Wide Band or Narrow Band

[WRPA509]

I am installing a Midland MXT500 in my vehicle. I will primary be using the 50w GMRS simplex channels (15-22). My question has to do with wide or narrow band. I will at times be communicating with people that have "Big Box Store" GMRS radios.....i.e. Midland, Cobra, DeWalt, etc. Does anyone know if these walkie talkie types are generally wide or narrowband on channels 15-22? I can set my MXT500 either way but I want it to be compatible with what everyone else has.

[mbrun]

The bubble wrap FRS are always narrow band per FCC requirements. Perhaps with a few rare exceptions, GMRS bubble wrap radios are exclusively narrow band as well. If your primary communications is with these radios, narrow is the way to go.

It seems that most GMRS repeater owners choose wide-band as do users of current crop of programmable GMRS HTs where improved audio performance is desired.


Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM

[MichaelLAX]

2 hours ago, mbrun said:

Perhaps with a few rare exceptions, GMRS bubble wrap radios are exclusively narrow band as well.

Which models do you define as “GMRS bubble wrap” with narrow band pre-selected?

[WROZ250]

FWIW...

It would appear, based on what I found with a couple of searches, that all FRS frequencies are 12.5 KHz (narrow) for FRS radios. 

GMRS radios are restricted to 12.5 KHz on channels 8-14, which are the 467 MHz splinter frequencies between the 467 MHz repeater inputs.  Otherwise, GMRS radios are 20/25 KHz (Wide), but there is nothing forcing that, so GMRS radios can be narrow-band if desired.

 

 

[WROZ250]

It is also interesting to note that some of the newer GMRS radios come with 'compander' technology which, if enabled, increases/improves the audio quality/readability when operating in narrow mode.  That said, if the receiving radio is not compatible/equipped with the said technology, the alleged performance improvement from compander technology, probably doesn't offer any improvement in reception/audio quality.

 

[WRPA509]

6 hours ago, mbrun said:

The bubble wrap FRS are always narrow band per FCC requirements. Perhaps with a few rare exceptions, GMRS bubble wrap radios are exclusively narrow band as well. If your primary communications is with these radios, narrow is the way to go.

It seems that most GMRS repeater owners choose wide-band as do users of current crop of programmable GMRS HTs where improved audio performance is desired.


Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM

That's what I was afraid of....I was hoping to be able to leave it on wide band but I guess narrow band it must be. Compatibility with some of the cheap GMRS radios is a requirement for this situation. The problem is none of these companies publish this information.

 

[WRPA509]

2 hours ago, WROZ250 said:

It is also interesting to note that some of the newer GMRS radios come with 'compander' technology which, if enabled, increases/improves the audio quality/readability when operating in narrow mode.  That said, if the receiving radio is not compatible/equipped with the said technology, the alleged performance improvement from compander technology, probably doesn't offer any improvement in reception/audio quality.

 

I was wondering about the compander technology myself because I saw it in the manual. I'm guessing this is comparable to a speech processor. Will the receiving radio be able to hear a radio with compander turned on if the receiving radio does not have it?

[WyoJoe]

22 minutes ago, WRPA509 said:

That's what I was afraid of....I was hoping to be able to leave it on wide band but I guess narrow band it must be. Compatibility with some of the cheap GMRS radios is a requirement for this situation. The problem is none of these companies publish this information.

 

Is this an "all or nothing" option for your radio, or do you have the option to select wide or narrow by the channel? Perhaps you could add some custom narrow band entries with the same frequencies as channels 15 - 21 in channel slots 8 - 14, and leave 15 - 22 as wide band?

[WROZ250]

36 minutes ago, WyoJoe said:

Is this an "all or nothing" option for your radio, or do you have the option to select wide or narrow by the channel? Perhaps you could add some custom narrow band entries with the same frequencies as channels 15 - 21 in channel slots 8 - 14, and leave 15 - 22 as wide band?

My 'go to' radio is a KG-935G, so I can change the bandwidth.  That said, you originally stated that you were interested in channels 15-22 which, as a GMRS operator, you can select wide or narrow (depending on your radio) Some let you change stuff and/or have the ability to put custom channels into memory.  That however, is not universal with the current crop of radios that are Part 95e radios.

[H8SPVMT]

Just guessing "as a newbie" but my use of the compander function on my MXT400 seems to be an the ability to clear up a weak signal from a statically sounding background.  Seems while listening I can hear the conversation pretty clearly but with less volume.  I have to increase the level of volume to better hear the voice over the static.

[mbrun]

The thing about companders is that they intended to be used on all radios that are part of your communications circle. You don’t receive the full benefit except when your other party’s radios have the same feature and it is enabled their radios also.


Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM

[BoxCar]

9 hours ago, mbrun said:

The thing about commanders is that they intended to be used on all radios that are part of your communications circle.

Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM

Ahh, spell check doesn't like companders.

[mbrun]

Ahh, spell check doesn't like companders.

. Darn Apple!


Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM

[AdmiralCochrane]

Companders are speech processors, nothing else.  They improve signal strength by slightly increasing weaker microphone modulation, but mostly change the person's voice to ranges that the listener's ear hears clearer. 

I run compander ON on most of my radios, but if adjustable at the lowest setting.  Right now my voice drives any decent mic as well as a professional quality mic, I get a lot of compliments and questions about what equipment I use, but its mostly good luck coming out of my mouth; hardware provided from above  .