Repeater Offset

[desertbird]

I was able to talk to another person through a repeater this weekend a long way away. Very cool. He Indicated my volume was a little "light" but a clear transmission.

I am setting up another radio and noticed the "DIY" channel I set it up on the numbers after the decimal are not the same like the preprogrammed repeater channels 23-30.

Here is the repeater info:

 

Here is the DIY channel I put it on and did not notice the difference until today.

 

 

I thought repeaters worked off exactly 5 offset, how was I able to talk to the other call sign through the repeater.

 

 

 

[BoxCar]

As it's a DIY, perhaps you keyed in th receive frequency yourself. It's easy to make that error as some channels end  in 25 while others are 50.

[desertbird]

Is it close enough at 4.975 offset that it works? And maybe why my volume was " a little light"?

[BoxCar]

  On 7/31/2024 at 1:03 AM, desertbird said:

Is it close enough at 4.975 offset that it works? And maybe why my volume was " a little light"?

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No, the signal being sent is only 20 KHz wide 125 KHz away.

[desertbird]

  On 7/31/2024 at 1:21 AM, BoxCar said:

No, the signal being sent is only 20 KHz wide 125 KHz away.

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You lost me there, but how was I able to get through then if it is not exactly 5 offset?

[WRXB215]

@desertbird what radio are you using? If it's a GM15 or a GM30 you will probably have to do a firmware upgrade to fix the problem.

[desertbird]

GM15

 

[desertbird]

  On 7/31/2024 at 2:04 AM, WRXB215 said:

@desertbird what radio are you using? If it's a GM15 or a GM30 you will probably have to do a firmware upgrade to fix the problem.

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Can you explain what it is that firmware will fix?

[WRXB215]

@desertbird the decimal mismatch. There is a thread here where a couple of people did a firmware upgrade and it fixed that problem. I still haven't done it on mine because I don't use these radios with a repeater so it doesn't matter in my case.

[desertbird]

  On 7/31/2024 at 1:41 PM, WRXB215 said:

@desertbird the decimal mismatch. There is a thread here where a couple of people did a firmware upgrade and it fixed that problem. I still haven't done it on mine because I don't use these radios with a repeater so it doesn't matter in my case.

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Ah thanks, I think I am just going to go with UV-5R's. The Chirp software seems to be more customizable and a lot more info out there. Probably a little more learning curve, but that's the fun part. 

[FlatTop]

  On 7/31/2024 at 7:17 PM, desertbird said:

Ah thanks, I think I am just going to go with UV-5R's. The Chirp software seems to be more customizable and a lot more info out there. Probably a little more learning curve, but that's the fun part. 

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Are the GM15s you have from Baofeng too? 

[desertbird]

  On 7/31/2024 at 7:25 PM, JoCoBrian said:

Are the GM15s you have from Baofeng too? 

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Yes, but they don't use CHIRP, they use Radioddity GM30 programming software.

[WRXB215]

  On 7/31/2024 at 7:35 PM, desertbird said:

Yes, but they don't use CHIRP, they use Radioddity GM30 programming software.

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There is also an actual Baofeng GM15 software but I had to send Guido to beat it out of them. Don't know why they make it so hard to get.

[desertbird]

  On 7/31/2024 at 8:55 PM, WRXB215 said:

There is also an actual Baofeng GM15 software but I had to send Guido to beat it out of them. Don't know why they make it so hard to get.

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Is it locked up like the GM30 software? CHIRP seems wide open, and also probably prone to rookie mistakes that I'll be coming here for help with...

[WRXB215]

@desertbird I'm not sure what you mean by "locked up." GMRS radios are usually locked via the firmware such that neither the OEM software nor CHIRP can change them outside of regulation.

Also, as far as I know the GM30 and GM15 aren't yet supported by CHIRP. If this has changed, please let me know.

[amaff]

  On 7/31/2024 at 11:41 PM, desertbird said:

Is it locked up like the GM30 software? CHIRP seems wide open, and also probably prone to rookie mistakes that I'll be coming here for help with...

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Depending on the radio (or 'mode' that radio is in), Chirp is also 'locked up'.
On a TD-H3, for example, if you have the radio in GMRS mode, Chirp will enforce the rules for that radio.
If the radio is unlocked, it'll let you program whatever you want.