New Guy - Am i setup right?

[WSJS759]

I just got my GMRS license and i'm unsure if i've set my handheld up correctly. I have a Baeofeng UV5RM and used CHIRP to setup my channels. I'd like to know if I set this up correctly, and are there any pro tips a new guys should know.

Thanks!

 

 

Baofeng Channel List 8.23.25.img

[amaff]

I don't know if it's right or wrong, but I have.....questions.

Why are there DTC tones on every "FRS" channel? (If you aren't aware, FRS and GMRS share the same channels for Simplex).
If you're trying to keep to the GRMS rules, your transmit power is wrong on 8-14.
Why are GMRS 17 and 19 labeled as FAM1 & 2? 

The order seems to be kinda all over the place but if that's what you were going for, and the radios you're trying to talk to are set up similarly, it CAN work. It just seems a bit of a hodgepodge mess, and without knowing the logic behind it (IE: did you copy someone else's cockamamie config blindly? Or is it set up that way on purpose?) it's kinda hard to know what you were going for.

[WRTC928]

I don't know how the airwaves are where you live, but here it's unnecessary to have "privacy" (they aren't) codes engaged on all channels. There's not enough traffic to keep me from communicating with friends and family, and with a DCS tone engaged, you won't be able to hear anyone else on the channel. The UV-5r has plenty of memory slots. I have the GMRS/FRS channels "bare" and another set of just the GMRS channels with codes engaged. If I'm talking to family, they'll have gotten the radios from me, so  we can communicate on the coded frequencies if we feel the need.

FRS channels 8-14 are restricted to 0.5 watt. The UV-5r is nominally 1 watt on low power, although a lot of times it's less. I recommend you set the power on 8-14 on low and then try to avoid using them unless you really have to. Most likely, nobody will notice 1 watt vs 0.5 watt, but it's the polite thing to do. 

[amaff]

42 minutes ago, WRTC928 said:

I have the GMRS/FRS channels "bare" and another set of just the GMRS channels with codes engaged. If I'm talking to family, they'll have gotten the radios from me, so  we can communicate on the coded frequencies if we feel the need.

Yep, same