New GMRS Licensee - Confused about repeaters?

[H8SPVMT]

Are the Midland radios programmed with Squelch Tail Eliminate? Because if they are and the end user isn’t aware of it, it could mislead them into thinking they’re not hitting a repeater when they might actually be and there’s just nobody to answer.

Using the Midland MXT400 I can say that mine does not have "that feature" if, that is what you might want to call it.  I recently purchased this radio and am in the process of learning it's operations.  Having recently pinged a repeater I do understand the situation and can't understand "why" anyone would want to do that.

[Guest Guest]

The information contained in this forum is much appreciated. Very good information. Not sure why but it seems like GMRS is a bit of a secret as I have never heard of it before. Seems like a wonderful capability and grassroots type community. I just posted a topic. Not showing on the forum yet as I assume the administrators need to preview/approve before releasing it. My post is regarding my need for better communications than FRS can provide. 

 

Thanks,

Kevin

[H8SPVMT]

I have found a repeater about 30 miles out that I can reach, and receive a squelch tone from indicating it has received my signal. I was sucessful in getting a signal report as well from another GMRS operator that made my day!

 

None of that would have been possible without the information gained here from people willing to answer questions.

 

Thank you!  I now know my equipment works to it's described capabilities.  This, "Learning Curve" has taken me to the highs and lows of human abilities when it comes to the operation of privately owned equipment (repeaters) and the endevor to keep it running.  I'm guessing us newbies don't know (appriecate) the struggle of what it takes to actually get a repeater up and running for consistant use.

 

Repeater owners are another part of the American fabric that help on their own free will, to make our society a better place when trying to communicate.   

Again, THANK YOU ALL.

 

P.S.

All this didn't sink in many, many years ago as a sailor in the Navy. We once used ham radio stations to talk from Asia to my wife in Hawaii.

[mbrun]

That is fantastic. Glad you have finally had success.

I have found a repeater about 30 miles out that I can reach, and receive a squelch tone from indicating it has received my signal. I was sucessful in getting a signal report as well from another GMRS operator that made my day!

 

None of that would have been possible without the information gained here from people willing to answer questions.

 

Thank you! I now know my equipment works to it's described capabilities. This, "Learning Curve" has taken me to the highs and lows of human abilities when it comes to the operation of privately owned equipment (repeaters) and the endevor to keep it running. I'm guessing us newbies don't know (appriecate) the struggle of what it takes to actually get a repeater up and running for consistant use.

 

Repeater owners are another part of the American fabric that help on their own free will, to make our society a better place when trying to communicate.

Again, THANK YOU ALL.

 

P.S.

All this didn't sink in many, many years ago as a sailor in the Navy. We once used ham radio stations to talk from Asia to my wife in Hawaii.

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Hunter399]

I am also very new to GMRS and using repeaters etc. I didn’t see this discussed so I was wanting clarification. Thanks in advance!

On repeater book I found a repeater north of me. Just so o understand this correctly tx 462.625 and RX 467.625.

What’s travel tone?

[mbrun]

I am also very new to GMRS and using repeaters etc. I didn’t see this discussed so I was wanting clarification. Thanks in advance!
On repeater book I found a repeater north of me. Just so o understand this correctly tx 462.625 and RX 467.625.
What’s travel tone?

Travel tone is the term that has evolved to refer the specific CTCSS tone of 141.3Hz. It stems from the historic ‘Open Repeater Initiative’ and its attempt to standardize the CTCSS tone that folks traveling could use to access select repeaters along the route of their travels. So now days when you hear ‘Travel Tone’, think CTCSS 141.3Hz.


Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM

[wayoverthere]

37 minutes ago, Hunter399 said:

 

On repeater book I found a repeater north of me. Just so o understand this correctly tx 462.625 and RX 467.625.

 

The repeater will tx on 462.625, and Rx on 467.625....to use the repeater, you'll tx on 467.625 (where it's listening) and rx on 462.625 (where it's transmitting).

That said, if you're using one of the many new options for gmrs radios, it should already be programmed from the manufacturer with the full set of simplex channels and the 8 repeater channels (with the appropriate +5.0mhz offset).

[Hunter399]

Thanks guys! That makes sense!

[n4gix]

Note also that listing is not completely accurate, as the offset is NOT +0.6 mHz but rather is +5.0 mHz...

[Hunter399]

13 hours ago, n4gix said:

Note also that listing is not completely accurate, as the offset is NOT +0.6 mHz but rather is +5.0 mHz...

I was confused by that as well. Setting up tones on my midland MXT500 is kinda a pain. Do you set 141.3 for both TX and RX I assume?

[SteveShannon]

8 minutes ago, Hunter399 said:

I was confused by that as well. Setting up tones on my midland MXT500 is kinda a pain. Do you set 141.3 for both TX and RX I assume?

It depends on whether the repeater uses tones for both transmit and receive. You must transmit the necessary tone the repeater expects to hear or the repeater will not listen to you.

You probably want to set a receive tone on your radio so you only hear transmissions that include that tone, such as those the repeater sends.  

If you set no receive tone you will hear everything transmitted on that frequency, including the repeater. If you set the wrong receive tone you won’t hear the repeater at all.

[wayoverthere]

9 hours ago, Hunter399 said:

I was confused by that as well. Setting up tones on my midland MXT500 is kinda a pain. Do you set 141.3 for both TX and RX I assume?

It depends on your preference, honestly. Tx tone is necessary, Rx tone is optional; I prefer to run it on the repeater slots to filter off simplex traffic on those channels, and no tone on the simplex slots, Some others prefer to skip the RX tone and hear everything...it just comes down to your preference and what's going on in your area.

For reference, I have a couple repeaters in range on ch 16, but a local hotel is also using frs for housekeeping on simplex ch 16.

[MichaelLAX]

9 hours ago, Sshannon said:

If you set the wrong receive tone you won’t hear the repeater at all.

Which is why I recommend to new users that they do not program any receive tone into their radio, until or unless they are receiving interference on that frequency.

[Hunter399]

Thanks again for the help guys! So on my handheld KG-935G I keyed up and received a Morse code return. So I assume It worked! Just need to get my MXT500 setup 

[MichaelLAX]

On 1/18/2022 at 11:02 AM, Hunter399 said:

So on my handheld KG-935G I keyed up and received a Morse code return.

The morse Code should have included the following:

Dit Dah Dah, Dit Dah Dit, Dit Dah, Dit Dit Dit Dah, Dah Dah Dah Dit Dit, Dah Dah Dah Dah Dah, Dit Dit Dah Dah Dah

WRAV802

Sometimes I use the Audio Recording HD app on my iPhone to record it because it contains a 50%-X feature to slow it down by half so that I can decode it more easily.

[WRAM370]

On 1/18/2022 at 2:15 PM, MichaelLAX said:

The morse Code should have included the following:

Dit Dah Dah, Dit Dah Dit, Dit Dah, Dit Dah Dah Dah, Dah Dah Dah Dit Dit, Dah Dah Dah Dah Dah, Dit Dit Dah Dah Dah

WRAV802

 

Just for accuracy, the letter V is dit dit dit dah. The way you wrote it out is a J. 

[Guest Kevin]

Do all GMRS radios sold have the 8 repeater pairs programmed into them?

[OffRoaderX]

14 minutes ago, Guest Kevin said:

Do all GMRS radios sold have the 8 repeater pairs programmed into them?

No, but most (99.8%) do. Always read the label before buying.