Getting started!

[WRWM850]

Hello!

Just got my GMRS license this last week, I am in Spokane WA. I'm really excited to start using radio.

I'm going to try to use a local repeater soon, is there a way to transmit to myself to test if its its working? (by working I mean me properly using the repeater)

I'm currently looking at radio option for an upgrade but at the moment I only have a baofang, I hear they have trouble with repeaters any suggestions?

[WRQC527]

Welcome! Key up the repeater, say your call sign, and say "monitoring" or "listening" or "testing". If the repeater responds, you should hear a courtesy tone come back. Ask for a signal report, (not a radio check, that's how you pay for radios), and if anyone is listening they may come back to you. Just make sure you ID properly when you are conversing on a repeater, and speak normally like you're on the phone or in person. No silly jargon. I have a Baofeng UV5R and a pair of UV82s that work fine on repeaters. 

[WRWM850]

thank you! WRQC527

I just successfully hit my first repeater and had a conversation; came in loud and clear with the UV-5R lol

[gortex2]

UV5R is not a certified radio for GMRS.

[SteveShannon]

23 minutes ago, gortex2 said:

UV5R is not a certified radio for GMRS.

Almost nobody truly cares.

[WRQC527]

9 hours ago, WRWM850 said:

thank you! WRQC527

I just successfully hit my first repeater and had a conversation; came in loud and clear with the UV-5R lol

Awesome! You've mastered the art of setting up a repeater in a handheld radio! Lots of folks have trouble at first. As you can see, there are some folks who will inevitably bring up the fact that technically, the UV5R isn't certified for GMRS, but there are others, me included, who bring up the fact that hardly anyone cares. It's the subject of multiple unresolved threads and posts here. My advice, and probably the advice of others as well, don't ask, don't tell, and definitely don't get suckered in to endless debates about it. Have fun with GMRS. 

[gortex2]

33 minutes ago, Sshannon said:

Almost nobody truly cares.

Yet we argue about ID on a repeater for months....Either we care about the rules or not. 

The focus of the forum should be on proper GMRS use. If not its just another SHTF forum.

[Lscott]

41 minutes ago, Sshannon said:

Almost nobody truly cares.

That might be true with the UV-5R. On the "Spurs" thread I posted a file with the spectrum of what the output looks like. Various Hams know how dirty those buggers can get and won't use them, at least on a regular basis.

I had a buddy that tried the mod for the BF-888, another CCR, 16 channel UHF radio. The mod allowed the use of VHF on the radio for the lower 8 channels. He transmitted on a 2M frequency from our south building while I monitored him from our north building. Sounded OK. Then I tuned to the exact 3'rd harmonic of the VHF frequency, which put it on the Ham 70cm band. I heard him there just fine too, and the audio was VERY loud. The reason for that was the deviation on VHF is now 3 times that on UHF. Well that ended the experiment and he disabled the mod. Output of the radio was VERY dirty, spectrum wise, on VHF.

There is a reason why the FCC requires certification of radios. It's not just about what frequencies the radio can transmit on. The radio has to be a "good neighbor" and play nice on the air and not interfere with other users because the transmitter is a POS.

[WRQC527]

1 hour ago, gortex2 said:

Either we care about the rules or not. 

There has never been a better description of the forums on this site. 

[SteveShannon]

2 hours ago, gortex2 said:

Yet we argue about ID on a repeater for months....Either we care about the rules or not. 

The focus of the forum should be on proper GMRS use. If not its just another SHTF forum.

 

1 hour ago, Lscott said:

That might be true with the UV-5R. On the "Spurs" thread I posted a file with the spectrum of what the output looks like. Various Hams know how dirty those buggers can get and won't use them, at least on a regular basis.

I had a buddy that tried the mod for the BF-888, another CCR, 16 channel UHF radio. The mod allowed the use of VHF on the radio for the lower 8 channels. He transmitted on a 2M frequency from our south building while I monitored him from our north building. Sounded OK. Then I tuned to the exact 3'rd harmonic of the VHF frequency, which put it on the Ham 70cm band. I heard him there just fine too, and the audio was VERY loud. The reason for that was the deviation on VHF is now 3 times that on UHF. Well that ended the experiment and he disabled the mod. Output of the radio was VERY dirty, spectrum wise, on VHF.

There is a reason why the FCC requires certification of radios. It's not just about what frequencies the radio can transmit on. The radio has to be a "good neighbor" and play nice on the air and not interfere with other users because the transmitter is a POS.

 

35 minutes ago, WRQC527 said:

There has never been a better description of the forums on this site. 

I actually do care about the rules. I care that we explain them accurately when asked and that we explain why we have the rules we have. 
But I don’t like to see us whip them out as a scolding remark to someone who is just getting started and has just asked for help. 
 

[WRQC527]

27 minutes ago, Sshannon said:

I actually do care about the rules. I care that we explain them accurately when asked and that we explain why we have the rules we have. 

Exactly. Which is why I don't generally recommend using radios on services they're not certified for. I will say they do work, but I stop short of actually saying "It's OK to use a UV5R on GMRS".

[SteveShannon]

13 hours ago, WRWM850 said:

thank you! WRQC527

I just successfully hit my first repeater and had a conversation; came in loud and clear with the UV-5R lol

 

5 hours ago, gortex2 said:

UV5R is not a certified radio for GMRS.

@WRWM850 - Gortex2 is correct. Eventually you’ll find it’s easier to use a radio that has been designed to use on GMRS. The repeater channels are already established so all you have to do is enter any tones needed.  Also, as part of the certification process they are tested to ensure they don’t cause interference for others. GMRS radios must be certified to Part 95e standards. However, the FCC usually doesn’t enforce that unless something bad happens (like severe interference)!and they receive complaints. Even then they would begin with a warning letter. For most people using a radio that’s lacking type certification for the service they’re using, nobody even knows. Just be aware of the rules. 

The UV5R is a radio that many of us have. It’s flexible in ways that bend or even violate the rules. The original models were very bad at generating off frequency signals. The FCC came down on Baofeng and forced them to tighten up their standards in order to continue selling their radios for the ham radio market. They also have radios for GMRS, including one that’s physically identical to the UV5R. It might be called UV5G. 
Anyway, we’re glad you got your radio working. That’s a great first step!

[Lscott]

2 hours ago, Sshannon said:

I actually do care about the rules. I care that we explain them accurately when asked and that we explain why we have the rules we have. 
But I don’t like to see us whip them out as a scolding remark to someone who is just getting started and has just asked for help. 

I think most of us on this forum do as well. I try to remind people of the rules without being an A-Hole on the issue. People are adults and will make their own decisions, I just want to help them make an "informed" one. So long as I did what I think is the proper thing to do I let others make their decision whether I agree with it or not.

[WRWM760]

You and I filed at almost the same moment. It's rare to realize longshot coincidence. Wrwm760. Oklahoma. Salute!

[WRWM850]

seems like uv-5r or baofeng  is a bit of a trigger word... 

its been working good on my local repeaters. if I was causing problems I would use good judgment and stop using it 

honestly if it weren't for baofeng I might not have realized my inters in radio.

[WRQC527]

On 3/18/2023 at 11:59 PM, WRWM850 said:

seems like uv-5r or baofeng  is a bit of a trigger word... 

I would venture to guess that in spite of all the controversy they generate, the Baofeng UV5R and its GMRS variants are the most popular handheld transceivers in history. Haters gonna hate.  

[Adamdaj]

On 3/15/2023 at 5:54 PM, WRWM850 said:

Hello!

Just got my GMRS license this last week, I am in Spokane WA. I'm really excited to start using radio.

I'm going to try to use a local repeater soon, is there a way to transmit to myself to test if its its working? (by working I mean me properly using the repeater)

I'm currently looking at radio option for an upgrade but at the moment I only have a baofang, I hear they have trouble with repeaters any suggestions?

I maybe too late to put my two cents in, but welcome to the hobby. Please I don't mean to sound stupid or far out in left field, because I try very to  stay up to date with topics relating radio communications. If I were in the market looking Radios for GMRS equipment, I would steer clear of BAOFENG UV-5R due to the audio output and its overall construction.  Of course, shopping around for GMRS is easier Today than 30 or 40 years ago. Up till now, if you wanted to use repeaters, you would have to buy a used or surplus commercial Part 90 radio, which today Midland and WOUXUN as well as BTECH has bridge the gap with putting out Part 95 E certified or typed accepted equipment.

 

[WRWM999]

On 3/18/2023 at 9:52 PM, WRWM760 said:

You and I filed at almost the same moment. It's rare to realize longshot coincidence. Wrwm760. Oklahoma. Salute!

And me as well...WRWM999 in Maryland!   Learning a lot from this forum already, thank you all.