iadams
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Posts posted by iadams
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Near me, there is a repeater on 575 with a PL of 141.3
It is not in the database. I have never been able to raise the owner to ask about it. It is assumed closed/private until otherwise given permission?
Interestingly, there are other repeaters in the greater (60-90 mile) area on the same frequency, split and tone. It is very common that someone brings up this repeater when using the other ones. I do not hear any repeater action on other frequencies. Is there something about 575 that people tend to gravitate towards it?
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Are you sure your listening to GMRS repeaters? There is no requirement for GMRS repeaters to ID. They "can" ID, but aren't required to. You may be hearing an amateur radio or commercial repeater. You may want to verify the frequency your listening to.
It must not be uncommon. I can hear a repeater in Maryland and one in Pennsylvania and both of them ID a few time per day in fast CW. Definitely GMRS repeaters - especially since I hear people talk on them IDing with GMRS call signs.
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Welcome to MyGMRS. You won't hear call signs being used unless you are active on a repeater. Many users just don't use their call signs on single channel (Also known as simplex) operations because so many unlicensed users are on those channels. This is due to the legalization of "Combo" bubble pack radios. The biggest issue with this is that nobody reads the manual, which is why you end up hearing businesses using the "Family radio service" frequencies. They find it cheaper and easier to use such radios than it is to pay the FCC for a license and then purchasing proper part 90 radio equipment.
After running a search of your callsign I only found two repeaters close to your city of residence, Lakeshore and Rock. Lakeshore is open to all users, while asking for permission is always a good idea, the first paragraph of the repeaters listing reads "Repeater is 100% Duty cycle...free to use it as you need it. 45 watt Machine located 12 miles south of Bandera in a neighborhood called Whartons Dock/ Lake Medina Shores, open repeater for all Licensed GMRS users and their Family, Please feel free to throw a call out to see if anyone is around, I'm always looking for radio checks from different locations to see what coverage I can get." I take this as you do not need permission and may call on the system anytime. The Rock on the other paw does require permission to use and the repeater owner should be in contact with more information about permissible uses. Please keep an eye on your spam folder as I have found that sometimes e-mails through MyGMRS have gone there. If you have not heard back from the owner after a month, you can try reaching out to them a second time for permission (Sometimes e-mails are overlooked when we are busy, or perhaps the owner was away on vacation and has not checked their e-mail.)
On a last note I would like to point out that both repeaters are a distance from you. The Lakeshore repeater is the closer of the two, is about 20 miles away with a range listed as 13 miles. Rock is much further away and only has a range of 20 miles. You may have difficulty reaching either of those repeaters when mobile.
What is the problem with businesses using "Family Radio Service Frequencies?"
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So if all of the the majority of radios sold (bubble packs) come pre-programmed with the same codes....why put codes in at all?
I guess you are failing to see my point. First, yes a cell phone is complex - but also familiar and designed to be intuitive.....and as someone who administers a large group of cell phones....people have trouble even though they've had the same brand for 8 years.. I would not say that use of tones is intuitive, and understanding of RF behavior is definitely not for the average Joe.
Explain this to me: Given the market and the usage reality - what benefit is served by pre-programming tones in?
If someone is already using a channel, you only know that by monitoring (turning to carrier to check). Many uses may only have TX for 10-15 seconds/minute, so there is a good chance you wouldn't catch the use with a check. So what, you're going to check again ever few minutes? Right there shows why it would be better with no tones and you could just hear them.
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Its not the tone/CTSS creating the potential issues you mention, it's stupid people that are too lazy to invest 3 minutes of their life to read the directions and learn/understand how their equipment works that are the problem..
Even if they do read the directions, that doesn't change the fact that FRS/GMRS radios do not come out of the box with basic cross brand and model interoperability for the most part due to the pre-programming. To me, they are set up to make coordinated use difficult (sharing channels) and emergency/outside contact unlikely.
Given the transmit range, outside of urban areas the likelihood of needing the tones so that you don't hear other traffic seems very small - especially with the fairly low number of users (on top of the aforementioned TX distance limits).
Even someone with a large amount of knowledge would have the same issues with bubble pack radios.
When I am walking down a hallway and meet someone, I go right and he goes to his right. This coordination wouldn't be possible if we both had our eyes closed, and had only opened them once for a few seconds before we started walking. This is what using tones seems like to me. You check the channel by using CSQ for a few seconds, hear nothing, and start using the channel oblivious to the (radio) world around you.
It seems odd to me that the default mode in this radio service is to block outsiders rather than enabling it if necessary.
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CTCSS, PL, whatever you want to call it, I'll use 'tone' to refer to it here.
Does the use of a tone ruin GMRS/FRS? Given that the users are not familiar with communications equipment, and that most users don't know anything beyond selecting a channel and pushing the PTT button, we cannot expect them to understand the use of tones and what they do/do not do.
Because of bubble pack radios coming pre-programmed with tones, people will generally only hear those who have the same radio. While the purpose of FRS/GMRS isn't to find people to chat with, it also loses the possible utility in emergency situations. For instance, there may be 5 groups of hikers, each with their own separate set of radios in a National Forest hiking when someone is hurt. Even going through every channel calling for help, the person would not be able to reach another party that may even be close by.
It also seems that it is unlikely that people will check the channel for activity before use, causing interference with other parties.
While I can understand the need to use tones in urban areas because the amount of traffic may get annoying, the reality is that the tones just create more of an inability to coordinate and share the frequency.
Why wouldn't we really want every radio to come out default with carrier squelch?
Is it open?
in General Discussion
Posted
Yeah, it is interesting. I'd say it is active a good bit of the day from 6am-10pm......about 90% of which is people who are actually using the other repeaters and happen to be bringing this one up as well.