another rookie question

[cbrown038]

So i finally was able to com thru my local repeater!

 

now, how do i set up my mobile (50X x2) and handhelds (V1's x3) for private coms with my family and our radios while using the repeater for range?  The 3 V1's are usually within about 5 miles max of each other from homes.  I know these rookie questions are boring and probably obvious for the gmrs vets, but Im just ready to get all this set up and usable asap. 

 

Thanks again

 

WRKI386

[mbrun]

Good Morning cbrown.

 

Glad to here you had success in connecting to the repeater. BTW, repeaters are private property. Make sure you reach out to the repeater owner to obtain permission to use it.

 

Regarding “private com(m)s”. A you asking how you can set up your radios so that no one can else can hear communications between your family? If so, the answer is you cannot. All communications are public. They cannot be masked, scrambled, encrypted in any way. Anyone within radio range of you (or the repeater you’re using) can easily and readily hear you.

 

Since you were successful connecting to the repeater, it would seem to suggest that you have learned how to setup squelch codes on your radios (aka ‘tones’, CTCSS, DCS, PL, DPL, etc). That is fantastic. Although these are often referred to a privacy codes, they do nothing to make you communications private at all. What they do is give you an ability to limit which communications YOU hear. If you have a transmitter and you assign a 100 Hz CTCSS/PL code to your channel, your radio transmits a continuous 100 Hz tone. Receivers that are set to open squelch (ak ‘un-mute’) when a 100 Hz tone is received will open squelch so that only transmissions containing a 100 Hz tone are heard. If the receiver has no squelch code set, ALL communications above some user set level are heard by the person using the receiver.

 

If private com(m)s means something different to you, please do clarify.

 

I hope that helps.

 

Regards,

 

 

Michael

WRHS965

KE8PLM

[cbrown038]

This is what I needed to know. I have jumped into GMRS just in the last week and am still learning the way it works..

 

I guess I am just wondering if I’m on a repeater link, there is no options besides gmrs channels only and not using the repeater? I’m not trying to hide anything, just am trying to figure out how to com without cluttering up the repeater.

 

Was thinking the repeater would provide range with optional channels or whatever. I’ll learn more as I go..

 

Thanks for the reply!

 

WRKI386

[mbrun]

That is what we are here for.

 

Enjoy.

 

 

Michael

WRHS965

KE8PLM

[WRAK968]

Reading through the posts, I believe you are asking if you need to use a repeater output channel, or if you could use another channel in the GMRS line-up.

The answer is, if you know a channel is used by a repeater and you do not wish to use that channel, you can use another of the 22 GMRS channels for simplex (radio to radio) communications.

On my familys radio set, I have set up three quick reach channels preset with tones and such.
1: Repeater 462.675 (code) 467.675 (code)

2: Talk 1       462.675(code) 462.675 (code)

3: Talk 2       462.550(code) 462.550 (code)

It is important to note, the first 7 GMRS channels are limited to 5W max power, and channels 8-14 are limited to half a watt so if you program these channels be sure to use the proper TX power settings.