MXT275 missing 69.3 PL tone??!!

[Guest Ben]

Hi all,

 

I just bought a midland MXT275, and it's a sweet radio. But it seems to be missing the 69.3 PL tone, which happens to be the tone that our local repeater uses. This is SUPER frustrating. Sure, I could use a ham radio, but that's supposed to be illegal. Also, I wanted the 100% mic control feature, since this is going in my family rig, and my wife drives it mostly. Need I say more? :-)

 

I know I can potentially transmit on the tx freq, and listen with a different radio, but I really dont want to do that.

 

Please help!

[quarterwave]

I had to look up a chart...because in my 30 years with radio I never saw 69.3 used. I find it on all the 50 tone charts, but it's not one of the original 38. We avoided 67.0 and 118.8 due to 60hz interference from AC power. 

 

I would speculate that it is not in the radio because it is in not one of the original standard 38 or there was something in the original radio design that didn't like 69.3. It's possible the decoder is not accurate enough for narrowly spaced tones (selection). 

 

That doesn't help your case, sorry. 

 

I personally use DPL on my repeater because for many years, only an expensive radio would do DPL and most people didn't have them, thus my intrusion risk was low. Still is actually.

[wayoverthere]

I would speculate that it is not in the radio because it is in not one of the original standard 38 or there was something in the original radio design that didn't like 69.3. It's possible the decoder is not accurate enough for narrowly spaced tones (selection). 

 

guessing as well, but thinking either the first or third option is spot on.  neither my mxt115 or my gxt1000 have that tone as an option, they both skip from 67 to 71.9.  the wouxun i have (kg-805g) has it though.

[RCM]

No 69.3 Hz on Midlands... Hmm. That's good to know!   

[mcallahan]

I often use 69.3 Hz specifically because many bubble pack and cheapo radios do not implement this tone.

[WREY478]

I also bought in with this brand and am now phasing them out.  Midland and BTech are really the only companies playing the GMRS marketing game.

 

If the input tone is not the missing tone, you have 2 choices for Open Channel listening:

 

1: Channel Up... Channel Down...: Since the Midlands add 8 extra repeater channels, you can split the tones by splitting the channels.  Use the regular simplex channel as the Rx and then channel up to the repeater version of the same channel to Tx with a different tone.  Channel down to listen on a particular tone.... channel up to talk on a different tone.  Since the Rx tone you need is missing, just leave the Rx-simplex channel Open, no tones. 

 

2:  Use Monitor/open squelch:  Set your Tx tone on the repeater version channel and then open the Monitor button and just put up with the white noise in between key-ups.  This will open up the squelch with no tones on listen, and automatically go back to your set Tx tone when you key the PTT.  This is much easier than the above method, as you can leave it on a single channel.  You just have to put up with the white noise until the next individual keys up and you get some strong Rx. 

 

 

My Icom 6061D shows up today and the midlands will probably go on the auction block.  At least the 40watt radios anyway.  I too really like that mxt275 by Midland.  I have 2 of those and will probably keep them.  Other than lacking real Tx power, they are great little radios for lots of reasons And they have Good Ears. 

 

-jb

wrey478