quarterwave

Let me ask the question here... What were you looking to hear on the scanner? Was it just for GMRS? There would be tons of stuff to hear on that scanner provided it is programmed correctly.

Be patient, learn, check in to a net, listen 10x more than you talk for a while. You'll get it.

Your radios are too close together. One tx is desensing and blanking the rx of the other. crank the volume up on the receiving radio and put it 100 ft away.

"He said they were "ham-like users" which suggests to me they were GMRS user acting like sad hams. But yes, it they were using GMRS frequencies for ham radio use, that would be one complaint I'm sure the FCC would look into." In 1994 and 95 there were two guys about 45 miles from me that were Hams that were playing with a GMRS repeater they installed, in a pretty good location. They were not licensed for GMRS, I know because they brashly talked about it. They played around for 2 years gabbing on it until I finally heard them talk about getting a license. They believed they were entitled to use GMRS simply for being Hams. At the same time they complained about people on the Ham repeaters they didn't like, and you would think with the myriad of repeater options both 2m and 70cm in this particular area they wouldn't need to use GMRS, but they did. There are probably 25 repeaters in a 25 mile area, even 1.25m and 900Mhz. It's just funny what some people do and justify as right.

Same experience here. Had mine since 1994. Just sold it and moved on.

Yes, a map would be cool. I figured if I wanted to use the one around me for something special, I would just turn on scrambling on the H3's and go for it. But, again, it's not mine and I like to respect the rules.

As a hobbyist in radio I like to keep track of what's going on in radio-land around me. There is a utility company repeater near me that is basically abandoned. I used to work for the company, so when I was still there I did the narrow band and re-license. At that time, basically anyone that knew anything about the radio system had retired or got laid off. So the knowledge of the system or it's use was essentially drying up. Fast forward 10 years and there is virtually no one there that knows anything about it. The mobiles are no longer installed, trucks have been rotated or sold, some got sold with radios still mounted in them! There is 1 control base in the main office, but I guarantee it got shut off, because when I worked there people would go where it was (a CDM1250) and turn it off because it made a noise, again lack of knowledge. I had told an executive that we needed to keep the system up for emergency backup in case of the big disaster. At that time, we owned the site, it had backup power and I suggested at the very least we keep some portables ready to go in case we needed them. They used cell phones for everything, and like most modern "tech" people think, it's always going to work. Wrong. That executive is now gone, the company sold, the tower site sold. But, the repeater is still on the air. And, with a lack of real understanding, they just recently renewed the license. Again, probably because they are not sure what it is, but figured they'd be safe and renew. I know how these folks operate. So the repeater is VHF, it has an old school license - it's licensed for voice and data, 250 watts, and a 75 MIRA. I left it at 100 watts. It is on a premiere tower site, Rx at 275 feet and Tx at 200 feet. It talks, the coverage is amazing. I can hit it with my H3 from anywhere around here, and I know no one is using it, because anytime I hit it, the ID goes off, which it is set to only go off if used, and then every 15 minutes. It's not mine, I won't use it, but a person could easily talk on it occasionally and no one would know. Anyone else have any instances like this? I find them fascinating.

Back to the original question, I am noticing some of the same. I made my private repeater public over 2 years ago, it didn't take long for some people to start using it, proving there were people around my area interested. This past Spring, there were probably 12 guys chatting on a regular basis, I would get in there now and then as well. Since about July, it's been oddly quiet. Now and then there's a kerchunker, now and then one guy calling (I answer if I happen to have time) but all the usual times they were talking, it's just quiet. I am probably going to sell my repeater, I don't need to maintain it or pay the electric if no one is going to use it. I am a HAM and can talk to people that way when I want to.

Sorry, my snarky smart aleck monster got out. Down boy! "So, with this new information, is this site shutting down, along with all of the GMRS repeater systems throughout the country ?" Indicates the web site and ALL GMRS systems, unless I can't read English, that's what you wrote. Again, just being a smart aleck. We all ask things sometimes and realize we meant something a little different.

The utter lack of understanding is amazing. I realize new people to radio have to learn, but I would think there would be some basic logical understanding. It's like all the people that think McDonalds owns all of the McDonalds restaurants or Chevrolet owns all the Chevrolet dealerships.

Wow, he was super serial.

Anyone here know anything about linking 2 repeaters together? I think it would be an awesome idea, and I just thought of it. Any info out there? (Sarcasm 100% intended).

151.625 has been the most bastardized and over used frequency for the 35 years I have been actively involved in radio. I've never heard of any enforcement due to the nature of the users and the temporary use of the frequency. I wouldn't condone unlicensed use, but it would also be like calling CB a refined and reliable communications medium.

Somebody used QT - Quiet Tones, but I don't remember who. Yeah, PL never made sense to me, but I guess they had to call it something.

There is no privacy in "privacy codes". So look at it this way, back in the day 4 parties (homes) could share a phone line. You all had a different number, that when it was dialed would make just your phone ring and not the other 3. How? The ringer had a different voltage requirement. If you picked up the phone while the other party was on it, you could hear them. But yours only rang if it was your number and your voltage being sent (correct code in radio). So, when you use 67.0Hz or 127.3Hz or say 423 in digital, it makes your radios (your group, your party) private in that only you hear each other and not others, but if someone picks up the line.....meaning opens their squelch or runs carrier squelch....on the same frequency, they will hear you. So it's not "private" it's just keeping you from hearing people other than your group. But, just like the party line phone, only 1 party can practically use the line, frequency, at once. Unless of course you are far enough apart, you can won't hear each other on the radio anyway. I think in CCR terms, T-Squelch is transmit only, and Squelch is both ways (what you want).