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Newbie in need of help with choices.

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Mxmech

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Jul 10, 2015
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Hello all, first thanks for your help. I have been reading the threads and have been learning alot. My job has two systems we use airband and work band we have mobiles that we can use that are preset to our two workbands but because of multiple people trying to use workbands we have a lot of bubble packs that we can use also. I thought it would be pretty useful to be able to use a radio that can be programmed for the workband freqs that we use and FRS/GMRS, plus i wanted a shoulder speaker. So i bought a Baofeng UV-5r 2 +. And now im hooked. The radio itself works great. For receiving, but i get a lot of static and sometimes a "robot like" voice when transmitting, and sometimes a delay when pressing ptt. Also distance is pretty poor. I dont know if its just the rubber ducky antenna that is my issue or if its something else. Maybe a DCS issue or another tone issue issue. My boss gave me premission and the freq and dcs tones but that is his only info. I have been looking at other radios and have even been studying for my tech license.
I am going ro order the Nagoya Na-701 8 inch. But i was also looking at the Baofeng UV-82C or the GT-3WP. I'm just not sure if either one of those would be an upgrade or not. Any ideas would be great. Thank you.

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KK4JUG

KK4JUG

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That radio is only legal for amateur radio use and requires a license. It's not legal to use it for FRS or GMRS.

But, I suspect the CTCSS tones are the problem.
 
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Mxmech

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KK4JUG said:
That radio is only legal for amateur radio use and requires a license. It's not legal to use it for FRS or GMRS.

But, I suspect the CTCSS tones are the problem.
Click to expand...
Thank you for correcting me. On the FRS/GMRS i dont have any issues as they are open due to the different brands of bubble packs that we have we set them set at no tone. If i am using a dcs tone is there a matching tone under ctcss to program under to see if that works better. Currently the dcs tone is D465N with a +5.0 offset.

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teufler

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no you use DCS or CTCSS. DCS is a digital code,while the ctcss is an analog tone. Both can restrict what you have to listen for but the frequency may be a shared frequency so you have to wait until the freq is clear. Say you have a two crew in a building. One uses a DCS code of some number, the other crew uses another number. Each will hear only their crew but each will have to wait until the other gets off the freq. The bubble pack radio, you can select codes to help block what you don't want to listen too.DCS or CTCSS are full tone squelch meaning you transmit the code and your receiver has to hear the tone before the audio comes through your speaker. In large urban areas, DCS is sometimes used more than CTCSS because there are more tone variables. Your UV5R can listen to your workband radios and transmit to the workband radios. It will work on FRS/GMRS but has been stated, not legal to transmit. FRS for starters, has to have an antenna that is not removable, and that kills you right there. FRS is limited to 500 mw output, where the lowest the UV5R goes is 1 watt. Too much power, you "bleed " on other channels causing interference If you are in and out on the workband freq, they might be on a repeater, and that repeater may be some distance from you, so your signal will go up and down. The good thing, you have gotten hooked on your new radio, and a couple of night studying you can get a tech license and you can learn more about radios. Welcome to the hobby.
 
M

Mxmech

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teufler said:
no you use DCS or CTCSS. DCS is a digital code,while the ctcss is an analog tone. Both can restrict what you have to listen for but the frequency may be a shared frequency so you have to wait until the freq is clear. Say you have a two crew in a building. One uses a DCS code of some number, the other crew uses another number. Each will hear only their crew but each will have to wait until the other gets off the freq. The bubble pack radio, you can select codes to help block what you don't want to listen too.DCS or CTCSS are full tone squelch meaning you transmit the code and your receiver has to hear the tone before the audio comes through your speaker. In large urban areas, DCS is sometimes used more than CTCSS because there are more tone variables. Your UV5R can listen to your workband radios and transmit to the workband radios. It will work on FRS/GMRS but has been stated, not legal to transmit. FRS for starters, has to have an antenna that is not removable, and that kills you right there. FRS is limited to 500 mw output, where the lowest the UV5R goes is 1 watt. Too much power, you "bleed " on other channels causing interference If you are in and out on the workband freq, they might be on a repeater, and that repeater may be some distance from you, so your signal will go up and down. The good thing, you have gotten hooked on your new radio, and a couple of night studying you can get a tech license and you can learn more about radios. Welcome to the hobby.
Click to expand...
Thank you, yeah i read up on the FRS rules. It looks like i will be back to having to carry two radios while im at work. I didnt have the transmit problem on the frs we have those split between work ares. Each work area has its channel so anyone in that work area can use them. So do, some prefer the work radios. Thats why i went this route. And being a lead sometimes i have work in more than one area.
Out of fun, i used one of our vehicle radios and reprogrammed mine to match the dcs that was sending and receiving. Which was different than our base in the office. So now I'm a little more confused because they work together without problems.

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M

Mxmech

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Joined
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teufler said:
no you use DCS or CTCSS. DCS is a digital code,while the ctcss is an analog tone. Both can restrict what you have to listen for but the frequency may be a shared frequency so you have to wait until the freq is clear. Say you have a two crew in a building. One uses a DCS code of some number, the other crew uses another number. Each will hear only their crew but each will have to wait until the other gets off the freq. The bubble pack radio, you can select codes to help block what you don't want to listen too.DCS or CTCSS are full tone squelch meaning you transmit the code and your receiver has to hear the tone before the audio comes through your speaker. In large urban areas, DCS is sometimes used more than CTCSS because there are more tone variables. Your UV5R can listen to your workband radios and transmit to the workband radios. It will work on FRS/GMRS but has been stated, not legal to transmit. FRS for starters, has to have an antenna that is not removable, and that kills you right there. FRS is limited to 500 mw output, where the lowest the UV5R goes is 1 watt. Too much power, you "bleed " on other channels causing interference If you are in and out on the workband freq, they might be on a repeater, and that repeater may be some distance from you, so your signal will go up and down. The good thing, you have gotten hooked on your new radio, and a couple of night studying you can get a tech license and you can learn more about radios. Welcome to the hobby.
Click to expand...

Thats what i thought about the DCS and CTCSS. I did some playing and found the vehicle units we have, have a different tone. So i was going to try that one. But now im more confused on why i am able to receive and transmit on the same radio using two different DCS tones
Thank you, i did do some reading and yep, looks like i will be back to wearing two radios. And since i can't use mine for its intended purpose. i might as well just carry the shop radio and a bubble pack again. I never had an issue using my radio, we left the tones open and use different channels for the different work zones. Most of the guys prefer the bubble packs and its required for floor supervisors to carry the shop radio. And since i usually have work going on in multiple work zones. It was going to be my fix all solution. But now its just a hobby. Not to find out whats good here to play with. Thank you foe your help.

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L

lmrtek

Active Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2009
Messages
534
FRS and GMRS radios are narrow fm only (2.5khz)
So the radio must be programmed for narrow fm on those frequencies which cuts the transmit deviation level in half.
If you are transmitting 5 khz deviation(fm mode), you may sound like you are breaking up to a narrow fm radio.
Your PL tones will also be too high as a result and may not decode properly.
 
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