Logan5

Here is a video I shot of CP Rail's Christmas Train pulling into the Union Depot in downtown St. Paul, MN, last Friday night:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSBSINSFs14&hd=1
 
Enjoy!
 

I figure it's like the GMRS rules, where we, the licensees mainly keep the hobby in check. With MURS, no one going to even know how or that they should complain....not many people could/would even realize someone is using 5 watts versus 2, and probably wouldn't care anyway. Can't imagine the FCC caring at all, since they don't tend to want to keep FRS-ers off of GMRS for us. 
 
I'm in a semi rural area, used to hear more on .600 and .570 than I do now. I think alot of drive through's have switched to digital systems, seemed to be alot of them using these freqs in years past.
 
I know that one business around here used to have .600 in their 45 watt mobiles. When they converted to narrow for the rest of their system, .600 came out of the programming and a newly licensed itinerant went in it's place, so they are legal now. They never had a license for .600 anyway, my source said they started using it in portables many years ago to coordinate with a contractor and just never stopped...ended up in mobiles...and through changing people overseeing radio for them, the upkeep and legalities got lost in the shuffle. They are square now, but it just shows how things get forgotten about and companies end up getting fined...all because people changed jobs, left, ball got dropped, no one paying attention. And for every one that gets fixed, there is probably 10 more not.
 
I worked for a radio shop years ago, so I learned the right way.....follow the rules, and it's no one's fault but your own if you don't. 

Good Afternoon
I am looking to setup a new repeater and will most likely be using Kenwood Mobles, Any advice or Equipment requirements that need to be considered.
Thanks in advance.
WQVA584
 

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Just finished decorating.... and in keeping with the Season, as an honorary 'Redneck', we are calling this -

"A Cartridge in a bare tree"...

http://mybirdie.ca/files/page0_blog_entry13220-cartridgepeartree.jpg

Hello, I am not new to radio but new to GMRS -- I found myself with a couple of 'bubble pack' radios for 20 bucks each
along with a 'base camp' radio. But when I read that I would need a license to operate the radio at full power on the
GMRS frequencies, I decided to get a license.
 
I have been an amateur radio op since 1967
I also have a General Radio Operator License issued in 1994
I am currently studying for the radar endorsement (I am a retired telephone service tech) for a personal achievement
challenge. I also want to get the 2nd Class Radiotelegraph License (it is nearly impossible to get a 1st class now)
I can copy code at very hight speeds.
 
I wanted the FRS/GMRS radio equipment for CERT use  and family use too,  I also have a 40 channel CB unit
though it is not attached to an antenna at this time. I found this site by a link from another site and
found the topics here interesting enough to register.
 
I look forward to posting on topics that I can be of help in
 
Lew

Hi all. Randy in Washington Pennsylvania here. Just renewed my gmrs license and looking for a net to use while I try and get a repeater system up. Just looking to talk with like minded people interested in gmrs and maybe getting my amateur tech license.

Hello all,
 
Twenty-something new father and a newly licensed GMRS user here in eastern Mass. I'm in the process now of selling off some unused radio and other various electronic equipment to fund a repeater setup. I've been monitoring the repeater channels... there isn't much repeater use in my area and I've only heard a couple of other users that appear to be using simplex only. I've used CB for many years growing up and I'm an avid scannerist and commercial radio user for my two public safety jobs. Just looking to learn as much as I possibly can about repeaters, radio etiquette and pretty much just the lay of the land before I expand my radio usage to amateur... hoping to take my tech in the spring.
 
That's pretty much it. Feel free to say hello, especially if you're local to me.
 
-Greg

Hello and Happy Holidays to everyone:
 
I just opened an account here.  I look forward corresponding with everyone and hope to catch you on the radio someday.  I live in Palm Desert, CA, and am retired (as of February 2014).  I have been involved in RF communications for many years as a ham.  Enjoy portable HF and making antennas out of odd stuff.  
 
 

Hi all,
 
I wanted to ask why it appears to be common practice to require a valid GMRS user to seek permission before using a GMRS repeater. When I obtained my Amateur Radio license, I was surprised that virtually all Amateur radio repeaters were open to properly licensed ham operators. 
 
On several occasions I have requested permission and have never heard back from the repeater operator. I don't use the repeater of course, but that experience makes me wonder why the person required someone to seek permission if they were not going to reply back. If an owner/operator has posted their information on www.myGMRS.com, then isn't implied they want to have their system used. It would be really nice to be able to look up and use a GMRS repeater without obtaining permission. I could then give my family GMRS radios to be able to communicate instead of cell phones. My family is not licensed Amateur Radio operators, so that is not an option for us.
 
One GMRS repeater in my area --- BART-R1, published on myGMRS, lists in the comment section: "As long as you have a valid GMRS license and ID every 15 minutes as required, you may use the system." This is good!
 
I wonder if making GMRS repeaters "open-systems" to licensed GMRS holders would help the GMRS community grow? Would a diminishing community cause the FCC to possibly put a target on the GMRS frequencies as a potential for reallocation? There is such a grab for spectrum these days, I wouldn't doubt it!
 
I know there are a lot of non-licensed GMRS frequency users out there and I am in no way defending or supporting their illegal use of  the frequencies. A non-licensed user wouldn't even know they were supposed to seek permission or probably wouldn't even care! 
 
 
Thank you for reading my post and any reply you might have.
 
 
WQSE362
KK6ILT

I would listen for any repeater activity on the 8 GMRS pairs. It is easy to find the PL tone, by changing the tone and then transmit until you find it, listen for a delay or use another radio or scanner to listen for your voice, announce your calls signs and ask for permission. also depending on your area, check the list of repeaters here on www.MYGMRS.com, and ask for permission by e-mail. and yes you will need to program your radio for a +5000mhz offset and discover their PL tone so as to access. if they use an uncommon pair, they will be a little harder to work. You may consider running your own repeater, you can get a used one or a simple one made from 2 radios for a couple hundred bucks. if you don't mind running two separate antennas. if you prefer a single antenna install you will need a duplexer at another 100 bucks.

Hey there GRMS/HAM community. I'm just creating this post to say hi/hello to everyone.
 
New to GMRS and the whole Amateur Radio Scene.
 
My location is in Southeast Alaska.
 
Call Sign is WQUU215.
 
Thanks and 73.

Where they went wrong in their petition was bringing up amateur transceivers. Any commercially marketed amateur transmitter (in the US) has to be type certified for operation in Part 97 and the receivers have to be at least Part 15. However, being amateur radio, any home brew or "modified" (this includes Part 90 gear running in ham land) equipment just needs to meet the technical standards of Part 97. Most of the current petitions out there (or most recent) are from hams who won't suck it up and get a radio without VFO. There is tons of surplus Part 90 (and 95) equipment out there that simply did not meet narrow banding. Ham's either A) trying to petition the FCC to allow Part 97 equipment or trying to petition the FCC to allow hams to use GMRS without applying for the licensing and using equipment that meets or exceeds the technical specs won't get anywhere.
 
Also if you look into the emergency side of the statement, you'll realize that many of the guys who are a part of RACES/ARES and utilize GMRS also hang up their Part 97 FM transceivers in an emergency in favor of Part 90 FM transceivers because they are more or less idiot proof, much more rugged, and allow for easier interoperability between all emergency personnel.

yes

Hello all, new member and GMRS licensee. Happy to join this group.
 
@mellowcream, I live in Frederick, MD and do visit Easton regularly, and probably for the upcoming waterfowl festival. I'm new at this but trying to set up a way to communicate with my dispersed family members in case of emergency.
 
My neighbor (Ham) has a GMRS repeater but, as with the other two mentioned above, seems it's not powered up. I will contact him this afternoon and verify.  It's Frederick 610  https://www.mygmrs.com/view?id=1359

thanks for the map maker link.  it has come in handy as  I look aroud for my home coverage area with GMRS and antenna height.   from 1 m on the ground to 10 meters on my roof, it looks like i get twice the distance "in green" on that map. height is king!

Anything Ubuntu based that doesn't have it pre-installed simply open up a terminal.
 
sudo apt-add-repository ppa:ubuntu-hams-updates/ppasudo apt-get updatesudo apt-get install chirp Also, add user to dialout sudo usermod -G dialout (your username)

When I had a shack at home…it consisted of a VHF Motorola GM300 (I later traded that radio for a UHF GM300 to fix a GR300 so I went to a VHF Maxtrac), an Icom F221s, and I had a surplus Dell running Mint 14 with a Cinnamon desktop. The Maxtrac went to a Tram station antenna on a 10 ft pole outside and the F221s went to a dipole I had taped up in the closet. 
 
Now my mobile shacks…are a slightly different story. Both are in the middle of some upgrades though.
 
My daily driver…
http://i1245.photobucket.com/albums/gg586/zap_uh_lack/Mobile%20Uploads/50F9BE84-84CA-4BFB-9261-B55BA727E425_zps28rilj0v.jpg
A Yaesu FT-2990 (on the dash, it's replacement is sitting on the console, Vertex VX-5500).
A Icom F221 (Probably going to be replaced with a Kenwood TK-880H)
 
I'm pinching pennies for a console. I'd still have a Motorola GTX, a VHF/UHF crossband repeater (I'm thinking either A) cross banding the Vertex and Kenwood or adding a SM120 and cross banding it to the Vertex), I've got a Kenwood TK-690 with remote head but I think I'm going to go with a 25 year old Motorola Syntor that I recently acquired (they only made 1200 of them), and I've been debating a VHF packet/aprs radio. Ideally I'd like to wire most everything into a common mic switch.
 
My Jeep
[http://i1245.photobucket.com/albums/gg586/zap_uh_lack/Mobile%20Uploads/F4739079-FEBB-4B5E-AD2E-2FE7FC6E421E_zpsg3c7s6oc.jpg
http://i1245.photobucket.com/albums/gg586/zap_uh_lack/FD173CE2-A804-45B5-9EC1-BE7A5501CADC_zpskfezggfr.jpg
This one has a Anytone dual band (the radio is actually under the back seat), a Cobra 25 and a APRS SM50 in the back (wired into the ignition of course). The Anytone is coming out…I'm going to grab a remote mount VX-6500 I have (the Vertex version of the Kenwood TK-790) and swap the remote portion over to a VX-5500 and then use one of my NIB M1225's for UHF.
 
Update:
Found these on my Youtube channel. Apparently I never took any photos but I do have video. They were running on a scrapped PC power supply.
 

Cool Setup. Love the pea shooter....lol... I have in my car a tm700d kenwood dual bander and Uniden digital scanner. pics to come soon.

Mountain React - Just got new communication equipment to help serve the public better. We received three repeater 2 GMRS and one 70cm Ham Repeater. We would like you all to come and join our team if you live in the Buncombe County / Madison county Nc. We can alway use new talent and fresh mines to help us better our team. If you intreasted in join feel free to email me at: Zero_kool@gmx.com.

*** Services We Provide ***
Parking - Patrol
Event - Security
Communication Assistance
Skywarn Spotting
Traffic Control
First Aid Stations
An Many More

This programming turns out to be quite easy without using the cable.. This video tutorial is the best I have found.. He has a couple. And yes, you do have to save transmit and receive to the same preset for it to work.... I can set up at prest now in about two minutes with the info in front of me...
Enjoy : http://youtu.be/YFJ3Jkp7UlY
 
Randy WQUW773
Baofeng UV-5RV2+

Hello Raymond and welcome to MyGMRS.
 
Your post is noted and as a reminder to members... MyGMRS Forum and staff does not endorse nor do we take any responsibility or accept any liability for equipment sales initiated here at the Forum. Any deal that may take place is solely between the seller noted above and a potential buyer.

This is a great system for the day to day user. Well done team!
 
If possible, could you add a Disaster Relief teams, search and rescue teams.
 
State, county info
Type of resource radio comm, s&r
How many volunteers
Any emergency equip
Generator, canopy, repeaters, radios, trailer etc
Primary and secondary. Contact info
Phone & address, web, email
Any other affiliation, REACT, red cross, arrl etc
Should not be open to all to join, request must be sent
To team designee..
 
Team contact info should be public so
Emergency operators can request them
 
Thank you

The Chinese radios really have changed the radio game. My apartment complex acquired a bunch of BF888's. I essentially help resale the UV5R's.
 
I generally program with Chirp unless I specifically need to remove the vfo. I've noticed several things with the radios.
 
A) Don't try and hot swap the programming cable or speaker/mic. Turn the radio off. I've seen many people blow either the ptt out speaker on the radio (usually works fine with a speaker Mic though).
 
the receivers are good, the squelch circuits suck. They can get a little annoying on high rf environments, even with a receive pl on.
 
C) I've found the stock UHF antenna on the bf-888 has 2-3 more dB of gain on the dual band antenna...and a Motorola Jedi series UHF antenna has 3 dB more gain than the "high gain" UHF antenna (same bandwidth). The Motorola antenna can be found on Amazon for $8.
 
D) if you trash one, you are out $15-30.

Logan,
I am using a duplexer as zap described for several years on 2 different radios with no problems at all.I am thinking you are talking about the repeater on one side and a radio on the other.I would use a UHF single band on the repeater if that is what you are saying and use the dual band on 2 radios.You may find it better to use a dedicated UHF on the repeater for the frequency band and not a dual band amateur antenna...William

some additions
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h358/erscom/off%20grid%20site/DSCN0062_zps90b743f2.jpg
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h358/erscom/off%20grid%20site/DSCN0061_zps21d770f5.jpg
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h358/erscom/off%20grid%20site/DSCN0057_zpsda67897f.jpg
port entry, ground rod and ground buss
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h358/erscom/off%20grid%20site/DSCN0055_zps4b24358a.jpg
batteries wired and charging
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h358/erscom/off%20grid%20site/DSCN0063_zps5dff42a9.jpg
hard line protected from anything that may crush it. still need to be secured a little better though.
still need some minor hardware and items to secure the shack better.