WashingtonMatt

There is no standard that I'm aware of. Generally when you enter an active logging area you'll see a channel painted on a rock or tree or something. Sometimes it corresponds to a road number. I think whatever outfit is running the job picks a channel. I generally don't bother unless I know there is active logging going on. I think it's pretty unlikely they will ever switch to GMRS since they are often working with independent drivers and whatnot. It would have to be the whole industry making the move. Then there's the licensing issue. CB really isn't a bad option in that environment.

Perfect, now I know which GMRS channel to use. Thanks. Do the dirt bike guys tend to run their own channel?

Got me some Broncos. Have CB in the old and GMRS in the new. Doesn't seem to matter as no one else seems to ever have anything that works . At least with GMRS you can toss 'em a walkie. As for channels, CB4(4x4) is usually what I run, however technically you're supposed to run whatever is posted on the logging roads, which was big part of my hesitation to switch to GMRS.

For sure. Our case is a good example. The repeater owner linked to his webpage with information on his repeaters. He provided a RF propagation map that seems pretty accurate. The Cascade and Olympic mountains create a pretty hard cutoff, so the the coverage "circle" is anything but. I live at the north end of this map and can say the repeater is very strong much further north of the coverage circle. The primary users of the repeater seem to be around the south end.

Impressive. You're in the RF holy grail of height and water. Would be curious if you can hit the repeater back.

Just idle curiosity... What is the longest range repeater in your area? As a relatively new GMRS user primarily for four wheeling use, I've been checking the repeater map in the places I'm likely to travel and I've come to realize that I'm extremely lucky to have a couple really nice repeaters in my area, and around the state. In particular the Tiger Mountain Oly-Comm3 is a monster and lists 90 mile range. It covers all the major metro areas of Western Washington and well beyond. I can hit it from my house 55 miles away on HT. Most surprisingly, it's quiet most of the time, but always has folks listening. I do understand our unique geography is a major contributor to the great coverage. It's just really cool that I can drive 3 hours down the interstate and still talk to the mothership.