WRBM807KN4MDJ

I have a project (volunteer) of setting up a new HAM shack in one of the largest scout camps in FL, 1500 acres moderately dense forest. So I had the bright idea, if we already have to put up an antenna for 2M and HF would it be worthwhile to offer a GMRS repeater.
At least 1000 people (cubs w/families, scouts, others) are at the camp 30 weekends a year, and large events are about 2000 people once a month (and every week during summer)....what you call a captive audience, lol.

The site is 10-15 miles from the nearest GMRS repeaters (about 8 of them), and 20 miles from the nearest vhf HAM repeaters. I contacted all the repeaters in a circle around it, tallest is 200'  40 miles away, rest are all below 50' so not a chance with dense forest. Everyone agrees it's doubtful anything is in range, though I'll get a chance to try to reach them all next weekend at an event...

So the big question, is GMRS really used much to make it worth doing a repeater.
One plus is cell service is very poor in the area. I figure cell phones are what killed most radio.
I've noticed several families do have FRS radios but range is limited as you'd expect at 1/2 watt.

We're moving forward with setting up 2M (radio merit badge w/tech lic. course),
but was just thinking it might be a nice amenity to offer families that camp.

We'll prob do a survey later to see if there would be any interest.
Just worry that GMRS is dying, ham is cheaper to get and more powerful.

Advice?
Ken

I have a project (volunteer) of setting up a new HAM shack in one of the largest scout camps in FL, 1500 acres moderately dense forest. So I had the bright idea, if we already have to put up an antenna for 2M and HF would it be worthwhile to offer a GMRS repeater.
At least 1000 people (cubs w/families, scouts, others) are at the camp 30 weekends a year, and large events are about 2000 people once a month (and every week during summer)....what you call a captive audience, lol.

The site is 10-15 miles from the nearest GMRS repeaters (about 8 of them), and 20 miles from the nearest vhf HAM repeaters. I contacted all the repeaters in a circle around it, tallest is 200'  40 miles away, rest are all below 50' so not a chance with dense forest. Everyone agrees it's doubtful anything is in range, though I'll get a chance to try to reach them all next weekend at an event...

So the big question, is GMRS really used much to make it worth doing a repeater.
One plus is cell service is very poor in the area. I figure cell phones are what killed most radio.
I've noticed several families do have FRS radios but range is limited as you'd expect at 1/2 watt.

We're moving forward with setting up 2M (radio merit badge w/tech lic. course),
but was just thinking it might be a nice amenity to offer families that camp.

We'll prob do a survey later to see if there would be any interest.
Just worry that GMRS is dying, ham is cheaper to get and more powerful.

Advice?
Ken

95.1 The General Mobile Radio Serv- ice (GMRS).
(a) The GMRS is a land mobile radio
service available to persons for short- 
distance two-way communications to
facilitate the activities of licensees and
their immediate family members. Each
licensee manages a system consisting
of one or more stations.
 
GMRS is not a hobbyist service, it is not for expanding ambitions, it is not a place to push the state of the art forward. However, there is a place for that... Amateur Radio.  Per the FCC, Part of the Basis and Purpose of amateur radio is the: Continuation and extension of the amateur's proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art.  If those are your interests, get an amateur license.

One thing I might suggest...
 
Since (I assume) you will have a GMRS license holder at the central command office of the camp, why not set up a 5-watt, narrow band UHF base station on 462.6125 MHz, with no CTCSS tone.  Put a small UHF antenna on your 40 foot pole, (use low-loss coax like LMR-400) and you will be able to cover your whole forest on the frequency known as FRS Channel 3. 
 
Tell everyone with FRS radios to stay off from channel 3 unless they have any emergency or need to get in touch with the camp headquarters, then just call on channel 3 with no privacy code.  Even if those cheap bubble-pack radios can't talk to each other through the trees, they likely can be heard at the base station with the 40' high antenna, and with licensed 5 Watts at 40', they will hear you.  Forget about a UHF repeater. 
 
NOTE: I'm just using channel 3 as an example, but any channel 7 or below could be used at 5 Watts. You could use higher power (50 Watts) on channels 15-22, but remember, a lot of older FRS-only radios don't go past 14, and channel 8-14 are low-power only.  If there is any GMRS repeater within 50 miles, pick a channel 2 or 3 away from its output frequency, so its wide-band transmitter doesn't splatter on your narrow-band base receiver.

I wouldn't even bother. UHF vs VHF in a dense wooded area? You'll see a huge difference if you take 2 HT's and have them both with identical specs and do a range test on both bands.
 
At all the BSA camps I've been to they've used VHF repeaters, for very good reasoning that UHF sucks in the woods. 
 
Here at the Summit for some reason we use UHF, I think it was the sales part on Motorola of how to get the most money out of us, UHF requires waaay more infrastructure to function just as well as VHF would in the woods.
 
Not to discourage you from doing it, but in my opinion, I'd say don't bother. If it's not going to be that great of a system then don't put the money or resources into it.