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GMRS repeater; fee for tone usage?

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conve36

Member
Joined
May 5, 2008
Messages
161
Location
Menifee/Lake Elsinore, Ca
I know their are many GMRS repeaters on various mountaintops within my area that have little or no usage. Can anyone tell me what it usually costs to rent or lease a tone on a repeater? I understand it varies from site to site, but I have absolutely no idea what the price range would be. Several of the GMRS repeaters around me have numerous tones on them, but again, little to no usage on them at all. Thanks for your help in answering my question!

Mountain-tops within my calling area:

Santiago Peak
Elsinore Peak
Palomar Mountain
Snow Peak
Heaps Peak
Crestline
San G
Sierra Peak
Among others...
 

SCANdal

Silent Key
Joined
Feb 20, 2003
Messages
935
Location
Hudson Valley, NY
What kind of traffic are you looking to pass over the repeater?

Around me repeater access is going for about $300.00/month. This is on top of the FCC license fee for each GMRS user outside of my immediate family that I wish to talk to.
 

b7spectra

EMS Dispatcher
Joined
Jul 8, 2002
Messages
3,143
Location
Cobb County, GA
GMRS repeater access in a cost of $0.00 to a user. This is spelled out in the FCC directives. Now, if you wish to have a private tone off of the GMRS repeater, the owner of it will probably take a gratious donation so you can have your own "alleged" private channel. The GMRS license will cost you $80.00 for, I believe, a 5 year run.

Now, if you are talking about a frequency off of someone's repeater, the cost is something that maybe you can work out with the owner.
 

SkipSanders

Silent Key
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
1,059
§ 95.33 Cooperative use of radio stations in the GMRS.
(a) Licensees (a licensee is the entity to which the license is issued) of radio stations in the GMRS may share the use of their stations with other entities eligible in the GMRS, subject to the following conditions and limitations.

(1) The station to be shared must be individually owned by the licensee, jointly owned by the participants and the licensee, leased individually by the licensee, or leased jointly by the participants and the licensee.

(2) The licensee must maintain access to and control over all stations authorized under its license.

(3) A station may be shared only:

(i) Without charge;
(ii) On a non-profit basis, with contributions to capital and operating expenses including the cost of mobile stations and paging receivers prorated equitably among all participants; or
(iii) On a reciprocal basis, i.e., use of one licensee’s stations for the use of another licensee’s stations without charge for either capital or operating expenses.

(4) All sharing arrangements must be conducted in accordance with a written agreement to be kept as part of the station records.
(b) [Reserved]
[48 FR 35237, Aug. 3, 1983, as amended at 63 FR 68975, Dec. 14, 1998]

So, a station (presumably a repeater in most cases) may choose either to not charge, or charge fees which cover expenses. Notice that last part about written records. This is what almost certainly prohibits 'open' repeaters, as all users authorized to use someone else's station must be recorded in the station written records.
 
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rescuecomm

Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2005
Messages
1,499
Location
Travelers Rest, SC
Yeah, those guys are in violation if they give out a paper stating fees. Seems like $300 a month upkeep is a little steep, but remember most tower companies get at least $2.00 a foot for antenna site rent per month. If the antenna is up 200 feet, then that is $400.00 a month not counting power and equipment. In these days of cheap cell phones and Iden prepays, that is a lot for only local coverage.

Bob
 

SkipSanders

Silent Key
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
1,059
No, Rescue, they're not violating anything by having a stated fee per month.

They're only violating the rules if the stated fees are in excess of the cost of providing the service. The rules only say you must be non-profit, they don't limit fees other than that.

Still, $300/month sounds a little high. The local group I'm part of maintains 4 repeaters, all on mountaintops, around 50 members, with fees of $100/year.
 

KerryCochran

Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2004
Messages
2
Location
California
GMRS Repeater Fees

In my area there is a high level repeater that we use, cost is $ 75.00 per year first member and $ 35.00 for second member in same family.

The cost of the repeater site (rent) is $ 2,000.00 a year and does not include maint.

Kerry
KAD8667
 

emscapt47

Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2008
Messages
16
Location
Broome County ny
Cause my wife wont get a ham lic and i would like to talk to her on GMRS..not to mention most of the hams in my area think they are ham gods.....
 

b7spectra

EMS Dispatcher
Joined
Jul 8, 2002
Messages
3,143
Location
Cobb County, GA
Our GMRS repeater group North Georgia GMRS Home Page it IS free to use, you just have to contact the owner and have a unit ID assigned (I am 505). The owner does take donations for upkeep, but there is NO charge to use it. Sounds like everywhere else people are getting ripped off!

BTW - I do send the NG GMRS a donation every so often as I don't always have the opportunity to help out with the up keep of the site or grounds.
 

conve36

Member
Joined
May 5, 2008
Messages
161
Location
Menifee/Lake Elsinore, Ca
I understand you can get repeater subscriptions, as I have with the local REACT group. Cost's me $50 p/year to use their "personal" tone. I was just wondering how someone would go about getting their OWN tone, as in there are not any other authorized users but you and whoever you allow. Anyone following me here?
 

SkipSanders

Silent Key
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
1,059
I understand you can get repeater subscriptions, as I have with the local REACT group. Cost's me $50 p/year to use their "personal" tone. I was just wondering how someone would go about getting their OWN tone, as in there are not any other authorized users but you and whoever you allow. Anyone following me here?

First, there would have to be a local repeater in your area that offered that. Given that it costs more to set up a repeater for multiple tones, that's probably pretty rare.

Most GMRS repeaters are set up by a specific group, for their own use. If you don't qualify to be in that group, they're not usually interested in 'giving' you access.

They also aren't likely to 'give' you control of access, anyone who wants to use 'your' tone still has to get permission from the repeater operator. Each user is supposed to share costs.

The group I mentioned has a specific purpose, and doesn't accept just anybody into the group. No amount of 'I want to' is going to get them to let you use their repeaters, unless you match the group's purpose for existance.

'Selling' access isn't what the GMRS service is intended to support, really.
 
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