WRJA601

Anyone with $35 for a license and maybe $150 for a good handheld (or halfway-decent mobile radio and antenna) gets all the functionality of analog amateur radio UHF equipment (radios, repeaters, etc) without the drama of testing. It stands to reason that GMRS is growing fast. Hard licensing numbers are tough to come by, but it does appear that GMRS is getting more popular, especially after the FCC cut the price of admission in half.

Gmrs is super cheap to get into I mean a $20 ht will get many people by once you get out of the city or big mountains.  It’s $35 for a whole family for 10years.  Other than the stupid fcc web site it’s super easy to get into.   Many people see things on the wall and in our future and want some emergency comms.  This fits the bill nicely.   I do talk to many people that are taken in by ads promising 500mile ranges and what not so they buy the radio only to have to clue how to use it.  From what I see ham is growing also just not as fast.  For some gmrs is a gateway drug but others are very happy with gmrs especially with all the repeaters and groups and clubs.