Leaderboard

Ian. You titled this topic “A Beginners Repeater.” But, then you describe a very complex system that nobody here seems to fully comprehend. Then, when people suggest you simplify things, you respond that each suggestion offered won’t meet your beginner needs. Finally, you seem to misunderstand or misinterpret parts of Part-95 and in so doing, you seem to go in unsupportable directions and avoid other, much simpler, potential solutions. At this point, I too will join the growing crowd watching from the bleachers, at least until you can provide a simple use case example that does not involve any discussion of how it should be done. Something like: “4 people are hunting in the woods and a 5th person is coordinating their a actions from a fixed location and they need to share their ideas for lunch.” Really, something that basic would be a good way to start getting the help you have requested.

Because I saw this today in the DB on a repeater listing: "Apr 9, 2017 -No you don't need permission from the repeater owner to use GMRS frequencies regardless of the repeater being private property. You're not violating private property laws by using a repeater that's on GMRS frequencies. If you want to control who can use your repeater you need a private business (IG) license." I wanted to comment about it and it sort of falls under the topic of this post. He had several other things posted in there about license, and such, and like the above some seem more opinion than fact. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, and not trying to police him, I just don't agree. I don't think this is a good statement to make to others who may just be learning about GMRS. I have been licensed for 25 years, worked in some form of radio, including commercial 2way for a little longer than that, and no where have I ever seen where the FCC says that if you put a GMRS repeater on the air, you cannot control who uses it. It's correct that the frequencies are not exclusive nor "private property" as he says, and that if someone happened to be using the output simplex, there is nothing you can do about that....but most intelligent people understand that if that were the case and they were using simplex and a repeater started blasting them out...well, the users of the repeater may not even be able to hear them to start with...so it's better just change channels. We all have to share the available frequencies. I will and do control who uses my repeater by controlling the DPL code on it. If someone thinks they want to read my code, program their radio and try to use my repeater without my permission, well, that code will get shut off. At that point, it would be obvious they were being an ass, and not asking for permission in good faith. I have to share the frequency if someone else uses it, and I can hear them before I transmit, but I DO NOT have to share the use of my repeater. It is dangerous to mis-educate people, as dangerous as people not educating themselves or claiming ignorance. The worst problem I see in GMRS right now are people who are jumping in with both feet, no life vest and no swimsuit! Making a splash, thinking they have it all figured out after 10 minutes of reading, and wanting to use partial knowledge of things to start suggesting "new" things, trying things they think would be neat...all while being new and naive about everything. That is one thing I like about HAM radio, you are kind of forced to learn some things before you get privileges. Sorry so wordy.

Current Rules DATA: §95.1751 GMRS station identification. Each GMRS station must be identified by transmission of its FCC-assigned call sign at the end of transmissions and at periodic intervals during transmissions except as provided in paragraph © of this section. A unit number may be included after the call sign in the identification. (a) The GMRS station call sign must be transmitted: (1) Following a single transmission or a series of transmissions; and, (2) After 15 minutes and at least once every 15 minutes thereafter during a series of transmissions lasting more than 15 minutes. (b ) The call sign must be transmitted using voice in the English language or international Morse code telegraphy using an audible tone. (c ) Any GMRS repeater station is not required to transmit station identification if: (1) It retransmits only communications from GMRS stations operating under authority of the individual license under which it operates; and, (2) The GMRS stations whose communications are retransmitted are properly identified in accordance with this section.