Leaderboard

I voted no as well..won't knock it if someone else wants them though. I figure the antennas are enough of an advertisement as it is, given most times the truck is wearing 2, and sometimes 3 if I want to hook up the 6m handheld or the cb.

The most common type of PL tone is also called CTCSS. There’s also DCS To determine it you ask a repeater owner or you can scan for it with some devices.

And here I thought it was just a typo! Good one!

Repeaters in Montana are bearly used! ?

That is sort of funny since they are not vanity plates. You have to provide your FCC license to get one, and at least here in Michigan, the cost is the same as a regular plate.

Also good to mention, though maybe not as common...these may be called DCS, or DPL.

I see what you did there … ?

This, sometimes it isn't so much an issue with the site, as either an issue with the data pushed out from FCC, or where FCC has an issue pushing out the data at all (happened for a bit in oct,iirc).

Gotcha.. I will separate them, I remember now reading about that somewhere. Yes, using XLT Communications GMRS Mobile Duplexer (50 Watt).

I recently wrote an article on this very topic. You can find it here: http://ogdenarc.org/downloads/Transmission Lines - Setting the Record Stright.pdf Included in this article I also cover connectors which for GMRS should be an important consideration. I've also attached it here. 1225397544_TransmissionLines-SettingtheRecordStright.pdf

I doubt mine will even run that much, even if it were public. It’s pretty dead out here in this rural Midwest area, too. I appreciate the insight. I’ll try to see how this works out. I’m going to be curious to see just how far it will reach first once it’s up and running. It would be nice to stop bringing the cell phone everywhere just to let people know we’re on our way home, if you know what I mean. (I kind of miss the old phones that were made just for calling... am I dating myself? ? )

I couldn’t agree more.

I didn't vote. I'll just monitor GMRS on scan if I'm feeling talkative. I don't have a lot of flare on the truck. Nothing against it though and hey it's a magnet and that's easier to change your mind about then a sticker. No need for a bottle of goo gone and an hour to kill.

It's not so much "hooking up to it" like it's a connection ....the repeater is transmitting on a frequency (the "output"). The way gmrs is arranged, the repeater output channels each share a frequency with a simplex (direct user to user) channel. If you're listening on the same frequency that it's transmitting on, you'll hear it if you're within range (unless some other setting prevents it). In most cases, yes, either those people are part of a group that set up the repeater, asked permission, or the repeater was set up as "open" use. Granted we have a little more elevation here in CA, but there's repeaters 30ish and 60ish miles out (both gmrs and 70cm ham) that I can reach with a handheld.

I put Kaf6045 on my "3rd-grade hall monitor block list" a long time ago so i dont know what he posted, but, It is important to know the rules.. It is also important to understand the risks and what happens in the real world.. The head of your GMRS group is correct, it is no more of an issue than rolling through a stop-sign is an issue, as the FCC, based on their published record of enforcement, does not care.

I didn't vote. I'm not one to put stickers on my vehicles, though and I really don't drive around with my radio on. I only use my GMRS radio when my kids are at our cabin or when I'm launching rockets with friends. I don't use GMRS the way I use ham radio, where I might sit at the radio an try to listen to distant stations or join in a local net. For me, although I'm interested in the technology and regulations, GMRS is just a way to communicate while enjoying other things.

I voted no for a few reasons. I don't want the sticker on my truck. Someone close enough to read the sticker is likely going to overload my receiver front-end. I don't always have the radio on and it's on varying frequencies when it is on... to name a few.

Seems there are alot on 'NO' votes. I wonder if that is because people prefer to remain to themselves (or to talk among their own family group), or because they don't want stickers on their nice vehicles... ...or because they prefer the HAM bands over GMRS. Of course, what makes America great is that everyone is entitled to their own preferences.

So again, we need to be taking a more proactive position in teaching folks who travel into the woods how to be prepared to use their radios (and what kind of radio to have, and identifying an emergency channel, etc.) Putting ourselves in the position of Joe Schmoe: You said you take your ham radio if you don’t have SAR coverage, but both of those choices that you have are out of reach of the average person. How does the average citizen (who isn’t part of SAR) get SAR coverage? You have options that are unavailable to most Joe Schmoes. For this discussion you need to look at things from their perspective. Also, most people going into the woods don’t get ham radio licenses. But they do buy the bubble pack radios at the sporting goods store. They’re right there next to the guns and ammo. You know the old saying that “You go into battle with the army you have, not the army you want.” This is the same thing. People are going to buy and carry bubble pack radios. SAR needs to be equipped to deal with that reality. And once SAR is equipped to deal with that then it makes sense to use GMRS. SAR cannot monitor every tone and channel? That seems like something they might want to do. A good scanner would certainly enable them to monitor all the GMRS channels and they don’t need to monitor all the different tones; just leave them all clear. Of course they might need to be able to transmit a tone in case the lost soul has implemented a tone squelch in his/her receiver, but scanners reveal tones as well. All of us, before going into the woods, should identify which band and frequency SAR is likely to listen on and be ready to use that if needed. This is where you need to acknowledge that the person you’re looking for is more likely to have bubble pack radios than anything else and adjust to that reality. SAR groups should work with fish and game, USFS, BLM, etc. to advertise how to get help (and maybe they do - but it’s not immediately obvious in my area.)

Actually I do go in the woods alot. Been in SAR for almost 30 years this month. I still wont go in the woods without my Inreach and a portable radio. While I agree something is better than nothing relying on a GMRS radio is the last thing I would do. If I go in the woods I take my ham radio if I dont have SAR coverage in that area on our public safety stuff. I have a county park with a GMRS repeater that SAR put in decades ago. While its great to have no one listens to it. The issue with GMRS is there is no "hey this is the channel" If the Travel Channel had taken off I think it may be more useful but In the last 10 years of SAR missions I've asked numerous hunters what radio they had or what channel. Over half were baofengs on the preprogrammed channels from amazon (some in public safety actualy) and the others had FRS radios but had picked a channel up high with a tone. On a mission SAR can't check every tone and channel so its really of no use. The rest of the guys/gals have a cell phone and dont get why it doesn't work in the woods. As reference the GMRS repeater I mentioned is on the 675 frequency and travel tone. In 3 years the only person on it has been some of our SAR folks.

Pin8 on the receive radio should be set to "CSQ Detect," "Output" and "Low" reference is here http://mymountain.blogspot.com/2017/08/how-to-program-motorola-m1225-radio-for.html Side note, I have this set on both radios, so if I ever decide to swap the TX and RX radios they are both good to go. Hope this helps.

That is actually much better and clearer than what the FCC gives as a definition. And you managed to do it without using "Fixed Station" as part of your definition. ? As an aside I give you all this from the office of the federal register pulled from the website of the federal archives. It's a guide on writing definitions for regulations. If you read through it then read through the definitions in the FCC's regulations you will very quickly see that the FCC itself has a hard time following guidelines. ?. Pay close attention to #4 ? And of course for those that don't like following links I quoted it below. Now I hope with the answer to the question finally out in the world we can allow this thread to go the way of the Dodo.

Wimp. I've gone out and started my car at -42 so I could drive to work.

It was -6 yesterday morning. Going out wasn’t an option. ?

FFS, are you still arguing over this? 4 pages of trying to prove who's smarter over something that the FCC (based on their history of action) doesn't even care about? ..."some people" .... Need to go outside more often... Just sayin...

Motorola did make a telephone style handset for the MCS2000 series. They still make a similar style handset for the XPR Trbo series mobiles - P/N RLN6252A. Not sure what the Part number was for the MCS2000. They promoted it as a 'privacy' handset, because once you picked it up out of the cradle, the receive audio switched to the earpiece of the handset. We installed a few in Limo type vehicles back in the day - when the drivers were still radio dispatched, and the VIP's in the back had their own 1st generation analog cellphone mounted in the rear console.

Not to an individual; to everyone listening on that channel. You send a text message that anyone with that radio can receive and read. Fun Communications Commission!

So if you a few of one of these options can you directly text an individuals by using different tones? The glued on antenna is a bummer also, why cant the fcc make this option more fun?

I wonder if we will ever have radio frequences that you can just talk on or will they always end up turning into a computer and cell phone.

I ain't got no fancy IR ther-mom-eater !

Good explanation Corey. Its also important to note that even repeaters have some form of duty cycle and that the duty cycle can change depending on output power. A great example is the motorola 1225 series repeater. At full power, 45 watts, the repeater is limited to a 50% duty cycle. In low power, 25 watts, they are 100% cycle. Luckily, good repeaters have protection in the form of a Time Out Timer (TOT) and usually a ReSet Timer (RST) When set up correctly, the TOT should cut off the TX BEFORE the duty cycle is reached, and the RST should prevent transmissions until the appropriate rest period has passed. This helps extend the life of the repeater even when your not there to monitor it. Almost ALL radios now-a-days have a TOT as well. Typically I set mine for 2 minutes which is more than I need to transmit for, but is less than the duty cycle permits thus protecting the transistors. I've had people tell me its dumb to do as no idiot would want to talk non-stop unless they are in a net or special operation. That's when I give them this story: A while back when I was on the first aid squad, I was getting ready to go to sleep. Turned out the lights, laid my head on the pillow, then came the sound of a soft moan from a woman. Now, this would have been great, if there had been a woman in bed with me. The moaning continued and a bit confused I began looking for the source. Didn't take long to find my squad radio was receiving, and after turning it up a little, yep you guessed it. Turns out, the LT's portable radio had fallen between the bed and the night stand and as they and their lover were going at it, it was all transmitted quite clearly to the repeater, then retransmitted for the ENTIRE COUNTY to listen to. To make matters worse, the radios all had ID numbers so we knew whos radio was transmitting, and even worse, the LT had shut their phone off, so calling them to tell them their private session was public was not doable. Finally, the radios did not have TOT's at the time and so for a good while (I just shut my radio off but a friend at the county said they heard every minute of the 15+ minute incident. When the portable finally cut out, either from overheating or a dead battery or from falling loose of the PTT button, there wee quite a few catcalls to let them know everything was public including a few repeats of nick-names used during the session. So folks, learn two things from this story. A: TOT's work, especially when a mistake is made or you don't realize the transmit button is pushed, it will work and save your radio from damage and possibly you from some embarrassment. B: Someone is always listening, so keep in mind what you say or do on the radio, especially if you work for a public safety organization because if you say the wrong things you could find yourself in quite a bit of trouble.