gortex2

From my experience as a not-very-interested amateur radio license holder, I observed an interesting phenomenon occur on the local ham radio scene, as digital modes such as C4FM (Yaesu System Fusion) and DMR began to appear.
It absolutely killed the local ham radio scene.
People either embraced the technology, or hated it, and in that process, people got angry with those who disagreed with them (think modern day politics in America).
As such, there is little-to-no amateur radio activity on repeaters anymore, and amateur radio as we knew it, has got both feet firmly in the grave…in this neck of the woods. Dozens of repeaters go unused. 
Those who embraced the digital voice modes (or “the dark side” as many called it), started out on talkgroups with fairly large gatherings of hams. Over time, they would get the azz of one another, and break off into other talkgroups of smaller, more intimate groups (another way of saying, only those who can tolerate each other), because they realized they could just keep creating new talkgroups. Now there are hundreds, if not thousands, of talkgroups, where two or three hams talk, where they used to talk to large groups on their local analog repeater. Excellent use of bandwidth.
It is interesting to see the discussion of DMR, or perhaps some other form of modulation, on GMRS, with it’s limited bandwidth, and no requirement to understand anything at all about radios. When asked to share spectrum space with analog and digital users, I can only imagine what will happen.
My worthless and unsolicited opinion is…if you want to play with a DMR radio, get yourself over to amateur radio. All sorts of people struggling there with code plugs, color codes, time slots, etc. And these are people who have “passed” a test to demonstrate proficiency in radio operation.
I think there is too much effort being placed in trying to turn GMRS into amateur radio. People want internet linking, wide coverage repeaters, nets, vanity call signs, ARES/RACES affiliations, digital voice modes. It all exists over on ham radio.
 
 

In the old days, a GMRS license only authorized two frequencies, and most radios only had a "A"/"B" toggle to select the channel. The channels had to be programmed by a shop in accordance with the license.
Referring to the frequency (or, at least, the kHz section) would have been common practice as what one had in "A" might have been programmed as "B" on the other radio. And note how many repeaters name themselves with the kHz section... (I just looked at the repeater list, with no search criteria, and six of the first ten are named AAA 999 where the 999 is the kHz part of the frequency). (When the interstitials were introduced, some radios expanded the number of channels to include those -- the Maxon GMRS 210+3 used channels 1-7 for interstitials, channel 8 for the FCC defined emergency frequency ".675" [usable by any license for emergencies, general use only if it was one of the two authorized frequencies], and channel 9&10 were the programmable slot for license frequencies; 675 is the 6th of the 8 primary frequencies).
Many modern radios allow one to NAME the channel slots. Using names makes the absolute numbering of the 2017 reorganization unnecessary. Especially if one has reason to use CTCSS codes as one could enter the same frequency in different slots each having their own specific tone configuration. The OP's imported list shows that -- having /named/ the first 22 slots as "FRS xx", and then using "GMRS xx" for the same frequencies in (W)FM (And using frequency in naming the default repeater slots).
 
AS FOR THE OP: from the excerpt image, it appears that it loaded pure FRS -- NFM -- definitions first, then started with the GMRS (W)FM definitions. Unless one really needs the NFM mode, I'd just delete the FRS specific entries and move the others up to fill the space. The "preprogrammed" radios don't have the FRS/GMRS duplication, they are either FRS-only or GMRS-only.

The chances of getting the FCC to grant more exclusive frequencies for GMRS are next to zero. We’re lucky they don’t take some away to use for Part 90 users.
We’re far better off petitioning the FCC to allow digital voice modes on GMRS. The cheap FRS radios would stay the same, limited power, no repeater access and narrow band FM only. There is a thread I started on the topic 1 or 2 months back. In one of my posts there is an attached file outlining the idea.

No you cannot get a vanity callsign on GMRS. What you want is an amateur radio license. You can get a vanity callsign, you can meet new and interesting people on repeaters and talk about all sorts of interesting topics, as well as use many other bands and forms of modulation…SSB, digital, internet linking, etc.
Get an amateur radio license. It costs the same as a GMRS license, and you can easily memorize the questions to the test, as tens of thousands have done so. Very easy.

APX 7500/700 series came in 2 bands depending on how it was ordered. Any of the 2 bands could be in the radio, including UHFR1 and UHFR2 (I have a mobile like this). Our SAR team ordered them with VHF/UHFR1 in the past. 
APX8500/8000 series can be purchased in all bands. 
All depends on flash code in radio. APX8K series can be upgraded to add bands not ordered originally but the flash is not cheap. The 7K series was a board swap and is not supported any longer in terms of upgrades of band changes. What you buy is what you get in that regard. 

APX 7500/700 series came in 2 bands depending on how it was ordered. Any of the 2 bands could be in the radio, including UHFR1 and UHFR2 (I have a mobile like this). Our SAR team ordered them with VHF/UHFR1 in the past. 
APX8500/8000 series can be purchased in all bands. 
All depends on flash code in radio. APX8K series can be upgraded to add bands not ordered originally but the flash is not cheap. The 7K series was a board swap and is not supported any longer in terms of upgrades of band changes. What you buy is what you get in that regard. 

APX 7500/700 series came in 2 bands depending on how it was ordered. Any of the 2 bands could be in the radio, including UHFR1 and UHFR2 (I have a mobile like this). Our SAR team ordered them with VHF/UHFR1 in the past. 
APX8500/8000 series can be purchased in all bands. 
All depends on flash code in radio. APX8K series can be upgraded to add bands not ordered originally but the flash is not cheap. The 7K series was a board swap and is not supported any longer in terms of upgrades of band changes. What you buy is what you get in that regard. 

Moto XPR7550 does not come in dual band, but you can get both VHF and UHF.
Kenwood NX-5700/5800 is similar, one deck for each band, but you can stack the decks into a single head. A dad mount (not remote mount, single deck) is about $900 new. Remote kit is about $350/450. Should be right at your $2500 for UHF + VHF with analog and NXDN. FPP is $130/deck. Caveat on the IHF is any FPP reverts to narrow band, but the VHF supposedly doesn't. I'm on the waiting list for a 5800K2 that should be coming soon. You can do OST (operator selectable tone) and setup a table of 40 options. You could add DMD or P25 to each deck as well, P25 is the most expensive entitlement though.

He can't shut up. His girlfriend cheated on him with some people, he can't get over it and now has a whole youtube channel dedicated to his misery.

As I say over and over the ghost antenna is about as good as a dummy load. If your goal is to talk to a guy in front of you on simplex use it. If you need distance a 1/4 wave is a better choice. A quick search on this site will give you hundreds of posts with the differences between the ghost and the gain from Midland. There are also many posts on the JT/JL/JK/TJ antenna mounting solutions. 

I personally wish this were the case but sure there is someplace that counters the text you screen captured. To me linking has ruined GMRS but that is only my opinion. 

Minor correction: There is still much in California that is not trunked and not encrypted.  Non believers can watch this video to see what I get on my UV-5R (and other analog radios):   -->  https://youtu.be/z9FM0nQW4lw
 

All how you read the rules. But I digress. Years ago we had a GE Master II for our GMRS repeater. It had an RTL (Radio Tie Line) from the tower site to our house and had a "DC" Remote. The Remote allowed my parents to call on the repeater and answer. By the rules at the time it met "remote control" via telephone line, but was not a PTSN network. It was basically a pair of copper wires from one location to another. Now its all done over IP and is the same basic concept. The biggest issue with linking is the ability to shut down the repeater remotely. When everything is working all is good. When its not its and issue. In the past one of the ham groups had a repeater linked with all star. Something on the Pi broke and the repeater was keyed solid for 2 days until someone went and unplugged it. 
Anyway my repeaters are connected via microwave links and comparators. Even though its not simulcast its all run thru a digitac and votes best audio and sends that over the air. Much cleaner than IP linking in the hobby world.

And lets face it 90% of the folks on those channels are using baofengs from amazon and don't have a license anyway. Don't sweat the small stuff. Worry about the high power channels and repeaters. 

If people are looking for the social aspect of radio, there are two options I know about. Option one, use CB and put up with the garbage and trash on the channels or, two, study and get your amateur license to rag-chew on the amateur frequencies.

You are misunderstanding me.  I have no problem using my ID or requiring an ID on a service which requires licensing.
What I’m saying is that when you are transmitting at the lower FRS power levels on one of the frequencies that an FRS radio is allowed to transmit on, nothing is accomplished by requiring a call sign if they’re using a GMRS radio but not if they’re using an FRS radio.  Nobody listening can possibly discern which type of radio they’re using.

I often wonder if individuals such as you are being misled about GMRS. You are not the first person to post on this forum about buying GMRS radios and being disappointed in not hearing local activity. I always wonder what people expect to hear on GMRS? What made you want to spend $300 on those two KG935g radios ? Did someone tell you there is a party going on the GMRS band, and everyone is invited…all for the cover fee of $35 ?
If you could hear the activity on my low profile GMRS repeater between me and my wife, you would hear such exciting and interesting comments like “do you need anything from the liquor store while I am out?” or “I’m stopping for gas on the way home”. Not really worth dropping big bucks on radios to listen to that. 
If you were near an active, high profile GMRS repeater, you might hear people talking about their day, or some issue they are having with a bunion. Maybe they will talk about going fishing, and if they caught anything when they went fishing. These conversations might make you think that GMRS is short for “glamorous”, because the conversations are so interesting and compelling ?
You mentioned you don’t participate in social media and don’t have television. Congratulations on that. I don’t have those things either, and honestly, no one needs them…they just haven’t realized it yet. But if you want to have a form of communications that might provide some timely information regarding events that may impact you, I would suggest you look at ham radio for that purpose. And if you want to sit around and talk about your bunions or your latest fishing expedition, you can do that on ham radio too.
I hope you find a use for your radios. I also hope others who are thinking about getting GMRS radios take a moment to figure out if they want GMRS, or maybe they are really looking for the activity and experience ham radio offers.
 
 
 

I personally wish this were the case but sure there is someplace that counters the text you screen captured. To me linking has ruined GMRS but that is only my opinion. 

I have heard a ton of digital on GMRS. Get near any port on the coast and its non stop. As I go thru DC and Baltimore I hear it on and off in the cities. Alot is simplex but I know of locations with repeaters on the air. Sad part is people buy CCR DMR stuff and just program away not knowing anything about rules or caring. When they sell stuff on amazon to anyone who has a CC its going to happen. When I was at a radio shop in the past they put a IDAS/NXDN repeater on GMRS for a school "cause they have no money" for licensing. I wasn't there much longer. All we can do as GMRS users is try to follow the rules and encourage others to do the same. 

The ORing is to keep water out of the NMO. Nothing more.
 

Unfortunately, I don't think FCC Part 95 archives exist on the net. We're talking regulations from before 1995. My reference is "General Mobile Radio Service National Repeater Guide 10th Edition" from the (defunct) "Personal Radio Steering Group".
From Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_distress_frequency#Other_frequencies
In those days, a GMRS license authorized one to use TWO (out of 8, selected by licensee on application) main Frequencies (one didn't refer to channel numbers, but to the .XXX part of the frequency). Most all GMRS radios (part 90 business types) just had an A/B toggle to select between the two frequencies. It was recommended that one include the .675 frequency as one of the channels.
The Maxon GMRS 210+3 HT was somewhat hot in 1994/1995 as it had 10 channels -- the somewhat recently created interstitials (what are now channels 1-7), channel 8 was the .675 frequency as it was legal to use that frequency for emergency/traveller assistance even if it was NOT one of the two frequencies listed on one's license, and channels 9&10 -- which were to be programmed by a radio shop for the two frequencies on one's license (but Maxon shipped the 6 page programming manual with the radio; programming consisted of taking the back cover off the radio, pressing a micro-button switch, then dialing up the first frequency for channel 9, then pressing the button again to dial up the frequency for channel 10). Duplex/Simplex was handled by a front-panel button.
If .675 was listed on the license, the licensee could use it for routine traffic, not just emergency/traveller assistance.
 
 

If you go this route just toss a 1/4 wave on it. 6" vs 3" wont be noticed. I had run one of those on my Motorhome before I switched out to the LAIRD fiberglass stick. Worked fine for my application as I had no ground plane on the motorhome. 

WHATISGOINGONHEREIDONTUNDERSTAND

WENEEDMOARCAPSCAPTAIN!1

A repeater at 4 watts will talk no further than a portable at 4 watts. No need to install an amp. You would  be best served by purchasing a quality antenna and feedline.