger antenna" is somewhat meaningless. A simple (vertical) dipole create a "doughnut" shaped pattern around the antenna, with the strongest signal being perpendicular to the antenna (if you tilt the antenna, you send some of the signal into the ground near you, and some up into space where it misses anyone trying to hear you). Higher gain antennas will "squish" the doughnut, making it stretch further to the sides, but with even less signal anywhere above/below the antenna. UHF (and even more the 900MHz stuff) is used in city type environments because it can get through openings in buildings (windows/doors) better than VHF (larger wavelength, gets cut off by smaller openings -- look at a microwave oven; that mesh is there to block the microwaves from coming through the glass door -- GMRS is around 60cm wavelength, a half-wave dipole is just 30cm/1ft; VHF (MURS) signals are around 1.5m, a half-wave dipole would be 75cm/2.5ft). VHF tends to have more range out in the country, given similar antennas and power levels. If you are using a handheld radio from inside a car, the car is going to block most of your signal (unless it's a plastic bodied Corvette, or maybe a Jeep Wrangler with the plastic top). Similarly, inside a house (especially one with metal siding and/or metal roof) the signal will be somewhat blocked. Put a mag-mount antenna on top of the car, and climb a tall ladder outside the house, and try again -- I suspect you should get 0.5-1 mile further coverage. Antenna is more important than the radio's power. The higher the antenna, the further the radio horizon will be. For a 6ft person, the horizon is about 3 miles. Same person standing on a 15ft roof -- about 5.5 miles. Standing on top of a 200ft tower -- about 17.5 miles... Standing on top a that 200ft tower, with the tower on top of a mountain peak that is 600 feet above average terrain -- essentially 35 miles. Guess why repeaters look for the tallest site they can find?

If that is referring to me... KAF6045 IS a GMRS call sign... Back in the 90s that (3alpha x 4digit) WAS the call sign format being issued by the FCC (same format as the CB calls of the 70s -- when I held KRO3607, if memory serves). https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/license.jsp?licKey=203948 My amateur call is AF6VN Amateur-Extra. There are, to my knowledge NO amateur callsigns that end in digits. They use one digit in the middle to identify which callsign zone the call was originally issued in (it used to be when one moved to a different zone, they had to get a new callsign; FCC dropped that requirement some decades ago, so my "6"/California is a "lie", I'm now living in "8" zone.

Conversely most true "commercial" (business/land mobile) radios are not supposed to be programmable by any front panel controls -- per FCC regulations these are supposed to be programmed by some service center to just the frequencies authorized by the license held by that commercial entity. Even old (circa 1995) GMRS radios only allowed one to set CTCSS tones, toggle high/low power, and toggle duplex (repeater)/simplex mode. The TWO channels specified on one's license was to be programmed by a service center. Even my ancient Maxon GMRS 210+3 (which was a decent radio in that age, as it had 8 preprogrammed/fixed channels -- the new interstitials 1-7, FCC designated emergency channel (usable regardless of licensed channels -- but only for emergency use unless you had asked for it as one of the two channels on your license) 8, and two "shop programmable" for the licensed channels 9-10. Of course, Maxon included the 6 page programming manual ? -- pop the rear cover, hold a micro button, scroll up/down to find first frequency, lock it in, repeat for second frequency...

That's going to be very ... fringy The estimated range for the repeater is listed as 31.4 miles on the detail page. You may just be out of range for an HT with rubber-duck.

Technically GMRS main channels are 20kHz bandwidth on a 25kHz spacing (the creation of the low power interstitials messes that up as they fall in between each 25kHz chunk, making for an effective channel spacing of 12.5kHz). As for the tones? If they aren't published you need to ask the repeater owner for permission to use the repeater, and be told what the tones to use will be. (Or get next to the repeater with a radio that has "tone scan" capability -- if the in/out tones are the same you can snag them by scanning while someone is using the repeater... I will deny recommending that one does this for private/permission-required repeaters, unless one is under an emergency situation!)

? OUCH! I can't recall the last time I bought a camera tripod that did not have a removable head (the high end tripods don't come with heads, you buy that separately). I'd replaced a cheap pan/tilt head with a slightly better "fluid" pan/tilt for video work on my cheaper tripod (<$100). You don't want to see my big video tripod (I've never extended that one all the way up -- I'd have to punch holes in the ceiling; with the legs fully extended, and extending the central column, it tops out around 10 feet).

Color me perplexed... But if your work site prohibits cell phones (which ARE a type of RADIO), why would they permit you carry/use a GMRS radio (which is probably sending out even MORE power into the environment than any cell phone -- cell phones automatically reduce power based upon the signal strength they receive from the tower, and tend to operate at less than 1W). If you meant that there is just no cell phone coverage at the work site, that is a different matter... Not a "cannot use" description which (to me, having spent 26 years in a black program where we couldn't even bring a cell phone [or calculator with memory] into the building) implies an externally imposed restriction. In contrast "cell phones don't work" implies a physical constraint in the environment. ANY GMRS radio will "work with" any other GMRS radio -- though the high power units (mobiles/bases may not include channels "8"-"14" which are limited to 0.5W ERP NFM (Note, the ERP limit basically means a true base won't have them regardless of what it has for Low Power; any gain antenna would result in exceeding the ERP limit). BASE stations are NOT permitted to use repeaters. If you haven't yet, I strongly recommend you study https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-95/subpart-E Unfortunately, there are hand-helds that CAN exceed the ERP for the interstitial channels -- by connecting a gain antenna to the unit; but seems to be "ignored" by FCC certification (perhaps on the basis that most will just be using highly inefficient rubber ducks). Also note that true BASE stations are NOT allowed to use repeaters! (In ancient days, base stations weren't even permitted to talk to other base stations!), They are simplex only! In the 2017 reorganization of GMRS and FRS, they essentially set down a standard for channel numbering. "1"-"7" are the 462MHz interstitials "8"-"14" are the 467MHz interstitials "15"-"22" are the 462MHz main channels (simplex) "23"-"30" (alternatively "RP15"-"RP22", or variants thereof with an "R") are repeater (duplex) channels -- the radio transmits on 467MHz and receives on 462MHz (the repeater swaps that -- listening on 467 and transmitting on 462). However Putting up a 50W base likely wouldn't help your situtation -- if the (nominal) 5W hand-helds can't reach that distance, a base with minimal antenna system isn't going to help. The antenna is the key for distance -- using a 6dB (or even more, a 9dB) gain antenna, mounted as high is feasible (take into account zoning restrictions -- in my town AMATEUR antennas may be mounted at 70 feet, but ALL OTHER antennas are limited to 35 feet; about the height of standard "telephone"/power poles. [antenna ratings are somewhat confusing as to whether they are in dBi or dBd (isotropic -- an imaginary point source radiating in a perfect sphere vs dipole -- a half-wave wire radiating in a doughnut shape. A 6dBi would be about 3dBd. 3dBd would have an ERP about twice that of a simple dipole antenna; 5W into a 3dBd antenna would seem like 10W into a pure dipole... And would receive similarly). Once you have the antenna reliably receiving the hand-held (at 5W) you should be able to use it with a 5-10W rig to reach the remote hand-held.

I'd concur with the others... You do not want the tripod shaft extending parallel to the radiating (whip) of the antenna -- that's going to do some weird RF coupling and affect SWR. If possible, the shaft should end just below the ground plane radials. If you can, remove the tilt/pan head and handle, clamp the antenna at the top of the shaft (and if you need ceiling clearance, lower the shaft). Since the repeater transmits in 462MHz, closer to the 460MHz marks than the 470MHz marks should be preferred. A UHF-capable SWR meter, testing at lowest frequency (.550), middle (.625 or .650), and highest (.725) would give an idea of which way to adjust for detailed tuning (SWR increase as you go up in frequency indicates antenna may need to be shortened, vice versa...)

There is a 3dB difference in the listed gains for the antennas. The CA-712 at 9dB will have a thinner pattern extending out to the sides further than the 6dB 1486, which will have a pattern with "fatter" lobes going up and down more, but with less distance overall.

Other than having manuals available -- I know at least some Midland units just use a linear numbering scheme for available tones, which means having to look up the tone/code in the manual to find the index number for the radio. Just don't think they mean "privacy" as in a telephone. The tones work more as a fence, keeping others out of your radio if they don't send the tone you want. Anything sent from your radio will be received by anyone whose radio is set to "NO TONES" on receive (or matches your selection).

Worse than I thought -- the RA85s included in the package are old (non-user upgradable) firmware and locked to NFM. The upgraded firmware defaults to wide (normal) FM, and support named channels (the old firmware has menu options to change display between frequency and name, but doesn't seem to have a way to enter a name). Programming software seems incompatible as it has a column for name, which may be offsetting the channel data (I've tried with a BTech and Wouxun cable -- couldn't find a programming cable on Retevis site), and is flaky -- it isn't saving my edits to disk either! Have a "contact" message submitted via their web site regarding how to get newer firmware in the RA85s -- none of my intended users (these would be loaners to "immediate family" during gatherings) would make sense of frequency displays -- being able to tell them to select "RT97 06" would be much easier. Also no spare batteries listed on the web site. Even more worse: Channel slots 31-52 are locked as simplex; you can't even change the frequency. All you can do is set power, CTCSS or DCS tones.

You don't want to see the cable runs I used... really, a 9+ft power lead, with an 11+ft control head cable. What are you expected to do -- mount the control head as a hood ornament? I had to splice another 9 or so feet into the power lead to make it reach from the Liberty under-cargo bed storage box to the battery, the control head cable just made it. I had to obtain a microphone extension cable (I didn't trust the cable I made from UTP phone line and RJ-11 (or was it RJ-45... think it was RJ-11 6 conductor). Also had to track down a headphone extension cable for the remote/external speaker (mounted behind the arm-rest/console). I didn't save the phone images of the cable runs -- 3/4inch split plastic flex conduit from main box, along cargo bed, forced down in the gap of the folding rear seat, along the door trim, to just under the hood release -- with cable clamps screwed in at intervals. Smaller conduit from battery to firewall (at least I found an unused rubber plug passthrough -- cut X in plug, push power lead through it. Cables for the mag-mount GMRS and CB antennas are on passenger side with 1/2 conduit. The 5100 microphone mount is almost visible. Just at the bottom of the photo -- the black bit on light grey next to steering wheel.

Odd... Mine arrived today, and I didn't seem to have any problems programming the 16 channel slots. Basically 8 slots (one for each repeater pair) using semi-random CTCSS tones (I just paged down the pull-down about 2 pages and picked the top tone, next channel went down 2 pages from last tone). Then set up the next 8 with the same frequency pairs but using DCS tones (half N, half I, also picked by somewhat random paging in the list). I felt having widely varying tones scattered over the channels would mean I could find a vacant frequency and have tones unlikely to used by any strangers in the vicinity -- planned for the very rare family gatherings where I could distribute some of my HTs to family members in the "immediate" classification, and they would ID with my callsign. Granted, the odds of any of them getting out of simplex range but be on opposite sides of the repeater range would be interesting. Expect to use simplex if we're in a convoy. Still need to figure out an antenna for it. It deserves something more than the 8" or so mag-mount whip that came with my MXT-115. At least some sort of 10-20ft mast and tripod for said mast, with at least a vertical dipole (so sectional fiberglass or plastic plumbing sections with couplers drilled for bolts) for the mast. Doubt anyone makes GMRS antennas using 3/8x24 threads -- I have a few MFJ "dipole" adapters for using "hamsticks" (normally quarterwave single band mobile whips, two coupled end to end in adapter to form dipole). Diamond has 6.5dBi (so about 3dBd -- ERP doubling of RT97 output power) for $130, about 6ft tall. Comet has a 9dBi (~6dBd, or a 4x ERP gain) for $140+freight, about 10ft tall. Too long to pack in a vehicle (and my rust bucket doesn't have a roof rack). My complaint is that the RA85s included in the package have old firmware which does NOT support user upgrading, and which seems to be incompatible with RA85 programming software (though that may be because I'm using BTech and Wouxun programming cables -- the software shows a write-radio progress bar and says it was successful). I couldn't find a programming cable on Retevis web site, nor spare batteries. The software has a column for channel name, the radio has menu entry for setting the display to frequency or name, but the firmware doesn't seem to take names. Also the RA85 old firmware has all channels locked at NFM. The newer, user-upgradable, firmware is supposed to allow wide FM as the default (except for the 467 0.5W interstitials which NFM), but allow user switching of channels to NFM, along with properly handling names. The software also does not seem to be saving my edits on local file. Keeps dropping the name contents and reverting 31-60 to their factory defaults. Filled out a "contact" message on the Retevis site -- since I don't do Facebook, hoping this runs as email (to an account I don't normally monitor -- gmail). Suspect I'll have to get a box, bubble packing, and ship the RA85s back to Retevis (CHINA!) via some service (DHL did the US portion) to get firmware updated.

Nothing in the manual... You may just have to look for the highest contrast background/foreground color pairs that can be set to the fields. At least it's an LCD... My Icom ID-5100 appears to have pressure sensitive (ie: it does not use I/R emitters/receivers on the sides of the screen to detect "touch") layer on an e-Ink display (black/white). Even on high brightness it disappears under polarized sunglass (which is not helped in that my prescription when driving is the DISTANCE on, I'd need to put on my computer prescription (fingertip just touches monitor when arm stretched forward) to actually read some of the markings.

Might be coincidental to them shipping with everything set to narrow band. If the testing agency doesn't dig deeper to learn how to change the default channels (being GMRS with just the 22 frequencies (pairs for the 8 used for duplex) they may have just tested on the presets.