PastorGary

Membership Note - In order to dedicate a thread for specific questions and answers for "gusto11071", we have used his post from another thread as a new thread start... Juan...Thank you for your question and welcome to the Forum. Anyone with basic start up info - please post here for the benefit of our new member. Thank you. P-G =====

Much less expensive that way - 'Gators go through alot of pet food - (and an occasional neighbor...)

We all remember the devastating scenes that took place on September 11, 2001. Construction projects at ground zero are coming along well, as I understand it. May I ask if anyone here knows if there were any GMRS systems involved in that destruction? Thank you and as we approach the 12th anniversary of that sad day, please keep the victims and first responder families in your prayers... the healing goes slowly.........................

Logan - "PET" alligators at all 4 corners of the property might get her attention... I can give you the phone number for "Alligators R' Us"........

Hi, Dave... Thanks for stopping by to say hello and to post here at the Forum. There are several repeaters near Sacramento as listed in our own GMRS directory... CLICK >>> http://www.mygmrs.com/browse Log in there the same way that you log in here and enter "Sacramento" and "California" in the advanced search blocks. In general terms, once you have permission to operate on an established repeater, the owner will provide you with CTCSS or Digital access and output codes. The repeater RECEIVES its activation signals exactly 5 mhz above it's transmit output frequency. Example - If a repeater is transmitting on 462.575, it's receiver will be tuned to 467.575. Your radio would transmit on 467.575 with the proper tone or digital code and receive on 462.575 To eliminate congestion from other systems or individuals in your radio, the repeater output tone or digital code should be programmed into your radio for that repeater as well. This will allow your radio to hear only that repeater without having to listen to simplex or unlicensed chatter. I am not at all familiar with the model of radio that you mentioned. But if you have any setup questions for your equipment, other's here who own that brand will be able to assist. P-G

Good day and thank you for posting in the Forum. There are numerous repeaters in Ventura County and perhaps the best way to determine accessability is to view the possibilities in the following website and then contact the administrator(s) as needed. http://www.socalgmrs.org/index.htm In addition to their website listings, you will also see "Saddle Peak" listed in our own listings at our own main MyGMRS.com site. Just log in to get details. Good luck on your search, welcome to the Forum and please keep us posted on progress...

Actually you do - Simply move to northern Alabama....

Jeremy - if you look closely at 95.135 is says that no station shall transmit with an RF output power of more than 50 watts. That is NOT ERP, but the raw RF coming out of the connector at the back of a repeater or a moble type radio. The Commission couldn't care less about ANTENNA GAIN and ERP for a repeater or mobile type radio. One of the systems I use each occasionally each year has a 50 watt output from the repeater into 175 feet of Andrew hardline to a stacked vertical array with 11.9 dbd gain... which is just under 600 watts taking line loss into consideration. That system is on an elevation 210 feet above average terrain and the tower is another 168 feet. It has a service diameter of over 100 miles.

Jeremy - Good thoughts. I have commercial licensing in low band VHF, high band VHF and UHF as well as GMRS and non-licensed MURS. Comparing range yourself with similar output powers in these frequency spectrums verifies all the published range statistics for simplex systems. The higher the frequency, the less range you have - utilizing the same output power and antenna heights (or using portables at the same height off the ground.) There is a nice helpful chart detailing this topic of frequency vs. range in the following website... http://www.artscipub.com/simpleton/simp.range.html

I'm just the opposite. There is NO publicity for the systems that I commonly use. When the general public gets wind of a system, the unscrupulous will take advantage of the availability in many cases, rendering the system all but useless. Because our systems are used for emergency operations so often, we can't afford to risk unauthorized use. I'd personally stick with SECURE "advertising" at the main repeater listing site at MyGMRS.com and verify call sign, mailing address and other details for any user requests that come in before you give out the access and output codes to anyone. I would also go so far as to require a signed agreement including a System Data Non-Disclosure Clause to prevent authorized users from giving out access data to anyone other than immediate family. I also know of several systems where the owner of a system requires a cash Security Deposit for any users coming onto the system as a guaranty of non-disclosure. If the user moves out of the area or stops using the system, the Security Deposit is mailed back to the user after an additional 3 months.

Probably a good idea, Steve. Responsible persons will only use those frequencies in a dire emergency and you can't use something under those circumstances unless it's in the radio ahead of time. I took it one step further... I am licensed in Part 90 for most of the same itinerant frequencies that the Red Cross is licensed for and in a severe emergency, I could communicate with them, as a volunteer member of the Red Cross in several states, directly under 90.407: § 90.407 Emergency communications. The licensee of any station authorized under this part may, during a period of emergency in which the normal communication facilities are disrupted as a result of hurricane, flood, earthquake or similar disaster, utilize such station for emergency communications in a manner other than that specified in the station authorization or in the rules and regulations governing the operation of such stations. The Commission may at any time order the discontinuance of such special use of the authorized facilities. We all hope and pray that our equipment will never have to be utilized in this manner, but if worst comes to worst, it could potentially save lives.

Note: The Commission has not 'directly' addressed "emergency operations" regarding MURS equipment in subpart J, 95.1301 to 95.1317 . However, in the GMRS "Permissible Communications" section, it states "If necessary to communicate an emergency message from a station in a GMRS system, the licensee may permit:...... (2) The station operator to communicate the emergency message to any radio station. Once again, the Commission regulations are unclear as to whether "any radio station" means any GMRS station or ANY STATION in ANY radio service. My opinion alone, but I can only think that the Commission would not be critical of a licensed GMRS operator using any means possible during a bona-fide EMERGENCY to get information and assistance requests out to Public Safety by way of a temporary relay to ANY RADIO STATION as long as the relay was for the imminent protection of life and property and was taken down as soon as the critical communications were completed. If this was initiated by an MURS radio, since there are no emergency protocols in writing for MURS, a licensed GMRS operator using common sense and proper emergency operating protocols would most likely be safe in doing so. This would be especially true in a natural disaster where cell phones are all but useless and personal communications equipment brought into a devastation area was the only means of communicating critical info to others by "any means possible".

Thanks, William - I as so far up into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan that there were no cell towers for miles and definately no internet connections. I was able to hit one cell tower over the border in Ontario, but from past experience, I'm not going to pay 'international' rates. Glad that everything here went well last week and thank you for the additional time here. P-G ======

Slightly off topic... As noted elsewhere, I have all commercial equipment except for one Cobra 4 watt "bubble pack" radio. I have it programmed for one GMRS frequency with a CTCSS that matches a simplex frequency in all my commercial radios. It is used ONLY if I am at the scene of a traffic crash - to get info back to my family in the car who can relay info to 911 while I concentrate on assisting victims and reporting back as to severity of injuries, etc. I hate having to use a cell phone personally in situations like this because victims are within hearing distance and can become more frightened if they hear someone on a cellphone giving details about injuries to 911 in plain English. By using the Cobra simplex back to a family member in my car who is on 911, I can use the 10-CODE to get all the details relayed without having to speak in plain English right at the scene. My family members are all aware of the APCO code and the Ambulance Response Codes for response urgency. While many agencies are going over to plain English for "interoperability", it may be KINDER to victims to have responders use codes as before to keep victims more calm.

Hello, David and Welcome... If you live in the valley near the river, you already know about the high ridge lines to your northwest and southeast which can limit communications in those directions. What model of Uniden radios did you purchase? Perhaps members here have experience with the same type and can give you some pointers. Jeremy's suggestions are sound. You can also look at many Kenwood commercial models that are type accepted for Part 90 and Part 95 operations. Commercial used equipment is available these days in good quantities and at fair prices because of all the late 2012 updating on systems throughout the US to narrowband. Many radios that were wideband only on commercial frequencies in 2012 are STILL OK to go for GMRS and Ham operations. Keep us posted and if you have any questions, please let us know.

Dan - This time of the year, I'm as far north in Wisconsin as a person can be without crossing into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In fact, we are close to both Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. Lake Superior water temperature mid lake at 20 feet below surface is 39.22 degrees F. today ( just above freezing ) and Lake Michigan water temperature mid lake at 20 feet below the surface is 54.71 degrees F. When the winds are from the northwest, the influences of Lake Superior evaporation and cooling affects us here and it also prevents Lake Michigan from becoming warmer than it does. It can be 90 degrees 50 miles west of the Lake Michigan Shoreline with a south-easterly wind and it will be roughly 22 to 30 degrees cooler at the lakeshore. Our 'natural' air conditioning only gets switched off if the winds are from the southwest and that doesn't happen much this time of year with the jet stream troughs happening the way that they do. The cool temperatures also carry into Autumn and Winter very early here - we usually see our first measurable snowfall in mid October and in recent years, the average winter snowfall just south of Lake Superior has been running just about 225 inches ( 18.75 FEET ) and yes... I have a 12.5 horsepower 28 inch wide dual stage snowthrower to clear our driveway and walkways. This snowthrower will toss snow over 45 feet away and it gets a workout!! Our last measurable snowfall this past Spring was the third Saturday in April.

Hey - Logan... In my primary residential location, one humming bird flapping it's wings near the vent in the enclosure would be enough. Where I live we have 4 seasons... June, July, August and Winter..... We only turn on one 8000 BTU window A/C approximately 9 days each year - so far this year it's at 3-1/2 days and only the month of August to go for even the potential of anything over 84 degrees. In all my time in this area, I have seen it SNOW in each of the 12 months. In fact, on July 28, our FURNACE turned on at 4:45 AM for 15 minutes. "Cool, Huh?"

I have eleven here but no clean shot do do a photo because of several large maple trees in the way. Maybe this winter after the leaves are down......

Brad - You're probably correct regarding the probability of no repeaters in Oahu. I did a quick check and there are none listed in the normal members-only listing websites. Just a suggestion if you do put one up... use GPS tracking in case a lava flow moves it... Seriously - Many owners are using a CTCSS output and a DPL input to discourage unauthorized use.

White Rustoleum paint on the enclosure will decrease the inside temp by a few degrees on sunny days.

With high temperatures in most of the US this time of year, what REPEATER cooling measures have members here taken to insure that equipment will not turn into a puddle of metal and plastic on the equipment room floor. Hopefully, air conditioning is in place, but if that fails for any reason or is not available, what is your backup? I'm confident that members here might like to hear what their options are. Thank you.

Good hint on the audio quality upgrade, Phil... much appreciated.

PM sent and thanks, Rich !! - but for everyone who reads this - things should be back to normal, now. Thanks for your patience while the little growing pains of the new Forum software and hardware are resolved.

Phil - Thank you for the additional info about equipment that many persons may not have used or even heard about. Welcome to the Forum...

Will do, Rich... I'm here at 5 AM CDT Tuesday July 16 and the refresh rates and post times are almost back to normal today. I'll email you if any of the fringe issues remain after a couple days of observation. Thank You !!