WRQC527

What radio does he have?

There isn't one. If you want to chat on a repeater, throw out your call sign and say you're listening or monitoring or ask for a signal report. Asking for a radio check is what you do when you want to buy a radio but you need money from your wife. Maybe someone is there, maybe not. But the age-old saying about GMRS that has been rehashed here many millions of times is that GMRS is a bring-your-own-contacts service. Like your cell phone. Amateur radio is the big one for making random contacts and meeting new people to talk to.

Only if they are held vertically. In any emergency zombie situation, the safest way to hold an HT is horizontally. That way, only other users holding their handhelds horizontally will hear you. It's the polarization equivalent to a CTCSS tone.

It is. But it is not the only way. The solution, if you will, is a toolbag full of useful tools. Each one has uses and limitations. GMRS is limited to UHF, and a few channels. Ham radio, on the other hand, includes a buttload of frequencies on VHF, UHF, HF, and many different modes. Lots of us have both GMRS and amateur radio in our toolbags. The more options you have, the better your chances are of successfully communicating.

You end up with a cacophony of incomprehensible signals. Sometimes the strongest signal will win.

I'm assuming you mean the Nagoya UT-72. Share with us. Are you looking at the UT-72 amateur radio VHF/UHF (144/430Mhz) model, or the UT-72G GMRS (462-467 MHz) model? The reason I ask is because you will likely get better performance from the UT-72G GMRS version. Amateur radio antennas and GMRS antennas are generally not interchangeable because they are tuned for different frequencies.

I have the Anysecu WP-9900. I cannot recommend it. Mostly because the transmit audio is very poor. I took the usual step of drilling out the microphone hole and making sure the mic element wasn't blocked. It improved somewhat, but even so it's not that great.

In that case, since it's so clear, why would the FCC say that the paragraph is an attempt to clarify Regulation 95.1749?

Your point?

A couple of weeks ago, I asked the FCC this question via their Help system. "Description: 95.1749 says "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." But there are repeaters that are linked via the internet to increase their range. Under https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-divisions/mobility-division/general-mobile-radio-service-gmrs, which does not look like an actual regulation, the wording states "You cannot directly interconnect a GMRS station with the telephone network OR ANY OTHER NETWORK for the purpose of carrying GMRS communications". Is this simply an explanation of 95.1749? Why is it worded differently than 95.1749, and why is there no enforcement of the prohibition of linking GMRS repeaters?" Today, for what it's worth, I got this response. I'll let others pontificate on the meaning, ramifications, innuendos, inferences, confusion, intricacies, complexities, misunderstandings, or misunderestimations of this response, and what it means for the future of linked GMRS repeaters. Good afternoon, The website is an attempt to clarify rules 95.1733(a)(8) and 95.1749. If you are aware of such operations causing interference then you may report the interference to the Enforcement Bureau. FCC Rules and Regulations (Title 47) The FCC rules and regulations are found in Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations. You can access these rules from the website: https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title47/47tab_02.tpl. To obtain information pertaining to rules violations and the fines associated with non-compliance of FCC rules, please review rule sections 1.80 (Forfeiture proceedings) and 1.89 (Notice of violoations). If you have any further questions or need additional information, please submit a help request at https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/available-support-services or call the FCC Licensing Support Center at (877) 480-3201. Sincerely, FCC Licensing Support Center 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM EST, M - F

He won't because he can't. Although someone did recommend an ID-O-Matic. I don't think that would be very practical on an HT.

I always enjoyed his appearances on Ham Nation. He was (and still is, thanks to video archives and other media) a very important part of amateur radio. Gordon West participates in a weekly net on my repeater. I imagine he'll have something to say.

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!