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GMRS Repeater Networks/Linking Legal?

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MTS2000des

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Because it's shared spectrum, my repeater (which I paid for) has just as much authority to use these 8 pairs as they do. It's located on a high site. Again, the rules say share and all I am asking (despite all the non sequiturs) is how can a large linked system such as this be compliant with 95.359 if users cannot practically monitor ALL frequencies to ensure their operation isn't causing interference to others. Answer: they can't.
 

jeepsandradios

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While I sorta agree with "monitoring" 99.9% of the GMRS/FRS users never monitor before they talk. As soon as they add PL/CTCSS/DPL they will never hit the monitor button again. I'd just find the least used pair and use your repeater.
 

12dbsinad

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I could NEVER use someone else's system. Just the thought of hearing all those CCR's or modified hammy rigs with no STE squelch clashing the repeater every time they un-key would drive me banana's! Or those STUPID roger beepes!!! AHHHH!!!

Happy thanksgiving to all my peeps on RR
 

MTS2000des

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I could NEVER use someone else's system. Just the thought of hearing all those CCR's or modified hammy rigs with no STE squelch clashing the repeater every time they un-key would drive me banana's! Or those STUPID roger beepes!!! AHHHH!!!
Yeah, nothing causes a misophonic rage like a Boaturd roger beep coupled with typical low muddy audio from those road apple radios.
 

prcguy

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When I ran several GMRS repeaters in So Cal we had the most power, biggest antenna, tallest hills, ran DPL and never used the monitor button.

While I sorta agree with "monitoring" 99.9% of the GMRS/FRS users never monitor before they talk. As soon as they add PL/CTCSS/DPL they will never hit the monitor button again. I'd just find the least used pair and use your repeater.
 

KD8DVR

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Also GMRS is specifically for individuals and their families. If you want wide area family communications, linking GMRS can provide that. Great for folks with lengthy daily commutes.
Yes but..... are there actually going to be family communications taking place, or are these linked repeaters going to be taken over by the "hobby users"
 

AK9R

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...are these linked repeaters going to be taken over by the "hobby users".
Based on what I hear on Midwest GMRS, it's hobby users. There's a non-linked GMRS repeater in my area and I've heard family communications there. But, who knows what goes on when I'm not listening.
 

jeepsandradios

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Most of what takes place on the network occupying the repeater pairs here is indeed part 97 like communications including nets with checks-ins, ham radio style. Nothing "family" about that unless one is calling everyone with the last name SMITH...

Thats because there is this unknown desire to get GMS instead of ham as of late. Not sure why but that seems to be the way. People think it should work like ham and repeaters should be all over for them to use. Frustrates the heck out of me on the other forums. I use it for family and myself and thats it. Thats why most of mine are uinlisted.
 

DeoVindice

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Thats because there is this unknown desire to get GMS instead of ham as of late. Not sure why but that seems to be the way. People think it should work like ham and repeaters should be all over for them to use. Frustrates the heck out of me on the other forums. I use it for family and myself and thats it. Thats why most of mine are uinlisted.

In my neck of the woods, the preeminent GMRS system has better coverage and reliability compared to any ham system. It's simply better on a technical level.
 

SQP

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What's interesting is that the majority of users heard on the NGGMRS system are licensed hams. Looking up the unit numbers in the database, about 90 percent of the calls have associated ham tickets.

JUST now finding that out?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Michael WQXC323/N9EXR
 

W8UU

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That's because there is this unknown desire to get GMRS instead of ham as of late. Not sure why but that seems to be the way. People think it should work like ham and repeaters should be all over for them to use. Frustrates the heck out of me on the other forums. I use it for family and myself and that's it. That's why most of mine are unlisted.

That's easy. Hams who want to communicate with family members must have everyone who will ever use a radio take and pass a Technician exam. Then everyone has to contact each other using Ham call signs and, in most cases, the approved Ham etiquette on that repeater. GMRS allows the same wide area communication with one family license and much simpler on-air ("Unit 4 to Unit 1", or "Dad, this is Sara") operating procedure. Amateur Radio has always been a technogeek service. GMRS is a push-to-talk personal communications utility.
 

Thorndike113

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Amateur radio has its place as a hobby dealing with the technical end of radio. GMRS is for those who are not a business but want the ability to communicate over a large area but only need to communicate. I've been going through this issue with ham operators telling me to get my wife to get her ham license so we can communicate. I refuse to because I am lucky enough to have her agree to at least use it for communication where needed. I even had to purchase a smaller antenna so she didn't have to deal with this big antenna hanging off the radio. She is happy, I am happy, we compromised and are fine with what we have and it works. A lot of hams just want more people on the roster of ham radio as a way to keep the hobby from dying and I think that's wrong. Hams need to stop with what they really do with ham radio and make FULL USE of ALL the bands and maybe they wont have an issue. My wife and I just need communications, not a hobby. Ham radio has its place and I enjoy some of it. GMRS has its place providing a means of communications over a larger area without having to be public safety, business, or ham. Each service should be used for what it was intended for and one should not be exalted above the other. I think linking on GMRS should be allowed especially seeing as how, in my area most GMRS repeaters are on peoples roof tops or on a lower elevation on a tower. None of them cover a wide enough area. Plus, my area works better on VHF high band than UHF just because of the terrain.
 

mmckenna

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She is happy, I am happy, we compromised and are fine with what we have and it works.

And that is what counts.

I've been a ham for a few decades now. I was (eventually) able to get my wife to take a ham-cram session and she has her tech license. Before that, GMRS served our needs very well.

...ham operators telling me to get my wife to get her ham license so we can communicate...

As for hams that make those sorts of statements, it shows a level of ignorance that is, unfortunately, quite common. When someone has one tool, they start to think that one tool is used to fix all problems. Hams are well known for this, and it happens quite often.
 

W8UU

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Amateur radio has its place as a hobby dealing with the technical end of radio. GMRS is for those who are not a business but want the ability to communicate over a large area but only need to communicate. <SNIP> Plus, my area works better on VHF high band than UHF just because of the terrain.

I'd love to see some of the VHF low band business band frequencies refarmed for GMRS. No repeaters, just base to mobile and mobile to mobile simplex operation. 50 watt maximum RF power and wideband FM. Have a channel plan that involves a call channel and the rest are open for personal communication. No bubble pack radios. No repeaters. Just point to point communication. It would be a valuable use of unused radio frequencies in rural and mountainous areas where UHF isn't a good first choice.
 

12dbsinad

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I'd love to see some of the VHF low band business band frequencies refarmed for GMRS. No repeaters, just base to mobile and mobile to mobile simplex operation. 50 watt maximum RF power and wideband FM. Have a channel plan that involves a call channel and the rest are open for personal communication. No bubble pack radios. No repeaters. Just point to point communication. It would be a valuable use of unused radio frequencies in rural and mountainous areas where UHF isn't a good first choice.
This will never happen. First off, low band is pretty much useless with handhelds, and that is the majority of the GMRS market. Family's are not running around (for the most part) with base stations and mobile rigs in their vehicles, especially with low band 1/4 wave whips to make them actually work well.

Secondly, the noise floor on low band is insane. GMRS around any metropolitan area would be useless as well. There is a reason why most business and PS agencies vacated the band. Now, I'm not saying it's totally useless, but it would not serve the majority of the GMRS population very effectively.
 

rescue161

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The old lowland handhelds that Radio Shack used to sell did okay for what they were. They were 49 MHz. I think it would be awesome if the FCC just lumped those 5 or so channels into the GMRS and allowed external antennas an 50 Watts.
 

Thorndike113

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They have MURS but it would be nice if they had something else with higher power on VHF high band. Up here in Maine, over 90% of public safety communication is on VHF high band because of terrain, and transmitters placed in the right spots on hill/mountain tops have insane foot prints. I have wanted to experiment with this band on Ham radio but all the hams in Maine mainly use 80 meters. Hopefully one day they will open up more of the VHF high band.
 
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