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As of April 14, 2021, the total number of GMRS licensees in the United States reached 100,000. The increased interest in the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS), and other forms of two-way radio, has resulted in a steady increase in new licenses issued by the FCC. A GMRS license can be applied for online and requires no test. When the new fee reduction goes into effect, more applications are expected. Two-way radio information, GMRS, FRS, MURS. (twowayradiobasics.com)

And.... that's about the time I change the channel.

In the last day or so, Radioddity has released new firmware for the GM-30 radio. It is available on their website now. V2.06 allows the programming of additional repeater channels on which you can transmit. To try it out, I updated the firmware on my radios, then reset them (menu 40). After that I opened my saved configuration, and added eight additional repeater channels to the file, then uploaded the new file to the radios. It seems to be working as it should with the additional repeater channels available in addition to the stock 30 channels. The new firmware/software package allows the configuration of additional channels for multiple repeaters on the same frequency pair, where only the PL tone is different. For those that have been wanting additional flexibility with the programming of these radios, this update should help.

You can't get a count easily as there are two main groups, Public Safety ad Business/Industrial/Land Transportation or 90.20 ad 90.35. Then there's Part 101 ad several different parts that are used.

I would like to point out that here in the Midwest, based on my direct observations, GMRS closely follows the VHF 2 meter band openings. I've contacted the Baraboo 550 repeater from a 5W Kenwood NX300 HT standing in my front yard of my house in IL... that's about 136 miles as the crow files from my house north and a bit west. It's worth noting that that the Baraboo 550 repeater is an absolute monster and it's up on top of a very very tall mounting range. This is the website I use to follow those band openings: http://aprs.mennolink.org/ Further more, there are repeaters in Arizona that are on mountain tops that also easily work 100 - 150 miles out with the proper antenna/feedline/etc. It all depends on your location in the country, the height of the repeater, and the atmospheric conditions! Thanks!

To give a little more perspective, as of last Sunday, April 11th, the number of GMRS licenses stood at 99,237... That is 763+ new licenses in less than a week!

For all practical purpose long-distance skip is non-existent in GMRS (UHF-FM frequencies). Oh yes you might experience an outlying case when under just the right solar conditions, but you are more likely to win the lottery than to experience that. You are likely to observe that your range expands and contracts locally from day to day though if you regularly work repeaters and simplex stations that are on the range fringe for you. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

Actually, it is 'possible' under certain conditions of Tropospheric ducting, which has been strongly affecting large parts of Florida recently. I myself overheard a conversation over a repeater near Orlando earlier this week, while I am in Punta Gorda... well over 100 miles. I have also had several contact with an 'Amateur operator' in West Palm who especially enjoys making contacts during ducting event, that's nearly 150 miles away from me.

I think you just gave the exact reason most people aren't interested. They are not building antennas and are only interested in setting up their antenna on their new radio. Turn it on and go style. I get that it's much more capable and feature rich for about the same price. Like I said though, for my needs anyways, I don't want to mess with that, regardless of the price. I'm sure it works great for your needs though. Sounds like you really like it.

Yes, ICAO and NATO phonetics are effectively the same, but not the same as APCO (used by LE, I believe). And most of what has been said above is true...no need to use phonetics on GMRS unless clarification is needed due to low modulation, static or requested by the receiving station, or something like that. As far as being old, well yes that is true. But ICAO is currently used not only by NATO, but also by the US military, the UN, the FAA, the FCC (as Hams should know, it is "encouraged"). The term ICAO is most notable here...it means these phonetics are used internationally (e.g. world-wide) for aviation, even by countries who's native language is not English. English and ICAO phonetics are required by the FAA for international flights to fly into and out of the United States. I often hear people butcher the phonetic alphabet, but I never correct them (even though I'm a private pilot AND an old-timer US military radio man).

Aren't ICAO and NATO the same? Unless we argue semantics of ZOO-LUU vs ZOO-LOO? And that makes to me, who's English is not native, exactly ZI-RO sense.

I was just looking through Part 95 looking for such a GMRS exclusion. I found only two references to store and forward (e.g. Simplex Repeater). Both were prohibitions in non-GMRS services. FRS and MURs. One is 95.2733. The other is 95.987.d. Since repeaters are allowed in GMRS, and since there is no express exclusion of S&F devices in 95e, I conclude they are legal for use, but only when using the 462 main channel frequencies. BTW, I too own the Argent Data SR1. Nice little box. Actually bought it to facility one-man simplex radio testing. It is programmed to give my callsign both in CW and in Voice. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

Perfect. Thanks! Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

Are we sure it isn't a third harmonic problem with the Sheriffs transmitter? Well looky here: FRS Channel 11 : 467.6375 / 3 = 155.879 MHz 155.880000 (output) 158.95500 (Input) KNEP918 Sheriff Dispatch Custer County Law Dispatch Looks like either the Sheriff is the violation or the BaoFengShui GMRS V1 cannot tolerate all those powerful signals getting into it from the new base antenna. My money is on the BF GMRS V1 crapping itself.

If the radio supports a STUN function but the user doesn’t have a code entered that won’t work. Of course you would have to know what that code was before hand, which if it’s an unknown user you won’t have it. Changing input PL codes works for a very short time with a determined jammer. It only takes a few minutes curchunking the repeater using different analog PL tones until they hear the squelch tail. There are only around 38 to 40 of them. As far as using an output tone that isn’t that effective either. All my radios, CCR’s - Ham - commercial, there is a provision for entering a RX tone, which I never use. In that case I don’t even care if there is a tone on a repeater output, I’ll hear anything that’s there. The purpose of STUN codes is to disable a lost or stolen radio that you own and programmed. On all of my radios I get used that’s one of the first things I make sure is cleared out. I would suggest using a digital tone, there are more of them. Also using an uncommon repeater access method, like MDC1200, might work out better. The later isn’t that common outside of Motorola radios. Only a few of my commercial Kenwood radios have it for example. One other idea is to also use a non standard repeater split. There is nothing in the FCC rules that requires the repeater split to be exactly 5MHz. The requirements are one frequency from the 467.xxx input group be used and one from the repeater output group, 462.xxx, be used. Any radio that has preprogrammed repeater channel frequencies won’t be able to use the system setup using an odd spilt. In the Ham world I’ve run across a few odd repeater spilts so it’s been done there.

Yes, split repeater tones will give a level of privacy to repeaters. Another option is the RAC code. This was a thing back in the 90's that still exists occasionally in commercial radio. The RAC or Repeater Access Code, was a data burst that the repeater was programmed to hear to go into transmit. It was also a Motorola thing. I don't believe, but could be wrong, that only Motorola radios would generate a RAC. To hear it on the air, it sounded like an MDC1200 burst. Kenwood I believe used a DTMF version of this. I will say that running MDC1200 can be handy if you are having issues with folks squirreling on your repeater. If you run it and then comment about it not being on their signal, you can get them to enable it with and ID. If you have the correct setup, or a radio that will do it, you can send a STUN command to that ID and turn his radio off. While this will generate a LOT of hate and discontent, it's effective against morons that can't seem to understand what a private repeater is. Of course, it's a mostly Motorola thing and you can't as far as I know STUN a CCR. But I sure wish you could

I owner two mixed code repeaters. There were two reasons for doing this. A ) Security. For a bit I had an unknown user keying the repeater for minutes at a time. After asking the user not to do this they chose to key the repeater for nearly 30 minutes. Of course the repeaters TOT tripped after 2 minutes, however the user continued to key either until they were bored, or until their radio finally killed itself, nearly 30 minutes and long enough for me to figure out where they were. So I changed only the input tone so the user couldn't trip the repeater (or its twin) again. B ) We kept the original output tone to make it seem like we never changed tones at all. Trying to "scan" the repeaters output would only give the 223 code for output. I figured this would frustrate anyone who is trying to get access without checking with me first.

To be politically correct and technically accurate. I call them Low Parts Count radios. What do you get for buying a $29.95 radio versus a $799.99 radio? Fewer parts. Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

Cheap Chinese Radios.

If you want to keep repeater private, you may set a different input tone, that it's not so easy to be scanned. Thus, repeater owner can control, to some extent, who can use the repeater. Also, till recently, only the good quality Part 90 and Part 95 radios were able to do split-tones. Using split-tones it is a way to keep people with CCRs off your repeater.

I think 5 years from now, when GMRS has supplanted AM based CB radio, we'll look back at Midland and Jeep(Jamboree) as a catalyst for the change. It's marketing genius. Jeep enthusiasts come from varied backgrounds, and they'll end up using GMRS outside of Jeep related activities.

Hello Mike. The primary reason I have my GMRS license is as means for family communications. Mobile to mobile, mobile to home, around home and more. It also serves as source of emergency communications for and with the family and neighborhood. Basically it serves as a utility service for me. Yes, I do use it to communicate with other GMRS’r too, mostly while mobile, occasionally from home. I have my ham license for a variety of reasons. As a hobby and means to experiment and learn. As a means to connect with others in a fun way, both local and world wide. As a means to help with civic events and perhaps be prepared to help the community during a time of natural disaster or other local or national emergency. It also serves as a means to connect with others with like interests. No one in the family has interest in amateur radio. The have not the interest to study for it, invest in it, nor interest in ‘talking radio’ with others. Both work for me exactly the way I want them too. GMRS is utility. Ham is hobby and personal interest. Hope that helps. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

It should.... And will have NOAA channels as I understand. My MXT400 came from the factory with the repeater channels set to 25kHz (wideband), contrary to the rumors circulated by those with a bias against Midland radios that it does not support wideband. It is simply amazing that those who do not own one make all these claims as though they are the "gurus" chanting the mantra from the mountain top upon which they seated themselves. It will also do 20kHz if you like. It can also be software programmed to do split tones, CTSS and DCS even, on same channel. You must buy the DBR1 cable from Midland and they give you a limited-life link to the software download when you call them. I programmed mine to display my call sign on startup All my simplex channels are programmed as wideband (25kHz). . I programmed the four local repeaters into the empty channel slots that were empty for the 0.5W FRS channels, displaying the repeater names OR CITY, TABOR, OVRLOOK and GRESHAM when they are chosen. Someone also said programming the radio invalidates the certification. Midland denies this. The radio was certified under Part 95A and as such, is grandfathered under the new parameters specified under Part 95E. As long as the radio is still operating within the Part 95E specifications when programmed, you are fine. It does what I want., and I am satisfied with my purchase. It doesn't have 10 billion "bells and whistles" to clutter up the menus and programming like some other radios. It doesn't have FM, but my car and my Sangean WR-11 and ATS-909 take care of that.