WALTON COUNTY, GEORGIA

WALTON COUNTY, GEORGIA FRS RADIO PLAN Revision 2 March 19, 2012 Revision 3 March 18, 2013 Introduction ------------------------Protocol ------------...
Author: Belinda Doyle
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WALTON COUNTY, GEORGIA

FRS RADIO PLAN Revision 2 March 19, 2012 Revision 3 March 18, 2013

Introduction ------------------------Protocol ------------------------------Prowords ----------------------------Phonetic Alphabet -----------------Example -----------------------------Radio Selection --------------------GMRS Usage -----------------------Frequency Chart ------------------Weather Radio ---------------------Scanners -----------------------------Scanner Frequency Chart -------Quick Ref ---------------------------1

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Introduction This radio plan utilizes inexpensive “22 channel FRS/GMRS” walkie-talkies, typically sold in pairs at retail outlets in plastic “bubblepacks”. These are short range units despite the ridiculous claims on the package and may only communicate reliably over ½ mile or less, depending on the terrain and model. But they work quite well for this purpose and have clear, static-free audio. There are a few important tips for beginners. When you press the PTT (Push To Talk) button, wait one second before speaking or the receiving radio may cut off your first few syllables. Hold the radio straight up, 3-6” away from your mouth and speak clearly and loudly but do not yell. Setting the Lock feature is a good idea to prevent the channel from being accidentally changed. Many people feel Call and Roger Beep are annoying and should not be used. The scan feature may be useful on occasion. If you get out of range, seek higher ground. FRS (Family Radio Service) and GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) are UHF radio bands set aside for personal and family use. FRS is for low power use and does not require a license, while GMRS is for high power use and does require a license. FRS and GMRS share some channels, creating three channel groups, each having different power limits and license rules: Channels 1-7 are FRS and GMRS shared. The newer bubblepack models with a medium power output should cover a large neighborhood. Make sure your walkie-talkie is set for full power. Channel 1 is the unofficial disaster/emergency channel for CERT. These channels are recommended for CERT use. Channels 8-14 are FRS only and may not be reliable beyond “yelling distance” in many places. channels are restricted to low power and are not recommended except in confined area.

These

Channels 15-22 are GMRS only and typically used with commercial grade radios and high power repeaters, which can cover a county-wide area. Walton County CERT does not currently use these channels. See the section on GMRS for more information. MURS (Multi-Use Radio Service) is a VHF radio band. Like FRS it is also for personal and family use and does not require a license. MURS is frequently used with more expensive wireless intercoms, call boxes and remote driveway sensors, but there are now some lower cost walkie-talkies available. There are five channels available for use at medium power, which should cover a large neighborhood. Although Walton County CERT does not use MURS, it could be in use by neighborhood groups or other CERT organizations. Walton County ARES is a group of trained Amateur (Ham) radio operators equipped for medium and long range communications. Basically, ARES is capable of providing assistance and coordination with volunteer emergency groups and government agencies if normal communications go down. “Privacy code”, “privacy tone”, “private line”, “PL”, “quiet code”, “sub-channel”, or “interference eliminator” are manufacturer’s trade names for CTCSS and DCS. You don’t need to know what all the acronyms mean. Basically, this feature lets you set a channel/code combination so that you only hear radios with the same setting and filters out everything else. The word “privacy” is a bit misleading because anyone with codes turned off for that channel can hear everything you say. Different brands of radios may number the privacy codes differently so always confirm the actual frequency (Hz) and test for compatibility. Walton County CERT uses FRS channels 1-7. For maximum compatibility everyone should turn off privacy codes for each channel. The assignment of channels is up to the incident commander, subject to whatever conditions are present. Channel 1 may possibly serve multiple roles depending on the conditions. In an emergency, people may call for help on channel 1. It could be used as the main CERT channel. Be aware that some Motorola TalkAbout models default to privacy code 1 on every channel. FRS/GMRS/MURS channels are shared and everyone is required to “cooperate in the selection and use of channels to reduce interference”. The FCC does not give anyone exclusive channel assignments or rights on these bands. Emergency use takes precedence by law. See FCC Regulations Part 95 for full details on power limits and license rules. 2

Radio Protocol EMERGENCY: FRS CHANNEL 1 (462.5625 MHz) – NO PRIVACY CODES ALWAYS WAIT ONE SECOND and speak SLOWLY and CLEARLY! PRESS TALK AND WAIT ONE SECOND BEFORE TALKING DO NOT YELL in the mic because you will not be heard clearly SPELL OUT NUMBERS USE PHONETIC ALPHABET PRONOUNCE EVERY SYLLABLE – don’t slur USE 24 HOUR TIME WAIT until the channel is clear before speaking and speak on the radio ONLY if you have to THINK about what you are going to say and be BRIEF USE PLAIN LANGUAGE, AVOID: trucker slang, 10-codes, amateur radio Q-codes, etc. BE COOPERATIVE and FLEXIBLE VERIFY FACTS and do not transmit rumors READ BACK INFO to be sure you copied it correctly NO JOKING OR CHATTING during a drill ACKNOWLEGE all transmissions The station that initiates the call normally terminates it The radio should be about 3-6 inches from your mouth and not right up against your mouth. Every radio is different and you should test your own to see what distance is best by having another person listen to you from a few hundred feet and reporting back what sounds best. Your radio should be turned 30-45 degrees from your face so “gusts” of air from your mouth slide by. This increases the intelligibility of your transmissions. ? eep your antenna pointing straight up. Keep your antenna from touching anything, especially metal. Do K not transmit right next to someone with a pacemaker. FRS radio is UHF, which is “line-of-sight” and does not bend or bounce like VHF. If transmissions are breaking up it is generally better to seek higher ground. Even a 10’ increase in elevation can make a difference. Move away from obstructions that might block your signal such as large metal objects, buildings, hills, trees. If the signal is cutting in and out try turning off your squelch by holding the monitor button down. During disaster drills you should state “this is a drill” at least every 5-10 minutes. Someone monitoring a scanner can hear what you are saying, perhaps from considerable distance, and may become alarmed. In an emergency situation, avoid saying the full name of a victim or disclosing any private information. Try not to transmit landline or cell phone numbers over the air. Exchange these numbers with members of your group in advance.

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Prowords Many similar sounding words (example: no/go) create confusion on the radio so these military-style prowords are used: BREAK – separation of portions of message AFFIRMATIVE – Yes CLEAR – I am finished COPY – Message understood CORRECT – you are correct CORRECTION – error made, transmission will continue with correction I READ BACK – response to your instructions to read back I SAY AGAIN – I am repeating transmission (or portion thereof) I SPELL – I will spell the word phonetically NEGATIVE - No OUT – This is the end of my transmission and no answer is required. Don’t say “over and out”. OVER – This is the end of my transmission to you and a response is necessary. ROGER – I have received your last transmission satisfactorily. SAY AGAIN – Repeat last transmission THIS IS – My identifier WAIT/STANDBY – I must pause for a few seconds WILCO – I have received your signal, understood it and will comply. To be used only by addressee. Since the meaning of ROGER is included in WILCO, they should not be used together. Phonetic Alphabet A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Alpha Bravo Charlie Delta Echo Foxtrot Golf Hotel India Juliet Kilo Lima Mike November Oscar Papa Quebec Romeo Sierra Tango Uniform Victor Whiskey Xray Yankee Zulu 4

Example Channel 1 is the default channel on most walkie-talkies so anyone calling for help will likely try it first. Having CERT COMMAND on channel 1 increases the chances of interference from outside but also provides immediate response to anyone needing help. Ideally someone should monitor a scanner that covers all the common channels. CERT teams should not use privacy codes without prior coordination and training because of the confusion of trying to correctly configure multiple brands and models. The downside of not using codes is that non-CERT people are more easily able to interfere with communications. If that happens, remind people that emergency communications take priority by law and politely ask them to move to an unused channel. Team leaders may be able to communicate with all their team members by voice and visual means alone. CERT teaches that team members should stay within voice and visual distance at all times. Therefore, team leaders and command would be the only ones who need radios. The simplest solution is to have everyone stay on the same channel (typically channel 1). Simple usually works best. On the other hand, due to unforeseen circumstances, it might be necessary for team members to each have their own radios so they could talk within the team. The team would need a dedicated channel so it didn’t chatter all over the main channel. A simple method is to make the team number the same as the channel number. This avoids using names like TEAM BLUE, TEAM ALPHA, FRED’S TEAM, etc. with a random channel number assignment that is hard to remember. In this scheme, CERT-COMMAND uses channel 1 as the main “dispatch” channel. If CERT TEAM-2 needs a channel it would use channel 2, etc. Avoid using channels 8-22. Know how to switch channels and turn codes on and off quickly. It is important to use “CERT” as part of the call sign so there is no confusion with near-by police or fire incident command. CHANNEL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

CODE 0 0 0

ASSIGNMENT TEAM-1 (CERT-COMMAND) TEAM-2 TEAM-3

Example: CERT-COMMAND: “TEAM-2 THIS IS CERT-COMMAND” TEAM-2: “THIS IS TEAM-2” CERT-COMMAND: “TEAM-2 I NEED YOU TO MOVE TO THE INTERSECTION OF SYCAMORE AND ELM AND BLOCK TRAFFIC HEADED DOWN ELM. OVER.” TEAM-2 “UNDERSTOOD. WE WILL STOP TRAFFIC COMING DOWN ELM.” CERT-COMMAND: “THAT’S CORRECT. OUT.” CERT-COMMAND: “TEAM-3 THIS IS CERT-COMMAND” TEAM-3: “TEAM-3” CERT-COMMAND: “I NEED YOU TO GO DOWN OAK STREET AND CHECK EACH HOME FOR DAMAGE. IF THERE IS DAMAGE CONTACT THE OCCUPANTS AND DEAL WITH ANY INJURIES. REPORT ANY INJURIES OR HAZARDS IMMEDIATELLY.” TEAM-3: “COPY. WE WILL TAKE CARE OF OAK STREET.” CERT-COMMAND: “TEAM-3 HAVE YOUR TEAM MEMBERS GO TO CHANNEL 3. IF YOU NEED TO TALK TO COMMAND SWITCH BACK TO CHANNEL 1. OUT.” 5

FRS Radio Selection Avoid the older “14 channel” FRS models which are limited to ½ watt on all channels, or do not have privacy codes. Walkie-talkies are mass produced consumer products, so if you get a defective one return it right away. There are many models to choose and a few are reviewed below. Amazon.com selection and prices are hard to beat especially with free shipping. Midland LXT114 This is one of the least expensive models at $23 per pair but it’s underpowered and does not have the privacy code feature. It includes three AAA NiMH batteries per radio. It has a power output of 1 watt, which should cover a small neighborhood. It will only transmit at ½ watt on channels 8-14. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0039YON4I Cobra MicroTALK CXT225 or CXT275 This is the recommended model if cost is the most important factor. It is $31 for pair of radios, charger and individual AAA NiMH batteries (4 per radio). This is a small, lightweight radio with power output of 3 watts, which should cover a medium size neighborhood. It will only transmit at ½ watt on channels 814. Do not confuse this with a similar Cobra model which does not have privacy codes. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00365E1EC Midland GXT1000 This is a good model if range is the most important factor. It costs $61 for a pair of radios, base charger, two battery packs and headsets. This is a bulkier and heavier radio with a maximum power output of 5 watts which should cover a larger neighborhood. It will only transmit at ½ watt on channels 8-14. It will accept four AA batteries in place of the one-piece battery pack. It is advertised as a 50 channel radio but that is a gimmick as there are only 22 frequencies. Avoid channels 23-50 which are preconfigured with undocumented privacy codes. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001WMFYH4 Batteries Battery management is important when using walkie-talkies. Most bubblepack models have trickle chargers which take 8-12 hours. They do not have smart chargers and must be removed from the charger or they will be overcharged and damaged. Bubblepack supplied NiMH cells are not as good as brand names like Energizer and Rayovac. Many bubblepack models do not accurately display the remaining battery power. They may show full charge right up until they quit. They may show weak batteries only while the transmit button is pressed. You may be able to receive but not have enough power to transmit. Keep an eye on the battery indicator while transmitting and change the batteries at the first sign of loss. NiMH cells will self discharge over time especially when stored in outdoor heat. Brand name disposable alkalines are better for storage and occasional use. Keep a supply of alkalines in your pack. Remove batteries and battery packs from the radio for extended storage (over 3 months). Energizer makes a 15 minute NiMH smart-charger with both AC and 12V cigarette lighter adapters. It costs $30, but cheaper models do not charge cells individually. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GF2L7E

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GMRS Usage If you enjoy FRS radio, you may wish to upgrade to GMRS. You will be able to legally use channels 1522 and can use commercial grade radios as well as high power repeaters. The license fee is currently $85 and is good for 5 years. It covers you and members of your extended family. There is no testing requirement. For online application go to the FCC Universal Licensing System at http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/ For paper application file out FCC Form 605: http://wireless.fcc.gov/605 New filers can learn more about ULS in its getting started tutorials: http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/index.htm?job=about_getting_started&page=1 Repeaters Talking from one walkie-talkie to another is called “simplex” or “talk-around”. Talking through a repeater is called “duplex” or “repeater” mode. A repeater picks up a weak signal and retransmits it from a high tower or mountain at a much higher power providing much better range. A good installation can cover a county and beyond. Repeaters are privately owned and may not be used without permission. Once you have an FCC call sign you can join the North Georgia GMRS repeater network and enjoy commercial grade communications: http://www.northgeorgiagmrs.com/ Some of these repeaters have battery backup. Walton County CERT does not use GMRS at this time although some CERT organizations do. In an emergency, channels 15-22 would likely come to life with high power repeaters. A bubblepack walkietalkie can hear repeaters on channels 15-22 throughout metro Atlanta and into the surrounding counties. Repeater talk is likely to overpower anyone trying to use channels 15-22 locally. New and surplus 450-470Mhz commercial Land Mobile Radios (LMR) are available at affordable prices on ebay and other places but make sure your purchase is correctly programmed and guaranteed working with all accessories because there is a lot of junk out there. There are now high quality imported walkietalkies available starting at $75 (each) that are fully programmable and can access repeaters. Compatibility with FRS If you try to use bubblepack walkie-talkies to talk with commercial grade radios and repeaters on the same channel you may run into problems such as cutouts, missed transmissions or interference. One of the reasons seems to be that FRS radios are narrowband (12.5 Khz) and GMRS radios and repeaters are typically wideband (25 Khz). Bubblepack walkie-talkies have consumer grade circuitry and inferior fixed antennas so they just won’t perform as well as more expensive commercial or amateur quality radios. Also, there are now a few bubblepack walkie-talkies such as the Motorola MR355R that can access GMRS repeaters. In practice, this may not work well either. Thorough testing of different brands and combinations is highly advisable so there are no surprises when it counts.

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Interstitial Channels (in-ter-stish-uhl) FRS ½ Watt limit, GMRS Shared 5 Watt limit Frequency (MHz) Band Notes 462.5625 FRS/GMRS Shared “emergency – no privacy code” 462.5875 FRS/GMRS Shared 462.6125 FRS/GMRS Shared 462.6375 FRS/GMRS Shared 462.6625 FRS/GMRS Shared 462.6875 FRS/GMRS Shared 462.7125 FRS/GMRS Shared 467.5625 FRS Only – Low Power 467.5875 FRS Only – Low Power 467.6125 FRS Only – Low Power 467.6375 FRS Only – Low Power 467.6625 FRS Only – Low Power 467.6875 FRS Only – Low Power 467.7125 FRS Only – Low Power

Channel 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Channel 15

Legacy Channel 11

Name “550”

16

8

“575”

17 18

12 9

“600” “625”

19

13

“650”

20

10

“675”

21

14

“700”

22

15

“725” Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

GMRS Only Channels - 50 Watt limit Simplex and NorthGeorgiaGMRS.com Repeater Output Repeater Input Repeater Network Frequency Frequency All use CTCSS 141.3 Hz (Mhz) (Mhz) Directions relative to Atlanta Notes 462.5500 467.5500 ATL-550 Holcomb (N) ATL-575 Thomaston (S) 462.5750 467.5750 GA-575 Blue Ridge (N) 462.6000 467.6000 ATL-600 Madison (E) 462.6250 467.6250 ATL-625 Pine Log Mtn (NW) GA-650 Lookout Mtn. (NW) 462.6500 467.6500 GA-650 Poweltown (E) ATL-675 Sassafras Mtn (N) 462.6750 467.6750 GA-675 Macon (SE) ATL-700 Statham (NE) Statham uses CTCSS 103.5 Hz 462.7000 467.7000 ATL-700 Six Flags (W) 462.7250 467.7250 ATL-725 Jersey (E) Code XZ WZ XA WA XB WB YZ YA YB ZZ ZA ZB 1Z 1A 1B 2Z 2A 2B 3Z 3A 3B

CTCSS - Common Code Designations Frequency Number Code 67.0 Hz 21 4Z 69.3 * 22 4A 71.9 23 4B 74.4 24 5Z 77.0 25 5A 79.7 26 5B 82.5 27 6Z 85.4 28 6A 88.5 29 6B 91.5 30 7Z 94.8 31 7A 97.4 * 32 M1 100.0 8Z 103.5 33 M2 107.2 34 M3 110.9 35 M4 114.8 9Z 118.8 36 M5 123.0 37 M6 127.3 38 M7 131.8 OZ

* Not available in some radios

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Frequency 136.5 141.3 146.2 151.4 156.7 162.2 167.9 173.8 179.9 186.2 192.8 203.5 206.5 * 210.7 218.1 225.7 229.1 * 233.6 241.8 250.3 254.1 *

Weather Radio Severe thunderstorms and tornados are one of Walton County’s biggest natural threats. NOAA weather radio with “S.A.M.E. Alert” is a recommended home safety item for every household. If the National Weather Service forecasts a dangerous weather condition like a tornado, the radio will turn on and alert you. Many FRS radios also have weather radio channels (although not S.A.M.E. Alert). The Athens transmitter at 162.4 MHz seems to cover most of Walton County. The Walton County S.A.M.E. code is 013297. Once you program that in you hear alerts only for Walton County. There are a number of models available. The Midland WR-100 costs about $45: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001OHH0Q/

Scanners A good scanner will zip through a list of channels in about a second and lock on to any activity. In a disaster or emergency, common channels should be monitored by Command for greater situational awareness. Walton County public service departments now use 800Mhz digital encrypted radios so it is no longer possible to listen in. However, the main Fire Rescue channel is retransmitted in the clear on a VHF channel. You will frequently hear Fire Rescue set up an incident command and switch it to a TAC channel (TAC1, TAC2, etc). TAC channels are not available for monitoring. The instructions below are for programming a handheld Uniden “NASCAR” 100 channel scanner, which may be purchased for about $80. This scanner has 10 banks of 10 channels each. The FRS/GMRS channels are entered into banks 1-3, Government channels in bank 4, Ham channels in bank 5 and MURS and common business channels in banks 6 and 7. By pressing the corresponding number on the keypad all channels in a bank can be easily turned off and on. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002QIBNK/ Initial Programming: Turn on [FUNC] [PGM] [FUNC] [v] or [^] to get to channel 1 [FUNC] (F should disappear from display) Enter 462.5635 [PGM] [PGM] Enter next freq [PGM] [PGM] etc When finished press [SCAN] [FUNC] [KEY] (key symbol below button) to lock console If you enter a wrong number press [CLR] [CLR] To move up or down [FUNC] [v] or [^] [FUNC] If PRI is on display turn it off: [HOLD] [FUNC] [PRI] [SCAN] (priority scan is not useful here) If you get stuck press [SCAN] and start over To lockout/unlock a single channel go to that channel either in scan or hold mode: [FUNC] [L/O] [SCAN] To lockout/enable a bank: [SCAN] [BANK#]

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Walton County Scanner Channels Bank Channel 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

4 4 4

31 32 33

5 5 5 5

41 42 43 44

6 6 6 6 6

51 52 53 54 55

7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7

61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70

Use Public Channels FRS/GMRS 1 FRS/GMRS 2 FRS/GMRS 3 FRS/GMRS 4 FRS/GMRS 5 FRS/GMRS 6 FRS/GMRS 7 FRS 8 FRS 9 FRS 10 FRS 11 FRS 12 FRS 13 FRS 14 GMRS 15 GMRS 16 GMRS 17 GMRS 18 GMRS 19 GMRS 20 GMRS 21 GMRS 22 Government Channels Walton Fire Rescue Feed WCPS Bus Dispatch NOAA Weather/Athens Ham/ARES Repeaters Walton Walton Gwinnett/Lawrenceville Barrow/Winder Other Public Channels MURS 1 MURS 2 MURS 3 MURS 4 / Blue Dot MURS 5 / Green Dot Common Business Channels Red Dot Purple Dot Brown Dot Yellow Dot J Dot K Dot Silver Star Gold Star Red Star Blue Star

Freq

Notes

462.5625 462.5875 462.6125 462.6375 462.6625 462.6875 462.7125 467.5625 467.5875 467.6125 467.6375 467.6625 467.6875 467.7125 462.5500 462.5750 462.6000 462.6250 462.6500 462.6750 462.7000 462.7250 154.340 151.730 162.400

Simulcast from 800Mhz digital encrypted 770-207-3200 Lock out until needed

147.270 447.050 147.075 145.130

wcerc.org wcerc.org GARS gars.org BARC barrowhamradio.org

151.820 151.880 151.940 154.570 154.600 151.625 151.955 464.500 464.550 467.7625 467.8125 467.850 467.875 467.900 467.925

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Midland LXT114 Quick Ref This is the radio Walton County CERT purchased. • Turn the radio on and off by pressing and holding the MODE button • Adjust the volume with the up and down arrows. Adjust it all the way up. • Press and hold the SCAN button to lock and unlock the keypad and prevent accidental channel changes • To change channels press the MODE button and use the up and down arrows. Set to channel 1. • There is no privacy code feature with this model • If you press the PTT twice rapidly the radio will make the CALL sound • • • • • •

• • • •

Cobra MicroTALK CXT225 or CXT275 Quick Ref Turn the radio on and off by pressing and holding the MODE button. Adjust the volume with the up and down arrows on the left. Adjust it all the way up. Press and hold the LOCK button to lock and unlock the keypad and prevent accidental channel changes. LOCK has to be off to turn the radio off. To change channels press the up and down arrows on the right. Set to channel 1. To change privacy codes go to the channel you want. Press MODE and CTCSS will blink. Adjust the code number with the up and down arrows on the right. Press PTT to exit. Press MODE to go to each setting: CTCSS (set to 0 for CERT, or select the code you want for this channel) DCS (set to 0) NOAA channel (2 is Athens) VOX on/off (set to “oF”) VOX sensitivity Channel Scan CTCSS Scan DCS Scan Call Tone Roger Beep on/off Midland GXT1000 Quick Ref Turn the radio on and off with the knob on top. Turn the volume up all the way. Press and hold the LOCK button to lock and unlock the keypad and prevent accidental channel changes To change channels press the MENU button and use the up and down arrows. Set to channel 1 and press PTT to exit To change privacy codes go to the channel you want. Press MENU to go to each setting: Channel (set to 1 for CERT - use up and down arrows) Group mode (set "Gr" to “oF”) – this is a special feature for this model only CTCSS/DCS mode (set to “oF” for CERT, or select the code you want for this channel) You can press PTT to exit or MENU to continue with other settings: Power (set "Pr" to “H”) – set on each channel. High can only be set for channels 1-7 and 15-22 Voice Activated (set "VOX" to “oF”) Silent mode (set "bP" to “oF”) - turn off keypad beeps Roger beep (set "rb" to “oF”) - turn off roger beep Call selection (set "CA" to “1”) Vibrate (set "UB" to “oF”) Whisper (set "WI" to “oF”) Dual Watch (set "DU" to "oF") - not available on older models

**** For all models, do not use Roger Beep, Keypad Beep, CALL sounds, SOS mode, VOX mode. 11