quote:

Originally posted by Jimineer:

quote:

Originally posted by bronicabill:
<<snip>>
After a bit of thought, I went ahead and placed the order for the Type 75 approved radio pair from Amazon. They will supposedly arrive in 2 days... we'll see. Will keep the others while deciding what to do with them.

GMRS is USC 47 Part 95, not 75. I’m guessing that’s what you meant.

Yep... my bad. I'll go back and edit that post for correctness' sake!

Good God, I'm baffled.

Let me see...

No one radio can transmit on both GMRS (useful for short range, walkie-talkie type coms, and the technician accessible HAM frequencies (70cm and 2m) legally, as the radio would not be type accepted, although there is no type acceptance for pure HAM radios.

Some radios may be configured via firmware or CHIRP to do both, but that would not be legal, even if one had a both a GMRS license and a HAM license.

If one buys one of the configurable radios mentioned here, and it's either "unlocked" or CHIRPED up, and they have proper licenses, and follow proper procedures, while not technically legal, is unlikely to be noticed by anyone, and in SHTF who the hell cares.

A few questions: of the radio pairs mentioned in this thread, say, under $150 for two radios with reasonable accessories, before paying for proper licenses, which is the most useful?

Will all of these radios receive NOAA broadcasts or only some?

Is there a major benefit to a large screen, vs a small screen?

I note that the Baofeng 17R has 2 tx bands but 4 rx bands, adding NOAA and FM (which would be useful for news); is this important? I'm kind of leaning toward this unit at the moment, but it's only 5 Baofeng watts, and I'd like an honest 8 to 10 watts if possible.

I have used marine VHF (properly licensed), CB, and have an acquaintance with aircraft radios, so I am not a complete radio NOOB; I am however, a modern, programmable, GMRS / HAM NOOB. My last marine radio had user installable chips.

I have read this entire thread. Much of it twice, and I have hit analysis paralysis, and need help.

1. I want two radios, as I want to be able to call "home" if need be.
2. I have been interested in HAM and shortwave since I was a little kid, scanning the freqs. on an old Grundig multiband.
3. I intend to get both GMRS and Technician (at a minimum) licenses.
4. If this becomes a hobby for me, I'm willing to buy new equipment. This is emergency stuff, and learning stuff; it doesn't have to carry me deep into the future.
5. I live in central Florida, so hurricanes are a "thing" and waterproof, reasonably rugged and reliable would be nice.
6. I have reasonable computer competency, so I'm not afraid to plug this thing in and program it, once I know the procedure.
7. Bluetooth programming capability from a phone is a nice to have, not a must have. I also understand it may be possible to buy a BT attachment for the programming connection as a separate piece of equipment if the capability is not native to the device.

So, please help a brother out. Help me distill all the knowledge in here, and help me clarify what I don't know.

I'll monitor this thread, but I also have email in profile to take it offline, and would be happy to set up a zoom call or phone call if that would be best.

Thanks to all for the fantastic information provided in here. I'm trying to take the next step intelligently.

A

^^^^^^^^

The radios I ordered for my wife and I, the Xouxun KG935G Plus, are GMRS radios, but receive ham frequencies UHF 400-470 MHz (70cm) and the VHF spectrum 136-174 MHz (2m), also programmed for receiving 7 NOAA channels and FM radio, plus receiving NOAA alerts as well.

But transmitting is strictly GMRS. For our family emergency purposes, these suit us perfectly. In the future, if I have an interest in transmitting in the 70cm and 2m bands, I'll likely get a mobile rig instead of a HT, even though I have been looking at the Yaesu FT60 and the FT70DR.

So far this is what I have done.

Picked up the UV-5R pair that Para posted about in the beginning. Have been really impressed with them and for SHTF they are going to be fine.

Since this got the itch going, I picked up a pair of Tidradio GM-5R, these came with earbud mics, hand mics, bigger batteries, and programming cable. These are a different name but same style and same company as Baofeng. Also got my GMRS license to use them. Have talked with my brother Simplex 2 miles away in a suburban, wooded and hilly area. Way better than expected.

Picked up a Rtl-Sdr V4 dongle for scanning just about everything you can think of. Still experimenting with this and you learn alot about dialing in faraway stations, can see where this is going to help me when I get my Ham license.

I have been monitoring the GA repeaters (net) with both radios and am picking up people from North Tennessee to Florida.

So altogether I have spent right at $140 for 4 radios all the accessories and extra antennas. And the Rtl-Sdr dongle. Add $35.00 for the license. So $175 all in.

For scanning on the go I have noticed these, but I think my next step is going to a be HAM base station.

On Your Phone




or as a handheld.

My Nagoya UT-72G magnetic mount antenna just came in today, and I have it sitting on a cookie sheet in my living room listening to the radio in scan mode. I am hearing a huge... no, make that YUGE difference in what I am able to receive! Many channels I've never heard anything on before! Gonna try it in the car later and see how well it works in that environment.

quote:

Originally posted by fischtown7:
<<snip>>
Since this got the itch going, I picked up a pair of Tidradio GM-5R, these came with earbud mics, hand mics, bigger batteries, and programming cable. <<snip>>

This is the set I just ordered this morning to replace the Boafeng UV-5R set. According to my understanding, the Tiradio GM-5R is useable on both GMRS and HAM bands! If not, I'll be damned if I keep two different sets of radios to handle both; I'll use what I want to anyway... most likely the Tiradio set for both purposes!

quote:

Originally posted by bronicabill:
My Nagoya UT-72G magnetic mount antenna just came in today, and I have it sitting on a cookie sheet in my living room listening to the radio in scan mode. I am hearing a huge... no, make that YUGE difference in what I am able to receive! Many channels I've never heard anything on before! Gonna try it in the car later and see how well it works in that environment.

I have heard that about the cookie pan, I have to find my old CB magnet antenna and try that.

quote:

Originally posted by bronicabill:

quote:

Originally posted by fischtown7:
<<snip>>
Since this got the itch going, I picked up a pair of Tidradio GM-5R, these came with earbud mics, hand mics, bigger batteries, and programming cable. <<snip>>

This is the set I just ordered this morning to replace the Boafeng UV-5R set. According to my understanding, the Tiradio GM-5R is useable on both GMRS and HAM bands! If not, I'll be damned if I keep two different sets of radios to handle both; I'll use what I want to anyway... most likely the Tiradio set for both purposes!

I understand that the Tidradio is unlockable for Ham but I am going to just leave mine as is.

quote:

Originally posted by fischtown7:
<<snip>>
I understand that the Tidradio is unlockable for Ham but I am going to just leave mine as is.

Well I am so confused and frustrated by all this crap that I'm just gonna use this latest radio however-the-hell I wish to... FCC be damned! IF this latest purchase is GMRS and FRS legal, AND can be used on HAM bands when I get my technician license, then I will be fine with it. If I have to unlock it, so be it...

I have gotten in WAY over my head already, and I'm in the point of my life where all I WANT to do is simplify!!!

Man, take it easy, please.

It might be a good idea for you to slow down a bit with all of this. We're trying to motivate people to acquire emergency communication gear and knowledge. Just slow down, please.

There is a great deal which needs to be sorted out by the laymen. Let's stay on track.

Gotcha! Sorry for getting overexcited... something I tend to do often!

Actually I have decided that once the radios arrive, I am most likely going to offer the first set up for grabs here via KARMA. Just a way of showing my appreciation for this forum, and the awesome members here!

@ArtieS -

Ham radios are type accepted to Part 97. Anything that transmits RF will have a type acceptance except things operating in maybe the ISM bands, like a garage door opener fob. They may be as well though, not sure.

The licenses required for GMRS and Ham are vastly different in how they are obtained so I would expect the radios to be kept unique to each service, at least by law. You wouldn’t want a kid having a family GMRS license and a radio with access to ham repeaters and airwaves. You would end up with CB like nonsense.

I have an Btech which is a nice radio but was close to $100. I just got a the GMRS-UV-5r and a GMRS-9R (waterproof). Both the Baofengs have better screens and more videos on explaining and setting up. The weird thing is the local NOAA channel is NOAA #3 on the BTech but NOAA #1 on both Baofengs. The GMRS-9R has the extra long folding antanna and it is picks up the NOAA broadcasts through out my house while the GMRS UV-5R has to be close to a window to get good reception. Small testing of a couple miles, the Baofengs and Btech can pick up quite well on GMRS channel #16 and #17. Bear in mind this has been very limited testing. I may give the GMRS UV-5R to family who live a couple miles away, keep the GMRS-9R for my extra truck radio (have a 20watt mobile GMRS in truck) and keep the BTECH for in home use.

Interesting little rabbit hole we have gone down.

Well, I did thing. I swear I'm done.

I've heard it through the "grapevine" that GMRS is kind of "exploding". Perhaps it's only because Para pushed it past the tipping-point. Repeaters are being established all over and it won't be long before nationwide nets are established. I'm sure ham is having a resurgence as well with GMRS as a gateway drug.

I feel fortunate to have a number of repeaters I my area with wide coverage. My only complaint so far is folks say their callsign too damn fast . A lot of people talking are either in the radio business or communicate via radio for their business. A lot of shop talk which is educational, equipment checks, antenna discussion, and mobile setups.

I have an old briefcase that I can put all this in if I hit the road. I got a little nervous setting it up. I have 3 solar chargers with DC Out and only one would power the 13.8v amp. Not the Ecoflow (overload), not the Bluetti (short?), only the PAXCESS works, fingers crossed. Amp only pulls 3 Watts so I don't know what kind of boost I'm getting but absolutely no static.

Suppose I'll be looking for antennas wherever I go now.

How effective is that amplifier?

Yup, it’s definitely Para’s fault!

It's rated at 20-40 Watts needing 2-6 RF radio input. It sounds better. I'll have to ask the repeater monitor how much incoming he's getting but simplex would be the test I imagine.

Not that cheap and might be better to get a proper mobile rather than bootstrapping my handheld but it's a start.

I can listen to WX 162.400 but manual says not to transmit under 400MHz. It will pass- through though if turned off.

BTECH AMP-U25 Amplifier for UHF (400-480MHz), 20-40W Output (2-6W Input), Analog and Digital Modes, Compatible with All Handheld Radios: BTECH, BaoFeng, Kenwood, Yaesu, ICOM, Motorola https://a.co/d/bXfOuhN

quote:

Originally posted by bronicabill:
Yup, it’s definitely Para’s fault!

Ima blame Notarubicon

Designed to run on DC. How do you run it on AC?