WRQC527

Really what I asked when I started this thread is if anyone has ever used GMRS or amateur radio in a real emergency.

I actually translated the signal, it's a LifeAlert signal from the Moon.

Grab some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the debate. It's like that movie my kids like, "The NeverEnding Story".

Last night I checked in to a net transmitting from Santiago Peak in southern California. Net control is in Moreno Valley, 24 miles northeast of the repeater. Whenever net control was transmitting, and only when he was transmitting, an intermittent static crash, about once a second, would show up on his signal, actually disrupting his transmission. Some other folks checking in also had this same noise on their signal, but oddly, not everyone. It was either there or it wasn't. It seems like maybe the source was local to net control and others in his area, but not to people in other areas. The Winsystem, an amateur radio linked system, has a large number of repeaters on VHF/UHF bands, and occasionally has to unlink some of their 440 repeaters because military radar signals get in to the repeaters.

Light beer or regular? There can be a third less watts in light beer.

There is no "granted right to use amplifiers" stated in the rules. Amplifiers appear to only be mentioned (and prohibited) under FCC Part 95 Subpart A under the CBRS section. GMRS is limited to certain power levels, depending on the channels, the most being 50 watts (On channels 15 through 22, and on the repeater channels . So if you are using an amplifier, you would be wise not to use it on channels 1 through 14. But there is no prohibition mentioned. Just don't go over 50 watts where you're allowed by the rules.

In my humble opinion, I tune my mobile antennas closer to 467, since I primarily use repeaters and I'd like to have maximum efficiency on the transmit end. If you only work simplex, tune it closer to the 462 end. But like they say about instruction manuals, that's just how one guy did it.

FYI, there is an "Ignore User" feature on this site. It comes in handy for filtering out responses from folks you don't want to read responses from.

Because last week they heard "Reading-Impaired Al from the FCC" say it in front of a few folks at an ARRL luncheon in a Chinese restaurant in Pennsylvania, and they're taking it as The Word Of God. Maybe what Al said means enforcement is imminent, maybe it's yet another empty threat by the FCC to enforce their rules. But the risk of getting fined by the FCC is there, no matter how tiny that risk is.

Yep. And I would add and enforce the regulations.

"Any other networks" is not part of 95.1749 as it is currently written. Or any other network is found in a separate paragraph under the Operations tab of a different section of the FCC website and as has been pointed out, has been there for years. Al, the reading-impaired gentleman in the video claiming to be from the FCC, could not even bring himself to read the complete text of 95.1749. What 95.1749 and that separate paragraph say, and what they have said unchanged for several years, is this: "§ 95.1749 GMRS network connection. Operation of a GMRS station with a telephone connection is prohibited, as in § 95.349. GMRS repeater, base and fixed stations, however, may be connected to the public switched network or other networks for the sole purpose of operation by remote control pursuant to § 95.1745." The paragraph in the Operations tab, the "addendum", if you will, reads as follows: "You can expect a communications range of one to twenty-five miles depending on station class, terrain and repeater use. You cannot directly interconnect a GMRS station with the telephone network or any other network for the purpose of carrying GMRS communications, but these networks can be used for remote control of repeater stations." This rule, and the "addendum", if you will, under the Operations tab, seem to prohibit linking of GMRS repeaters, but there is nothing new added to the rules. In the video, Reading-Impaired Al from the FCC appears to be trying to intimidate the audience, but not with any new rules.

I'm curious who is going to take the bait. Guesses? Anyone?

That definitely sounds like an emergency situation!

Seems reasonable.

There's 8 standard repeater channels. They are standard "frequency pairs", meaning there's an input frequency and an output frequency for each of the 8 repeaters. If you know the output frequency of the repeater you want to use, you would select the corresponding channel number on your radio. But to access the repeaters, you need to know what the CTCSS tones are. These tones are transmitted when you key your radio, which tells the repeater to activate. You need to set these tones in your radio for the repeater you want to use. These tones are sometimes available on this website under the Repeaters section, but sometimes they are not published and you would need the repeater owner's permission to use the repeater, then they would give you the CTCSS tones.

A recent thread made me think... Has anyone here used GMRS or amateur radio for actual emergency situations? I've listened in while someone tried to locate and help someone who was lost at night on a dark mountain road out of cell range, but I'm curious how many others have done anything similar. How did it go?

Well then in the words of my favorite hit man, Jules Winnfield, "Oh well allow me to retort". In grossly-oversimplified terms, the frequencies nested between GMRS frequencies are allocated to commercial and other uses, not Personal Radio Services. So transmitting on them would disrupt those users. The FCC is tasked with allocating the entire spectrum so we can all play together nicely.

That's true. I'm mostly aiming at the newbie audience that just got a license and a basic GMRS radio off Scamazon or Fleabay. There are some here who go straight for the commercial gear and bypass off-the-shelf dedicated GMRS radios altogether, or go the outlaw route and use unlocked Baofengs and other CCRs. (wink wink)

Two thumbs way, way up.

Som amateur radio clubs require you to be a licensed amateur to join, but should be more than happy to help you get your license. Many of them host study and test sessions for just that reason. Yes, check them out. The ARRL website should have listings of clubs in your area.

Receive.

Antenna theory is very complex. Instead of getting a bunch of confusing answers here, I suggest researching antennas, gain, antenna types, ground planes, and other antenna-related subjects separately. This is not to put you off, but lots of folks here will inundate you with information.

He's messing with you. Unfortunately.

This is a tough question because there is no one antenna that's "best". It depends on your circumstances. For me, a little 1/2-wave works best because I use one or two local repeaters. For some, an even shorter 1/4-wave would work, but some people use much longer antennas with higher gain because it suits their situation. Lots of people will make recommendations based on what works for them. Personally, for my use, my Rugged Radios 1/2-wave Point5 does the job.

Mine did too until recently. I still use a phone line to control my 1200Mhz repeater. I also still have my father-n-law's 1980s-vintage Yaesu FT-207R 2-meter HT that he used to call his mother through a phone patch from his plane when he flew into South Dakota so she would know to meet him at the airport.