Grms repeater and garmin rino radios

[Gone3748]

Brand new to trying to understand radios coming using garmin rino with family. Recently I've been trying to solve the problem of radio coverage while hunting. The family uses garmin rinos and they work great except once some of us go over the other side of the mountain. Looking around and I found some down and dirty remote gmrs repeaters with an ammo can a battery a solar panel and either two radios or a simplex Repeater box which just replays the last transmission.

It looks easy enough and I will probably switch to a more complex radio, but the rest of the hunters will not. My question is will the rinos be able to communicate through the repeater? I know if they are set to the same frequency they should but what I don't understand is on the rino channel 20 (462.6750) and repeater channel 20 (462.6750) they are the same frequency. Just some reading I thought repeaters worked on two separate frequencies. One TX and one RX. So what does the rino repeater channel accually do? What's the point if 20 and 20R are the same? Thanks.

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[WA0CBW]

Your rino is showing you the receive frequency. Your rino should transmit on 467.675 (the receive frequency of the repeater) and receive on 462.6750 (the transmit frequency of the repeater.
BB

 

[Gone3748]

Ahh. Thanks. I feel kinda stupid, but before I take the plunge I wanted to make sure I understood how it works. I got confused with the whole rino thing. Thanks for clearing it up.

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[grappler401]

Not sure if all repeaters will pass on you digital information from your Rino. Your Rino's ability to send text messages and your gps location might not pass through the repeater.

 

[Gone3748]

Not so worried about the gps and text data as I am with having comms out there... But it would be a plus.

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[ko6jw_2]

FCC does not allow position reporting on GMRS repeater channels. It's in the Garmin manual. The portable repeater sounds good in theory. Of course you could all get ham licenses and use digital modes that have GPS data built in. Some Yaesu fusion radios have GPS built in and automatically transmit position (and call sign) data and work through repeaters. The radios like the FT2DR are cheaper than the Garmin.

The portable repeater would have to be high up and in the clear to be effective.

A lot of ham radios can function as cross band repeaters. I also have a cross band repeater that can take two HT's and convert them into a repeater.

 

[Gone3748]

These guys aren't interested in ham licenses. I have a spot picked out to place the repeater on one of the peaks. It is really for if the **** hits the fan and there is no cell service I can atleast give my location over the air. I would have to do some testing to see how far and where I can get.

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[hitechRadio]

What he is talking about is sometimes known as a parrot simplex repeater. It is not a full duplex repeater!!

All it does is record the audio and then transmit the recorded message out once the user de-keys.

To the OP, this will work (kind of clunky) but should work for your situation fine.

Some here need to work on reading comprehension it seems!

 

[ko6jw_2]

These guys aren't interested in ham licenses. I have a spot picked out to place the repeater on one of the peaks. It is really for if the **** hits the fan and there is no cell service I can atleast give my location over the air. I would have to do some testing to see how far and where I can get.

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Not interested in GMRS licenses either I suppose. The 5 watt Garmins require a license on GMRS.

The repeater I'm talking about is full duplex. Because it is cross band it doesn't need a duplexer.

 

[Gone3748]

Sooo you assume I'm not gonna pay the $70 for a license. This is why no one gets into HAM.

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[ko6jw_2]

Sooo you assume I'm not gonna pay the $70 for a license. This is why no one gets into HAM.

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I don't assume anything about anybody. The fact is that most GMRS use is unlicensed. I have a GMRS license and a ham license. No fee for a ham license. By the way, we use GMRS with out joint ARES/CERT communications exercises. This is not some sort of elitist ham rant.

My point is that with GMRS you are limited to a few channels in one band. With ham radio you have many more choices of band, output power, and modulation. Also the ability to exchange GPS data digitally or through APRS. Who knows, there may be ham radio repeaters that cover your area. Then in an emergency you have a chance (probably slight) of reaching someone who can get help to you.

 

[Hans13]

I don't assume anything about anybody. The fact is that most GMRS use is unlicensed.

Since you assert that it's not an assumption, please cite the source of your data.

 

[ko6jw_2]

Since you assert that it's not an assumption, please cite the source of your data.

Since you took my remarks out of context, and clearly misunderstood them, there is no way to reply

 

[hitechRadio]

With ham radio you have many more choices of band, output power, and modulation. Also the ability to exchange GPS data digitally or through APRS. Who knows, there may be ham radio repeaters that cover your area. Then in an emergency you have a chance (probably slight) of reaching someone who can get help to you.

Read his post, he does not want or need a HAM license, for his hunting buddies!!!!!!
He SIMPLY wants to communicate over a hill!!!!
He Posted in the GMRS/FRS Forum,, not ham radio forum.

I feel like I am at the local car dealership, and the sales wont stop talking about the corvette when I came in to look at a truck!!

 

[Chrontius]

So I can see the ham-vs-bubblepack debate from both sides of it. Hams have a reason to be frustrated -- people are leaving capability on the table by settling for unlicensed or … uh, "minimally-licensed" radio services. They have a real way to handle the problems that people are bringing forward to the brain trust.

Thing is, ham radio is hard, and its inconvenient.

The license test may cost $15, and the license may be free, but I seem to take about an hour to make 10% progress in HamStudy. (200% is the goal; 100% exposure, and 100% provable proficiency. Also, I'm pretty damn smart and I test well; I can't guarantee everyone will move so fast) That's 20 hours of studying, and cancelling no less than one Friday's plans to sit for the exam. Or I can drive six hours (each way) to an out of town club's open exams. As for the local university's club, I doubt I'll be able to show up and test knowing nobody else. I'll probably end up being told to attend at least two or three meetings until I'm eligible, and then find out they only sit exams once per semester.

You can sit for your exam on the Internet -- but only if you live basically in Antarctica. I feel like this is a mistake, though I can understand why they'd prefer to make it hard to cheat.

Let's face it, though. You'll typically never be able to arm-twist most groups into getting their ham ticket. You'll just give yourself hypertension and piss off everyone you're leaning on.

If, perhaps, there were permissions for hams handing other people low-power fixed-function radios they can't really get in trouble with, then one person in the group getting a ham ticket could be the - heh - ticket. But I'm still a little hazy on third-party agreements, and just how close a third-party operator has to be supervised by the amateur operator to be considered operating legally under the ham's callsign.

Perhaps a better approach would be leasing business-grade radios from a shop? That way the only test you have to pass to operate legally and with the capabilities you require is whether they can cash your check.

 

[ko6jw_2]

I hesitate to get back into this discussion.

You want advice on the best way to communicate in a specific situation. However, some solutions don't fit in with what is practical for you.

I am well aware the the original question related to GMRS/GPS radios. Nevertheless, the idea was related to providing the best communications between individuals in the field under less than ideal conditions. How to make GMRS work better in that situation?

A portable repeater might be a solution. Most portable repeaters that I've used are suitcase sized pieces of equipment. Is it practical to lug one of these to a high location, set it up and then hike back down to get your other gear? Maybe or maybe not. Would ham radio be a better solution? Possibly, but conditions are certainly not ideal for any radio communications unless there is an existing mountain top repeater in the area. Cross band repeaters are much more compact, but again not practical for GMRS since it is limited to a single band.

You should check out (if you haven't already done so) myGMRS.com which lists GMRS repeaters around the US. Just possibly someone has one in your area that you could use. Most require the permission of the owner.

Is there a good solution here? No. Are there alternatives? Not within the parameters of the original question.

 

[ko6jw_2]

So I can see the ham-vs-bubblepack debate from both sides of it. Hams have a reason to be frustrated -- people are leaving capability on the table by settling for unlicensed or … uh, "minimally-licensed" radio services. They have a real way to handle the problems that people are bringing forward to the brain trust.

Thing is, ham radio is hard, and its inconvenient.

The license test may cost $15, and the license may be free, but I seem to take about an hour to make 10% progress in HamStudy. (200% is the goal; 100% exposure, and 100% provable proficiency. Also, I'm pretty damn smart and I test well; I can't guarantee everyone will move so fast) That's 20 hours of studying, and cancelling no less than one Friday's plans to sit for the exam. Or I can drive six hours (each way) to an out of town club's open exams. As for the local university's club, I doubt I'll be able to show up and test knowing nobody else. I'll probably end up being told to attend at least two or three meetings until I'm eligible, and then find out they only sit exams once per semester.

You can sit for your exam on the Internet -- but only if you live basically in Antarctica. I feel like this is a mistake, though I can understand why they'd prefer to make it hard to cheat.

Let's face it, though. You'll typically never be able to arm-twist most groups into getting their ham ticket. You'll just give yourself hypertension and piss off everyone you're leaning on.

If, perhaps, there were permissions for hams handing other people low-power fixed-function radios they can't really get in trouble with, then one person in the group getting a ham ticket could be the - heh - ticket. But I'm still a little hazy on third-party agreements, and just how close a third-party operator has to be supervised by the amateur operator to be considered operating legally under the ham's callsign.

Perhaps a better approach would be leasing business-grade radios from a shop? That way the only test you have to pass to operate legally and with the capabilities you require is whether they can cash your check.

As a VE, I can tell you that no one can impose conditions, like attending club meetings, as a prerequisite for sitting for a test. Sessions are required to be open to anyone who wants to test. Some VEC's don't charge for the exams. See Laurel VEC.

There is a difference between third party traffic and just letting someone use your radio. Third party traffic is involved with passing messages on behalf of another person or organization. For example, our ARES group was asked to provide communications for a half-marathon event. However, this was a for profit event. This falls under prohibited third party traffic. Letting someone talk on your radio is permitted when you are the control operator - meaning you are at the radio yourself.

There is a perception that hams are elitist and it is partly true. I've seen situations where no one will answer a new operator on a repeater. You know people are listening, but they won't answer. Despicable, but there it is.

We're off the subject here, but I just wanted clarify the exam issue.

By the way, I have both a ham and a GMRS license and am a member of a local GMRS repeater group. I have nothing against GMRS and I don't want anyone to become a ham if they don't want to.

 

[n1das]

Are the Garmin Rino radios in question repeater capable?? It seems this question has not been answered yet. EDIT: Yes they are repeater capable, according to the OP's description.

I recall the early Garmin Rino radios I've seen years ago were not repeater capable. They also did not have DCS capability, only CTCSS. This would make such a radio if repeater capable useless on my GMRS repeater, if I still had a GMRS repeater in service today. My GMRS repeater I had in service years ago used DCS/DPL instead of CTCSS/PL and that was on purpose to help keep the riff raff out of it.


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[ko6jw_2]

The newer models like 700 do both CTCSS and DCS. They are repeater capable. No GPS data will be transmitted through a repeater (FCC rule) which makes very little sense, but there it is.

 

[n1das]

The newer models like 700 do both CTCSS and DCS. They are repeater capable. No GPS data will be transmitted through a repeater (FCC rule) which makes very little sense, but there it is.

OK. Cool. I haven't kept up with the latest models.


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