programming

[cpriceEMA11]

hello i just got in to this with our emergency management team. i have the retevis ra87 and the ha1g i need help programing any help i'm at the end of my rope figuring this out please help !!!!  WSFM860

[OffRoaderX]

Maybe if you told us what part you are stuck on or what is happening.. or really, any details at all, someone can help.

[tcp2525]

Here's some resources on YouTube that will get you started and have a better understanding.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=retevis+ra87+programming

[cpriceEMA11]

the problem i am having is just getting everything working right i found the repeater channels but tried calling out on it for a radio check with no answer 

 

[OffRoaderX]

1 hour ago, cpriceEMA11 said:

... tried calling out on it for a radio check with no answer 

• Do you know if anyone was on the repeater listening?
• Do you know if the repeater is even online?
• Do you know if you are within range of the repeater (just because you can hear it does not mean it can hear you)

Did you get a "kercunk"? that is all you really need to know if you are hitting the repeater.

[cpriceEMA11]

yes every weds the owner of the tower calls out i was called out and answered with no reply 

 

[nokones]

4 hours ago, cpriceEMA11 said:

hello i just got in to this with our emergency management team. i have the retevis ra87 and the ha1g i need help programing any help i'm at the end of my rope figuring this out please help !!!!  WSFM860

You're a member of a Emergency Management Team using a Cheap Chinese Radio POS? I hope that this Emrrgency Management Team is not affiliated with any Public Safety Entity.

[BoxCar]

1 hour ago, nokones said:

You're a member of a Emergency Management Team using a Cheap Chinese Radio POS? I hope that this Emrrgency Management Team is not affiliated with any Public Safety Entity.

Uncalled for!!!

[WRQC527]

58 minutes ago, BoxCar said:

Uncalled for!!!

An inordinate amount of his content is uncalled for. He's probably on more ignored user lists than most. 

[SteveShannon]

1 hour ago, BoxCar said:

Uncalled for!!!

 

16 minutes ago, WRQC527 said:

An inordinate amount of his content is uncalled for. He's probably on more ignored user lists than most. 

I disagree on both counts. Although Ken could have been more diplomatic in his post, his point is valid: those Emergency Management teams that are part of a public safety system have an essential function that should require highly reliable systems. By mission definition Public Safety Emergency Management Systems are most necessary when infrastructure is already stressed and possibly in a state of failure.  
Second, I’m pretty aggressive about adding people to my ignore list. I haven’t even been tempted to put Ken on it. I’ve disagreed with him pretty strenuously but I’ve always been able to discuss things with him.

 

[WRUU653]

7 hours ago, cpriceEMA11 said:

the problem i am having is just getting everything working right i found the repeater channels but tried calling out on it for a radio check with no answer 

 

Did you enter the tones in the radio for the repeater channel? How are you programming the radio. You may find it easier to use chirp. A give us a little more info to help you. 

[wayoverthere]

7 hours ago, cpriceEMA11 said:

the problem i am having is just getting everything working right i found the repeater channels but tried calling out on it for a radio check with no answer 

 

If you're using the preprogrammed repeater channels, they *should* already be using the correct offset (worth checking in the software though). The other piece of the puzzle is the transmit tone; many of the cheaper Chinese radios call it t-ctcss or t-dcs, some repeater listings call it PL. (if there's a decimal, it's likely ctcss/PL, if it's straight 3 digits, maybe with an N or I, that's dcs/DPL). Needs to be set to the appropriate tone for the repeater to hear you.

The final consideration is range...are you close enough for the repeater to hear you? The limits here will depend on the repeater's antenna, and surrounding terrain.

[BoxCar]

10 hours ago, SteveShannon said:

 

I disagree on both counts. Although Ken could have been more diplomatic in his post, his point is valid: those Emergency Management teams that are part of a public safety system have an essential function that should require highly reliable systems. By mission definition Public Safety Emergency Management Systems are most necessary when infrastructure is already stressed and possibly in a state of failure.  
Second, I’m pretty aggressive about adding people to my ignore list. I haven’t even been tempted to put Ken on it. I’ve disagreed with him pretty strenuously but I’ve always been able to discuss things with him.

 

My comment on the post being uncalled for was over the way it was presented. I agree that SAR and EMA teams need good quality radios however, they do not need "public safety" grade radios in a volunteer organization. Public safety grade units are desirable however they are not required. Commercial grade or quality consumer grade radios are just as effective and have the advantage of being more available. Often, the only technical difference between the radios is the temperature range of the units. An IP67 grade radio is an IP67 grade regardless of who manufactures it as the comparison is to a standard not a brand.

[SteveShannon]

13 minutes ago, BoxCar said:

My comment on the post being uncalled for was over the way it was presented. I agree that SAR and EMA teams need good quality radios however, they do not need "public safety" grade radios in a volunteer organization. Public safety grade units are desirable however they are not required. Commercial grade or quality consumer grade radios are just as effective and have the advantage of being more available. Often, the only technical difference between the radios is the temperature range of the units. An IP67 grade radio is an IP67 grade regardless of who manufactures it as the comparison is to a standard not a brand.

As I’ve mentioned before, I have disagreed with Ken in the past, mostly about his characterization of all Chinese made radios as being the same shoddy quality. But that’s his opinion, informed by his experience with commercial quality radios, and I think we shouldn’t throw out the baby with the bath water in this case. Ken is very familiar with the high reliability of commercial radios such as Motorola.  They are produced to a much higher standard than Retevis or Ailunce products and people responsible for emergency management should be made aware of the difference. 

And the second part of his statement was similar in ultimate meaning to yours and frankly we don’t know that this is a volunteer organization (although that’s probably a safe assumption) or how tightly incorporated it is to public safety:  

Quote

I hope that this Emrrgency Management Team is not affiliated with any Public Safety Entity.

I understand that sentiment. An Emergency Management Team which is affiliated with a Public Safety entity should have better equipment, perhaps hot brand new Motorola, but used Kenwood commercial or Motorola.

Finally, IP67 is no measure of reliability or quality although it can contribute to reliability.  I would be more interested in statistics regarding mean time between failures and metrics like that.

[WRUU653]

Calling this persons radio a POS isn’t helpful. It didn’t even address the problem.  
This was their first post… this person literally just joined the forum and immediately got hammered for their choice of radio. Who knows if they will return after the warm welcome. Diplomacy matters if you want your opinion to be heard as information rather than insults. 

As for someone who is having trouble getting acquainted with trying to program repeaters… I’m gonna have to say maybe they’re not at a point where recommending getting a professional grade Motorola is really helpful. Or maybe they are used to working with Motorolas that have been programmed for them and they are now working with a local CERT for the first time and they aren’t radio dorks. Our local CERT recommends type certified radios for GMRS so maybe he’s following what he’s been told. Again none of this matters as it relates to the help they were seeking. 

 

[SteveShannon]

36 minutes ago, WRUU653 said:

Calling this persons radio a POS isn’t helpful. It didn’t even address the problem.  
This was their first post… this person literally just joined the forum and immediately got hammered for their choice of radio. Who knows if they will return after the warm welcome. Diplomacy matters if you want your opinion to be heard as information rather than insults. 

As for someone who is having trouble getting acquainted with trying to program repeaters… I’m gonna have to say maybe they’re not at a point where recommending getting a professional grade Motorola is really helpful. Or maybe they are used to working with Motorolas that have been programmed for them and they are now working with a local CERT for the first time and they aren’t radio dorks. Our local CERT recommends type certified radios for GMRS so maybe he’s following what he’s been told. Again none of this matters as it relates to the help they were seeking. 

Okay, I yield.  You and @BoxCar are right.  

[WRUU653]

4 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

Okay, I yield.  You and @BoxCar are right.  

I appreciate where Ken is coming from and you as well Steve, I’m just trying to put some perspective of the guy who’s trying to figure it out and needs a hand and had the guts to ask after only joining moments before. He may or may not be here because he’s into radios but he needs the tools to work for his situation. It’s all good. Coffee is on me this morning ️

[WRTC928]

If you can hear the repeater but they can't hear you and it has happened on more than one radio, by far the most likely is that either you are too far away or somehow you have the offset programmed incorrectly. Those are almost the only two possibilities. I second the recommendation to go to YouTube for some educational videos. Also, if you're using CHIRP, you can open it, go to "File", select "Open Stock Configuration", then choose "US FRS and GMRS Channels". It has the GMRS repeater frequencies already entered including the correct offsets. You can't program the radio from that file, but you can copy and paste using the "Edit" tab at the top to transfer it to the profile you downloaded from the radio (Radio-->Download From Radio). That should get you the correct programming. If that doesn't fix it, either you're too far away or you have an infestation of gremlins.

Edited December 13 by WRTC928
Correct typos

[tcp2525]

8 hours ago, BoxCar said:

My comment on the post being uncalled for was over the way it was presented. I agree that SAR and EMA teams need good quality radios however, they do not need "public safety" grade radios in a volunteer organization. Public safety grade units are desirable however they are not required. Commercial grade or quality consumer grade radios are just as effective and have the advantage of being more available. Often, the only technical difference between the radios is the temperature range of the units. An IP67 grade radio is an IP67 grade regardless of who manufactures it as the comparison is to a standard not a brand.

I have to agree with you on this. Of course we would all love to have MIL spec radios that can withstand a .50 cal hit or an EMP burst from a nuclear strike, but we gotta be realistic and use what we can afford or given. Admittedly, I must say that these cheap Chinese radios will fill the bill for the volunteer to complete their task without difficulty.

As for putting this person on the ignore list, I don't feel the need to block anyone I disagree with as it's not the adult thing to do when dealing with "difficult" people. I have always wondered how these people cope in the real world when they have to deal with people they disagree with. And really, if I put everyone on the ignore list in this forum that piled on a newbie there would be zero traffic. Just be helpful, don't jump to conclusions, and enjoy.