NEPA GMERS News - NEPAGMERS

2024

Dec

More on Tone Codes

NEPAGMRS uses the Bear Creak 725 repeater. That means that the repeater receives the transmission from your radio on 467.725 and re-transmits it on 462.725. That is a 5Mhz offset. Most GMRS radios have that offset already setup in the radio. The Bear Creek 725 is setup with tone codes of D131N. That is a DCS tone code. It is set for both the RX and TX frequency. You need to set your radio tones to match those of the repeater. If you don’t have the tone code set for the TX repeater frequency 467.725 then the repeater won’t hear your transmission. Analog codes, CTCSS, and digital codes, DCS, work exactly the same way there are just a lot more codes to use with DCS.

If a person is on the GMRS channel 22 simplex with NO tone codes set on their radio they will hear all of the transmissions coming from the repeater. (remember the repeater is transmitting on 462.725 with a D131N tone.) However, they will not be able to transmit back since they would also be transmitting on the 462.725 frequency. (Remember the repeater receives on 467.725 with a tone of D131N). Since they do not have a RX tone set on their radio it does not filter anything out allowing them to hear all signals that are within the range of their radio.

This can be confusing. Think of tone codes as filters. They filter out all other signals from the radio. The tone code is an inaudible tone that transmits with your radio transmission. When you have tones set your radio will only allow signals in and out that have that tone embedded in the signal. If you don’t have any tones set you will hear everything.

2024

Nov

GMRS Simplex/Repeater

Difference between simplex and repeater on GMRS

As a licensed radio service, GMRS, the General Mobile Radio Service, operates in the 462 and 467MHz range. Most people that use GMRS, not all, but mostly GMRS is used in groups. As a radio standard, any GMRS radio can talk to any other GMRS radio. If you get a group of people, or just two people who want to talk to each other, GMRS would be a good choice: no test, low license fee, easy operate, clear voice.

If you already take a GMRS handheld radio, this may happen to you a lot. You may hear people talking on say CH16, but every time you try to talk to them, no one reply. They’re not ignoring you, the truth is that they can’t hear you. You can’t talk to them unless you configure your radio to use one of those special repeater channels, and set it all up.

GMRS is limited to 22 channels plus 8 more special repeater channels. For example, this is the frequency chart of UV-5G. You can see that CH1-CH22 are standard channels, and CH23-30 are repeater channels.

Many radios have channels that you can configure to use as repeater channels, but you’re limited to only those special eight repeater channels all the time. Some GMRS radios have extended DIY repeater channels, CH31-CH54 except for the common CH23-CH30. Such as our BAOFENG UV-9G and G11S. You would get a total of 4 groups of repeating frequencies to set different CTCSS/DCS and reduce the interruptions. If your GMRS radio is repeater capable, you can set up to use special channels 23 through 30 to talk on a repeater.

Repeater channels share and overlap with the regular 22 GMRS channels, this may cause much confusion. What is the difference between repeater channels and simplex channels (what we call regular channels)? Don’t know what needs to be set up to talk through a repeater? Then let’s quickly go over some of the definitions.

Simplex means talking directly from radio to radio, from walkie-talkie to walkie-talkie. Just pick up your radio, press the PTT button, and talk to your friends on your walkie-talkie, direct radio to radio communication. This is called the simplex GMRS channel. You don’t have to worry about frequencies because they’re pre-programmed well in every channel.

GMRS repeater channels are different than the simplex channels. The main difference is that a repeater channel is two channels combined to frequencies, combined on a GMRS radio. There are two channels or two frequencies that transmit and receive when you’re using one of the repeater channels. The radio automatically transmits on one frequency and receives on another frequency. This is how the repeater works. When you’re talking with your friend, all your GMRS radios using that repeater channel are transmitting out on one frequency. Then you can talk to each other in the further range.

2024

Nov

WRFM780 Lee Repeater

Lee, WRFM780 has a secondary repeater up and running on GMRS repeater 18. 462.625/467.625 Tones are TX D205N RX D205N. Check it out see if you can reach it from your location.

2023

Oct

Welcome to NEPA GMERS!

Purpose

The purpose of this group would be to organize licensed GMRS operators into a structured format in an effort to link the NEPA geographic area through both a repeater and simplex GMRS radio network of operators for emergency communications. We would create a map of GMRS repeaters and base station locations with a frequency list so operators would have a quick reference list of the closet stations with which to communicate.

Structure

We are currently working on organization of this new group. Proposing that “NEPA” in this case refers to Luzerne County and all the adjacent counties. i.e. Luzerne, Lackawanna, Wyoming, Monroe, Carbon, Schuylkill, Columbia and Sullivan. There would be one county coordinator for each county. A county could then be broken down into sectors with individual sector leaders. For example, Luzerne County could be broken down into North Valley, South Valley, Back Mountain, Mountaintop and Hazleton. We will post the structure, locations, map, County Coordinators, Sector leaders etc. on this site.

NET and Testing

We would run either a separate net and/or in conjunction with NEPAGMRS and the Mountain Simplex net to run both simplex and repeater comm tests to map out a relay system for emergency comms.

Once we have a somewhat organized system the County Coordinators can approach the County Emergency officials to offer our assistance in an emergency situation.