Radio Tones

[WRWH232]

New to GMRS and I am looking for guide on learning and understanding radio tones.

For example: what is Tone Mode, Tone, Tone Squelch, DTCS, and etc...

Any guidance is greatly appreciated.

 

[OffRoaderX]

I dont know for sure, but I would guess there are a few videos on the Youtube answering that exact question way better than anyone could answer here using mere symbols and words.

[WRWH232]

I will start with Youtube and go from there.

Thank you for the quick response. 

[Lscott]

55 minutes ago, WRWH232 said:

Any guidance is greatly appreciated.

Some reading material.

CTCSS.pdf DPL _ DCS Squelch System.pdf MDC.pdf

[Northcutt114]

58 minutes ago, OffRoaderX said:

I dont know for sure, but I would guess there are a few videos on the Youtube answering that exact question way better than anyone could answer here using mere symbols and words.

 

[OffRoaderX]

30 minutes ago, Northcutt114 said:

 

I am told that guy has no right to be talking about radios or tones because he does not have a H.A.M.s radios license.

[nokones]

1 hour ago, OffRoaderX said:

I am told that guy has no right to be talking about radios or tones because he does not have a H.A.M.s radios license.

I don't think the OP is requesting information on H.A.M. tones. I think this would be a great opportunity for the GMRS Queen to chime in and speak about GMRS tones. Maybe he will discuss the proper use of the Roger Beep feature.

[WRWH232]

These are all great suggestions. 

Thank you to all of you for the info.

[OffRoaderX]

The Roger-Beep is the MOST IMPOTANT tone!

[SteveShannon]

17 minutes ago, OffRoaderX said:

The Roger-Beep is the MOST IMPOTANT tone!

Ambiguous misspelling: Impotent or important? 

[HHD1]

16 minutes ago, OffRoaderX said:

The Roger-Beep is the MOST IMPOTANT tone!

I prefer the "Tone 1200" variety of the most impressive HT of all time... the AR-5RM.  And I'm pretty sure ALL of my co-workers like it too.

[WRTC928]

12 hours ago, OffRoaderX said:

The Roger-Beep is the MOST IMPOTANT tone!

I sent a Sad Ham into a complete frothing-at-the-mouth, convulsing, crying meltdown on a Facebook page by insisting that the roger beep and the repeater courtesy tone are the same thing because they both tell you when the other party has stopped transmitting. Sad Hams, katana fanboys, and Arabian horse owners are so easy to troll it's almost unfair.  And they all pale in comparison to Glock fanboys. 

[Northcutt114]

16 hours ago, OffRoaderX said:

I am told that guy has no right to be talking about radios or tones because he does not have a H.A.M.s radios license.

I have also heard as much, however, as a recently minted H.A.M.s radio operator, myself; I do not agree with that sentiment.

 

[Northcutt114]

14 hours ago, HHD1 said:

I prefer the "Tone 1200" variety of the most impressive HT of all time... the AR-5RM.  And I'm pretty sure ALL of my co-workers like it too.

Nooooooo....the AR-5RM has a knock off Motorola squawk? I so know what I'm doing when I get home from work. 

[HHD1]

15 minutes ago, Northcutt114 said:

Nooooooo....the AR-5RM has a knock off Motorola squawk? I so know what I'm doing when I get home from work. 

The best part is that it transmits about 3 times louder than your voice. Which is highly useful when you want everyone to know you're done speaking whether they have a radio or not.

[Northcutt114]

10 hours ago, HHD1 said:

The best part is that it transmits about 3 times louder than your voice. Which is highly useful when you want everyone to know you're done speaking whether they have a radio or not.

OK, I just tested it on a plain jane 5RM and it doesn't come through any louder than the voice TX. Is it different on the Assault Radio version?

Definitely leaving this on for awhile! 

[HHD1]

3 hours ago, Northcutt114 said:

OK, I just tested it on a plain jane 5RM and it doesn't come through any louder than the voice TX. Is it different on the Assault Radio version?

Definitely leaving this on for awhile! 

I've never had a uv so I don't know.  But it's a sweeeeeeeet RB

[Northcutt114]

9 hours ago, HHD1 said:

I've never had a uv so I don't know.  But it's a sweeeeeeeet RB

I've got a pair of the AR variants in the RV and we are headed out over Thanksgiving. Sounds like some field testing is in order. 

[TerriKennedy]

On 11/18/2025 at 7:37 PM, OffRoaderX said:

The Roger-Beep is the MOST IMPOTANT tone!

My CPS software (unofficial for the UV-17 Pro GPS and related models, the official CPS for the BF-F8HP Pro) has a voice prompt editor that lets you use 7 other pre-recorded voices besides the factory ones, or your own .mp3/.wav files. I could have allowed editing the Roger Beep as well. Changing it to something like the roadrunner's "Meep! Meep!" would have definitely caused some people's heads to explode, so that isn't one of the things the editor lets you change. Sorry. 

Speaking of exploding heads, the startup message (normally "Channel Mode" or "Frequency Mode" isn't interruptable. Changing it to the 17-minute version of "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida"* would definitely be cruel and unusual punishment.  

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida for people too young to get the reference.

[Jaay]

Listening to Pocsag can make you go blind, and develop projectile vomiting ... 

[nokones]

On 11/22/2025 at 2:42 PM, TerriKennedy said:

Speaking of exploding heads, the startup message (normally "Channel Mode" or "Frequency Mode" isn't interruptable. Changing it to the 17-minute version of "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida"* would definitely be cruel and unusual punishment.  

Especially, if the listenee is wearing headphones with the volume cranked up.  Most younger generations don't have the patience and respect for the song to sit for the 8 minute and 49 second version let alone the 17 minute version.

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida for people too young to get the reference.

 

[nokones]

The most impotent tone, especially for the real radios, is the 1000 Hz Test Tone, used for repairing and aligning/tuning radios.

Of course, the cheap POS Pandaland radios would never experience the need for a test tone, because they're never or worth repairing, they're just thrown away into the garbage where they belong. Pandaland people need to stop putting their garbage on those slow boats to us.

[Lscott]

6 hours ago, nokones said:

The most impotent tone, especially for the real radios, is the 1000 Hz Test Tone, used for repairing and aligning/tuning radios.

Of course, the cheap POS Pandaland radios would never experience the need for a test tone, because they're never or worth repairing, they're just thrown away into the garbage where they belong. Pandaland people need to stop putting their garbage on those slow boats to us.

If you trash pick enough CCR’s you might end up with a sufficient stash of parts to build a functioning one. People do that even with obsolete main stream commercial radios. If you’re skilled enough one can end up with a very nice sophisticated radio for practically nothing.

[HHD1]

7 hours ago, nokones said:

they're just thrown away into the garbage where they belong

SoCal???? Is that you??? 

[WRUU653]

On 11/22/2025 at 1:42 PM, TerriKennedy said:

for people too young to get the reference.

Not only do I get the reference I actually witnessed Doug Ingle sing his famous song karaoke stye at a local talent show in the 90's.  Complete with corduroy jacket with elbow patches.  I guess he had a son living in the area. It was something...