GMRS Ch1 ragchew anyone? (Toronto)

[happystuff]

Does anyone ever call out on Ch1 just to see who's listening? I call out periodically, generally late at night because that is when I'm free. I've never gotten a reply though.

I have heard one person calling out once on Ch.1 and I had a fun chat with him. Never found another person since.

I do hear weak roger beeps from I think Midland radios during the day though. Sounds like business talk normally.

I realize the limited range of GMRS radios, but still...maybe I'm just too hopeful?

 

[torontokris]

GMRS or FRS 1?
Not many people on them other then kids on Midland/wal-mart type radios.

Without a license wattage is limited to what 2 watts in Canada? 5 watts in the states? Fixed Antenna radios only.

So you wont hear much from too far away. It is fun when you do hear people though

If your interested in convos with other radio people why not look into an amateur/HAM radio license..

 

[happystuff]

Oh I have my amateur radio license. But I still poke around on the GMRS/FRS frequencies too, for variety I suppose.

I got my interest in blister pack Wallyworld radios and moved up from there. Used to use them while cycling to keep in touch with the front guy.

I remember riding around the "vegas strip for kids" part of Niagra Falls (as I like to call it). The part where there are a lot of haunted houses and amusement type things. Tons of GMRS radio traffic there.

Anyway, it would just be cool if there were people in Toronto using this frequency for general chat like HAM's use their frequencies.

I also only said CH.1 because I've read that is the most popular channel due to people just turning on the radio and using the first channel on there.

I live in a second story apartment and I can actually reach a friend that lives about 1.5km away from me using my 2 watt radio if I stand outside. It's fun.

 

[robertmac]

I think of FRS/GMRS as the CB of UHF. Thank goodness there is no skip. I have never heard a decent conversation on the FRS/GMRS frequencies. What I do here are: kids and more kids mostly PTT to have roger beep; people trying to back up their trailers; young kids trying to set up spots for street racing; the odd business that do not understand that people can listen to them. Mind you, because of the kids roger beeping all the time, and needless chatter from people that are just chattering, I do not monitor anyone specific frequency. I do scan them but will only hear someone on maybe once a week. Besides, I usually don't have anything in common witht he people using FRS/GMRS.

 

[mciupa]

There used to be a group of guys a couple of years back that used 462.5625. I think they were in high-rises in Toronto and a couple of guys on the Niagara Peninsula. Nice to hear how far apart and how powerful their radios were. They had great signals.
It was interesting until they morphed into the Trailer Park Boys and swore over anyone who happened upon their channel.

 

[bigcam406]

i scan GMRS/FRS freq's once in awhile.usually i hear contractors working in an industrial setting mostly.only once did i hear a full conversation between 2 people,and i found out it was in an apt building next door to me.

 

[shteb13]

Being a letter carrier I am out and about during the day near Woodbine beach, I have tried monitoring but haven't heard much... I'll keep trying though...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[happystuff]

Wow I guess Toronto really is GMRS ghost town. Such a big contrast after reading on one of the other GMRS congestion threads.

 

[ratpatrol]

GMRS/FRS

I remember hearing a roundtable qso while in vancouver and it was some scanner guys

i broke in and we chatted for over an hour and had a few beers the next day at the pub and had a great evening talking about the hobby

so you never know what can happen......

john

BTW...they had to clear me for further conversation at the beginning because they have had cases where weirdos use the frs to arrange meet ups for sex within a specific community

 

[happystuff]

@Ratpatrol

That's really great! That you had a long chat for over an hour on an otherwise not really used frequency. I still await the day I randomly stumble upon someone to chat with long enough and eventually have a drink with.

Though not beer.. more of a coffee and pepsi guy myself

It's interesting but I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to hear (but I am!) that there were those who used FRS to arrange for sex.

I've heard of truck stop CB sex arranged that way but I never knew it was also a thing with FRS.

Heck, the quicky would practically be with your neighbor going by the range limitations alone if using FRS.

 

[bigcam406]

so much for the "family" in FRS.......

 

[DaveH]

so much for the "family" in FRS.......

Indeed...I'm surprised by how little I see FRS/GMRS used for its original intended purpose.
A vacuum doesn't persist for long though.

Scanning around sometimes in downtown Ottawa, it seems channels are increasingly used
by commercial interests...stores; institutional (a nearby retirement home); even a local YMCA
appeared to be using it a bit (though they have regular commercial HTs); and occasionally crane
control (a really bad idea on these channels).

Dave

 

[DMRAPX]

There used to be a group of guys a couple of years back that used 462.5625. I think they were in high-rises in Toronto and a couple of guys on the Niagara Peninsula. Nice to hear how far apart and how powerful their radios were. They had great signals.
It was interesting until they morphed into the Trailer Park Boys and swore over anyone who happened upon their channel.

That group switched to 467.7250 for several years, don't they are still there.

 

[mciupa]

That group switched to 467.7250 for several years, don't they are still there.

Thanks, Bubbles :lol:

I'll do a service search and see what is happening nowadays.

 

[DaveH]

That group switched to 467.7250 for several years, don't they are still there.

That is not a GMRS frequency in Canada, though it's being held in consideration for
when-ever/if-ever GMRS repeaters come to Canada. Meantime it's still a commercial
frequency.

Dave

 

[RayAir]

I brought an FRS radio to Las Vegas and had a room up high in TI. FRS ch 7 was like a visitor party line.

I'm going back in late August and plan to do some MotoTRBO scanning. I'm going to bring a DTR radio this time also just to see what pops up on that.

 

[ratpatrol]

vegas pros

let us know what freqs they use and if they are using cs700s on motortbo or are fans of the 7550 Motorola

a lot of them like to use prepaid calling cards, prepaid cellphone burners and love reruns of The Wire

 

[happystuff]

Interesting thing happened to me once when I tried to bring my Yaesu FT1D up to the CN Tower.

Security looked at it for several minutes, mind blown by the idea of bringing an actual communications device into a purpose built communications tower. Meanwhile lots of tourists with cameras were going by, of course. I did finally get cleared by a higher-up that my intentions as an amateur radio operator holding an HT were indeed benign.

I just REALLY REALLY wanted to try simplex from a REALLY REALLY tall tower

Anyway, stupid elevator lineup was so long I left before I even got up to try it.

Post thoughts:
Imagine if I did the same sort of activity in a bank.

Imagine if I went into a bank with a camera instead and told security that I had no interest in the business and purpose of the building (financial transactions) but instead, I only wanted to look around and take pictures of everything - much like people do in the CN Tower.

...just think of how well that would go over.

 

[happystuff]

I brought an FRS radio to Las Vegas and had a room up high in TI. FRS ch 7 was like a visitor party line. ...

Ohhh, the things you must have heard...it was probably one of those "what get's said in Vegas, stays in Vegas" type conversions.

Which makes me think now, it would be interesting to know if (and to what degree) the casinos actively monitor all the various FRS, GMRS, HAM, MURS..etc frequencies. I have this idea in my head that the scanning capabilities of casinos rival those of the military.

 

[ratpatrol]

gmrs ch1 call out channel...

i assume its 462.5625 simplex we are trying to use?

frs 1 is the same some call it the national calling channel