Leaderboard

This is true, but considering 95% of my family's traffic is actually simplex, not using the repeater, we use the corresponding output most of the time. The public use of my repeater is pretty minimal as well. Overall, I don't see it as a problem. It's EVERYONE's responsibility to minimize interference with other users as much as possible. Unless you are at a large amusement park, its pretty easy to find an unused frequency.

Personally, its not that I don't want others to use my repeater, but I do want to know who is using it. It also helps if I have to make a change, that I have a list of people to notify.

I read the document. Wow, there is a lot going on there and I'm not talking about the technical aspects. I am not sure I understand why anyone with an amateur license would need or want to make all these changes to GMRS. Everything the document proposes is available in the amateur bands and is not relegated to the small number of frequencies given to GMRS even with going narrow band to add channels. The most disturbing paragraph to me was proposing people holding an amateur radio license could volunteer to be the radio police for both GMRS and the proposed GMRS+ services. I guess having an amateur license makes one superior to the folks on GMRS. I have a "HAM" license and a GMRS license and I am not better than anyone. I'm sure there would be plenty of volunteers for that gig.

On 2m I have heard ducting all times of the year when the approaching weather front was STRONG, from maybe 14 hours before the storm until an hour before.

The dish can be reworked as a slot antenna giving you a directional vertically polarized antenna. There is a book on Amazon you can get that provides the details on building the slot antenna.

You miss understand public spectrum. Spectrum is the frequency and airwaves. Equipment I purchase, install, maintain is my personal equipment. If someone requires membership its up to them. Personally my repeaters are closed. I see no need to pay for power, tower fees and other associated fees for others to use it. GMRS is not ham radio. Sadly many feel if they buy a $35 license they are entitled to use any repeater they want.

If you’re going to do any significant driving through the west side of Canada you may run into what are called “radio controlled roads” which are on VHF. That might be more of a use to you than the Canadian version of GMRS. Canada VHF LADD Channel List .pdf

There is nothing in the rules that requires this, but it's the general practice. https://www.customsmobile.com/regulations/title47_chapterI-i4_part95_subpartE_section95.1763 A few repeater owners have selected a frequency pair from the 462 and 467 groups that are NOT an exact 5MHz offset. That was done to discourage some users, with fixed programed frequencies in their radios, from accessing the repeater. While that will "tie-up" what amounts to 2 "repeater channels" and may not be well received by other repeater owners it's not illegal under the current GMRS rules. https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Offset Same with tones. A few owners have required the use of MDC to access the repeater in an attempt to limit unauthorized access. Most of the common Chinese radios can do CTCSS or DCS but not MDC, thus cutting them off from the use of the repeater. The are a number of the more expensive new/used commercial grade radios do include MDC functionality other than Motorola. See attached example brochures. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MDC-1200 TK-2360-3360 Brochure.pdf TK-5220_5320 Brochure - 1.pdf NX-1200_1300 Num 1.pdf NX-220_320.pdf

While I was on the FCC site today trying to decide what (if anything) to enter into the public record about the Midland proposal for digital mobile GMRS radios and digital voice on GMRS, I stumbled across this document: https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/121859354063/1 Here's the filing details: https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/search/search-filings/filing/121859354063

Hi radio folks. I'm not a Ham yet, but considering it. I'm a geek partially and I think I would enjoy the hobby, plus Iw ant to be able too talk on the VHF frequencies that an HT would entail. That said, I'm also wondering about the HF frequencies. I saw a chart about HF and it looked like it was mostly to do with Morse code or using a piece of hardware and computer software to talk on HF frequencies. Can you just buy a radio and antenna and talk on some HF frequencies? Hope that's not a dumb question. I am thinking that I'm a disaster it would be nice to talk at distance to receive and give information.. I would be interested in joining for instance a search and rescue group or something to that effect.. Thanks in advance Tim..

No issues talking simplex. Just don't get good range due to topography, maybe about 2 miles. Alot of hills, rock and forested area.

Gotcha

From the looks of things in the photo, you could remove the dish and then slide the pole up to get some more height. You can try reusing the existing cable with adaptors. But definitely check the SWR with a NanoVNA or other antenna analyzer. Worst case would be to run a better coax cable such as LMR400 to a GMRS tuned antenna.

Ah, that's right, the offsets are fixed in GMRS. Duh. If the small repeater's RX was something other than 462 it might work, but then it wouldn't be GMRS would it? I'm familiar with the network linking. Thanks!

I would use the coax. It’s not perfect but it’s not terrible. It’ll prevent you from getting an swr better than 1.5:1, but most people are satisfied with that.

The dish is a satellite antenna with an LNB as part of the assembly. It has no practical possibility of being repurposed to 462-467 MHz frequencies. The one you called a Yagi is really a log periodic. Log periodic antennas are very wideband. It might be repurposed, but without an antenna analyzer or VNA it might be difficult. It’s very directional so it would not be ideal as a repeater antenna unless you wish to limit your communications to a narrow field. But if you’re pointing it at a distant repeater it could be okay. Also the coax is 75 ohm rather than 50 ohm. That will limit how low you can get the SWR, but it’s not the kiss of death. You will need an F to UHF adapter though. They’re easy enough to obtain. I would hook up to the log periodic antenna, point it at a repeater and see if you receive. If you do, try transmitting on low power. Even if you have a high SWR by using low power you help protect your final transistors from damage.

Have you tried to reach out to amateur clubs locally? Texas seams to have a healthy group of nice amateur radio operators. They probably have spare repeater hardware, duplexers, cabling and sites that can be used. As well as the know how. As well as some funding. Most of amateurs are willing to talk to anyone about radio, irregardless of the service. I say most, because well no matter what hobby there are always the aholes. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

You are correct. My experience in the mountains does not necessarily equate to other areas. My time spent in other areas probably equates more. I didn't mention any repeaters in my area, you did. Since I said I couldn't hit a repeater from my home any experience I have would have to be other areas. I gave my experience in a large metro area. I have driven through the Phoenix area and heard a lot of traffic on the local repeaters that are open. That is a very large area. I have been in Flagstaff where there are several repeaters with a good reach and heard nothing even when I asked for routing assistance. After not hearing any replies I asked for a radio check and got a response. The gentleman who responded was local and stated there wasn't much radio traffic with exception of people travelling I-40. The DFW area in northern Texas has many repeaters and I was surprised by the lack of use. I have family in Southeast Texas and with the exception of the Houston Metro area there isn't much traffic on the open repeaters and even some club repeater I had access to. All of this is anecdotal, of course, but would lead to said "predilection". I'm not trying to argue, just trying to clear up the assumptions you made. As in everything in life, YMMV. As an aside, I can hit two 2m and a 70cm repeaters in the mountain area and with the exception of a couple of scheduled nets they are quiet.And yes, I know it is different in Southern California.

And you would need a new antenna.

If you’re hearing music and broadcast news it’s probably not a repeater. Or if it is they’re operating in violation of the regulations. Repeater traffic should only be people talking to each other. Because the frequencies you hear repeaters on are the same frequencies you hear people transmitting on using simplex it can be impossible to know if something is a repeater based on an occasional transmission unless you hear the repeater ID.

I'd run a 1/4 wave basic antenna on a air stream personally. My CTC ran one and it worked perfect.

Not a mobile, its an HT, but the Wouxun's KG-Q10G is a GMRS radio that also receives CB.. So far, as of today the only one on the market.

GMRS radios in Canada must be 2 watts or less, marked “IC” (Canada’s FCC) and permanently attached antennas. There are no repeaters.

UncleYoda, You absolutely are within your rights and the regulations to transmit on the 462 MHz main channels. They’re yours as much as they belong to anyone else. And there’s nothing wrong with using the same tones that a repeater uses. However, it could be confusing to anyone who hears you. They would have no way to know whether they were hearing the repeater or someone on simplex. If they transmit in simplex on 462 the repeater would not relay the signal so you might not hear them. Similarly your transmissions will be limited in range. Some people listening to the repeater might not hear you at all which could lead to them inadvertently interfering with your transmissions. It’s not something I would do, but you’re within your rights.

cool thank you. new to the gmrs thing so im trying to learn all that i can.

Yes, but I don't believe that you have an ERP limitation on 15-22 that you are required to meet. That being said, it's always a 'best practice' regardless of regulation to only use the minimum amount of power needed to establish a solid communications path with the other party. Using power levels beyond that can cause interference for other users of the service. But there is no specific regulation stating that requirement.

Pretty much everyone I know personally... we all use the exact same methods.

Depends on what the measurement is for. If you are modeling the RF horizon, you go from the bottom of the antenna. If you are dealing with zoning, then top of the antenna.

There are no rules regarding antenna type.

No problem! Merry Christmas!

Oh. My bad!

No, because the offset is always 5 MHz and most type 95e certified radios have preprogrammed repeater channels, there’s little need to specify both frequencies.

They do. If you look at the repeater pages you’ll find that they all receive in the 467 MHz main channels and transmit in full duplex on the corresponding 462 MHz main channels. Why do you think that they don’t?

We're not trying to come up with what's best. We're experimenting with all different modes. CW, SSB, AM, FM, systems like APRS, sound card modes like FT8 and a bunch of others, digital modes like Fusion, DMR, D-Star, and others, EME, microwave, you name it. GMRS is not so much for experimenters. It's for people who need to communicate. Ask anyone here with just a GMRS license how they set up their Jeep radio. They'll say they mounted their radio, they mounted their antenna, they (presumably) checked the SWR, and off they went. Ask a ham operator how they set up their mobile radio, and you'll hear the ARRL Handbook read to you.

@JoCoBrian I'm doing the face palm. @Sshannon Thanks for keeping me strait.

I'll say that someone should go for General regardless, since it is not that much harder than Technician and grants plenty of extra privileges.