Cheap GMRS Scanner... FRS Radio?

[WRVG593]

So years ago I bought a cheap Walmart FRS Radio (Ozark Trail OZA19LT001) that talks between channels 1 (462.562) and 22 (462.725), and I forgot all about it for I only used it a couple times while camping and hiking. So I pulled it back out about a week ago and played with it so I could figure out what tones equaled what Hz (tone 1=67 hz, tone 2=100hz, it has "127 tones" or something similar. They're all over the place and hard to calculate exactly which one.) While doing so I found that almost all GMRS repeaters were still being picked up by my cheap 20 dollar for 2 pack radio, even though it has a hard time communicating with each other (figures it would suck at transmitting and be okay at receiving).

So I hit scan. This thing scans incredibly fast. So i set it to no tones and pick up everything it heard. So I had my HT set to the channels I generally use (16/575 and 20/675) and my cheap one listening for other frequencies. This way I could use FRS channels I picked up while also having the option to pick up GMRS 15/550 - 22/725. 

Obviously not the fastest way to scan. I'm sure there's plenty a million times faster. But to go from 1/562 - 22/725 in only about 2 seconds, it scans at a decent pace im not upset about. 

Anyone else have jury rigged ways of picking up frequencies while not disturbing their HT/Mobile?

[AdmiralCochrane]

Used handheld scanner

[Duck218]

On 1/12/2023 at 1:08 PM, WRVG593 said:

So years ago I bought a cheap Walmart FRS Radio (Ozark Trail OZA19LT001) that talks between channels 1 (462.562) and 22 (462.725), and I forgot all about it for I only used it a couple times while camping and hiking. So I pulled it back out about a week ago and played with it so I could figure out what tones equaled what Hz (tone 1=67 hz, tone 2=100hz, it has "127 tones" or something similar. They're all over the place and hard to calculate exactly which one.) While doing so I found that almost all GMRS repeaters were still being picked up by my cheap 20 dollar for 2 pack radio, even though it has a hard time communicating with each other (figures it would suck at transmitting and be okay at receiving).

So I hit scan. This thing scans incredibly fast. So i set it to no tones and pick up everything it heard. So I had my HT set to the channels I generally use (16/575 and 20/675) and my cheap one listening for other frequencies. This way I could use FRS channels I picked up while also having the option to pick up GMRS 15/550 - 22/725. 

Obviously not the fastest way to scan. I'm sure there's plenty a million times faster. But to go from 1/562 - 22/725 in only about 2 seconds, it scans at a decent pace im not upset about. 

Anyone else have jury rigged ways of picking up frequencies while not disturbing their HT/Mobile?

Any idea of what brand radio you're having luck with?  I'd like a cheap handheld scanner.

[SteveShannon]

1 hour ago, Duck218 said:

Any idea of what brand radio you're having luck with?  I'd like a cheap handheld scanner.

Looks like it’s made for Ozark Trail by Gocom:

https://fccid.io/2ARRE2019LT001/User-Manual/user-manual-4481388

[Duck218]

1 hour ago, Sshannon said:

Looks like it’s made for Ozark Trail by Gocom:

https://fccid.io/2ARRE2019LT001/User-Manual/user-manual-4481388

 

Thanks 

[WRVG593]

6 hours ago, Duck218 said:

Any idea of what brand radio you're having luck with?  I'd like a cheap handheld scanner.

As I said above, 

Ozark Trail OZA19LT001

It's a 20 dollar for 2 pack FRS radio. Only pushes half a watt, but is weirdly great at recieving and scans channels 1-22 in about 2 seconds

[MichaelLAX]

So reading the manual for "Scanning" for the OZARK TRAIL OZA19LT001 Walkie Talkie 2019LT001, it seems it only scans the FRS/GRMS Channels 1-22; is that correct?

I misunderstood earlier that the OP was scanning UHF frequencies in addition to these channels.

In that case, the Pofung BF-T11 are $30 per pair on eBay (I originally purchased mine on Amazon, but they are currently unavailable there), 2 watts (I am assuming for Channels 1-7, 15-22 and 0.5 watts per Channels 8-14, but I have not measured them) and scans all channels in about 4 seconds.

Further, its CPS programing software can create code plugs that can be modified with a Hex Editor to expand its capabilities, including, in my case, changing the transmit frequency on Channel 19 to 467.650, so that I can use them to access a local GMRS repeater.

[back4more70]

9 hours ago, MichaelLAX said:

In that case, the Pofung BF-T11 are $30 per pair on eBay

These are great little radios.  I've used them in the wild and they work well.  I have six of them, I guess just to have six of them lol

[WRVG593]

11 hours ago, MichaelLAX said:

So reading the manual for "Scanning" for the OZARK TRAIL OZA19LT001 Walkie Talkie 2019LT001, it seems it only scans the FRS/GRMS Channels 1-22; is that correct?

I misunderstood earlier that the OP was scanning UHF frequencies in addition to these channels.

In that case, the Pofung BF-T11 are $30 per pair on eBay (I originally purchased mine on Amazon, but they are currently unavailable there), 2 watts (I am assuming for Channels 1-7, 15-22 and 0.5 watts per Channels 8-14, but I have not measured them) and scans all channels in about 4 seconds.

Further, its CPS programing software can create code plugs that can be modified with a Hex Editor to expand its capabilities, including, in my case, changing the transmit frequency on Channel 19 to 467.650, so that I can use them to access a local GMRS repeater.

So yes it only scans 1-22, which for my purposes is all I need. Channels 15,16,17,18,20,21 are all regularly used on my area (repeater wise), and obviously I can pick up those channels on my FRS Radio. That being said, it scans faster than my HT, which has 2 channel observation. Also, with 16 and 20 being the MOST utilized in my area, I keep my HT set to those while my FRS radio scans all channels. 

[MichaelLAX]

40 minutes ago, WRVG593 said:

So yes it only scans 1-22, which for my purposes is all I need. Channels 15,16,17,18,20,21 are all regularly used on my area (repeater wise), and obviously I can pick up those channels on my FRS Radio. That being said, it scans faster than my HT, which has 2 channel observation. Also, with 16 and 20 being the MOST utilized in my area, I keep my HT set to those while my FRS radio scans all channels. 

You could pick up a BF-T11 and modify it to both scan and then transmit to repeaters on Channels 16 and 20!

[WRVG593]

On 1/14/2023 at 2:08 PM, MichaelLAX said:

You could pick up a BF-T11 and modify it to both scan and then transmit to repeaters on Channels 16 and 20!

That's cool. Does it also do channel 15 or no? I noticed you said 16-20. What about 21 and 22?

[SteveShannon]

1 hour ago, WRVG593 said:

That's cool. Does it also do channel 15 or no? I noticed you said 16-20. What about 21 and 22?

I would expect it to do 15-22. He specifically mentioned 16 and 20 because you said those were the most utilized in your area. 

[MichaelLAX]

Well, out of the box, it does not do any Repeaters, as it is FRS.

But with the ability to use its CPS software with a USB cable, and a Hex Editor to modify the transmit frequencies to 467.xxx, it becomes Repeater friendly!

Except... I have not confirmed if the CPS software actually changes it from Narrow Band to Wide Band, as I have attempted to do.

Mine is set to change Channel 19 simplex to the local Channel 19 repeater I use; and yes, I mentioned those because those are the repeater channels that you said you use.

[WRVG593]

10 hours ago, Sshannon said:

I would expect it to do 15-22. He specifically mentioned 16 and 20 because you said those were the most utilized in your area. 

I realized later after I said that I was being goofy! I thought "duh" and came back. You had already answered what I came back to fix! Lol

[Lscott]

On 1/12/2023 at 4:08 PM, WRVG593 said:

So years ago I bought a cheap Walmart FRS Radio (Ozark Trail OZA19LT001) that talks between channels 1 (462.562) and 22 (462.725), and I forgot all about it for I only used it a couple times while camping and hiking. So I pulled it back out about a week ago and played with it so I could figure out what tones equaled what Hz (tone 1=67 hz, tone 2=100hz, it has "127 tones" or something similar. They're all over the place and hard to calculate exactly which one.) While doing so I found that almost all GMRS repeaters were still being picked up by my cheap 20 dollar for 2 pack radio, even though it has a hard time communicating with each other (figures it would suck at transmitting and be okay at receiving).

So I hit scan. This thing scans incredibly fast. So i set it to no tones and pick up everything it heard. So I had my HT set to the channels I generally use (16/575 and 20/675) and my cheap one listening for other frequencies. This way I could use FRS channels I picked up while also having the option to pick up GMRS 15/550 - 22/725. 

Obviously not the fastest way to scan. I'm sure there's plenty a million times faster. But to go from 1/562 - 22/725 in only about 2 seconds, it scans at a decent pace im not upset about. 

Anyone else have jury rigged ways of picking up frequencies while not disturbing their HT/Mobile?

I typically use my HT's for scanning. The one thing that helps a lot is setting the scan resume delay to 5 seconds or a bit longer. The cheap radios have a fixed delay whereas the commercial radios you can program it. The delay is so the other party has time to hit the PTT button before the radio resumes scanning. That way you don't keep missing part of the conversation because the radio hasn't gotten back to the active channel.

On some radios they can also be setup where a very quick press of the PTT button will drop the radio out of scan mode and leave it on the current channel. That way if you want to joint in on the conversation you don't have to manual stop the scan then scroll through the channels to get to the one you want. Later you can just resume scanning with a button press on the front panel.