I have an interesting project that I’m not sure can be done.
At work we use Motorola Radius CP-200 radios to communicate with other departments but we do not have enough radios for everyone. Some departments have bought cheaper radios that communicate on the same channels.
I bought a BAOFENG BF-666S off of Amazon with the hope that I could program it to use the same channels. Both are UHF and operate within the same frequency range. I already installed the software and found the driver which was a pain in itself That is about as far as my knowledge got me. Unfortunately I cannot access the programming for the CP-200 to find the frequency settings for each channel, at this point I am not sure how to continue.
You will need to have the CPS for the Motorola and read the radio to obtain the frequencies. If the Motorola radios are using PL tones you will need those as well.
Having said that, if you are in the US, your Motorola radios should be narrowband compliant, so the BF-666S will also need to be set for narrowband.
There is also an issue of whether or not the Baofeng is Part 90 type accepted for use on business frequencies. We do not carry the BF-666S, so I am not sure if it is legal for use as a business radio, but you will need to check.
Back to the frequency programming… To the O.P. Your company’s license should have the frequencies listed. The PL tones may not be listed; but at least that would give you a starting point. you could also go to a Motorola shop and see if they’d do a read of your existing radios. Most Motorola software is expensive and requires a lot of red tape to even be allowed to purchase the software.
I searched the FCC Universal Licensing System and did not see any GMRS licenses for our company so maybe that’s something I should bring up I’ll look into the Motorola shop idea. Thanks!
First you need to call a radio shop and have them apply for you a license so you will be legal. Then I would remove the Baofeng from the formula here, it can wear you out trying to get it to work right and it is not legal to start with.
I would take one of the non Motorola radios, find where they bought it and what frequencies they are on. Then have your CP-200 radios prorammed on those frequencies, or the other way around.
If you can get hold of one of the motorola for an evening, simply press transmit and find the motorola with the tunable radio. Then go through the CTCSS tones on transmit one by one, until you get to the one that opens the Motorola squelch. Pretty well, that’s it.
?95.5 Licensee eligibility.
(a) An individual (one man or one woman) is eligible to obtain, renew, and have modified a GMRS system license if that individual is 18 years of age or older and is not a representative of a foreign government.
b A non-individual (an entity other than an individual) is ineligible to obtain a new GMRS system license or make a major modification to an existing GMRS system license (see ?1.929 of this chapter).[/b]
(1) The non-individual is a partnership and each partner is 18 years of age or older; a corporation; an association; a state, territorial, or local government unit; or a legal entity;
(2) The non-individual is not a foreign government; a representative of a foreign government; or a federal government agency; and
(3) The licensee has not been granted a major modification to its GMRS system.
(1) merely stipulates the conditions under which a non-individual with an existing GMRS license issued prior to the rule change is eligible to renew it.
That is about as far as my knowledge got me. Unfortunately I cannot access the programming for the CP-200 to find the frequency settings for each channel, at this point I am not sure how to continue.