Kids Bubble Pack FRS Radio not Receiving from my GMRS

[Guest Abe]

My three kids each have a very simple FRS radio. Very simple. The only thing you can change on them is the channel and a setting that is either “H” “L” or “C”. I do not know what that setting is. If it were just H or L I would guess it is maybe transmit power for saving battery, but there isn’t even the ability to change the volume. 
 

I got my GMRS license and picked up a GMRS radio, UV-9G. I can receive from the kids radio, but when I transmit they can’t hear me. I have confirmed that I am transmitting by listening from a radio that is able to receive on the frequency of the FRS channel we are using. 
 

Its almost like the kids radios are using DCS or CTCSS, but that isn’t a setting you can adjust on the kids radio.
 

I was thinking that maybe there is a hardcoded CTCSS or DCs signal (The kids radio did come in 3 pack)

However when I scan for a DCS or CTCSS signal while the kids radio is is transmitting I don’t find anything. 
 

I am curious if any other GMRS users have come across this issue?

 Or any educated(or uneducated) guesses as to what the setting “H”, “C”, or “L”

 

 Thanks for any response even if only for comic relief,

 Abe

[Guest Abe]

Looks like “L” “C” and “H” are volume controls, low medium and high. One of those is not like the other. I guess you can’t display an M on a 7 segment display which is the only display it has. Which I guess is also why it only has 10 channels 0-10. 
 

Abe

[wrci350]

Brand?  Model?

[Guest Abe]

WRCI350, I am not sure how much help the model info is as they are no name brand toys, but it might help

For the kids radios, “model” and “manufacturer” details:

• Item model number ‏ : ‎ RD-866 Walkie Talkies for Kids
• Batteries ‏ : ‎ 9 AAA batteries required. (included)
• Date First Available ‏ : ‎ September 21, 2022
• Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Shenzhen Freetalker Industry Co., Ltd

from this link

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0BG2RRWMG?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

 

Here is a review that goes through the details of the kids radio. This reviewer got the 4 pack that didn’t come with nimh batteries or the charge cable, but other than that they look identical. 

 

[Guest Abe]

To try and talk to the kids radio I am using a baofeng UV-9G to transmit on the GMRS/FRS and I also have a UV-5R for listening and can confirm that the uv9g is transmitting

[WRUU653]

Some bubble packs come with preset tones on them. You could try scanning for the tones. @wrci350 is right, it would help to know what radios we are talking about. 

[Nehem11e]

1 hour ago, wrci350 said:

Brand?  Model?

I am not sure why my follow on posts were there and now they are not. I created an account maybe that will help. 
 

We bought the kids radios on Amazon they really are no name toys but here is what I can find:

• Item model number ‏ : ‎ RD-866 Walkie Talkies for Kids
• Batteries ‏ : ‎ 9 AAA batteries required. (included)
• Date First Available ‏ : ‎ September 21, 2022
• Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Shenzhen Freetalker Industry Co., Ltd

I am using a Baofeng UV-9G to transmit on the GMRS/FRS frequencies that the toy radios use. I also have a UV-5R that I have used to receive/confirm that the UV-9G is transmitting 

 

I have found out that the “L” “C” and “H” are volume controls for low medium and high. One of those is not like the other. I thinks it’s because M can’t be shown on a 7 segment display. Which is the only digital display on the toy radio. That’s also probably why it only has 10 (0-9) channels. 1-9 line up with GMRS/FRS channels 1-9 and 0 is 10

[Socalgmrs]

This is why my kids get uv5rs even the little ones and I just lock the screen.  

[Nehem11e]

Here is a review of the toy that shows its simplicity. The reviewer bought a 4 pack without nimh rechargeable batteries or charge cable, but other than that it seems identical

 

[WRQC527]

4 hours ago, Guest Abe said:

Its almost like the kids radios are using DCS or CTCSS, but that isn’t a setting you can adjust on the kids radio.

 

It's hard to be sure based on your post if your radios have CTCSS, but from the Amazon product description for at least one listing:

"2. Privacy- Our walkie talkies for kids are equipped with 22 channels, reinforced by 99 CTCSS sub-codes so that you can minimize the likelihood of other people being able to communicate with your children by using the same frequency."

[Nehem11e]

14 minutes ago, WRUU653 said:

Some bubble packs come with preset tones on them. You could try scanning for the tones. @wrci350 is right, it would help to know what radios we are talking about. 

I did use the UV-9G to scan for DCS and CTCSS while the toy radios were transmitting but it scanned all the way through and didn’t find anything. I wonder if the bubble pack might be using a non standard tone?

[Nehem11e]

1 minute ago, WRQC527 said:

 

It's hard to be sure based on your post if your radios have CTCSS, but from the Amazon product description for at least one listing:

"2. Privacy- Our walkie talkies for kids are equipped with 22 channels, reinforced by 99 CTCSS sub-codes so that you can minimize the likelihood of other people being able to communicate with your children by using the same frequency."

Here is the Amazon link for the ones we bought

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0BG2RRWMG?ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title&th=1

[OffRoaderX]

are the radios at least 50 feet away from each other when testing?

[Nehem11e]

2 minutes ago, OffRoaderX said:

are the radios at least 50 feet away from each other when testing?

They are not. Do the bubble packs get overloaded and not receive strong signals?

[Nehem11e]

10 minutes ago, WRQC527 said:

 

It's hard to be sure based on your post if your radios have CTCSS, but from the Amazon product description for at least one listing:

"2. Privacy- Our walkie talkies for kids are equipped with 22 channels, reinforced by 99 CTCSS sub-codes so that you can minimize the likelihood of other people being able to communicate with your children by using the same frequency."

There isn’t any similar language on the posting from which we purchased the radio. I do chuckle at the advertisers use of the word privacy. CTCSS doesn’t give you privacy everyone on the channel can still hear you. It is filtering out who you can hear.

[OffRoaderX]

19 minutes ago, Nehem11e said:

They are not. Do the bubble packs get overloaded and not receive strong signals?

Yes. Probably more than real radios.

[Nehem11e]

8 minutes ago, OffRoaderX said:

Yes. Probably more than real radios.

Good to know, but I just tried at greater than 50ft. No transmission received by the toys and no identified DCS or CTCSS when scanning with a real radio while the toy was transmitting. 

[Nehem11e]

In case anyone follows this thread to the end,

It did turn out that the toy radio had a CTCSS tone. I didn’t pick it up on my scans because it was not one of the standard frequencies that my Baofeng was scanning. My UV9G started the scan at 67.0Hz and stopped at 254.1Hz

The trick was finding the frequency. It wasn’t in any of the documentation I could find from the seller, but I thought I would Google the FCC ID listed on the toy radio and sure enough there was a result and that FCC report actually had a pdf manual for the toy radio that I hadn’t seen before. In that manual it listed the frequencies for the channels and had a second column for CTCSS frequencies and they were all 62.5Hz. Setting that in the radio by typing it in as I couldn’t scroll to it(not one of the selectable options) worked like a charm!

 

[back4more70]

I bought some inexpensive "FRS" radios once.  They were great AFTER I programmed them.  Prior to that, they didn't even come loaded with the correct FRS frequencies.  AND they had CTCSS tones on them.  Ugh.

[WRWE456]

But at least it's "very easy to change the color".

[Nehem11e]

10 hours ago, back4more70 said:

I bought some inexpensive "FRS" radios once.  They were great AFTER I programmed them.  Prior to that, they didn't even come loaded with the correct FRS frequencies.  AND they had CTCSS tones on them.  Ugh.

I didn’t even think that the toys I have could be programmable. They do have a micro USB for charging.  
 

It’s working now so I might lean on the if it ain’t broke mantra. 
 

I was surprised at how much info there was when searching with the FCC Id number. The full up manual(explains how to change the color!) that the seller didn’t provide. As well as emission test setup info and pictures.