I am trying to use my Midland XtraTalk radios with my newer Baofeng set. Both sets of radios are ctcss and dcs tone free and they are set to the same channel. I have verified that the channels chosen are the same frequency per the channel chart in each user manual. When I try to communicate using one Midland with one Baofeng they won't receive the others transmission. Again, no tones are set and they are on the same frequency. A y ideas as to why this happens?
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Brand Compatability
- Thread starter scanman1958
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How close are the two HTs? Make sure that you are at least 20 feet apart.
In the menu do you have the offset option turned OFF or to 0 on both radios?
I think that you are using these FRS radios.
What channel number are you using? Which Baofeng model do you have? @RichardKramer also made an excellent point.
What channel number are you using? Which Baofeng model do you have? @RichardKramer also made an excellent point.
Without searching the boxes for a real model number these are frs typ radios. There are no narrowband settings, or offset settings. The only tricky thing is setting the dcs or ctcss channels. Those are not programmed in either radios. I will try what k4eet said.
Narrow and wide aren't going to eliminate a signal getting through. Listen to a narrow FM signal on a wide FM radio will only make the volume lower and the reverse; wide TX on a narrow RX can make the volume sound very loud. However, the signal will still get through. The NFM/FM variable is a red herring here.
OK guys. Here is what I have.
Two 22 channel FRS radios.
Midland Extra Talk #GXT710
Baofeng # F22
I was trying to use all four radios (two to a set) on Ch 1. No privacy tones, all on high power.
The Baofengs would communicate to one another.
The Midlands would communicate to one another.
The radios would NOT communicate between brands.
User manuals have the exact same frequency listing for each of the 22 channels.
So I played with the radios. Kept the Midlands on Ch 1. Changed every channel on the Baofengs, one channel at a time, until the radios communicated between themselves. Turns out, Ch 15 on the Baofengs is the same as Ch 1 on the Midlands. Even though the frequency chart says different.
Here is where you ya'll are going to say "you can't test that way". But I did. I took my 396xt and put it into Close Call Mode. Transmitted on each radio.....on channels 1 and 15. I will not show what the chart says because you all already know which channel is which. Here is what showed on the 396xt screen each time I pressed the PTT button on each radio....
Baofeng Ch 1 462.5625 Ch 15 462.550 ---- Exactly what the chart says it should be.
Midland Ch 1 462.550 Ch 15 462.5375 ---- NOT what the chart says it should be. 462.5375 isn't even a FRS assigned channel???
As you can see, that is why the radios communicate perfectly when the Midlands are set to Ch 1 and the Baofengs are set to Ch 15. I am guessing there was improper data entry at the Midland factory.
Two 22 channel FRS radios.
Midland Extra Talk #GXT710
Baofeng # F22
I was trying to use all four radios (two to a set) on Ch 1. No privacy tones, all on high power.
The Baofengs would communicate to one another.
The Midlands would communicate to one another.
The radios would NOT communicate between brands.
User manuals have the exact same frequency listing for each of the 22 channels.
So I played with the radios. Kept the Midlands on Ch 1. Changed every channel on the Baofengs, one channel at a time, until the radios communicated between themselves. Turns out, Ch 15 on the Baofengs is the same as Ch 1 on the Midlands. Even though the frequency chart says different.
Here is where you ya'll are going to say "you can't test that way". But I did. I took my 396xt and put it into Close Call Mode. Transmitted on each radio.....on channels 1 and 15. I will not show what the chart says because you all already know which channel is which. Here is what showed on the 396xt screen each time I pressed the PTT button on each radio....
Baofeng Ch 1 462.5625 Ch 15 462.550 ---- Exactly what the chart says it should be.
Midland Ch 1 462.550 Ch 15 462.5375 ---- NOT what the chart says it should be. 462.5375 isn't even a FRS assigned channel???
As you can see, that is why the radios communicate perfectly when the Midlands are set to Ch 1 and the Baofengs are set to Ch 15. I am guessing there was improper data entry at the Midland factory.
FRS is wideband, but that doesn't mean makers can't supply narrow band. They should still talk together, RXing wide band with narrow band TX, it just won't be very loud. vica versa, the sound would be loud, even distorted.
You got it backwards (easy mistake to make). FRS is narrow (NFM). GMRS is wide (FM) or narrow; radioman's choice.
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