coryb27

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

Technically you can talk on any ham frequency you want to as long as you are not interfering with other stations. There are no private frequencies. However, that does not give you permission to turn on the proper PL/DPL and use a repeater without permission. And, if you were to talk simplex on the input frequency you might be accused of deliberate interference.  As to "private" repeaters. No, there cannot be a charge simply to use a repeater. However, access to a repeater may be limited to club or group members, and paying dues may be a requirement for membership. So, in that sense, as in GMRS, there are Open and Closed repeaters and they are usually identified as such in repeater listings.
 
However, my best advice to you is that there are a$$holes all over the world, in every field, endeavor and hobby and they are best left undisturbed. This guy you ran into is not representative of the vast majority of hams world-wide.   Enjoy the hobby and go find a group/repeater/frequency where there are people interested in talking to you.

https://shop.mygmrs.com/collections/repeaters-and-accessories/products/repeater-linking-bundle

https://shop.mygmrs.com/collections/repeaters-and-accessories/products/repeater-linking-bundle

It's like being angry at the guards for catching your kids playing around on Area 51's land. "How dare you scare my kids that were breaking the rules?! I want to speak to your manager!"

I scare the kids that are using the GMRS repeater outputs on simplex, I bet my XTL5000 base is the sound of god with its desk mic. I have even had some parents yell at me for freaking the kids out.

I tried an Ed Fong j-pole in the attic 6 years ago and it went in the trash 10 min later, worthless as far as resonant, basically a nice dummy load. Several years ago I purchased an Andrew DB404 for my base, still 30' in the attic but I am able to hit my repeaters 35 miles away. I regularly talk simplex 25 miles without an issues. As with anything, you get what you pay for.
 
http://mwgmrs.com/mygmrs/uhfbase2.jpg

If you use the beam I would go with less gain on the yagi for a more usable beam width. I had a 5 element on a rotor and was able to work repeaters 45 miles away at my last house. Yet again a DB-404 30' off the ground in my attic with 45 watts gets me into my chain o lakes repeater 35 miles away full quieting and I have talked simplex to other base stations 25 miles away. How high can you go? A 3' tripod and 10' mast on roof may just do the trick.

I scare the kids that are using the GMRS repeater outputs on simplex, I bet my XTL5000 base is the sound of god with its desk mic. I have even had some parents yell at me for freaking the kids out.

I scare the kids that are using the GMRS repeater outputs on simplex, I bet my XTL5000 base is the sound of god with its desk mic. I have even had some parents yell at me for freaking the kids out.

This raido uses a VCO or voltage controlled oscillator, its tuned by setting the voltage into the VCO. Its an easy fix but requires a multi meter with a 5 place decimal and a spectrum analyzer. This is not done in the programing software. Did somebody use a magic screwdriver trying to get more power out of this radio? If not changes in the VCO voltage could be from the power circuit that feeds the VCO. Lots of variables to look at, if its programed properly the issue is in the reference oscillator. PM me if you would like to arrange tuning with an Agilent 4401A Multimeter and Areoflex 2975 service monitor.

In the video, though maybe only the longer version, they quickly mention a weekly net  control to learn how to use the radios. Given the support they had in setting this system up, I would hope they are also learning good net communications practices.

Hi Ken
I have a repeater here in central WI that is linked to another one about 40 miles away. The 2 repeaters get very little use. There is however a bigger linked system in southern WI that is tied in with about 10 other machines that gets used everyday. But not to the point where it can't be used pretty much when you want. So i guess in answer to your question, i would say in some areas its holding its own. And in other areas there is very little use if that helps. 
 
Take care
Jeff

Today, I put together a new portable repeater antenna setup together.  I do a lot of work with Amateur Radio Emergency Service. Often, we need a repeater setup so our people can run around with HT's and still be able to communicate direct with everyone.
 
The antenna is setup for 2m, 70cm and GMRS.  In all services, the SWR is 1.2:1 or better.  It's sitting on top of a fiberglass mast.
 
The total height is 47 feet from the ground to the top of the antenna. The bottom of the antenna is 40' from the ground. My son Nick is next to it to use as a reference.
 
I tested it out on 2m. Full quiet to another station 40 miles away, with only 5 watts. I'm pretty happy with that. On 70cm and GMRS, I was full quiet to a repeater 22 miles away with just 2 watts.
 
I am pretty happy with this setup.  I am going to be doing a training drill on March 28.  We'll see how it goes.
 
 
 
http://fiveguysracing.com/marc/HAM-GMRS/Pot_2m-440_Repeater_Antenna_2.jpg
 
 
http://fiveguysracing.com/marc/HAM-GMRS/Pot_2m-440_Repeater_Antenna_3.jpg

Whats the chance we can get a chat room? Is that even a thing anymore? I like the idea of ad supported, and yes I would pay 5 bucks a month to not see them!
 
1. Expand our repeater linking project!

I laughed so loud I woke my wife up.
 
A friend of mine was going to put one on his Range Rover.  I told him to just give me the $10 and sell his radio, because the end result would be the same, only I will at least be able to get a cheeseburger and a coke.  LOL

Thanks Marcspaz,
 
I'm far from expert, but this seems to me that the X50a would perform acceptably well on GMRS? I really appreciate your guidance. I'm not ashamed to admit I'm a newbie in the RF world. Just want to have a good emergency comms plan in place with my wife. (And enjoy a new hobby at the same time.)
 
Cheers,
 
Ken

i posted this a while back, the DB-404 is an amazing antenna for the attic. Living in a CONDO i know all about the HOA as I am the president of ours. I am able to work simplex 15 to 20 miles and repeaters 45 to 50 miles away. If you scroll down I included some photos.   https://forums.mygmrs.com/topic/1367-antenna-for-base-in-apartment/

Whats the chance we can get a chat room? Is that even a thing anymore? I like the idea of ad supported, and yes I would pay 5 bucks a month to not see them!
 
1. Expand our repeater linking project!

Welcome to the community!

Whats the chance we can get a chat room? Is that even a thing anymore? I like the idea of ad supported, and yes I would pay 5 bucks a month to not see them!
 
1. Expand our repeater linking project!

We have several projects planned that are in various stages of development, but I'm trying to figure out priorities based upon what the members want (and some things that I haven't thought of yet).
 
I think we can all agree that Problem #1 is outdated listings that never got removed but are no longer on the air for one reason or another. We have plans to address that, but it requires a major redevelopment of the site. In the meantime we have the toggle switches on the map that allow you to hide anything that hasn't been updated in the last year, as it could be stale.
 
So, what do you think myGMRS needs? What do you personally wish we had that we don't?
 
Here's some projects that are being considered or are already in the works:
Finish working on the mobile apps. We have a beta version of the iOS app that has some issues before it can be released to everyone. That effort needs to be revived soon. The Android version has been released but there are new features that we want to add (and will also be in iOS).
  A complete site redevelopment. Much of the code powering myGMRS is over 10 years old. It's the main reason new features aren't being added -- we need a fresh modern platform to work with. Some early experimentation has been done and we think we have the right combination of technology, but need to build it. Then we can begin adding new features once we have covered all the current functionality.
  Launch of our store and securing reseller arrangements with various suppliers. This has been a small success already that we're hoping will grow with time. Most of my energy has been spent here lately, trying to get products that our members are likely to want to purchase. We're always looking for suggestions on products we should add, so please let us know.
  Expand our repeater linking project. We have had success with adding systems to our myGMRS Network over the past few years but we haven't pushed to expand very hard. Interested parties have come to us asking to join and we have approved them on a case-by-case basis. It's time, I think, to ramp up the project and try to get more high-quality repeaters on board across the country. There is a lot of work involved in making this something that can scale up without taking huge amounts of my time, however. 
  Upgrade the forums. We're using an older version of the IP.Board software, and I want to migrate to the latest version soon. We'll have to migrate all the accounts and topics over, but hopefully it won't be such a tough process. I also have a really cool project in mind that I'm going to remain tight-lipped about. It would be an app which would be of interest to the entire two-way radio community, not just GMRS and Amateur operators. I'm working on a proof of concept that could expand into a whole side business if successful.
 
So again, what do you think this site is missing? What kinds of features do you think would be worth paying a small subscription for? The core features of the site will remain free. Since incorporating, we have had to look for ways to monetize the site so it pays its own bills and can grow with time. One example might be an ad-free experience for paid subscribers. Another could be advanced tools for helping to compile a list of repeaters along a trip or commute. Dream up some ideas and hopefully we can launch them all!

Definitely VHF. They may of licensed UHF for a control link of some sort over time. I had a few construction companies that did that when they were on lowband. a local UHF repeater was installed at the building and was tied into the lowband base radio. This allowed guys in the shop and yard to talk to the trucks on the road via portable radio. 

As others have stated the best option is to ditch the stock antenna and replace it with a good laird or comparable antenna and mount. The stock antenna has the worst coax I have ever seen on a UHF radio. I personally am a fan of 1/4 wave antennas if you are in an urban area or operate within 25 miles of your local repeaters but only if you can install a thru roof NMO mount. I never had great luck with mag mounts, even when I bought my new GMC it had holes in the roof before it had a 100 miles on it. If GMRS is something you plan to stick with drill the hole!!!

I managed an MSS years ago. I took some local city admin folks on a tour of our new facility we built. When walking through the garage a woman said "Oh dear they are drilling holes in that brand new car" (Crown Vic)....I said "No, Maam, they are installing antennas". 
 
It's not a hole in the roof if it has something installed in it. 
 
As above....Drill the hole!