[Trying to renew a long expired license]

1 hour ago, Guest Art said:

I just tried to renew my gmrs license, (it had expired quite a while ago) now today I see the application was dismissed although I paid the fees requested , asked for a waiver filled out what was asked of me..... does anyone have a suggestion on what I can do to correct all this, I highly doubt I could get my money back

Thanks!

Call FCC on the phone, they are pretty good to work with.  Best to just apply for a new license, you will not be able to get the old call sign issued to you. (been there done that when I forgot to renew mine a few years back!)

[Club memberships required to use (aka Pay to play)]

On 4/14/2025 at 9:38 AM, Lscott said:

 

I forget where I was reading the thread, but there was one where a guy was discussing the idea of purchasing some property and building a tower for the sole purpose of renting out space once built. No different than constructing an apartment building and renting out units.

Plus if it's near an urban area or downtown, Parking Lot for extra income!

[Motorola Programming Software for Mac]

36 minutes ago, OffRoaderX said:

  It is literally so simple, grandma could do it.

For shame, making poor Granny come out of retirement and be a windows installer!

[Tariff Wars have begun]

15 minutes ago, WRYZ926 said:

Yeah them boofwengs are going to a gold mine 

Quick check on Temu today and all the BooFwangs listed have a "LOCAL" disclaimer under them - Tarriff beaters!

A couple years ago I found a website that had UV5R's for $6.12 per unit, shipping and customs duties included. Minimum lot of 1,000.  But I didn't see the need to have 1,000 of them.  Maybe I shoulda bit on that!

[Error Beeps]

1 hour ago, ag4so said:

 

Update Just checked all channel in both Band A and B channels 8 through 14 beep and refuse to transmit. I have only touched channels 1-8, the rest are factory default.

95.1763

(d) 467 MHz interstitial channels. Only hand-held portable units may transmit on these 7 channels. The channel center frequencies are: 467.5625, 467.5875, 467.6125, 467.6375, 467.6625, 467.6875, and 467.7125 MHz.

 

[Tariff Wars have begun]

18 minutes ago, Lscott said:

Yeah, the manufacture says the same thing when your radio thing breaks.

Company slogan - :Money back if not satisfied"

Company to customer - "we would give you your money back, but we're satisfied with it, so we'll be keeping it!"

[GMRS Expanded Personal Business Use]

19 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

No

I hear this near my work. Local metal processing Co. uses a lot of FRS radios, and in the morning, the lead foreman calls out channel assignments quite often;  "Main Office is on 14 today, Receiving on 12, Production is on 5, QA on 3." 

 

But if you're talking using 2 simplex channels to work "split", also legal AFAIK. But you will need a dual watch radio or two radios to accomplish that!

[Contesting......]

1 hour ago, SteveShannon said:

I’m not hamming today, but I’d be delighted to add you to the list!

Be a gas to ragchew with U OM!   I did some of the WPX last weekend. I know I'll never have a massive score, but mine do help the Club which consistently does very well in most.   During the CQWW DX this last time, got to hear one of the premier contest station's operators say "shit, shit, shit..." on the air when his logging software took a dump on him mid pileup.  I contest to help the club score big, work that rare DX, aometimes just to operate a mode I don't normally get a chance to. RTTY for one as it's been a favorite since my Army days, but no one wants to QSO on rtty anymore it seems!

[Contesting......]

On 4/1/2025 at 9:00 AM, SteveShannon said:

This!  Use logging software that makes use of CAT to automatically log everything other than the call sign.  I use Ham Radio Deluxe Logbook.  All I have to enter is the call sign and click log this contact.

But FT8 is even easier

Also, depending on the software I can set alarms for call signs, states, counties, grid squares, countries, continents, etc that I want to watch for.  Today I’m going to create my own contest: “Worked mygmrs members!” using these ham call signs for folks who are MyGMRS members:

 

You forgot meeee!

Up here in the ultra rare grid square of EN34lx

73 de N0TXW

[Gary]

On 3/18/2025 at 6:22 PM, OffRoaderX said:

Who is Gary?  I came here to read about and see pictures of Gary!

Gary from Grindr?

[GETTING READY FOR DMR IN MY VERY NEAR FUTURE]

5 minutes ago, OffRoaderX said:

Can confirm.

Never had a bad attitude moment with the Jeep set as a non Jeep driving off-roader; pulling them out, or being pulled out by them. Again the trail is like out on the water, you always help anyone in need, no matter what they're driving!

[GETTING READY FOR DMR IN MY VERY NEAR FUTURE]

8 minutes ago, WRYZ926 said:

Ah the M151 MUTT.  They finally made National Guard and Reserve units park those things for good around 1990. They were more prone to roll overs than any of the Willy's GP vehicles they replaced.

We found a couple that only needed fresh fuel and tires out in the training area at Ft Irwin in 1995 while cleaning up all of the old hard targets. The base Command Sargent Major made us go park them on the M1 tank range so the next rotation could destroy them.

I mostly drove an M561 Gama Goat with a Pod on the back, slogged that thing all around Ft. Campbell when I was there in 76-77.

[GETTING READY FOR DMR IN MY VERY NEAR FUTURE]

5 hours ago, WRYZ926 said:

@nokones if you are not worried about hauling passengers or cargo, then you can always turn your Wrangler into a military style commo Jeep. The M38A1 and M170 both had radio versions. The USMC even had a tall hard top version of the M170 for commo use.

Here are a couple of photos for inspiration.

M170 radio Jeep

 

M38A1 radio Jeep

 

Here's a mid 70's Model we used in the ASA making sure no one could use their radios

[GMRS and FRS]

15 minutes ago, Jaay said:

Two words ... "Pine Gap"  Very capable place that you can't visit.

I prefer Menwith HIll.  Great place to hear the Middle East from...

[GMRS and FRS]

21 minutes ago, WSHH887 said:

The drunk afterwards was good. But the course?  This s from a kid who grew up hunting, fishing, etc. 

Did you have anyone go exactly 180* backwards on your map & compass work?  

We did a "Kobiyashi Maru" style rewrite of the night compass exercise.  We zig zagged past the ambush and got a few seconds of stunned silence when we called in "at Point Orange"  Every other team followed the exact instructions and were captured, so we got to watch the fun as they were interrogated...

[Channels? channels? - What's the difference or "Understanding my radio"]

17 minutes ago, OffRoaderX said:

I think a more proper term would be RF Frequency Storage Location Position Allocations...
 

We just need a snappy acronym for RFFSLPA.   ReFFSLaPA?

[GMRS and FRS]

2 hours ago, WSHH887 said:

Aircrew survival training. That really sucked. I did mine at Hurlburt. Where did the Army send you?

SERE Training at Ft. Devens, MA - with the 10th SFG after were done with K3 (ECM) training.  Fun times with the "snake eaters".

[Channels? channels? - What's the difference or "Understanding my radio"]

3 minutes ago, Socalgmrs said:

Wow. .  That really complicates things a whole lot.   Another solution looking for a problem.  

What we call "making the impossible difficult."

[Imagine Nationwide or International Coverage of your GMRS Repeater, Legally!]

12 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

Here are the two actual rules:

 

 

 

 

I know it’s not what you want, but “Staff Opinion” doesn’t seem to exceed the wording of the actual rules.  

I'm waiting to hear what his Senator has to say. I don't see them being much help.  Again, fun to watch but I don't have any need for this service, like to watch Don Quixote in action though...

[Immediate Family using callsign]

2 hours ago, SteveShannon said:

Now, something I don’t honestly know is whether every communication means every time we push the PTT.  

I listen to a group on  a local 2m repeater I can hear, but normally can't talk on more often than not (dead spots and terrain issues)  that are on most every weekday AM and the number of times they repeat their callsigns borders on the ridiculous.  I've not ever gotten on to bug them about this, but have mentioned it to a couple of them during "eyeball QSO's" at hamfests or other occasions when I've met them.  Never hurts to ID more than required, but when it's before and after every transmission, it gets a bit much.

[Radioddity & Retevis - Return process broken [updated]]

15 hours ago, OffRoaderX said:

Can confirm ..

This is why i always recommend purchasing via Amazon when possible because Amazon protects against this exact thing - even if you have to pay $6 more, it's worth it.

When I ordered my DB20-G from Amazon, got a bundle deal with the GM30 HT added that I did not see offered on the Radiodiddity Website.  Buyer protection and a better deal, Yes, please!

[SWR and TX power output questions.]

1 hour ago, WSEZ864 said:

"up to x watts", or "as much as x watts" 

Made me think of the old Mad Magazine quote, "remember that the phrase 'up to' also includes the number zero."

[How are you notified by FCC]

14 hours ago, Socalgmrs said:

This whole thread amazes me. I had zero trouble.  It took like 10min total all on the first try

We can agree to agree on this one! I've never had any trouble with the FCC website, and especially none where they wanted my money!

[Imagine Nationwide or International Coverage of your GMRS Repeater, Legally!]

17 hours ago, WRYZ926 said:

 

Last time I checked a server still connects to the internet and accepts connections from the internet. Again  you will still using other networks to connect to GMRS repeaters, which is not allowed.

Pretty much covered in the following, and I've not seen how Cogent can gainsay this one?

§ 95.1733 Prohibited GMRS uses.

(a) In addition to the prohibited uses outlined in § 95.333 of this chapter, GMRS stations must not communicate:

(8) Messages which are both conveyed by a wireline control link and transmitted by a GMRS station;

 

Internet is chock full of wireline control links! As are most, if not all Cell systems.

FWIW, I don't really have a dog in this fight, I rarely use repeaters, the other people I use GMRS with, at least the immediate family and off-road groups/friends never use them.  But just seems no real need here for what Cog is proposing...

 

[Imagine Nationwide or International Coverage of your GMRS Repeater, Legally!]

24 minutes ago, WSHH887 said:

 

Once you get on the trail it is all just good natured ribbing between owners of different brands. 
 

 
 

 

Get that now and again with one group, as I have an 01 Explorer I run with the "Jeepers" (skid plates, 31's winch recovery gear), but we also have Toyotas, an occasional Samurai, Pathfinder, whathaveyouthat'snotaJeep.  But when we hit the trails and they see we can off road with the best of them, they take it in stride. And we of course respond in kind with the insults, much like good friends do with each other.

As far as who pulls who out of the Stuck, it's like being out boating, you always, I mean ALWAYS help out a fellow off-roader.  We're talking moderate off road trails here, not rock crawling or King of the Hammers or mud bogging. The help you give today may be the help you need tomorrow.