Midland MXT500

[MichaelLAX]

2 hours ago, RobertHode said:

@MichaelLAX

Are you an LAFD CERT member in the SFV?

 

I have to admit that I had no knowledge of what that was until I stumbled one day on a "net" on one of the GMRS Channels between 1-7 and asked them what was the net about!

He did give me a link to go read more about what they offer and I find it very interesting.

That being said, I have not chosen to join these groups in any specific way.

I just remember the Mexico City earthquake of 1985, which killed more than 10,000 people.

Many of us Hams here in Los Angeles, including myself, worked to receive messages from those in Mexico City to let family and friends here in Los Angeles know that they were safe (or otherwise).

I would receive my share of these messages and phone to the local LA phone number to pass the message and usually they would ask me to forward a response back to Mexico City, which I was happy to do over this net.

So my comment was that I have activated Channels 8-14 on my DB20-G mobile GMRS transceiver, not so that I can communicate on those channels on a day to day basis (even at Low power).

But in the unlikely event I hear a station on one of those channels requiring assistance, I can crank up to 18 watts to hopefully have them be able to hear my response offering assistance.

[RobertHode]

1 hour ago, MichaelLAX said:

I have to admit that I had no knowledge of what that was until I stumbled one day on a "net" on one of the GMRS Channels between 1-7 and asked them what was the net about!

He did give me a link to go read more about what they offer and I find it very interesting.

That being said, I have not chosen to join these groups in any specific way.

I just remember the Mexico City earthquake of 1985, which killed more than 10,000 people.

Many of us Hams here in Los Angeles, including myself, worked to receive messages from those in Mexico City to let family and friends here in Los Angeles know that they were safe (or otherwise).

I would receive my share of these messages and phone to the local LA phone number to pass the message and usually they would ask me to forward a response back to Mexico City, which I was happy to do over this net.

So my comment was that I have activated Channels 8-14 on my DB20-G mobile GMRS transceiver, not so that I can communicate on those channels on a day to day basis (even at Low power).

But in the unlikely event I hear a station on one of those channels requiring assistance, I can crank up to 18 watts to hopefully have them be able to hear my response offering assistance.

@MichaelLAX Good stuff! Thank you for doing that service. That's what it's all about. Among other things, I'm a FEMA CERT instructor, so I was just wondering.

[mbrun]

Apologizes in advance if this is double posted here.

Yeh, I posted it in the other MXT500 thread as well. It just speaks to my sentiments on Midland currently that I just had to do it.


Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM

[WRCZ387]

On 2/2/2022 at 2:56 PM, MichaelLAX said:

So my comment was that I have activated Channels 8-14 on my DB20-G mobile GMRS transceiver, not so that I can communicate on those channels on a day to day basis (even at Low power).

But in the unlikely event I hear a station on one of those channels requiring assistance, I can crank up to 18 watts to hopefully have them be able to hear my response offering assistance.

On that note, I may enable 8-14 on my other 5 watt / 1 watt h-t as a 'just-in-case', they're already in my other two h-t's which are set at .2 watt low power [I know, I know, they all have detachable antennas...]

Better to have them & never need them...

[MichaelLAX]

8 hours ago, WRCZ387 said:

On that note, I may enable 8-14 on my other 5 watt / 1 watt h-t as a 'just-in-case', they're already in my other two h-t's which are set at .2 watt low power [I know, I know, they all have detachable antennas...]

Better to have them & never need them...

Detachable antennas are acceptable if you have a GMRS License.

They are only prohibited for up to 2 watt FRS HTs.

[SteveShannon]

19 hours ago, MichaelLAX said:

Detachable antennas are acceptable if you have a GMRS License.

They are only prohibited for up to 2 watt FRS HTs.

I'm probably being pedantic, but detachable antennas are prohibited on GMRS radios when those radios are capable of sending digital data.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/section-95.1787

 

[WRQJ416]

Would anyone know about the scan function on the MXT500?  Nothing appears to happen when I press the button....no screen change, for example, and I don't see anywhere that you have to add just certain channels to a scan bank.  The tone jingle is the same every time you press SCAN, not giving an indication of 'on' or 'off'.  It's odd.

[marcspaz]

6 hours ago, WRQJ416 said:

Would anyone know about the scan function on the MXT500?  Nothing appears to happen when I press the button....no screen change, for example, and I don't see anywhere that you have to add just certain channels to a scan bank.  The tone jingle is the same every time you press SCAN, not giving an indication of 'on' or 'off'.  It's odd.

 

I have one and out-of the box, as long as the squelch is at least 1 or higher, it scans when I press the scan button.

 

Don't do a press and hold. Just do a quick press and release.   If there is a dot between the second and third characters, that means the channel is included in the scan.  If there is no dot, then the channel is excluded.  You use press and hold if the scan button to add or remove channels from the scan bank.

[WRQJ416]

On 5/28/2022 at 7:40 PM, marcspaz said:

 

I have one and out-of the box, as long as the squelch is at least 1 or higher, it scans when I press the scan button.

 

Don't do a press and hold. Just do a quick press and release.   If there is a dot between the second and third characters, that means the channel is included in the scan.  If there is no dot, then the channel is excluded.  You use press and hold if the scan button to add or remove channels from the scan bank.

The radio was 'confused'.  I did a reset/restore from the menu and it's fine now.  Scanning works now as I had thought it would.  Next up, scanning the WX stations, LOL...   

Thanks!