73blazer

I think what they mean to say is the current could flow through the radio during a high current event with some failure point. If say your negative ground from your starter were to break or corrode badly enough (which is common in older vehicles) , the the current or part of it *could* find it's way through your radio through the negative lead

It has something to do with current finding another path to flow via the antenna or it's shielding during high current events, like starting, or winching. They say if wiring radio direct to battery, use fuses on both. If your negative lead is grounded to the chassis, you don';t need a fuse on the negative. I'd have to read more about it to figure out exactly what the scenarios are and why.

All three are the same. Same type and rating. 15amp fuses. Two on the positive lead, one on the negative lead. I almost think the 2nd one on the positive lead was a mistake? I dunno. But interestingly enough, they also give you 6 extra fuses in the box. And I can't say I've ever seen a fuse on the negative lead unless it was a positive ground old ford vehicle.

Well, your allowed to your opinion. I've built many vehicles and I've always used aircraft breakers. The W31 type are far better than any fuse out there. These are not the typical pull type, those are slower. I've compared the specs between what I have and typical auto fuses. But you have your opinions so who am I to try and change them. I used a connector because I move the radio between three vehicles. And it's sealed because I powerwash the inside of my K5. ANd don't worry the spec on the delphi connector is well above it's rated amps, and I use the class above what's called for. But you have your opinions so keep on keepin on. I wired the center console years ago for a CB radio, so 14ga was well enough. It still is for any 15amp circuit. 15amps calls for 18ga min, so I'm really already two gauges higher. It's a short run and as I've indicated, voltage drop at full transmit is .2v, so...14ga is obviously well enough. In a typical vehicle I would agree, direct to battery is best as most acc's outlets use 18ga wire on a 15amp fuse routed through many extra feet of stuff and other connectors. But if you keep doing direct to battery for all your high power accessories, amps, subs, radios, winches, trailer brakes.... etc...etc..etc...you'll have a mess of crap to hook to your battery which causes it's own problems. My circuits are well designed and short. So, it basically is direct to battery.

Why are there three fuses on the lead wires that come with this radio?!?!?!? And the fuse holders are garbage. When I installed this in my K5 Blazer, which I rebuilt and wired completely from scratch myself not using any those kits, all with modern SXL wiring, sealed connectors etc. Anyway, I put a 15 amp circuit to the center console which I built to hold a radio. It has two nice 14ga sxl wires running to it protected with aircraft style circuit breakers (P&B W31 type, almost no fuses on my truck) , when I first hooked this radio up to those wires leaving the factory wouxun leads, standing voltage with truck running was 14.1V and during transmit on high (50w) voltage dropped to 12.3v and the power meter read 34w on GMRS17. I could jiggle the fuse holders and watch the voltage and power jump up and down. I cut off the wouxun leads , the connector and all three fuses, and put my own connector on reconnected it to the same leads in my center console and voltage drop during transmit was 13.9v and power meter read 48w on GMRS17. Leave it to the Chinese to make a really nice radio and put some really crappy fuse holders and connectors to power it. I'll trust my circuit breaker over those crappy fire hazard unsealed fuse holders they use. And why's there three of them!?!??!?!?!?!

This is quite common with Chinese manufacturers, I think they think more websites is better or something. Try finding the driver for the Retevis programming cable. YOu can go to retevis.com or retevissolutions.com each have different versions of the driver. One has links to Allunice.com to another driver version. Each display most of the same radios and stuff but each also has some stuff only on it's website as well. I found this when buying bitcoin miners from China as well. Same deal there, multiple websites showing mostly same stuff but different firmware versions, some different miners, etc.

It wasn't like that two years ago when I renewed my GMRS license. Which was the last time I was on it.

ULS has been timing out, locking up, and the picks that do make it seem to take 1m or so to come up. Been like this for days. I thought mabey it was just my machine or my browser, nope, I tried from my phone not on wifi, same thing, tried from a work computer, same thing. Tried multiple browsers. I'm just trying to check on my new HAM license that's supposed to show up there any day. I have zero confidence it actually will. CORES was super slow as well but at least worked. It took my monies anyway. Anyone actually get a GMRS recently in there? Most of the time ULS ends in this after a minute or so:

I have this radio. It's the one I carry when I'm by myself hiking or kayaking in areas with no cell coverage and I've programmed in all the HAM repeaters I can hit in the areas I go in case I get into some trouble. Mine is unlocked and works on GMRS although when in an area with GMRS repeaters I don't use this radio. My biggest complaint with it is the transmit audio quality, how you sound to others, is not so great. Low audio and even if your ontop of a repeater or close simplex, audio carries some background hiss.

I've never experienced this with my 905G's. The biggest complaint I have about the 905G is the PTT pressure is far too light. You put it in your front coat pocket or on your belt the button gets pressed by passing clothing. I can tell every time my uncle gets out of his blind to go mess with something as you hear his radio butt calling you constantly as he moves around. I'd prefer an adjustable trigger , I mean um, PTT. The 905G's PTT is setup as a hair trigger.But unlike my favorite rifle, there's no easy way to disassemble the 905 and adjust your PTT pressure.

Yep, the 935G is just a good solid performer in all conditions, and with the 771G antenna on it, I don't think it can be beat in the GMRS HT class. I have not tried a newer 6w KG-Q10G but the reports of non-removable or glued on antennas, I'm not so sure. The 771G gives my 935G an extra clarity at the far ranges.

In case you didn't get to the part that says it, this is heavy forest. Not a line of trees, not a few trees sprinkled around. Solid heavy forest mostly all 1-2' diameter (or more) white and red oak, maple, hickory from 50-80' tall complete with lots of ground brush, for many square miles. And it's all very flat, so no side has any elevation advantage. I invite you to come here with your 4 or 5w HT so you too, can experience radio ED. I've extensively tested many different HT's in these woods, HAM's, MURS, CB, business, GMRS on frequencies from 29 (or whatever CB is) to 800mhz range. From $25 Baofangs to $600 motorolas. No 4-6w HT goes more than 1.5mi simplex. If you also didn't catch it, I can use the repeater 18mi to the north, so..of course once the signal gets out of the canopy and in the open it goes it's usual, many miles. Why do I want to go simplex that far in these woods? Simple, I was tasked (volunteered) by our hunting group, to find a set of radios we could actually talk on reliably without contorting ourselves or having to find a small hill or open area, in a very similar woods where we all sit about in about a 1.25mi radius. The KG935G fit the bill. 4w, does not at least not reliably without having to go find a small open area or stand in particular positions. Plus in these woods I go out cuttin wood (we heat with wood) in our back 40 and there's also no/unreliable cell signal here, so my wife sometimes likes to get a hold of me when I'm out "playing" in the woods. This is why I wanted to try the 10w HT's as the extra wattage, based on my experience, in these woods, helps to penetrate the heavy forest. But in this case, the RT29 disappoints for reasons mentioned in the original post.

I got a couple of these for the 10w capability with the thought it may help punch through the trees a bit better. In my testing I have noticed a 4w HT goes about .75mi reliably and 1mi if you stand in the right spots. a 5w HT does 1mi reliably 1.25mi if your in the right spots. The 935g has always been the winner in these woods at 1.25mi reliably with 1.5 or a bit more if your in the right spots. All tests in my heavy forest which has an 80' canopy, radio to radio simplex, with a Nagoya 771g antenna. So the RT29 is not labeled as any service.I have the UHF waterproof version (IP67 rated). Its very simple no screen interface, with only a channel changer for it's 16 channels, volume, ptt, and two programmable buttons. It's big 3200mah batt is very nice. The radio is slightly bigger than most regular GMRS HT's out there but still very easy to carry around on your belt. It comes preprogrammed with a bunch of DCS tones and ham frequencies which is somewhat hilarious as you really need a HAM or business license to operate it as it comes out of the box but nowhere is it labeled as such. It's actually labeled with an FCCID sticker of 2ASNSRT76 which if you looked it up is a GMRS FCC cert for an RT76 radio. an RT76 looks the same but is 5w, a smaller battery, and only RXs/TX's on GMRS channels . This RT29 RXs/TXx on anything from 400-480mhz. Mabey it's a GMRS radio, mabey it's not. Well, ok, the label says it is, but, it's not. I also bought the J9131P programming cable which is required for programming, and it's the only programming cable that works with it, I had another very similar one with the same three pins on the waterproof mic/speaker connector but it does not work (it pretends to work, but locks up midway). You have to use the J9131P cable, which does not come with a driver, the driver does not automatically install, and is a pain in the bitch to even find on the inter web. You have to go to https://www.ailunce.com website (the company that makes the cable) to even find it, it's not on Retevis website. The programing software is also not free, Retevis wants you to buy it. Fortunately CHIRP supports this radio. OOB the most power I could get from any of the default channels was 9.6w using my Surecomm 33 meter. Here are the OOB frequencies and tones and settings its programmed with: The available PF key functions are monitor, scan, vox, scramble, alarm or none (and no, the manual doesn't tell you that or even what the default PF1/2 keys do). Squelch is only adjustable via the programming software, you cannot program a button for it, it's literally, only in the software. I turned mine down to 1. There's no way to know any of that , the manual is worthless and does not tell you anything, let alone the frequencies. No website they have or 3rd party website I could find tells you any of that either. So unless you bought two of them or had the software/programming it's not gonna communicate with much other than it's own. So, performance. I programmed mine with some GMRS frequencies and a repeater 18mi away. Starting with the receive, with the default or the 771G antenna, it sucks at receiving. The repeater sounds like garbage, everyone sounds horrible, and it cuts out alot like its on the edge of it's range you have to stand in certain spots even then it keeps cutting out. I may expect that here for TX to that repeater, but not for RX. My 935G or 905G has zero problem receiving that repeater anywhere I walk around my home inside or out. This won't even pick it up inside the house. TX puts out 9.5w on the 467 range and 9.6w on the 462 range. So it's doing its wattage. It will get about 1.5-1.75mi in my woods radio to radio simplex. But anything beyond 1.25 sounds so bad for the receiving radio it's basically not usable at that range unless your very slow and careful how you hold/speak/form words and standing in a perfect spot. So the 10w does punch through, but because the radio is so dirty, it really just doesn't work unless your closer. Essentially it makes the 10w worthless. It does have a scrambler function, which works. If your wondering, on a wouxun radio which has a descambler from types 01-08 type 04 and 06 do the best at descrambling the Retevis R29 scrambler mode (there is only scrambler on or off on the RT29). Of course we all know it's against the rules to use a scambler on GMRS. Would I use this radio. Probably not. The repeater people tell me it sounds pretty bad, much worse than my 935G which at 5.5w can barely hit that repeater through these woods but in the right areas it sounds good, the RT29 in the same areas or anyplace I tried, didn't sound good to them "very scratchy, lots of background noise, very muted, too much noise" were the comments I got from the repeater crowd. I like it's simplicity, the big batt, the 10w. The actual radio part, not so much. It is fairly cheap though, at $50 plus $15 for the cable. For size comparison the Wouxun KG935G, Retevis RT29 UHF, Wouxun KG905G

I'd like to be able to tune to general channel say 16 and not hear one particular tone's traffic. Is there a GMRS radio that lets you do that? I know my 935G will let me filter out all but one tone, to hear only a particular tone or even a particular other radio id, but I want to filter out one particular tone and hear all others.

Because, @WRUU653 in the context of enforcement, it's meaningless. If you look at any enforcement action the FCC has taken, they ALWAYS point to exactly what rule your violating. They can't point to an informational webpage, and say there, see, we said no linking. They can only enforce, actual rules. They have to point to a rule your breaking. It'd be like your local city or township office publishing a web page saying, "Stairways in homes are dangerous as we see it, no home is allowed to operate or use or install a stairway." Well, police can't arrest and prosecutors can't charge unless someone is breaking an actual law. So, it's just noise on a page. I think what they're saying is we're trying to clarify the rule. (but their clarification isn't being clear on the action of clarifying ) . The Rule, as published 18Feb2024, is this: The first part is pretty clear, it says telephone connection not allowed. So, other networks are allowed? Now the second part (and 95.349 says the same thing the 2nd sentence here does) says other networks are allowed for sole purpose of remote control and this is where it gets murky, because it says that, one can reasonably take that to mean other networks are not allowed for linking, just remote control. Any contract lawyer will tell you, and I'm not a lawyer, and this isn't even a law, it's a rule, that if any ambiguity is raised, what comes first is what goes. If the first sentence was omitted, then it would be clear, no linking. (to a lawyer). But the two stmts contradict themselves and the 1st one usually wins, when contested. (Which is why laws usually have some wording like "no part of section d will be invalidated by section a,b,c" etc. ) The point is, certainly it's arguable either way. They can't enforce what's not a rule. If they were to enforce it, it would be easily argued, and given their record of enforcement, it's hard enough for them to enforce clear violators violating clear rules. And to be clear, I don't care. Given what I heard last Friday night on the 1st repeater to be in my range, which happens to be linked to 3 others, I'd vote for not linking. And if you watch the video in the other post, the woman FCC person says earlier on in regards to a question on enforcement ( in general, not gmrs linked repeaters) that they won't take unilateral enforcement action. Enforcement only happens when there is a) a danger to life or property b) someone complains about rules being broken. And by someone, they usually mean many complaints about a violation. And the end of the day the rules are there for us. Certain rules need to be there protecting life/emergency services, etc. But there is no harm in GMRS linking or not linking, so it should be, up to us, the GMRS community.

And for the love of God, what's with the changing color lights on that display in the background of that meeting?!?!?!?! THAT, should be against the rules and warrant a letter of intent to cease and desist.

In other words, it would be extremely easy, and cheap, for the FCC to put a stop to linked GMRS repeaters. Lets be generous and say there are 1000 linked GMRS repeaters in operation (i bet there's not a 1/4 of that.but...for the sake of argument). Every one I've come across is registered with a call sign.Lets be generous and say it takes a $100k/yr FCC enforcement agent 1 week to find all such linked stations. (I bet it wouldn't take more than a day or two, but for the sake of argument) That's $1923 in that persons time. You can easily start with sending all of them a letter stating their common interpretation of the rules and for them to please cease operation of their linking. What's a stamp today, $0.68. That's $680. + the $1923 in the FCC agents time. For $2603 they could stop a massive percentage of the operating linked sites. If they wanted to.

But "other networks" are not prohibited. And to @ultra2 question, nothing is "illegal" , only, against the rules. The EPA can fine a company for spewing out gross amounts of whatever, but they cannot put people in jail, or admonish you in any legal way, unless you've broken an actual law. The most they can do is fine you, the most they would do is probably nothing, and if they did do something, it would probably be , a letter in the mails asking nicely that you cease doing that. And they can only enact enforment, if somebody complains against you breaking said rule, and they catch you breaking that exact rule. I'm not advocating breaking the rules, i hate it when people don't ahere to the rules, the rules here are clearly not clear. A stmt on a webpage by one person, or in a video from one FCC person in on area of the country, doth not make a rule. The rules are ambiguous at best. Until it's an actual rule, AND, enforced, nobody, will care. And new GMRS linked repeaters will continue to come online.

I fully understand it was from an FCC website. But it's one guys stmt. I even watched the video given in the other thread of him actually saying it, "GMRS should not be linked." But again, ti's ones guys interpretation, one FCC employee in one area of the country, does not make a rule. The Rules, are ambiguous at best. It somewhat leans toward no linking, but it's not clear. As a small business owner who pays a contract lawyer many times a year, in his words, having wording like that is basically unpurpose to create a grey area. If you don't want grey areas, you don't put wording like that and it's pretty easy to avoid grey areas with words. I could really care less if they're linked or not. But rules are rules. Laws are laws. And silly stmts on pages nobody will ever look up because they're not rules or laws, are ....silly stmts. Make it a rule, at least. Better yet, enforce the rule as an agency they way they think it should be enforced. Mabey then people will listen. Until then, new linked GMRS repeaters are coming online every few weeks.

It's not in the actual rules, just some silly mention, which could be a misinterpretation of the actual rule, or a carry over rule from some other service, or even just a plain mistake, on a rogue web general informational page that 95% of people would never see. Your putting up a repeater, you check the rules. Not rogue informational pages. So, I would dispute the "ruled them illegal" . Until it's in the actual rules, it's not a rule. Even then it's just a "rule". Certainly not "illegal". There are so many linked repeaters, they wouldn't just go around and start issuing fines, which is the most they could do anyway They would most likely start sending warning letters. But, again, they can't even do that until it's in the actual rules. CB is supposed to be 4watts. But I've yet to see any of those 1500w jibber jabbers on there fined, sent letters, or have any enforcement whatsoever. So it appears, the FCC, doesn't care. That said, When a new repeater, the 1st one within my access range, came online last weekend, it is linked. I was initially happy. Had some good conversations with some people. But then last night came. The Friday night tomfoolery. Holy cow the idiots on there. It was exactly why I stopped running a CB radio. Yeah I can just turn it off or filter that repeater station out, but..they're broadcasting this stuff across 1/4 of the state. The first actual law we need is to ban any radio from have that stupid emergency/call button!

This isn't a few trees around a suburban house. It's heavy forest for a good few square miles around and I can count the homes on one hand. To make any significant gain, I'd need to get above the forest canopy, at least 80' . That really needs a tower. That ain't happening. The HT with the 771G antenna hits it for now as long as I'm outside. I imagine that will not be the case when foliage returns. More wattage might help, there's a few HT that do 8w now. I know some say that won't make a difference, but that has not been my experience in these woods. The 935G at 5.5w does 1.25 miles or slightly more depending, while a 4w radio barely does 1mile and the 935G at mid power (IIRC 3w?) barely does .5mi, thats all, in the woods here. A base station with 50w would certainly get out better. It won't receive any better though. I just don't see myself as a basestation kind of guy. My wife would certainly say it's just another excuse to talk to somebody, that isn't her.

I was admonished today for using a roger beep on a repeater. "the repeater already has it, please turn that off". I normally have it off as it's not good when hunting, or even just being out in the woods talking with my wife, it's rather annoying. But I thought it was "common" when talking on repeaters. Apparently not.

I was able to figure out the input tone. I can hit this repeater! Barely. They say I sound like dog doo-doo. One guy told me where it is, not surprising it and me sound like crap, it's 20mi away. And I'm in heavy woods. And this is all flat land. I guess it was stood up just yesterday. HT to HT simplex all I can get is about 1.25mi in these woods. Anyway, mystery solved!

I concur! I figured out how to slow it down in audacity and was able to write down the dots and dashes and look them up. Interesting.So some ham guys were using it yesterday or their dual operators and just instinctively used their ham call sign. I heard two call signs this morning, those were GMRS ones. So that means there's a new repeater in town, and it's networked to to others! I doubt I'd be able to hit it with an HT from my heavy woods. It barely comes in.

If it's a GMRS repeater, then the three people talking yesterday identified with HAM call signs, I had looked them up. I'll see if I can catch some more call signs today.