Squelch control on GMRS mobiles

[GrouserPad]

I am curious; Why doesn’t it seem any mobile GMRS radio units have a knob dedicated to squelch adjustment. It seems like this would be far more intuitive and useful….  most gmrs units I’ve looked into have a bunch of menu hoops to jump through to access the squelch control gate. And then when you do access it you have to enter your squelch adjustment then exit or save it to see if it’s at the level you want rather than it adjust in real time. Seems like a simple thing that is missing amongst gmrs units. Am I alone in thinking this ?

[kidphc]

Good question. Even my amateur radio gear is the same way. My LMR stuff, I set it and forget it, wouldn't really touch it anyways. Mostly using pl, don't really monitor simplex often.

What I wish all radios had was nuisance delete.



Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

[WSEZ864]

It IS odd that the squelch is so often buried in the menu. Frequency/Volume/Squelch - what else is necessary to fiddle with during operation? As complicated/convoluted as my FT-8900 is to operate in other ways, the squelch is a ring around the volume knob and super-easy to tweak underway.

[SteveShannon]

1 hour ago, GrouserPad said:

I am curious; Why doesn’t it seem any mobile GMRS radio units have a knob dedicated to squelch adjustment. It seems like this would be far more intuitive and useful….  most gmrs units I’ve looked into have a bunch of menu hoops to jump through to access the squelch control gate. And then when you do access it you have to enter your squelch adjustment then exit or save it to see if it’s at the level you want rather than it adjust in real time. Seems like a simple thing that is missing amongst gmrs units. Am I alone in thinking this ?

I don’t think you’re alone in wanting a more accessible squelch adjustment, but apparently I fall on the other end of the spectrum.  I almost never adjust squelch. I set it once, when I first get a radio, and almost never have to go back in and change it, which makes me curious why some people adjust it frequently and others very seldom do.

[GrouserPad]

7 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

I don’t think you’re alone in wanting a more accessible squelch adjustment, but apparently I fall on the other end of the spectrum.  I almost never adjust squelch. I set it once, when I first get a radio, and almost never have to go back in and change it, which makes me curious why some people adjust it frequently and others very seldom do.

I think I want easier adjustment because I’m looking into a vehicular mobile mounted unit. When traveling it’s rather common to get electrical interference breaking the squelch often enough to be aggravating and a quick reach for a knob is far easier than getting fiddly with menu access buttons and what not.  For instance I’ve got a stretch of state route I run regularly that has old powerlines that just bleed noise into the radio frequency spectrum badly…. And when I’m in unfamiliar areas this same type of interference can come and go throughout a days drive. Maybe the higher end gmrs mobile radios are capable of programming a special button to expedite the squelch adjustment process?

[WRYZ926]

Having a dial to fine tune squelch on GMRS mobiles would be nice. My Icom and TYT dual band mobiles have a dial. 

[GrouserPad]

7 minutes ago, WRYZ926 said:

Having a dial to fine tune squelch on GMRS mobiles would be nice. My Icom and TYT dual band mobiles have a dial. 

Copy that. Glad yours are setup nicely like that. I am stuck to part95 gmrs gear and I don’t want to be running gear not “certified” for gmrs. Trying to stay as legal as possible. That’s why I am going gmrs to be able to run the 50watt maximum when needed to make contact. 

[WRYZ926]

4 minutes ago, GrouserPad said:

Copy that. Glad yours are setup nicely like that. I am stuck to part95 gmrs gear and I don’t want to be running gear not “certified” for gmrs. Trying to stay as legal as possible. That’s why I am going gmrs to be able to run the 50watt maximum when needed to make contact. 

I still am using Wouxun KG-1000G mobiles in my vehicle and as my base station. While I have opened up my dual band radios, I stick with using Part 95 certified GMRS radios for everyday use.

It is nice to know that I can use one of my dual band radios in an emergency on amateur bands and GMRS since I am licensed for both.

I am restricted to using short antennas on my vehicle and run a Comet SBB1 for 2m/70cm and a Tram-1174 tuned for GMRS. Yes the SBB1 will work on GMRS with a SWR of 1.8 or less but the Tram has an SWR of 1.4 or less.

[SteveShannon]

3 minutes ago, GrouserPad said:

Copy that. Glad yours are setup nicely like that. I am stuck to part95 gmrs gear and I don’t want to be running gear not “certified” for gmrs. Trying to stay as legal as possible. That’s why I am going gmrs to be able to run the 50watt maximum when needed to make contact. 

 

5 minutes ago, WRYZ926 said:

I still am using Wouxun KG-1000G mobiles in my vehicle and as my base station. While I have opened up my dual band radios, I stick with using Part 95 certified GMRS radios for everyday use.

It is nice to know that I can use one of my dual band radios in an emergency on amateur bands and GMRS since I am licensed for both.

The kg1000g makes it pretty easy to adjust squelch.  Just press the squelch hotkey on the mic and then use the up or down buttons to increase or decrease the squelch level.

The db20g has a similar squelch adjustment, “fun” key, “1” key, then up or down buttons.
 

[GrouserPad]

7 minutes ago, WRYZ926 said:

I still am using Wouxun KG-1000G mobiles in my vehicle and as my base station. While I have opened up my dual band radios, I stick with using Part 95 certified GMRS radios for everyday use.

It is nice to know that I can use one of my dual band radios in an emergency on amateur bands and GMRS since I am licensed for both.

I am restricted to using short antennas on my vehicle and run a Comet SBB1 for 2m/70cm and a Tram-1174 tuned for GMRS. Yes the SBB1 will work on GMRS with a SWR of 1.8 or less but the Tram has an SWR of 1.4 or less.

Right on. I’m leaning towards purchasing the “Ocean” kg1000g plus from buytwowayradios right now.  Seems like everyone loves that radio. 

[GrouserPad]

3 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

 

The kg1000g makes it pretty easy to adjust squelch.  Just press the squelch hotkey on the mic and then use the up or down buttons to increase or decrease the squelch level.

The db20g has a similar squelch adjustment, “fun” key, “1” key, then up or down buttons.
 

Ok ok good to know. Thank you. I’m learning so much so quickly. You guys are great !!

[WRYZ926]

7 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

 

The kg1000g makes it pretty easy to adjust squelch.  Just press the squelch hotkey on the mic and then use the up or down buttons to increase or decrease the squelch level.

The db20g has a similar squelch adjustment, “fun” key, “1” key, then up or down buttons.
 

Yes it does. I always forget about that since I hardly ever adjust the squelch. I usually leave the squeal set at 3 on my KG-1000G's which works well for me.

[WRUU653]

The Retevis RA87 has a squelch knob, I beleive it was a reset up Amateur radio so that might account for it. My Icom 2730A Ham radio has squelch knobs.

It isn't very often I mess with them though, I might occasionally if it seems like I am picking up a higher noise level on a channel that isn't usually there but then that's it, that's the new setting I don't go back to it. 

[GrouserPad]

2 hours ago, WRUU653 said:

The Retevis RA87 has a squelch knob, I beleive it was a reset up Amateur radio so that might account for it. My Icom 2730A Ham radio has squelch knobs.

It isn't very often I mess with them though, I might occasionally if it seems like I am picking up a higher noise level on a channel that isn't usually there but then that's it, that's the new setting I don't go back to it. 

Cool, I’ve read up on the ra87 and it’s a pretty stout fully featured gmrs radio from the looks of it. I need to setup a base annd have another mobile to do and might use that radio to do double duty as a home base and mobile just swap it in and out of spare car when needed. 

[Davichko5650]

6 hours ago, GrouserPad said:

I am curious; Why doesn’t it seem any mobile GMRS radio units have a knob dedicated to squelch adjustment. 

My Retevis RA87 has a squelch knob concentric with thee Volume knob.  It can be defeated through the Menu using auto squelch settings.  I have that off so I can tweak it for intermod or other non signal things that open it.  But does seem most mobiles just have the quto type that's adjustable in the menu somewheres.

[Davichko5650]

16 minutes ago, GrouserPad said:

Cool, I’ve read up on the ra87 and it’s a pretty stout fully featured gmrs radio from the looks of it. 

Very satisfied with mine. Far better than the DB20G it replaced, which in turn was better than the Midland that replaced!

[WRYS709]

19 hours ago, Davichko5650 said:

Very satisfied with mine. Far better than the DB20G it replaced, which in turn was better than the Midland that replaced!

And 60% more expensive than the DB20G it replaced, as well! 

So I hope it's "far better..."

[Davichko5650]

51 minutes ago, WRYS709 said:

And 60% more expensive than the DB20G it replaced, as well! 

So I hope it's "far better..."

Yes, far more Fars so far!