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I see absolutely no way they could "take over." I also see no way they can actually attract an appreciable number of members. GMRS isn't like HAM.

And there's ROIP, or Radio over internet Protocol which can allow Worldwide crystal clear coms. I use a SharkRF Openspot, which allows P25, DMR, C4FM, and Pocsag modes in Digital. Being in a Highrise with Limited antenna options, this method works Extremely Well.

I've mentioned it repeatedly, and in great detail, that the treaty has been amended / replaced with a new treaty that removes the restrictions for our frequencies. Regardless of what is on your previous copies of your license, it is no longer in affect.

That is straight off of my license. I have ability to use all 8 channels because I live below line A, however, I don't have to drive too far north or east of me and I am north of line A. When I go shopping in Bangor, I am well over the north of line A. What I do find interesting that may put some truth to this is that if I download my GMRS license now, the Waiver says NONE.

Is there going to be a net the night of 8/28/25? And has anybody been able to get on the repeater? Can anybody get back to me? Let me know what's going on.

I see it's pay-to-play... No thanks. I don't need a Home Owners Association for my radio use. LoL

While a good idea, linking only creates more problems if not done correctly. If you are looking at linking a couple repeaters or a few repeaters to make a large area to cover, that isn't bad. But when does the linking stop? and because you linked these repeaters together, now two guys sitting on one repeater talking will tie up the whole system. Unless of course you own the system and make it closed. In that case it would work. Another thing to think about also is that GMRS repeaters have to be installed on commercial towers in many cases to work reliably. If the public safety and cell phones get knocked out in a "disaster", so isn't GMRS and Ham. Disasters don't pick and choose what towers and systems they put offline. When one crashes, they all crash. The networks behind them may determine what gets knocked out first, but Ham and GMRS are both vulnerable to disasters when it comes to the repeaters. The other idea that many Hams will give you is to get your Ham license and get on HF. Totally not viable, unless you want every single individual person in your family to study for two different tests, learn all this radio theory that means absolutely nothing at the end of the day if you just need long distance communications to pick up a mic and talk. And then you have to spend a fortune on radio equipment. No, QRP radios are not viable because the HF bands are too unpredictable. Sometimes you get away with 5 watts and then the next thing you know you need a lot of power just to get over bad band conditions, and even then it is not guaranteed. I know because I have been living this joke of HF going long distance all year and a good chunk of last year. Anything above 30MHz is not worth my time, leaving HF. The HF bands have been plagued by solar flares knocking them dead unless you run a kilowatt or more so it is hit or miss. But remember, we are talking about reliable communications, not QRP contesting. Reliable as in cell phone reliable. So, at the end of the day, either all of you get your own individual Ham licenses, hope that Trump cares enough to force the FCC, that he tried to rearrange, to allow linking, or do what I do, rely on cell phone communications. I have GMRS, and a general class Ham license and do not rely on either for reliable communications because they simply are not reliable. I just use radio for the pure fun of it, "when" it works. If cell phones crashed, radio may be the only communications, but it still wont be reliable. It will be hit or miss depending on band, power output, and location.

Missouri still maintains their VHF low systems as a backup.

My portion of illinois is completely void of 30 - 50 mhz traffic. All the low band agencies are now on a statewide trunking system. I still have a couple neighbors using 46/49 phones amazingly.

2 meter 144Mhz and 1.25 meter 220Mhz bands are also covered on the H3, you need to activate the 200Mhz frequency in the menu. 70cm is a given. You can also listen to FM CB if there is anyone on those bands (there aren't LOL). You have to activate the 200, 350 and 500Mhz bands in the menu along with the AM option to listen to them. I've only filled about 70 memories and I'm doubting I'll need many more. I suppose if you use the radio as a scanner having a lot of memories would be nice.

You aren't kidding. I will have to choose coffee over radios if it comes down to it. No one would want to be around me without coffee. I'm a bit grumpy when there is too much blood in the caffeine system. On topic. It will be interesting to see if this proposal amounts to anything. There are still public safety and others that already use 42-49 MHz. Yes most of them only use it as a backup system but they do maintain the towers and radios.

My 935H is just a talkie, but it's 2m/1.25m/and 70cm, as well as Gmrs and Murs if you enter the 4 digit code. A thousand memories on it is nice too.

The H3 covers 8 different bands. Murs is one of them. It also does AM airbands and many of the Ham frequencies. I assumed that the 935H would sound more like a real mobile radio instead of the tinny sounding CCR's like the H3. One of the main limits of the H3, don't know if it's the same with the H8 is only 199 channels to store and only the first 55 allow you to transmit. The rest are receive only.

My H8 is just fine, for what it is and it works well, but my wouxun 935H just covers more bands, since I enjoy 222 simplex as well as Gmrs and Murs. My 935 H will do them all.

ARRL doesn't even affect hams, who choose not to support them.

ARRL's only authority is that licensees acknowledge them as the national coordinator and voluntarily cooperate. But ARRL has been around since 1914 when amateur radio was new, and no living ham can remember a time they didn't exist. I just don't envision 100,000 GMRS licensees voluntarily yielding that sort of authority to some upstart organization.

With the price of good coffee steadily increasing, we'll have to start making informative decisions between our beloved java and our radios !

e.g. ARRL

Apparently, it's an attempt to form a nationwide club. How does that constitute "taking over" GMRS? Unless they have some sort of actual authority, I can't see how that will affect me.

Yes. My repeater has that as a selectable option in its software. To use a voice ID, I would have to buy another device. And, as @dosw said, I find it less disruptive than a voice when I'm having a conversation. Most of the ham repeaters I listen to use a Morse code ID, but a couple use voice ID. The voice ID is fine when it's just a periodic voice on the air, but in the midst of a conversation, it's more confusing.

Hi Jason, and welcome to this group and GMRS. I am Ronn Foster, and I'm new to the hobby myself. I set this group up because I know there are more GMRS'rs in Michiana, and it would be great to have a place to share ideas and ask questions. I'll try to answer any questions you may have. Welcome!

He’s talking about this effort to form a national GMRS organization:

I'm Jason from South Bend. Very new to gmrs.

Geezus Khrist... You need to go outside and get some fresh air and sunshine..

My fist thought was that it would fade away without ever gaining traction. But there are plenty of joiners out there that never see the down side. I guess, let's see if this grand poobah guy shows up for open debate.