Need help getting started!

[thekayakr]

Hello everyone

Kind of new here. Joined last fall, was hot and heavy with it but got frustrated because I couldnt figure out how to connect with repeaters. I built a 60 foot tower, ran the LMR400, a 50 watt radio, the works. I can hear a group talking pretty far away from me. Im in a suburb of cincinnati and they are out in Franklin which is going towards Dayton. About a 30-40 minute drive. Anyhow, Ive watched countless videos on youtube, I read a GMRS for dummies book and I still cant make contact. I know its a simple setting issue. I have what I think is the proper plus 5 offset. Heres something thats odd to me. I have the GMRS channels saved in my radio. It doesnt show the frequency numbers on channel mode. When in channel mode why doesnt the settings like the offsets and such operate? They seem to only operate when Im in frequency mode? So when Im in channel I can scan thru all the gmrs channels and when I hear someone, I try to make contact. Nothing! So thats when I noticed that my offset wasnt working. I learned that only in frequency mode does the offset work. So I dial in the correct frequency to match that particular channel and 1st- it doesnt seem to be as clear but 2nd- I still cant make contact. The people just keep talking over me while I try to chime in. Can someone please help!  What am I doing wrong?

thx for any help in advance.

[coryb27]

Hello,

 

1. Type of radio would be the first thing we need to know.

 

2. Do you have the proper PL or DPL to access the repeater you are trying to connect to?

 

3. Just because you can hear people does not mean you can talk to them, if they are on a repeater and using PL or DPL nobody is going to hear you if your radio is not set up properly.

 

I will try to explain it as simple as I can and I will use the GMRS channel 462.675 with a PL of 141.3.

 

You need to transmit (TX) on frequency 467.675 using the PL 141.3 and receive (RX) on the frequency 462.675 using the PL 141.3

 

The repeater is listening on the 5 MHz + offset and almost all require a PL or DPL to bring up the repeater. If you don't bring up the repeater nobody is going to hear you because you are transmitting on a repeater input channel.

 

If you want to try and communicate with them simplex (without a repeater) you would need to use your talk around feature or set a channel up so your RX and TX info is the same but you would still need to know the PL or DPL in use by the other party.

[thekayakr]

Hey Corey! Thank you so much for taking the time to provide input.  I will check my settings in chirp. My radios are handheld/Baofeng and my base is the BTech5001.

[coryb27]

Hey Corey! Thank you so much for taking the time to provide input.  I will check my settings in chirp. My radios are handheld/Baofeng and my base is the BTech5001.

The important part is finding the proper PL or DPL needed to access the repeaters you are trying to use. You can check the listings on the main site and if needed contact the users to get the access info. Some scanners will decode this for you but it will only work if the input and output is the same. My first contact on a repeater was done that way, and once I was able to access it I made contact with the owners and still use that machine today.