If I program 2 radios identically to hit a repeater, why can't they talk to each other?

[dweezle]

I know there is something very basic I must not understand. I have two different radios. There is a GMRS repeater close by at 462.650.  167.9 input/192.8 output. I set that into each radio for GMRS R5. One radio transmits perfectly to the other. The second radio show it is transmitting, but cannot be heard by the first radio. Can someone please tell me what I'm missing in my understanding of how to set up for GMRS repeater.

 

Edited Friday at 01:32 AM by dweezle
typo

[WSAM454]

 As TerriKennedy said in  an earlier post,

"Remember, if both radios are set up to properly use the repeater, that channel (or however you set it up) will not work for direct HT-to-HT communication without the repeater - both radios are transmitting on one frequency and receiving on a different frequency, so they won't hear each other without the translation done by the repeater. Many radios have a mode where they can flip their Tx/Rx settings so you can talk radio-to-radio without the repeater, but let's get the basics sorted out first."

[OffRoaderX]

4 minutes ago, Jaay said:

did you remember to set the offset for 467.650 on Both radios

His post says he has them both on "GMRS R5" which I interpret as "Repeater 5" - if this is correct, there is no need for him to know about/think about offsets..

Hopefully he will find his way back with an update.

[SteveShannon]

1 hour ago, dweezle said:

There is a GMRS repeater close by at 452.650.

I assume that’s a typo?

[OffRoaderX]

10 minutes ago, dweezle said:

Can someone please tell me what I'm missing

How far apart are the two radios when you test?  If they are closer than 50 feet, get at least 100 feet away and try again.

PS: Welcome to the forum.

[Jaay]

28 minutes ago, dweezle said:

I know there is something very basic I must not understand. I have two different radios. There is a GMRS repeater close by at 452.650.  167.9 input/192.8 output. I set that into each radio for GMRS R5. One radio transmits perfectly to the other. The second radio show it is transmitting, but cannot be heard by the first radio. Can someone please tell me what I'm missing in my understanding of how to set up for GMRS repeater.

 

IF it's a repeater, did you remember to set the offset for 467.650 on Both radios ??

[TerriKennedy]

How do you know you are hitting the repeater with the "working" radio? Some repeaters will emit a "courtesy tone" (beep) back at you, and/or may trigger an auto-ID if nothing else happens for the next 10-15 minutes. Or you could ask for a radio check and see if anyone responds.

Try disabling the Rx tone on the radio that isn't receiving your transmissions.

If you programmed the radios with some programming software, a screenshot of how they are programmed will be quite useful to help solve your issue. Also, what exact brand and model do you have (might be on the front, might be on a label inside the battery compartment)?

Remember, if both radios are set up to properly use the repeater, that channel (or however you set it up) will not work for direct HT-to-HT communication without the repeater - both radios are transmitting on one frequency and receiving on a different frequency, so they won't hear each other without the translation done by the repeater. Many radios have a mode where they can flip their Tx/Rx settings so you can talk radio-to-radio without the repeater, but let's get the basics sorted out first.

[Jaay]

3 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

I assume that’s a typo?

That's what I thought ... Hopefully lol.

[OffRoaderX]

17 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

I assume that’s a typo?

This was also my interpretation.

[WRUI365]

iIf you have one radio in your left hand hitting the transmit button, and you have 2nd radio in your right hand hoping to here the transmission from your left hand and you don't. The radios are to close and you experienced something called de-sense. The radios are to close to one another. As the song goes "you have to keep them seperated"

[WRTC928]

28 minutes ago, WRUI365 said:

If you have one radio in your left hand hitting the transmit button, and you have 2nd radio in your right hand hoping to here the transmission from your left hand and you don't. The radios are to close and you experienced something called de-sense. The radios are to close to one another. As the song goes "you have to keep them seperated"

All radios are not equally sensitive to this phenomenon, even if they're identical radios. It's possible that one is desensed and the other is not. As others have said, start with the simple test of getting them separated by 100' or so. 

[WRUE951]

1 hour ago, WSAM454 said:

 As TerriKennedy said in  an earlier post,

"Remember, if both radios are set up to properly use the repeater, that channel (or however you set it up) will not work for direct HT-to-HT communication without the repeater - both radios are transmitting on one frequency and receiving on a different frequency, so they won't hear each other without the translation done by the repeater. Many radios have a mode where they can flip their Tx/Rx settings so you can talk radio-to-radio without the repeater, but let's get the basics sorted out first."

wondering when this explanation would come out  

[dweezle]

On 3/25/2025 at 7:53 PM, Jaay said:

That's what I thought ... Hopefully lol.

Yup, a typo

[nokones]

On 3/26/2025 at 6:42 AM, WSAM454 said:

 As TerriKennedy said in  an earlier post,

"Remember, if both radios are set up to properly use the repeater, that channel (or however you set it up) will not work for direct HT-to-HT communication without the repeater - both radios are transmitting on one frequency and receiving on a different frequency, so they won't hear each other without the translation done by the repeater. Many radios have a mode where they can flip their Tx/Rx settings so you can talk radio-to-radio without the repeater, but let's get the basics sorted out first."

As Randy stated, the OP needs to get both radios out of the desense affect. If he isn't hitting the repeater he will need to put the radios in the talkaround mode or pick a simplex channel.

[WRQI663]

Are you mistaking audio feedback for de-sense? I have never experienced that with a ht in each hand. That is how I verify both of them are receiving and xmiting to each other, on the same frequency/channel. Higher power can cause de-sense though.

Turn down the audio gain and listen for your voice  ---- I also use one to monitor the repeater to see if the other one is full quieting or in a bad spot.

When the crazies got on to jam ham repeaters that was a way to see if you can get over the offending signal. That is when higher power wins, most of the morons had hts.

[nokones]

On 3/25/2025 at 7:23 PM, Jaay said:

Yeah, maybe talk-around is active or something.

If it was in Talk Around he would be hearing the radio direct unless the transmitting radio is overloading the front end of the receiving radio which would normally occur with a Pandaland radio.

[Jaay]

13 minutes ago, OffRoaderX said:

His post says he has them both on "GMRS R5" which I interpret as "Repeater 5" - if this is correct, there is no need for him to know about/think about offsets..

Hopefully he will find his way back with an update.

Yep, it's gotta be something stupid simple that just got overlooked.

[Jaay]

5 minutes ago, TerriKennedy said:

How do you know you are hitting the repeater with the "working" radio? Some repeaters will emit a "courtesy tone" (beep) back at you, and/or may trigger an auto-ID if nothing else happens for the next 10-15 minutes. Or you could ask for a radio check and see if anyone responds.

Try disabling the Rx tone on the radio that isn't receiving your transmissions.

If you programmed the radios with some programming software, a screenshot of how they are programmed will be quite useful to help solve your issue. Also, what exact brand and model do you have (might be on the front, might be on a label inside the battery compartment)?

Remember, if both radios are set up to properly use the repeater, that channel (or however you set it up) will not work for direct HT-to-HT communication without the repeater - both radios are transmitting on one frequency and receiving on a different frequency, so they won't hear each other without the translation done by the repeater. Many radios have a mode where they can flip their Tx/Rx settings so you can talk radio-to-radio without the repeater, but let's get the basics sorted out first.

Yeah, maybe talk-around is active or something.

[Socalgmrs]

Wait wait from the title of the post

“If I program 2 radios identically to hit a repeater, why can't they talk to each other?”

if your programmed on a repeater channel the radios never talk to each other.  Radio A talks to the repeater and radio B listens to the repeater.  If your not hitting the repeater with radio A then radio be will never hear radio A on radio B 

[Jaay]

We'll see if Dweezil figures it out ...