Hitting repeaters with BF UV-82HP

[DDFF21]

Apologies if this is in the wrong section, but I need some help with repeaters and setting up a few BF UV-82HPs for it. My fire dept recently purchased a couple to try to experiment with using them to talk to our DPW and PD during storms since when the county switched everyone over to P25 we lost the ability to communicate between all of us. We're in suburban NJ right outside of Philly and these radios are only getting probably .25 miles of range, not enough to be able to really talk well around town. Trying to see if we can get more range by hitting repeaters on the VHF frequency but need some help with that.
Thanks in advance.

 

[davidzimmerman]

how is the BF UV-82HP getting a 25 Mile Range on SIMPLEX??? Talkaround??

 

[DDFF21]

how is the BF UV-82HP getting a 25 Mile Range on SIMPLEX??? Talkaround??

0.25 mile

 

[Will001]

Do you already have repeaters that you can hit? If so, you will need to program it to do an offset and PL tone.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DDFF21]

Do you already have repeaters that you can hit? If so, you will need to program it to do an offset and PL tone.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

There are a couple of repeaters that I've tried to use but it has done nothing to increase the range on them but I may be setting it up incorrectly

 

[KK4JUG]

I'm sure your antenna could use an upgrade. Be sure you use the proper CTCSS tones, if necessary.

Having said that, the radios are certified only for amateur radio use but you wouldn't be the only person doing this.

 

[DDFF21]

I'm sure your antenna could use an upgrade. Be sure you use the proper CTCSS tones, if necessary.

Having said that, the radios are certified only for amateur radio use but you wouldn't be the only person doing this.

Yeah these radios are only for basic communications, and we're not trying to spend a ton on getting our own channels, having these radios programmed, etc.

 

[KK4JUG]

I understand that money is short. The cost of the radio is the reason everyone buys it, poor quality notwithstanding, I just wanted you to be aware that, legally, it's just an amateur radio and not a very good one at that. I've said it many times on this forum: It's like a Bic lighter. When it breaks, you throw it away because it's cheaper to buy a new one than repair it..

Anyway, you should be able to hit a repeater unless it's many miles away. Check the CTCSS tones and look at CHIRP for programming software, It's free.

 

[R8000]

You should really seek the assistance of your local 2 way radio vendor. They can guide you to a affordable and legal solution to your communications needs.

I'd highly recommend purchasing a radio from a REPUTABLE radio manufacture. Motorola, Kenwood, Vertex, Icom, Harris, EF Johnson, Relm, Bendix King. These radios are built to meet FCC regulations. Most volunteer fire departments run with a tight budget, but there are still decent radios out there that won't break the bank. These cheap Amazon radios barely meet spurious emissions spec. If they do, it is hit or miss. You may not know it, but your $30 radio may be throwing a spur on another public safety channel that you are not aware of.

Not to mention, the vendor can make sure you are legal to use the frequencies you need to use. Even if no modifications to your license are needed, best to check with their licensing person.

If you have problems with your purchase, you have a local shop to call for service. You will not get that with a $30 radio from Amazon.

Good luck

 

[SpugEddy]

To do what you want to do is rather easy,
but there is some homework to be done on
your part.

1) find your repeater frequency
2) find the repeater CTCSS tone (also called the PL tone)
2a) find out what the offset frequency is. (UHF usually uses + or - 5mhz so you
would set up the repeater frequency at 500.000 and if the offset is + then you set
the offset {in the Duplex column} to + and then 5mhz. So you TX on 505.000 and RX on 500.000)
2b) UHF usually uses 5.00000 offset and VHF usually uses .60000 offset)
3) program the radio using CHIRP software
4) program the repeaters frequency, the CTCSS tone, the duplex {+ or -} and then
the offset to the correct mhz.
4a) Tone Mode column should be set to TSQL and then the TONE and TONESQL columns
need the actual PL tone set. (ie. 141.3 etc...there is a drop down menu with all the PL tones)
5) The rest of the columns should be somewhat self explanatory

Hope this helps

 

[SpugEddy]

I did forget to mention that the Baofengs are. many times, able
to scan for PL tones, but it is never mentioned in the manuals.

Pretty easy to do
set the repeater frequency in VFO mode (ex. 154.430)
then go into the menu
scroll through the menu settings until you find the RX CTCSS
hit menu and select the first available tone
then hit menu to save it
while still in the R-CTCS screen hit menu again
now hit the scan button on the number pad
as soon as somebody uses the repeater the scanner will start scanning
(blinking CT) until it locks on the correct tone
NOTE: somebody must be talking on the repeater and sending
the valid tone. Hopefully they talk long enough to scroll through
the list of tones and find the right one


Actually, here is a video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LY00zUx4zY

 

[mmckenna]

Yeah these radios are only for basic communications, and we're not trying to spend a ton on getting our own channels, having these radios programmed, etc.

Fire departments, volunteer or paid, are not exempt from the FCC rules.
There's a couple of things you need to pay attention to, as suggested above. The radios you are using are not approved by the FCC for what you are wanting to do. That puts you, your department, and which ever agency gave you access to their repeater at risk of getting fined by the FCC.
Using someone else's repeater, even if it's another fire agency, public works, police department, city, county, state, etc. requires written approval from those agencies.

You need to do this right, especially as a fire department. Others lives depend on it. Using $25 throw away radios and not following FCC rules can end up costing a lot of money down the road.

Please, listen to what people are telling you. It is important.

 

[DDFF21]

I did forget to mention that the Baofengs are. many times, able
to scan for PL tones, but it is never mentioned in the manuals.

Pretty easy to do
set the repeater frequency in VFO mode (ex. 154.430)
then go into the menu
scroll through the menu settings until you find the RX CTCSS
hit menu and select the first available tone
then hit menu to save it
while still in the R-CTCS screen hit menu again
now hit the scan button on the number pad
as soon as somebody uses the repeater the scanner will start scanning
(blinking CT) until it locks on the correct tone
NOTE: somebody must be talking on the repeater and sending
the valid tone. Hopefully they talk long enough to scroll through
the list of tones and find the right one


Actually, here is a video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LY00zUx4zY

Thank you, we're trying to hit the county OEM repeater since we have permission for that.

Also for the others who are saying these radios do not comply with FCC regulations, what are you suggestions for radios that will comply but not break the bank? There would be probably about 2 or 3 radios distributed to each dept, FD, PD, and DPW.

 

[cmjonesinc]

If you're just needing a few channels and you aren't going to be using them very often some old Motorola's, vertexs or Kenwoods would be cheap used. Ask local shops if they have any used ones for sale. Or ask your local Comm center. They may have some old ones laying around. I just bought a Vertrex vx 160 a couple weeks ago for $16 bucks.

 

[mmckenna]

CM Jones has some good suggestions.

If this is for emergency management use, relying on a $25 Chinese radio probably isn't a great idea. While they are inexpensive, you're putting a lot of trust in something that isn't designed for that sort of service. While there are some low buck Chinese radios that do have the FCC Part 90 certification, you're still trusting a throw away electronic device for emergency use.

Check with the local shops, like CMJones said. Check with individual departments, not uncommon for older radios to be kept as "cache" radios for emergencies.
If that doesn't work out, get some used HT-1000's or Kenwood TK-290/390 or 2180./3180's and program them up. Those are well built, reliable radios that will do what you need.

For what ever it's worth, yes, those radios would work. Getting the correct ones with the Part 90 certification would cover you legally, but you can do better. Amateur radio operators and hobbyists love these radios due to their cost, but as radios go, they are not what you want for any sort of mission critical application. There's a reason why they are so cheap, and it isn't because the Chinese really love us and want to save us money.

 

[DDFF21]

CM Jones has some good suggestions.

If this is for emergency management use, relying on a $25 Chinese radio probably isn't a great idea. While they are inexpensive, you're putting a lot of trust in something that isn't designed for that sort of service. While there are some low buck Chinese radios that do have the FCC Part 90 certification, you're still trusting a throw away electronic device for emergency use.

Check with the local shops, like CMJones said. Check with individual departments, not uncommon for older radios to be kept as "cache" radios for emergencies.
If that doesn't work out, get some used HT-1000's or Kenwood TK-290/390 or 2180./3180's and program them up. Those are well built, reliable radios that will do what you need.

For what ever it's worth, yes, those radios would work. Getting the correct ones with the Part 90 certification would cover you legally, but you can do better. Amateur radio operators and hobbyists love these radios due to their cost, but as radios go, they are not what you want for any sort of mission critical application. There's a reason why they are so cheap, and it isn't because the Chinese really love us and want to save us money.

All our radios are owned by County Comms, when we switched to P25 everyone had to return their old VHF portable radios. These radios are mostly just so that we don't have to call DPW or PD to see if they know a powerline is down or a tree limb is down and other things like that. I will try to see if we can track down some used radios that can easily be programmed by use instead of having to send them out to County Comms and get charged $$$ for it.

 

[hill]

600 kHz offset for VHF is only for ham radio 2 meters. There isn't a standard offset for the public safety VHF band.

 

[KK4JUG]

Also for the others who are saying these radios do not comply with FCC regulations, what are you suggestions for radios that will comply but not break the bank? There would be probably about 2 or 3 radios distributed to each dept, FD, PD, and DPW.

Please don't try to put us on a guilt trip. We were mostly making sure you knew. What you end up doing is your business, legal or otherwise.

I'm out of this one.

 

[ko6jw_2]

One suggestion is to get some used equipment. A member of our local ARES group put a business band repeater on the air for the use of non-profit emergency organizations. He obtained a number of Kenwood HT's from a fire department in the next county which was changing bands. The system is licensed and completely legal and he got the radios for next to nothing.