Can't get FRS walkie to communicate with GMRS walkie

[Papa2118]

I have a couple Samcom FPCN30a's I'm trying to talk to some cheapie Topsung K-12 FRS radios.  Freq (Ch 7) is the same for both according to he chart for the K-12's with 12.5 bandwidth.  I have CTCSS and DCS is off on both the K-12 and the Samcom for the channel I'm using.  The Samcom visually shows it's receiving a signal when I key the K-12, but no audio is heard.  I can't figure what I might be missing.

[SteveShannon]

How much distance between the two radios?

[Socalgmrs]

If separating then doesn’t help some FRS radios have tones set even on 0, zero, off, may need to figure out that time and set your other radios to that tone.  

[nokones]

This radio is a $50 20-channel radio and is a Pandaland radio sold by Pandaland resellers operating through that big warehouse operation.  Is there an expectation that these radios are supposed to work at that price?

The close proximity of the two radios with one radio transmitting may be overloading/over exciting the frontend of the receiving radio.  That problem is typical for cheap POS Pandaland radios, even if they are operating on the same channel.  You more than likely will need to give them a lot of "Farz" apart, more like lots and lots of yards.

[dosw]

3 hours ago, Papa2118 said:

I have a couple Samcom FPCN30a's I'm trying to talk to some cheapie Topsung K-12 FRS radios.  Freq (Ch 7) is the same for both according to he chart for the K-12's with 12.5 bandwidth.  I have CTCSS and DCS is off on both the K-12 and the Samcom for the channel I'm using.  The Samcom visually shows it's receiving a signal when I key the K-12, but no audio is heard.  I can't figure what I might be missing.

 

On Amazon I see two versions of the K12. Both state 22 channels, but one claims to be 136-174MHz, and the other claims to be FRS. Did you get the correct set? Let's assume you did. Then your problem is probably on the Samcom side:

 

The Samcom FPCN30A aren't GMRS, they're more general UHF radios. Their test certification through the FCC was for LMR, though they have a frequency coverage of 400MHz to 470MHz. Additionally they have 20 channels, where a typical GMRS radio would have 22 (plus repeaters). That evidence is enough to tell me that your FPCN30A radios don't come, from the factory, programmed to GMRS frequencies. So if you set channel 7, you might actually be on a frequency totally unrelated to FRS / GMRS. For example, the "how to program your SAMCOM Two Way Radio" guide shows channel 7 being set to 446.5000 at 25kHz bandwidth and with CTCSS/DCS turned off. These aren't type approved GMRS / FRS radios.

 

Installation guide: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81Y1Nhp44qL.pdf

 

If you're visually receiving a signal but not hearing anything, that's usually an indication that you have a CTCSS or DCS tone set in the receiving radio that is not being transmitted by the transmitting radio. So your step-by-step troubleshooting guide should be:

• Verify that the FRS radios are set to channel 7, and that the samcom is set to the correct frequency for channel 7: 462.7125.
• Verify that the FRS radio has no CTCSS or DCS tone set.
• Verify that the Samcom radio has no CTCSS or DCS tone set.
• Verify the volume is set to about middle on both.
• Key up the FRS radio and listen to the Samcom.
  • Did you hear something?
• Key up the Samcom radio and listen to the FRS radio.
  • Did you hear something?

I know you said you have the frequencies set the same, and the tones turned off. But this isn't rocket science; either they are misconfigured (in which case, double-checking should reveal the problem), or one or the other of them is defective. Those are the only two possibilities.

In either case if you didn't hear anything, then you have to test with other radios to see which radio is failing to transmit, or failing to receive. The point is to isolate the culprit.

If you found the culprit, either it's still misconfigured, or it's defective and should be sent back. If it's the Samcom that is defective, send them back and get actual FRS or GMRS radios, just to simplify your life.

[TrikeRadio]

3 hours ago, Papa2118 said:

I have a couple Samcom FPCN30a's I'm trying to talk to some cheapie Topsung K-12 FRS radios.  Freq (Ch 7) is the same for both according to he chart for the K-12's with 12.5 bandwidth.  I have CTCSS and DCS is off on both the K-12 and the Samcom for the channel I'm using.  The Samcom visually shows it's receiving a signal when I key the K-12, but no audio is heard.  I can't figure what I might be missing.

I had trouble trying to get an Arcshell AR-5 (which I assumed was just setup as an FRS radio because it was supposedly a "no license required" radio that a friend bought on Amazon) to communicate with my GMRS radio on simplex. the big assumption was that the channels 1,2,3,4... up to 16 I think were FRS/GRMS channels/frequencies. but when I downloaded the programming in CHIRP... they were frequencies all over the place (NOT FRS or GMRS at all)

So, while you may have checked or turned off all the CTCSS or DTS codes... you might want to connect it to CHIRP or it's propitiatory programming software and download it's programming. Confirm that the frequencies assigned to channels actually are FRS frequencies.

[dosw]

2 hours ago, TrikeRadio said:

I had trouble trying to get an Arcshell AR-5 (which I assumed was just setup as an FRS radio because it was supposedly a "no license required" radio that a friend bought on Amazon) to communicate with my GMRS radio on simplex. the big assumption was that the channels 1,2,3,4... up to 16 I think were FRS/GRMS channels/frequencies. but when I downloaded the programming in CHIRP... they were frequencies all over the place (NOT FRS or GMRS at all)

So, while you may have checked or turned off all the CTCSS or DTS codes... you might want to connect it to CHIRP or it's propitiatory programming software and download it's programming. Confirm that the frequencies assigned to channels actually are FRS frequencies.

If I recall from when I was looking this up a few hours ago, neither of this person's radios were CHIRP compatible. But the advice is solid otherwise; since the Samcom isn't marketed as a GMRS radio, nor type approved for GMRS, it probably comes with programming that all over the spectrum.

[Papa2118]

Have done everything suggest and still no luck.  I'm seriously considering sending the Samcoms back and getting maybe a couple BTECH GMRS-V2.  The BTECH look to be more bang for the buck.