What did you get GMRS for?

[WB9YBM]

what is a good commercial grade handheld you can recommend?

I used to use Motorola gear at one of my past jobs and had good luck with that (not too much experience with other brands, unfortunately)...

 

[jeepsandradios]

Family and friend tool. Its not a hobby. Its a specific tool for a job.

 

[rescuecomm]

To communicate with the spouse in the local area.

 

[N1SAK]

Like my friends, I could not get my family interested in radio coms at all because, after all, we can always use our cell phones, right? Uh huh. Only came to understand more about GMRS a few months back, fell in love with the idea because a license covers my whole family. I had also learned we had a good gmrs repeater in town. Bought the license and a couple HT's. Added a mobile unit to the wife's SUV and she actually enjoys using it to reach me at home on my HT since I've been working from there - thanks China. For me, it was all about getting my family interested in just trying out some radios in a fun way while knowing they are also learning much more than they realize. We also spend some weekend time at our friends large "farm" where there's almost no cell service and everyone uses HTs around the property on the quads and tractors and such. Now, my wife and teenage daughter are actually starting to understand basic radio concepts and have become familiar with them through use. We also use 'em around our property to talk back to the house from way out in the gardens, etc. Much further ahead of where I was in terms of coms familiarity with my family. Using a radio is now a "family thing" and not just a "dad thing" any more. I've also added good gmrs HT to each family member's "emergency bag".

 

[WB9YBM]

Like my friends, I could not get my family interested in radio coms at all because, after all, we can always use our cell phones, right?

Well, unless that cell 'phone's got a heck of a long extension cord it's a radio too!

 

[CanesFan95]

Everytime I hear a GMRS repeater, it's almost always hammy-style QSOs. It's just more ham radio. I scan a bank of MURS/GMRS/Itinerant frequencies which makes for good listening and get annoyed when the radio stops for a hammy QSO and hit the lockout button.

 

[WPXS472]

I got my GMRS license because I could. That may sound silly, and I suppose it is. But, fill out the application online, pay your $75 and next day or two later, you have a callsign. Neat! I had dreams of using it for communications around the homestead, and maybe for trips and such. Never happened. Cellphones killed that. I live in a fringe area for cellular coverage, so GMRS should be a good thing. My wife cares not for even trying to use a two way radio. She simply won't. A co worker had a repeater on a good high hill for a while, but no one ever used it. I have renewed my license once, and will probably do so again. At one time, I scanned the GMRS channels, and would hear some businesses talking on occasion. There are several people licensed in the area, but I don't think they use them much. Never heard any locals. Overall, I think GMRS is a worthwhile service. I hope the FCC doesn't do away with it any time soon.

 

[russbrill]

Everytime I hear a GMRS repeater, it's almost always hammy-style QSOs. It's just more ham radio. I scan a bank of MURS/GMRS/Itinerant frequencies which makes for good listening and get annoyed when the radio stops for a hammy QSO and hit the lockout button.

You do know the term "QSO" is hammy.. Now go stand in the corner

 

[RegionalComNet]

Got into it back in the late 90's in NJ/NY a group called RCN, members were made of police, fire, and oem personnel, used it as an auxiliary channel to communicate with others that had the same interest in public safety. We used to report vehicle accidents, working fires, i mean we did it all. We had members acting as dispatchers and making notifications from home, and some of us took turn to do the same, that was a lot of fun. So now, got back into it and hopefully i will get my new repeater to continue the legacy on a GMRS system.

 

[millrad]

GMRS is taking off like wildfire here in the Northeast and many parts of the country. The existance of Zello, the popular VoIP app, is partially responsible for this because it provides remote links to GMRS channels and also the fact that so many repeaters are networked together. At home, I hear repeater outputs on every one of the simplex channels (CHs 15-22), some from repeaters 50 to 100 miles away. The GMRS was never meant to be a hobby service, but it certainly has become one.

Ham callsign W1AMJ (Advanced)
GMRS callsign WRHW236

 

[iMONITOR]

GMRS has never been popular in Michigan for some reason. I've monitored GMRS off and on for days at a time and never hear a peep. Now I see why.

 

[WB9YBM]

Back in the day we used CB radios along the Jersey shore to communicate, no cell phones, during the winter - off season - there were only about 50 families that lived on the beach island all year long - that's spread out over appx 10 miles. Most of us had CB's in our homes and vehicles.

Many years later in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania there were many areas of no service, so a lot of us in a ski community started using bubble pack FRS/GMRS radios. From there we became licensed and used a "base station" - perhaps not 100% legally, but almost as a one way radio station, because we knew a lot of the bubble pack radios could not transmit back to us, but we could transmit or "announce" that dinner was ready, time to come in etc. and the radios would receive the message even though they could not answer.

The use expanded to our Jeeps, while everyone had a CB in their Jeep at rally's etc., we all also had a GMRS, quieter thanks to PL codes, the advantage of the short antenna on the hand held units, just overall easier and more convenient to use.

Two way radio has its place, even with all of today's cell phones, tablets etc. It allows group conversations; I don't have to dial several numbers. We are in Florida farm country now and it is nice being able to ask a question once, everyone hears it an can respond as necessary, like who has the L4600 (tractor) and where is it?

While different farms - families - properties try and use different frequencies or different PL codes, everyone kinda monitors what’s known as GMRS #16 so if one neighbor needs something they can just ask, anyone around that can help me do "whatever" people who are around, in the area etc. that can help will answer up. Again, saves making a bunch of phone calls looking for help. Another, everyday use is most of us use our ATV's as regular transportation, and most of the neighborhood kids ride them around also. Everyone generally has a radio, if someone needs something they can just ask. Parents know it just an added tool if their kids need help while out riding on a trail. Cell service is getting better, but still some dead spots.

That reminds me of some of the stories I lived through myself in the past; somehow those stories seem to mean more (at least to me) than some heartless/soulless wiz-bang gadget invented today...is it just me being sentimental or is there something more?

 

[WB9YBM]

GMRS is taking off like wildfire here in the Northeast and many parts of the country.

I've heard an increasing number of people mention it around the Chicago area as well--maybe it's "The New CB" and we'll see a surge of use similar to CB in the '70s?

 

[russbrill]

I've heard an increasing number of people mention it around the Chicago area as well--maybe it's "The New CB" and we'll see a surge of use similar to CB in the '70s?

If that's the case, then we should start pushing for a "Band Plan" of some kind. For example, I monitor Channel 20 Simplex in narrowband mode with a PL of 141.3 Hz. Channel 7 could be used as a "Low power talk around" channel. I use PL on channel 20 to filter out some of the FRS chatter, I chose 141.3 Hz because it is the (was) nationally recognized Travel Tone.

 

[WB9YBM]

If that's the case, then we should start pushing for a "Band Plan" of some kind. For example, I monitor Channel 20 Simplex in narrowband mode with a PL of 141.3 Hz. Channel 7 could be used as a "Low power talk around" channel. I use PL on channel 20 to filter out some of the FRS chatter, I chose 141.3 Hz because it is the (was) nationally recognized Travel Tone.

Good idea. Although: if I understand things correctly--and I'm using ham radio as an example--the FCC does not create band plans but rather the American Radio Relay League, and even then it's only a suggestion. If that's the case, who'd develop the plan for GMRS? Would the GMRS service need an ARRL equivalent for this to happen?

 

[mmckenna]

If that's the case, who'd develop the plan for GMRS? Would the GMRS service need an ARRL equivalent for this to happen?

Several groups have tried to set up a GMRS version of the ARRL. None of them have caught on, all have failed.

And the last thing the GMRS community needs is the actual ARRL getting in and screwing everything up.

 

[WB9YBM]

Several groups have tried to set up a GMRS version of the ARRL. None of them have caught on, all have failed.

And the last thing the GMRS community needs is the actual ARRL getting in and screwing everything up.

Yah, I've had issues with the ARRL, too. Maybe there's a better example we could use?

 

[mmckenna]

Yah, I've had issues with the ARRL, too. Maybe there's a better example we could use?

PRSG - Personal Radio Steering Group was around starting in the late 1970's. They used to publish a GMRS repeater guide, sort of like the ARRL Repeater Directory. But that was a long time ago, and internet resources sort of put an end to that book. Somewhere I still have my copy. A guy by the name of Corwin Moore used to run PRSG, but I haven't heard from him in a decade or more.

Then there was the PRA, Personal Radio Association. That was started by one of the early GMRS forum groups, but the guy driving it passed away and the website sort of disappeared. They had periodic discussions with the FCC on trying to make GMRS better.

The mygmrs page seems to be the most active group. Probably get some of them to organize and do something would be a good place to start.

 

[WB9YBM]

PRSG - Personal Radio Steering Group was around starting in the late 1970's. They used to publish a GMRS repeater guide, sort of like the ARRL Repeater Directory. But that was a long time ago, and internet resources sort of put an end to that book. Somewhere I still have my copy. A guy by the name of Corwin Moore used to run PRSG, but I haven't heard from him in a decade or more.

Then there was the PRA, Personal Radio Association. That was started by one of the early GMRS forum groups, but the guy driving it passed away and the website sort of disappeared. They had periodic discussions with the FCC on trying to make GMRS better.

The mygmrs page seems to be the most active group. Probably get some of them to organize and do something would be a good place to start.

I've also found good info here and Wikipedia (for general stuff--haven't checked the freqs Wikipedia gives with any depth for accuracy).

I wish some organizations--like the ones you mentioned plus whatever else is out there--were advertised better; lotsa good stuff there, too but not always easy to find.

 

[mmckenna]

A guy by the name of Corwin Moore used to run PRSG, but I haven't heard from him in a decade or more.

And now I know why:

Corwin Moore, WB8UPM (SK)

Corwin D. Moore, Jr. WB8UPM (age 77), one of the founders of the “Amateur Radio Repeaters Of Washtenaw” (ARROW), a spin-off of the HVARA (Huron Valley Amateur Radio Assn.), passed away …

w8rp.org