WREA317

"some people" will argue about it forever, and accomplish... Well.. You know... Nothing..

I actually go offroad with a small group of Hams... there is usually much less conflict over what frequency we use. The conflict with GMRS is some radios don't cover all FRS channels or there is a lot of congestion. Especially at big events like the Boy Scout Jamboree, Mustang Week, Beach Week, etc. 
 
In Ham radio, if we adhere to commonly accepted spacing, there is an equivalent of 267 channels, plus digital voice, analog voice in AM, FM and SSB. On top of that, we still have hundreds of squelching combinations.  Plus all amateur VHF radios cover all the same frequencies. It's pretty easy to just agree to use a quiet frequency. 
Me and my group usually use 147.525 MHz, C4FM modulation, group code 16.  The chances of us hearing anyone else while noodling around the mountains or downtown Daytona are almost zero.
 
That said, FRS and GMRS makes life a while lot easier for a family. Again, why I use it... mainly to talk to my family and a few very close friends and their families. The ease of use is what's so attractive for many families. 

It's a great radio with many pre-programmed frequencies to play with/listen to and it has many fars.  Sometimes I just stare at mine and caress it softly.

I only watch the ones with GMRS geeks and youtube hobos.

Hello all,
  It's been a while since I posted and I look back fondly at all the former post and interactions from last year when I first got my GMRS license. What started as a upgrade from having a CB radio in my vehicle to GMRS for off-road communication has definitely morphed into something way beyond what I imagined.
  I remember all the input about getting my rig setup, coaxial, base antennas, etc. and am very thankful for all those that help inspire me to explore and experiment more of the radio world. All of that led me to get my ham ticket in December and now four months into amateur radio, I'm a general class operator. Having so much fun in vhf, uhf, hf, and dmr!
  I encourage all other radio operators to stay current with GMRS and also get their ham ticket, as it does open up many new avenues of radio operation(s).
 
73 to all and stay RadioActive!
de WROA675/KN6SDM

Oh.. shit.
As it turns out, a AM as stupid as everyone says.  It is also entire possible that I have had too much NyQuil ..
Carry on.

Me, too!
But I’m waiting for the DB50! ?

$400.00 But You DO get an NMO magnet mount with an antenna that does a good job if you have a  good ground plain, and if youwant a different antenna , unscrew the shorty and add a different NMO antenna to the mag mount.
My MXT500 arrives this Friday , looking forward to trying it out in my Jeep.
The image, was an answer in the questions on the Midland MXT500 page, looks like they are getting really serious on becoming the goto brand for GMRS!

We can pick on Midland twice as much now? Lol!
 

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!

Absolutely bang on! This is a prime example of the differences between a "ham listener" and an "active ham..."
Over the years I've heard hams whine that "the bands are dead," yet when I ask them how much time they invest in calling CQ they nearly always answer "What's the point? I never hear anyone talking. The bands are dead!!!"
<Sigh>