KAF6045

Based upon https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/eng/sf08144.html#s3.2 it may be time to petition Congress (Line-A is a treaty matter, FCC does not do treaties) into negotiations to remove the 462.650 and 462.700 restriction. Canada has officially assigned those to their (license free, low-power [2W]) GMRS class. Given (emphasis mine) it would seem that their former land mobile users aren't being protected from Canadian GMRS, so why should US users need to protect them? Other than our 50W power limit... However, the 467 repeater inputs may be problematic. Indicates that Canada will not allow for GMRS repeaters, only simplex, so the question is raised as to what /might/ they assign in that band? https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/eng/sf01320.html shows that Canada still promulgates the confusion of FRS and GMRS as one category. The FRS portion matches our current FRS (fixed antenna, 0.5W on "8-14", 2W on "1-7", "15-22"). It is not clear if their GMRS portion is allowed for removable antennas. E.1.1(c) only states "FRS", whereas the rest of the regulations consistently use "FRS/GMRS". Side note: That GMRS-M is Canada's response to our MURS digital data feature; the MURS frequencies still being heavily used for business licensees in Canada.

By which the prior responder means... BOTH quality and length. Increased length is always good (for reception, at least) as it allows more surface to capture incoming signals. However, for transmitting, length has to be matched to some multiple of the wavelength (SWR). As you reach things longer than 1/4 wave* (common whips) and 1/2 wave (dipoles) you start to add "gain" -- more of the signal is focused outward (perpendicular) to the antenna, and less spread up/down from perpendicular. Quality... Meh... The factory antenna on my BTech MURS-V1 is spec'd for the VHF band -- all of it, per the label under the socket. And it does have an excellent SWR for a rubber duck (measured using an antenna analyzer). Problem: that SWR (around 1.3) happens to be at the bottom of the 2m Amateur band. it ran closer to SWR 3.0 just 10MHz higher, in the MURS band. I'd bought the Nagoya 701C (dual-band supposedly tuned for "commercial" range) for a GMRS-V2#. Antenna analyzer showed it around SWR 2 in MURS band, but over 3 in GMRS band. I've stuck that one onto the MURS radio. The GMRS-only 771G showed SWRs around 2.5 -- better than the factory whip, but not that much. * 1/4 wave antennas are essentially half of a dipole, and really need a "ground plane" (like a metal car roof) to act as a "mirror" to create the other half of a dipole. On many handheld radios, the body of the radio is some metal and ideally couples to your hand. Even at that, one trick often seen in Amateur discussions is to put a counterpoise wire on the handheld: a 1/4 wave wire (take into account velocity factor) carefully wrapped to the outer/shield side of the antenna connection before screwing on the antenna itself. That gives something closer to a real dipole antenna. # Billed as 5W/0.5W -- but an MFJ-847 power/SWR meter with suitable coax jumper and SMA adapters showed it as 2.4W/0.6W -- and SWR 99.9 with the 701C. My GMRS-V1, a 2W/0.5W radio, actually showed up at 2.6W/0.8W! Note that antenna analyzer did not show >9.9 SWR with the 701C, so some problem in connectors? I put the 771G antenna onto the V2 (I'd bought that one for the V1 so its gain could compensate for the "lower power output"), the V1 is now running factory whip.

A 50W radio, at 12VDC, when you account for internal losses, could easily be drawing over 10A of current (13.8V power supplies for 100W Amateur transceivers start around 22A for light duty [less than 50% transmit time] and the better ones handle 30A surges -- a 30A surge at 13.8V is over 400W; SSB mode means the power draw fluctuates when transmitting [no power out during silence between words], FM mode is continuous power draw, no fluctuation, so needs sturdier power supplies) Cigarette lighter sockets traditionally only ran with a max of 10A fuse. The radio can't tell what it is connected to, so either there is some nasty resistive losses in the power lines (meaning the radio is NOT seeing 13.8V) or the fuse should be subject to blowing at full power. (I miss my old Jeep Cherokee -- besides the cigarette lighter socket, it had an auxiliary socket that I'm certain was rated for 20A). Compare the wire gauge coming out of the radio to the wires behind the dash going to the lighter socket. You don't specify which "Jackery power device" you have. There are many models all with different power ratings. Explorer 160: 12V 7A; not really enough accounting accounting for circuit losses Explorer 300: 12V 10A; same as most vehicle lighter sockets Explorer 1000: still 12V 10A Explorer 2000: lighter socket is still 12V 10A The Jackery devices aren't meant for high power draw equipment, note how the largest is still a 10A lighter socket -- they are meant to provide /recharge/ capability for stuff like phones and tablets. Note that the 160 model is only going to last about 90 minutes at its specified output rating. Max of 2 hours: 12V * 7A => 84W, 167WHr rated device. It could, over time, recharge 10 BTech GMRS-V1 (or V2 -- same 13WHr battery).

They don't. The periodic announcements by net-control for "priority or emergency" is to ensure that general net-chat is not interfering with someone seeking assistance for an emergency. It provides a pause in chat during which an person in need can get their call into the stream. In all cases, emergency traffic takes priority. Depending upon the environment, someone calling for assistance may not be heard until a number "net members" have come on line (especially simplex operations -- where the emergency may only be heard by someone on the fringe of the "net" coverage area and may need to be relayed to an operator with suitable access [land line phone, maybe]). That clause basically applies to ALL the service classes: part 90 land-mobile, part 95 (GMRS, MURS, CB, FRS, and a freight of unknowns, though might be hard to apply to the radio-control service), part 97 (Amateur), and part 80 (maritime).

Not all R-Pi models have RJ45 Ethernet. There are a few WiFi only models. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry_Pi#Model_comparison Original Model A and A+, the original Zero (not only no Ethernet, no WiFi either), 3 A+, and Pico. The 3B+ has Gigabit Ethernet -- BUT throughput limited since it passes through the USB subsystem/chips. The 4B has a true Gigabit Ethernet chip set. 3B+ and 4B also have dual-band WiFi. A more likely possibility is that the software works with an older version of Debian (base for the RaspiOS). Pi4 wasn't supported until Buster (Debian 10) came out. Current release is for Bullseye (Debian 11). If the software bears any resemblance to the Pi-Star suite (Amateur Radio digital mode hotspot and small repeater boards), it may still be tied to Jessie or Stretch (Pi-Star actually skipped the Stretch/9 release since the R-Pi 4 was arriving and required Buster -- no sense working on a release that would just have to be redone within months).

It is also not Amateur-only. Emphasis mine: That's Part 95 A, which applies to all of: FRS, MURS, CB, GMRS, radio control, and a slew of other lesser known services

Heh... For the most part, receive is free. It's transmit that costs. {"most part" as there is still the matter of demodulating a signal, especially if not FM. Ancient Kenwood F6A has a documented receive range of 0.1MHz to 1.3GHz [less Cellular band], with support to demodulate AM, SSB, FM, and CW}

Just a comment about your channel naming. What are considered 1-7 in the current unified channel list were the ORIGINAL GMRS Interstitials, using (W)FM and power levels <5W. They predate the FRS service (which used the same frequencies but in NFM and, originally <0.5W). 15-22 are the original GMRS primary channels, (W)FM, <50W. 23-30 appear to be created for brain-dead radios (and some users in the same condition) that can't easily toggle from repeater to simplex and back using 15-22. 8-14 started life as FRS only, again NFM and <0.5W. Current GMRS rules now allow usage of them but under that same NFM/0.5W criteria. If the radio you are programming has a "Low" power that is more than 0.5W, you can not operate 8-14 legally. FRS is now allowed up to 2W on 1-7, and 15-22 (no repeater modes), and I'm fairly certain in NFM only. 8-14, as stated above. Oh, and I think FRS still mandates non-removable antenna, so no stuffing a 6dB gain antenna on a 0.5W channel.

These days, that may not be viable... Even through my Anytone 878 has a drop-down in the editor config to toggle from between Amateur keypad programmable and "business" computer programming only mode, it doesn't unlock the business band Tx. I'd found some instructions about a mystical power-on key-press sequence but the firmware appears to have been revised to block that too... {Side note: looking at the RB27 on Amazon, they didn't even have the decency to label the repeater channels with the corresponding simplex channels, nor to use extended (23-30) numbering. Really -- the display shows Rptr 8 -- which maps to GMRS 22 or 30 in the linear scheme in FCC rules}

Yeah... The VX8DR I mentioned above actually came with two "tips", a longer screw-on tip if one intended to use 6m.

Most VNA's do more than antenna analyzers. Though the manual https://nanovna.com/?page_id=64 isn't the most clear it appears to support setting cable velocity factor, and can detect short/open distance. You have to fiddle with stop frequency to adjust for "length".

Ignoring digital aspect, the discontinued Kenwood F6A and Yaesu VX8DR (US edition) also had 1.25m FM support. Though the Yaesu only ran it at low power (I suspect they couldn't really get the circuit and rubber duck to fully tune 6m, 2m, 1.25m, and 70cm as a non-blatant quad-band, and since the international version doesn't do 1.25m they rolled back power output to avoid damaging the final from antenna feedback). The only 1.25m I find in a recent HRO catalog is the Yaesu VX-6R tri-band FM, no YSF mode.

And if you don't check (Monitor) the frequency before starting a conversation with your group you could be busting into any conversation those others are having. FM capture effect means a receiver will lock onto the strongest signal it sees (even if they have a CTCSS tone set, your strong signal will block out the signals they are expecting.) In the old days, most GMRS traffic was between units of the same call sign (moderate family farm, for example, with a base/repeater in the house, and family members in the fields with hand-helds, maybe a mobile on a tractor). Call sign to call sign was rarer except maybe for the nationwide emergency channel (.675 -- don't think FCC mandates that anymore) which likely had REACT members monitoring in addition to CB channel 9. If you had the common 2 channel "business" radios a recommendation when getting licensed was to specify the .675 pair as one of the channels you were allowed. The Maxon GMRS 210+3 opened things up a bit (by FCC rule, you could use .675 FOR EMERGENCIES even if your license did not include it). The Maxon's first 8 channels were the low-power interstitial frequencies AND .675 as #8. Channels 9 and 10 were programmable "by the dealer or service center" for the frequencies on one's license. {Of course, the radio shipped with the programming manual ? meaning any gorilla-fisted person could remove the back cover, press the specified button, and dial in the specific frequency [from the 8 primaries, though who would add .675 a second time], repeat for #10 [of course, if .675 was one of your licensed channels, you'd leave #10 empty)

All of my Amateur hand-held units from Kenwood, Icom, and Yaesu, offer a AA (or maybe AAA for the smaller units) cases. For some radios, the alkaline cell cases trigger a lower power mode (different voltage -- four AA are 6V, six would be 9V, while the NiCad/NimH/Lion [pick your decade] packs tend to center on 7.2-8.4V. The amateur gear tends to run on variable voltage levels. The recent ID-52 is 4.5V battery case (I suspect typo in manual -- they spec output power for 5.5V, but 3xAA is only 4.5), 7.4V rechargeable battery, and 10-16V for external power -- 5W for external and rechargeable, 100mW for AA. The Tyt -- no external power jack, nor (to my knowledge) battery cases. Might be some hidden convention for stuff that fell into Part 90 land-mobile. Anytone 878 -- no external power jack seen, but manual does show a "battery eliminator" -- which looks like a battery case with a 12V lighter plug permanently attached, and based upon the label it is really a 2/3rds capacity battery, with battery charger circuit built in; meaning the radio is operating off the battery, and the battery is being charged during the idle periods between Tx. Doesn't look too useful as the cord enters from the bottom, meaning one has to provide some form of holder with an open bottom -- might as well put velcro strips on the regular charging stand with the optional lighter adapter. Tyt and Anytone are both DMR rigs. The wall warts for the chargers won't power radio operations. Using USB charging, the aforementioned Icom radio can operate drawing from the battery on Tx, charging on Rx and idle. Using "cigarette lighter" adapter or external 12V supply will operate it and charge at the same time. My Yaesu rigs can either operate off 12V, OR charge, but not both (seems they have the charge controller in the radio and not the battery, and the charging circuit only activates when the radio is OFF. Apologies for what is basically a harangue/lecture...

I've not heard of "battery replacers" before, but the lack of a DC input jack on these radios IS a detriment. I'm spoiled by Amateur gear that has DC input jacks, which can be fed 13V (automotive battery level) not only to charge the battery, but even power Tx at a higher output than the battery pack sustains. Granted, the wall warts supplied with the charging bases aren't rated for full power Tx either (my recent Icom has a different wall wart for the optional charging base than the one that plugs into the radio itself. Even a 30 year old RatShack HT-202 has optional inputs: 13V on top for operations, the BATTERY pack had in input jack for charging (using apropos charger -- like 9V for a 7.2V battery], and the bottom two battery pack screws doubled as contacts for an optional charging stand [the HT-202 was a Maxon-built look-alike for an Icom IC-02AT https://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/ht/02at.html ]. Main point is that the Amateur gear provides for alternate power supply, rather than being tied to a low-power stand or dummy battery pack.

If it was a cable problem, I'd expect problems in both directions. Same for an antenna problem. However, a problem at the cable/antenna connection could result in a dead antenna, and high SWR putting a radiating signal on the OUTSIDE of the coax. (I managed to open squelch on a D-Star repeater located a few miles south of me using an Icom ID52 -- that was still set for SLO [100mW -- less than the GMRS/FRS 500mW channels]. So if you had a radiating coax it may still have put out enough signal to be heard, but not receive.) My first approach -- start with an antenna analyzer that covers UHF range. And you probably won't like this -- start at the antenna itself, using something like a 1-3 foot coax from analyzer to antenna. Verify antenna SWR/resonance in the 462Mhz end (preferably your actual repeater output frequency; you aren't going to get both 462 and 467MHz to be resonant, and somewhat high SWR on the 467 receive shouldn't be deadly unless by some chance it is really obscene [historical meaning: out of sight ? ]). If the antenna checks out, and with coax disconnected at both ends [disconnect ground end before you climb the tower, so you can do this while on the tower and have that end disconnected for the antenna test -- use the analyzer to determine open-ended cable length ("distance to fault" or similar check; you will need to know the cable velocity factor to compute electrical length vs physical length). If cable (fault) length is appropriate for the real cable -- no open or shorted fault in the middle -- reconnect cable to antenna and go back to ground level. Recheck SWR/resonance of the cable&antenna link. You might want to compute how many wavelengths of your target frequency fit the (electrical) length of the coax -- there can be "weird" behavior at certain multiples of quarter or half wave where SWR looks great (or terrible) because of interaction of reflected wave with forward wave. I'd have to dig up my ARRL handbooks to find the exact relationship. Note: while I refer to SWR, actual Forward and Reflected power levels may be more indicative along with the ratio.

In a linear channel numbering scheme with the repeater (duplex) channels following the simplex channels, the repeater channels would be filling slots 23-30. 15 23 16 24 17 25 18 26 19 27 20 28 21 29 22 30 Your RPT 19 and "plain" 19 are the same channel. The receive frequency is the SAME whether one is operating simplex or duplex. Only the transmit frequency changes when in duplex. There is no "spill-over" -- if you don't have CTCSS active ANY signal on frequency 462.650 will be heard. On anything but modern brain-dead GMRS there is no separation of repeater vs simplex into separate "channels". Those radios will display a "+" to indicate a positive transmit offset (GMRS uses +5.0MHz offset for repeaters -- other services may support some with a "-" offset). Pushing a button can turn off the offset to make the channel operate as simplex (on DMR radios, it is a menu operation typically called "talk around" as using it means one is "talking around" the repeater).

HOW to fit it to your microphone is not answerable but... https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Replacement-Microphone-Hanging-Button/dp/B000X3D7C2 Many years ago I had a few adhesive type buttons. They came with plastic [box shaped] holders. I used to use one of the boxes, with a button on my cell phone, on the dash of my old Jeep, and a second box below that with the microphone for my FT-100.

YES. {blast, I can't seem to make those split} Not necessarily -- Using the repeater means they are sending on the 467MHz input frequency, and the repeater has to be sending (repeating) on 462Mhz output frequency. Normally input filters strip the tones from the signal, so the repeater itself has to add the tone back. Someone using CTCSS 77.0 but NOT using the repeater input frequency would also be seen by your configuration. YES BTW -- please take notice. THAT repeater is essentially closed. The tones are provided ONLY for EMERGENCY traffic. Otherwise usage is restricted -- apparently to the owner's family. That's how I'm interpreting "For family, hobby and emergency use." (Of course, the owner could mean emergency use by their family).

If you included the actual column headings for the configuration editor if would help. Based upon the manual I found online, the KG-805x series doesn't have anything called "QT". If your editor is for some other "similar" model, they may have meaning to that model. From the link to the repeater in question, at a minimum, you need to be sending the tone to open the repeater squelch (ie, make the repeater "hear" you -- it /is/ hearing you but without the tone it ignores your signal). You only need to set the receive tone if 1) the repeater /is/ sending the tone; 2) and you want to have your hand-held stay quiet when other signals (without that specific tone) are received. Many radios describe them as: CT - send continuous tone CTCSS - not only send the tone, but require the tone to come back (Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System) DCS tends to have similar options, but using an encoded digital sequence rather than continuous tone. In your first listing of configuration, you showed a column with all "QT" in it -- what other options are there for that column. NOTE: my bubble-pack Motorola units (pre-2017 reorg -- now classed as GMRS) do have something listed for QT (as I recall). In this case, it was something to do with "sQuelch Tail" elimination, to remove any annoying hiss at the end of signal between similar Motorola units. I think by using another type of tone whose disappearance told the receiver to go mute even while the sending radio still had some signal going out.

If you are that sensitive to RF energy, you will not have a comfortable time with any transmitters. Do you use a cell-phone or microwave? How about WiFi? Those generate RF too. If you don't react to those, it may be that microwave frequencies are short enough to not be sensed. GMRS (and the 70cm Amateur band) are just below the OLD UHF TV channels (14 up). GMRS base and/or mobile run 15-50W power output depending upon model (5W mobiles are basically a handheld in a big box with a vehicle mounting bracket, and a mag-mount antenna on 10-15 feet of coax). GMRS handhelds theoretically top out at 5W.* However, handhelds put the antenna at, well, hand position from the body (if using a belt-clip with a speaker/mic, the antenna is within 2 inches of the body). For a base, the antenna will be 10-30 or more feet from the transmitter -- BUT if you don't have a perfect SWR (and between simplex 462MHz transmission, and duplex 467MHz transmission you will NOT have perfect SWR on many of the channels), you will have radiation reflecting back down the coax, and some may be reflecting down the /outside/ of the coax. You'll want RF chokes at the antenna end, and maybe also at the transmitter end. You'll want a good system ground (something I don't have myself -- I have had times when my HF transmitters had enough RF on the outside to "tickle hairs", at least I didn't draw sparks before making adjustments to tune the antenna system). Unfortunately, I don't know of any "common" GMRS radios that offer "remote control": putting a microphone/speaker near the computer, running a serial (old days)/USB cable to the radio in another room, and using control software on the computer to change settings of the radio. There is also Internet remoting for some models of Amateur HF rigs (a laptop near the radio connects to it, and accepts control commands from a computer somewhere else on the network. * Since the 2017 reorganization, FRS units with non-removable antennas top out at 2W, though the former FRS-only 467MHz interstitials [8-14] are restricted to 0.5W. FRS cannot do duplex (repeater mode) but now can use the GMRS primary channels too [15-22]. [1-7] are the GMRS 462MHz interstitials. "Interstitial" in that these frequencies were shoe-horned into the mid point of the primary channels, and power limited to prevent interference with repeater usage (that was the intent, at least). As a result -- radios with non-removable antenna, channels 8-14 at 0.5W, channels 1-7&15-22 at <2W, and no repeater capability are now FRS! If you can change antenna, or run at more than 2W on channels 1-7&15-22, or select repeater channels, it is a GMRS radio (if it has channels 8-14, they MUST be at 0.5W -- which is why many mobile and base GMRS do not have those channels: they run at full power, or 5W for low). I have a pair of Midland GXTs, and a pair of Motorola <somethings> with non-changeable antennas: The Midland's have high/medium/low power -- the high is >2W, low is 0.5W -- but does not have repeater access. The Motorola only has 0.5W low and <2W high, does have repeater access. Both are now considered GMRS radios (they date to the period the FCC allowed "FRS/GMRS" mixed approval. FRS NFM for 1-14, GMRS for 15-22).

Just out of curiosity, did you ever work out what effect the insertion losses on those N<>UHF adapters are? They shouldn't be too bad, but deliberately going from UHF to N at one end, just to convert back from N to UHF at the other, just because N was easier to route???

Looks a lot like mine does... I currently have three of them as the GMRS-V1, MURS-V1, and GMRS-V2 all use the same batteries. I might suggest the OP grab one, along with the -V2 (since any memory channel can be used for GMRS configurations -- useful if multiple repeaters on same frequency but with different CTCSS codes) I do hate their LED modes. No battery: flicker red/green to cause epileptic seizures Really dead battery: Red (the only time I've seen solid red was when I had the radio itself shut down from low battery) Partially charged battery: flicker red/green (duty cycle between red and green seems to track with level of charge) Fully charged battery: Green (though it takes hours to get to that point, even an overnight charge had mostly green with quick red flashes)

How did you learn about that particular repeater? It is possible it is a grandfathered "business" entity and not open for general usage. Back in 1997 (copyright date of the defunct PRSG GMRS National Repeater Guide 10th ed), pretty much all GMRS repeaters were business or special interest (for LA area: "RUG" -> Repeater Users Group) usage and one had to ask the owner if one could use it. A few of the listed repeaters give a CTCSS tone -- with the condition of "Emergency or Traveller Assistance, any other use must be arranged for by phone or in writing" (a bit paraphrased). Even new GMRS repeaters don't have to "open" for all users. This site does show https://mygmrs.com/repeater/353 as "open" (though that [request access] button is perplexing). If that WAS the repeater you tried, were there any significant fires in the county at the time? If there were, the repeater may have been in a priority mode.

Probably nothing -- but when there are multiple threads (some of those started by you) over a 48 hour period whose only purpose is to complain about something that we have no control over it does take on a sense of "trolling". Problem with finishing profile -- that should have been taken up with the sysops in private, probably not a general post Something mangled in mail delivery -- take it up with the postmaster of your local post office An assumption that a lack of traffic on a (repeater) channel means no one is listening, so don't bother making a call on it (note: mismatched CTCSS tones would also produce an appearance of a lack of traffic). In the old days of GMRS (when one had to specify which two frequency pairs they wished to be licensed for), one particular frequency pair (462.675/467.675 141.3) was a designated emergency channel, any non-emergency traffic had to come from operators licensed for that frequency pair (most radios of the time only had A & B [toggle switch] for channel, and the frequencies had to be shop programmed -- if you didn't ask the FCC for that pair as one of your two channels, you had no access to the emergency channel. The Maxon GMRS-210+3 changed that; it had the "new" low power interstitials [current 1-7], emergency channel, and 2 channels that were "shop" programmable for one's licensed frequencies). The "scream at microphone" comment in the MXT115 widebanding thread. An action which will likely result in massive clipping as NFM tends to use around 11kHz (in 12.5kHz channel) The complaint that a recently received unit was useless as it required a programming cable and software to configure -- looking for a PDF of the manual before purchase might have revealed that. There were others.