PMR446 Base Station

[paulears]

I actually had a listen here in boring old Lowestoft - which I can tell you is even less exciting the London - and there are lots of people within range of my office and all of them use the first two channels and all interfere with each other. "Can you repeat that" is the most common phrase when they talk at the same time wiping each other out. if they just went up to the higher channels they's not interfere at all - clearly as they are using different CTCSS tones they simply don't know there are other people that are causing the doubling.

[Werthers]

I programed the 16 PMR446 channels into my 70cms transceiver which is in scan mode nearly all day monitoring UHF and its always channel 1 446.00625 MHz that comes through although I might take it out the scan list. It can get annoying sometimes listening to "Left a bit" Right a bit" "No hold it there" all day while missing out on a possible QSO happening on 70cms. The crane operators are literally on it everyday wiping everybody else out. I had Iceland come through on it today "the frozen food store" and office workers all on channel 1. Builders use it a lot too.

I use to have a PMR446 set that would scan the CTCSS tones so I could see what tone they are using. I may still have it somewhere. I could have some fun with it and maybe let them know there are other channels if I ever find it.

[26mb04]

Those crane ops are missing a trick, they could work each other for miles around on their lunch break. Cranes On The Air or something, that'd be mad.

[dc260]

I programed the 16 PMR446 channels into my 70cms transceiver which is in scan mode nearly all day monitoring UHF and its always channel 1 446.00625 MHz that comes through although I might take it out the scan list. It can get annoying sometimes listening to "Left a bit" Right a bit" "No hold it there" all day while missing out on a possible QSO happening on 70cms. The crane operators are literally on it everyday wiping everybody else out. I had Iceland come through on it today "the frozen food store" and office workers all on channel 1. Builders use it a lot too.

I use to have a PMR446 set that would scan the CTCSS tones so I could see what tone they are using. I may still have it somewhere. I could have some fun with it and maybe let them know there are other channels if I ever find it.

If you have a baofeng radio, you can perform a CTCSS scan by enabling RX-CTCSS in menu option 11 then proceeding to click into the ctcss selection again and pressing the scan key. The radio will then scan once a transmission has commenced through each CTCSS until it finds the correct key.

[Werthers]

I programed the 16 PMR446 channels into my 70cms transceiver which is in scan mode nearly all day monitoring UHF and its always channel 1 446.00625 MHz that comes through although I might take it out the scan list. It can get annoying sometimes listening to "Left a bit" Right a bit" "No hold it there" all day while missing out on a possible QSO happening on 70cms. The crane operators are literally on it everyday wiping everybody else out. I had Iceland come through on it today "the frozen food store" and office workers all on channel 1. Builders use it a lot too.

I use to have a PMR446 set that would scan the CTCSS tones so I could see what tone they are using. I may still have it somewhere. I could have some fun with it and maybe let them know there are other channels if I ever find it.

If you have a baofeng radio, you can perform a CTCSS scan by enabling RX-CTCSS in menu option 11 then proceeding to click into the ctcss selection again and pressing the scan key. The radio will then scan once a transmission has commenced through each CTCSS until it finds the correct key.

Thanks. I didn't know that. I have tried what you said but my one don't seem to want to scan CTCSS.

[friendly1uk]

My Binatone's scan for both. Action 950 iirc. Good consumer gear them.. with the channel 9 easter egg. I never did find the different branded one's with the high power pads.

[Bogget]

or you could just buy a legal one off amazon.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Midland-GB1-Li ... B019QO2E4A

Bogget

[LondonCbRadio]

Shame there isn't a pmr446 radio with a old school type signal meter. Are there any old 70cm radios that cover pmr446 with signal meters ?

[26mb04]

Probably, but you might have some issues:

1) The older rigs are often wide deviation, so you'll be keying over (AND hearing) the channel above and below the one you want to use;

2) Older gear won't set correctly on the 6.25kHz offset, so you'll only be able to use the channels that align with 12.5kHz, or 25kHz if it's really old.

[LondonCbRadio]

Probably, but you might have some issues:

1) The older rigs are often wide deviation, so you'll be keying over (AND hearing) the channel above and below the one you want to use;

2) Older gear won't set correctly on the 6.25kHz offset, so you'll only be able to use the channels that align with 12.5kHz, or 25kHz if it's really old.

UHF Cb would be the one. Nice small antenna no would clocking it.

No QRM,no saying sorry mate can't hear you even though you giving me signal 7 lol.

I know people won't believe me but i get out and receive better on PMR446 then on CB Radio.

I can chat to people on PMR446 that are giving me no signal. Can anyone do that on CB Radio ?

Diehard CB guys will hate what i'm saying but it's true.

[Mudslinger]

PMR works well here too, on mine I can hear and get back to people in Swindon 20 miles way whilst standing on my driveway. I struggle to speak to them on CB using a 5/8 wave GPE27 and more power.

[QRZ-934]

Got to agree with both the last couple of posters.
Im really impressed with 446 range and clarity, would love to see some sideband equipment put out there as well as am and see how that fared.

[Mudslinger]

Not too worried about AM but SSB would be fun.

[dc260]

CRT Space U is a good beginner radio for 446, and they possess a remarkably exceptional receiver despite their low price, as well as being very small.I've even had someone compare their expanded 7900r to a space U and found the Space U would receive 446 better than the Yaesu.. Whether this was due to the internal filtering or not is not known.

[Mudslinger]

My brother bought the Retevis version of the CRT space U and had to return it as the commonly available software wouldn't work with it. The CRT space U was on the software list however.

They do seem to work well, but I think thay may be a bit too small, to the point of being fiddly to use. More so when mobile.

More people use PMR around here than CB, not just kids either many have base setups.