Bug #11396
openTidradio TD-H8 Chirp driver allows only repeaters in memory channels
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Description
The driver for the Tidradio TD-H8 doesn't allow any frequencies other than repeater frequencies for channels 31-54. The error message says "The frequency in channels 31-54 must be between 462.55000-462.72500 in 0.025 increments" This statement is false. The radio allows it. In the attached .img file, downloaded from my radio, you'll see channel 38 is in that range. Any editing of that line creates an error message though, as well as any attempt to add a new memory in the range given.
A second issue is that aside from the frequency, all the channels in the 31-54 range are assumed to be repeaters. In the .img file, downloaded from my radio, channels 31, 35, and 38 in my radio are all simplex channels, but Chirp shows them as repeater channels, with '+' in the Duplex column and 05.000 in the Offset column. Editing the line won't change the '+' to " " or "off", although no error message is given. The Offset can't be changed to 0.0 either.
Note: The radio that the .img was downloaded from was programmed in Odmaster and verified to be working correctly.
I didn't think of this until just now, but the website refers to it as (2nd Gen) TIDRADIO TD-H8. I don't know anything about 1st gen, but if the previously mentioned settings are valid for 1st gen, maybe 2nd gen should be considered a new radio?
Files
Updated by Dennis McMahon 5 months ago
I'm not talking about non-GMRS frequencies. Ch1-Ch30 are the standard channels and can't be changed, but Ch31-Ch52 are customizable GMRS channels and allow transmit. If I want to customize Ch31 to be the frequency of GMRS1, maybe with a tone and the name of a group that meets there, the radio allows it and Odmaster allows it. I've done it both ways (except you can't program in a name using the radio keypad). Chirp only allows RPT1-RPT8, including putting in the offset.
On Monday, June 24, 2024 at 05:26:54 PM PDT, Jim Unroe redmine@chirpmyradio.com wrote:
Updated by Jim Unroe 5 months ago
Dennis McMahon wrote in #note-2:
I'm not talking about non-GMRS frequencies. Ch1-Ch30 are the standard channels and can't be changed, but Ch31-Ch52 are customizable GMRS channels and allow transmit. If I want to customize Ch31 to be the frequency of GMRS1, maybe with a tone and the name of a group that meets there, the radio allows it and Odmaster allows it. I've done it both ways (except you can't program in a name using the radio keypad). Chirp only allows RPT1-RPT8, including putting in the offset.
On Monday, June 24, 2024 at 05:26:54 PM PDT, Jim Unroe redmine@chirpmyradio.com wrote:
Now I'm on the same wavelength. Perhaps you are right about the Gen1 vs Gen2 differences and CHIRP only supports Gen1 at this time.
Updated by Justin White 16 days ago
Dennis McMahon wrote in #note-2:
I'm not talking about non-GMRS frequencies. Ch1-Ch30 are the standard channels and can't be changed, but Ch31-Ch52 are customizable GMRS channels and allow transmit. If I want to customize Ch31 to be the frequency of GMRS1, maybe with a tone and the name of a group that meets there, the radio allows it and Odmaster allows it. I've done it both ways (except you can't program in a name using the radio keypad). Chirp only allows RPT1-RPT8, including putting in the offset.
I just checked this on my TD-H3, and I would have to say that Chirp is matching the expected behavior of the GMRS mode, and I think the original CPS, which is that CH31-54 are reserved for GMRS repeaters only.
In GMRS mode, the radio does not really allow truly free keypad programming of those channels. It sort of does in that you can save anything to one of those memory slots, but then you can't change the offset direction nor offset amount. I think that should be considered a bug/oversight of the Mem Save menu option (and Odmaster?), as they may not have had space in the firmware to include the checks and/or display the warnings.
You might also note that, in GMRS mode, all channels after 54 are RX-only, and although Chirp will let you set an offset, the radio doesn't save it and will not allow you to change the offset with the keypad. So, even if you only want to use it for GMRS, but also want to to set CH31-54 to something other than GMRS repeaters and/or want more than 54 TX-enabled channels (for example, to include the preset "extended channels" in many Midland and Cobra GMRS radios), you should just use the radio in Normal mode and program it carefully using only GMRS frequencies and power levels.