Hello all

I have been reevaluating my family's communication plans recently got my GMRS license and have been doing some research and would like others opinions since the majority would have more experience and posable actually use. Have been looking into the uv5g plus and the td-h8, looking to use them for our emergency back up coms as well as outdoors camping, would like some input from others on there experience with said devices and if you have a recommendation based on your experience I would be interested to hear

Thank you

it was a french speaking ship this time and the input to their ship repeater was on the same freq as input to ch16 gmrs repeater >and> it happened to use the same pl tone.

their repeater used a 10Mhz positive offset

when notified of what's happening (in english) they immediatelly qsy'd to channel 2 (whatever that was - maybe 25khz up - i didn't look) thus clearing the gmrs channel.

two weeks ago it was a russian tanker but it worked a negative 10mhz offset on the same pair and pl of 88.5 so it was just jamming the input to 16.

according to fcc rules and NIFOG (National Interoperability Field Operations Guide) explicitly they are not supposed to run a 10mhz offset when in US territorial waters and are supposed to either cease operation (on those freg) or switch to 10.225Mhz offset which does not seem technically feasible

Hi!

I'm looking to purchase 4xH3-Plus to use around the house and while camping for my family/kids. I do not need a GMRS licence where I live, but I do plan to get one if I travel to the United States.

From what I gathered so far, the GMRS version comes with a specific antenna tuned for the right frequencies. What about the unlocked version? Is it a dual-band antenna?

I assume that the GMRS antenna would perform better than the dual-band one on those frequencies?

I'm still unsure if I plan to transmit in MURS, I guess that having a dual-band antenna would be a good thing, in case I get a further distance?

Is there anything I'm missing about the difference between the antennas on the GMRS and the Unlocked version?

Thank you.

I know these are repeaters but nothing more than that. Are these good quality? What kind of antenna do they need?

Wondering if a Bluetti unit could power something like the base station Wouxun KG-XS30G via the 12 volt socket as it's connected to AC. In effect I know pass through is a feature on the 110 plugs but don't know if someone has used this as a 'clean power' supply to the radio. Would be for camp sites that have power so would use the Bluetti for its other features too. Randy on Notarubicon has a Jackery that says "powers it for days", guessing a Bluetti can do so while plugged in?

I’m still new to gmrs I want to setup my radio with the channel names do I have to input all one by one or is there a cheat sheet that allows to download all my main radio is the uv5r x I know I have to manually input the ctss codes sorry still kinda new to all this

I'm about to purchase a Radioddity GM30+ (my first radio!! Thank you all for so much help!) and am wondering what antenna I should get / how to tell what a good antenna is?

Trying to figure out what selection to use to program a couple of Baofeng UV-5Gs. However, I do not see the model selection for it. I only see the plus and mini. Google is telling me to use the GM-5RH option or select Radioddity UV-5G, but im kinda iffy on those options. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I'm a ham but new to GMRS. I see local nets listed as "Octane/732" and several others. What's the "/xxx" for?? Seems high for a channel. I saw a "/10100", way too high for a channel. Is there a "GMRS vocabulary" somewhere?

Thanks

Hi,

I just paid my $35 and received a GMRS call sign with the letters "SOS" in it. Seems like this might be an issue, announcing SOS over the radio seems like a bad idea. Can I request a new one? Any advice? Thanks!

Hello, everyone.

Among the wide variety of PoC radios available, has anyone here ever set up this specific model (MT-628, MT-655, or MK-655)?

Yeah, the “Motolola” branding is a bit misleading, but I've also seen "MKMXPTT" listed as the manufacturer.

My main issue is trying to set it up using the pre-installed Zello app, but the LCD screen is quite small, and the resolution isn’t high enough to read clearly. The six buttons on the front panel are used to navigate the on-screen menus.

It supposedly runs on Android 8.1, similar to the MT-628 listed in the Android system menu, or the MK-655 / MT-655 models shown on Chinese e-commerce sites.

The problem is that there is only one USB-C port (located on the battery pack), and it appears to be used solely for charging. I asked the seller for help, but they didn’t provide a clear explanation with a concrete example (like using a K-plug adapter cable, common with Baofeng or Quansheng radios (see attached image).

I'm struggling to figure out how a device can be recognized over USB for programming or data transfer if the port is it relies on a CH340 UART (or similar) chip via an accessory cable.

I've done some research, but haven't found anything conclusive.

So, is there a way to mirror the screen to a PC using software like Vysor or QtScrcpy?

Thank you for your time and help! ;)

I have Radioddity DB20-G and DB40-G mobile radios. I’m running into instances where I’m on a repeater frequency and even after putting in the correct tx and rx tones, I am not transmitting and/or I cannot hear all parties that are transmitting. Is this a radio-specific mistake I am making or a general programming mistake? I am using tones found on myGMRS.

I just applied for a FCC GMRS lisence and am hoping to get a radio that can communicate across 5 miles in an urban area

I am researching what to get and have absolutely no idea what any of it means

PLEASE help me figure out what to get. I've read on here that an antenna is important to get, how do I know which one to get/ if it'll work with the radio I get. also, I'm sorry I'm so unknowledgeable, but how do radios work.... if feel so stupid and like a nuisance but I'm genuinely so confused and overwhelmed.

Hey y'all! I was wondering if anyone has ever has had a snafu involving FRS since they share frequencies. For example, asking someone for their call sign but the person you were talking to was on FRS (or do people only ask that on repeaters?)

Since FRS radios are really common, does that impact channel traffic? I am assuming during christmas it probably picks up considerably since they seem to be a common enough gift.

And for the opposite side of things, say you're on a FRS radio. Is it ever obvious when someone on a GMRS radio chimes in? Or is the output difference negligible?

xoxo, thanks

Box specs like "5W" and "5.5W" are hard to compare, so I looked up what each radio actually reported to the FCC in its grant (ERP on the 462 MHz main channels):

- Wouxun KG-935G Plus: 5.0 W (marketed as 5.5 W)
- Midland GXT67 PRO: 4.875 W
- BTECH GMRS-PRO: 4.624 W
- BTECH GMRS-V2: 4.6 W
- Rocky Talkie Expedition: 4.487 W

So the gap between the "strongest" and "weakest" here is about half a watt, which you'd never notice on the trail. The real differences are elsewhere: removable vs fixed antenna, waterproofing, weight, texting/GPS, and price.

Couple of other things I didn't know before digging in:
- Radios that send texts or GPS data have to use a fixed antenna under the FCC rules (47 CFR 95.1787).
- The "50W" mobiles file a little under that: the Midland MXT575 at 48.87 W and the BTECH GMRS-50X1 at 42.56 W.

Full disclosure: I built a small site that lays this out with a link to every FCC grant and spec sheet. It's here if it's useful: https://gmrsspecs.com/guides/how-to-choose-a-gmrs-radio/

If I got a filing wrong or missed a radio you'd want compared, let me know and I'll add it. What's everyone running?

any users in the NEPA, Poconos, Brodheadsville, Wind Gap/Pen Argyl areas? I'm new to GMRS and would like some help/advice in communicating on my new Baofeng GM-32 hand-held. Thanks!

I am new to GMRS radios and just recently picked up a pair of Tidradio H3 plus. One radio works fine but the other radio will only transmit on Channel 1. If I use any other channel then it will receive from other radios, including from some old Motorola radios, but not transmit. I have updated the firmware from Odmaster and also factory reset them with no change. I read that charging the batteries inside the radio can cause problems and so I had charged the batteries separate. Anything else I should check or did I just receive a defective radio?

I am trying to program local repeaters into my radio. I am not having success saving them in a manner that allows me to transmit on the proper nfrequency despite programming in the correct input tone for each channel. I am programming the channels but when I attempt to transmit I am just transmitting on 462Mhz instead of 467Mhz. I am entering the channel frequency, entering the input tone, and leaving the radio on the default 12.5KHz step.

Does this have something to do with the repeaters’ frequencies being the same as already available GMRS channels? As an example, I can tune to Channel 20RP (repeater) 462.67500 and manually enter the correct input tone for a given repeater and I can transmit on 467Mhz using said repeater. But I can’t program and store those settings as a custom channel for that repeater.

I am confused why if I am able to program and store custom channels I cannot get the proper transmit frequency along with the input tone.

Any help is appreciated as manually entering input tones for every repeater I am able to use defeats the purpose of being able to program and store custom channels.

Hi all,

Going to be installing a DB20-G in my truck soon, wondering what most people here have done for mobile installs in terms of power. I’d like to be able to use the radio while the truck is off, but I don’t want it draining my battery. Doesn’t sound like the radio supports an auto shutoff timer. What are you all typically doing?
- Low voltage shutoff switch?
- Direct wire to battery and manually turn the radio on/off every time?
- Ignition circuit relay to power it?

Looking forward to hearing ideas. Thanks all!

Hello all. I recently bought a Radioddity UB-15G for use in my 2023 Ford F-150 work truck. The radio came with a small magnetic antenna, about 6-9” in length. As the truck is made with aluminum instead of steel for the body panels, I have a 90mm circular steel disc secured to the roof using VHB tape. The magnetic antenna is in turn held in place on the steel disc.

I am new to the world of radios, but from what I understand, the small steel disc on the aluminum roof is a less than ideal ground plane to provide good reception. My goal is to improve my reception without making any permanent modifications to the truck.

Would a magnetic no ground plane antenna on the steel disc on the truck’s roof work? Should I look at a different mounting solution?

Ideally, I’d be able to temporarily remove the antenna for low overhead clearances and drive through car washes. I understand this may not be be realistic and I am keeping that in mind.

Any help and input is appreciated. Thanks!

WSLA385