kirk5056

The absolute best GMRS channel is the one that you and the people you want to communicate with decide to use. If your goal is to find new friends then I suggest CB or Ham. Or as a certain Youtube hobo says: try one of the Inter web dating sites, Enjoy, there is no better communication platform than GMRS.,

OK, I am open to learn new things. If I say I want to talk to you on "channel" 19, is there a way to communicate if, or if not, there is a PL filter involved? If we agree on a "channel" AND a PL filter what would that be called? And if we use that same combination over a period of time do we have to continue to say "channel 19 with code 141.3" or could we just say meet me on the "trail" channel?

"You only have 22 channels. Using CTCSS/DCS you just have more choices on blocking what you don't want to hear on those 22 channels." You only have 22 FREQUENECIES! I think a "channel" is what I use to communicate, if you cant contact me because your PL filter does not match mine THEN we are on different channels!! I guess you can define "channel" any way you want but it seems to me that "frequency" better defines what you mean.

Ham type "rag chewing" drives me crazy. If that is what meant by "hobbyist" then I try to avoid it. I have found the best way to defeat these rag chewers is to change channels. Since I only use PL filtered channels for my communication needs I rarely hear them. The only time I DO hear them is when I scan unfiltered frequencies. Or when they are very close or very powerful so they bleed over on my channels. For this reason I mostly use channels 1-7 because I can avoid 50w mobile/bases and powerful repeaters. I have read that there are about 120 "standard" PL (CTCSS/DCS) filters. If that is true then we have over 2,500 possible channels (freq + PL) (120 x 22=2,640). I am in favor of these rag chewers because the more users we have the more options the manufactures will give us.

Program your radio to best communicate with your group. I use the same channel (freq + PL filter) for many groups. My Jeep/hunting groups is mostly GMRS so I use FM. The golf cart group around my cottage is mostly FRS so I use NFM. Both channels work with both groups BUT there can be less than perfect performance if the modulation does not match so I just avoid it by having the two channels programed in MY radio.

Realistically, Ham or CB are better choices for "Just looking for communication with someone" that you do not already know. GMRS excels at communication within groups that need radios to meet their current need.

"masking" clutter is all I need. If the un-masked clutter chases me off the channel then there is a 100% chance I will never hear the call.

I think having a non-cluttered distress channel is even more important for NON-radio geeks. IMHO most people dont want to listen to constant clutter, rag-chew, etc. Without listeners any distress channel is worthless.

I like it idea of using PL filters on distress channels. The reason is, if I want to monitor only distress calls then I will monitor a filtered channel. If the channel I am listening to becomes too jammed with non-distress chatter I may well stop monitoring that channel. Remember CB 19 got so cluttered that many people do not listen anymore.

To me, the best day on GMRS is communicating with people I want to communicate with and not hearing anything I don't want to hear. Therefore, I love PL filters (CTCSS/DCS) and the 3,000+ combinations they give to our 22 rx frequencies.

The best thing about Randy's videos is that he does his home work. Other youtubers (in all categories but especially in GMRS) seem surprised by the thing they are talking about. For them: it is NOT a review if you don't know what it is. I like his mistakes and miswords because I know he is doing it on purpose. He may do it to cover real mistakes or just because he is just so darn clever. Either way he makes GMRS topics informative AND entertaining. BTW I enjoyed his off-road videos (I may have been the only one ) before I found him in the GMRS world at the same time my Jeep group was moving to GMRS from FRS.

Maybe I am a "Debbie Downer" but while I am glad you have made contact with people you don't already know is that the reason you got into GMRS? HAM or CB would be much better IF that is your goal. To me, the best day on GMRS is only hearing people that I want to hear. That is: I see GMRS as a communication tool not a social tool.

Look up the definition of "discrete". It does not mean private, just separate and distinct. Others can still hear you but you are unlikely to hear them. Thr chances of someone being heard by you randomly is less that 0.5%. Of course, they could find your PL filter, enter it into their radio, then call you, and it would be legal in a d**khead kind of way. Lets hope THEY are few on our GMRS.

IMHO a repeater should be used however the owner (the one that used private resources to set it up) allows it to be used. A GMRS repeater is not a public utility, even "open" repeaters. If the repeater owner does not like how it is being used then there are ways of limiting access. If you want a channel where you can contact family (or who ever) then you may want to set up your own channel. There are no private or secure frequencies on GMRS but cleaver use of channel selection and CTCSS/DCS filters can give you a discrete channel to use as you want.

I would rather that NOAA spend their (our) limited (I wish) money on maintaining and upgrading the current system not using that money to buy new and expensive transmitters at every one of their 1,000+ towers.