ONSC standardized comms (2 Viewers)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

I think GMRS is the way to go for universal comms. Ham takes it to the next technical level and is way to complicated for the occasional user. For example, the user manual for the Midland MXT400 GMRS mobile radio is 32 pages. The user manual for the Icom 2730 ham mobile radio is 91 pages. Ham is definitely beneficial in many scenarios and I highly recommend it, especially when in remote areas. Many of the CLCC members got their ham license. We held several classes and test sessions. We have several Extra Class hams and Volunteer Examiners. I’ve had my ham license since 1973 when Morse code was part of the test. Am I dating myself???

If GMRS becomes the standard, the only challenge is deciding on the coded squelch codes. Maybe TLCA should define a standard.

My advice is free and you get what you pay for.
 
[
CHART.jpg
USER=10584]@emorth[/USER] I really like this idea! Can you or someone that has one get me the size of the spot on the Motorola radio and a rough count and I can get a sticker made with the Frequencies. I will be getting extras for Us Bofang guys also.
 
Last edited:
Ed,

You'll need 20+ stickers just for your own hoard of Batwings.

I only need 7 myself, me not being as dangerously afflicted as you.
 
emorth said:
Sorry for the delay in responding, the real world keeps getting in my way.

Thoughts:
Motorola radios - too much effort to reprogram all of them.
GMRS "blister pack" radios - channels/frequencies are fixed, the only thing the user can select is simplex or repeater (RP) operation and the squelch codes.
Baeofeng like radios - fully programmable (some of them).

So, here is a suggestion:
Motorola radios: print a small version of this chart, remove the battery from the radio and paste the chart to the radio. This way you have an accessible cross reference between the CLCC channels and the GMRS channels. If you are really cool, laminate the chart.

View attachment 2929493 View attachment 2929494

GMRS radios: not much you can do, maybe take a picture of the chart and keep it in your phone.

Baeofeng radios: Since these radios have a bunch of available channels, program both the CLCC channels and the GMRS channels (yes, somewhat redundant) into the radio so you can select either a GMRS channel or a CLCC channel. Set the radio's display to show the channel name rather than the frequency. This way you can select CLCC channel 5 or GMRS channel 23 depending upon which group you are with, even though they are the same frequency. This way you don't need the chart to see that 5 & 23 are the same freq. Thanks to @SeanLX from ONSC for the suggestion.
Something like this:
View attachment 2929496
You could also program all of the GMRS/FRS freqs so you have all of them. General Mobile Radio Service - Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Mobile_Radio_Service (Note: some of the channels are narrow band and/or low transmit power)

If this is the way to go I will create a CHIRP file.

Comments, criticisms, obscene remarks and/or rude gestures???

:geek:
Click to expand...

Apologies if I missed this elsewhere, but there's overlap in this plan correct? Cclc 1 and gmrs 15 for example.

I could see one group on clcc 1 and another on gmrs 15 then being able to hear each other.

Or is that the point of the tone squelch?
 
Midland privacy code No.68 = DPL code 612, so yes, Motorola radio users on CLCC channel 1 (using DPL 612) can hear and talk to Midland users on channel 15 (using privacy code 68).

Conversion chart available at the link below.


www.manualslib.com

Ctcss Privacy Codes Frequency Chart; Dcs Privacy Codes Frequency Chart - Midland MXT275 Owner's Manual [Page 28]

Midland MXT275 Manual Online: ctcss privacy codes frequency chart, Dcs Privacy Codes Frequency Chart. Code Freq. 1 67.0 9 2 71.9 3 74.4 4 77.0 5 79.7 6 82.5 7 85.4 8 88.5 Dcs Privacy Codes Chart No. Code 1 23 2 25 3 26 4 31 5 32 6 43 7 47 8 51 9 54 10 65 11 71 12 72 13 73 14 74 15 114...
www.manualslib.com www.manualslib.com
 
And "PRIVACY CODE" is misleading. It only prevents nearby users from eavesdropping if they are using a different privacy code. Anyone using no tone squelch can listen in on any conversation because FCC rules prevent encryption on RF except when Uncle Sam or his minions do it.
 
So that's an oversight. Doesn't make sense to have two channels in the chirp file that can hear and (especially) talk to each other.
 
CHART.jpg


The chart is a channel & squelch code cross reference between the CLCC's Motorola channel configuration and the commercial GMRS radios.
For example: channel 10 on the Motorola radio with squelch code 612 is the same frequency as channel 21 with code 68 on the GMRS. They will talk to each other.
Same freqs just different channel numbers and same squelch codes just different numbers

Analogy: 6:00PM and 1800 hours. Same time just different numbers.

Does this help???

clcc freq chart.jpg
 
My point is why program the same frequency twice with two different labels. That's not simplified to me, it's overcomplicated. Think about it "hey guys we programmed your radios but don't use channels 5-8 or whatever because they overlap with channels 1-4"

The point is to have a single set of preset channels that are common between the two clubs, right? Or are we just taking your band plan, adding overlapping gmrs channels to that, then calling it a joint plan?
 
To make it easy to select the channel. If someone says I'm on CLCC channel 10, you select CLCC ch 10 on your radio. If someone says I'm on GMRS channel 21, you select GMRS ch 21 on your radio. Yes, redundant. Same freqs and tone codes, yes. But that way you don't have to have the chart to convert from CLCC to GMRS channels.

For example: Oh, his GMRS radio is on channel 19. Now I'm going to have to find my chart to see what CLCC channel is the same freq so I can talk to him.

The CLCC Motorola radios only have 16 channels and no display. The B'feng GMRS radios have a gazillion channels. So a duplicate freq pair is no big deal.

What am I missing???
 
Ah.

So your proposal isn't to have the clcc channels programmed into all radios, but provide a mapping for the clcc Motorola radios specifically, then all others just use normal gmrs channel numbers plus (your) repeater freqs?

Translated:
- This saves you the trouble of reprogramming your Motorolas, all you have to do is add the mapping list sticker
- No one with chirp programmed radios will have two "channel numbers" that are in fact the same frequency. They will program the normal gmrs channels, plus the clcc repeater frequencies if desired.
 
There are only 2 people (I'm one of them) who have the software and interface box to program the Moto radios. Reprogramming 60 - 80 radios scattered all over the place, some in PA, would be a royal pain. Adding the chart to the Moto radio is much easier.

The GMRS radios (most of them) will do the repeater freqs for all 8 channels. You just have to go into the menu and set the channel to repeater mode. The CLCC radios only have 3 repeater channels because that is all our repeater can handle. So the CLCC radios are missing out on the ability to access repeaters on the remaining 5 channels.

The only thing that is specific to the CLCC radios is the squelch codes. The squech codes in the Moto radios can only be changed by software. The squelch codes in the GMRS radios can be changed by software or by the user via the front panel. The problem is, most of the users don't know what the squelch codes are without the chart.

Make sense???
 
The CHIRP file is for the Baofeng users because they have more than enough memory slots to program both sets of frequencies and codes for the sake of convenience.

Not sure but I don't believe the Midland radios can be programmed using CHIRP at this time.
 
Repeaters are not cheap to build, even using surplus radios like the Motorolas. The constraint is the multiplexer that costs more than the radios in some cases and is frequency specific so it can only be tuned for a narrow range of frequencies.
 
Correct. The B'feng type of radios can be programmed by CHIRP.

The Baofeng UV-5R has 128 channels, so duplicate freq/codes with different channel assignments for the sake of convenience shouldn't be an issue.

The GMRS only radios (Midland and others) cannot be programmed. The repeater and squelch codes are set via the front panel.
 
I still don't understand...

Why do you guys think it's useful to program the exact same frequency in a radio multiple times with different "channel numbers"? It just breeds confusion in my eyes. "Just deal with it" is not a good answer. I don't think I'm going to get through to you guys, lol.

Seems to me like the best way forward for ONSC is to program the chirp compatible radios with the standard gmrs frequencies and CLCC repeater frequencies, if programming is desired at all. One "channel number" per frequency, period, and everything is the same across all radios.

Then the Motorola folks in clcc will have their "map" to correspond their radios to what everyone else is using, as far as gmrs goes anyway.
 
GLTHFJ60 said:
I still don't understand...

Why do you guys think it's useful to program the exact same frequency in a radio multiple times with different "channel numbers"? It just breeds confusion in my eyes. "Just deal with it" is not a good answer. I don't think I'm going to get through to you guys, lol.

Seems to me like the best way forward for ONSC is to program the chirp compatible radios with the standard gmrs frequencies and CLCC repeater frequencies, if programming is desired at all. One "channel number" per frequency, period, and everything is the same across all radios.

Then the Motorola folks in clcc will have their "map" to correspond their radios to what everyone else is using, as far as gmrs goes anyway.
Click to expand...

I still don't understand...

If you don't want to."program the exact same frequency in a radio multiple times with different "channel numbers"".
Then why do you want to. "program the chirp compatible radios with the standard gmrs frequencies and CLCC repeater frequencies" ?

The CLCC repeater freqs are the same as the GMRS repeater freqs. If we add the CLCC repeater freqs to the standard GMRS freqs, that is, "exact same frequency in a radio multiple times with different "channel numbers""

Sorry. I'm confused.

gmrs clcc freqs.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 3 (members: 0, guests: 3)

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom