Newbie trying to make first contact and failing!

[WRWG284]

I am trying to configure Chirp to make my first contact with my radio on a local open repeater and I don't seem to have the settings correct. 

I am trying to communicate with an active group on GMRS 18, but I don't know what repeater everyone is connected to...I don't think they are talking Radio to Radio because when I tried to make contact on GMRS 18 without any offsets or tones I get no response either.  However, I am able to hear myself on another GMRS HT 20 feet away.

I located my closest GMRS 18 repeater and I am trying connecting to an "Open System" with input/output tone of 71.9Hz

Frequency set to 462.625, offset +5Hz, Mode FM, High Power

Tone Mode is set to TSQL and ToneSQL set to 71.9Hz.  Tone doesnt show anything in the column but when I click properties it shows as 71.9Hz

When this programming is uploaded to my radio I cant hear anything on the channel configured with those settings.  However, if I switch to my regular GMRS 18 programmed channel I can hear the activity.  I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong...still learning rapidly but this one has me stumped.  I have not tried speaking on this programmed channel since I'm guessing I wouldn't hear a response, at least not from the group I'm hearing on the other GMRS 18 configuration

 

[jbkalla]

I could be wrong, but are the transmit and receive tones supposed to be the same?  If so, don't set to 'TSQL', just set to 'Tone'.  I THINK...  I don't have it here in front of me...

If only the receive tone is supposed to be set, remove the "Tone" setting.

I'm guessing somebody else can answer this better than me.

[wayoverthere]

18 minutes ago, jbkalla said:

I could be wrong, but are the transmit and receive tones supposed to be the same?  If so, don't set to 'TSQL', just set to 'Tone'.  I THINK...  I don't have it here in front of me...

If only the receive tone is supposed to be set, remove the "Tone" setting.

I'm guessing somebody else can answer this better than me.

You're on the right track. It's not uncommon for both tones to be the same, but until it's confirmed working, I would go with 'tone' (which just sends a transmit tone, and uses normal.squelch for receive) vs tonesql (which uses the same tone for both transmit and receive).

On that group on 18, it is possible they're using tones within their group, so wouldn't hear another user using no tones on transmit or receive.

[WRWG284]

Thank you both!! I got the repeaters configured correctly that are using that type of tone, but I have 2 more that I can't seem to crack into that I received approval for:

1) using Tone D025 (N - normal, not inverted) <-- this is from the email I received with approval

2) using TX DLP 315 and RX DLP 411 <-- also from approval email

^I'm not sure what to make of those tones and how to set them in Chirp

Thanks again, loving this new hobby!

[jbkalla]

4 minutes ago, WRWG284 said:

Thank you both!! I got the repeaters configured correctly that are using that type of tone, but I have 2 more that I can't seem to crack into that I received approval for:

1) using Tone D025 (N - normal, not inverted) <-- this is from the email I received with approval

2) using TX DLP 315 and RX DLP 411 <-- also from approval email

^I'm not sure what to make of those tones and how to set them in Chirp

Thanks again, loving this new hobby!

1.  DTCS Code: 025; DTCS Rx: 025; NN

2. DTCS Code: 315; DTCS Rx: 411; NN

I believe that's correct anyway!  Somebody will correctly me if I'm wrong, I hope.

[SteveShannon]

1 hour ago, jbkalla said:

1.  DTCS Code: 025; DTCS Rx: 025; NN

2. DTCS Code: 315; DTCS Rx: 411; NN

I believe that's correct anyway!  Somebody will correctly me if I'm wrong, I hope.

That looks correct to me also, but again, and I want to emphasize this.  It’s always best to leave the receive tones off when getting started.  If you leave the receive tones unset, you receive everything on that rx frequency.

[wayoverthere]

2 hours ago, jbkalla said:

1.  DTCS Code: 025; DTCS Rx: 025; NN

2. DTCS Code: 315; DTCS Rx: 411; NN

I believe that's correct anyway!  Somebody will correctly me if I'm wrong, I hope.

No disagreement, just a couple things to add...

The first, the tone mode column will need to be "dtcs"  The second, same again for tone mode, and also need to set the cross mode...can use "dtcs->" for testing with no Rx tone, or "dtcs->dtcs" to use both tones.

https://chirp.danplanet.com/projects/chirp/wiki/MemoryEditorColumns

[WRWG284]

thank you everyone this is so helpful!!