Transmit Rules – F Lock, TXLock & Power

Summary: How the band plan and TXLock decide where the radio will transmit, and how transmit power is set.

Transmitting is only legal where you are licensed to do so and on frequencies you are entitled to use. This article explains how the radio limits transmitting; it does not tell you what you are allowed to do.

F Lock – the Band Plan

F Lock, in the hidden menu, chooses the band plan the radio will transmit inside. The choices include default VHF/UHF ranges, ham plans for several regions (including GB HAM, 144-148 and 430-440 MHz), PMR 446, GMRS/FRS/MURS, and DISABLE ALL, which blocks transmitting on every frequency. If you only listen, DISABLE ALL is the safest choice. UNLOCK ALL exists but has an extra unlock step and is a research feature, not something to use casually.

TXLock – Exceptions

If a memory channel is outside the selected band plan, you can only transmit on it when its TXLock is set to OFF.

In short:

• Inside the F Lock plan: you can transmit.
• Outside the plan and TXLock ON: you cannot transmit.
• Outside the plan and TXLock OFF: you can transmit on that channel.

A small padlock next to the name shows a channel that is outside the plan and locked.

Cannot Transmit? Check These First

1. Mode is FM. AM and USB are listen-only.
2. The frequency is inside the F Lock plan.
3. If not, TXLock is OFF for that channel.
4. Look for the padlock beside the name.

Transmit Power

Power sets the power for the current channel or VFO: Low 1 to Low 5, Mid, High, or User. This is stored per channel. SetPwr does not pick a channel’s power; it defines what the User setting means (from under 20 mW up to about 5 W) for the whole radio. Every channel set to User then follows it, so you can change many channels at once.

Transmit Timeout and Alerts

TxTOut limits how long you can transmit, and SetTOT and SetEOT add sound or visual alerts for timeout and end of transmission.