FAQ Neighborhood Radio Name Change, New Radio, New Channel Template

A public Q&A session was held via zoom on June 20, 2025 to discuss the name change and new radio.

Click HERE to view the recording.

Name Change 

Why change the name from Yellow Radio to Neighborhood Radio? 

It’s been a long time since our radios have been “yellow”. They stopped selling the yellow colored radios a few years ago. We switched over to a similar black version. 

Also, other communities in Tillamook County asked EVCNB to help them put in place “YR” and Ham radio networks such as yours. Everyone agreed that it would be helpful to have one term to describe the “YR” portion of the network and get away from including a color. We thought about using “GMRS 

Radio” (which stands for General Mobile Radio Service and is the FCC radio service we use) but it sounds too technical and not descriptive enough. Neighborhood Radio is exactly what we use these radios for - they connect people within a neighborhood. All of the other communities are on-board with using the new name. 

The official new name is Neighborhood GMRS Radio to distinguish it from other potential types of radios and that’s the name we’ll use as we describe what we do to new communities outside of Tillamook County. But around the county, we’ll use Neighborhood Radio for short or NR for even shorter. (Thanks to SteveF for advocating the new name.) 

Is the name change related to the new radio?

No. These changes just happen to be occuring at the same time. 

New Radio 

What’s the deal with the new radio? 

Technology moves along…. The original “YR” was a Baofeng UV-5R. We switched over to the black Baofeng FP-8HP back a few years ago when the yellow UV-5Rs were no longer available. The two radios look identical except for the color however the FP-8HP has slightly higher power output. Programming and accessories are interchangeable. 

Earlier this year, we got a complaint about the readability of the display making it hard to get on the right channel for the nets. That tiny LCD display is hard to read especially as some of our users are getting up in years. The complaint triggered Michael K to volunteer looking for alternatives. His research led him to the TIDRadio TD-H8. He purchased a couple and programmed them for our channels. He gave one to the person who made the complaint as a beta tester. She gave the display a thumbs-up and used it for several nets with good effect. 

With that success, we purchased a full set of radios and used last month’s “YR Class” students as guinea pigs. They have been checking into the nets over the last few weeks. Other than a couple of quality glitches which the manufacturer has remedied, the TD-H8 passed the test. 

Why the TIDRadio TD-H8? 

Color display - Larger and brighter. 

USB-C charging - Both the desktop charger and the battery itself use USB-C cables for greater charging flexibility. 

Larger keyboard - The keyboard layout is the same but the buttons are slightly larger. Hefty feeling - Overall slightly larger size makes it easier to handle. 

Slightly higher power output - It’s not a lot (8 watt vs 5 watt) but every little bit helps. Higher capacity battery - Lasts longer. 

Better technical specs - Both transmitter and receiver are improved. 

Compatible accessories - All of our recommended YR accessories (except batteries) are compatible. More channels - We can use the same channel programming (although the TD-H8 has 200 channels vs 127 for the old YR). 

Lower price - Basically an improved radio for less. (As of this writing, it is $20 cheaper than the FP-8HP.) 

Color - It’s more green than yellow but the color makes it stand out compared to the current black.

Do I need to replace my current YR? 

No. If you are happy with your current yellow (or black) radio, and you don’t take your radio outside of the EVCNB area then you don’t need to do anything because it will still just work. You might consider getting the new version if you’d like a spare or if you just like having the latest version of things. 

How do I get a new TD-H8? 

New Neighborhood Radio users will get one during their NR Class. Existing users can order a new version via the GoBag Pop-Up Store. The new version comes pre-programmed with the EVCNB channel template along with a desktop charging stand, two antennas, USB-C wall plug and cable, and earpiece/mic. 

Is there a Ham version? 

Yes! Let us know your Ham call sign and we can reprogram it with your call and EVCNB ham channel template.

New Channel Template 

What’s new in the new channel template? 

The new channel template includes the standard GMRS channels. This lets you use your YR/NR on standard GMRS channels to talk with folks outside of EVCNB channels. Most importantly, this includes other Tillamook County communities’ emergency response folks, as well as family/friends with regular “bubble-pack” FRS/GMRS radios. You can take your NR with you outside of the EVCNB area. 

The GMRS and Ham versions of the new template now have all of the same channels. The GMRS version cannot transmit on the Ham channels but GMRS users can still listen in. 

What hasn’t changed? 

The new template preserves all of the non-ham EVCNB channel numbers - Ch119, the Zone Channels, along with the MURS and Ops Channels. 

Is this just for new radios? 

No. The new template can be used with any EVCNB radio. 

What about a Ham version of the template? 

The EVCNB Ham channels do change slightly. To make room for the GMRS channels, all ham channels have shifted - MANZ Ch005 becomes MANZ Ch035 and NKNRPT Ch014 becomes NKNRPT Ch044. The template also includes all of the major coastal and regional ham repeaters. 

The NR and Ham versions of the template are identical except that non-hams are prevented from transmitting on ham channels. 

Do I need to get my radio reprogrammed? 

No. The existing templates will work just fine for EVCNB use. New NRs will come with the new template. 

How do I get an existing radio reprogrammed? 

We will host several reprogramming sessions over the next few months. Thankfully, it takes longer to read about it than to do the actual programming. 

Is there a handy new channel card? 

Yes! We’ll include one with each new NR radio and whenever an older radio gets reprogrammed. It’s the same 5x7 format on card stock. Here’s a Channel Card PDF version on the website.