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I have used VOX on my FRS radios with an in-ear (under helmet) speaker/mic to talk to my spotter while on road course race tracks. It's good to have comms with a spotter to tell you if you have panels coming loose, high body roll (wrong suspension tuning), smoke/liquid coming from the car, missing an apex or brake zone point, etc. I also use GMRS and FRS when we go 4-wheeling, to spot drivers or to get a spot while rock crawling. Many times, the terrain we are driving through is so complex that tire placement needs to be accurate within a few inches. Drivers typically can't see the tires and rocks under the vehicle. So, they need a competent driver/spotter to provide guidance on exactly what to do with the vehicle. That is just 2 examples. The opportunities for radio to make life safer and more entertaining are endless.

I think one cannot base one’s opinion of GMRS on repeater use. I drive around with my mobile radio set to scan. After more than a year, I’ve discovered different areas where GMRS/FRS are used daily. Bubble pack radios have low power, which allows more people to use the limited channels with limited interference, if they are separated by some distance. The more popular channels in my area are 1, 7, 15, 20, 22. I don’t understand why people prefer those channels. As I drive around, I’ll hear conversations on the same channels, separated only by distance. Channel 18 is not used much around here because there is a GMRS repeater that covers the entire county. The repeater will routinely step on any conversations using channel 18. I do hear the occasional chat on 18 simplex when the repeater is silent. In short, I think GMRS is popular. Much of it is unlicensed. Even among the licensed, I don’t think many are aware of or understand how to use repeaters. After all, you can’t find bubble pack radios that are repeater capable. Most of us licensed, regulars are buying ham equipment to access repeaters, with the exception of mobile radios that come repeater capable. I believe without evidence that there are many more households with GMRS/FRS radios stashed away in drawers. Some are ready to use for the occasional outdoor or family activity. Others are only for emergencies. I think the vast majority are for simplex use. AND FRS is Family Radio Service, which is how most people use GMRS on bubble pack HTs. GMRS is General Mobile Radio Service, emphasis on Mobile. I don’t think most users are buying mobile radios. There is a world of difference between a 2 W HT and a 50 W mobile. In that aspect I would agree that GMRS is less popular. Fewer people are taking advantage of the higher power options and the availability of repeaters on GMRS. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Update FWIW. I sent my TK-880 back to www.used-radios.com to verify firmware and install the correct V2. Turnaround was 7 days total. I got a call from the service manager and he got the tech to work it over and correct it. Fired it up this afternoon and all seems well, buttons are correct for me, groups and channel programming are right, and there's no 'yyyyyyy' across the display. Hopefully, it won't revert (it didn't do it the first time until power had been cycled multiple times). They suspected corruption in the software/firmware or such. I would likely mention here if I'd received poor or sub-par service from a vendor, so it's only fitting that I complement one with great service. Some might say I paid a premium for a used radio but part of my rationale was the 90-day warranty they provide, and that it came complete with mic, power cable, and mounting bracket. Now I can add good service to that. And thanks to all of you who helped diagnose the issue.

Hello everyone, Name is David. I just recently got my GMRS license. Hoping to learn from you guys, as I am completely new to GMRS radio. Got it for the intended purpose of communications while out wheeling, and also for when my family travels. Sometimes depending on what we're doing we use more than one vehicle to move around, and although I have a CB, there's a lot of random stuff that my kids don't need to hear, and also from what I read, GMRS seems to be a better performing option over CB. Again, I hope to learn as much as I can from you guys. Take care.

The answer to your first question is no. You do not need to set PL on receive to listen. PL is used where there may be more than one station transmitting on a frequency. Through the use of PL you can select which of those multiple station you listen to. This is common on GMRS, especially with repeaters. However, unlike GMRS where a large number of people use a small number of repeater frequencies, and therefore have learned how to share them, like by using PL, HAM repeaters are coordinated so there is almost never more than one repeater transmitting on a frequency, so no need for PL to "tune out" another station. To state it a bit differently: If you did set PL for a HAM repeater and did it right, you'd never know. If you did it wrong, you'd never hear anything. So, there is no point in setting it at all

Two points that have been made, that I agree with, are that GMRS is "family" radio communications (definitely not a rag-chew community) and you can't judge its success or failure by repeater use. I would like to add that, because this is a low power, line of sight service, you can't judge the popularity by who you hear... not at all. With limited exception, UHF radio waves (where GMRS lives) either leave the atmosphere or get absorbed by the ground. Where we live, the numerically subtle elevation changes are actually somewhat drastic. There can be hills and low spots that only vary 100 feet, but that variation can occur over 200 yards of road/trail distance. So we end up with a bunch of natural earth walls blocking UHF RF paths. What all this comes down to is, depending on the noise floor and your location compared to the location of the other station, you may not hear anyone more than a mile or two from you. I am just to the south of you, in Woodbridge. When I am at my house, using 40 watts, my mobile will only get about 1 mile. However, if I drive 6 houses up the street, I go up 100 feet in elevation and can talk 5 miles on simplex or 20+ miles to a repeater in Warrenton or the Alexandria repeater. All that said, I think the radio service is increasing in popularity. Many people use FRS and GMRS for outdoor activities. I spend a lot of time camping, 4-wheeling, and at car shows. Many people are moving away from CB for camping and 4-wheeling and going to GMRS. Mostly because the GMRS radio performance is much more forgiving than CB and many people can't get their CB to work more than 100-200 yards. With some of the OTC GMRS kits that come with mag mounts, its almost impossible to screw up the install and get a couple miles of range on average. In the arena of outdoor stuff like car shows, food festivals, art festivals, etc., GMRS and FRS become a great tool for family to stay in touch. My family has 3 HT's and while we are at these events, we use the radios when someone goes on a food/water run, to go look an an exhibit without the whole group, as well as commuting to the location, allowing us to find each other to all meet back up. So, I think it is popular and gaining popularity. Just remember, use the right service for the desired purpose.

Okay, I'm hooked. I was walking out to our local crop share pickup today when a neighbor texted me and asked if I knew what the huge plume of smoke is rising from near Alexandria, Virginia. Nothing (yet) on the news. I had my radio with me because I was doing a couple of antenna/signal tests anyway, so I hopped on the local repeater and asked for anyone nearby to provide a visual situation report. Within a minute, I had 3 separate responses. Turned out to be a huge construction fire, now at 5 alarms. The local news story hit their web site and alert system > 30 minutes later. (See https://wtop.com/fairfax-county/2020/02/massive-fire-engulfs-fairfax-county-construction-site/) No big deal, I suppose, but I will add that from my vantage point, the smoke was along the glide path into DCA (Reagan National) airport. I'm the son of a retired 747 pilot (and fighter/aerobatics RAF team), so big plumes of smoke near airports have always made me uneasy, since long before 9-11. Anyway, LOVE my GMRS comms now that I've learned about the world of repeaters out there. I'll be taking my Ham technician class exam in a couple weeks as well. I'm hooked. Cheers, Ken (WRFC318)