Need help programming newly purchased radios

[thorosaurus]

I bought some radios on ebay that include programming for free. I thought it would be a good idea to have the guy program them, then I can clone that to my current radios. Seems like an easier way to get into programming them, that way I can see what a properly programmed one looks like in the RSS.

Anyways, he sent me this form, and I was wondering if you guys could give me some tips on how I should program it. The radios are VHF, and I will be using them on the itinerant business frequencies.



I'm assuming I'm going to want narrow band on all of them? I'm wanting to maximize range, and I keep hearing that narrow band is better in that regard.

Scan and tone I don't know about at all. Hoping you guys can give me some advice on those.

I was also going to program the remaining channels (looks like there are only 7 itinerants on VHF) to the MURS frequencies, so I can play with them while waiting for my itinerant license to get approved. That would still leave four channels free, so I welcome any suggestions about what to do with those.

 

[clbsquared]

Narrowband on all of them. That won't do anything for range, but you're required to be narrowband unless you have an exemption. And it's not likely that you would be approved for an exemption under a vhf itenerant license.

Put all of them in a scan list and make sure he assigns a scan button so you can turn it on and off.

The PL Tone or DPL Tone is a "private line" so to speak. The radio will only unmute if the correct tone is recieved. Really doesnt matter what he uses. He'll know best (hopefully). It's not encryption or a security in any form. It just minimizes the radio to hear only radios programmed with that tone.

Put your local public safety channels in the other four if they are vhf analog systems. Or put NOAA in the other 4 but leave them out of the scan list. Otherwise it will just stop every time it gets to the channels broadcasting the weather.

 

[thorosaurus]

Narrowband on all of them. That won't do anything for range, but you're required to be narrowband unless you have an exemption. And it's not likely that you would be approved for an exemption under a vhf itenerant license.

Put all of them in a scan list and make sure he assigns a scan button so you can turn it on and off.

The PL Tone or DPL Tone is a "private line" so to speak. The radio will only unmute if the correct tone is recieved. Really doesnt matter what he uses. He'll know best (hopefully). It's not encryption or a security in any form. It just minimizes the radio to hear only radios programmed with that tone.

Put your local public safety channels in the other four if they are vhf analog systems. Or put NOAA in the other 4 but leave them out of the scan list. Otherwise it will just stop every time it gets to the channels broadcasting the weather.

Okay, how does this sound...

Channels 1-7 program to itinerants with tone and scan.

Channels 8-12 program to MURS frequencies without tone (so I can talk to locals with Baofengs), but with scan on.

Channels 13-16 program to receive only on safety channels, no tone, no scan.

Is that the gist of it?

 

[clbsquared]

If you’re receiving public safety channels, you will want to use the tone. Otherwise you’ll hear any and all interference from that frequency or any other agency close to you on the same frequency.

 

[clbsquared]

What makes talking to Baofeng users any different than talking to a user of a different brand? If the frequency and tone are the same, why does brand matter?

 

[thorosaurus]

What makes talking to Baofeng users any different than talking to a user of a different brand? If the frequency and tone are the same, why does brand matter?

I'm not sure I'm understanding the concept of tone correctly. Doesn't it have to be coordinated? That is, if I add tones to the MURS frequencies, won't that prevent me from being able to talk to someone who isn't using that same tone?

ETA: What would happen if I set the MURS frequencies to CSQ?

 

[clbsquared]

You would set it to CSQ if you want to hear everything on that frequency. If you know someone else using MURS and they are using a tone, you would need to enter that tone in your tx info to be able to talk to them. Otherwise, unless they’re using CSQ, they won’t hear you. My advice to you is just leave it on CSQ for MURS

 

[mm]

One change with MURS 154.57 and 154.60 MHz , they used to be called blue and green dot, these should be programmed for 20 kHz RX bandwidth not 11.25 kHz, similarly the transmitter deviation should be set for wide.

FCC PART 95 e-CFR data is current as of March 26, 2020

eCFR :: 47 CFR Part 95 -- Personal Radio Services

www.ecfr.gov

§95.2773 MURS authorized bandwidths.

a) The occupied bandwidth of emissions transmitted on the center frequencies 151.820 MHz, 151.880 MHz, and 151.940 MHz must not exceed 11.25 kHz.
(b) The occupied bandwidth of emissions transmitted on the center frequencies 154.570 MHz and 154.600 MHz must not exceed 20.0 kHz.

All pre-programmed murs radios will come programmed like this with wide on 154.57/154.60 MHz.

 

[thorosaurus]

One change with MURS 154.57 and 154.60 MHz , they used to be called blue and green dot, these should be programmed for 20 kHz RX bandwidth not 11.25 kHz, similarly the transmitter deviation should be set for wide.

FCC PART 95 e-CFR data is current as of March 26, 2020

eCFR :: 47 CFR Part 95 -- Personal Radio Services

www.ecfr.gov

§95.2773 MURS authorized bandwidths.

a) The occupied bandwidth of emissions transmitted on the center frequencies 151.820 MHz, 151.880 MHz, and 151.940 MHz must not exceed 11.25 kHz.
(b) The occupied bandwidth of emissions transmitted on the center frequencies 154.570 MHz and 154.600 MHz must not exceed 20.0 kHz.

All pre-programmed murs radios will come programmed like this with wide on 154.57/154.60 MHz.

Thanks, good to know. I've been told that wideband has better range, is that true?