Custom Channels???

[WRUT470]

I see GMRS radios say they have 400 or more custom channels. Can someone please explain custom channels. If there are only 22 channels and 8 repeater channels is that one group of channels 30/400? Then another group of 30 can be programmed in up to 400 total channels.

I have never programmed a radio except for using the radio keypad to put in tones for repeaters which I just learned. (I don’t think that counts as programming lol)

I’m new to this but I am thinking how I can use this when we travel in our RV. It would be fun to program in open repeaters for each state we travel through and be able to listen/talk along with having channels for the friends/group we are with.

Thanks in advance!
 

[MichaelLAX]

Welcome!

Which radio do you have?

Many can use additional channels for repeaters on the same frequency but with different tones to access them. 
 

And to scan public service frequencies that you cannot transmit on. 

[WRUT470]

I am looking into a mobile gmrs radio the KG 1000 which I did not purchase yet. (I am still researching what antenna will be the best for it and what else I need for the set up.)
Yes, I see repeaters on the same frequency. So one can just plug in the RX/TX frequency for example repeater channel 15 and make how ever many repeater channel 15  one needs? 

[BoxCar]

The "custom" channels allow you to store various configurations of the authorized channels such as those using tones for '"privacy."

[WRUT470]

Thanks for the help explaining. This is something I’m gonna eventually want to do since I like the idea of grouping my most used channels together per state/area.

 

 

[KAF6045]

On 10/20/2022 at 8:33 PM, WRUT470 said:

I see GMRS radios say they have 400 or more custom channels. Can someone please explain custom channels. If there are only 22 channels and 8 repeater channels is that one group of channels 30/400? Then another group of 30 can be programmed in up to 400 total channels.

Technically, there are 22 simplex FREQUENCIES, of which 8 ("GMRS Main") can operate in simplex (radio to radio) or duplex (radio to repeater to radio, simplex frequency +5MHz on transmit). In the old days, when a license only authorized two Main frequency pairs (duplex), channel numbers were meaningless -- many business band radios used for GMRS only had "A"/"B" (or 1/2) to have the licensed channels programmed into; it was common to refer to them by the suffix (.550, say).

With the reorganization of 2017, the FCC defined a standard "channel number" for the basic frequency list:

1-7: original GMRS interstitials
8-14: originally only FRS, these are interstitial channels using narrow band and only 0.5W ERP; they are now available on HTs with a 0.5W low power setting.
15-22: original GMRS main channels -- were NOT legal for FRS usage prior to 2017, and are now limited to <2W FOR FRS; with a GMRS license one can go to 50W
23-30, 15r-22r, etc.: Repeater mode, transmitting on 467.xxx, receiving on 462.xxx (again, in the old days one would have a button on the radio that just toggled the channel between simplex/duplex (and maybe reverse -- where you listen on 467.xxx to see if someone else is in range to go simplex).

As has been stated, "custom" channels are memory slots in which you can specify a desired GMRS frequency, CTCSS/DCS, power level, name, wide/narrow (if you have a group using NFM-only FRS units, you may want to match narrowband -- GMRS is wideband). Depending upon the radio, you may also be able to enter non-GMRS frequencies for scanning purposes, but will not be able to transmit on those frequencies.

[MichaelLAX]

5 hours ago, KAF6045 said:

Repeater mode, transmitting on 467.xxx, receiving on 462.xxx (again, in the old days one would have a button on the radio that just toggled the channel between simplex/duplex (and maybe reverse -- where you listen on 467.xxx to see if someone else is in range to go simplex).

Some GMRS radios still have a "Reverse" function, which does just that, such as the Raddioddity DB20-G:

 

NEVER MIND: I double checked on my newest not-modified DB20-G and indeed REV does NOT work in GMRS mode.

[WRUT470]

Thanks for that thorough explanation. Seeing it laid out like that really helped me understand the breakdown of the channels!

[wrtq652]

16 hours ago, KAF6045 said:

Technically, there are 22 simplex FREQUENCIES, of which 8 ("GMRS Main") can operate in simplex (radio to radio) or duplex (radio to repeater to radio, simplex frequency +5MHz on transmit). In the old days, when a license only authorized two Main frequency pairs (duplex), channel numbers were meaningless -- many business band radios used for GMRS only had "A"/"B" (or 1/2) to have the licensed channels programmed into; it was common to refer to them by the suffix (.550, say).

With the reorganization of 2017, the FCC defined a standard "channel number" for the basic frequency list:

1-7: original GMRS interstitials
8-14: originally only FRS, these are interstitial channels using narrow band and only 0.5W ERP; they are now available on HTs with a 0.5W low power setting.
15-22: original GMRS main channels -- were NOT legal for FRS usage prior to 2017, and are now limited to <2W FOR FRS; with a GMRS license one can go to 50W
23-30, 15r-22r, etc.: Repeater mode, transmitting on 467.xxx, receiving on 462.xxx (again, in the old days one would have a button on the radio that just toggled the channel between simplex/duplex (and maybe reverse -- where you listen on 467.xxx to see if someone else is in range to go simplex).

As has been stated, "custom" channels are memory slots in which you can specify a desired GMRS frequency, CTCSS/DCS, power level, name, wide/narrow (if you have a group using NFM-only FRS units, you may want to match narrowband -- GMRS is wideband). Depending upon the radio, you may also be able to enter non-GMRS frequencies for scanning purposes, but will not be able to transmit on those frequencies.

Excellent description by KAF6054!  Thank you for sharing the "channel numbers with GMRS and FRS" description in a way that is clear and simplified for daily use!

[KAF6045]

12 hours ago, MichaelLAX said:

NEVER MIND: I double checked on my newest not-modified DB20-G and indeed REV does NOT work in GMRS mode.

And on some variants, that RPT button would be toggling simplex vs duplex on the existing channel -- doubt that works on the GMRS mode (I should try it on the unlocked mode, which I set mainly to have more than 9-10 "custom" channels -- after all, an RT97 has slots for 16 configurations, and that doesn't count any "local" GMRS repeaters).

[MichaelLAX]

In unlocked mode, the REV function works perfectly, including on the GMRS channels.

[Adamdaj]

On 10/20/2022 at 8:33 PM, WRUT470 said:

I see GMRS radios say they have 400 or more custom channels. Can someone please explain custom channels. If there are only 22 channels and 8 repeater channels is that one group of channels 30/400? Then another group of 30 can be programmed in up to 400 total channels.

I have never programmed a radio except for using the radio keypad to put in tones for repeaters which I just learned. (I don’t think that counts as programming lol)

I’m new to this but I am thinking how I can use this when we travel in our RV. It would be fun to program in open repeaters for each state we travel through and be able to listen/talk along with having channels for the friends/group we are with.

Thanks in advance!
 

It's not difficult! You have a radio with 400 or whatever numbers of channels, which means that you're able add and groups channels together with different PL tones. With some older Kenwoods or Motorolas, you can group 16 or 32 Channels to a zone  Each of those channels you can add names to channels

[WRUT470]

Thanks for your response. After reading & watching videos I got it and you are correct not hard at all! 

I have the KG 935 and I was hesitant on getting it because I thought it may be to much radio for me (being new to GMRS) but I'm so happy I got it. I find it pretty easy to use.

Great info & helpful people on this forum.....

Thanks again!

 

[Adamdaj]

I didn't mean sound stupid when I said that it's not that difficult. Anyway there's many individuals out there with more helpful advice that I'm able to give.    I would keep my eyes out for used or new old stock radios, for simple reason, they're easy to switch from Narrow to Wide or back. Even though they may not be typed accept 95 A or 95 E. If you're able to obtain the solfware and hardware. You should not have any problem as long as you keep in spectrum that you're  assigned to.

 

[WRPQ991]

I have a Cobra Micro talk (bubble pack) FRS with 22 channels, each channel has 38 sub channels. My Wouxun KG 80G has 30 channels but I cant find the sub channels. I'm not sure if this is what the OP was referencing, If the Cobra is on CH 4.25 the Wouxun won't pick it up, If the Cobra is on 4.00 the Wouxun will pick it up loud and clear out 1/4 mile  away.

[SteveShannon]

1 minute ago, WRPQ991 said:

I have a Cobra Micro talk (bubble pack) FRS with 22 channels, each channel has 38 sub channels. My Wouxun KG 80G has 30 channels but I cant find the sub channels. I'm not sure if this is what the OP was referencing, If the Cobra is on CH 4.25 the Wouxun won't pick it up, If the Cobra is on 4.00 the Wouxun will pick it up loud and clear out 1/ mile  away.

Sub-channels are simply a combination of a tone and a frequency. 
The 805 doesn’t use marketing speak to describe them. 
So, you simply need to figure out what tone a sub-channel represents and program that tone in the Wouxun. 
Also, the Wouxun, with no tones programmed for receive, will receive anything transmitted on that frequency, regardless of tone. 

[KAF6045]

2 minutes ago, WRPQ991 said:

I have a Cobra Micro talk (bubble pack) FRS with 22 channels, each channel has 38 sub channels. My Wouxun KG 80G has 30 channels but I cant find the sub channels. I'm not sure if this is what the OP was referencing, If the Cobra is on CH 4.25 the Wouxun won't pick it up, If the Cobra is on 4.00 the Wouxun will pick it up loud and clear out 1/4 mile  away.

Those are not "sub-channels", they are CTCSS tones being identified by a manufacturer specific numbering scheme. The manual SHOULD have a table identifying which CTCSS tone correlates to any particular number. That said -- the manuals I can find on-line are silent on the #<>frequency.

Suggest trying this Midland chart: https://www.manualslib.com/manual/671454/Midland-M-222p.html?page=8#manual

Odds are good that they are in the same sequence. Map the Cobra # to the CTCSS frequency in the chart, and set the equivalent KG channel number to that tone (Tx and Rx).

 

The OP, OTOH, was talking about radios with multiple channel /memory slots/ that can be programmed with any of the GMRS frequencies and tone codes (along with simplex or repeater usage).