SteveShannon

All of the statewide DMR talk groups now have (10 minutes) as part of their names “MT Statewide (10 minutes)-3130

I should probably have emphasized the word "Potential." There are a few ham clubs which avoid Brandmeister as their DMR network, except through limited bridges so they have more control over their own repeaters.

Maybe that's part of the misperception, that there will be someone to talk to and something to hear if you only get a GMRS radio. It's more likely to be true on the ham bands, but still not completely reliable. Road conditions? 511 Also, if you know there's only one repeater, there's really no need to scan. Just set your receiver to the same 462 MHz frequency as the repeater transmits, leave the tone cleared out, and leave it there.

I keep hearing June of this year the dam will break. In the meantime, get on rpilocator (https://rpilocator.com/?country=US) and sign up for alerts. If you receive an alert, jump on it.

Even in the ham world there are folks who see large networks of linked repeaters as a potential problem.

Something that perhaps isn't cited as frequently as it should be is this rule regarding Personal Radio Services. It seems obvious to me that rag-chewing is a violation of this premise: § 95.357 Duration of transmissions. Except as otherwise provided, the operator of a Personal Radio Services station must generally limit transmissions to the minimum duration necessary. See e.g., § 95.2357. Some Personal Radio Services have specific duration limits, which are set forth in the subparts governing those services. See e.g., § 95.957.

Agreed.

So, it appears we're seeing an excess of success. Cheap radios, easy licensing with very loose rules on who may use, increased number of repeaters, and repeater networks. That GMRS is regulated to be very easy for families to connect with each other under a single license, perhaps too easy. What could be done? Many people (myself included) would prefer that GMRS be used primarily for short messages, rather than long winded sessions. Actually that's good etiquette for any repeater usage. Likewise, although station to station conversations don't have to be limited in length for ham radio, they probably should for GMRS, since there are so few channels. Should there be a more public dissuasion of people who want to rag-chew on GMRS? Multiple times per week someone gets on here and says they bought a GMRS radio and they're dissappointed there's nobody to chat with. Should there be a pinned post that we can steer them towards, or a set answer that's basically "You've got the wrong idea," nicely of course. Randy has been good about saying that.

You are 100% correct. I don't think you'll get banned, though. You might even get some write-in votes in the 2024 General Election.

We sure did.

I still don’t get it. There are a lot more 70cm, 2m, and other frequencies available to hams. Why do you think it’s licensed hams instead of ham wannabes who are doing this? What would attract a ham away from the more plentiful options they have with amateur radio to the very limited GMRS?

Thanks - I can understand not wishing to raise a repeater only to have it taken over for rag-chewing. I get the idea that a lot of people buy GMRS licenses because paying $35 is the same for either hams or GMRS, but GMRS doesn't require a test. It sounds as if the people flocking to GMRS are simply looking for an easier way to play radio. I don't understand why someone who is already licensed as a ham would be attracted to GMRS for that reason. Maybe these are people who either couldn't pass the test, were too intimidated to try, or it's just easier. Perhaps the price for GMRS should be raised to $70 again and the price for a ham license be removed? ?

Just so I can learn, what are the operating habits that some hams have developed that are unwelcome?

Just for shits and giggles, try listening on the input frequency (with no tone) for the repeater that’s only a mile away. That way you can see if anyone else is trying to hit it.

Sorry. That’s all we get. ?

That should work. For me it’s easier to think in terms of repeater input (467) and output (462 range) and that’s exactly what you are doing. Maybe the repeater is on a different frequency or out of range. No luck contacting the owner?

They probably could be ported, but that’s not always easy. The Raspberry Pi boards use ARM processors but have the Raspberry Pi OS, whereas the OrangePi and boards like that use Armbian OS.

When you say the repeater TX frequency, are you talking about the repeater output frequency (462.xxx) or the frequency people transmit to the repeater (467.xxx)?

Kerchunking means pressing your push-to-talk button in an attempt to activate the repeater without speaking or identifying your station. Yes, all analog repeaters will respond to that as long as you are in-range, on-frequency, and using the correct tone or codes. You might not hear it but others may. Do you hear anything at all from those repeaters at any time, such as an ID?

When I put the faux Nagoya 771 on, I get two more S units, as reported by a DMR repeater that I’m hitting. That can mean a lot to quieting and background noise within the same range. But I don’t think it will make much difference in range for UHF. Range is more a function of getting an antenna up in the air where it can be seen, above the horizon.

There may be others who are also passively scanning. If you’re all waiting for each other it would seem very dead, so someone needs to initiate the conversation. Don’t hesitate to pick up the mike and say “This is WRVZ494. Can I get a repeater check?” Also, don’t shy away from saying “Is there anyone who wants to chat?” It’s not against the rules and you might find out there are quite a few others who are just scanning.

Some places it’s even deader. In those places, the best way to be able to hear others reaching out to make contact is to get your Technician ham license and a dual band ham radio. There are ham radio repeaters in a lot more places than GMRS and calling CQ (meaning “I want to chat”) is part of the tradition. Steve

Can you record what you’re hearing so we can hear?

I agree with the others. A mobile MURS radio doesn't do anything that a good MURS handheld won't do. Either can be connected to the same external antennas, With a handheld all the controls are in your hand, a feature folks are willing to pay extra for in a mobile radio it would appear, It's possible that the KG1000M has a better receiver than an inexpensive MURS radio, but probably not much different than a decent handheld, 2 watts is 2 watts, regardless of form-factor, 5 channels is 5 channels, regardless of form-factor, If you just want a microphone in your hand, there are ones that plug into the handhelds. It's like they asked "What's a problem nobody has, so we can solve it?"

For what type of usage? Handheld, mobile, or base? Handheld: Nagoya 771G is a common upgrade - Comet and Diamond make similar antennas and Signal Stick makes an ultraflexible antenna. Make sure you buy the right gender SMA. Mobile: Midland MXTA-26 is a nice upgrade, but you must also have an NMO mount Base - I don't have the experience others have. There are lots out there. Laird DB404 gets mentioned a lot here.