Repeater question

[stockjock]

I recently obtained my GMRS license and a Pofung P15-UV, which is an interesting new GMRS handheld radio that I believe is made by Baofeng.  Looks almost exactly like the Radioddity GM-30, but the key layout is a bit different.  So not sure if it's a GM-30 on the outside and something different on the inside or essentially the same radio, albeit with a slightly different keyboard layout.  Let me know if you know.

I'm in the San Diego area and have not been able to locate or use a repeater.  Looks like we don't have many to begin with, which is surprising as we're a good-sized city, but it seems many/all of them require permission.  I did request permission from 3, but have not heard back.

Is there another way to find repeaters to use?  Also, in terms of the CTCSS and DCS codes, do they need to match up with the repeater's codes each time?  Is it necessary to input those for transmit and also receive codes?  I've been involved with radio for many decades, especially shortwave, but this is new to me.

Thank you in advance.

[MichaelLAX]

16 hours ago, WRKC935 said:

I vs N...

You answer a question that was asked and answered over 6 months ago and you always accuse me of posting to up my post score!?! 

[OffRoaderX]

The best way to find repeaters in your area is to check the MyGMRS database, 2nd best way is to hook up with the local GMRS gang and find out what they are using.. 3rd best way is to just monitor channels 15-22 and see if you hear anyone, but then you need to figure out the tone to use which can be difficult..

The tones/codes need to match up with the repeater.. you have to use the TX/Input tone, or you wont be able to activate the repeater/talk on it.  the RX/output tone is optional and used only to quite-out other repeaters on the same channel.   

Generally what you do is find the repeater, then save the tone(s) on the repeater-channel in your radio, then you dont have to worry about them again.

[MichaelLAX]

WELCOME to GMRS!

If it were me, I would go up on the repeater and ask permission there and if they are testy, tell them you wrote and no reply.

Since there are only 8 GMRS repeater pairs, I like to SCAN and if I hear obvious repeater communications on those channel, I take notes.

Can your rig "scan" CTCSS tones, that is, tell you what tone is being used by the repeater users when they transmit.  This is a very handy feature and I may buy another HT just to get that feature! My "ham radio" Yaesu FT-857d can do that feature for me now, but it cannot transmit on the GMRS channels; only receive.

It is necessary to know the repeater tone for your transmissions to be "heard" by the repeater.

Using tones for your reception is optional; they help eliminate interference to you from other repeaters on the same frequency.

Since I am an explorer, I never use reception tones, so I can always hear what other activity is present and then do some tone and location research about the others I hear.

You have, of course, looked at the San Diego area of the map here on MyGMRS?

UPDATE: the previous poster, OffRoaderX, has a terrific series of YouTube instructional videos about GMRS and other topics: Search NotARubicon on YouTube and Subscribe and Thumbs Up him, if you like his videos!

[stockjock]

28 minutes ago, MichaelLAX said:

WELCOME to GMRS!

If it were me, I would go up on the repeater and ask permission there and if they are testy, tell them you wrote and no reply.

Since there are only 8 GMRS repeater pairs, I like to SCAN and if I hear obvious repeater communications on those channel, I take notes.

Can your rig "scan" CTCSS tones, that is, tell you what tone is being used by the repeater users when they transmit.  This is a very handy feature and I may buy another HT just to get that feature! My "ham radio" Yaesu FT-857d can do that feature for me now, but it cannot transmit on the GMRS channels; only receive.

It is necessary to know the repeater tone for your transmissions to be "heard" by the repeater.

Using tones for your reception is optional; they help eliminate interference to you from other repeaters on the same frequency.

Since I am an explorer, I never use reception tones, so I can always hear what other activity is present and then do some tone and location research about the others I hear.

You have, of course, looked at the San Diego area of the map here on MyGMRS?

UPDATE: the previous poster, OffRoaderX, has a terrific series of YouTube instructional videos about GMRS and other topics: Search NotARubicon on YouTube and Subscribe and Thumbs Up him, if you like his videos!

I believe that my handheld can scan for CTCSS tones, but not 100%.  Just got it yesterday, so there's a learning curve in terms of the radio itself and now to properly utilize its settings.  I'll have to continue to play with it.

The instruction manual isn't what I'd call comprehensive, but at least it's written in English that's understandable.

[MichaelLAX]

I found the manual and it looks like Paragraph 6.3 is CTCSS scanning and Paragraph 6.4 is DCS scanning (digital tones).

Listen in when you hear a conversation on a repeater channel and try it and see if they can hear you once you select the proper tone.

Let us know if it works!

[stockjock]

Thanks.  The range and reception seems pretty good, once I changed all bands from narrow to wide.  Still, I ordered an Nagoya NA-771 antenna to see if that further improves things.

This one below was not listed as a repeater in the mygmrs database, but a comment in reply to a listing, so let me make sure I understand it.

First the comment...

New Socal Free Speech Repeater...
Serving Orange, San Diego,LA and Inland Empire.
Located high in the Cleveland National Forest (4000ft)
462.550 DPL 306 Output
467.550 DPL 306 Input
For mature audiences only...Brought to you by the folks that bring you the L.A. Maga 725...
MAGA 550 ! Loud and big in Socal.

So one would tune to Repeater Channel 1, correct?  The DPL 306 is basically a privacy code, true?  Would some form of CTCSS code be required to potentially access that repeater, and if so, how would one locate it?  Seems if he wants people to use the repeater, he would provide that information, unless I'm missing something.

Also, on a separate note, if anyone figures out whether or not my Pofung P15UV is simply a rebranded Radioddity GM-30 or something different let me know.  Here's the radio in question, for anyone interested, which I've posted as an affiliate link, but that's not why I'm sharing it.
https://amzn.to/2Y7VNlv
 

[pcradio]

8 minutes ago, stockjock said:

I ordered an Nagoya NA-771 antenna to see if that further improves things.
...
if anyone figures out whether or not my Pofung P15UV is simply a rebranded Radioddity GM-30 or something different let me know.

I have the G version of that antenna. Very nice and does help. I had the GM-30 for a while, testing to see if I wanted it or the Retevis RT76P. I went with the RT76P, but the GM-30 was nice enough. It did have a scanning feature as I recall. The fun of these CCR's (cheap Chinese radios) is finding out which radio is actually the same by three different brands!

[wayoverthere]

29 minutes ago, stockjock said:

Thanks.  The range and reception seems pretty good, once I changed all bands from narrow to wide.  Still, I ordered an Nagoya NA-771 antenna to see if that further improves things.

This one below was not listed as a repeater in the mygmrs database, but a comment in reply to a listing, so let me make sure I understand it.

First the comment...

New Socal Free Speech Repeater...
Serving Orange, San Diego,LA and Inland Empire.
Located high in the Cleveland National Forest (4000ft)
462.550 DPL 306 Output
467.550 DPL 306 Input
For mature audiences only...Brought to you by the folks that bring you the L.A. Maga 725...
MAGA 550 ! Loud and big in Socal.

So one would tune to Repeater Channel 1, correct?  The DPL 306 is basically a privacy code, true?  Would some form of CTCSS code be required to potentially access that repeater, and if so, how would one locate it?  Seems if he wants people to use the repeater, he would provide that information, unless I'm missing something.

Also, on a separate note, if anyone figures out whether or not my Pofung P15UV is simply a rebranded Radioddity GM-30 or something different let me know.  Here's the radio in question, for anyone interested, which I've posted as an affiliate link, but that's not why I'm sharing it.
https://amzn.to/2Y7VNlv
 

Looks like the same radio sold as the tyt th-uv88 as well, just locked down for gmrs (like so many others)

That aside, DPL is another name for DCS, where PL is equivalent to CTCSS.

[MichaelLAX]

Appendix D of the manual: this appears to be Channel 23 for the repeater split frequencies (according to the manual, channel 1 is 462.5625 simplex a/k/a FRS Channel 1).

You can change the display to Frequency instead of Channel to confirm the correct frequencies (Menu items 21 and 22).

To clarify, if you enter a DPL, you do not have to enter a CTCSS; they are mutually exclusive.

RT725 gets pretty raunchy, and I assume that this new 550 will be likewise, so don't have children around when you listen.

RT725 was the first GMRS repeater I ever listened to, and I incorrectly concluded that GMRS was the same as CB radio! hahaha 

[MichaelLAX]

53 minutes ago, stockjock said:

Also, on a separate note, if anyone figures out whether or not my Pofung P15UV is simply a rebranded Radioddity GM-30 or something different let me know.  Here's the radio in question, for anyone interested, which I've posted as an affiliate link, but that's not why I'm sharing it.
https://amzn.to/2Y7VNlv
 

If you can confirm that this unit correctly SCANS CTCSS, I might just buy one for $26 on your Amazon link, just to get this feature!

[stockjock]

1 hour ago, pcradio said:

I have the G version of that antenna. Very nice and does help. I had the GM-30 for a while, testing to see if I wanted it or the Retevis RT76P. I went with the RT76P, but the GM-30 was nice enough. It did have a scanning feature as I recall. The fun of these CCR's (cheap Chinese radios) is finding out which radio is actually the same by three different brands!

I do reviews for "a major online retailer" and I can snag a lot of these CCRs for free, although I do have to pay tax on the fair market value.  There are so many that are super similar to others and have one name on the listing but another on the radio (usually Baofeng).  Some claim to be 8 watts but most or all seem to be testing at around 5 watts output.  But yes, so many versions of the same, or very similar, radios.  I think I had about 6 in my review offerings and I grabbed 2 of them.  

[stockjock]

49 minutes ago, MichaelLAX said:

If you can confirm that this unit correctly SCANS CTCSS, I might just buy one for $26 on your Amazon link, just to get this feature!

Obviously I'm not an expert on this, but it does have a "seek" D (series of numbers) N and also a "seek" 67hz to a much high number.  Is this what you're referring to?

[stockjock]

1 hour ago, wayoverthere said:

Looks like the same radio sold as the tyt th-uv88 as well, just locked down for gmrs (like so many others)

That aside, DPL is another name for DCS, where PL is equivalent to CTCSS.

It looks like that radio and the Radioddity, but the keyboard layout is different from each of them.  I'm pretty sure Pofung is a Baofeng brand, not sure about the others.

[MichaelLAX]

17 minutes ago, stockjock said:

Obviously I'm not an expert on this, but it does have a "seek" D (series of numbers) N and also a "seek" 67hz to a much high number.  Is this what you're referring to?

Maybe: Tone Scanning - you are listening to a conversation on a repeater and the scan stops on the CTCSS or Digital tone that they are using, so that we can program our HT to use that tone to transmit (and be heard) on the repeater.

Let me know if the feature actually results in a Tone and if that tone gets you into the repeater. Thanks!

Let us know if you can get into a local repeater successfully, as well!

[n4gix]

31 minutes ago, stockjock said:

I'm pretty sure Pofung is a Baofeng brand

Actually, "Pofung" is how "Baofeng" is pronounced in Mandarin! 

[stockjock]

32 minutes ago, MichaelLAX said:

Maybe: Tone Scanning - you are listening to a conversation on a repeater and the scan stops on the CTCSS or Digital tone that they are using, so that we can program our HT to use that tone to transmit (and be heard) on the repeater.

Let me know if the feature actually results in a Tone and if that tone gets you into the repeater. Thanks!

Let us know if you can get into a local repeater successfully, as well!

I will if I can figure it out.

As a side note, just received a Baofeng UV-5RUSH, which I think is just a UV5R with higher output that really isn't higher output, a programming cable, a mic/earpiece, and a bigger battery.  Pretty sure I will be imprisoned and tortured if I use it for GMRS though.

[MichaelLAX]

39 minutes ago, stockjock said:

 Pretty sure I will be imprisoned and tortured if I use it for GMRS though.

Not if you are a Proud Boy insurrecting at the Capitol Bldg! 
 

...tortured, that is!

[OffRoaderX]

Be careful on those "Free speech" repeaters.. Those boys play rough..

[stockjock]

The way they brand some of these radios cracks me up.  My radio is a Pofung P15UV which is supposedly a brand of Kitoops which I think is owned by Baofeng, which is sold by Hi Radio, which is owned by Quanzhou Nanshoumaoyiyouxiangongsi (how's that for a mouthful?),  which is probably also owned by Baofeng, but who knows?

[wayoverthere]

4 minutes ago, stockjock said:

The way they brand some of these radios cracks me up.  My radio is a Pofung P15UV which is supposedly a brand of Kitoops which I think is owned by Baofeng, which is sold by Hi Radio, which is owned by Quanzhou Nanshoumaoyiyouxiangongsi (how's that for a mouthful?),  which is probably also owned by Baofeng, but who knows?

I remember reading something to the effect of the "Pofung" name came out of a their version of a trademark dispute between two companies using "Baofeng" and making similar products...so one switched to "Pofung" during the dispute to differentiate, and chose that because the pronunciation was close to the proper pronunciation of "baofeng" 

[OffRoaderX]

1 hour ago, stockjock said:

...which is owned by Quanzhou Nanshoumaoyiyouxiangongsi (how's that for a mouthful?),  which is probably also owned by Baofeng, but who knows?

 Quanzhou Nanshoumaoyiyouxiangongsi is owned by Sheinhardt Wig Corporation.

[MichaelLAX]

1 hour ago, OffRoaderX said:

 Quanzhou Nanshoumaoyiyouxiangongsi is owned by Sheinhardt Wig Corporation.

Sheinhardt Wig Corporation is owned by National Bemusements, whose majority stockholder is Sherry Redrock!

[WyoJoe]

10 hours ago, stockjock said:

I recently obtained my GMRS license and a Pofung P15-UV, which is an interesting new GMRS handheld radio that I believe is made by Baofeng.  Looks almost exactly like the Radioddity GM-30, but the key layout is a bit different.  So not sure if it's a GM-30 on the outside and something different on the inside or essentially the same radio, albeit with a slightly different keyboard layout.  Let me know if you know.

The P15-UV and GM-30, as well as the Tidradio TD-H5, are essentially the same radio. As you noted, the Baofeng radio has a different keyboard layout, but from what I've heard, it doesn't match the programming menu of the radio. The keyboards on the other two models do match the programming menu, which I believe is the same across all three radios. I've read that you can use the same software to program all three radios, though my experience is only with the GM-30 and TD-H5 models, and can confirm that to be the case with these two radio models.

[WyoJoe]

11 hours ago, MichaelLAX said:

If you can confirm that this unit correctly SCANS CTCSS, I might just buy one for $26 on your Amazon link, just to get this feature!

On the GM-30 and TD-H5, Menu 30 scans CTCSS codes, and Menu 31 scans DCS codes.

[MichaelLAX]

7 hours ago, WyoJoe said:

On the GM-30 and TD-H5, Menu 30 scans CTCSS codes, and Menu 31 scans DCS codes.

Stockjock: Is it the same on the P15-UV?