Trying to have "private" communication.

[K9KLC]

My plans are to not renew my HAM license and instead get my GMRS license, but I digress

This is of course totally up to you and what you ( or who you) want to talk to. I just got off the phone with someone else I know that uses a Feng for GMRS and he confirmed on GMRS the tone decode works at least there. I don't know anyone using MURS honestly so I'm about out of suggestions.

 

[K9KLC]

Kinda makes me wonder if the old radio's tones are on pitch.

Ya. I don't know. I know guys use them all the time though on the ham bands and they are using transmit tones to get into the repeaters so at least some are close enough. We honestly gift a new one ( I forget the exact model) of those things to new hams thru our club and again those transmit and decode tones just fine. Our two club repeaters are mixed mode and we use the receive PL on every radio we give out there. Also we have probably 10 or so we can give out to use at events which we do various functions at. I'd they're programmed properly they seem to be fine.

 

[EAFrizzle]

There's a big difference in the QC on the new ones than those old ones. I had some UV-5Rs several years back, that had different intermittent problems, and finally died. On a ten-year-old Baofeng, anything can be causing a problem.

 

[WA4DIS]

It "shouldn't", but it can. My only suggestion would be to get in VFO mode and manually FPP the proper parameters in all 3 radios. That should help you tell if the problem is the radio or the CPS.

Ok, I did that and confirmed all the settings are correct. I also used only the 2 newer radios to test. Still no. *sigh* I'm starting to think this isn't meant to be.

 

[K9KLC]

Ok, I did that and confirmed all the settings are correct. I also used only the 2 newer radios to test. Still no. *sigh* I'm starting to think this isn't meant to be.

Show the settings on both radios please.

 

[KJ4DHF]

Have you tested the radio's on a ham simplex freq? The new radio's may be locked to stay off murs,gmrs.

 

[WA4DIS]

Have you tested the radio's on a ham simplex freq? The new radio's may be locked to stay off murs,gmrs.

The radios are factory reset and work on MURS, FR, GMRS AND HAM. The only thing not working is the so-called "privacy" tones.

 

[WA4DIS]

Show the settings on both radios please.

I am currently working 12-16 hr shifts, so might be next Wednesday on my off day.

 

[K9KLC]

I am currently working 12-16 hr shifts, so might be next Wednesday on my off day.

Ok thanks. Honestly if you try both new radios one locked down and the other one with no tone, even putting the stuff in Manually from the front and it's still not working, I'm gonna have to go with busted radios. To satisfy my own curiosity I had my buddy come back and we did it on the frequency you're trying with a 141.3 tone and it worked. the Feng did not pick up the transmission with my radio not encoding the proper tone. His Feng is likely 7 or so years old (he couldn't remember). Now then the transmitting radio was a Motorola XPR 6550 which while ancient still works well and has been checked recently on a service monitor so that was our testing conditions.

I did not check other Murs Frequencies or anything else on the Feng, we were programming it from the front which takes a bit. I still think you need to try a different frequency and whatever tone up higher in the PL category. Maybe put all 5 MURS frequencies in them and see what happens. Could also be as simple as something in your area interfering (while doubtful you never know with the receive on those things) that is causing issues also. I've suggested trying a different frequency more than once but you seem reluctant to try that for some reason. I've done all I can do for you shy of being there to witness the test and personally program the radio. Good luck, let us know how it pans out.

 

[AK9R]

I KNOW this is possible, but despite having a HAM license for 10 years (expired today), if it hadn't been an open-book test, I would have never passed.

When people say a test is "open book", they usually mean that a source which contains the answers is available to the examinee while taking the test. That's not currently the case for the amateur radio tests. The questions and answers are available for study prior to taking the test, but that document should not be readily available when taking the test.

Nonetheless, this line of discussion is off topic for a thread where you are trying to figure out how to use your radios.

 

[AK9R]

Here are the different modes I have tried. Please note this image doesn't show, but I also tried Cross mode.

Have you tried programming both radios with Frequency = 151.82000, Tone Mode = (none), Duplex = (none), Mode = FM, Power = High? Do this on both radios and see if you can communicate both ways using the radios programmed this way. This step would prove that the radios are capable of communicating with each other.

If that works, then program both radios the same except set Tone Mode = Tone and Tone = 100.0. Run your test again and make sure both radios can communicate with each other.

If that works, then program both radios the same except set Tone Mode = TSQL, Tone = 100.0, and ToneSql = 100.0. Run your test again and make sure both radios can communicate with each other.

If that works, then program both radios the same except set Tone Mode = DTCS, DTCS Code = 132, DTCS Rx Code = 132, and DTCS Pol = NN.

Then report back to us with a capture of your programming screen.

 

[nd5y]

It would also be helpful to read these.

MemoryEditorColumns - CHIRP

Redmine

chirpmyradio.com

Baofeng UV-5R - The RadioReference Wiki

wiki.radioreference.com

 

[nokones]

As mentioned earlier, my budget does not permit the purchase of new equipment at this time.

You can buy used DLR 1020 and 1060s that will provide privacy for less than $100 each on eBay. I just bought three DLR1020s for $50 each that were very clean in almost like new condition. However, you might find the programming of these radios somewhat challenging if you're not radio programming savvy.

You are trying and expecting cheap POS $15 Pandaland radios to work like real radios. Cheap is never cheap. Give it up and get real radios with real CPS programming software if you expect them to work like real radios. You spent your money on complications, not for real radios.

By the way, you do not have correct settings in the programming software.

 

[WA4DIS]

Ok thanks. Honestly if you try both new radios one locked down and the other one with no tone, even putting the stuff in Manually from the front and it's still not working, I'm gonna have to go with busted radios. To satisfy my own curiosity I had my buddy come back and we did it on the frequency you're trying with a 141.3 tone and it worked. the Feng did not pick up the transmission with my radio not encoding the proper tone. His Feng is likely 7 or so years old (he couldn't remember). Now then the transmitting radio was a Motorola XPR 6550 which while ancient still works well and has been checked recently on a service monitor so that was our testing conditions.

I did not check other Murs Frequencies or anything else on the Feng, we were programming it from the front which takes a bit. I still think you need to try a different frequency and whatever tone up higher in the PL category. Maybe put all 5 MURS frequencies in them and see what happens. Could also be as simple as something in your area interfering (while doubtful you never know with the receive on those things) that is causing issues also. I've suggested trying a different frequency more than once but you seem reluctant to try that for some reason. I've done all I can do for you shy of being there to witness the test and personally program the radio. Good luck, let us know how it pans out.

I have tried multiple MURS frequencies and tones, I thought I mentioned that previously. I will try some GMRS frequencies when I can. Thanks for all your assistance.

 

[WA4DIS]

Have you tried programming both radios with Frequency = 151.82000, Tone Mode = (none), Duplex = (none), Mode = FM, Power = High? Do this on both radios and see if you can communicate both ways using the radios programmed this way. This step would prove that the radios are capable of communicating with each other.

If that works, then program both radios the same except set Tone Mode = Tone and Tone = 100.0. Run your test again and make sure both radios can communicate with each other.

If that works, then program both radios the same except set Tone Mode = TSQL, Tone = 100.0, and ToneSql = 100.0. Run your test again and make sure both radios can communicate with each other.

If that works, then program both radios the same except set Tone Mode = DTCS, DTCS Code = 132, DTCS Rx Code = 132, and DTCS Pol = NN.

Then report back to us with a capture of your programming screen.

That's exactly the steps I have taken.

Screen capture coming soon.

 

[WA4DIS]

You can buy used DLR 2020 and 1060s that will provide privacy for less than $100 each on eBay. I just bought three DLR1020s for $50 each that were very clean in almost like new condition. However, you might find the programming of these radios somewhat challenging if you're not radio programming savvy.

You are trying and expecting cheap POS $15 Pandaland radios to work like real radios. Cheap is never cheap. Give it up and get real radios with real CPS programming software if you expect them to work like real radios. You spent your money on complications, not for real radios.

By the way, you do not have correct settings in the programming software.

Thanks for your thoughts and opinions.

 

[K9KLC]

I have tried multiple MURS frequencies and tones, I thought I mentioned that previously. I will try some GMRS frequencies when I can. Thanks for all your assistance.

Yes you mentioned that but did not post any photos of that. All of the photos you posted were of the same frequency. I cannot diagnose something where someone is having problems without seeing every step of the way during the testing.

If you can't get it to work on MURS, I doubt GMRS is going to act any differently unless there's a VHF problem in the radio.

 

[K9KLC]

I have tried multiple MURS frequencies and tones, I thought I mentioned that previously. I will try some GMRS frequencies when I can. Thanks for all your assistance.

I know guys using them illegally on GMRS and they have no issues with the tone decode according to what I was told. Again, I don't use those radios but have helped FPP (front panel program) quite a few for people and I can tell you that in every case I've encountered on both VHF and UHF, the TSql, has worked as expected.

 

[WA4DIS]

Yes you mentioned that but did not post any photos of that. All of the photos you posted were of the same frequency. I cannot diagnose something where someone is having problems without seeing every step of the way during the testing.

If you can't get it to work on MURS, I doubt GMRS is going to act any differently unless there's a VHF problem in the radio.

Ah, yes, I apologize. I will post photos as soon as I can. Probably Wednesday when I am home again.

 

[nd5y]

If the tone settings don't work on one frequency then changing the frequency will not fix anything.