quarterwave

A little snippy in that response...I probably would have asked about the return policy at that point. No sense in being an A$$. 
 
Reminds me of a time I called a maker of a dialing device I needed to use on analog phone lines, this guy sold all kinds of niche tools and gadgets for electronics. I just wanted to know about the DTMF timing and pauses. He began yelling at me on the phone, and said that if I was so dumb that I didn't know what I was buying then he wasn't going to sell it to me. I advised him that I worked for a telephone carrier and I just needed to know about something that wasn't in the specs. It wasn't some gray area device, it was just a device. I basically ended up telling him there was no way our company would ever do business with someone that acted like him, and I hung up. 
 
Checked the internet...yep, he couldn't have sold much, or had any repeat business. Bad reputation. I don't know why people think they can act that way and still be in business. 

The problem I see with some of the Zello channels, be it "radio" related or not is owner/admins that spend way more time on air barking at people, asking who is xxx and who "trusted" them in. I can't even log in to Zello on my PC without 3 seconds later some admin yelling my handle wanting to know what I am doing on the channel. 
 
Well...you "trusted" me in....that's why I'm here.
 
I really laugh at the ones that are setup as "anyone can listen" but they still get all bent when you appear online. I don't spend 10 hours a day on Zello, so no, you probably haven't talked to me. When I log on to see what's being discussed, stop acting like I'm an intruder. You let me in. In one case you emailed me a password. 
 
Today some dude went in a level 13 panic calling people trying to find out who I was and who let me on....I never had a chance to answer, so I just let him go on sounding like he thinks he is so important, if he wants to play radio cop...have fun spazing out! 
 
There is nothing that ruins human interaction, like.....human interaction! 

WQOM273 , whose email doesn't seem to work and his website is dead...has 20 repeaters listed in rural areas, I am 10 miles from one, and if it were on the air, I could hear it...but I have never heard it. 
 
I would question if these sites even exist or this is another day dreamer channel camping with listings all over the database here. They are also all listed as private, pay to play.
 
You can tell your friends you drive a Ferrari, but eventually they want to "see" it....  

I was disappointed in Midland the other day after seeing an ad of theirs on Facebook. It was advertising the Micro Mobiles (GMRS) for use in a commercial business.
 
I commented that while this could be done if the business was family operated and the family using the radios had a license, it was very unlikely, or maybe hit and miss would be best, that a pilot car company trucking things cross country would be all family operated only affair and that I thought that it was misleading the public on the proper use of GMRS. Now, use of the FRS handhelds would be fine. 
 
Call me a stickler, but there is right and there is wrong. 

I was disappointed in Midland the other day after seeing an ad of theirs on Facebook. It was advertising the Micro Mobiles (GMRS) for use in a commercial business.
 
I commented that while this could be done if the business was family operated and the family using the radios had a license, it was very unlikely, or maybe hit and miss would be best, that a pilot car company trucking things cross country would be all family operated only affair and that I thought that it was misleading the public on the proper use of GMRS. Now, use of the FRS handhelds would be fine. 
 
Call me a stickler, but there is right and there is wrong. 

I was disappointed in Midland the other day after seeing an ad of theirs on Facebook. It was advertising the Micro Mobiles (GMRS) for use in a commercial business.
 
I commented that while this could be done if the business was family operated and the family using the radios had a license, it was very unlikely, or maybe hit and miss would be best, that a pilot car company trucking things cross country would be all family operated only affair and that I thought that it was misleading the public on the proper use of GMRS. Now, use of the FRS handhelds would be fine. 
 
Call me a stickler, but there is right and there is wrong. 

I was disappointed in Midland the other day after seeing an ad of theirs on Facebook. It was advertising the Micro Mobiles (GMRS) for use in a commercial business.
 
I commented that while this could be done if the business was family operated and the family using the radios had a license, it was very unlikely, or maybe hit and miss would be best, that a pilot car company trucking things cross country would be all family operated only affair and that I thought that it was misleading the public on the proper use of GMRS. Now, use of the FRS handhelds would be fine. 
 
Call me a stickler, but there is right and there is wrong. 

I have built more than one repeater from a couple of Motorola Radius or Maxtrac mobiles. The best cables I have found are from MRE1032 on ebay. The simple one has audio level control and optional delay. I have made my own cable also, it's easy. 
 
I actually used a couple of Maxtrac's and a cable I made up in 10 minutes back about 20 years ago when I was working for M and our local city service departments' GE VHF repeater went kaboom on a summer day. Hooked the mobiles up to their duplexer, and made them a temporary 20 watt repeater. They actually wanted to keep it...I think it worked better than the old GE. 
 
I have seen the old "Industrial" MSF5000 repeaters...big cabinet, all the regular heavy duty internals...and a 6 watt PA.  

Pictures when you are done! Folks love to see a good install. 

Amen, Corey. 

GMRS repeaters do not have to ID. The users of the repeater must ID when they use it. 
 
When I first became licensed, about 25 years ago, you had to designate on the application IF you were going to have a repeater, how many mobiles, how many portables.... also you had to designate which pair you were using for the repeater, your LAT/LON and calculate your ERP. You don't have to do any of that now. If the FCC needed repeaters to be "registered" they would still require that. 
 
Tower wise, mine is beside a barn on a hill, it's about 35 feet with a 18 foot ASP fiberglass stick on top. There was never a requirement for a site registration because we are under 200' tower height, and not in a flight path. There are TV antenna towers at 60 feet around here...so no issue there. 

That's fine. One needs to understand the differences of FB2, FB4 and FB6 to really see the light here. 
 
The point it is...a repeater does not run itself, so a licensee and possibly the one that owns it will be the one using it. The transmitter is not required to be located on the license. The real way to track it...if they did was through the call sign of the user...and I don't know any owners that wouldn't, at some point use their own repeaters. In the Ham service it's always been the thing to have a IDer on the machine...in commercial I saw very few. I can say I have seen a 15 mile circle where a licensee in GMRS had 3 repeaters on the same frequencies, each with a different input PL and none of them ID. If they did they would put out the same ID. 
 
It's not just a cut and dry deal...

GMRS repeaters do not have to ID. The users of the repeater must ID when they use it. 
 
When I first became licensed, about 25 years ago, you had to designate on the application IF you were going to have a repeater, how many mobiles, how many portables.... also you had to designate which pair you were using for the repeater, your LAT/LON and calculate your ERP. You don't have to do any of that now. If the FCC needed repeaters to be "registered" they would still require that. 
 
Tower wise, mine is beside a barn on a hill, it's about 35 feet with a 18 foot ASP fiberglass stick on top. There was never a requirement for a site registration because we are under 200' tower height, and not in a flight path. There are TV antenna towers at 60 feet around here...so no issue there. 

I think there should be a renewal component to registration. 
 
I know of a listing of about 20...and I'm not sure if even one of them is on the air. Some people list them to try to keep others from using the channel and others list them...well as the dream of owning a repeater. I don't like that 2% of people are making the resource inaccurate. 

Just get both. 

I think the biggest problem is, there are too many opinions AND most new users don't even know "what" they want to do.  For the most part, many new radio users don't know what tech is the correct tech for any intended purpose.  Until they get in and find out something they like and figure out how it will suit their needs, we wouldn't even know what advice to give.
 
I have tried to help, though.  I actually have a published article I wrote about the pros and cons of each common service, what they could potentially used for, and just a really brief overview of the science behind it.  It was focused around off-road communications, but applies to everything.  I can always share it here, but I haven't due to potential bickering. 

Just get both. 

For thought...if you need to run that much coax, it would be worth it to buy something like a Motorola Desktrac with tone remote capability. Mount the radio in the attic or silo and run a short coax to the antenna, then a CAT5 from the radio to a tone remote. Now you have Base Station! 

I had to look up a chart...because in my 30 years with radio I never saw 69.3 used. I find it on all the 50 tone charts, but it's not one of the original 38. We avoided 67.0 and 118.8 due to 60hz interference from AC power. 
 
I would speculate that it is not in the radio because it is in not one of the original standard 38 or there was something in the original radio design that didn't like 69.3. It's possible the decoder is not accurate enough for narrowly spaced tones (selection). 
 
That doesn't help your case, sorry. 
 
I personally use DPL on my repeater because for many years, only an expensive radio would do DPL and most people didn't have them, thus my intrusion risk was low. Still is actually.

For thought...if you need to run that much coax, it would be worth it to buy something like a Motorola Desktrac with tone remote capability. Mount the radio in the attic or silo and run a short coax to the antenna, then a CAT5 from the radio to a tone remote. Now you have Base Station! 

It seems a little quiet, so I figured I would share a walk-thru video of a portable field setup for my radio gear.  The video focuses on my Ham gear and two club events I am going to be involved in, but you can easily put something together like this for field use for any radio platform, including GMRS. 
 
In fact, the X200 antenna works great for GMRS frequencies.  I've posted the SWR readings from the analyzer in another thread, a month or so back.  On the low side it was 1.3:1 and the high side was 1.4:1.
 
Not a pro video by any means, but you should get the idea.
 
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9TkDnRDn4U

Its been my experience that everybody wants to own a repeater till they have to maintain it or pay tower rent. Also Lot's of people build small repeaters with low power radios using cheep duplexes with low antenna height. I decided to hunt down some of the machines in our area only to find "GARAGE" repeaters, (3' antenna on a 3' tripod on somebody's house roof) over half with less coverage then what you could work simplex from a base but listed at 35 miles of coverage. I can not understand why people put repeaters into service that don't cover any useful area and then list them on myGMRS. I would bet a lot of the machines listed are no longer on the air or have a tiny foot print. I would also bet when somebody takes a repeater down the listing remains.
 
Here is some other food for thought. Several of us in the WI, IL and IN area have linked a system of repeaters together on the myGMRS network. Our system of 5 machines is open to any licensed user and covers a few 1000 sq miles of area and it yet it has only 18 users. I promise it is not because the machines are junk but rather the limited number of GMRS users. I know Rich is working on something new and he is well aware of the dead listings, we will just have to wait and see.
 
Just my $.02

Quartwave: I have my own GMRS repeater here in my town. That is why this hasn't bothered me that much. I don't need his repeater at all. 
I use my repeater for business. personal, and just chatting. 
I have joined the Elk City group. I have talked to there members many many times with no problems.
Just seen I have a nack for finding the Aho*les in the world.
 
Thanks everyone for the replies and information. 

Sounds like he found a self appointed and knowledge lacking radio cop. 
 
I have been in radio for close to 30 years, had GMRS forever, worked in commercial service, just got my HAM license a couple weeks ago. I've been in no hurry to chat, but I did ask the local radio club President, whom I personally know, about "closed" repeaters, or any special courtesies, etc. He said if the repeater is listed (online as such...Repeater Book, etc) then it is open, and that locally things were cooperative and normal. They are trying to get more Hams licensed and build up the hobby. 
 
I did remember what a Ham told me years ago...out of courtesy, if you are going to use a club repeater much, join the club because repeaters and electricity aren't free. 
 
As far as remembering call signs...I applied for a vanity because I'll be lucky to remember my own! And, I have listened alot, and now and then someone comes on, ID's and asks if "xyz" is on...or simply by first name...and usually says "I can't remember your call". I know no rule or manner that suggests that is wrong. 
 
I agree though, if that is an individuals repeater, don't use it. Maybe eventually no one will talk to him. Get with the club and put up your own. 

My experience is that now more than ever, you're likely to hear a business using FRS radios bought at Menards, Lowes, etc., or online on the GMRS mains, because they now can. Well, "they" don't know that they can, but the radios they are buying can. Also large chains, like Hotels, Restaurants, Sporting Goods stores, etc., know they can get away with it and avoid filing for a multi-site, multi-state licenses. In my area, I regularly hear a Hotel, several automotive related contractors, and a couple of stores use GMRS mains. With that being allowed license free under FRS, a GMRS licensee has no idea if they are legal or not when they don't ID. They could be under FRS (although a poor choice for business) and 2 watts, or running 5 watts on portables and no license. Kind of catch 22 for us licensees who paid to be legal. Many businesses will pay $10 for a Boafeng and not a couple hundred for a Motorola, if they know no one is going to do anything about it. 
 
I would say, thanks in part to off roaders groups and family owned agriculture, GMRS is gaining in popularity. I do hear a little real GMRS activity, but not what I would call alot. I have been licensed for 25 years.