Buying used repeaters

[VETCOMMS]

When buying a used repeater, other than "buying from a reputable source" is there anything else the buyer can do/look for to know the unit is in good condition?

[BoxCar]

Is the unit still supported by the manufacturer and/or are parts readily available? What's needed to program the unit and does the software on your computer.

[VETCOMMS]

I like the gr1225 but no, it's not supported and requires Windows 7 if memory serves me right.

[WRUE951]

I dont think there are any good deals out there on used Repeaters..  Sellers on Ebay are getting high dollar for used radio equipment.   Lots of things you need to look out for..  Programing is the biggest issue, getting the software to program many of these used radios on the market is very hard if not impossible.  proprietary software, cables, power feeds and program cables is another issue..  Many times you'll buy a used repeater radio and end up spending as much or more for all these 'special' adapters, cables and software  to get it going..  Personally i would not waste my money on a used repeater unless i've gotten a squeaking clean deal that includes all the bells and whistles.  There a lots of good New repeaters on the market today, Bridgecom, Hytera, Maxon, Wouxoun etc..  In fact, you can buy two Maxon 8402 radios for around $600 bucks and build the same basic repeater Bridgecom offers for a grand less then what they are selling..  Many folks love their repeater and the Maxon 8402 is the heart of their jewel...  Don't get me wrong, there are some damn good used Motorola repeaters out there but unless you want to spend a lot of time and $ to get them going,,  Might now be worth it for the GMRS band..   

[SteveShannon]

1 minute ago, WRUE951 said:

Might now be worth it for the GMRS band..

“now” or “not”?  I wonder if you had a typo that completely changes the meaning.

 

[WRUE951]

9 minutes ago, Sshannon said:

“now” or “not”?  I wonder if you had a typo that completely changes the meaning.

 

Yea,, i got 'fat' fingers too....... and using my iPhone docent help.. 

[VETCOMMS]

Thx for that.  I was looking online and saw several uhf repeaters that were digital or dual mode digital/analog.  I assume the digital/analog would work for GMRS?

[gortex2]

You cannot use digital on GMRS. Analog only per the rules. There are alot of good repeaters out there. The GR1225 while a decent unit will burn up if you run it on high power. No there isn't support but for a $500 unit and a little online you can be on the air pretty quick.

With that said also know your environment and what you expect from the repeater. If your installing this at home in a town and not on a mountain you may not get what you want. The midland repeater package is a good unit for a home repeater as long as you can get the antenna up in the air. If all you have is portables its ideal. Vertex, Motorola, Bridgecom, Uniden, Daniels, Maxon, ICOM all make good repeaters. Antenna system is where a repeater shines. 

[SteveShannon]

1 hour ago, WRTZ750 said:

Thx for that.  I was looking online and saw several uhf repeaters that were digital or dual mode digital/analog.  I assume the digital/analog would work for GMRS?

Yes, just don’t use the digital modes. 

[WRUE951]

3 hours ago, WRTZ750 said:

Thx for that.  I was looking online and saw several uhf repeaters that were digital or dual mode digital/analog.  I assume the digital/analog would work for GMRS?

if the repeater is listed as Digital/Analog (DMR Radio) yes it will work as a analog repeater. Be careful though, some DMR repeaters/radios, i.e. Hytera and Maxon will come with Wideband Locked unless you specify when ordering the repeater..  No worries if you end up with a wideband locked repeater or radio as you can have them unlocked, only will cost you a little to have done after the fact or you find the unlock lic on-line..  The 8402 Maxon i stated above is an analog only radio, the Maxon MDM 4000 is a DMR/analog radio and both can also be configured to be a repeater but requires two like radios.   Maxon provides pinout specs for their Data Port so making your own repeater jumper cable is a snap.. Their CPS program is also very easy to use,  pretty much mirroring the Bridgecomm repeater.   

[Flameout]

On 10/8/2023 at 9:22 AM, WRTZ750 said:

I like the gr1225 but no, it's not supported and requires Windows 7 if memory serves me right.

I wasn't able to get the r1225 software to run under Windows 7 but runs fine on my Windows XP machine. Of course I may be wrong about Windows 7