All Activity

I’m always surprised when people pass on getting their ham licenses because of DXing and contesting. One of my other hobbies is rocketry. A lot of people in rocketry get their Technician licenses so they can use 2 meters and 70 centimeters. They’re able to talk on handhelds and put APRS transmitters in rockets. They never go any further because they don’t have to. They don’t participate in contests or DXing. There’s almost no contesting or DXing on either 2 meters or 70 cm. The main advantage of a technician licenses over GMRS is the vast number of frequencies available compared to the 30 channels within two shared one MegaHertz wide bands. Nobody should be pressed into becoming a ham if they don’t want that for themselves, but I have known people who didn’t believe they were smart enough or that they couldn’t do the math. But the fact is there’s not enough math on any of the tests to prevent a person from becoming a ham or advancing through the levels and the tests are really not aimed at separating folks by intelligence. Basically, the Technician test is about learning the rules and a few very basic concepts. Memorizing is actually encouraged because that’s how the basics of anything are learned. If anyone is interested in becoming a ham butt has self doubt I hope they will reconsider. They are smart enough and they can get past the math requirements.

I;ve been a two way radio dealer for 13 years with ICOM Rado's. I'm not new to use of radios or FCC Rules. Too! I've worked as a EMT-P for 32 years and have plenty of experience operating TWO WAY RADIO's. I posted these rule and regulations for new users. Even reading and signing the FCC form before paying, It's always good to go back and reference these rules rather a newbie or a long time radio user.

Repeater is up and running good. Very little traffic on it at this time.

I agree, not even close to needing intervention. 50 years ago I had a CB and Radio Shack scanner in my car.

I had to laugh when I saw this. It is very true. I get it though. If you look at what Hams had to go through to just get to a General license back in the day, it wasn't easy like it is today. You had CW requirements etc. To get your General license now is actually simple. I have studied all three tests and the Tech is easy. The General takes the Tech and gets a little more in depth but is still pretty easy. The Extra is the one that is hard. I got to General and I am good for now. Eventually the older crowd will die off and the newer crowd will take full control. I think we have been seeing that already. They are making Ham more inviting and looking less like a brotherhood that you join. Ham is supposed to be fun. It isn't for everyone though, but for those who like it, it can be fun. You have people who just want to key a mic and talk to their friends, and then you have those that are electronics geeks and really get into the meat and potatoes of radio. Neither is bad, they just get into two different things.

I have heard the same. However, I don't make up what I have been told to my face or what I have heard come through my speakers. The way I see it, if these "Hams" don't like it being exposed like that, they should encourage those few Hams out there that have a hatred for other radio services to stop it. I have come across a handful of Hams who think getting people into GMRS is wonderful way to get into radio and then transition into Ham if they want. I know quite a few who have. However, Ham isn't for everyone and I respect that. It doesn't mean a person can't pass the test though. Out of the people I have talked to that are interested in radio but don't have their ham license, almost all of them don't want anything to do with Ham because of contesting/DXing and talking worldwide. That has been the main reason I have heard because these guys just want to talk local the way people do on CB. Other reasons are the "having to pass a test" just to do the act of talking on the radio to their buddy is dumb. I have only met a couple of people in my life that straight up told me they were not smart enough to pass the test. I know, "some people" will believe what they want, so to each their own. Whatever floats their boat.

Never said there was a club. Situation was just a repeater that someone was charging access fee's for. Point is that if you are putting the money in your pocket and spending it on yourself, then you are profiting. If there is a 'club' that is established as you are indicating, and what I said applies, then it's embezzlement, because you are taking CLUB money and spending it on yourself. Either way YOU are profiting. Don't forget that a club needs to keep books for their money too. And all that stuff you mentioned has receipts that go into a ledger. And if the yearly income minus the years receipts don't equal the bank account then the money went somewhere. And if you are the only one handling the money, then it's on YOU to explain it. If you can't, then it's still a problem, legally. We're not discussing forensic accounting here. This is as simple as balancing a checkbook. I realize they don't teach that in school anymore. But it's not that difficult of a concept to grasp.

There are a quite a few Hams in my area that do have GMRS licenses and are not afraid to talk on either or mention GMRS on Ham, but I dont live in the areas where they talk on radio. I actually live in a very quiet area when it comes to people talking on radio. It isn't an "in thing" to do.

Wow! I think you inadvertently discovered your own problem. Seems you just want argue for the sake of arguing. You confirmed the exact scenario I described to a tee above. Let's try this again: Of course, if this is a commercial repeater site then it will have other renters and lease holders with deep pockets footing the bill to run the damn thing and show a profit for the owner. As for the GMRS repeater at this site, it will most likely be just a hobby for the owner or a friend of the owner. Since we now got you back on the rails, Please don't tell me you aren't getting free resources for the GMRS repeater, if you have one at that site. Because we both know that is most likely false. You play a great game of semantics, but it doesn't change the fact that you are getting free access to use the site. Since no money changes hands and you "DONATE" lots of time for access it only proves my point even further. Free is free no matter how hard you try to explain it away. Nice try.

So far mine has been working great! Very happy with it. Been testing it with some of the other ranchers so far in heavy woods we have gotten 14 miles south and 12 miles north of me so far.

If that's the case, it may be an amateur ham repeater I don't think GMRS does not allowed linked repeaters (Correct me if I'm wrong please)

Dues don't just go to the repeater. Clubhouse rent, electricity, phone and utilities, insurance etc etc etc.

Having 50 BMG reloading stuff isn't all that weird. I have a set of dies for the .455 Webley. Just incase I ever do find a Webley Fosbery. I found the dies covered with dust in a shop in Culver city. I don't know if they didn't know what they had or the counter guy just looked at the dust covered box and pull a number out of his, err, hat. But $25 brought them home.

My dad impressed on me the point of using the right tool for the job. https://remstoolsusa.com/rems-164011-contact-2000-electric-soldering-unit/

The fcc post is asking for you to suggest rules that you want deleted or any other changes. Many have totally confused this . You need to go submit your comments in favor of GMRS linking and at the same time you must explain what linking is because others are making comments that we want to use up all repeater channels in a town linking them all together creating some type of mesh network. Creating interference. That's what the FCC is against. There is also a claim that repeater users would not be able to regain control of there repeaters. This is all nonsense. The linked system has been proven to work for about 10 years. Ref (Docket No. 25-133) https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-25-219A1.pdf https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filings/standard I submitted a comment with a follow-up after I saw the anti-linking comments from people who have no ideal what we are asking for. https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/1042511135974/1 https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/10426037020584/1 If you have not submitted a comment do so now, If you did submit a second one explaining what gmrs repeater linking is. It is not using several all channels.

Fiberglass is considered stronger than steel when comparing their strength-to-weight ratios, meaning fiberglass can provide similar strength while being much lighter. Carbon Fiber is even greater in strength than steel compared to to strength-to weight ratios and less in weight compared to to fiberglass. And then consider some vehicles are now made with aluminum, which is great for strength but offers poor flexibility and impact resistance which would be a poorer choice of mounting an antenna too.

O.K.Negative Nancy… .

There you go again, trying to talk as if you know,,, when clearly it seems you DON'T. We OWN THE SITE. The tower, property, building, all of it. So ALL costs are the responsibility of the owner / business. Yes, it's now an LLC. That I donate a LOT of time to which pays my way to have access. I wired it, installed the generators, battery plants, provided thousands of feet of cable. Every repeater at the site in use outside the two county owned repeaters. That I support via the business I work for. There are no 'free' tower sites any more. At least not around here. Everything and every place that at one time was accessible because the engineer for the station, or the owners of the site were friendly to ham radio have all sold off or have put their sites under commercial tower management and they all want over a 1000 a month in rent. A civil engineering study done before you can even get a contract written and require one of their 'approved' tower contractors to do the work or installing the antenna and line. And of course since the new TIA-222 standard just went to I from H, most towers don't pass and you are responsible to have the tower reinforced to meet the standard with your additional loading. Cell companies don't care, A tower serves hundreds or possibly thousands of users. They are making lots of money and they see it as a business expense. When it's hobby radio, ham, GMRS or whatever, the numbers keep them off the towers.

Funny how many are "blessed" when they get off their butt and open their eyes.

Seems they found a working solution for them that puts the text book junkies to shame. Funny how things work in the real world when you put the books down.

That's how they assemble Midland radios.

You sir are slacking. Not enough radios!!! Now that's areal nice setup. Enjoy.

Check out this guys solution. He says he uses a no ground plane antenna for vhf/uhf ham. Found one similar here although it says it's a tunable CB antenna from Firestik. Then I saw this, it looks like maybe a glass mount or lip, I don't know. He's going to fast around Nurburgring to see it very well I don't know if any of these are options you would consider but it was fun looking at what people have done. Good luck.

Good for you and your area. Not everyone Is blessed with your options, it’s a big world out there and everybody has their own ideas how to enjoy it.