Baofeng GMRS-9R Reception Will not Break Through Squelch

[WRZU409]

New Member, nice to meet you all.

Disappointed with my recent purchase of a Boafeng GMRS 9R. Having a UV5R and a GM-5RH that receive good signals from my NOAA station and a vhf ham repeater that I listen to. The GMRS 9R sits silent unless I turn off the squelch. With the squelch off, reception seams similar, (maybe slightly less), to the other Baofengs. My question is if any other users had the same experience with this model and is their a solution around this, besides turning the squelch off. Previously having the Baofeng UV-9G, looking for a waterproof HT, it acted the same as this GMRS 9R. I ended up sending the UV-9G back, thinking it was defective. These two different style radios must have the same guts inside. Thanks, Kevin 

[Guest]

My uv9 works great.  I hate the crew on side plate but I get why it’s that way.   The only boofwang radio I have that seams  works better is my 21pro v2.   Either you have a setting wrong or the QC got your radio.  

[WRWE456]

Maybe try a different antenna?

[Sigma]

On 2/23/2024 at 9:07 AM, WRZU409 said:

New Member, nice to meet you all.

Disappointed with my recent purchase of a Boafeng GMRS 9R. Having a UV5R and a GM-5RH that receive good signals from my NOAA station and a vhf ham repeater that I listen to. The GMRS 9R sits silent unless I turn off the squelch. With the squelch off, reception seams similar, (maybe slightly less), to the other Baofengs. My question is if any other users had the same experience with this model and is their a solution around this, besides turning the squelch off. Previously having the Baofeng UV-9G, looking for a waterproof HT, it acted the same as this GMRS 9R. I ended up sending the UV-9G back, thinking it was defective. These two different style radios must have the same guts inside. Thanks, Kevin 

Hello, I am also very new to this, (weeks) and have the GMRS-9R, for me, having the squelch at 3 or 4 has worked, I live in a city but I receive NOAA channels fine.  Not sure if this helps.

[OffRoaderX]

On 2/23/2024 at 6:21 AM, WRWE456 said:

Maybe try a different antenna?

This...
The antenna that comes with the 9R is tuned for GMRS because it is a GMRS radio, and IIRC, it does not receive VHF (NOAA) frequencies very well. 

[WRZU409]

Thanks for the responses,

I tried the antenna around and round game with all my HT's. All the Baofeng 9 series performed the same (GM-9r, UV-9G, and UV9R) wont break squelch any where in my place or outside it. I live in a small mountain town in Colorado. My Baofeng UV-5r and the GM-5RH do pick up my NOAA and a sky net ham repeater i listen to with decent reception. It blows my mind cause my 5's pick up that uhf ham repeater clear, where the 9's will not break squelch on any setting. I returned the GM-9R for another GM 5RH which is a super radio with lots of newer features, just cant go swimming with it. I have tried other cheap GMRS HT devices like the Talkpod A36 which had decent reception, after i cleared the factory security codes and entered the correct repeater settings, but the dang battery kept popping out and the unit would hit the ground because the stupid belt clip is attached to battery. After a rubber band remedy for the battery problem, it turned out that the Talkpod would not broadcast on the repeater channels, back to Amazon. 

[WRWE456]

On 2/24/2024 at 6:43 AM, OffRoaderX said:

This...
The antenna that comes with the 9R is tuned for GMRS because it is a GMRS radio, and IIRC, it does not receive VHF (NOAA) frequencies very well.

Did you consider this? It could be that in your location the signal is just weak enough for this to be the issue.

[WSBA337]

WSBA337 Wayne,

 Long time listener. Ink still drying on my license. I just got a bf 9R pro. The other day, could not hear NOAA weather using the stock antenna. But the next day could .

moved near the window, and  also might be atmosphere conditions.  My bf Uv5r picks up 162.550 NOAA better. It has a Nagoya 18" antenna. . Thanks guys, Talk with you soon.