First radio - Baofeng G11S - newb questions

[WRYZ421]

Just got my first GMRS radio yesterday, Baofeng G11S, just playing around with it and have several questions already:

DIY Channels? - channel 31 - 50 are these DIY channels, actually the only place I have heard anything, what are these?

Repeater channels - I have a repeater I have identified as being in range and have talked to the owner and I can use it.  I have the frequency, which should be channel 29, but how do I know if I'm connected to it?  Just put both my radios on channel 29 and talk and see if it comes out the other side?

Are there any settings I should change prior to really getting deep down this rabbit hole?

 

TIA

 

[Sshannon]

GMRS has 30 “channels” which are 30 defined frequencies that you can transmit on.  The top 8 are in the 467 MHz range and are primarily used to transmit to repeaters.  Because there are only 8 and because different repeaters use CTCSS codes to reduce interruptions DIY channels allow you to program additional combinations of channels and CTCSS (or DCS).  So, your repeater uses channel 29.  It probably uses a CTCSS tone as well.  A hundred miles away another repeater might use channel 29 also with a different CTCSS tone.  Having DIY channels allows you to program all of the different repeaters that you want, instead of constantly changing the tone.

Yes, if you have two radios set to talk through the repeater, separate them by some distance and you take one and a family member using your call sign takes another and you can try to talk through the repeater.  Or you could just use one and ask for a repeater check.

[WRXB215]

31-50 are repeater channels. DIY just means you have to program the tones yourself and maybe even the frequencies on some radios. The repeater owner should have given you a "tone" to use. Sometimes the TX and RX tones are different. You will need to enter the tone in the TX for your radio which will be on 467.xxx not 462.xxx. With that, the repeater will acknowledge your transmition. (Assuming you are in range.) You may want to leave the tone out of the RX until you are sure you are hitting the repeater.

[WRYZ421]

Do you know how to tell what my DIY channels are currently reading?  Again, its really the only place I am hearing anything but no clue what I'm listening to... 

[Sshannon]

14 minutes ago, WRYZ421 said:

Do you know how to tell what my DIY channels are currently reading?  Again, its really the only place I am hearing anything but no clue what I'm listening to... 

Don’t frequencies appear on the display while receiving a signal?

Unfortunately the manual I found on the internet doesn’t mention the DIY channels at all. It simply says there are 30 channels plus NOAA weather channels.

[WRYZ421]

They don't, which makes me wonder how you program them.  The display shows channel 32 DIY-2.  The only frequencies I do know are those 30.

[WRXB215]

The repeater frequency pairs are:

462.550 - 467.550
462.575 - 467.575
462.600 - 467.600
462.625 - 467.625
462.650 - 467.650
462.675 - 467.675
462.700 - 467.700
462.725 - 467.725

These frequency pairs repeat over and over for as many repeater channels as you have. These typically start at channel 23 on a GMRS radio.

[Sshannon]

2 hours ago, WRXB215 said:

The repeater frequency pairs are:

462.550 - 467.550
462.575 - 467.575
462.600 - 467.600
462.625 - 467.625
462.650 - 467.650
462.675 - 467.675
462.700 - 467.700
462.725 - 467.725

These frequency pairs repeat over and over for as many repeater channels as you have. These typically start at channel 23 on a GMRS radio.

Here's the page from the manual.

[WRYZ421]

Thank yall.

Figured a couple things out yesterday, apparently all of my channels had a Tx and Rx code plugged in, once I turned those off I could hear a lot more, go figure! 

I'm hearing a lot on channel 17, sounds like they are far away from me though, like 45 miles... how would that work since this is not a repeater channel?  Also, I tried to talk to someone on that channel and they couldn't hear me, why would that be? 

I'm sure I'll have more questions throughout the day!

Thank yall

[WRXB215]

@WRYZ421 Notice that the RX on repeater channel 25 is the same as the frequency for channel 17. This is why you are hearing them. In order to speak to them you need to set up the appropriate tone on channel 25 and use that. Also, you need to be within range. Just because you can hear the repeater doesn't mean you can hit it.

[WRYZ421]

@WRXB215 interesting, that makes sense.  So theoretically, I could go to channel 25 and hear the same I am hearing on 17, if it is going through the repeater?

So to transmit I would need to figure out what repeater they are using and put those tones as my Rx and Tx codes on channel 25?

[WRXB215]

@WRYZ421 Yes, that is correct. Many people recommend leaving the tone out of the Rx until you are certain everything is working and adding it in later to filter out unwanted signals. Keep in mind, the tones just tell the radio to squelch out everything that doesn't use that tone. That is what the repeater is doing. If you don't transmit the tone, it will not listen to you. Also keep in mind you need to be in range. I think you mentioned that what you heard sounded distant. If that is the case, you may still not be able to hit the repeater. I can hear the Channelview repeater way past the range I can transmit to it. Repeaters typically use lots of power, the HT I'm using doesn't have nearly as much.

[WRYZ421]

Perfect, that all makes sense to me. 

Is there an easy way to figure out what repeater they are using so I can figure out the tones?

[Sshannon]

25 minutes ago, WRYZ421 said:

Perfect, that all makes sense to me. 

Is there an easy way to figure out what repeater they are using so I can figure out the tones?

Ideally you can look it up and ask permission in the database associated with these forums.

Or, If the repeater identifies itself you can find contact information for the operator and contact them for permission to use it.

Finally, some radios have a function incorporated that allows you to scan for tones.  Most repeaters (but not all) use the same tone for both receive and transmit.  If the repeater doesn’t use the same tone on its input then you would have to listen on the input frequency and scan for tones there.

[WRYZ421]

Alrighty, did some experimenting this weekend and had not great results.  Again, I have a Baofeng G11S and gave one to my father as well.  We are about 2.5 miles away as the crow flies with some houses and trees between us, but no tall buildings.

We are right on the edge of our range here, sometimes it goes through and we can hear eachother but with a lot of static, but most of the time the transmission just does not go through.  I tried to go through a repeater, but although I am in range of the reception of the repeater, I can't reach it when transmitting.

I am hoping an antenna upgrade will solve this issue, since we are right on the edge.  Any recommendations for an HT antenna for this radio?  Any other options?

Thanks

[WRXB215]

2.5 miles with houses and trees in between is a long way. This is one place where more wattage actually comes into play. An antenna upgrade usually does help. Height is might always holds true. But when trees and houses are in the way, power is definitely a factor. You may need more power to penetrate the trees and houses.

Just this Saturday, I proved that to myself by hitting a repeater 10 miles away with 8w that I could not hit with 4w, all else being the same.

[WRWE456]

I posted this in another thread recently but it applies here as well:

GMRS is mostly line of sight (LOS) so anything you can do to improve that will help. Taking your hand held up on the roof of your house can make a big difference by getting your house and many near by buildings and obstructions out of the way. The same with a car, getting out of the metal box will help. Elevation will usually make the most difference. Hill top to hill top with nothing in between you might get a hundred miles depending on conditions and the antenna (some HT antennas are better than others). If you are operating in a neighborhood of buildings on flat ground you may only get a couple of blocks. There are lots of variables as you will learn and terrain will play a big roll. Also every barrier that the signal must pass through such as walls, forests even your body absorbs energy and will reduce your range. Keeping the antennas in the clear will do the most good.

An out board antenna on a car or home can make a big difference, keeping the above in mind.

 

Good luck, have fun and don't be afraid to experiment. It's the only way to know for sure what works for you in your situation.

[WRXB215]

4 minutes ago, WRWE456 said:

Good luck, have fun and don't be afraid to experiment. It's the only way to know for sure what works for you in your situation.

Yeah, what he said.