listening to repeaters with non-repeater radio

[jerseymike511]

Hello, GMRS folks! I'm new to GMRS. Long history with CB back in the 70's and 80's. Got my GMRS license and am currently playing around with a pair of Midland GXT1000's. I realize they are not repeater-capable radios. For now, I'm just curious if there are any active repeaters around me before I consider buying a radio with repeater capabilities. The map and listings here on myGMRS show a few repeaters nearby, but I haven't heard any conversations going on. Am I correct that by monitoring channels 15-22 on my Midland GXT's I am hearing what would be coming out of any repeaters in my area? I understand that non-repeater conversations can also be conducted on these channels. Thanks for any responses you can provide.

[WRCE984]

You are correct. Turn off your privacy codes (DCS or CTCSS), turn your squelch down low, and monitor ch 15-22. If there is a repeater near you, you should be able to hear it on one of these channels. Your radio may have a scan function which might make it easier to just leave the radio scanning until you find an active channel. A repeater will likely have some sort of automated ID. Enjoy!

[MacJack]

Since you have two GXT1000, have one radio scan as WRCE984... then when you hear something on channel x and if that is 462.550 turn your second radion to 467.550 so you can hear both sides of the conversation... As WRCE984 said make sure you PL codes are disable.

 

As looking for repeaters in your area, go to https://mygmrs.com/repeaters?name=&location=&state=NJ&frequency=&output_tone=&input_tone=&type=&ori=&travel=&sort=Location&step=50 and look for locations that are 20 miles from you.  You will see what Freq they are on and tune to that without scanning.

 

Happy hunting,

Jack

Hello, GMRS folks! I'm new to GMRS. Long history with CB back in the 70's and 80's. Got my GMRS license and am currently playing around with a pair of Midland GXT1000's. I realize they are not repeater-capable radios. For now, I'm just curious if there are any active repeaters around me before I consider buying a radio with repeater capabilities. The map and listings here on myGMRS show a few repeaters nearby, but I haven't heard any conversations going on. Am I correct that by monitoring channels 15-22 on my Midland GXT's I am hearing what would be coming out of any repeaters in my area? I understand that non-repeater conversations can also be conducted on these channels. Thanks for any responses you can provide.

[jerseymike511]

Sounds good. Thank you MacJack and WRCE984 for your responses.

[AdmiralCochrane]

Since you have two GXT1000, have one radio scan as WRCE984... then when you hear something on channel x and if that is 462.550 turn your second radion to 467.550 so you can hear both sides of the conversation... As WRCE984 said make sure you PL codes are disable.

 

As looking for repeaters in your area, go to https://mygmrs.com/repeaters?name=&location=&state=NJ&frequency=&output_tone=&input_tone=&type=&ori=&travel=&sort=Location&step=50 and look for locations that are 20 miles from you.  You will see what Freq they are on and tune to that without scanning.

 

Happy hunting,

Jack

 

 

Pretty sure you will hear both sides of the conversation on the repeater output.  What you would hear differently on 467 is whether the input is near enough to you for simplex. 

[axorlov]

There is narrow-band vs wide-band issue. GXT1000 is narrow-band,while most of the repeaters are wide-band. You certainly will be able to hear repeater output, but if it is wide-band it will sound distorted on GXT1000.

[mbrun]

There is narrow-band vs wide-band issue. GXT1000 is narrow-band,while most of the repeaters are wide-band. You certainly will be able to hear repeater output, but if it is wide-band it will sound distorted on GXT1000.

You know, that may or may not be true that it will sound distorted.

 

For 10 years I listened off and on to repeaters with my GXT1000. Actually still do. And yes at times the audio has sounded distorted, like someone was overdriving their equipment. But assuming they were all, or mostly all, using wide band equipment, it was rare that what I heard was truly objectionable distortion, perhaps only 5% of the time. Why? I theory that only a small percentage of folks actually speak up and/or so closely to the mic that they take achieve the full degree of wide-band deviation available to them. As a consequence, I theory that the average wide-band user is actually transmitting a deviation that is at or less than the narrow-band deviation, and thus the narrow band GTX1000 is happy as can be.

 

Sounds like another radio experiment in the making.

 

 

Michael

WRHS965

KE8PLM

[axorlov]

That's most likely the case, people do not speak loud enough for full wide-band deviation. But at any rate, even with distorted sound, speech is easy to understand.

[MacJack]

So true... I miss read his post thinking he did not have his HT set up for repeater....  Thanks for correcting me, will read better next time.

Jack

 

EDIT:  I reread this post and it started with "listening to repeaters with non-repeater radio".  One thing is clear, I did not know his radio was FRS/GMRS capable.  I have to go deeper than what question is asking.  I have a lot to learn from this lesson... Thanks.

 

Pretty sure you will hear both sides of the conversation on the repeater output.  What you would hear differently on 467 is whether the input is near enough to you for simplex.