GreggInFL

This is hilarious.
You win, dude.  You have purchased more stuff in one month than I have in a year -- and that's my fault.

This is hilarious.
You win, dude.  You have purchased more stuff in one month than I have in a year -- and that's my fault.

You'll like those radios.  The wife and I use them.  As others have said, put some space between them and try to talk via the repeater.

You'll like those radios.  The wife and I use them.  As others have said, put some space between them and try to talk via the repeater.

You'll like those radios.  The wife and I use them.  As others have said, put some space between them and try to talk via the repeater.

Good news!!! The antenna finally arrived today. It was well worth waiting six months for the old stock to be depleted and the new batch to be shipped. My compliments to Mr. Yakamoto for assembling and tuning, he nailed it. A quick sweep with the VNA on my ground jig placing the antenna six feet off the ground yielded 1.510:1 @ 462.550 and 1.019:1 @ 467.725. I also hooked up the HT and was able to hit distant repeaters the first antenna couldn't. That said, I feel a little more confident when I get my fat ass up the tower it should perform really well when I connect the Heliax to it. Happy, Happy!!!

I hear a couple, sometime three, hams yacking casually on GMRS weekdays between 3:00 and 5:00 pm.  One guy hits the gym at 4:00 and signs off from the parking lot.  I can tell they are hams from the conversation.
If I do a radio check off a big local repeater there will sometimes be a conversation, but it's almost always a newly-licensed GMRSer.

This has been happening in colleges where the profs have learned to submit the work to AI and ask if it was generated by AI.

This has been happening in colleges where the profs have learned to submit the work to AI and ask if it was generated by AI.

Very few folks here have commented on this part of the Operations Tab in the FCC rules...
"None of the GMRS channels are assigned for the exclusive use of any system.  Licensees must cooperate in the selection and use of the channels under a “listen-before-talk” etiquette in order to use them most effectively and to reduce the possibility of interference."
How can one make sure they are not interfering with simplex comms on channel 16 in Texas, when they key up a Repeater in Illinois that's linked to a repeater on channel 16 in Texas? I'm not sure that you can, regardless of how the repeaters are linked.
 
 
 
 

I agree with all of the above with one exception --  which was first brought up by a poster on this forum, so no credit to me.  If you have two local repeaters that are separated by a mountain, seriously limiting the range of both, linking the two should be allowed.  More than two, no.

I agree with all of the above with one exception --  which was first brought up by a poster on this forum, so no credit to me.  If you have two local repeaters that are separated by a mountain, seriously limiting the range of both, linking the two should be allowed.  More than two, no.

I'm in Florida as well and feel your pain, i.e. two miles between handhelds.  You could cover that distance by simply plugging into a better antenna.  I suggest you try a mag mount antenna on your vehicle and plug it into the handhelds.  Cheap way to start and since we're talking emergency only, rather than daily use, the worse thing you'd have to do is agree to drive to a local hill.
I've used this with my hand held and it works rather well.
Is there a repeater near you?

Nice try FedBoi !

My family isn't THAT important 😆

yah.. i can...

Interesting how so many are talking about how repeaters are dead and not much simplex use because modern tech such as cell phones has become the norm.
The school I teach at has gone completely cell phone-free. Meaning the kids can not have their cell phones from the time the morning bell rings to the last bell of the day. We have issued to all students Yondr Pouches, which are little bags the students have to put their cell phones in when the morning bell rings they magnetically lock and the kids can not get them open until we put the "keys" out at the end of the day.
With that being said, I have been able to use that to recruit more kids to ham radio. I have been showing the kids all the ways that radio can be used like a cell phone, such as text messaging, sharing pictures, and emails, and just plain ol talking with each other. Most of these kids all live in the same neighborhood or close enough to do simplex. The big thing when telling the kids this is that cell phones may be banned, but the principal never said anything about ham radio lol. I know there are caveats to all of these, but generally speaking as some of you already know these things are not difficult to do. I told them that even if they are grounded from their cell phones at home they can still use their radios to communicate with their friends and even share each other's locations etc. lol. Teaching these things to the younger generation has been a big hit and the school admin is all for it and super supportive of the kids using radio tech instead of their cell phones.
Please guys, and gals, don't give up on our younger generation. These kids are smart and catch on quickly, they just need more people showing them how to properly utilize ham radio and all the benefits it has. Man, I can go on all day on this subject as I have been working hard integrating ham radio into our school. The ham club I started at the school has been a big success to my surprise and has fired me up to know that ham radio is not dead and is alive and well in our kids, as long as WE do the work to show them. Sorry, rant over lol. 

I'm planning to get my HAM license sometime soon, anyway, haha.

 

A licensed and certified H.A.M. radio operator told me that and he's been licensed for over 40 years so it must be true!

YES! and the FCC has really been cracking-down and issuing more fines lately.  If you want to talk that far you should get a H.A.M. license, but if you are willing to take the risk of a major fine, go for it.
 

And that's why I keep it off when on my favorite repeater, which is populated with some skilled H.A.M.s, some of whom may be easily triggered. 😇

I have found that new users like the beep because it is a positive indication that the other party has stopped transmitting.  The radios I hand out for family simplex all have the beep turned on.  Radios I use for repeaters have the beep off.
Either way, it's just not a big deal.
 
Edit: Added "simplex" for clarification.

I hate it when that happens.

I hate it when that happens.

The joke is that the FCC web site is tougher than the H.A.M. exams.  Just getting through it should be enough for a license.