New guy question

[sparker31]

New guy here from Albuquerque, NM.  I just recently got my license and have been looking at the Map section on this site.  I have gotten access to the local repeaters in my area, which was fairly simple, but as I have looked at repeaters further away, i see some of them have a tone in and a tone out.  I understand how to get the Tone say 141.3 Hz to hit the repeaters in my area, but how to I do two seperate tones for a repeater.  I am currently running a Midland MXT275?  I understand that there are much better radios out there, but for now i am gonna use this radio, any help would be appreciated.

 

EXAMPLE: freq 462.625  Tone out: 100.0 Hz and Tone In: 114.8 Hz  GMRS Channel 18 and code would be 12 for 100.0 Hz

[WRAK968]

Welcome Mr New Guy

 

Not all radios will let you do split codes. I believe Midland radios fall into this where I dont believe you can run both codes at once.

There are radios you can use, for instance my Kenwood allows split tones through the programing software, however Im not sure the FPP would let me input split codes.

[Logan5]

the repeater you describe employs split tones. I think Midland is incapable of operating in split or mixed tone. But I only have knowledge of this second hand. You may try to set it up with the input tone prog,d into CTCSS/DCS TX and the output tone prog'd into CTCSS/DCS RX. I am sure others with more direct knowledge will chime in. Best of luck with it.

[DeoVindice]

I don't believe the Midland radios can do split tones; split tones are typically hard-coded to a channel or a list of OSTs when programming the radio.

 

Great to see another GMRS licensee in Albuquerque! I'm on the Sandia 675 repeater quite a bit; there's usually somebody monitoring after 5PM weekdays. If you get on the air tonight, I'd be happy to chat.

 

Jim/WREC548

[marcspaz]

No split tones on the Midland stuff.  Can't even do transmit encoding with no decoding.  You are limited to repeaters with the same in/out tones unless you get another radio.

[sparker31]

Thanks guys, it didn't seem like i could do split tones on the Midland.  I do have a Baofeng radio and I have been able to somewhat figure it out and I believe i have been able to get it to work with a single tone, like I said i am really new to this so I will keep working at it.

[berkinet]

Many repeaters can be set to recognize and send more than one tone or type of tone. So, contact the repeater owner and ask - very nicely - if they might be able to do something to accommodate your limitation. BTW, if it is possible to do something, iit wouldn’t hurt to offer a small donation in return.

[quarterwave]

The work around is to TX the right tone and RX with no tone (CSQ) or leave the monitor engaged and listen CSQ regardless. I'm not familiar if the MTX radios have a latching monitor function or not...

[marcspaz]

The work around is to TX the right tone and RX with no tone (CSQ) or leave the monitor engaged and listen CSQ regardless. I'm not familiar if the MTX radios have a latching monitor function or not...

 

That is not an option with the Micro Mobile line of radios.  Turning on the encode function without the decode function, is still split tone, which the radio can't do.  Also, leaving the RF squelch open with the tone squelch enabled still results in no audio output on the receiver. 

[Logan5]

No split tones on the Midland stuff.  Can't even do transmit encoding with no decoding.  You are limited to repeaters with the same in/out tones unless you get another radio.

The "no encoding" was the main reason I did not buy Midland. I enjoy listening. I did not know about mixed tones back then. Another good reason to chose another radio. Our local repeater used mixed tones. CTCSS/PLL tone to open the repeater and DCS TX.

[Logan5]

Many repeaters can be set to recognize and send more than one tone or type of tone. So, contact the repeater owner and ask - very nicely - if they might be able to do something to accommodate your limitation. BTW, if it is possible to do something, iit wouldn’t hurt to offer a small donation in return.

This is correct, Our local repeater also has a CTCSS to CTCSS pair I forgot about. and is capable of travel tone same tone in and out. so there may be options by contacting the repeater sysop.

[marcspaz]

Many repeaters can be set to recognize and send more than one tone or type of tone. So, contact the repeater owner and ask - very nicely - if they might be able to do something to accommodate your limitation. BTW, if it is possible to do something, iit wouldn’t hurt to offer a small donation in return.

 

 

This is correct, Our local repeater also has a CTCSS to CTCSS pair I forgot about. and is capable of travel tone same tone in and out. so there may be options by contacting the repeater sysop.

 

 

I just thought of something after reading these two posts.  A repeater near me is already configured with split tone and travel tone, but the owner doesn't advertise the travel tone is enabled.  I don't think it will help OP at this point, because it seems like they have already tried it, but if someone runs into this issue with another repeater and reads this, it may be worth trying the travel tone to see if it's enabled.

[Logan5]

I am mostly experienced with the BridgeCom and it is configurable up to 23 different in and out tone combinations. from CTCSS to CTCSS or CTCSS to DCS so that's a lot of options. I am not sure if this is what is referred to as a voting system?

[berkinet]

...I am not sure if this is what is referred to as a voting system?

Not really. The term “voting system” usually refers to a repeater with multiple receivers and the ability to select the receiver (vote) with the strongest input signal. The receivers are typically geographically diverse and linked back to the repeater.

[marcspaz]

Exactly.  Think of cell phones.  They use a voting system to help keep your call uninterrupted. 

[berkinet]

Exactly.  Think of cell phones.  They use a voting system to help keep your call uninterrupted.

 

Well, sort of. Very basically, in a cellular mobile system there are multiple cells (receiver/transmitter) sites, all linked back to a point of control and attachment to the PSTN (Public Switched Téléphone Network). As the incoming signal strength changes, the mobile phone is directed to change frequency to connect to another cell with better reception.

[quarterwave]

That is not an option with the Micro Mobile line of radios.  Turning on the encode function without the decode function, is still split tone, which the radio can't do.  Also, leaving the RF squelch open with the tone squelch enabled still results in no audio output on the receiver. 

 

Gotcha...so do they even have a momentary monitor function? I haven't partaken yet...as they are not wideband....but Midland assures me they will be updating the product in 2020 to do wideband. 

[berkinet]

...Midland assures me they will be updating the product in 2020 to do wideband. 

 I believe that is marketing-speak for: The supplier of the CCRs we use has proposed a change in the software we use in the products we OEM from them 

[marcspaz]

Gotcha...so do they even have a momentary monitor function? I haven't partaken yet...as they are not wideband....but Midland assures me they will be updating the product in 2020 to do wideband. 

 

There is a monitor button on the front.  If TSQL or DCS are enabled, when you press the button, you will see the busy light and S Unit bar light but no audio will be presented due to the lack of proper tone.

 

I tested it a few minutes ago, just to be sure I am not putting bad advice out there.

[n4gix]

I am mostly experienced with the BridgeCom and it is configurable up to 23 different in and out tone combinations. from CTCSS to CTCSS or CTCSS to DCS so that's a lot of options. I am not sure if this is what is referred to as a voting system?

The main purpose of having up to 23 different tones is so that the repeater owner can offer "customers" their own tone pairs and thus not have to listen to other "customers."

 

Of course this is mostly used by commercial repeater owners. It has no practical use for GMRS unless it's a totally closed repeater group.

[sparker31]

Hey guys thanks for all the information.  

[WRAF213]

The main purpose of having up to 23 different tones is so that the repeater owner can offer "customers" their own tone pairs and thus not have to listen to other "customers."

 

Of course this is mostly used by commercial repeater owners. It has no practical use for GMRS unless it's a totally closed repeater group.

 

There's a local, open repeater that uses multiple PLs. There's no defined purpose to all the PLs, but it mainly allows the repeater to have travel tone and a separate local tone. The rest of the tones are mostly for sticking a group of people on the repeater without the other repeater users having to hear them. 67.0 Hz output tone is available to address FRS users for emcomm. Having a bunch of tones available makes the repeater really susceptible to interference, and all the radios need to be set up with busy-channel lockout (which works a lot better when the repeater has a short hangtime of 0.5-1.0 seconds). Things start getting nutty when there's more than 3 tones configured on a repeater.

[H8SPVMT]

How do I go about removing the tone squelch from a channel after I am done and just want to return to (simplex, I think is the correct term) the basic channel?

 

On my MXT400 I have tried returning to frequency CTCSS 67.0 but it doen't clear the channel TS/DCS still appears).

[Jones]

See page 18 of the owner's manual.  Press the TS/DCS button on the front panel.  It will toggle between CTCSS, DCS, and OFF modes.

[H8SPVMT]

Thanks I did find it later.  Appricate the reminder, I might forget again where it's at...

 

See page 18 of the owner's manual.  Press the TS/DCS button on the front panel.  It will toggle between CTCSS, DCS, and OFF modes.