New GMRS Band Plan

[russbrill]

There's a GMRS group in California that has an FCC experimental license that allows them to run DMR on a few GMRS pairs. They have a DMR repeater or two. They've had the experimental license for a few years.
So, it's something that is possible, if you want to go through the process of getting the experimental license. And I'm sure the FCC is aware that there's a desire to go to digital at some point. It was proposed many years ago in the last GMRS/FRS shuffle. Eventually, through attrition, wide band gear will disappear and narrow band will replace it. Same thing will happen with analog and digital.

How many talk groups on DMR at one time??? I know it can do at least two...

 

[Hans13]

You gotta admit, if the repeater folks would come out of the dark ages, we could get more use out of the GMRS Spectrum...

I think the available GMRS specturn is under-used in many areas.

 

[a417]

Have you considered getting your amateur radio license? There's a LOT of freedom to explore this sort of stuff there.

Oh, he has one...it was his old username on here before he went away the first time.

 

[Hans13]

I had thought about digital for the repeaters, but what standard?? DMR???

I need to clarify... Analog and DMR.

 

[russbrill]

Works in china shops, and if you are a bull. Not so much with higher end communications stuff, and not with this crowd.

But I can appreciate the passion.

Have you considered getting your amateur radio license? There's a LOT of freedom to explore this sort of stuff there.

Been licensed since 1990... I have HF, VHF, and UHF... Getting ready to play with GMRS a little, just because it's there...

 

[russbrill]

Oh, he has one...it was his old username on here before he went away the first time.

You just love to jab at folks don't you???

 

[Hans13]

Digital, yes and any format you choose please. But no narrow band.

Hear, hear! This.

 

[alcahuete]

Yeah, I kinda had the "Bull in the China Shop" approach... Guns a blazing

And no hard feelings at all. It was just that this was exactly what you did with the old username...same approach, same recommendations, same results. Nobody was giving you the answers you wanted to hear and you rage quit.

Absolutely nothing wrong with asking questions and trying to learn. That's how we all learn. But coming up with all sorts of crazy proposals constantly....ehhhh....I'd probably try a different method. Just a thought.

 

[russbrill]

Oh, he has one...it was his old username on here before he went away the first time.

So tell us a417, what do you do for fun???

 

[russbrill]

And no hard feelings at all. It was just that this was exactly what you did with the old username...same approach, same recommendations, same results. Nobody was giving you the answers you wanted to hear and you rage quit.

Absolutely nothing wrong with asking questions and trying to learn. That's how we all learn. But coming up with all sorts of crazy proposals constantly....ehhhh....I'd probably try a different method. Just a thought.

Yep, but it keeps your debate skills sharp

 

[alcahuete]

Yep, but it keeps your debate skills sharp

I can't disagree with that one.

 

[mmckenna]

How many talk groups on DMR at one time??? I know it can do at least two...

Two time slots.

Trunking on GMRS would be a total $**t show. And not warranted. Again, no real channel loading issues. What I hear often from GMRS repeater owners is the desire to better control access to closed repeaters. Some have tried things like MDC, FleetSync or even LTR controllers. Digital would solve a lot of that.

 

[russbrill]

And no hard feelings at all. It was just that this was exactly what you did with the old username...same approach, same recommendations, same results. Nobody was giving you the answers you wanted to hear and you rage quit.

Absolutely nothing wrong with asking questions and trying to learn. That's how we all learn. But coming up with all sorts of crazy proposals constantly....ehhhh....I'd probably try a different method. Just a thought.

Sometimes I misunderstand where someone is coming from, that's the problem with text, there's no tone to pick up on......

 

[russbrill]

Two time slots.

Trunking on GMRS would be a total $**t show. And not warranted. Again, no real channel loading issues. What I hear often from GMRS repeater owners is the desire to better control access to closed repeaters. Some have tried things like MDC, FleetSync or even LTR controllers. Digital would solve a lot of that.

so the two slots act like two channels???

 

[a417]

That's probably why the UHF CB in Australia is limited to 5 watts period, no exceptions...

...What?

You think that's the reason that Aussies have limited their FM UHF units to 5 watts, which they can run thru antennae with up to 12db gain?

They have what...80 channels?!

 

[Hans13]

I listen to GMRS a lot, and I would bet a large number of the repeater owners are just parking on their pairs doing nothing with them.. Why, because I don't hear hardly any repeater traffic, but I hear lots of simplex users...

I'm sure those folks would come up with the money to upgrade if it was required...

The undertone of those comments leads me to believe that this might be more about wrestling away repeater pairs from owners that are "just parking on their pairs doing nothing with them." I could see that in Amateur radio but not in GMRS. There is no mandated coordination beyond not to maliciously interfere with another. That being the case, if all of the pairs have repeaters on them, pick the quietest pair and put a repeater on that pair with a different PL or DPL. (Of course, it's more complex than that... here, we try to figure overlap and pick pairs that are geographically farthest apart in consideration of typical traffic load.)

 

[a417]

So tell us a417, what do you do for fun???

I'm happily retired.

 

[russbrill]

...What?

You think that's the reason that Aussies have limited their FM UHF units to 5 watts, which they can run thru antennae with up to 12db gain?

They have what...80 channels?!

Yep, they're stacked on top of one another, the Gov sliced and diced the spectrum...

 

[a417]

Yep, they're stacked on top of one another, the Gov sliced and diced the spectrum...

Oh, and the guv'mint has obviously done so in a manner that you don't approve of.

 

[russbrill]

I'm happily retired.

That means you're a COVID-19 prisoner too...…